I looked at the bruise on my leg this morning and tried to think again why it had appeared there.  I must have run into something, but I don’t remember specifically why it is there.  And it is big and purple-ish yellow.  I don’t remember why it appeared, and though I chose the length of my pants today to be sure it is covered from sight, my body won’t let me deny I had a moment of pain recently.

 I have bruised easily since I was a kid.  Many times they would appear, and like today, I wasn’t sure what I had done.  Clutz-y equals bruise-y.  One summer though, I vividly remember my tennis doubles partner accidentally serving a ball to the back of my leg.  There has been no forgetting the one legitimate sports injury of my life, but I’ve long forgiven the friend who inflicted it upon me. 

Other than some initial ice packs, we don’t have to tend to bruises on our bodies.  We wait.  They fade. Emotional hurts can be like that. If my collection of physical bruises had never faded, I would look like a walking grape.  On the other hand, memories of some of my emotional hurts have not faded.  Because of this, I have days when I walk around like a sour grape.  That’s the bitterness we are warned of in the Bible over and over again.  Hebrews 12:15 explains,  “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled…”

Christian recording artist Kathy Troccoli tells of a moment with a friend’s child.  Kathy was headed off to pray and asked the child if she had anything she could pray about for her.  The child looked at Kathy with big brown eyes.  “This,” she said, pointing to a bruise on her leg.  “And this,” she said pointing to another on her other leg.” Kathy says, “When I got to my room I pondered the fact that as a child of God my requests that day were not that much different than her little friend’s.  Her bruises had landed on her legs, and mine had landed in my heart. The Lord continues to heal and restore the wounded places in me as I allow Him access.  The process is, at times, so painful that I want to just ignore it and live my life as best I can.  But I do believe that we are just as sick as our secrets.”

In Ezekiel 36:26 we are given a beautiful picture and a promise.  “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.  I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  It’s tempting to want that heart of stone back for those times when friends, family and even acquaintances serve pain our way. The hurts usually speed their way to us through words that sting or through actions which can send our lives spinning in an undesired direction.

Let’s choose to believe God’s wisdom and reasons today.  He would not have transformed our hearts from stone to flesh only to leave us vulnerable to constant bruising.  Our hearts of flesh and the emotional injuries they receive are meant to send us to the Healer who specializes in wounds and who can prevent festering which leads to bitterness. 
​
Whether you know the origin of a specific hurt you carry, or you only know in general that your heart has known pain, ask God to tend to you.  He knows and can still see the origin every “Ouch!”.  He can send helpers, even years after an injury, to attend to you.  Look for a listener instead of hiding behind a longer pair of pants.

​By: Lisa C., Community Member
​

​Eleven years ago, my life was dramatically changed by the onset of chronic illness. It flipped my world upside down and is a battle that I struggle with every day. During this, however, I have found some rich blessings. One of the treasures that I have found is a new understanding of prayer. When I could do nothing else, I could still pray. In the middle of the night, when pain kept me awake, being able to talk with God changed my whole perspective. 
 
I realized that it was the times that I felt most helpless that I was most powerful because I was trusting in the power of One so much greater than me. Prayer doesn’t have limitations. 3,000 miles is nothing. Life and death and disasters and tragedies cannot stop prayer. Injustice, war, and evil itself cannot stop prayer. Homelessness, illness, and trauma cannot silence prayer as, often, it is in the depths of life that our cries for ourselves and for others come most purely and most powerfully. It is when we have no words to even lift in prayer that God’s own Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.  
 
We need prayer. We need people to pray for us, but I have come to understand that even more, we need to pray for others. It is in that continuing conversation with God that our hearts are expanded to embrace others in need and expanded to receive the comfort and strength of God in ways that we could never imagine.
 
Over this summer, I would ask you to include the City Mission staff, homeless guests and board members in your prayers as often as you possibly can. Pray that our residents may be given strength, direction and hope in this time of crisis in their lives. Pray that our amazing staff might be uplifted and encouraged as they give so much every day to help others. And please pray that our Board of Directors may continue to be given wisdom and strength as they continue to help guide the ministry through the challenges and opportunities ahead.
 
And I promise, I will pray for you, that you may know the Lord’s renewing strength and comfort to meet your challenges and needs.  As we pray together, we will find that our relationship with God will grow stronger, and we will continue to see amazing things happening in the lives of those for whom we pray.

By: Andrea Starn, community member

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecc 3:1

This passage in Ecclesiastes seems particularly appropriate as we anxiously await the arrival of spring. Winter always feels like a long season but this year felt like it would never end with its grey and damp pervasive presence. Despite how long any season feels, it is an inevitable fact that it will end. This is true of the seasons of our lives as well. During particular pleasant seasons of our lives it can be easy to say ‘God, please let this season remain.’ But the truth is that without the change of season, growth cannot occur. Each season has a purpose in our lives—spring brings new life, summer is vibrant and beautiful, autumn gives opportunity for reflection, and the winter gives us time for rest. Trusting God’s greater picture and knowing that He not only is the author of our story but the one who shepherds us through it allows us to journey on without fear. 

In my current study of the Old Testament, I am reading example after example of God calling someone into a season of uncertainty—Jacob, Joseph, Noah, Moses, Aaron, Joshua—and the list goes on. Every time I read their stories two things occur to me: 1. What tremendous things God accomplished through those He called! 2. How doubt in God’s provision can creep into even the staunchest believer during difficult times. Time and again we witness God’s faithfulness through a season and yet when we enter a new season, those old friends ‘doubt’ and ‘uncertainty’ make an appearance. Thankfully, God is faithful and true and His promises are everlasting. He does not abandon us in our weakness, rather He carries us through it. For whatever season you are in I leave you with God’s promise to Joshua: 
​
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

by:  Joy Barger, Community Member

By:  Wendy Tong, Findlay City Mission

​This past summer, during the Hancock County Fair, the fair offices graciously afforded us not one booth, but two booths to accept non-perishable food donations. For those of you who are not aware of how it works, I will explain. Each year, we are given tickets by the fair office to pass out to anyone who brings non-perishable goods to our City Mission booths. We give out a ticket for each item donated. With that ticket the donor then exchanges it for a ride ticket at the fair ticket booth. We have done this for the last 4 or 5 years. Each year, the amount of donations that we receive gets larger and larger. As we grow our services at the City Mission, we are feeding more and more people each year, so we are beyond thankful to receive such a wonderful blessing from those who give at the fair.
 
Having two booths means that we have to double the number of City Mission volunteers for this event. Last year, we were graciously approached by two different community outreach groups. One was the Findlay Service League and the other was Chive On NW Ohio. Both groups did quite an amazing job! They worked in two hour shifts the entire day. We even had one guy that volunteered and he came all the way from Dayton. But each one who came and volunteered was incredible.  
 
My point is that there are good people out there in this world who have a giving heart and want to serve and they don’t know how. They are not entirely sure of what we do here at the Mission and they don’t know how to get involved. Hopefully, I can clear up some of those things below.
 
The City Mission is an emergency shelter for the homeless in Hancock County and the surrounding area. We also provide lunch and dinner daily to residents and community guests. We have served almost 40,000 meals in 2017 and approximately 60,000 meals last year. We house men, women, & families. We have more than tripled in size since 2015 when we reopened the Mission after our building expansion. We have program managers who help connect our residents to necessary local resources. They work very hard in getting our residents back on their feet. We also volunteers serving in our kitchen and food distribution center each day to help the Mission run smoothly.
 
 It’s not an easy task. We are working hard at striving to keep people off the streets and when we think about it, it’s like the body of Christ with all its moving parts. The passage that comes to mind is:
12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts.
15 Suppose the foot says, “I am not a hand. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 16 And suppose the ear says, “I am not an eye. So I don’t belong to the body.” By saying this, it cannot stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, how could it hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could it smell? 18 God has placed each part in the body just as he wanted it to be. 19 If all the parts were the same, how could there be a body? 20 As it is, there are many parts. But there is only one body.
21 The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. 23 The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor. The private parts aren’t shown. But they are treated with special care. 24 The parts that can be shown don’t need special care. But God has put together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honor to the parts that didn’t have any. 25 In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of one another. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part share in its joy.
27 You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.
The saying, “It takes a village to raise a family” – it sure does! The volunteers are the hands of the City Mission. Without volunteers we cannot function! Think about being the helping hand for the people who we strive to serve!
 
For more information on volunteering, please visit our website https://www.findlaymission.org/our-needs.htmland scroll down to see our volunteering needs. Contact our volunteer scheduler, Bob Barr (bobbarr@findlaymission.org), with any questions.

With the fresh start of 2019, the beginning of a new year, come the typical “new year, new you” pledges that we tend to make to ourselves. Most often, these New Year resolutions focus on improving our overall health or are contrived in order to break a bad habit or two. We generally concentrate our efforts toward self-improvement and, usually, this change is short-term. We try hard to set personal goals that are long-lasting, but the statistics show that, in America, over half of men and women who try for long-term change are doomed to fail by the middle of the year.*

So, then, how are we able to obtain a permanent change to our daily lifestyle? How can we make these New Year resolutions with confidence, knowing that the results will stick with us for longer than 6 months? What are some steps that we can take to guarantee a lifetime of better health and a higher quality of life?
From my life experiences, and from what I have seen happen in other people’s lives, a successful change comes about when the following short list of items takes place:
​

1. Put your faith in God and trust that His way is better than your own.
2. Stay committed to the goal and continue to persevere toward your purpose.
3. Find your support system of positive individuals.

There are other ways to successfully achieve the results of your New Year resolutions, but these three are vital to more permanent life change. This is why I believe a person must only need these three items:

1. Put your faith in God and trust that His way is better than yours. Pride is talked about in the Word of God as something that causes destruction. The act of being humble and seeking wisdom from God is pleasing to Him. When we finally admit that our ways are not His ways, and when we come back to Him for guidance, God will bless us and give us direction. The book of Proverbs is chock full of reminders to humble ourselves and to listen to Godly counsel. Obeying Biblical truth gives way to wisdom.
2. Stay committed to the goal and continue to persevere toward your purpose. It’s easy to quit at the first sight of resistance. Words are just words when we don’t want to embrace the meaning behind them. The purpose we feel when we are passionately seeking true change in our lives is life-giving. When we are certain that this purpose was given to us from God, when we know without doubt that our goal(s) have been blessed by God, it emboldens us to press on through any sort of obstacle that we may experience.
3. Find your support system of positive individuals. We weren’t made to be alone in this world. God has given us men and women to love and inspire us. We were created to be in relationship with other human beings and to build into these individuals. Find these men and women – they could be immediate family or distance relatives, close friends or coworkers, neighbors, etc. – and claim them as your own. This is a two-way street, so be sure to communicate to them how needed they are in your life. Tell them that you love and respect them. Ask them for assistance when needed. Seek advice and accountability from these people. Give them encouragement from time to time. Make it known that they are valued!

Follow these three ideas and your New Year resolutions are as good as gold! I have seen these three ideas serve several of the homeless men and women that have come through the doors of the City Mission, too. Those who are struggling and in need of a hand up have put their faith in God’s ways and not their own. Often-times, the reason why he or she has needed our services is because they have tried their way instead of seeking God’s way. They stay committed to the goals that they make while at the City Mission and they continue to persevere no matter how difficult it may be. They work hard to better their circumstances in the time they are given to stay at the shelter. Lastly, they find support in the Mission staff, local churches, friends that they meet from work, or elsewhere. This is where they draw their daily strength…from the love and encouragement that they receive from these individuals. And they realize they were not created to be alone, but to be in relationship with others who can help them and who they can help, too.
 
* Cited from https://proactivechange.com/resolutions/statistics.htm
​

"City Mission is my happy place."  I hadn't expected these words to come out of my 17 year old son's mouth the other day, but as I considered his words I agreed wholeheartedly.

Four years ago, our son, Ian, needed to get service hours as part of his High School requirement for graduation. We had made donations to the Mission in the past, sporadically, but had never volunteered. It was unfamiliar and, although I'd faced challenges in my life, homelessness was not one of them. I think I was afraid that I wouldn't know the right thing to say, and that, in my ignorance, I'd end up saying something foolish and hurtful to someone who was already struggling with life issues that were bigger than I could imagine. My son was also unsure of what it would be like to volunteer, but this service requirement moved him out of his comfort zone and his bravery challenged me to step out and volunteer.

We volunteered to prepare and serve a meal in the kitchen and from our first night on, we were in love with the Mission. We feared we would experience sadness and an atmosphere of hopelessness, but what we actually encountered was joy, hope, and compassion from the minute we walked in. We saw joy in those volunteering as we were warmly welcomed and directed quickly to jump in and start helping. The night was marked with gratitude, respect, and laughter from those serving meals and those receiving them. Clearly the difficulties of hunger and homelessness were present, but something greater was at work - God. 

In the simple acts of feeding, nurturing, and comforting others, we too were fed and strengthened. It was not that our efforts were perfect - they were not (says the woman who dropped a whole tray of dishes on her first night)! In fact, the joy we experienced had nothing to do with our efforts, and everything to do with God's Spirit at work. God's Grace and God's timing are perfect. I am reminded of that every single time we get to be at the Mission.

Over time, we've been privileged to invite folks to come and experience serving with us. Each time they remark how special it is to be at the Mission and they look forward to coming back. If you've not had an opportunity to volunteer recently, I strongly encourage you to contact City Mission. My son and I invite you to come to our "happy place" and to bring others to experience it with you. May God bless you richly, even as you bless others by your serving.

Peace to you and yours in this season of thanks.

Author: Andrea Starn

We find that the term “Last Days” covers the entire period from the first to the second advents of Christ (Heb. 1: 2).   Noted also is defection and apostasy, among other things, will characterize that entire period (2 Tim. 3: 1).  Therefore the presence of apostasy is not in itself indicative of the end of the Church Age however, the increase of this activity is. As a condition, apostasy is both present and future, when the climatic apostasy will occur that leads to the religion reign of the man of sin during the Tribulation period (2 Thess. 2: 3).  Consequently it is not surprising to see apostasy becoming more widespread as we draw nearer to the Tribulation Days.
​
The apostle John gives us two characteristics of apostasy.  They include (a) a denial of the doctrine of the Trinity (1 John 2: 22-23), (b) a denial of the doctrine of the Incarnation of Christ (1 John 2: 22, 4: 3; 2 John 7). And the apostle Peter gives us a third (c) a denial of the return of Christ.

Finally, with the lifestyle characteristics of apostasy we find a decline in eighteen morals as listed by the apostle Paul (2 Tim. 3: 1-5).  Those being love of self, love of money, a spirit of pride, blasphemy, disobedience to parents, lack of thankfulness, lack of holiness, lack of natural affection, unceasing enmity so that man cannot be persuaded to enter into treaties with each other, slander, lack of self-control, savagery, opposition to goodness, traitors, headiness (rashness or recklessness), high-mindedness, love of pleasure, and a pretense of worship without godliness of life.

Though these events do not sum up the future pre-tribulation pre-millennial events they none-the-less should help us to have some frame of reference for all the upheaval around us. Moreover, we do not have to go off into some half-cocked ism as if it is the sole problem in the world today.  On the contrary, knowing these facts should help us to remain well grounded in the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, the fear of the Lord, and with righteousness. 

Author: Herb Ragland