Apathy's Antidote

What sin comes to mind when you think of the ancient city of Sodom?

Chances are, your first response is the sin of "sodomy", usually associated with homosexuality.

However, the root sin of Sodom, according to the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel, was apathy--or a lack of concern for the poor.

"Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen." Ezekiel 16:49,50 (New Living Translation)

Our preacher, Dr. Jason Locke, shared this passage with us yesterday, as he talked to us about our attitudes toward gay and lesbian people. How would God have us treat those who are in same-sex relationships?

While the good Dr. Locke did not give us a definitive answer for our church family, he did encourage us to remain open to showing love and friendship to those in homosexual relationships, or those who are struggling with their sexual identity.

And he certainly advised us to avoid the sin of apathy, of having all that we need to live comfortably, yet ignoring the needy and helpless around us.

We have a wonderful opportunity, in less than two weeks, to take a huge antidote to apathy in Fresno. The Ocheltree Shepherding Group is hosting a 24-hour Urban Plunge at The Fresno Rescue Mission on Friday, Oct. 10 through Saturday, Oct. 11. We will stay overnight in a dormitory especially for guests and we will learn what goes on in downtown Fresno, where all the drug addicts and drunks and prostitutes and homeless hang out. Cost is $15 per person. That includes 4 meals. All ages are welcome, as well as neighbors, friends and co-workers. There are 90 beds available for us.

Please text or email Carolyn Ocheltree before Monday, Oct. 6, if you would like to join the Urban Plunge. Cell phone: 559-250-6465. Email: carolynocheltree@gmail.com

We will be changed after this weekend. That's a guarantee. It's a wonderful way to take an antidote for apathy in our city!

--Posted by Mama O.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

RECOMMENDED READING:

UNBROKEN BY LAURA HILLENBRAND

I just finished reading, quite possibly, the best biography I have ever encountered. It is the true story of Californian Louis Zamperini, who was a champion in the 1936 Berlin Olympics one-mile run. He went on to join the United States Army Air Corps in World War II as a bombardier. His plane went down over the Pacific and he survived 47 days afloat a life raft before being taken prisoner by the Japanese. He spent years being tortured as a Japanese Prisoner of War before Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945.

The story is extremely timely, as Louis suffered from what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After his release from prisoner-of-war camps, he suffered terrible nightmares and daytime flashbacks. He turned to alcohol for relief from the pain, but the alcohol began to destroy the relationships that meant the most to Louie.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusade in Los Angeles in the late 1940s was a turning point in the rich, full life of this incredible man, who went on to establish an outdoor camp for troubled youth in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

Although I read the book on my Kindle, I ordered a hardcover copy of this book, as well as Seabiscuit, by the same author, to keep on my shelf at home so it is available to all who enter my home. It is that good!

And, for those who want to watch the story on the big screen, stay tuned...it opens on Christmas Day, 2014, in movie theaters! It is directed by Angelina Jolie and the screenplay is written, in part, by two of my favorite writers, Joel and Ethan Coen. 

Anyone up for sharing a bucket of buttered popcorn on Christmas Day, join my family at the movies! We'll be there!

--Posted by Mama O. 

Where Are The Answers: Dealing With Impossible Questions

We all have impossible questions that face us in our lives. Some of them come about when people we love do things that are wrong. Some of them come about when illness, accidents, or other unexpected crises arise. Some of them come about because of job loss or relationships that end unhappily. We have questions that cannot be answered in black-and-white terms with "yes or no" answers. We feel uncertain, confused, scared and maybe angry. How do we deal with these impossible questions? Where do we find the answers?

Truth is, some of those questions will never get complete answers until we reach heaven and "know fully" (1 Cor. 13:12). We may receive partial answers, over a period of time, from many sources. Like a puzzle that we keep adding pieces to, the answer may begin to hint at full formation, but still be missing some essential parts.

How do we deal with uncertainty and pain and panic in the meantime, while those puzzle pieces are being assembled?

A simple acrostic, spelling out the word FAITH, may help with impossible questions:

Follow Certain Truths Rather Than Uncertain Conjectures

It is easy, during a crisis, to "run away" with opinions and Facebook and Twitter posts. Fear takes over and leads the charge. But "perfect love casts out all fear" (1 John 4:18) Go with what you know to be right (1 Cor. 13:13). Practice faith ((Prov. 3:5,6; Heb. 11:1,6); hope (Rom. 5:5) and love (1 John 4:20,21).

Ask open-ended questions of God

Too often our prayers are nothing more than thinly disguised requests for God to "rubber stamp" our own agenda. Learn a lesson from good King Hezekiah of Judah, who was faced with a terrible threat from Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Rather than having his military leaders draw up a defensive plan and put it before God for His "divine rubber stamp of approval", Hezekiah took the threatening letter into God's presence and spread it out before Him, asking God what His plan was! The answer God gave was quite unexpected and brought overwhelming victory to the Jewish people. Read the story in 2 Kings 19. Meditate on Hezekiah's response to threatening news in 2 Kings 19:14.

Instruction from wise counselors is needed

Even those with a great deal of knowledge and skill still need to consult wise counselors. When the Apostle Paul was a new convert, he had a great deal of knowledge, zeal and persuasive power. He was so persuasive in his arguments with the Greek Jews about Jesus' true identity as the Messiah that they put out a contract on Paul's life! Wise counselors prevailed. It was not young Paul's time to die! The apostles in charge of the Jerusalem church had Paul board a ship for his hometown of Tarsus where he had time to mature in his faith and get away from the death threats. Read the whole story in Acts 9. 

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, had much to say about seeking good, solid, wise counsel. Read a sampling of his advice in Prov. 12:15, Prov. 13:10 and Prov. 19:20.

Truth comes from knowing God's character, not having all the answers

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8,9 (New American Standard Version)

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going, so is every one who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8 (New American Standard Version)

God can take unexpected turns. Those who are open to listening to God and understand His character of love will be able to change their course when God is the One leading.

Read about the Apostle Peter and his 180-degree turn on the issues of Gentiles becoming part of God's family and of unclean meat being acceptable to eat. The story is found in Acts 10. Peter would not have been able to make these complete turnarounds in his practices if he did not understand God's character of love for all mankind and the sacrifice of Jesus, God's only Son, to forgive all people of their sins.

Have joy in the process!

Nothing can weigh a person down more quickly than unresolved emotional issues. The "what if's" and "if only's" and "it's not fair" questions will keep people awake at night and give them headaches during the day. We simply will never have all the answers. Life cannot be erased and lived over again. We must live with the consequences of our choices and the consequences of other people's choices that affect us. And we must live in a fallen world where young, healthy people die of disease or are killed in accidents. There are no easy answers to the questions that arise from difficult circumstances.

Does God want me to be happy? If He does, then why did my child die...my wife leave me...my job disappear in a downsizing...my brother get addicted to drugs.... 

It is a fact that the circumstances of our lives will not always be happy. We will make some of our own misery, other people will create chaos around us, and natural disasters and disease will take their toll. We won't always be fully compensated financially in a class action lawsuit or vindicated in front of those who judged us. We will have to find our way to "go on" anyway. 

God has provided a beautiful way to "keep going": in the full, unbridled joy of His presence, which promises that all will be made right "someday". In the meantime, rest in the joy of God's friendship and presence:

"I have set the Lord continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will dwell securely.

Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;

In Thy presence is fulness of joy;

In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever."

Psalm 16:8,9,11 (New American Standard Version)

I Am The Most Blessed Person In The World: An Interview with Ruth Geary

The fourth friend whose story I'd like to share with you is Ruth Geary. Ruth is the senior member of our group of story-tellers from College Church of Christ's Ladies' Night on Sept. 5. Ruth and Frank Geary have been married for 60 years on Dec. 23, 2014, and Ruth turns 80 on Dec. 4, 2014.

I AM THE MOST BLESSED PERSON IN THE WORLD:

 AN INTERVIEW WITH RUTH GEARY

Smart and talented and pretty, Ruth Geary had more than one proposal of marriage in her day. But she chose Frank Geary, with his steady, loving nature and his commitment to God, and she hasn't looked back since.

They have enjoyed years of serving God and other people. From the time they met and married (Frank was stationed at Fort Benning, GA, and had been invited over to Ruth's sister's house for Sunday lunch after church--Ruth was there visiting her sister), they have been contributing to the life and health of the local church.

Frank's military service took them to North Carolina where they helped establish a church. They moved back to California after Frank's military service was complete, where Frank finished his education to become a teacher. While Ruth had received excellent education all along the way, Frank's education in the San Joaquin Valley had been inadequate. He wanted to work within the system to make it better!

Ruth and Frank worked tirelessly for the first 20 years of their marriage, raising Denise and Philip, Ruth volunteering at school and at church (she typed all of John Banks' sermons at College Church of Christ) and Frank served as Boy Scout Master in Parlier, taking Phil along on the long Scouting hikes. Ruth and Frank were present when College Church of Christ opened its doors in 1964.

Once Ruth's children were raised, she returned to the workforce. At first, as a typist for a Fresno State College professor, but later, she became his illustrator, when he discovered her artistic talents. Three veterinary science textbooks, still in use today at California State University, Fresno, are illustrated by Ruth Geary.

Ruth's organizational abilities soon got her "discovered" in the local business world, where she founded a branch for an insurance agency and hired many of the young women of College Church of Christ at the time, including Cindy McGrady, Olivia Gale and Jennifer Martin. Ruth illustrated training manuals for the insurance agency, as well.

Retirement brought 20 more years of happy service for Frank and Ruth, as they bought an RV and traveled all over the place with their grandsons' soccer matches. Members of the soccer team would come to the Geary's RV to play cards and rest awhile between matches.

Aging also brought a number of health problems for Frank and Ruth. Frank has had 24 surgeries, including open heart surgery, prostate cancer surgery, kidney stone retrievals, kidney surgery, three hip replacements, two broken legs. skin grafts...But he has kept going. Only in the last five years has it slowed him down. This past February (2014), "we thought Frank was dying," Ruth said. "The doctor told us, 'Just try to make him comfortable.'"

"Then a young gastroenterologist suggested we test him for Celiac's disease. We did and he has made a 180-degree turnaround in his health," Ruth related.

Ruth, herself, went for her routine check-up in March (2014) and the lab results showed a mass in her right breast. A biopsy revealed breast cancer and Ruth had a partial mastectomy on May 15, 2014. Because her arm was elevated for so long during the surgery, she developed tendinitis, which may need surgical help, also. She has had to deal with radiation burns on her chest, but she said, "God needed me to slow down."

As Ruth sits, like a queen, at the top of 80 years of life and 60 years of marriage. She calls herself "the most blessed person in the world". She and Frank have two children, six grandsons, and five great-grandchildren. All of them are Christians. Those who are married are married to Christians.

"I have a family filled with Christians who will be living forever. That is the best legacy to have," she said.

When Ruth and Frank face difficulties, Ruth is comforted by the worship song, taken from Psalm 42:7, titled "Deep Calls to Deep".

"It reminds me that when I am in the depths of my troubles, God calls to me from the depths of His heart!" Ruth said.

--Posted by Mama O

God is Protecting Me: An Interview with Arrolene Burrell

Today, I introduce you to the third of my four friends who shared their stories at College Church of Christ Ladies' Night on Sept. 5. Arrolene has the gift of making us all laugh as she shares her story.

"God Is Protecting Me": An Interview with Arrolene Burrell

Arrolene and Robert (Bobby) Burrell were married for 41 years. Bobby had been retired for 8 years, Arrolene for 7 years, when Bobby passed away in September, 2012.

Bobby had been diagnosed with cancer when he was 25 years old, so Arrolene felt truly blessed to enjoy his company for so many fine years!

They had one daughter, Aris. Aris was 3 years old when Bobby was first diagnosed with cancer. Arrolene remembers praying to God that she did not feel ready to be left alone to raise this 3-year-old daughter. Bobby lived until Aris was 33 and had two children of her own! Aris is now expecting her third baby.

After 41 years in a happy marriage (both of them were lucky enough to be on the same sleep schedule--night owls who liked to sleep in during the morning hours!), you miss a lot of things about a person.

Bobby always took care of car repairs and filling up Arrolene's car with gasoline. After he retired, he became quite the gourmet chef, preparing meals that were both delicious and lovely to look at! It eventually got to the point, when Arrolene entertained women from one of her organizations, they would just call up the stairs, "Thank you Bobby!" Everyone knew it was he, not Arrolene, who had prepared the meal!

When Bobby was in UCLA's Medical Center, Arrolene began to realize that she was going to have to find a more economical way to travel back and forth from her hotel than using the taxi. So, by herself, without the help of a girlfriend or anyone except God, she taught herself how to use the Los Angeles Metro blue bus system. 

"One day I got on and paid my 50 cents fare for passengers who are 55 and older and the bus driver looked at me and pointed to the sign that said, "55 and older" with a suspicious look. He didn't come back and talk to me or anything, but when I got off the bus, I showed him my driver's license to show I was an honest woman, and a few years past 55!"

Arrolene was able to stay at a place called The Fisher House, which is provided for United States veterans and their families. This also saved expenses.

Bobby had the "gift of knowing that it was his last night on this earth," Arrolene recalled. "He knew the machine had been turned off and by this time tomorrow, he would be with his Heavenly Father. Very few people have that gift. On that night, those two grandchildren were on the bed with him talking and hugging. The children were on their best behavior. It was like a picture book! At Bobby's funeral, his 4-year-old grandson, Jaden, was a pallbearer alongside his daddy, David Shabaglian. Little Jaden was so poised and mature that day!"

Arrolene had been afraid of funerals ever since her father died when she was a little girl. She stood in the bathroom on the day of Bobby's funeral, thinking, "I can't go." But she knew she had to because this was her husband.

"I felt so much better after I went. Here, all these people came out on a Monday afternoon to say all these wonderful things about my husband. Even though I was married to him, I didn't know all of the wonderful stories people told! And this wasn't even our home town, like Memphis, Tennessee, or Mt. Vernon, New York. We are transplants to California!"

Arrolene said all her family was amazed at the wonderful job Pat McKenzie and her crew did of organizing the meal after Bobby's funeral service. "I was going to have it catered so I could be sure it was high quality," she said, "but Pat McKenzie assured me that she and her crew would take care of things! All the relatives from the South and the East and everywhere else commented on the food and fellowship and how good it was. That was the hit! I really want to thank Pat McKenzie for that!"

Since Bobby's funeral, Arrolene has been more "at peace"with attending funerals and has done so for several of her friends.

There is no question, the dark night hours are the hardest for Arrolene, now that Bobby is gone.

"I am so thankful to God for protecting me. It is God who is protecting me, not my husband. I have this picture framed in my head that God has His arms wrapped around me. So I don't have to be afraid of being in the house by myself."

--Posted by Mama O.

Don't give up!--an interview with Jennifer Bryan

Jennifer Bryan is the second of my four friends who shared their stories at College Church of Christ's Ladies' Night on Sept. 5.  Warning: Jennifer's story will give you an irresistible urge to persevere through life's tough times!

"DON'T GIVE UP!'--AN INTERVIEW WITH JENNIFER BRYAN

In December of 2009, Jennifer Bryan had taken a leave of absence from her job as a trauma nurse at Community Regional Medical Center. She was 48 years old at the time, her daughter, Wendy, was soon to be married. Jennifer was scheduled for neck surgery that month, to remove a benign tumor. Jennifer was at risk for having a stroke because she had undergone surgery five times before. This tumor has recurred multiple times.

Two days after the surgery, Jennifer was sleeping when she had a nightmare. She awoke to a different world. She had a stroke. The entire left side of her body had no feeling and no control. She was confined to a wheelchair. In fact, she had to be strapped in so she would not fall out!

Her doctor gave a dark forecast: she would never walk again! But Jennifer did not believe it. She wanted to say, "STOP! My God is not in a box!" Despite statistics and timelines that would tell her differently, Jennifer knew she would walk again.

With the help of an excellent physical therapist, who truly thought "outside the box" Jennifer began to regain more and more mobility. She used something called a "Light Gait", which was like a treadmill with a harness.

"I had a real fear of falling because I could not feel the left side of my body. It is still kind of numb, to this day," Jennifer said. 

Jennifer also dealt with emotional side effects of a brain injury (stroke). She developed Pseudo Bulbar Affect, or PBA for short, which causes emotional imbalances in people with head injuries. It would cause her to laugh or cry at inappropriate times, making it awkward to go out in public.

"I didn't want to go anywhere because my emotions were not under control," Jennifer remembered.

In working with various natural remedies, the emotional side effects have become more manageable, with time.

There were spiritual side effects to the stroke, as well. Jennifer struggled with feeling hurt by God. Why would He allow this? Did He love Jennifer? But God took Jennifer's hand and pulled her up, helping her to see that she needed to keep going for her husband, Pat, and for her grandchildren (she now has 5!)

Re-learning walking as an adult was "a real trip", Jennifer said. "Hip/Knee/Hip/Knee".

"Most people learn that stuff when they are about a year old and a lot closer to the floor!" she laughed.

At times, she had a person on each leg, helping her re-learn to walk, down the corridor.

Jennifer knows that her career in nursing is too physically demanding, but she is planning to enroll in classes this spring to become a counselor, helping others to overcome the obstacles in their own lives.

Her advice as a therapist-to-be?

"Don't give up! When it seems hopeless, a blessing might be just around the corner!"

--Posted by Mama O.

With love, anything is possible: an interview with Rachel Ammons

 I would like to introduce you to four of my very precious friends from College Church of Christ. These four beautiful ladies agreed to share their testimonies, in an interview format, at our annual Ladies' Night on Sept. 5, 2014. Each lady represents an different segment of womanhood and motherhood, and I believe you will be truly encouraged by each story. Today, I will start with the story shared by Rachel Ammons:

RACHEL AMMONS

Rachel Ammons is a mother of two young children, her daughter, Riley, is 2, and her son, Sage, is 3 1/2 months old. Rachel is married to Kris. 

Rachel was born in South Korea in 1978, where she was left as an orphan as a tiny baby. Through God's grace, Rachel was adopted by her parents, Ron and Carol Chitwood, who were stationed in Japan with the Air Force at the time. Her parents especially requested a little girl because they knew the fate of girl orphans. They were left to make their living on the street, as prostitutes, while the boy orphans were abuducted into the military when they were "of age". Rachel has since discovered, through research, that she was adopted through an organization headed by a godly man named Dr. Kim who prayed over each and every baby who was adopted (around 45,000 of them!)

Rachel grew up in Kansas with parents who loved her and taught her to love God. She played all kinds of sports, and became good enough at soccer to win a college scholarship. Although Rachel's mom was more of a homemaker and Rachel was more of a tom boy growing up, they became very close as adults. Rachel and her mom talked on the phone pretty much every day, just to catch each other up on their lives.

Rachel's mom, Carol, loved children and looked forward to being a wonderful grandma! She taught cradle roll in their local church and would be a "local grandma" to the families stationed in the military in their church.

When Rachel and Kris moved to Clovis and were expecting a baby, it seemed like the perfect time for Rachel's mom to move to California and be near her grandbaby-to-be! But, her mom had been taken very ill by this time and was not able to travel. Rachel's mom was a hard-worker and the forced-rest from her illness was very difficult for her, but she was in a great deal of pain.

Carol Chitwood was blessed to meet her granddaughter, Riley, once, before Carol passed away, when Riley was six months old. 

It has left Rachel and Kris with many happy memories of Carol, with her wonderful hospitality and hard work on behalf of others. While Rachel misses her mother every day, she is grateful that her mother is not in pain anymore, and that she is using her gifts to serve Jesus and the other saints in heaven!

When Rachel was asked what the best gift her mother gave her was, she thought about it, because her mother was such an intensely loving and giving woman. She remembered a time, years ago, when her mother hosted a baby shower for an unwed mother in her church. It was considered kind of scandalous at the time and many of the parishioners did not attend the shower. But, Carol Chitwood insisted on showing the love of God, even to people who don't get everything right in this life.

"My mother believed," Rachel said, "that, with love, anything is possible!"

Posted by Mama O.

Walk with me...

Carolyn Ocheltree and Laura Marziale, celebrating successful completion of all four quarters at Rescue The Children!

My flowers from Dia Martinez

Our gift from Mentor Appreciation Night, made by the mentor and disciple who shared their story

Walk with me, friends--

One of the greatest joys I have experienced these past two years has been walking alongside women who are recovering from addiction and its effects in their lives. Yesterday, my friend, Laura Marziale, finished her fourth quarter at Rescue The Children. She now has a job, working in information technology. Laura and I have spent a great deal of time together over these last months, she has been a student in various classes I have taught, and we have made and sold jam and salsa together.

Dia Martinez and I have walked together for two years now. Dia started the Rescue The Children "Life Transforming Community" in July of 2012. She met me as one of her teachers in a class called "Standards of Cleanliness" that I co-taught with Pam Vogel, a Registered Nurse Practitioner. She asked if I would be a "mentor" for her. I was scared to death to be a mentor when she asked. I had been given a handbook for mentors by the RTC staff. I read it and re-read it, trying to memorize all the things I needed to do to be a good mentor. I interviewed friends who had worked in prison ministries, so I glean from their experiences.

Then, Dia and I began meeting once a week.  And it was as natural as--making a new friend! Mostly we attended Wednesday night church dinner and church service together. She got acquainted with a variety of our church family and received a great deal of encouragement from them. She encouraged them, as well.

Last Friday night, June 27, we had a Mentor Appreciation Night. Dia bought me a lovely bouquet of flowers. Another mentor and disciple shared their story--of spending time together, taking walks on the lovely walking trail behind Rescue The Children, so both of them could pay attention to their health, playing board games with the mentor's whole family, being together.

Yesterday, on Wednesday, July 2, Rescue The Children hosted a promotion ceremony. Each of the disciples moved to the next quarter in the four-quarter system, and received a lovely gift. This mentor and her disciple were there. Laura Marziale was glowing as she accepted her gift for finishing all four quarters successfully.

I have to be honest. Being a mentor can be awkward at first. Like going on a first date. You have to get to know each other. And not all stories have great endings. Some disciples leave and return to their old ways. Others lose their footing temporarily and have to start their entire rehabilitation process over, from the beginning. But, every one of these women needs encouragement and love. And, even those women who return to their old lifestyles may choose to return to rehabilitation sooner if they have someone loving them, encouraging them and praying for them and with them.

Walk with me, my friends. Pray about becoming a mentor for one of these women. Rescue The Children truly is a "Life Transforming Community". It will transform your life, as well. I guarantee it.

--Posted by Mama O.

Dr. Allen Rice 1922-2014

Thank you, to all my church family, who shared stories and music and prayers to honor the life of Dr. Allen Rice on Sunday, June 29. What a dynamo for good this man was! Although I only became acquainted with him in his later years, I always knew him as energetic, persuasive, creative, intelligent and full of love for others.

My eyes were opened to other great aspects of his life when his friends and colleagues shared stories. Harlow Dawson shared, through tears in his eyes, about Dr. Rice's sacrificial leadership of Mountain View Christian School. Dr. Rice always made sure that the teachers on staff were being paid at the top of the standards for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), while his own salary, as the school's administrator, was at the bottom of ACSI standards for administrators. Many agree that Dr. Rice's leadership turned around the school's failing finances, giving it years more life in the community.

Lalaine Garoutte shared that Dr. Rice always had a special place in his heart for single mothers and their financial struggles. He paid for many children to go to camp.

Lisa Hansen followed Lalaine's sharing, as she said, with tears in her eyes, "I was one of those single mothers!" Both Lalaine and Lisa worked for Dr. Rice at Mountain View.

Lalaine recalled Dr. Rice's ability to defuse even the most tense meeting with angry parents. She described his office, where his desk was pushed up against the wall, so he hosted people in his office with a chair that was not blocked by any other object.

"There must have been something to that chair," Lalaine laughed, because, she said, even the angriest of parents would emerge from meetings with Dr. Rice with smiles on their faces.

Dr. Rice had a gift for praying for others. Jason Locke recalled that Dr. Rice's gifts did not lie in sharing short, concise speeches (he had a penchant for wordiness), but there was something about his prayers that just melted away anger and brought love and life into the lives of those he was praying for.

His son, David Rice, shared that his father, ever the good administrator, kept an orderly and organized home that leaves his children with a gracious gift: an orderly estate.

Doug Baker recalled Dr. Rice's attention to detail, keeping accurate inventory of school supplies, down to the last pat of butter in the kitchen. Doug made the confession that he and Brady Smith (the youth minister at the time) used to take popsicles from the school's kitchen freezer, just to mess with Dr. Rice's precise food inventory. Harlow Dawson admonished Doug that it is never too late to write a check to cover those missing popsicles!

Dr. Rice gifted me with his entire book series of "Through The Bible" with Dr. J. Vernon McGee. I use the series often in preparing Bible lessons and I think fondly and thankfully of my friend, Al Rice, who undoubtedly already has an accurate inventory of the popsicles in heaven's freezer!

We will miss you, friend! We will join you again one day!

--Posted by Mama O.

Opportunity Camp

(Front to back) Brenna Mason, Taegan Frame, Kally Nauheimer, Andrew Ocheltree, Jericho Locke, Jordan Lewis, Jacob Locke (Members of College Church of Christ's high school and college groups who served as staff at the 2014 Opportunity Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains.)

Andrew and Steve Ocheltree and Jericho Locke. Steve prays over these two young men who spent the last week ministering to inner-city youth.



Thank you, Andrew Ocheltree and Jericho Locke, for sharing with the Ocheltree Shepherding Group on Sunday. These two young men were part of a group of high school and college students who spent the past week ministering to inner-city youth at Opportunity Camp at Daybreak Camp, Inc.,  in the Santa Cruz mountains. Opportunity Camp provides a week of camping experience for young people who live in extreme poverty and often with various kinds of abuse. For one week out of the year, these young people get to be "kids", in an environment where all their needs for food and safety and shelter are taken care of. While the camp is not meant to be a "therapy" camp, primarily, there is a lot of therapeutic activity taking place, from games and Bible studies to the personal attention the campers receive from the camp staff. Counselor-to-camper ratio in the cabins was approximately 2 campers to one staff member, according to Jericho and Andrew. The student staff members from College Church of Christ went through two days of training before working with these youngsters, who exhibited various symptoms of living in poverty and abuse. At the end of the week, campers were tearful as they said good-bye. As one camper worded it, "It's a year too long for a week too short." We are proud of our young people who spent last week loving others who come from very different backgrounds than their own. God bless you!

Andrew Ocheltree's post on Facebook after his return read: "This was only my second year in Opportunity Camp and I know that I will be going back next year. This was an amazing experience and I have learned so much. Thank you to everyone who made this experience amazing. P.S. Homeboys for life."

Brenna Mason posted these words after her return: "I'm home from Opportunity Camp! I always say this is one of my favorite weeks of the year, and this week proved that. It's a tough week, but oh so worth it. Those kids have taught me how to smile no matter what, how to love unconditionally, and how to be a kid even in the midst of chaos. I wouldn't trade this week for the world!"

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?" And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'" Matthew 25:34-40 (New Living Translation)

--Posted by Mama O.

Blessing Crystal

Youth minister Aaron Scott reads Crystal Alonzo's "Barak" or blessing

Crystal Alonzo gets a hug from youth minister Aaron Scott

High school Class of 2014 from College Church of Christ (clockwise from front): Branden Mack, Jamison Norby, Cheyenne Blackwell, Cheyenne Corona, Sam Amezcua, Andrew Ocheltree, Crystal Alonzo, Marquois Ellis, Jericho Locke, Dustin Swain, Aaron Scott (youth minister)
Not pictured: Akayla Varnel and Viviana Hinojosa

We had the privilege of participating in blessing our graduating high school seniors at church yesterday. We started in the morning, when our elders surrounded seniors and their parents/guardians/significant adults and laid hands on them and prayed over them. Then, in the evening, we had a "Barak" or blessing celebration, in which our youth minister read a special blessing over each graduate. The blessings were prepared by parents or other significant adults in the students' lives. We had the privilege of preparing the blessing for our son, Andrew (yesterday's blog) and our friend, Crystal Alonzo. Cystal's older sister, Christina, became our son, Paul's friend in the Bullard High School Marching Band during Paul's freshman year in high school (Paul is just finishing his sophomore year in college). Christina started coming to College Church of Christ, then brought two of her sisters, Crystal and Cece, with her. Crystal was baptized at College Church in 2010. Here is her "Barak" or blessing:

Lex Henderson, Crystal Alonzo and Steve Ocheltree in April,  2010 at College Church or Christ

Back Row: Katie Kirkley, Mary Tarkenton, Linda Sue, Carolyn Ocheltree,
Front Row: Dawn Frame, Crystal Alonzo, Paige Kirkley, Lauren Gale
April 2010, College Church of Christ

Crystal, you have a way of bringing beauty to the environment! Your pretty face and sweet smile bring a smile to others’ faces. Your ability to imagine and create beautiful things brings beauty to your surroundings.

I remember the fall when you and I created “snow-covered” pine cones to hang on the Christmas tree. You worked and worked at making those beautiful, sparkling cones dipped in glitter. I love watching your face when we go shopping at JoAnn Fabrics. I can see the wheels turning in your creative brain as we pass rows of felt, feathers, glue, glitter, paint and paper! Your enthusiasm bubbles over as you see worlds of beauty to create!

What fun we had when we painted all those silly signs and backdrops for the church Talent Show one spring! And decorating Easter cookies…

I am so happy that you and Andrew are walking together at graduation! You have enjoyed friendship and family events together and now you get to celebrate a huge accomplishment together—graduating high school!

I work with women who have to work very hard to graduate high school after many years of making bad choices, abusing drugs and alcohol. They are so proud when they earn their high school diplomas!  It is a major accomplishment and one you can be very proud of!

We are so happy to be privileged to share your growing-up years with you! Thanks for being part of our lives!

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned. Then the God of peace will be with you.”  Philippians 4:8,9

God bless you, Crystal,

Love,

Steve and Carolyn Ocheltree

--Posted by Mama O. 

Senior Blessing Day

Seniors and their parents are blessed by our elders during morning worship

Andrew listens to his "Barak", or blessing, read by youth minister Aaron Scott

Our high school class of 2014 at College Church of Christ (clockwise from front: Branden Mack, Jamison Norby, Cheyenne Blackwell, Cheyenne Corona, Sam Amezcua, Andrew Ocheltree, Crystal Alonzo, Marquois Ellis, Jericho Locke, Dustin Swain, Aaron Scott (youth minister)
Not pictured: Akayla Varnel and Viviana Hinojosa

Today was Senior Blessing Day at College Church of Christ. We began the day with a blessing and prayer time during the morning worship service, with parents/guardians/significant adults and high school seniors receiving laying on of hands and prayer from our elders. Then we ended the day with a church party and "Barak", the Hebrew word for blessing or praise.

Each family was asked to write up a blessing for their own high school senior. I share, here, the blessing we offered to Andrew, who graduates from Bullard High School on June 10:

ANDREW'S BLESSING

Andrew, you have been a joy since you arrived in our home on August 15, 1995! You make us laugh, make us think and make us thankful to be your parents. We appreciate, admire and respect the young man you have become.

You have been a philosopher and a comedian since you were a little boy.  There was that August day, just before your 6^th birthday, when you came in and asked, “Does Paul miss his self when he was 7?” When Mom said, “I don’t know, do you miss the 7-year-old Paul?” you replied, “Yes, because the 8-year-old Paul is mean!”

Then the night before your 6^th birthday, you announced, “I feel sad inside my body.” When we asked “why?” you said, “Because I miss myself when I was 5.”

“But you’ll like yourself  being 6,” we reassured you. And sure enough, the next morning you woke up and told us, “I feel happy inside my body because it’s the first day of being 6.”

We want to reassure you again that “you will like yourself being a college student”!

You have a great heart for helping, leading and teaching others. We are proud of the fact that as soon as you graduate from high school you are leaving for a week to be a counselor at Opportunity Camp, where you will be leading underprivileged, inner-city youth. 

Throughout high school you have been a teacher and leader for other students, through Bullard High School  Link Crew, being a drum major, a teacher’s assistant, traveling with the Hutchison’s to Mexico on Project Nino,  and working with leadership in children’s church and church youth group. We know you will continue to teach and lead others as you continue on to college and on into your chosen career.

We also know that you will keep that philosophical, witty way about you that can help us all see the world a little more clearly and a with a few more laughs!

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Graduate with God, Andrew!

We love you,

Mom and Dad

--Posted by Mama O.

Our Financial Retreat

Margie Faye York's homemade blackberry pie, made from her home-grown blackberries--the perfect dish to serve for a Financial Retreat!

Steve and I just got back from four days at Pismo Beach where we hosted our Second Annual Ocheltree Family Financial Retreat. Those in attendance included Steve and myself. Since it is blackberry season and our friend, Margie Faye York, understands our passion for homemade blackberry pie, she sent one with us. It helped us think better. So did getting away to Pismo Beach for four days. We took time to analyze our spending, giving and saving over the past year, to set realistic budget expectations for the coming year and to set goals for charitable giving and for savings. We discussed college contributions. We made plans for investments and took time to discuss and analyze our energy consumption. We now have an appointment for a home energy consumption audit with Allbritten.  Sun Run Solar should be calling this week to take measurements of our roof for solar panels. We looked at cell phone plans and the possibility of switching to a hybrid or electric car down the road. These are all things that may come up on an individual basis. But it was really important for us to take the time to look at those items as part of an entire personal family budget plan.

I firmly believe that, when life starts pummeling you with demands for time, money, energy, creativity, wisdom, expertise, and more, the answer is not to let the busy-ness take over, but to stop, take a deep breath, and set aside some time for quiet reflection and planning. With thoughtful goals in mind, you can then re-enter the busy world with a framework on which to hang your decisions to get involved, contribute financially, make an investment, and so on. Your decisions will become part of a unified picture, not just seemingly disorganized snapshots shoved into a bureau drawer.

And, it helps your thought process to eat homemade blackberry pie and fish and chips from Fin's and Spencer steak from Jocko's.

"To lose focus means to lose energy.
The absolutely wrong thing to attempt when we've 
lost focus is to rush struggling to pack it all back together again.
Rushing is not the thing to do. Sitting and rocking is the
thing to do. Patience, peace, and rocking renew ideas."
--Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run with the Wolves

--Posted by Mama O.

Judges Like David

David's back!

David Lopez leads the Ocheltree Group in a great lesson and discussion

Thank you, David Lopez, for leading the Ocheltree Group the last two Sundays, as we participate in a church-wide study on "The Life of David". Last week, we studied the story of David and Goliath. Our teacher, David (Lopez) reminded us that our "giants" can start out small and grow into a proportion that is "bigger than life". This week, we studied the story of David's taking King Saul by surprise, of his having the opportunity to kill Saul, but choosing not to take justice into his own hands. The story, taken from 1 Samuel 23:15-24:22, has King Saul in a very compromised position when David and his men "happen" upon him. David is able to use his military stealth to sneak up upon his enemy and actually snip a piece of his garment, but he does not take the opportunity to kill Saul. By this point, Saul had been relentlessly hunting David, in order to kill him, through treacherous wilderness rocks and caves, for quite some time.  Why did David spare the life of his enemy? Why did he leave that sort of judgment to God? David's own men were encouraging him to kill his enemy while he had the chance. They interpreted it as "divine permission" to kill when Saul stumbled into the cave where David and his men were in hiding.

"How do you deal with it when someone is whispering in your ear to do what goes against your heart?" David Lopez asked the group. 

Pam Sholty, our resident author, responded, "David honored God's anointing of Saul."

Grace Pendleton hit on the power of encouragement: "Jonathan encouraged David beforehand, and those words were in David's mind."

Casey Sue observed, in a most masculine fashion, that he doesn't like it when other people tell him what to do. To which, David Jessie, our class clown, responded, "Could you cut it short there, Casey?"

David Lopez concluded with a personal challenge from the lives of both Davids, the one in the Bible and the one standing in our own midst:

Anyone who has talked to David Lopez for more than about five minutes knows that he is utterly smitten with his grandbaby, Delilah, or Lala. She and her mommy have been living with David and Kimi for some months now, and it has brought untold joy to David's heart. But, as happens in families, Baby Lala and her mommy have found a new place to live and will be moving soon. David is heartbroken, but knows this is how life is lived. Kimi, David's wife, says she truly thinks that grandbaby Lala is "in love" with her grandpa. But, David, being a man after God's own heart, like his namesake in the Bible, has inquired of the Lord, as to what he can learn from this heartache. And, in two words, it is: "unconditional love".

David admitted that his wife Kimi has observed him "withholding love" from others in the past when things didn't go his way. But his love for his granddaughter has transcended those conditions, and taught him how to love in spite of pain. And, he wondered aloud, could we practice that kind of unconditional love with God? Could we love God just as affectionately when we are disappointed or hurt or bewildered by His actions, as we do when we are happy and comfortable with His actions? Could we move toward becoming men and women "after God's own heart", like David was? Could that unconditional love for God be the secret to our not taking judgment into our own hands, but leaving judgment to God when we are hurt by others?

Thanks for making us think, David! David Lopez takes his teaching "on the road" to Arthur Wint's Shepherding Group next Sunday. We were very blessed to have him in our midst for two weeks!

--Posted by Mama O.

Nashville.SundayAssembly.com

Steve and I watched Morgan Spurlock's "Inside Man" episode with fascination last night as he explored the reasons people would be attracted to a weekly gathering of atheists in Nashville, Tenn., the "buckle of the Bible Belt". SundayAssembly began in November as an off-shoot of a similar gathering in London, England, and has already outgrown its weekly meeting space, moving to two sessions.

Cofounder Sanderson Jones calls SundayAssembly "all the best bits of church, but with no religion and awesome pop songs (such as Bon Jovi's "It's My Life")."

The format for the gathering on Sundays is borrowed from mega-churches, where parishioners clap, sway and get emotional to songs before a motivational speaker stands up and shares a message. Midweek offers opportunities for small groups to meet in homes and share on a more personal level and for the pop band to practice its music.

"It's not about whether you believe or whether you don't believe," Sanderson Jones, says, "it's just about celebrating life in some community without labels. We've got this awesome motto: Live better, help often, wonder more. People seem to dig that."

According to journalist Morgan Spurlock, an agnostic himself, who served as a guest motivational speaker at SundayAssembly, "One in five people in the U.S. declare themselves as being unaffiliated (religiously), and with the under-30 crowd it's one in three people."

Spurlock asks the question, "What's driving people to be unaffiliated with organized religion?"

 Spurlock says that SundayAssembly is creating "a welcoming environment where people can enjoy one another, enjoy community and what the church has created, but in a way where they don't have a lot of dogma or doctrine."

Spurlock and Sanderson both acknowledged the fundamental need of human beings to connect with one another. Heidi Hall, a journalist with The Tennessean, asked if atheism can "be isolating."

Indeed, it can, Sanderson acknowledged. SundayAssembly gives like-minded people the opportunity to gather, share, and, as Spurlock said, "make people feel safe."

I'm just listening to the conversation. There are a lot of wise and true observations here.

--Posted by Mama O.

Happy Mothers' Day

Mothers' Day is one of many occasions that offer us a chance to gather with multiple generations of family. If we are completely honest, there are positive and negative aspects to these occasions. The laughter, measuring the growth of youngsters, celebrating accomplishments and sharing favorite family foods are all tremendous. But, as most of us know and have experienced, from seemingly out of nowhere, can come a comment, a look, a memory, that triggers an unwanted and unwelcome emotional response. In the world of psychology or recovery from addiction, these events are called "triggers". Those recovering from addiction have to be particularly conscious of "emotional triggers" because "triggers" are at  the top of the slippery slope that ends in substance abuse or other destructive forms of behavior.

So, is there a solution for dealing with these "emotional triggers" at family gatherings? Is there a way of gaining mastery over these age-old feelings of worthlessness or despair or anxiety or anger or disappointment or fear that are triggered in a look or a comment from another family member? Is there a way of stopping the unwanted words (or lack of words) that we speak after we have been triggered or of taking action (or inaction) that we later regret?

Good News! In a word the solution is FORGIVENESS.

I include a few paragraphs here from an excellent book I have been reading called The Magic of Forgiveness by Tian Dayton, Ph.D.:

"People who have deep, unresolved pain from their own childhoods carry that pain into their parenting and partnering. Along with it may be a need to hide their fears of feeling vulnerable or needy, or of being 'found out,' so they put on a false face, drive their fears downward and play them out in dysfunctional ways with their own children and spouses. The emotions we deny have even more power because they make those close to us feel crazy. They sense one thing, and we tell them something else. What comes out of our mouths doesn't match up with what they pick up on at a more intuitive level. Sometimes, our loved ones try to make sense of this split by discounting their own reality and joining in adopting a facade.

"Or maybe parents need to be needed a little too much. Since they haven't really self-defined themselves vis-a-vis their parents (that is, they live physical y apart, but emotionally they haven't' left home), they may have trouble fostering healthy autonomy in their own kids or allowing their partners to have a separate identity. The hot-and-cold emotional patterns from their childhoods can get lived out in their relationships with their own family members. They may connect, but not easily; or maintain rigid control to keep the chaos that they carry in their childhood hearts from erupting into their own homes. When  the intimacy of partnership and parenthood makes their childhood feelings of sadness and loss vibrate beneath the thin membrane that separates their child from their adult selves, they may not know how to balance their emotions. They may withdraw, smother, explode, or all of the above. When parents don't make it a priority to resolve wounds from their own pasts so that they don't impact their ability to partner and parent well, they will inevitably seed their wound into the next generation, in one form or another. Closeness requires a secure sense of self. If significant pieces of our emotional world lie buried in silence, those zones of numbness will keep us from connecting fully with our partners and our children. Intimacy also offers us one of the most available passages toward personal and spiritual growth, if, when we get triggered, we're willing to back up and use our emotions as indicators of where our work might lie.

"So forgiveness can be explored as a way of staying connected in a manner that is ultimately self-preserving. Though we may feel like we're giving up a piece of ourselves--say our resentment, our wish for retribution or our anger--we may actually be preserving some more useful and valuable parts of self. Peace of mind, for one, or feeling good about ourselves as human beings. We give up the moral high ground that we feel we gain when we hold onto the anger we may feel toward someone we're constantly cutting down to size in our minds and, to our utter amazement, we're on a whole different kind of high ground. We gain solidity within our center. We no longer constantly feel torn up inside. Instead, we have a center that holds. We have, paradoxically, found a way to gain emotional space--through letting go.

"Forgiveness enables feelings to emerge to the surface and be felt and understood for what they are, rather than to be buried and emerge in countless toxic forms. It provides a way out of the many little sins that we all commit daily, within the privacy of our own hearts, so that we can work with rather than deny them.

"Forgiveness is an organizing principle that has the ability to transform the painful events of our lives into our own spiritual growth. The key words here are 'our own.' We have no control over people. We may wish we did, but it's a fantasy, really. People will do what they will do; they will live on their own schedule, not ours. But we do have control over our own choice to grow. In ways we hardly realize, the time we put toward growth affects our inner life, which becomes our outer life. We become more mindful, gain more mastery over our inner world, get in touch with our bodies, learn self-discipline and more about what makes us tick.

"One of the ways to beat the system, if you've been hurt, is to consider forgiveness as an option, not just to let the other guy off the hook, but to do right by our own selves. To free us from the endless repetition of the painful dynamics that inevitably entwine themselves around so many aspects of our lives when we can't process, metabolize and move on.

"But the truth is that if we can't in some way forgive and move on, the revenge we seek is enacted on our own lives. We doom ourselves to repeat the painful circumstances we've experienced in ways that only debilitate our happiness. The daughter with the cold, critical father who falls in love again and again with men who can't love her back or the girl who was distanced by the mother she wished to be close to and today either distances or smothers (two sides of the same coin) her own daughter, are people who could not find their way out of a painful past dynamic and move on. They are still reenacting the things that hurt them most in some form or another.

"Forgiveness offers us a way off the wheel of karma, out of a cycle of pain. Christ, on the cross, made this his last order of business. 'Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do.'"

(Excerpts from The Magic of Forgiveness: Emotional Freedom and Transformation at Midlife by Tian Dayton, Ph.D., pp. 168-181, copyright 2003, Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach, Florida)

--Posted by Mama O.

Prayer Changes Things!

As I walked down the long hallway leading from the main parking lot to the fellowship hall on Wednesday afternoon, I looked straight at the sign that fills a little indentation in the wall:

PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!

It has been there for years, and I see it often. But, on Wednesday afternoon, it was talking to me. Besides having a very busy week, I had some deeper, more personal issues weighing on my emotions and spiritual health.

During dinner, I stopped to talk to Rachel Hamm. I shared my struggles and she shared hers. Then, she recommended, what do you know, prayer! 

Those of us who attended the 2014 Womens' Retreat with Marci Bertalatto have been introduced to this very powerful form of spiritual warfare prayer, as have those who have attended training seminars with Kingdom Ministries in Fresno.

While this prayer is not a "formula" to make all things better, it does contain the essential elements of spiritual warfare, necessary for taking authority in the spiritual realm and placing matters in "kingdom order", under the authority of Christ, instead of allowing Satan to steal our power to choose the right attitudes and actions in life.

Steve and I prayed this prayer the following morning with profound results in my spirit. Where I had experienced turmoil, fear and anger the day before, I felt faith, hope and peace after praying this prayer.  I share it with you here:

Declare verbally (aloud) and in faith:

In Jesus' Name, we (I) assert the resurrected victory and Lordship of Jesus Christ over (Name). Because he/she is made in the image of God, we (I) claim his/her mind, body and soul for Christ and the fulfillment of His purpose in his/her life. IF there is any activity or influence of the Evil One in his/her life, then in Jesus' Name, we (I) command them now to be silent, still, and go to the feet of Christ for judgment. We (I) cancel any plans intended to harm or hinder them and command that you remove all effects of blindness and deception so they're able to see the light and glory of Christ who is the image of God. We command all of your lies to come into the light and become subject to God's truth. Because God wills their freedom and desires that all people come to the knowledge of His truth, we command you to loose him/her so they may know, serve, and freely choose Christ and experience His love and freedom. In Jesus' name, we extend God's shadow of protection over him/her and their mind to shield them from all harm and every form of deception. Lord Jesus, we honor and worship you as Lord of all. Therefore we ask you Father to draw (Name) to yourself according to your desire, purpose and will. We claim the revelation of who you are and your truth to their mind, heart, and soul. May they recognize your love and presence; and listen to and respond to your voice. Protect them from the evil One and free them from the lies they've heard or believe. Surround them with your Presence, shield them with your power and command your angels to guard them in all their ways. We (I) surrender them to you and place them under your dominion and free them to do your will. Amen.

--Posted by Mama O.

Futility and Fear

What comes to mind when you hear the term "The Judgement of God"? Chances are you envision earthquakes or thunderstorms or wasting disease or drought. And those are dramatic manifestations of divine judgment.

But, is it possible to live under God's judgment on a day-to-day basis and not even know it?

I propose that it is, based on my reading of Psalm 78. This psalm retells the story of Israel's wanderings in the wilderness, of God's miracles and the Israelites' lack of faith.

The psalmist recalls the plagues God sent against the Egyptians, the dry path God created through the Red Sea, the manna God sent to feed the people in the desert, God's miraculous deliverance of the people from their enemies, and his choice of David as king over the people, among other stories.

Sadly, the people would accept God's deliverance or provision but quickly forget God's goodness and turn back to rebellious grumbling and complaining and outright idolatry.

"Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers" (v. 12)
"He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance like the depths." (v. 15)
"Yet He commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of heaven, had rained down manna on them to eat, and given them of the bread of heaven." (v. 24,25)
"And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies." (v. 53)
"He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them an inheritance by survey, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents." (v. 55)

"They did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them." (v. 10,11)
"But they sinned even more against Him, by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. And they tested God in their heart by asking for the food of their fancy." (v. 17,18)
"In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works." (v. 32)
"How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert!" (v. 40)

Two verses, in particular, stood out to me, among these stories.

"Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel." (v. 41)
By complaining against God and refusing to believe, in spite of His wondrous works, these people limited God. God could change the course of nature, but God would not force anyone to love Him or believe in Him. Love and faith must come from within our own hearts. God has given us those attributes as equipment. We will need them to lead a rational life that acknowledges the reality of God. But, we must choose to use love and faith. God will not force us to use them.

"In spite of this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works. Therefore their days He consumed in futility, and their years in fear." (v. 32,33)

It appears that living under God's judgment can go unnoticed and unrecognized by its recipients. Those living in unbelief can be vulnerable to all kinds of sales tactics that play on fear, rather than on confidence and faith. In other words:
"If you don't buy this product you might be: unpopular, poor, unattractive, lonely, victimized, unsafe, unable to perform sexually..."

 And, those living in unbelief can live lives of futility, consumed with trying to be happy, fulfilled, content, wealthy, popular, attractive or successful. When we make any of those things our goal, they always stay just a little out of our reach. We always have to work a little harder, stay up a little later, be willing to sacrifice our standards to reach these goals....

The only goal that will bring lasting happiness, fulfillment, acceptance, provision and contentment is the pursuit of God and obedience to His Word.

Paul affirmed these truths to his student Timothy, centuries later, in 1 Timothy 6:6-12:

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare,and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (New King James Version)

--Posted by Mama O.

The new computer books are here, the new computer books are here!

Carolyn Ocheltree proudly displays one of the new computer textbooks

We have new textbooks for the computer laboratory at Rescue The Children, thanks, in part, to the generosity of the Ocheltree Shepherding Group

Thank you, members of the Ocheltree Shepherding Group for your generosity in donating $260 to buy 10 copies of "Welcome to the World of Computers". Our textbooks have arrived and students began working from them today. I could already see confidence levels rising in students who are new to using the computer and competency and skill increasing with students who have some knowledge, but need to develop a more solid base of computer literacy. Our lab is full, we have 10 students all working diligently.

We begin the class with a written version of  our memory verse:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart; as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
Colossians 3:23,24 (New International Version)

Our computer students are required to format the verse according to our instructions. During their time in computer lab, students will be learning basic skills in navigating Windows and the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access. Students will learn basic word processing and formatting skills, like typing business letters and creating tables in Word, working with simple spreadsheets and calculating formulas in Excel, creating simple Powerpoint presentations and working with data entry in Access.

Rescue The Children is both a safe living environment for women (and their children) who are overcoming the affects of alcohol and drug addiction and an educational facility, training the women in all aspects of life, including Christian living, anger management and conflict resolution and professional skills.

A very special thank you to Deb Leahy and Ellen Gresham who are co-teaching the class with me.  It is a joy to work alongside my very capable and loving sisters in Christ!  What I mean is, it's REALLY FUN!

--Posted by Mama O.

Sabbath as Resistance

Who would have thought that the Sabbath could be used as a form of social protest? A quiet, holy way of saying "yes" to the things of God and "no" to the things of this world.

A worldly mindset, which emphasizes production and ever "more, more, more", turns people into competitors. In the worldly mindset, there are only a limited number of resources and all people must compete to see who can amass the most wealth, fame, power, popularity, and so forth.

In God's economy, men and women, made in the image of God, are meant to be companions to one another, not competitors with one another. We are meant to live as neighbors, helping one another. Our resources are meant to bring to joy to all, whether it is our time, our money, our talents or our good character qualities.

In his insightful study of the Jewish Sabbath, Walter Brueggemann compares the world market today to the brick factories of ancient Egypt where Jewish slaves toiled under Pharaoh, to make ever more bricks with ever fewer natural resources. The abuse of power and nature used to amass wealth pits nation against nation and person against person in a competitive economy. And, in the end, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It does not create a society of justice and equality.

"The outcome of such endless striving for more is a social arrangement of the safety and happiness of the few at the expense of the many, a replica of the 'pyramid' of ancient Pharaoh. It is not accidental that the best graphic portrayal of this arrangement is a pyramid, the supreme construction of Pharaoh's system. Those at the top of the pyramid require huge amounts of cheap labor at a parsimonious (stingy) 'minimum wage' to make such a life possible.

"--This limitless pursuit of consumer goods (and the political, cultural, and military requirements that go with it) in the interest of satiation necessitates over-production and abuse of the land, and squandering of limited supplies of oil and water. Thus the environment is savaged by such restlessness; the ordering creation is skewed, perhaps beyond viability. It is long since forgotten that rest is the final marking of creator and creation.

"That violent restlessness makes neighborliness nearly impossible, (turning neighbors into) slaves, threats, rivals, and competitors.

"In that context, we have the exodus narrative that shows those gods of commodity to be powerless and without authority. They are phonies that we should neither fear nor serve nor trust:

They have mouths, but do not speak;

eyes, but do not see.

They have ears, but do not hear;

noses, but do not smell.

They have hands, but do not feel;

feet, but do not walk;

they make no sound in their throat. 

Those who make them are like them;

so are all who trust in them. (Ps. 115:5-8)

"They are the ones who champion anxiety and affirm restlessness. The adherents to the gods of restlessness find such a predatory society normal.

"And then into our midst comes this other unexpected voice from outside the Pharonic system: 'Let my people go!' (Exod. 5:1). It is not surprising that Pharaoh does not recognize the commanding voice of YHWH. Pharaoh's system precludes and denies any such commanding voice that emancipates (v. 2). But YHWH persists: Let them go outside the system of restlessness that ends in violence. Let them depart the system of endless production, in order to enter a world of covenantal fidelity. In ancient context, they must depart from the Egyptian system in order to dance and sing freedom.

"The departure from that same system in our time is not geographical. It is rather emotional, liturgical, and economic. It is not an idea but a practical act. Thus the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is an act of trust in the subversive, exodus-causing God of the first commandment, an act of submission to the restful God of commandments one, two, and three. Sabbath is a practical divestment so that neighborly engagement, rather than production and consumption, defines our lives. The departure into restfulness is both urgent and difficult, for our motors are set to run at brick-making speed. To cease, even for a time, the anxious striving for more bricks is to find ourselves with a 'light burden' and an 'easy yoke.' It is now, as then, enough to permit dancing and singing into an alternative life."

Excerpts from Sabbath As Resistance: Saying NO to the CULTURE OF NOW by Walter Brueggemann, Chapter 1: Sabbath and the First Commandment, pp. 15-19. Copyright 2014, Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY.

--Posted by Mama O.