Sheds For Tornado Victims in Alabama

What an honor it was when I was asked by the editor in chief to take pictures for the Alabama Baptist Newspaper of some churches building sheds for victims who lost everything in the devastating tornadoes this April. This was a great way for me to experience ministry and my enjoyment of photography at the same time.
Here is the article:

Sheds built, delivered as ministry to survivors

By Courtney Searcy
August 11, 2011

When people displaced by tornadoes gather what is left of their possessions and begin to rebuild, where do they keep their salvaged belongings?
Westmont Baptist Church, Birmingham, partnered with Pathfinder Mission, a ministry associated with Gateway Baptist Church, Montgomery, to provide the answer to that question: sheds.
Teams from Bethsalem Baptist Church, Billingsley, and Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church gathered with Westmont Baptist volunteers July 16 to assemble 18 of these storage units from prefabricated parts prepared by volunteers at Pathfinder’s headquarters in Eclectic.
Then they delivered them to homeowners in the Pleasant Grove area. That day, only eight or nine homes were scheduled to receive sheds. However, as they delivered them, they encountered others in need.
To qualify, homeowners had to be registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and have proof that they lived on the property before the April 27 tornado.
Many receiving the storage units didn’t believe they were free until volunteers drove away without leaving a bill. The act of kindness opened doors to share the gospel and give Bibles to several unchurched families and individuals. 
Brad Eubank, pastor of Bethsalem Baptist, said the experience moved some of the volunteers from his church to tears as they recounted stories from their day. He said ministering to people who had been through so much was an emotional experience for them.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find the right spot for a church to fit in to minister. … It’s great to find a place to serve in a unique way,” Eubank said.
The unique ministry began in 2005, when Pathfinder began to assist in disaster relief on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers met a woman who had her property cleared and her belongings recovered but needed a place to store them.
The April 27 tornadoes revived a need for the sheds, and the effort evolved into a collaboration of countless individuals.
Charley Elgin, co-founder of Pathfinder, had connections with Westmont and Bethsalem, which had members eager to meet any needs possible. Westmont has worked toward disaster recovery alongside churches such as Pleasant Grove Presbyterian since the tornadoes hit.
Monetary donations from across the country linked more and more people to the ministry. Each shed costs about $300.
While builders were obviously key players in getting the sheds prepared, cooks from Westmont prepared and served meals to them.
“This was a joint effort. Really and truly, I don’t know how many people were involved. This has been a corporate effort of Christians in the Kingdom to put this together,” said C.B. Scott, pastor of Westmont.
For more information, visit www.pathfindermission.org/AlabamaShedsFromGod.html.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• Red Velvet Frosting, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1 minute, until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients alternately in 3 parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Stir with a rubber spatula to be sure the batter is mixed.
Scoop the batter into the muffin cups with a 2 1/4-inch ice cream scoop or large spoon. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans and frost the cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting.

Red Velvet Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (3/4 pound)

Place the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed just until combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth. 

I hope you enjoy these. Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa via: www.foodnetwork.com

Soul Surfer

SOUL SURFER

My family and I just watched this movie. WOW, what a dynamic story of inspiration and triumph over devastating circumstances. How could this precious young lady overcome such odds you might ask?

ONLY through the faith and HOPE in the ONE who made her;

JESUS CHRIST

If you have not seen this movie I highly encourage you see it today.

www.soulsurferthemovie.com

My Cats Mocha and Aubbie


















If you are an animal lover like me then I am sure you can relate to this. I L-O-V-E my cats, in fact they are like my children. I have a relationship with them both. They each have 2 distinct personalities. My boy cat Mocha has a very calm temperament and my girl cat Aubbie is just all over the place and very moody.

For some reason one day I was just really focused on their activity and that's when God began to show me something. My cats are totally dependent on me to care for them. They sit and wait for me to feed them, they follow me everywhere I go. They talk to me when they need something (not literally but you get the point). If they need something they look to me to give it to them. WOW, God the Father wants us to have this same dependency upon Him. He wants us to look to Him for our sppiritual food, He wants us to come to Him and talk to Him. He wants us to look to Him for everything we need.

God wants us to be totally dependent on Him.

Are you?

God of This City

What an A-W-E-S-O-M-E song and video by Chris Tomlin.
I hope you read the words and enjoy the music.



A Rose

A rose, what a beautiful and delicate flower.

This flower comes in a vast array of colors from red to yellow. It blooms in praise to the one who made it; it's Creator, the Lord of Heaven and of earth.

A rose has many layers of soft, beautiful petals and it also has many thorns which prick and can cause serious pain to those who are drawn to it and want to touch it.

How can something so beautiful also cause so much pain?

I have a beautiful bush of magnificent pink roses on our property. I get great joy and pleasure in looking at these flowers. I like to look at the details and different shades of pink in each one. I like the way they look when rain drops are on them. It amazes me how the strength of the rain does not kill them but rather causes them to grow and bloom even more. 

I want to be like a rose, I want to bloom in praise to my Creator, the One who made me.

I don't want to be hardened by the storms and thorns of life but rather be made softer by the work of the Holy Spirit.

I don't want to bring pain and heartache to people but rather when they examine and look at my life cause them to give praise to the Lord Almighty for the work of redemption in my life.

Are you a Rose or a thorn?

One In A Million Bible Study

Hey there precious friends. I wanted to share with you the next bible study I have the joy of leading at NorthPark.

ONE IN A MILLION

by Priscilla Shirer

This will be a 7 week study starting June 15, 2011.

...... here is a sneak peek.

I hope to see you there.