#'s 20 and 21 - Time To Move . . .

Two quiet Sundays at OV Community Beach, the last one on 9/20 featured a beautiful day but nary any people.  I do believe it's time to move on down to the Beach and Boardwalk at the Ocean front in Virginia Beach. God's been putting that on my heart for awhile now.  The Neptune Festival has ended, but there will still be poeple all year round.  More later.

#19 All Quiet

So, Sept 6th was a quiet day at the OV Beach. Pretty day, lots of folks around for the last official weekend of summer. I felt great and read loud. Folks just listened and walked along. I wanted to read again on Monday Sept 7th, but it rained all day and wasn't fit for man nor beast. Ducks and geese maybe . . .

I pass out small Gospel of John Pocket Testament Guides from the Pocket Testament League. I've been doing this since summer 2008. In each Guide is a little sticker with my identification number. If someone gets a Guide and reads it and wants to make a decision for Jesus or wants to get involved with passing out the Guides, they register online and use the sticker number so the League can track where they got their original Guide from. Well, last summer my incredible sister Annette signed up in Chicago as my first member. She rocks! About 2 weeks ago, a woman from Norfolk signed up as well! I'm really excited - it means the Guides are having an impact. Praise the God of Salvation! Below is a picture of my hero, Annette, with my nephew Alex. (They are standing in front of Buckingham Fountain in Chicago) What a fiery Christian she is! I love her with all my heart. Please pray for her as you do me - God Bless!

#18 Scott

I met Scott awhile back. Good guy. Dry-wall is his profession and he, like so many others, has been hit hard by the tough economic times we're all facing. He lives on a small boat docked at a friend's house. It has no power, so he doesn't get to sleep in the summer until 2 or 3 am when it's cooled down a bit. He gets odd jobs and does some volunteer work. But, what a great attitude! He's reading a book by Chuck Swindoll that he picked up at a garage sales and it's bringing him a great deal of joy. He's got his addictions (like all of us!) but he keeps giving them to God and pushing ahead. I spoke to him for a good bit at the OV Beach yesterday after I was done street-reading. I gave him a ride to another part of town and we talked the whole way over. Amidst the tough times, God is blessing him - he is able to spend a lot of time with his family. I look forward to seeing him again!

The beach was hot and sunny and I actually got a little pink on my shoulders. I read some different passages yesterday and continued marking my SR bible - it's almost complete. Except that, probably, it will never be complete. I'm always finding new verses that I want to read - I figure Jesus keeps bringing them to my attention. The first 3 chapters of John and the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew continue to be my staples.

One woman got right up close to me, like she wanted to talk, and when I stopped reading and asked her if she wanted to talk, she said, "No, keep reading." I did and she left with her friend after a few minutes. Hmm . . . I wonder what God is doing in her life. Keep her in your prayers, as I keep her in mine.

September 7th - Labor Day - is my one year anniversary opf street-reading! I can't believe its been a year already! I have one significant goal this year - I actually started August 10th - and that is to street-read at least once a week, hopefully more. I can't wait to see what God has got in store for this ministry in the coming year. I am continually blessed with great energy and a heart for those without Jesus in their lives. Please keep praying for me. Thanks!

Review of 'Jesus Loves You - This I Know'

The new book by Craig Gross and Jason Harper is finally out, and not a moment too soon! What a treasure this book is. The love that exudes from every page is authentic and inspiring. Both of the authors do such a wonderful job of weaving their particular insights around some engaging stories. They make you smile, laugh, weep, and cheer. They make you feel a part of their lives and ministry while they're revealing spiritual truths that have deep significance to them. We are constantly reminded that Jesus loves us ALL, from the bitter and betrayed to the religious. With each story Craig and Jason share the depth of faith and yearning for the broken and lost and unloved. As the title clearly states, Jesus DOES love us all and throughout the book, that fact is never far from our minds. No one is beyond the reach of the Master! JESUS loves us all, and is constantly working to draw us closer to Him. Whether old Willie the Win0, disconnected and forgotten but discovered and loved by Jason as he ventured out into the 'real' world as a cable guy, or the thousands of too-young Schoolies revelers in Australia that Craig untiringly ministered to, Jesus is there in the midst - reaching out and loving. Always loving!

This is a book to be read and passed around to all your friends, and then read again (which is what I'm doing!). Buy it and be blessed - then share it and pass along the love of Jesus. The link to purchase the book is at right - do it now. God bless you!

#17 Blessings All Around

Sunday, August 23rd was a lovely day at OV Beach! - a little cloudy, but cooler than it has been. And it has been HOT and HUMID this August - especially crazy after a very mild July.

Anyway, this day was filled with people who were blessed and encouraged and let me know about it. One fella had been shot in December 08 and is paralyzed and in a wheel chair. He just wanted to let me know how great it was to hear God's Word on the boardwalk.

Another sweet woman wasn't able to make it to church that day because she was helping a friend in need. She was blessed by the mighty Word of God when she came to the beach!

And then I was blessed with a kiss and a hug from a Special teenage boy who sang about Jesus inbetween my reading. He startled me with his genuine affection and moved me to tears as I realized the real purity of God's love for me . . . and all of us. It's difficult to describe accurately what it's like to encounter Jesus in other people - my limited words don't do Him justice. They don't capture the emotion and the fantastic joy! I can only keep saying how;

lucky

and blessed

and fortunate

and honored

I am to encounter Him at all! As I continue to fight the addictions in my life, I am often stunned at how gracious and good the Lord and Redeemer of my soul is to me. When I say that I am undeserving, I want you to understand that I am tragically undeserving of God's grace and favor. I stand as a pathetic and wretched and horrific sinner before my Creator - having made a monumental mess of my life! I deserve only to be cast out from His holy presence. He is the King of Kings and I am the lowest among sinners! Why, Why, Why would He be willing to lay down His magnificent life for ME!?! Who am I?!

I cannot fathom the love - the unbelievable love He has for me. I only know that it's true. His Word declares it and I believe it - with all my heart! Only, Only, Only, by accepting Jesus' outstretched hand and daily washing myself in the shed blood of the slain Lamb have I got even a hint of a chance to live in a way that honors Him - to fulfill the promise that He sees in me. And, with that as my goal, I must keep Him in front of me CONSTANTLY! All through the day and night! Words, songs, in all that I do I've got to keep Him in my sights - lest I stray even one step from the path He is blazing! I've wasted so many years by indulging in everything meaningless. No more! No more deviation from the path that leads to Life! Now, I have only one purpose - to advance the Kingdom of Truth - to bring honor and glory to the only wise King - to help everyone He puts in my path. Amen.

#16 Jilly Jo, Matthew, Donald and more

Sunday August 16th was the first time back to OV Beach in awhile.  My friend Jillian (Jilly Jo) came to join me and pass out flyers for a new Awana program she is starting at church.  I gave her some Pocket Testaments to hand out as well.  She did a great job!  The day was beautiful - warm and clear. Jillian's sister Jessica and her family spent some time at the beach and joined us later in the day for awhile.  It was fun having friends there to share and talk with!

We got there around 4pm, a little late but still a lot of folks walking around.  As usual, I had been praying since the morning that God would use His Word from my mouth to touch the hearts of those He was calling.  It didn't take long to meet someone He was working on.  We met a homeless man named Donald who, though pretty intoxicated, wanted to change his life and asked us to pray with him.  We did and and gave him a few bucks to eat with.  Following Jesus' lead, we've got to meet the physical needs before even trying to meet the spiritual ones.  My good friend Matthew (whom I met at the beach back in October of 2008) joined us and he prayed for Donald.  Matthew is called by God to preach His word and, I believe, God is moving him in that direction.  A little later I ran into Kevin, a man that I had spoken to about 2 months ago, and he was doing great!  He had lost his job and was out on the streets when I last talked to him - but got a new job and was living with his sister.  Very soon he would have his own place.  He was all smiles and was praising the Lord. He's a testimony to how God looks out for us and provides what we need when we need it - so long as we trust him for it.  What an awesome God we serve!

Well, that's my update for now.  I used the Large print Bible I bought expressly for Street-Reading for the first time today.  I love that large print!  No more squinting!  I am almost finished reading Craig Gross' book 'Jesus Loves You - this I know' and I'll be posting a review and a link to the site where the book can be purchased.  Here's a little tease - it's a phenomonal book!  Inspiring and introspective.  More later.  Thanks for all the prayers.  Please keep praying that God would use my efforts - and those with me - to meet the needs of those He directs us to.  God Bless!

Toni's Poetry

August 1st! A new month is born and I'm finally feeling pretty good again. July was a lost month for me due to pneumonia and other complications. I'm back in action and looking forward to this month and what God has in store for me.

In early July, Toni and Franni went to Summer Work Camp in Petersburg, VA with other youth from our church. Their mission was to help local families make required and necessary repairs to their homes. About 250 youth from all over the country are divided into crews and sent out to do the repairs. At night, they hang out and get to know each other and form friendships. There are constant activities and it's a great time of sharing. During their week long stay, they have testimonies and a time to share their thoughts and feelings each night. On one night, Toni shared this poem she wrote. I thought it was beautiful (that's right, call me a proud papa!) and am sharing it here.

Love Can

By Toni Eulo - July 2009

Love can sacrifice

Love can care

Love can even come through a teddy bear

Love can be hard

Love can be tender

Love can be music

So keep strummin’ that Fender!

Love is great

Love is kind

Hold on tight

Don’t break that bind

Because once it’s gone

It’s hard to get back

So don’t give up,

Don’t just throw it in a sack

Believe in love

You can’t go wrong

It’ll make you strong

Strong like King Kong

Believe in love

You won’t have to worry

Things will get better

Don’t rush or hurry

Just sit back

Enjoy the ride

Because God is with you

Right by your side

Pretty good, huh? She has a great heart! I'm proud of her and Franni both. Here's a picture of our gang. From left: Carl, Andrea, Ronnie, Trey, Toni, Stacy, Franni, & Bill. God bless them for their dedication!