Happy Anniversary!

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Ocheltree
September 30, 1979

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Ocheltree
September 30, 2012
(Photographer: Andrew Ocheltree)

In our wedding sermon,
 our minister told us that, "when you get married, you multiply
the joys and divide the sorrows". 
It's true!
For 33 years and still going strong!
--Posted by Mama O.

Look What God Has Done



Women and children pray over their new home

Rescue The Children

On Friday, September 28, 2012, Steve and I attended the prayer dedication ceremony for Rescue The Children, a newly opening shelter and training facility for women and children who come from abuse, neglect and incarceration.  Many of these women have other issues to overcome like substance abuse.  The Fresno Rescue Mission has overseen the process of renovating the former Vagabond Inn at Clinton and Highway 99, making it a safe haven for the women and children, who will begin moving into their newly refurbished rooms in October.  Many, many hours of volunteer labor and donated building and homemaking materials have gone into making this new safe house for the women and children.  And the work is not yet complete.  Many more hours and materials are still needed.  The Ocheltree Shepherding Group will be helping out with this project on our Service Saturday on November 3, 2012.  I hope many of us can come out, see what God is doing in our community and become part of an exciting work!  See you all there!
--Posted by Mama O.

In his right mind

Homeless people line up in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin District.

"When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons,
sitting there, dressed and in his right mind...Jesus...said,'Go home to your family and tell
them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.'
So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.
And all hte people were amazed."
Mark 5:15,19,20 (New International Version)

Our friends, George and Cindy Freeman, left today to spend several years working with Youth With A Mission in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin District. They have already spent a month up in the City, living at the YWAM center and getting acquainted with the people.  George has made a friend on the street: a man who was regularly beaten with a hose by his stepfather as a child and turned to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain.  The man carries a guitar, which is bound up with athletic tape.  Every day, while George spent a month there, he would tune the man's guitar using an app on his own iPhone. We plan to go visit George and Cindy in October and we want George to introduce us to his new guitar-playing friend.

 

We attended a farewell dinner for George and Cindy last night at Chipotle, George's favorite restaurant.  George shared his heart with us: he wants to pray for these people who have lost almost everything to the demons of alcohol, drugs, mental illness and sexual immorality.  He wants to see minds restored to clear thinking and people being amazed at the healing power of God!  God has prepared George and Cindy for this level of spiritual warfare. We agree, in God's will, George!  We say a loud "Amen" to that desire and we will support and cover your ministry in prayer from this end!

--Posted by Mama O.



A creative spirit

"In the beginning God created the heavens

and the earth. Now the earth was

formless and empty, darkness was over the

surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God

was hovering over the waters."
Genesis 1:1,2 (New International Version)

I am studying the book of Genesis in Bible Study Fellowship this year.  We have returned to the very dawn of the earth, when the Spirit of God hovered over the empty, churning chaos, and began to bring beauty, order and meaning to the new world.  The study notes reminded us that God's Spirit still hovers over emptiness and chaos today, wherever it occurs in human hearts that need love, direction, meaning, beauty and order.  God's Spirit waits for an opening, then moves in to speak creatively in human hearts, bringing about forgiveness, reconciliation, dignity, value, worth and meaning.  The same God who spoke the world, the sun, moon and stars into being is still creating new life every day.  For those who have missed opportunities, lost relationships, hurt themselves and other people, God's Spirit hovers, waiting to create new life, new order, new beauty where there has been chaos and emptiness.  Whether you have never known God, or have known him for years but have allowed yourself to slip into empty habits, God's Spirit is hovering near, filled with creativity and life and health and vigor!

"Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 51:10-12 (New International Version)

--Posted by Mama O.

Mercy Triumphs

"Mercy triumphs over judgment!"

James 2:13b (New International Version)

We began our women's Bible Study day class yesterday (Tuesday, September 25, 2012) with an introduction to Beth Moore's study of the New Testament book of James called "Mercy Triumphs". Class runs from 9:45-11:30 a.m. every Tuesday. We willl complete the study of the book of James in February, 2013, but will continue with another study to complete our study year, which corresponds with the school year. About 25 women came out to study God's Word with us.  Grace Pendleton and Carolyn Ocheltree are sharing the teaching this year.

 

If you can't make it to the Tuesday morning study, try joining us on Wednesday nights at 6:30, starting in November.  It is the same study and both men and women are welcome to join us!

 

The title of the Bible study comes from James 2:13, where James challenges his students to humbly acknowledge that God is the judge of all mankind, and God is a merciful judge.  Any of us who think to take God's role of judge over our fellow man will find ourselves facing the judgment of a holy God.  Our only hope in this life is to show the same kind of mercy to others that God has shown to us!

 

James is an immensely practical Bible writer.  His book has been called the "Proverbs" of the New Testament, with its 108 direct commands. Like the Old Testament book of Proverbs, James' advice is simple and direct. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26), according to James, and we will be participating in service projects, to put those practical works into our faith. James encourages us to be "doers of the word" and not "hearers only" (James 1:22). So, let's go!

--Posted by Mama O.

Happy birthday Dr. Rice!

On Sunday, September 23, 2012, our church family had the privilege of celebrating Dr. Allen Rice's 90th birthday with him and his family.  This is a man who has served tirelessly for  years and years, and continues to do so.  Many knew Dr. Rice as the administrator for Mountain View Christian School, which operates on our church campus.  Others have known him as a prayer partner for young people in our church, who goes above and beyond the call of duty, preparing homemade meals for his young prayer partner's family and becoming a prayer warrior for the whole family.  Still others have known Dr. Rice as a strong Bible student, a supportive friend, and the list goes on and on.  The celebration was well attended and much love and many good wishes were given at Sunday's party.  People who have known Dr. Rice throughout the years have experienced different facets of his well-lived life.  I have only had the privilege of knowing the "older" Dr. Rice, but it is a joy to know a man who works so faithfully on behalf of missions (collecting eye glasses for people in Mexico) and on behalf of our church family (preparing and serving Wednesday night fellowship dinners). Truly, Dr. Rice lives out the words of Psalm 78:5-7 (New Living Translation):

"For he issued his laws to Jacob;

he gave his instructions to Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to teach them to their children,

so the next generation might

know them--

even the children not yet born--

and they in turn will teach their

own children.

So each generation should set its hope

anew on God,

not forgetting his glorious miracles

and obeyng his commands."

--Posted by Mama O.


Dr. Rice at his birthday party
Photo by Vicki Cheney

Breaking bread together

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Our first potluck

David Jessie counted at least 52 people enjoying
fellowhip on Sunday.

Elijah and Josiah Roland enjoy the meal.

 

"Every day they continued to meet together

in the temple courts.  They broke bread in

their homes and ate together with glad and

sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying

the favor of all the people. And the Lord

added to their number daily those who were

being saved."  Acts. 2:46,47

(New International Version)

 

We enjoyed our first potluck together as a group

on Sunday, September 23, 2012.  Thanks to every-

one for really delicious food and a lot of great

sharing and friendship. 

 

Steve Ocheltree talked about transparency

during class time, and we discussed

our need and desire to be a family who

supports one another in good times and

bad. Then, we formed new relationships

and strengthened existing ones as we

shared our first potluck together.

 

"But if we walk in the light as he is

in the light, we have fellowship with

one another, and the blood of Jesus,

his Son, purifies us from all sin." 

1 John 1:7 (New International Version)



--Posted by Mama O.