Marvin Johnson III, Teresa Sherwood  & Michelle are members of Compassion Ministries
at Church for the Nations - Flagstaff. They’re serving heart-smiles straight from the heart of God to a group of children.
They prepared & served Thanksgiving dinner to the kids and staff at NAOMI House. This is a special home where children who’ve fallen on hard times get to know God’s Love in special ways.
          For a few hours the children enjoyed a bounce house, games, good food, lot’s of smiles and prayer.
It was a beautiful collaborative effort by cftn.flagstaff, Sunshine Rescue Mission,  Compassion Ministries & YWAP.
(FYI - We’re going back to paint the children’s rooms on Dec. 5 if you’re interested.)​ 716-830-8240
#GoBeyondChurchWalls #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
Sunshine Rescue Mission and Hope Cottage Flagstaff
Youth With A Purpose Inc.Mentor Force
CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCH A SHORT MOVIE ABOUT THE CHILDREN AT NAOMI HOUSE.
​

​           In the Fall of 1985, the Lord called me to Arizona to work with Native American Children. Extreme trials and obstacles only increased my burden for them. Experiencing the pain of sexual abuse first hand, while living here, gave me a new insight and burden for these precious children. More than anyone I ever met, these innocent ones needed to know the healing love of Jesus Christ. N.A.O.M.I. was established in 1993, and we moved into our Children's Home in January of 1995.
          We are told that it takes a village to raise a child. However, when a child has been abused and wounded, it takes more than just one village—it takes many. NAOMI is one small village, working with many others to help hurt children recover from child abuse.
Native American children suffer from abuse at one of the most alarming rates in our country. Child Sexual abuse in Native America is both epidemic and holocaustic. 90% of the children that come to live at Naomi House are the victims of child molestation.
          My heart's desire, and the reason NAOMI exists, is to share the healing love of Jesus Christ, with hurting children that desperately need His healing touch. NAOMI was established as a non-profit home for abused and neglected Native American children and we moved into our present home in January of 1995.
          We strive to maintain an atmosphere that not only looks like home but also feels like home. We are a family. For the sake of the children, we avoid all appearances of institution and endeavor to be as culturally appropriate as possible.
          Meeting the diverse and complicated needs of sexually abused children as soon as they have been hurt enables them to heal and come to terms with their abuse. We aspire to help end child molestation one child at a time, by removing wounded children from the vicious cycle that led to their abuse.
N.A.O.M.I. is a non-denominational Christian Ministry. We minister primarily to Native American Children and their families. Our main thrust of ministry is the Children's Home we operate in Joseph City, Arizona.

          Failure was the topic at our morning gathering of men inside the Sunshine Rescue Mission (SRM.)  It was an honor to be there in place of Pastor Daniel Williamson from Church for the Nations - Flagstaff. CFTNFlag is very active in Community Engagement which compliments the programs at SRM. Neighbors serving neighbors.
          Mistakes are a common thread that connects all men, women and children. What we learn from those mistakes that helps us grow falls into the category of wisdom. Failure is your footprint of future success. God allows failure to make a greater way for strengthening your character. God's Love never quits ~ go and do likewise.
          The picture above is a shirt that invites folks to make a decision to move into a relationship with Jesus. We told a story about a man who felt he was urged by God to tell another man about Christ. He decided it wasn't the best time. The man he was supposed to talk to about Christ died that night. He looks back on that time as a failure and will never repeat that failure.
          Sometimes at a place like the Mission, guys will stay in the program for a short time and then quit. They develop a reputation around town as failures. They refuse to follow through and become finishers. Sooner or later they come back again. When they show up and ask for another chance, their history as failures causes us to write them off as failures without believing they can change. God desires that none should perish and so should we.
          Below is the cover sheet for our lesson today. The Bible is a gift from Ken Metzger and was given to one of the men. It's great to receive presents that change lives. Thanks Ken! After that you will find some pictures of young men who were killed in gang violence. We shared their stories today to give meaning to their lives. As a Youth Director who knew all of them personally, it's hard not to feel like a failure because they died. It's not true, but it hurts just the same. It does cause me to go the extra mile to give guys all the chances they need to live new lives in Christ.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.
#gobeyond2ndchances #srm #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
                    The Gift of Failure
                    July 28, 2020 pbob

• Failure is your footprint of future success. ~ Get wisdom. ~ Take another step.
• Don’t quit.
• God allows failure to make a greater way for the strengthening of our character.

 

1. God’s Love never quits no matter how many times you fail.

 
 “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end; 
I will keep forever my promise of peace.” So says the Lord who loves you.”
Isaiah 54:10 GNT

1. God covers our failures with His compassion.

 
“This exile is just like the days of Noah for me: I promised then that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth. I’m promising now no more anger, no more dressing you down. For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won’t walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.” The God who has compassion on you says so.”  Isaiah 54:9-10 MSG

1. There is power and strength in God’s Love.

 
A Song of Victory
For the director of music. By the Lord’s servant, David. David sang this song to the Lord. He sang it when the Lord had saved him from Saul and all his other enemies.
“I love you, Lord. You are my strength.” Psalm 18:1 ICB

1. Our Love for each other will turn failures into the unity of victory in God.

 I Love You, Lord
Praises sung to the Pure and Shining One, by King David, his servant, composed when the Lord rescued David from all his many enemies, including from the brutality of Saul
“ Lord, I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you for now you’ve become my power!” Psalm 18:1 TPT
 
They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love Jars of Clay
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.
Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Peter Scholtes

​God Gives Grace To Failures.
July 28, 2020 pbob
 
GRACE GRACE
You tried before and miserably failed.
Another mountain peak left unscaled.
In every race you're the one who trailed.
How much can I take! You loudly wailed.
Grace, Grace is about to be unveiled.
Another convict about to be bailed!
Your ship's come in and its about to be sailed!
Your train of misery is about to be derailed!
Upon a cross God's Son was impaled,
Facing death, in prayer Jesus travailed.
Watching her son die a mother bewailed.
Innocent of all charges He still got nailed.
"Father forgive them." Said the one full of grace.
"It is finished." His last breath, finishing the race.
On the third day in his grave, death had no trace.
His heart is ready for your new birthplace.
A new beginning no remembrance of disgrace,
All your records of defeat, with love He'll erase.
Start this minute surrender your life to Grace,
His love for you is unstained and full of Grace.
 
KUMBAYA - COME BY HERE LORD
The original song “Kumbaya” was written by an unknown Author,
The lyrics have been changed here in an attempt to create greater compassion. ~ pbob
Someone's leaving home Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's drowning in alcohol Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's cheating Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's crying in jail Lord, Kumbaya.
An orphan is lost Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's drugging Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's watching porn Lord, Kumbaya.
A widow is hurting Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone needs a friend Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's dying from disease Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's divorced and lonely Lord, Kumbaya.
Someone's being abused Lord, Kumbaya.
Some children need a Dad Lord, Kumbaya
A city is violent Lord, Kumbaya.
A nation is at war Lord, Kumbaya.
A world has lost it's first Love Lord, Kumbaya.
Come by here, my Lord.
O Lord, Kumbaya.

          We had just started our morning session with the men at the Sunshine Rescue Mission. Our topic for the class was "Arrogance, Pride & Humility. Sometimes folks walking by stop on the sidewalk just outside the front windows to look in and listen. We always invite them in. Today a shoe-less guy took up our offer stepped inside the front door.
         His shoe-less-ness only became apparent after he began walking through the room. He walked along the back row of guys and they greeted him warmly. He said he needed shoes. One of the guys told him to have a seat and listen. He would get shoes after the class.
          You could call that an "act of compassion with responsibility." The shoe-less man listened intently during the rest of the class.Too often we just give physical things away without including a spiritual opportunity to know the Love of God behind the physical giving. 
          Our lesson examined the roots of arrogance, pride and fear. Addiction is an attempt to fill a void in our humanity. Only God's love can fill our hearts. Arrogance is a synonym for "I know it all," or "I know more than you." Pride will cause someone in a program to say "I don't need you, I've got this by myself."
         Humility is the antidote for the disease of arrogance. Humility has a peripheral vision with the ability to focus on the needs of others. Humility gives credit instead of taking credit. Our Key Bible verse for the day was Mark 7:20-23. 
"And Jesus said, “The things that come out of a man are the things that make him unclean. 21 All these evil things begin inside a person, in the mind: evil thoughts, sexual immorality, stealing, murder, adultery, 22 selfishness, doing bad things to other people, lying, doing sinful things, jealousy, saying bad things about people, pride, and foolish living. 23 All these evil things come from within a person. These things make a person unclean.”
          Jesus was having a discussion with religious leaders about cleanliness. The religious folks were questioning why the friends of Christ were not washing their hands. They were up to their usual shenanigans of trying to trap Jesus into breaking a religious law. You can follow the law. but still be lost and not follow Love. What's your motive behind your action?
          Many relationships, businesses and organizations are affected adversely by pride. We all have fissures in our character that will widen into an abyss of evil things.  Humility will see the penetrating gaze of God in examining our own personal habits. A great action word in scrutinizing our character is "motive." What is the motive in your heart for doing something? Do you do things for personal glory or to give God glory? 
          The shoe-less man had a motive to get some shoes. The guys at the Mission had a motive to give the man Love - God's Way. Their motive was a more excellent way that gave shoes with Love. We're proud of those guys at the Sunshine Rescue Mission! They went the extra mile to show a man Love. They went beyond normal. Their motive was rooted in humility and compassion.
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we.