Meet City Connections in Little Rock AR




City Connections, Inc. from C1 Entertainment on Vimeo.

I'm so excited about this new ministry. Jeff Spry is full of energy, passion and a determination that the church has for some time missing at the city, government and corporate table and simply coming table gives us the opportunity to work along side and look for ways to solve problems and even greater to show in our lives the glory of God.

Jeff notes on his web site:

"After a period of slumber, the evangelical church is re-awakening to its other side - the “proof” side of proclaiming the gospel message. Christianity was always meant to be more than a set of beliefs. It was meant to be real . . . authentic . . . transforming. There is always tremendous inertia in a church to be “internally focused.” It will be our goal to work with church leaders to encourage their church members to think of ministries that build bridges into our city rather than building walls around their existing membership. What if we prioritized much of what we do in our church communities toward helping to prepare and equip people not only for personal growth, but also for personal impact?

To highlight this point, consider this quote by Howard Synder in his book, Liberating the Church (Downers Grove, IL. Inter-Varsity Press, 1983):

“When Christians catch a vision of the Kingdom of God, their sight shifts to the poor, the orphan, the widow, the refugee, the wretched of the earth, to God’s future – to the concerns of justice, mercy, and truth. Church people think about how to get people into the church. Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might change the church. Kingdom people work to see the church change the world.”

Interestingly, Jeff fellowships at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. He and his friends from this church and others in the area have been great help to us in our ministry. We will be receiving another inmate Friday and I sent out email to friends and contacts asking for help. Shoe, PJ's pants, socks-they need everything when they get out and have no money. Jeff sent out email, several contacted me and provided everything we needed for Stacey. Thank you Jeff and all the others who helped in this provision.

Please check out this web site and ministry.

God's provision in grocery bags

1000 pounds of Food. We picked it up in two large pickup trucks.
What a blessing! Janice Watson, owner of Curves in Jacksonville, AR recently ran a food drive at her business. Women were able to join and not pay a joining fee if they brought in a grocery sack for of groceries to be given to MOM. From March 1 till today, she reached her goal of 1000 pounds. Our dining room is full and tonight we are eating pizza and organizing our cabinets.
Thank you Father for your provision and thank you Janice and Curves for working with HIM.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

We have been studying Worship at church. Last Sunday, one of the girls at the MOM house, signed to the song, Alabaster Box. It was her testimony. It was my testimony. The church body erupted in praise before the song was even over. Our church family is sweet. Perhaps they all are, but I'm telling you they are sweet and no, it is not a usual event to 'erupt' in praise, but we did. We couldn't help ourselves and didn't seem to want to. It was an awesome, unedited, unplanned and spiritual expression of our love for God and what He has done for us.

Now, we are studying expectation. I can't wait, for I'm am indeed expecting God to come and dwell in the praises of His people.
Yesterday, I was blessed to go to our evangelism conference and hear Robert Smith, who teaches preaching at Beeson Divinity School. He can preach and my husband, pastor and one of the MOM residents could hardly contain ourselves. Again, I left expecting God to move, to speak, to come to our aid. He did.

Our biggest need (other than land) was a van. We always have to take two vehicles to church and last Sunday we had to have our daughter come get some of us. This morning, I received a call from a friend saying a couple, soon to retire, want to give their van to a non-profit. We will soon be receiving a van from God, from whom all blessings flow.

Magnify the Lord with me!

Michael Faulkner, off to the mission field

Below are pictures of our baby boy, Michael. He will be leaving in February for the YWAM training camp in Peru.
Michael is 29 and it took a while for him to get here, even though I knew before he was born, this was where he would be and yes, I told him. It did take a little faith believing I had indeed heard from God about Michael. You see, he burned down the field when he was around 7, a baseball field where my other son was playing in the state championship. When I saw the flames, I knew Michael was involved. He also got kicked out of the neighborhood pool almost every day. As a baby, he had such a deep voice, I would be pushing him in his stroller and he would say "mamma" at which the local store clerks turned around and said, "Did that baby say that?" He nearly choked on candy, coming home from a trip, stuck a spoon in his eye, jumping off furniture ( I was chasing him) and most of the time, we wondered, how will we get to this day? God, did you really say?
Well, the day has come. God takes snotty little boys and grows them up. Michael loves kids. On his trip to Romania, they followed along side the bus when they were leaving. He cried. In Ecuador, there are few pictures that don't show Michael holding a child, with a big grin on his face.
I had several days of depression raising this child. His picture is in the dictionary under "strong-willed"
We have loved him (and laughed at him) his whole live.
His name means, 'who is like God'
And who is? There is none like God. And I thank Him so, for setting His love on my youngest child.
How very blessed we are.

Take a few minutes and look at these pictures of my beautiful, sweet, loving son-the missionary.

Flannel PJ's and a good life

Tonight it turned a little cooler and I quickly searched for my pink flannel P.J.'s and fluffy pink socks. I smile every time I put them on. I think about how good my life is and how very thankful to God that I can be thankful, satisfied and content with my pink P.J.s. It hasn't always been so, but God has labored with me.
I bought all the girls in the house flannel PJ's. Jacqueline's are bright neon green. Victoria's are black and white and Donna, who will be here this week are blue and white, she even has a button that lights up.
I've never been homeless, never had to do without.
I did spend much too much time looking for contentment in ways the enemy would lay out before me.
Some may think my contentment is finally here because I'm 60, but not so. I'm content because I know God and because He knows me. I know my purpose. I live in it everyday and some time I have the unique joy to live it in pink flannel PJ's.
How blessed I am.

Regeneration v. The Idolatry of Decisional "Evangelism" Paul Washer

“The kings heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21:1 (KJV)

Perhaps you think I’m am referring to the results of the election yesterday. While this scripture is a wonderful reminder that God is indeed sovereign in all things, this scripture today is much more personal to me.

Yesterday, I received a call from a parole officer of one of the two girls who had been referred to us by the chaplain of a local women's prison. After a few questions, he actually approved her to parole out to us in December when she gets out. About an hour later, another parole officer called with the same questions. He also was ready to approve us until I told him about the earlier call for another parolee. At that point, he completely shut down and said, absolutely not. Two felons on parole cannot live in the same quarters unless you are a licensed half-way house. I told him no, this was our private residence but did tell him that this is the work we have been doing for sometime. Again, he said no-with no lack of certainty about the situation. I ask if he would talk to the other officer that and called me and I didn’t want to be the person who decided which woman would come and which wouldn’t. After looking the officer up in the computer, he ask me to hold for a few minutes. About five minutes later he said he had talked to both his supervisor and the other parole officer and they agreed to allow us to have both girls parole to Miracles of Mercy.

Everything we sing about God is true. He is indeed awesome, highly exalted and we are favored by Him. Our very steps are ordered by the Lord.
I know that today, we want to thank Him for all things. So, celebrate the LORD with me and magnify His name.

Psalm 138:2 “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”