Free Little Library

Today there was an article in the paper on the Free Little Library...we also had a knock at the door with a neighbor and her son's sharing two bags full of books! We love getting to meet and visit with our neighbors and share books with our community!

 

 

Thank you so much to the Ross-Outland Sunday School Class at Hillcrest Baptist Church for your hard work on this project!

Lessons from the Street Corner

Last night late in the evening we heard barking...a constant, loud bark with hardly a breath between. Finally after what seemed like 15 minutes my husband went out to investigate and I heard an, "oh no" from outside. I quickly threw on my shoes.

As I walked out a cat came over and began to meow with the same constant insistence...I looked in the direction they were making their pleas to see a little honey brown pit bull pup lying on the sidewalk and breathing laboriously.

We shewed the barking dog and cat toward their home and my husband went over to check out the poor pup. It had been hit by a car and could not move anything, but it's head. We stayed as he rubbed it's head and talked gently to it and a few minutes later it passed.

Around the same time the other dog stopped it's incessant barking...almost as the plea for help could stop. Suddenly sleep was not quite the priority as we contacted animal control to help. A neighbor stopped by to chat and share good news on how he is getting on his feet again.

It struck me how adamant that dog was in crying out for help and the cat, too. I don't think I had ever seen this behavior before in animals...but these three run the streets together...we had seen them often over the past few weeks and commented on hoping they stayed safe.

As we returned inside to sleep I pondered the pleas of these other animals, their stick-togetherness. It made me reflect on how adamantly I call for help if I see another in need...one of my pack...

So...slow down...drive safe and be on watch for children and animals that may roam our streets...look out for those around you and never stop trying if you know one of those you do life with needs help...

Spring Blessings

Last Sunday as I was typing up the blog post about summer dreams my husband had a friend at church ask what they could do to help us at CH1...

We initially mentioned snacks are always used and quickly realized they wanted to know a project or projects that could bless our ministry. We mentioned our "summer dreams" of a community garden and Free Little Library...and ya'll I cannot begin to express in written word my excitement today as our dreams became a reality...

So...without further ado...let us show you how these volunteers spent this afternoon blessing our neighborhood!

OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN

 

  

 

  

OUR FREE LITTLE LIBRARY OF HOPKINSVILLE 

 

    

 

    

 

 

Can you believe it? Amazing!!! We are so blessed and so grateful not just for the project these men did, but the servant hearts they displayed and the prayers they prayed over each completed project...that the garden will flourish, as will the faith of those that work in it and that the books will be a blessing and lead to many opportunities to share love and our faith with others.

While they worked our little guy also had a great surprise of getting to play with friends, while I moved the hosta plants to our planter box...

 

We hope you have had a wonderful Sunday afternoon! Please share your Spring blessings with us in the comments. 

Summer Dreaming

At CH1 we are doing lots of dreaming of summer projects to make our space a great space to share with our neighbors and I have been perusing Pinterest for ideas and will share a few with you...

In the past our neighborhood association has had a big neighborhood garden, but we have found it is hard to manage, so this year we thought about doing some raised bed gardens throughout the neighborhood. This is the plot where we thought a raised bed garden would be perfect:

 

Another area we would like to do some fun projects is on the side of the house:

 

   

Our dreams for this side of the house include:

- A hopscotch path with stepping stones

http://mythriftyhouse.com/hopscotch-stepping-stones/

- A Little Free Library

https://littlefreelibrary.org/

- A Kindness Rocks Garden

http://thekindnessrocksproject.com/check-out-some-rocks

- A Fun, Whimsical Area to Gather and Play

All of our inspirations are on my Pinterest board here:

Side Garden -CH1

In addition to dreaming of fun new spaces there are also more of maintenance items we have to consider...cleaning out the gutters, painting and sealing all of the outdoor wood trim and re-screening the doors and windows on the porch:

 

 

  

We have no idea how many projects we will complete this summer...but we enjoy planning and dreaming!

If you have some ideas for our spaces...please share them in the comments or email us at challengehouse1@gmail.com or if you would like to help us with a project or have some items that would be perfect for these spaces let us know! 

We hope you are having fun dreaming of your summer projects too!

May 2014

Challenge House 1 has been full of activity and planning for our busy summer season. We have also been living life with our neighbors...this includes the wonderful blessings and the gritty hard stuff.

Here is a glimpse of our month...

A huge blessing to our family has been the Durrett Avenue Neighborhood Association. We have made friends with the other board members, met many neighbors and have partners that also are seeking to see our neighborhood thrive.

We decided a good way to share information with our community would be through a Facebook page, so Ellen took on the task of creating it and shares duties with the Vice President of the Association with sharing posts of activities at Challenge House, in our neighborhood and in our community.

If you are a Challenge House 1 partner or live in Durrett Avenue Neighborhood we encourage you to like the page to receive updates:

https://m.facebook.com/DurrettAvenueNeighborhoodAssociation

Our Beautification committee for the city also has a Facebook page...we encourage our neighbors to nominate others that have beautified their property...if you would like to nominate your yard, but aren't on Facebook or don't have a camera...let us know - we would be happy to snap a photo for you!

https://m.facebook.com/HopkinsvilleBeautification

A favorite part of May for us is that it is a time for planting and even a time for some crops to start producing....last year we planted the Broad Street Orchard in partnership with UK Extension Office and Micah's Mission. We actually have begun to see the efforts of the labor put into the plantings with our first strawberry crop!

We walked to the orchard and we were able to pick three clamshells of strawberries. The best part...walking home and sharing them with our neighbors on the way and then taking the rest to share with our neighbors at the neighborhood association meeting that evening.

The biggest blessing of all with the orchard has been meeting "Shorty" he invested himself in the orchard from day one. Last year he faithfully mowed  and weeded the orchard plot. He does the job for pride in the neighborhood, to be a good neighbor, not for recognition and he always disappears when we seek to offer praise or thanksgiving. He has been such a blessing and example in our walk to love our neighbor as ourselves.

With all the good in the neighborhood and our community comes the hard stuff...we are not immune to what many others face. An example of this surfaced last week when the window of our vehicle along with many others across our neighborhood and city were shot out with a BB or pellet gun. The insurance and Workman's Auto Glass took care of us in less than two days, but we think of neighbors that may not have the funds or good insurance to replace broken windows by vandals.

This comes on the heels of several shootings and robberies within our town. It is frustrating and disheartening to see that all the programs, money, or education we promote it will not change what is happening....but what hope we have knowing this is a heart issue and we know the one that changes hearts!

On May 24th our family attended a Stop the Violence Rally at the Boys & Girls Club hosted by Means Avenue Baptist Church. It was wonderful to see men women and children standing against the violence that has recently plagued our neighborhoods. To see men of God proclaiming the Word of God and challenging us to walk worthy lives and to build relationships with those around us...to invest in our neighbors and let them know that Christ can be the answer.

We continue with our Wednesday Night Lady and Teen Girl Bible Study - Soup Conversations! It is always fun to see what group of ladies and teens we will have...some weeks we may have 3-4, other weeks, like last night we have to pull out extra chairs for everyone to sit! We have finished a study on finding the meaning of Easter and are now studying 1 John for the next few months. One thing is for sure we will have good soup, good fellowship in learning, and just meeting God there in His Word and prayer...ya'll I can't tell you how much these ladies bless my soul!

Amongst all the things we are doing in the month...we are always looking forward and planning for the months ahead...June will bring two summer programs - Be the Church with Hillcrest and a summer reading program for our students in Durrett Avenue neighborhood! We are so excited for both and continue to seek new ways to bless our neighbors and share the love of Christ with them.

If you would like to support us there are many ways:

...snacks and paper products (napkins, toilet paper, paper cups, etc) are always great additions to our ministry...

...volunteer your time to coordinate, lead, or assist in a program at Challenge House...the many partners we have are building wonderful relationships with the neighbors around us...

...prayer - we need prayers for safety in our neighborhoods for our neighbors and our ambassadors, for us to have divine appointments with our neighbors to partner in sharing Christ and to share Christ that do not know, prayer that we will share godly guidance with those that come to us for mentoring or support, prayer that hearts will be changed in our families, in our neighborhood, and in our town.

Throw Caution to the Wind

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.

 

I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give.

 

That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting.

 

God loves it when the giver delights in giving.

 

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.

 

As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon.

 

His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.

 

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more extravagant with you.

 

He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

 

Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians.

 

It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God.

 

This relief offering is a prod to live at your best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ.

 

You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone.

 

Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in a passionate intercession for whatever you need.

 

Thank God for this gift, His gift.

 

No Language can praise it enough.

 

II Corinthians 9 (MSG)

 

Have you ever thrown caution to the wind? When we hear that phrase it usually is a reference to sowing wild oats in ones younger years. However, what about in your daily life, what would it look like to throw caution to the wind?

 

This passage talks of the blessing and gift involved in caring for others...building relationships...not so that you can rescue others and receive accolades for service, but because in extending love we are a true reflection of the love of Christ...sharing the extravagance of God...bringing abundant and bountiful thanksgiving to Him.

 

My friends, this is counter to what you will hear in this world - watching out for "#1", let others help themselves, chasing our own dreams...but I can tell you - this reckless faith, throwing caution to the wind to serve and bless others with what He has given to us...there is nothing like it.

 

To all those that are serving with us, loving our neighbors, sharing our burdens, teaching, giving of what Christ gave to you...Thank you...your dedication, friendship and reflection of Christ's love is true nourishment to our spirits and is leaving a lasting mark on eternity for the lives you are impacting.

 

For those that are praying for our needs with passionate intercession...Thank You...you are blessing with a gift like no other and arming us to serve with grace and strength.

 

If "throwing caution to the wind and giving to the needy with reckless abandon" is a term that makes you uncomfortable...challenges your faith, priorities, or plans...I challenge you to embrace it...take one step in the next week and month to meet the need of another...likely you will never be the same...

Year One in Review

A year ago we set up this blog anticipating our move to Challenge House 1 and excited about all we would experience and have to share as we embarked on our adventure. The year has not disappointed in experiences and adventures....we have made new friends, learned many lessons, and had so many new experiences.

What I quickly learned is that my lofty goal of blogging on a weekly or monthly basis was much harder than I had dreamed. Writing has been a favorite past time in my college days and something I have longed for years to do again. It is not for lack of content that I had writer's block many times over the past year, but rather often due to "living" out the experience and then having so many emotions to process along with all that has transpired.

We have no doubt after a year in our home that God appointed us to live here and is transforming our lives, our thoughts, and our faith through this calling. We have had so many wonderful moments, but they have often been in the midst of very hard things. Either by naivetés or rose-colored glasses or maybe even being wrapped up in our own lives...we somehow missed some very big things in the lives of those around us...this "ignorant bliss" of prior years is probably one of the hardest things to process.

So first to start with the good things....

Our neighbors are such wonderful people...we have been so welcomed and in many cases taken under the wings of others to teach us about the culture of our neighborhood, the history and tradition of where we live, to come along side us and work to share the love of Christ with those around us. We have shared stories, meals, and wonderful conversations.

Our neighborhood association...under Reverend Jones' leadership...this group of people have made me feel so welcome and included. They have given us a voice and also given us advice.  I could not ask for a kinder group of people to have as friends and neighbors.

Our church family...from the beginning when the Hillcrest 20/20 youth prayed with us and our friends from church and the community came to commission and pray over us, our home, and neighborhood...prayers, encouragement, and sometimes listening hearts have proven so precious to us. Then there are those that have come to our home and served with us, whether handing out bags, picking up trash, or sharing times with the kids of our neighborhood...those who are serving with us are treasures to our souls.

Then there blessings that we could not have known before moving here...Kerri Pepper and the Holiday Elementary volunteers that tutor the students....John Allen and Kelly Jackson with the orchard project...the many Project Hopkinsville and backyard Bible club volunteers....so many people that see the mission and vision of Challenge House and love the people of Durrett Avenue.

So many other people and things that I fail to capture with mere words...

Then there is the hard.

Hard to endure, hard to process, hard to believe to be true.

There are times when serving in a ministry like this is so lonely...you know there are others available if you need them, but sometimes it is hard to know what to ask or how to convey all that you learn and see. Then there are some that you expect to be there, but they cannot do the hard with you...

Hard things - kids with no food...families with no electricity...families with no homes...kids with absent parents...friends that are trying to make a living, but are 10 steps behind and struggling to keep hope...neighbors that are lonely, because their family have moved on to better jobs, nicer neighborhoods...broken families...neighbors that once served our country in honor, that struggle to have their own kids show them respect....people that are lost and seeking salvation in alcohol or drugs...teens that are seeking approval in relationships leading to teen pregnancy...kids that reach out for help or those that cannot trust because they have never been in a truly safe place to learn trust...kids that we reach only to learn they are gone to another town or state....

In all of this hard...the reality is...these hard things are not isolated to our neighborhood here. It is likely that some if not all of these "hard things" existed in our former neighborhood...hurting people are not isolated by income, gender, race, locality...pain is no respecter of persons...yet we did not see before...how many do not see...cannot imagine...

Yet amongst all the good and all the hard...we have learned perhaps above all else that God is faithful. When we feel alone, we do not know what to do, when there is hurt we cannot fix...there are the promises of God that stand as a foundation. He does not falter even when we are emotionally exhausted and heartbroken...He has the resources, the answers...He is faithful.

So as year one at Challenge House 1 has come to a close...I hope once again that next year will be just as full as this one with wonderful and hard things...for it is in the hard that we have seen God's hand moved so precisely.