We had a wonderful event on Friday the 18th. It was our 1st annual Christmas in July. Melony McKaye was the mistress of ceremonies, we had wonderful entertainment, and were blessed to have over 100 guests. Metro Life church was a wonderful host.
We are looking forward to being able to bless the community again this Christmas. I know it is early, but we have to plan in advance. Many people are suffering now because of the economy. People I personally know are losing their homes and cars. It is tough out there.
Jobs are harder to come by. Our counselors are working harder than ever. If you love to help people and have the gift of counseling, we could use some help. Employment knowledge is helpful, but the ability to pray with others is a must. Prayer is the first place we need to go in these times.
We know that more people need more help. We pray that those who have are willing to help those who have not. If God has blessed you, please consider us as a place to bless others. $15.00 will feed a family of 4 for a week and $100.00 puts a family on the road to self sufficiency through job counseling, food, and prayer.
Most of all, keep us in prayer and your community in prayer. God Bless-
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Lord is My Shepherd
As I look at what is going on in the world around me, I have to keep it in perspective. What is really important? What does God want for us?
Being in a non-profit where our focus is preventing homelessness by helping people find jobs, we see so much pain. Job loss is devastating to individuals and families. I read somewhere that people find their sense of self in their jobs. When you lose your job, you not only lose that sense of self, but community and security as well. When you lose your job, you go through all of the same stages of grief as any other loss. According to the numbers 95.6% of the people in Central Florida have jobs, but there are still many without jobs.
When my husband lost his job many years ago, I wondered why God allowed it to happen. I did not blame God, but I was at a loss. We went through all the stages of panic and grief. We thought the job search would be easier and take less time. We realized the importance of education and persistence. I also learned how to downsize our lives, how to rely more on God, and how to relate to people who are going through what we experienced.
God teaches us to rely fully on him. We tend to think that we can do it on our own. He has told us that He will never leave or forsake us, but we tend to leave Him.
If you are going through job loss, crisis, or something that is bigger than you. Surrender yourself to Him today. Pray about what your next steps should be. Ask Him what He is trying to teach you. Ask God to take care of your needs daily like He did with the Israelites when He sent manna down. Take your eyes off the material things and spend time in His word.
If you are not part of a church community, look for one that is healthy and well balanced. If they welcome you with open arms and pray with you and for you, you can identify with a community and not just a job. My prayers reach out to all the people who are going through a job loss or crisis, or just wondering what to do next. Grow closer to God and He will grow closer to you.
Being in a non-profit where our focus is preventing homelessness by helping people find jobs, we see so much pain. Job loss is devastating to individuals and families. I read somewhere that people find their sense of self in their jobs. When you lose your job, you not only lose that sense of self, but community and security as well. When you lose your job, you go through all of the same stages of grief as any other loss. According to the numbers 95.6% of the people in Central Florida have jobs, but there are still many without jobs.
When my husband lost his job many years ago, I wondered why God allowed it to happen. I did not blame God, but I was at a loss. We went through all the stages of panic and grief. We thought the job search would be easier and take less time. We realized the importance of education and persistence. I also learned how to downsize our lives, how to rely more on God, and how to relate to people who are going through what we experienced.
God teaches us to rely fully on him. We tend to think that we can do it on our own. He has told us that He will never leave or forsake us, but we tend to leave Him.
If you are going through job loss, crisis, or something that is bigger than you. Surrender yourself to Him today. Pray about what your next steps should be. Ask Him what He is trying to teach you. Ask God to take care of your needs daily like He did with the Israelites when He sent manna down. Take your eyes off the material things and spend time in His word.
If you are not part of a church community, look for one that is healthy and well balanced. If they welcome you with open arms and pray with you and for you, you can identify with a community and not just a job. My prayers reach out to all the people who are going through a job loss or crisis, or just wondering what to do next. Grow closer to God and He will grow closer to you.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Challenges
Life seems to be getting more and more challenging. With gas at over $3.50 a gallon and food prices increasing, even the middle class are squeezed. I had a lady in my office the other day who had just gotten a new job, but did not have enough money to get to training. Once she had a paycheck, she would be OK, but she did not know what to do in the meantime.
I read that the housing market probably will not rebound until 2010. That is over a year and a half away. What can we do in the meantime?
If you are thinking about changing jobs and you have a job, keep it until you find another one. DON'T quit and think it will be easy to get hired quickly even if you have a good resume. I know many people with great job histories who are searching for jobs months after leaving the one. If you even suspect that you might get laid off, silently update your resume and your network.
If you do lose your job, get on the bus quickly to find another one. It may be like a full time job to find one, but they are still out there. The most important thing is to stay positive. One Recruiter we refer to, referred someone to us because he was so down in the dumps that no one would hire him even though he had great skills. He would get the interviews and then depress the Recruiter with his tales of sadness and sorrow.
The important thing to remember in all hard times (and easy ones too) is that God loves us and He is with us every moment of the day. He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. We can trust Him at His word. If you do not know Jesus as your savior, He wants you to. His gift of life is free. It is by Grace we are saved. Read Romans 10:9 and 10:13. They are 2 verses that say it all.
Say a prayer today for yourself, our leaders, and those around you. With God on our side, we can be a light in this world of challenges.
I read that the housing market probably will not rebound until 2010. That is over a year and a half away. What can we do in the meantime?
If you are thinking about changing jobs and you have a job, keep it until you find another one. DON'T quit and think it will be easy to get hired quickly even if you have a good resume. I know many people with great job histories who are searching for jobs months after leaving the one. If you even suspect that you might get laid off, silently update your resume and your network.
If you do lose your job, get on the bus quickly to find another one. It may be like a full time job to find one, but they are still out there. The most important thing is to stay positive. One Recruiter we refer to, referred someone to us because he was so down in the dumps that no one would hire him even though he had great skills. He would get the interviews and then depress the Recruiter with his tales of sadness and sorrow.
The important thing to remember in all hard times (and easy ones too) is that God loves us and He is with us every moment of the day. He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. We can trust Him at His word. If you do not know Jesus as your savior, He wants you to. His gift of life is free. It is by Grace we are saved. Read Romans 10:9 and 10:13. They are 2 verses that say it all.
Say a prayer today for yourself, our leaders, and those around you. With God on our side, we can be a light in this world of challenges.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
A True "Servant" of God
Last Friday night, I had the privilege of attending a memorial service for Jesse Garcia with some of my friends from Christian HELP. After a long battle with cancer, he went home to be with the Lord. I believe with all of my heart that Jesse is rejoicing in his new found home. He is where he belongs, but we will miss him greatly.
It is not often that some one makes a profound impact on your life. Jesse was that type of person. When he got saved, his daughter said to him " I know God exists, because I can see Him in you". What a statement. Jesse was a servant of God in every sense of the word. He lived to serve. He even had a nameplate on his desk that said "Jesse Garcia, servant".
Jesse never complained about being sick. Whenever asked how he was feeling, he would say, "I am blessed". We would sit at the prayer table in the morning and he would pray fervently for others. He met many people at the job fair and kept them all on his prayer list.
Jesse was a wonderful family man, great co-worker, and a true friend to those around him. Everyone could agree that he truly loved the Lord.
We will miss him here at Christian HELP, but we will never forget him. His presence and servant's heart will always be with us. The office he used will always be "Jesse's office".
I can almost hear him praying for us all now.
Thank you Jesse for your testimony. We love you!
It is not often that some one makes a profound impact on your life. Jesse was that type of person. When he got saved, his daughter said to him " I know God exists, because I can see Him in you". What a statement. Jesse was a servant of God in every sense of the word. He lived to serve. He even had a nameplate on his desk that said "Jesse Garcia, servant".
Jesse never complained about being sick. Whenever asked how he was feeling, he would say, "I am blessed". We would sit at the prayer table in the morning and he would pray fervently for others. He met many people at the job fair and kept them all on his prayer list.
Jesse was a wonderful family man, great co-worker, and a true friend to those around him. Everyone could agree that he truly loved the Lord.
We will miss him here at Christian HELP, but we will never forget him. His presence and servant's heart will always be with us. The office he used will always be "Jesse's office".
I can almost hear him praying for us all now.
Thank you Jesse for your testimony. We love you!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Breaking down walls
God laid it on my heart and the hearts of several others that we need to work together and break down walls. As a Christian based organization, Christian HELP has a great responsibility to reach out into the community and be a light. We have to find all possible means to help our clients. We are not a one stop shop for most people. In order to really restore people, we MUST partner with Churches, Businesses, and other non-profits. By networking, communicating, and taking away the fear of competition, we CAN meet the needs of our community.
I am asking you to pray that we can be successful in our mission to draw the community closer. We have an amazing community and some fantastic people inside and outside the church who are on the same page. By coming together, we can educate better, share resources, and help to alleviate pain.
If you want to know more, please e-mail me at sandi@christianhelp.org.
In His Service-
Sandi
I am asking you to pray that we can be successful in our mission to draw the community closer. We have an amazing community and some fantastic people inside and outside the church who are on the same page. By coming together, we can educate better, share resources, and help to alleviate pain.
If you want to know more, please e-mail me at sandi@christianhelp.org.
In His Service-
Sandi
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Job Fair Today
If you are a job seeker, please join us at the Central Florida Fairgrounds today from 12-4 for a fantastic job fair. We have 97 employers and schools ready to talk to you. Networking is key in your job search and the job fair is a great tool for networking.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The children
I think the thing that bothers me the most is how the children suffer when their parents go through a financial crisis. When a family is uprooted because of the loss of a home through eviction or foreclosure it may mean that the child has to change schools. It may also increase their stress because they feel what their parents are going through.
We have two clients who live in my area who are facing crisis and have expressed the toll it is taking on their children. The result is sometimes manifested in behavioral issues, other times it causes the child to withdraw socially. These issues are sometimes more than we are able to help with.
By helping individuals to find jobs and connecting them with other resources for additional needs, we can benefit the entire family. Christian HELP has been a refuge for so many people who are hurting because of the loss of a job or other circumstances that are too big for them to handle alone.
Please continue to keep us in prayer as we minister to those who are hurting. Just listening to someone can make a difference sometimes.
We have two clients who live in my area who are facing crisis and have expressed the toll it is taking on their children. The result is sometimes manifested in behavioral issues, other times it causes the child to withdraw socially. These issues are sometimes more than we are able to help with.
By helping individuals to find jobs and connecting them with other resources for additional needs, we can benefit the entire family. Christian HELP has been a refuge for so many people who are hurting because of the loss of a job or other circumstances that are too big for them to handle alone.
Please continue to keep us in prayer as we minister to those who are hurting. Just listening to someone can make a difference sometimes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)