One More Time

Wowzers! This is the 3000th posting of the Greene Street Letters. O.k....enough about that, on with the business of the day.

Got a call from Mark Cotney yesterday. You may remember that Mark lives Frog Eye, Alabama. Didn't make that one up. He called to let me know that life is good, and for us to keep praying for his lung condition. Mark is about as country as the day is long, and has a heavy dose of common sense. He was telling me that the one thing that turned him around during his time at Rapha, came one afternoon as he was walking around the pond. Mark was noticing all the baby brim, ducks, turtles and other assorted wildlife that call Rapha home, when a connection came to him. Mark had been worried about how he was going to stay clean once he left the program. It suddenly came to him that if his heavenly Father  takes care of the animals, well then, Mark could sure trust Him to take care of Him. Simple thought, but a true thought. And it has served Mark well ever sense he left Rapha.
Mark told me, "When you don't have to worry about anything, then you kind of free to live life for Jesus." God will use the natural to reveal the spiritual.

If it comes to your mind today, please pray for Trish. She came to Vineyard ReCovery Saturday night, a first-timer. God showed up for her and she was saved. After the meeting she came up to talk to me, she was just beaming. "I've never been in anything like this before." She came to get her court card stamped, and she left with a changed heart. Pray that she would continue this week to follow wherever God leads.

Each day that passes, for me, becomes a present. I'm learning to appreciate the little things that I encounter each day. Yesterday was my usual Monday Breakfast appointment with Jim Bentley. But yesterday was more about the journey the two of us have been on, lo these many years. We still are best-est friends....We still have this fire and passion to follow Jesus over the next hill, or around the next bend to see what He's going to do. It may take us a little longer to get to that next hill, or around that next bend, but we haven't stopped the journey yet.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that God allows me to have connections with some pretty incredible people. I wrote about one yesterday. Leading worship with Brook and David Finlayson, and Jim Henderson. There is a deep pleasure all down inside me when I get to hang out with old friends.

Then there is the pleasure that comes when you get to meet new folks. I got to the church early last Saturday and as I was unlocking the door, a man across the street yelled and asked what time church started.  His name was James. Seems as though he had arrived in Gadsden after spending some time in B'ham. We talked a bit and his story seemed to be the same as others I have met. New in town. Not enough money for a hotel but he'd found a place to crash (in other words, James was homeless). He stayed for the meeting and was very grateful that he had. Hot coffee and home made cookies always seem to open a hearts door that has been shut for a while. After the meeting, one of our core leaders took him to Walmart and bought him a heavy blanket as well as gave him a good sleeping bag. James was taken that someone would do this for him, a complete stranger. This was the Kingdom at work.  James showed up Sunday morning for the Celebration time, not to freeload or mooch off the crowd. James showed up grateful that he had encountered people that demonstrated the love of God rather than just talked about it.

Well, I guess I better close this out and move on with my day. I don't say it enough, but thanks to each one of you who stops by the Greene Street Letters to read what has been posted. Let's do another "3000", what do you say?

Oh yeah, one last thing.
It's not a fact that I keep secret. I just don't think about it that much.
I continue to get questions from people asking why "Greene Street Letters"?
The answer is.....
I live on Greene Street.

God on you...
mbb