Good News Today!

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

“Jesus hates suffering, injustice, evil, and death so much, he came and experienced it to defeat it and, someday, to wipe the world clean of it. Knowing all this, Christians cannot be passive about hunger, sickness, and injustice. Karl Marx and others have charged that religion is ‘the opiate of the masses.’ That is, it is a sedative that makes people passive toward injustice, because there will be ‘pie in the sky bye and bye.’ That may be true of some religions that teach people that this material world is unimportant or illusory. Christianity, however, teaches that God hates the suffering and oppression of this material world so much, he was willing to get involved in it and to fight against it. Properly understood, Christianity is by no means the opiate of the people. It’s more like the smelling salts.”  Timothy Keller

I read this quote by Timothy Keller and it really struck me. I grew up in church. I have attended churches that illuded to better days coming as the sweet ole bye and bye. I think there are hymns where we can even sing about it.

On Monday this week I sat in a local park with some homeless people over a pot of chili. I can tell you right now that our conversations were not about how they know it is o.k. because someday their suffering will be over. We talked about how hard it is to keep someone from stealing their bikes when they go to the local shelters to eat. We talked about where they were going to be eating their Christmas dinner the next day because they have no family to share it with. We talked about how cold it was the few days before and how hard, even in Miami, when the temperature drops to 47 at night, it gets really cold sleeping outside.

The good news of Jesus, when properly communicated, gives hope for people today! The good news of Jesus when properly communicated says I will fight for you when no one else will! The good news of Jesus, when properly communicated offers life today, not in some distant future!

How can we communicate the good news of Jesus today to someone who needs hope, freedom, and even life today?

A Homeless Christmas

Christmas Eve is only 2 days away. Many of us will be celebrating with family and friends in homes decorated with trees, lights and great food.

For some, the lonely streets will be where they spend their holiday. Can you help us today to make their holiday just a little brighter.

On Christmas Eve our family plans to share our annual Christmas Eve chili with those who don't have the warmth of family and friends to share the holiday with. We could still use your help! You can donate by using the donate link on this page or e-mail us for other ways to help.

Take Heart

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

I woke up a few days ago to the news that a homeless man had been killed. He lived behind an auto parts store not far from where we live. Everyone in the area knew him and knew him to be a kind-hearted man that spent a lot of time on his laptop. It was his prized possession, and that is what they killed him for. 2 young men attacked him behind the auto parts store. Fortunately, they were caught, but not before they took the life of an innocent man. My heart broke. I cried.

Fast forward a few days and I was crying again. Crying over the horrific tragedy that happened in Connecticut. No one knows why! It is not explainable! We struggle to understand why life on this earth must be so hard sometimes. I wish I knew! I heard this song yesterday and it reminded me of just how much God Loves Us. It reminded me that God used the ultimate tragedy to bring life. It reminded me that we are not defeated,  That we have overcome.

I hope and pray that no matter what you are experiencing whether related to this tragedy or another, that you will know God loves you so much and He weeps with you and He tells you, Take Heart, I have overcome!

Trash Can Love?

So I was pulling out of the driveway the other day when my neighbor approached me. She wanted to talk about our trash cans. So apparently before moving in to our house our landlord told our neighbor she could have one of our big trash cans for her little recycling can. 

This really took me back. Since moving in, we have not met any of our neighbors. Although we plan to do so, we have been gone and just being back for a week or so, just have not had the time to get out and do it.

I guess it felt heartbreaking to me that the first conversation that I was having with my neighbor is about our trash cans, but this is the reality of living in one of the most unfriendly cities in the country.

I hope and pray we can be a catalyst for change. We moved to Miami to show God's love and grace to those here in this city. I guess we are going to have to get creative and do it, even if it involves trash cans!

Joy to the World

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

I love Christmas. I always have. It is my favorite time of the year. There are so many traditions that our family has had over the years. It always starts with the annual Christmas tree cut down the day after Thanksgiving, trimming the tree with hot chocolate and "The miracle on 34th st", hanging lights, setting up our Christmas village and chili on Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpas.

This year is different. This year we will have a fake tree most likely. We don't even have it set up yet because we are still trying to get settled in our new home. Our village is in green buckets in our son's garage in Missouri and we won't be traveling home for Christmas this year. It is hard for all of us to get into the spirit of the season this year because so many of our traditions are not attainable. We were talking about how we can't let it steal our joy just this morning.

I was thinking about the song, "Joy to the World". What is it that should bring us joy this time of year. As the song goes, "Joy to the World, the Lord has come".
The joy of the season should come in remembering what the season is about. The Joy of the season comes from knowing that Jesus came to free us.

Mark Twain once said,"To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with." This season there is a whole lot of people who don't know joy and don't feel joy. So instead of thinking on the traditions we are missing out on, we are going to start some new ones.

We need your help! We plan to put together care packages for the homeless this year. These packages will include these items. T-shirt, socks, toothbrushes, soap, personal care items and holiday goodies.

If you want to divide the joy with us you can use the donate button on this page or contact us for information on how to donate.