Anyone that has been a pastor for any amount of time can tell you that some Mondays are really tough, because often there is a big let down from Sunday to Monday.  On Sunday we often find ourselves on a spiritual high with the preaching, teaching, leading and encouraging of our congregation, but by Monday, we are physically, spiritually and mentally exhausted and the enemy knows this and so he begins his relentless attacks to tear us down and take us out.

Some Mondays are worse than others!  This is one of those Mondays!  I have spent a good part of the morning, just pouring my heart out to God and begging for His guidance, help and peace.  I have a headache, an impossible schedule, more needs than I have time to try to meet, work that has to be done, obligations that have to be kept and an ever-growing mountain of things to do that are become things that have to be done!

It gets overwhelming fast and it is really easy to feel like you are drowning.  This seems like a very bad place to be, but it really is a great place to be, because from this place, there is no where else to go, except straight into the arms of our loving Creator!

In His arms, I am reminded that He has this!  In His arms, I am reminded that He is with me and will not leave me.  In His arms, I am reminded that He will use all of this to grow me for His glory.  In His arms, I find the peace that I am longing for and in His arms, I find the victory that only He can give me!

God is faithful and even though I sometimes have to battle the demon called depression, ultimately I will come out on top and be better because of the struggle!  I hate the struggle, but the struggle helps me to be more dependent and trusting of my Savior.  The struggle grows and develops my faith and with my faith strengthened, I am ready to take on whatever else might be coming my way!

As children of the Most High God, we are blessed and highly favored.  The favor of God operates and functions in our lives in amazing ways.  His favor surrounds us as a shield.  His favor goes before us and prepares the way.  His favor opens doors of blessing and offer us incredible opportunity.

Wherever we go and whatever we do, God’s favor is with and on the child of God.  God’s favor is at work in every area of our lives.  We have favor with our family, on our job and in all of our relationships.  Whatever we do is blessed and experiences prosperity.

This blessing of favor is new every morning, so that whatever we set our hand to, we expect success.  God’s favor brings promotion and increase into our lives and fills us with the great gifts of God – blessing, peace, joy, fulfillment and abundance.

The best way to thank God is by living a life of faith which says “thank you!”  Claim His favor today and share the hope of a real and right relationship with Him everywhere you go!

Grace Place has done a lot of things for me! One of the most amazing things that it has done for me, is teach me.  Grace place has taught me many different lessons and it still continues to do so on an almost daily basis.  One of the things that Grace Place has taught me, is that I have often taken a lot for granted.  One of the things that I take for granted is having something to eat.  I have never been wasteful, my Mom taught me better than that!  And I am always thankful, my family instilled that in me when I was growing up, but I rarely take the time to really think about the blessing of food on the shelf, in the fridge and on the table.

The fact is – I don’t really remember a time when there has not been food of some sort around for me to enjoy and get nourishment from.  My Mom tells me that there was a time when it was just the two of us, when I was very young, but I was to young to remember or she kept it hidden from me, so that it never bothered me.

We have people in our communities that come upon rough times and it is amazing what a box of groceries can mean to them.  Simple things like tuna, green beans, soup, corn, spaghetti and just about anything else that you can imagine – mean more than you can imagine to folks who are having a hard time and who have very little to nothing.

In our world today, there are a lot of people having a hard time.  People that used to not have a hard time, are now finding themselves having a hard time.  It could be you and me, before we know it.

Our church along with other ministries in our community, try to help people who are having a hard time, by helping to provide some staples that will help to get them along.

This month we are collecting cans to help three ministries in our community that help people who are having a challenge in the food area.  All the cans that we are collecting will go to Greer Community, Greer Relief and Grace Place!

To have a little fun with the whole thing, we have decided to try to build Mr. Potato Head.  Someone in New York did it and we thought it might be a fun way to accomplish a very good thing.

I hope you will join us and bring your cans to Northwood as we build Mr. Potato Head to help others and as we learn to appreciate even the simple things of life!  God Bless, Press On And G3!