Lighthouse Christian Ministries

After visiting son, daughter and granddaughters, the best thing we did during our stay in Wenatchee was to volunteer at the Lighthouse. About 5 years ago we were excited to see and help with the very beginnings of this ministry to the homeless, and now we are amazed at the growth. The Lighthouse is the hub, serving meals, teaching Bible studies, having church, and from that has come forth a building for housing men and women, a house for women and children, another house for men in transition, and now a medical clinic that will be free or very low cost. It is awesome what God has done through our friend and all his helpers in the Lighthouse ministry. This friend is the same in whose orchard we have been parked for the last 2 months!

There is a fully equipped kitchen filled with all donated appliances and tools more than adequate for preparing and serving 3 meals a day to 60 or 70 men and women, and sometimes children, every single day. All the food is also donated and seems to be just the right amount and variety for each meal.

This wonderful lady is Jude! She puts together delicious meals from whatever has come in for that day. Keith and I helped with the preparation and serving, as well as the dishwashing and table clearing. James is a volunteer who comes almost daily and knows how to do just about anything that is needed! Our days there were filled with lots of fun and laughter, and the tremendous reward of seeing needy people well cared for.

I especially enjoyed and became friends with Jennifer, a beautiful lady who comes in and plays the piano and sings during most of the meals, bringing calm to the crowd. Her worship is truly inspired by God. I learned in the Bible that David played his harp and sang to Saul to soothe the King's restless spirit. I think Jennifer does the same thing for those who come into the building seeking food for the body, but also finding food for the spirit.

Here are a few of the well-fed folks finishing up their meal. God blesses them, every one, and especially those like us who get to see the blessings. Mr. Keith and I are so happy that we had this experience. Keith spent 30 years in the ministry to the homeless, with me helping him the last 10 years before his retirement. We hope to return to Wenatchee someday soon and become regular voluteers at this amazing place, the Lighthouse Christian Ministries!

Dependence

Psalm 62:5 is a commandment that David makes to himself. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." I find there is nothing better I can do for myself than this same thing, absolute dependency and surrender to God, believing that His way is best.



Verse 4 of the same Psalm has new meaning for me. "They only consult to cast him down from his excellency; they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly." If the "him" in this verse is applied to God, it presents a clear picture of what we in this country are doing to God--seeking to eliminate Him from all public places while continuing to give lip service.

 
Verse 11 says, "God has spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs to God." Keith and I, now in our later years, have learned that everything we have comes from God. We own only our 5th wheel, our BigTruk and our little Focus as we travel to various campgrounds, working for minimum wage. This simple way of life is of our choosing. The beauty we see in each area, the people we meet, and our explorations make our choice completely worthwhile. We are poor by earthly standards, but rich in joy and contentment and peace as we depend totally upon His provision, especially during Keith's major illness. If we are tempted to trust in man and make our plans apart from God, while blessing with our mouths , we are delighting in lies, for without God we can do nothing. We cannot even choose where we pull our "house" next. He decides!

 
For me, Psalm 62 flows into Psalm 63. As I acknowledge my dependence and God's power, I begin to hunger and thirst to know more of God. "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is"...v. 1. "My soul follows hard after thee: thy right hand upholds me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes." v.8-10. 



 Those things seeking to destroy my soul are unbelief, worry, temptation to other sins, the battle for my mind, etc. But as I stay in the Word, the sword of the Spirit defeats the enemy. As we make God's word our primary focus and seek to live  according to His precepts, wherever we may roam, He keeps us by His mighty right hand.



 Thank you, Jesus, for your Word, your power, your love for your children. Help us to be completely yours in every moment, every action of our lives, that your name will be honored.  Amen.

This 'n' That

 Our two cats, Montana and Mia, are our traveling companions. They are like our kids, providing lots of love and amusement with their antics. Montie, our longhaired black kitty, usually sleeps in this shoebox which is just big enough for him, but when Mia, our tortie, decided to curl up in there, he had to join her. What a tight fit!

 I am a very amateur birdwatcher. The other day I was "watching" the doves that live in our KOA campground when I spotted this bird, about the same size as the doves, pecking his way up the tree outside our RV. I snapped a couple of photos, then went to the Peterson Bird I.D. app on my iPad and discovered he is a red-shafted northern flicker. Very pretty! Click to enlarge the photo, and you will see the red stripes near his beak.

Mr. Keith has been laid up with a bad back for awhile — that's why we haven't taken any trips to blog about lately. John, age 5, who lives in a 5th wheel near to us with his mom and dad, heard about Keith's illness, so he colored these pictures as a gift. We were so touched when he shyly presented them to Keith, ending his visit with a hug. He is a special little guy, so thoughtful and polite. His gift will remain on our wall for quite awhile! We are thankful to God for these small pleasures of life — cats, birds, kids — and hope our eyes will always be open to His gifts.

A Few Thoughts

Mr. Keith and I took a drive last week, making a circle from Strasburg to Limon, then back west through Kiowa where we had lunch, and north to Strasburg again. I always have my camera in case we see something picture-worthy. About 20 miles from home we came across a group of horses and mules lining the fence along the road.

This mule, standing stubbornly behind the "No Trespassing" sign, reminded me of some people who reject the company and support of others. Maybe I'm like that sometimes, chalking it up to shyness, or to not wanting to bother anyone with my problems.

Or, maybe I'll get with a few friends of like mind and share with them.

Better yet, I want to include all those around me, knowing each one has great value in God's eyes, so should have importance to me, too. It's a big pasture out there, and we need each other for company, for support, for fun, for joy, and just because God's greatest commandment is that we should love Him and then love our neighbor as ourselves. Just a few thoughts on a pleasant day's drive.