Planting a Garden

Luke 8:5-8

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶ Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. ⁸ But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

This passage of Scripture I have read many times in my life, but has led me to contemplate our ministry and a current project we are undertaking with a new appreciation and understanding.

Specifically I was struck by the four types of soil on which the sower went out to plant:

- wayside
- rock
- thorns
- good ground

We are currently working on a neighborhood project to plant a community orchard. Just as with farmers we are not going to the lot and planting trees...there is a great amount of preparation work to ensure the soil is ready for planting, so that the conditions are right, and the trees and plants will produce a great amount of fruit.

With our orchard plot we will have to take several actions:
 
- Test the soil to ensure it has the right amount of nutrients and acidity levels
- Remove an old foundation and rocks from the lot
- Clear out any garbage, weeds, and thorn bushes
- Cultivate the lot, so that the entire plot is good ground versus just small sections

If we went out today and just planted the likelihood is that many trees and plants would die, but with cultivating the entire lot, the trees should be able to take root and grow to produce much fruit.

 

When entering our neighborhood we knew that we would face challenges in sharing our faith and reaching some people. We know if we rush in and go house to house to offer our services and share our faith that some may be receptive, but others may refuse us indefinitely. You see as people we all are like the plot of land described in this passage on the sower....some of us have fallen to the wayside, some of us have experiences in our lives that have hardened us to others leading us to live in mistrust and building barriers of protection around us, and then there are times when we become ensnared in situations that leave us trapped, weary, and burdened. Then there are some that are ready, longing for help, direction, guidance.

 

As neighborhood ambassadors we are not planted here to quickly toss out seeds and then quickly harvest those that are ready and consider we accomplished the task. Rather we must enter our neighborhoods as if it is a plot of mixed ground that needs to be cultivated for a planting and harvest...how do we do this?

 

We must first evaluate our neighborhood:

 

- Who out there are partners in our ministry?

- Who is ready to be reached - longing for direction and hope?

- What areas are off the beaten path, that need to be brought in as part of our outreach?

- Where do we need to build relationships, break down barriers, and build trust?

- What things ensnare the families in the neighborhood - how can we help free them from those things?

 

 

Relationships and trust are the foundation to our work here and they are not built in weeks or months, but it can take months and years of cultivation, however, with God's guidance and the support of prayers, resources, and fellow workers in time we will have a beautiful orchard that bears much fruit in this community of Hopkinsville, KY!

Depraved Indifference

God has been working on my heart since moving in Challenge House 1. You see for years I have been blind to the hurt and struggles of my community...my neighbors. There is an indifference in our society if we do not see it and if we do not cause it, then it must not be our responsibility.

Friends that is so wrong. The hurt, the struggles, the seeking for something missing...it is our responsibility. My adoptive mom friend, Sarah Westerfield posted this above video, as adoptive parents we were able to see a need, in our cases around the world, and take action, but that does not in itself complete our commission to care for the fatherless and widows. It is not a one time act, fulfilling our obligation and we can then live our American Dream expecting others to take care of the rest of the hurt and pain in the world.

Our town, Hopkinsville, has widows and fatherless that are struggling to make it through each day. They are faced with trials that I could not fathom before moving into our home. It breaks my heart and overwhelms me with guilt and shame that I could live with an indifferent attitude for so long. However, God does not want us to dwell there...He commands us to take action...to show HIS love and HIS grace, because it is not overwhelming for HIM.

Friends we need your help...we need others to come along side of us and say, "This is the time to take action....this is the will and command of GOD...these HURTING and BROKEN people are our mission field." Then we need you to not just say these words, but to TAKE ACTION...

This neighborhood, these children....they are GOD's HUDSON...

4H & Challenge House Woodworking Program

A time for learning new skills...
Pallet Projects:               

• 02/15/2013 and 02/22/2013

• (5pm – 6pm)

Cornhole Boards: 

       

• 03/8/2013 and 03/22/2013
• (5pm – 6pm)

Woodworking projects can be entered into the local fair as a 4H project entry.

• Classes are for ages 9 – 19 and will be limited to the first 10 kids to complete the 4H registration form at Challenge House 1. This is a free program.

• If you are interested in working as a volunteer on these specific dates, a 4H volunteer form must be completed before the first class begins. Forms are available at Challenge House 1.

Please contact Nathan Ragsdale at 270-305-9129 or by email at challengehouse1@gmail.com for more information.

Power of a Moment

This week as I was reflecting on the recent changes in our life, the new paths we have made, people we have met...it struck me that each moment now must be intentional...we are in a battle for souls. I turned on my iTunes and this was the song that played by Chris Rice:

 

The Power of a Moment

 

What am I gonna be when I grow up?

How am I gonna make my mark in history?

And what are they gonna write about me when I'm gone?

These are the questions that shape the way I think about what matters
 

But I have no guarantee of my next heartbeat

And my world's too big to make a name for myself

And what if no one wants to read about me when I'm gone?

Seems to me that right now's the only moment that matters

You know the number of my days

So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head

And come write Your wisdom on my heart

And teach me the power of a moment

The power of a moment, the power of a moment, yeah

In Your kingdom where the least is greatest

Weak are given strength and fools confound the wise

And forever brushes up against a moment's time

Leaving impressions and drawing me into what really matters

You know the number of my days

So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head

And come write Your wisdom on my heart

And teach me the power of a moment

The power of a moment, the power of a moment, yeah

I get so distracted by my bigger schemes

Show me the importance of the simple things

Like a word, a seed, a thorn, a nail and a cup of cold water

You know the number of my days

So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head

And come write Your wisdom on my heart

And teach me the power of a momentThe power of a moment, the power of moment

You know the number of my days

So come paint Your pictures on the canvas in my head

And come write Your wisdom on my heart

And teach me the power of a moment

The power of a moment, the power of

The power of, the power of a moment, yeah


Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom."

A Week in the Life of a Neighborhood Ambassador

Living in a Challenge House brings with it the title of Neighborhood Ambassador.

According to the 1828 Noah Webster dictionary an ambassador or as they spell it embassador is:

embassador EMBAS'SADOR, n. 1. A minister of the highest rank employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign. Embassadors are ordinary, when they reside permanently at a foreign court; or extraordinary, when they are sent on a special occasion. They are also called ministers. Envoys are ministers employed on special occasions, and are of less dignity. 2. In ludicrous language, a messenger.

So, I guess it is fitting title,  considering we reside permanently in our neighborhood and try to manage and minister to concerns of our neighborhood...just ordinary people.
Many have asked what it is like to live as a neighborhood ambassador, this is a glimpse  of one week in our house:

Friday night

• Neighborhood ambassador monthly meeting at another Challenge House - fellowship, devotional, food, and fun.

Saturday

• Meetings at church to meet our prospective pastor
• Attend a friend's birthday party
• Game time at our house with friends.
• Visit from neighborhood friend

Sunday

• Teach 1st grade Sunday School
• Attend church service
• Lunch with friends
• Naps
• Church again - our church voted in the new pastor...great day for our church.

Monday

• Homeschooling day
• Workday for Ellen
• Men's accountability at Challenge House 1
• Visit from our neighborhood friend

Tuesday

• Homeschooling day
• Workday for Ellen
• Ellen, along with Brad from Challenge House 3, and Toni Riley a Challenge House volunteer attend the weekly Rotary Club meeting to talk about Challenge House! It is always a blessing to share our ministry with others!
• Tutoring for Holiday Elementary the house is filled with students and volunteers...students work on their spelling words, math, and reading time.
• Visit from neighborhood friend
• Ellen has a game night at a friends house

Wednesday

• Homeschooling day
• Workday for Ellen
• Wednesday night church

Thursday

• Homeschooling day
• Workday for Ellen
• I (Ellen) go to the grocery and to pick up dinner, the weather is gorgeous in January, so as I enter the neighborhood, I hears a man and woman on the phone trying to get help...they have ran out of gas, no money, trying to walk home. I pick them up and drops groceries and food at home, then drive them to where to pick some things up and back to the neighborhood.
• Friend from the neighborhood comes by and is struggling in Geometry, pull out a laptop and review some Khan academy videos and go over his Geometry with him - what a delight to see him working through the problems and showing confidence in his work!

Friday

• Homeschooling day
• Workday for Ellen
• Visit from a neighborhood friend - he turned in his Geometry homework! Loved hearing him tell about his teachers reaction when he turned in his work today!
• Game night with family and friends

As you can see we live a pretty regular life, but it is sprinkled with lots of blessings of time fellowship and service with friends and neighbors. We are not any more busy than we were at our old home, just a different busy.

A Very Important Lesson

As school returns to session the sounds of the school bus returning the children home for the day echo outside my window. As I listen they remind me of a lesson taught to me by a very wise lady...

...two ladies and a small office, left little in regards to privacy; phone calls by either person, although not intentionally, were heard by both. For months I sat next to Ms. Dorris and listened everyday, just like clockwork the phone would ring and after saying hello, she would ask the same question...everyday...

 

"Did You Make Wise Choices Today?"
 

You see, Ms. Dorris had two daughters and everyday they would walk home from school. On the way home they would call their mother to check in and have a "safety-line" until they were snug within their home. Everyday, I listened to the same question and then after about 6 months it was as if I heard her say the question for the first time:

"Did You Make Wise Choices Today?"

 

It struck me, she did not ask... Did you behave today? Were you good at school today? Then I reflected on what I ask my kids when I am away from them...do I ask about their choices or do I ask about actions in a way that implies that their behavior is controlled by a toss up good/bad, behaving/misbehaving?

Then I began to reflect on my personal life...unachieved goals, times I lacked self-control...do I attribute my actions and the results to choices or to whim?

Life is full of choices everyday, they begin as soon as we begin to wake up...

• The alarm clock sounds - hit snooze/get up - what are the risks/consequences
• It's time for breakfast - sugary donut/bacon and eggs - what are the risks/consequences
• The work day begins - am I joyful/am I disgruntled - what are the risks/consequences

Throughout the day we go through this process of cause and effect, risk and consequence, almost subconsciously...to the point we no longer stop to think through these actions as choices. Our choices, or should we say whims, continue to pile up as we move through the day...

 

....here is the clincher, whether we decide to stop and think through our choices or just act with no thought on a whim...the consequences do not change. We can blame it on a behavior, circumstance, or all kinds of external influences, but the fact remains...if we hit snooze, ate a sugary donut, show up to work disgruntled and then receive a corrective action...the consequence is not washed away by the excuse of a whim or loss of attention.

Perhaps I am quite slow to learn this lesson so late in life, but since that day, the question Ms. Dorris taught me to stop and consider is never far from my mind:

"Did You Make Wise Choices Today?"

 

So how do you go through life - choices or whims? Would looking at your moments in life as choices to be made change your perspective on your responsibility and role in what happens?

Proverbs 18:21
Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.
 

Proverbs 16:16
Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money; choose insight over income every time.

Joshua 24:15
And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,

Job 34:4
Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

Proverbs 12:26
The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenge House 1

Happy New Year 2013!

Our family of five moved into Challenge House 1 on November 3rd after a couple of months of painting, changing flooring, and various home maintenance projects. We are excited to provide not only a cozy home for our family, but for all our neighbors and friends that will come to visit!

Since moving, we have been asked many questions about Challenge House ministry, so we would like to take a moment to introduce ourselves and answer some questions about the ministry at Challenge House 1.

We, Nate and Ellen, have been married for 13 years and have three children: Ethan, Isaiah, and Annalee. Our family has lived in Hopkinsville, for 7 years after relocating with Ellen's job in military healthcare. A recent contract change has allowed Ellen to work from home full-time and Nathan is able to work at home in the ministry and homeschooling the kids. We are members of Hillcrest Baptist Church, where Nate serves as a deacon and Nate & Ellen teach 1st grade Sunday School and work in the Youth group.

Since moving to Central Avenue we have been blessed to meet many neighbors, all of whom have been very kind and welcoming! We also have began to meet many children and teens in the neighborhood as they have started to drop by for snacks and to chat. We love that we can share our home with our neighbors and friends, not just for the scheduled programs, such as tutoring and 4H, but also just to visit and fellowship.

We have received many questions about Challenge House ministry...we will try to answer a few:

• Is Challenge House 1 a shelter?
• No. Our family lives in Challenge House 1 and we cannot offer shelter services, however, if you are in need of a place to stay we will work to co-ordinate with community resources such as The Salvation Army or Sanctuary House.

• Do we need to sign up to participate in Challenge House?
• Some programs will require you to sign up to participate, for example the tutoring program is ran through Holiday Elementary and the 4H program to be starting soon will require membership forms to be completed.
• You are welcome to stop by for a visit and to share a snack with us. We would love to get to know our neighbors and hope to have some fellowship times in addition to any scheduled programs offered.

• How can we help with Challenge House ministry?
• Volunteer - we need volunteers for weekly programs and also there are times where we may have a single scheduled events in which we can use help. If you have a particular interest or skill you would like to share...please let us know.
• Supplies - in any ministry there are supplies needed to run the ministry, basic items would include toilet paper, paper towels, cups, napkins to snacks, drinks, tea bags, etc.
• Financial support - this can be given to Challenge House ministries as a whole to support the 5 Challenge Houses already established or allocated to expenses to support a specific Challenge House.
• Prayers and Encouragement - We covet the prayers of the Challenge House supporters as we seek to build relationships with our neighbors and share Christ and His love with them.

We are happy you have stopped by to check out our blog and hope that if you have any questions you will feel free to ask us. You can contact us by email at challengehouse1@gmail.com.