Fun Day for Mission Residents

Brian and I had the opportunity to take all the Mission residents to the lake for a cookout and fun time on Memorial Day.  The men played horseshoes, swam, listened to Christian music, and also had a discussion about what Memorial Day was all about.  We recognized veterans and those who had loved ones give their life to serve and protect us.  Overall it was a great day.  The men were very appreciative of us spending time with them at the lake. 

Curtis Pless, Missions Director

How Big Is Your God?

“The Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!” exclaimed the Psalmist David in Psalm 96:4.  He goes on to say that, “God is to be feared above all gods.”  Rev 19:1 tells us that all salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, belong to the Lord our God only.  Genesis 1:1 proclaims in the beginning GOD. Before there was anything, God was.  He stepped out into darkness and said “let there be light,” and there was light!  Then, he spoke and said “let there be,” and there was the sun, the moon, the stars, plants, animals, sea and land.

Can man speak and things appear?  No, I know because I tried while typing this blog & nothing happened (Hey, you can’t blame a gal for trying!).

God speaks… and time, matter, molecules, EVERYTHING obeys His voice.  God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his body the breath of life.  From the rib of man, He created woman.

All that is, is because of Him.  God is the great Creator, yet He himself is the uncreated.  He never grows tired or weary.  He never learns or wonders why.  He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, all-sufficient God of the universe.  AMAZING!

If we truly believe the Bible to be true and that God can do and has done all of the things He claims, why do we worry?  Why do we fear?  Why do we believe that life, or circumstances, or people are hopeless?

So, my question for you today is “How big is your God?”  Jehovah is a strong tower.  The righteous run into it, and they are safe (Proverbs 18:10)!

Believing in a fire walking, giant slaying, death defying, life-changing God,

Theresa Allen

Women’s Ministry Director

First Friday of each month

On the First Friday of each month is a good opportunity for all to see a thumbnail sketch of the ministry at the Haven’s Men’s Training Center, 1106 N Major Rd, Belton, SC.

On June 3 at 6:30 pm, our guest speaker will be Rev. Wesley Taylor from Barker’s Creek Baptist Church in Honea Path.  The evening will celebrate several of the men’s progress within the program, including the men’s choir and testimonies, and followed by a charge to all from Pastor Taylor.

On June 5^th New Prospect Baptist in Anderson will be having Haven of Rest Day during the 9:00 am service.  We appreciate all of our churches especially when we are given the opportunity to personally thank faithful partners face to face.

Eddie Capps

Director, Men’s Training Center

Employee Benefit Fair

We currently employ 68 individuals in 12 different locations in the upstate of South Carolina and in Hartwell, Georgia.  We have been meeting with all our employees over the past 2 weeks at our annual Employee Benefit Fair.  This is a time to share information and show our appreciation to those who share hope and love to countless others throughout the year as part of their daily routine.  During this meeting we give each employee a small gift from our ministry along with a few other “goodies” from area merchants.  This year the following businesses helped to sponsor this event:  Anderson Federal Credit Union, Attaway Printing, Clinique (Belk’s), Pepsi, Sterling Printing, SunTrust Bank, and Wendy’s.  We are grateful to these businesses for their partnership with us.  If you should have any small items that you might be able to contribute for next year’s Employee Benefit Fair, please call 226-6193 and ask for Sharon at ext. 106 or Nan at ext. 107.  A list of sponsors is distributed to each employee at the event. 

Sharon D. Brown

Financial Director

Thought for the Day

May the light of His love shine into all areas of your life and may His glory give you the hope that lasts forever.

Gene Christian, Industry Coordinator

Have a blessed Easter

I hope Sunday will be a special Easter for you.  May it be a day of reflection on the price that it cost our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  My prayer is that you have truly experienced Christ’s love and forgiveness.  In Christ we are forgiven and set free from the terrible clutches that sin’s talons had in us.

If you, a friend, or a loved one needs help with addictions, homelessness, or spiritual struggles, please call us or come by and talk to one of our staff at the Mission.  We want to help you.

Have a blessed Easter.

Curtis Pless, Mission Director

Comfort

I enjoy reading the devotions by David Jeremiah and I wanted to share this one with you.  Our experiences in life give us the opportunity to help others.

Turning Point with David Jeremiah

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15

When Mitch Albom heard that his favorite college professor was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, he visited him for the first time in  over 20 years. He asked Morrie, the professor, why he bothered to follow the news each day since he was not going to be around to see how things turn out: "It's hard to explain, Mitch," Morrie said. "Now that I'm suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before.... I feel their anguish as if it were my own."*

One of the reasons God lets us suffer in life is so we can understand the suffering of others and be able to comfort them--to do unto them what we would want others to do unto us. Paul lays out the progression of comfort in suffering by saying that God comforts us when we are hurting so we can comfort others with the same comfort by which we were comforted (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When we suffer, we should receive the comfort of God and remember it so we can replicate that comfort for another.

We don't have to pray for suffering--it will find us easily enough. But we should pray for a spiritually-empathetic heart to feel the anguish of others and be prepared to comfort them as we ourselves would want to be comforted.

*Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lessons (Broadway, 2002), p. 50.

Sandra Vickery

Administrative Assistant