Food Drive for the Mission the week of July 12th
July 7th, 2010
Food Boxes go to needy families
The pantry shelves are half full
Canned foods are critically low at the Mission. In conjunction with Family Life Radio, Gospel Rescue Mission is conducting a non-perishable food drive at various Basha’s Grocery Store locations around Tucson the week of July 12th. The food will be utlized in food boxes to working poor families.
Daily Basha locations for food drop off are: Monday July 12th – Catalina AZ (Oracle & Golder Ranch) 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM Tuesday July 13th - River & La Cholla 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM Wednesday NO LOCATION Thursday July 15th – Swan & Camp Lowell 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM Friday July 16th – Thornydale & Cortero 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Food needed includes: canned goods (vegetables, fruit, soups, and meat/fish), pasta, rice, beans, cereal, mac & cheese any other non-perishable items. Collection boxes will remain in each location inside of the store throughout the week to drop off food. The above list of locations and times are when KFLT is with us on location for a remote broadcast.
According to GRM Community Ministry Director, Suzanne Williams, “People may only receive one box a month from the Food Bank. Although this helps, the box only lasts a few days. People often need more than the one box. So, the Mission food box supplements the Food Bank box with a GRM food box.”
The food pantry at the Mission’s Community Ministries Department is extremely low. Layoffs, work furloughs, and difficult economic hardships are bringing about 500 families a month to the Mission for help with food. The Mission distributes about 450 emergency food boxes from the Community Food Bank and monthly distributes another 50 plus GRM emergency boxes.
Each GRM food box contains about 30 pounds of food. The goal of the drive is to generate at least 3,000 pounds of food, which would translate to 100 food boxes or about a 2 month supply of food.
People are encouraged to drop off food on the way to work or stop in at the Basha’s location and purchase some food items. A booth will be located outside each store and there will flyers with list of the needed items. Look for the GRM truck and the Family Life Van and you will find our booth near the front door.
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July 6th, 2010
Homeless Women & Children's Center Porch
Work has begun on the porch and overhang that surrounds the new building at the Women & Children’s Center. Progress on the building is being made daily and it is exciting. Our goal is to have the homeless center open by year’s end. We have an urgent need for about $650,000 to keep the construction moving along to completion on this one building alone. Please pray that God will raise up the donors and a “major” donor so we won’t have to slow down or halt construction.
If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and see the new center. It is beautiful to see and to know how many more women and children will receive much needed assistance out of homelessness and addiction for many years to come . Much thanks to our community for being an instrument of God to serve the least, the last, and the lost through financial gifts and volunteer labor.
Spiritual Warfare for Homeless and Addicts
July 2nd, 2010
There is no doubt that the ministry of Gospel Rescue Mission is to “rescue” homeless men and women and addicts who are living at the “gates of Hell“. Some have already crossed over and we go there to get them back.
Praise God He uses us as His tools to reach the least, the last, and the lost…with their lives destroyed and all hope spent. People that society and even their family have often given up on. But God hasn’t given up. He created each person, loves each one and wants a personal relationship with them…the simple and true message of John 3:16.
We also know that Satan doesn’t like what God does in His rescue ministry at the Mission. Attacks come…spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, as Satan tries to thwart God’s work. It’s amazing the crazy things that can happen each day at the Mission. So, we need to keep our perspective and realize that it is not the person or problem that is our issue. It is the wiles of the evil one. Too often we can get upset or frustrated with the circumstance or person and miss the underlying cause.
We must then remind ourselves of the spiritual battle and putting on our armor of God, as found in Ephesians 6:10-18. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers of darkness.
So, I guess it’s a good “thermometer” of sorts that we seem to regularly face some very difficult issues at the Mission, as it may indicate that Satan is not pleased with what God is doing at the Mission bringing men, women, and children to salvation, changing lives, making disciples and “rescuing” people from the gates of Hell. If nothing were happening for the “kingdom’s sake” then Satan wouldn’t care to attack. Praise God!
Experiences at the Mission’s Homeless Center for Women
June 20th, 2010
Below are 2 responses to a couple of the blog posts. One is from our Women’s Center Director and the other from Lisa, who was an intern from the University of Arizona this past semester. They share their insights and experiences with you.
As the Director of the Women and Children Center, it is so wonderfull to see how God is changing the lives of the women and children daily. I get blessed as I interact with those who are seeking God for the miracles and changes that are needed in their lives. I was really blessed to do chapel last month, I taught on John Chapter 5, the story aout the lame man at the pool of Betheseda, who was there for 38 years. Jesus asks, “Would you like to get well? I believe Jesus continues to ask that of each of us as Christians. He wants us to go deeper with Him so He can continue to transform our lives. I was challenged as well as the ladies, to say, “YES Jesus I want to get well.” Lilly
I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to see this (answered prayer) in action during my internship at WCC. I’ve never been one to say, “oh what a coincidence,” and instead am full aware, acknowledging and praising God for the miracles and prayers answered all around us everyday. It’s just been such a blessing to have worked in a place where the concept of miracles versus “luck” is grasped in full. Lisa
A Father’s Role raising children
June 20th, 2010
With Father’s Day upon us I just wanted to share some thoughts on the importance of a father in the lives of his children. I have had over 30 year’s of experience working with youth in several professional and volunteer venues, including mentoring, coaching, and teaching. I also helped raise 2 children who are now wonderful and productive adults. I don’t claim to “know all the answers”, but there are some significant observations that I’ve had during these experiences.
First and foremost, our view of the character of God is often formed based upon on how we perceive our earthly father’s character to be. Does your child see you as loving, full of grace, a teacher, supportive, approachable, and forgiving? Or does he/she see you as demanding, looking to correct their every move, critical of their efforts, afraid you will reject them, unapproachable, or scared that you won’t love him or her.
Depending upon the environment that the father sets within the home the child will view God as a God of love and grace or a God of demands and punishment.
Establishing a home that is a safe environment where your child can be held accountable and responsible for their choices and actions but is balanced with love , grace, and teaching is paramount to success.
Proverbs 22:6 says – “Train up (or teach depending on the translation) your child in the way he should go and when he is older he will not depart from it.” Note that it says train/teach, not punish up a child or discipline up a child in the way they should go.
Here are 7 keys to help you build a home with a safe and healthy environment where your child learns to accept responsibility to make good and positive choices in behavior and attitude.
KEY ONE: Teach, teach, and teach some more.
Your home needs to be based on teaching and not punishment. Every mistake your child makes is an opportunity to help them learn what they did, why they did it, how it affected others, what they could do to “fix it”, and determine if their actions were Christlike. Teac hing is based upon a relationship and does take time to do.
KEY TWO: Allow for failure and teach from it
Your child is not perfect…and neither are you. How is it that most of us learn important life lessons? Usually it is through failure or mistakes. Use failure to teach, not punish. Do you want a boss at work that writes you up for every wrong move you make and you live in fear of punishment or losing your job? Or would you rather have a boss that helps you correct your mistake so you experience success the next time and you don’t have to work in fear? Does God give us what we deserve when we sin…or does His grace supersede and helps us learn our lesson?
KEY THREE: Be careful how you use punishment and discipline
Punishment should be the last resort to get your child’s attention, not the first or second. If you do have to use discipline, make sure that the goal is to TEACH not just to inflict some type of pain to make your point. Also, don’t discipline because YOU have “had it up to here” or that you don’t want to take the time to teach. The disciplinary action should “match the crime”, don’t go overboard “to make your point”.
KEY FOUR: Build upon your child’s strengths
Your child is blessed with skills and talents. They are probably not good in everything. Find out what their strengths are and build upon these and not focus your major attention to trying to improve their deficiencies. I don’t get Math (Algebra, Geometry, etc). It’s not a matter of working harder. No matter how much I study, I just won’t get it. That’s OK. Help them in their weak areas and if they still don’t get it, it is OK.
KEY FIVE: Focus on building the character and values
The Bible teaches that out of the heart comes our words, attitudes, and behavior. Therefore, try to get past just the outward behavior and dig deeper into the values and in the character development. The outside of the vessel is not the part God cares that is clean, it is the inside of the vessel…the heart. If you change the heart (values), you change the behavior. I used to examine my children’s report card not looking with them at the grade part of the card first but the character part where the teacher grades how they are they following the rules, turning in assignments, getting along with others, etc. If their character issues are rated good and excellent, then their grades will be about as good as they can get. If the character part is not excellent, then the grades will reflect that and they will be lower than they should be.
KEY SIX: Be honest with your children about your own areas of weakness and mistakes and apoligize to them if warranted
You (and I) are not perfect. When we do make a mistake or sin we need to deal with it by confessing to God and those we hurt and apologize…this includes your children. I spanked my son about 5 times while he was growing up. On three occassions I went to him afterward and apologized and confessed that I had spanked him because I “had it up to here” and I punsihed him out of my anger. The anger was my sin and I should have done some teaching with him, not choose to let my anger determine my corrective action. I asked for his forgiveness which he gave unconditionally. Apologizing for my mistakes helped build our relationship and respect of each other.
KEY SEVEN: Communicate…don’t just talk and lecture, but listen and encourage
Spend time with your children collectively and individually by participating in activities that they enjoy and where you can talk together. Positive reinforcement and encouragment goes a long way to develop their character and your relationship with them. Listen to them, ask questions, and teach where there is opportunity. Don’t just be present…be attentive.
Yes, a father’s role is critical in “training up – teaching a child in the way they should go”.
