Dominican Republic~ Chicken Project Update

I am so excited about what the Lord is allowing our little church to do in the Dominican Republic. We are working very closely with my dear friends, Julio and Mercy, as we continue to pray about and put our hands and feet to what the Lord has birthed in us. The Lord continues to stir our affections for this people group in the Dominican. He is allowing us the opportunity to begin providing chicken coops for families that are living in the batays located in the San Pedro De Macoris region of the DR.

Please continue to pray for this ministry and our ongoing effort to touch the lives of the "least of these"

Here are a few updated pics of a few of the chicken coops that are being built, and maintained by the families in the batays. We are praying that these families will not only be able to begin having more nourishment readily available to them, but that these chicken coops will also serve as a tool for making some sort of income for these families.

We are headed back to the Dominican Republic this July, with a team of 14 people. Will you please pray with us and for us! We have been able to supply 10 families in this batay with a chicken coop, 18 chickens, and chicken feed for them to begin nurturing and expanding this chicken project.

Feel free to contact me for information on how you can get involved with this project.

A Puritan Prayer- Love Lustres at Calvary

Today is Good Friday..

Love Lustres at Calvary

My Father,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply words that proclaim 'Love Lustres at Calvary.'
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.

Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy
that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell's worst
that I might attain heaven's best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclothed brightness,
expired that I might forever live.

O Father, who spared not thine own Son that thou mightest spare me,
All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;
Help me to adore thee by lips and life.
O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise,
my every step buoyant with delight, as I see
my enemies crushed,
Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,
sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,
hell's gates closed, heaven's portal open.
Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

From The Valley of Vision

Chicken Project

Here are some pics of our Chicken Project in the Dominican Republic. We are working towards getting the families that are a part of the El Cea batay an opportunity to raise chickens in order to have food, eggs and possibly future income through the selling of eggs and even chickens in the surrounding local markets.

Our little church has been able to raise enough money to build 10 chicken coops with 12 chickens in each coop. Our desire is to build more coops and purchase enough chickens to allow each family to have 20 chickens.

This will be an ongoing ministry for us and our church family is very excited to have this opportunity. We have a team of 15 people who will be making a trip in July to continue looking for ways to reach out to the "least of these".

Sunday morning with Cade

I have been sharing with you the notes that my 9th grade daughter has been taking during our series in Hebrews. Today, I want to share the notes my 5th grade, 11 year old son took last week. This is what at least one 11 year old took home from being in worship with his faith family. I love his heart!

Hebrews 10:19-25 Jesus is

First of all remember Jesus is greater than all!!!
Than draw near to Jesus with a TRUE heart.
Don't just draw near with a TRUE heart draw near to Jesus with a PURE heart too.
Draw near fully but NOT with small tiny steps JUMP to Jesus.
Have confidence to walk toward Jesus. Draw toward Jesus because your heart has been sprinkled clean from evil.
Jesus is faithful so encourage one another to meet Jesus
Draw non believers to your relationship of believing of Christ
God created everything in his image and his glory and his love
Help each other to love Christ and do good things
Christ became a servant to his disciples on the night he washed there feet so don't settle for a lifeless thing or idols because God is a god of second chances

Brandon Cade Brown

Prayer of Thanksgiving- Austen

The English novelist Jane Austen wrote this in her Prayer of Thanksgiving

Give us grace to endeavour after a truly Christian spirit to seek to attain that temper of forbearance and patience of which our blessed saviour has set us the highest example; and which, while it prepares us for the spiritual happiness of the life to come, will secure to us the best enjoyment of what this world can give. Incline us oh God! to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves. We thank thee with all our hearts for every gracious dispensation, for all the blessings that have attended our lives, for every hour of safety, health and peace, of domestic comfort and innocent enjoyment. We feel that we have been blessed far beyond any thing that we have deserved; and though we cannot but pray for a continuance of all these mercies, we acknowledge our unworthiness of them and implore thee to pardon the presumption of our desires.

Is it possible

Another excerpt from A Place At The Table:

"Is it possible- as we learn to live presently, as we seek each day to receive with satisfaction what we need-that we will find God has provided everything we need? I believe so"
 ~Chris Seay, A Place At The Table

Excerpt from, A Place At The Table

I read this today and just wanted to share it. It is an excerpt from Chris Seay's book entitled, A Place At The Table.

"Can we embrace the truths of Christ if we do not embrace His posture? His hands were exposed to disease and leprosy as He touched the sick. His knee bent to the ground to wash the sullied feet of His friends. His eyes lifted in prayer to the Father. His body bowed and was broken in death. As we learn to march in step with our Savior, we find that our swagger gives way to a lowly and humble way of walking.
To be strong Christians, we must embrace weakness. It is when we accept our humanity, when we are humbled by our fallibility, when we live vulnerably, that God is strong within us. Jesus was lowly, humble, even despised. He did not seek comfort. He did not even have a place to lay His head. He had every opportunity to pursue power yet didn't. The world systems and its currency did not hold value for Jesus. He had a vision of a different sort of kingdom"