For the next SIX Mondays, enjoy FREE coffee at the World Cup Cafe (a ministry of Mission Waco). Details below.
Pass the word.....
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Free Coffee on Monday Mornings
June 14-July 19, 7:00-10:00a.m.
1321 N. 15th @ Colcord Ave.
World Cup Café
(offer does not include specialty drinks)
Come on over and enjoy some really good “joe”…
Breakfast & Lunch available Monday-Saturday, 7:00-2:00
June 10, 2010
May 13, 2010
Preemptive Love
In recent months, I have really been feeling led to step up in terms of advocating for the Preemptive Love Coalition. Honestly, I have no idea what that really means, but I do know I've been using the excuse of not knowing as a reason to NOT be obedient. This is a trap I constantly fall into: not knowing exactly what to do and, therefore, doing nothing at all. However, I've also seen the Lord at work most in my life when I simply take a step and do SOMETHING. Most of the time, the step I take doesn't directly lead anywhere, but I end up making great strides in a different direction as a result of that first baby step, no matter how misdirected it was.
So, all that leads me to now... the only way I know to step up my advocacy of PLC is to be proactive in raising awareness of what they are doing and the needs they have. And the only way I know to do that is to speak to groups of people about it.
Are you a member of a group (MOPS, Jr. League, National Meat Cutters Assoc.) that would be open to having me speak about my trips to Iraq, what PLC is doing, and how they can be involved? Although I wouldn't pass a hat or anything like that, fundraising, awareness, and increased involvement would be my major goals.
If so, please contact me either by posting a comment below, or emailing me at leighsaxon@hotmail.com.
Thanks for being part of my first step toward obedience in this. I'll let you know how it goes...
So, all that leads me to now... the only way I know to step up my advocacy of PLC is to be proactive in raising awareness of what they are doing and the needs they have. And the only way I know to do that is to speak to groups of people about it.
Are you a member of a group (MOPS, Jr. League, National Meat Cutters Assoc.) that would be open to having me speak about my trips to Iraq, what PLC is doing, and how they can be involved? Although I wouldn't pass a hat or anything like that, fundraising, awareness, and increased involvement would be my major goals.
If so, please contact me either by posting a comment below, or emailing me at leighsaxon@hotmail.com.
Thanks for being part of my first step toward obedience in this. I'll let you know how it goes...
April 28, 2010
They Called the Cops On Us!
So... for a while now, a friend and I have been meeting together to pray over a local mosque. We meet on Fridays around 2:00, as this is the Muslim Holy Day, and when the mosque is most crowded. About 4 weeks ago, we moved to a "strategic" location across the street in the parking lot of the Hewitt Chamber of Commerce, where we had a good view of the entrance to the mosque. We simply sit in our car and pray for folks as they go in and out of the mosque
This past Friday, we were in our car and a cop car pulled into the parking lot, got out of his car and approached us. He informed us that the people working in the chamber of commerce had called concerned about why we were there. I explained to the kind police officer what we were doing and pointed across the street. I said we certainly didn't want to cause any trouble and would be happy to leave if they wanted us to.
So, the kind cop walked into the building and came back out about 15 minutes later, and informed us that they wanted us to leave. We agreed, and he left. Then my friend and I decided that we'd like to meet our cop-calling friends. We entered the building, introduced ourselves to the two women working in the small office and apologized for causing them any alarm. I must admit, I was hopeful they would retract their banishment of us, and although they were very cordial and polite, they didn't offer to allow us to continue praying in their parking lot.
So, we left. I have to say that on the way home, I was mad. I thought about how I am a tax-paying citizen of Hewitt and have a right to peacefully park on city property. But then it hit me.... They called the cops on us... in Hewitt TX. I just had the cops called on me for PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Not in Iraq, but in Hewitt, TX! Praise God!
I know this isn't exactly what Jesus was speaking of when he said: "But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles." Sure, we weren't scourged or persecuted in the same sense that Jesus was speaking, but we had the cops called on us IN THE NAME OF JESUS!!
Pretty cool... and you can bet that we'll be back praying this Friday (although we'll have to give up our front-entrance view)!
This past Friday, we were in our car and a cop car pulled into the parking lot, got out of his car and approached us. He informed us that the people working in the chamber of commerce had called concerned about why we were there. I explained to the kind police officer what we were doing and pointed across the street. I said we certainly didn't want to cause any trouble and would be happy to leave if they wanted us to.
So, the kind cop walked into the building and came back out about 15 minutes later, and informed us that they wanted us to leave. We agreed, and he left. Then my friend and I decided that we'd like to meet our cop-calling friends. We entered the building, introduced ourselves to the two women working in the small office and apologized for causing them any alarm. I must admit, I was hopeful they would retract their banishment of us, and although they were very cordial and polite, they didn't offer to allow us to continue praying in their parking lot.
So, we left. I have to say that on the way home, I was mad. I thought about how I am a tax-paying citizen of Hewitt and have a right to peacefully park on city property. But then it hit me.... They called the cops on us... in Hewitt TX. I just had the cops called on me for PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS. Not in Iraq, but in Hewitt, TX! Praise God!
I know this isn't exactly what Jesus was speaking of when he said: "But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues; and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles." Sure, we weren't scourged or persecuted in the same sense that Jesus was speaking, but we had the cops called on us IN THE NAME OF JESUS!!
Pretty cool... and you can bet that we'll be back praying this Friday (although we'll have to give up our front-entrance view)!
April 18, 2010
A Lot to Learn
I am 41 years old, and I have a lot to learn.
In our SS class, we have started reading through the book of Mark, and I am discovering how little I know about a book of the Bible that previously, I would've said I knew a lot about. The truth is, I know a lot of general knowledge about the gospels, but I know little about what unique things they have to say about the life of Jesus.
So, I'm a little fascinated these days about the ministry of Jesus, particularly what HE had to say (not what I've always been taught) about what it means to be a Christ-follower, a child of God, one secure in the gift of eternal life. Bottom line, I want to know what Jesus had to say about how a person becomes a Christian. Today, I read the very familiar passage in Matthew 25:31-46. (It's a lengthy section of scripture, but I'll quote some major chunks of it):
Jesus speaking: "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we [do all these things]?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat..."
You know, growing up a Southern Baptist, I've been to countless retreats, summer camps and revivals, and heard this question posed dozens of times: "When you die and you stand before Jesus, and He asks you 'Why should I let you into heaven for eternity?', what will you say?" Of course, the correct answer is something like: "I don't deserve eternity, but I believe that you, Jesus, are the Son of God, who died on the cross for my sins so that I can be reconciled to God."
While I think the above question is a valuable one to reflect upon, nowhere in the Bible does Jesus suggest that He's going to ask us this question. In fact, according to Matthew 25, it seems to me that it's much more likely that He might have a different question to ask... something like: "What have you done for Me lately?" Or: "Where is the LOVE?"
I am not suggesting that our WORKS earn us a place in heaven. I am simply reading the very words that proceeded directly out of the mouth of Jesus that said, "If you love me, tend my sheep."
And I am - for the first time in my life - realizing that what I have believed about what it means to be a Christian has come from what other people have told me. I am attempting to scrutinize these beliefs by comparing them to what Jesus Himself had to say on the matter.
So far, there are surprising differences....
In our SS class, we have started reading through the book of Mark, and I am discovering how little I know about a book of the Bible that previously, I would've said I knew a lot about. The truth is, I know a lot of general knowledge about the gospels, but I know little about what unique things they have to say about the life of Jesus.
So, I'm a little fascinated these days about the ministry of Jesus, particularly what HE had to say (not what I've always been taught) about what it means to be a Christ-follower, a child of God, one secure in the gift of eternal life. Bottom line, I want to know what Jesus had to say about how a person becomes a Christian. Today, I read the very familiar passage in Matthew 25:31-46. (It's a lengthy section of scripture, but I'll quote some major chunks of it):
Jesus speaking: "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we [do all these things]?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat..."
You know, growing up a Southern Baptist, I've been to countless retreats, summer camps and revivals, and heard this question posed dozens of times: "When you die and you stand before Jesus, and He asks you 'Why should I let you into heaven for eternity?', what will you say?" Of course, the correct answer is something like: "I don't deserve eternity, but I believe that you, Jesus, are the Son of God, who died on the cross for my sins so that I can be reconciled to God."
While I think the above question is a valuable one to reflect upon, nowhere in the Bible does Jesus suggest that He's going to ask us this question. In fact, according to Matthew 25, it seems to me that it's much more likely that He might have a different question to ask... something like: "What have you done for Me lately?" Or: "Where is the LOVE?"
I am not suggesting that our WORKS earn us a place in heaven. I am simply reading the very words that proceeded directly out of the mouth of Jesus that said, "If you love me, tend my sheep."
And I am - for the first time in my life - realizing that what I have believed about what it means to be a Christian has come from what other people have told me. I am attempting to scrutinize these beliefs by comparing them to what Jesus Himself had to say on the matter.
So far, there are surprising differences....
April 8, 2010
An "Old" Friend
This morning, I was cleaning out a basket in my utility room, and I found this note from a very dear friend of Paul's. She wrote it to me in May of 2008.
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Dear Mrs. Sackson, I was thinking about Paul. He was the best cid in the world. I am vary happy I got to be His Friend. And I Loved Him so much. Love, Belle.
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Me too, Belle. Me too.
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Dear Mrs. Sackson, I was thinking about Paul. He was the best cid in the world. I am vary happy I got to be His Friend. And I Loved Him so much. Love, Belle.
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Me too, Belle. Me too.
March 18, 2010
An Email from a Friend
Judy is a dear friend of mine who lives in New York. We got to spend some wonderful time with her and her family when Paul and I were in NYC for his treatment at Sloan-Kettering and also when we went to Vermont for treatment. She sent me this email recently and it was such a blessing to me that I wanted to post it (with her permission, of course!)
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Hello! I have thought of you so much in recent weeks and am just now getting around to emailing you to tell you so.
Yesterday jeff and I spent an incredible day down in NYC and we ended it thinking of you.
On the drive home, late last night, we stopped at a rest area on the freeway, looking for something to eat. The one we stopped at was one I have been to with you and Paul. We parked in the parking garage type area (strange for freeway rest stops) and went into the building, where everything was closed down, just like it was when we were there with Paul (and looking for a snack for your hungry boy...)
It is a two story building inside, with escalators taking you up to the bathrooms. Remember that one? There were only vending machines to use, that were on small breezeways that overlooked the lower area. I'm pretty sure Paul found some money under one of the machines. :)
Jeff and I were in luck, in that one store was open, Dunkin Donuts, so we ordered a bagel or two. As we stood waiting I told him about my trip there with you and Paul. I tried to pull out of the back of my brain every memory I had of that night, every place we walked in that building as we hunted for a decent snack.
Of course we started talking about Paul too. And Jeff surprised me by saying, "I still have a rock in the pocket of my orange coat, a stone that Paul gave me as we walked through the woods. It's still there, in the bottom of my pocket."
He's not a man of many words but I know what he meant. He keeps that rock in his pocket on purpose. It reminds him of a brave little boy who made a big impact on a lot of us during his short time on the planet.
Then finally our bagels were done and we walked through the almost dark, quiet building, back to the car. Then, just as we approached the outside doors, I spied something shiny on the ground. A bright copper penny.
I am sure, so sure, that Paul left that penny there for me. To let me know that he remembered too. He remembered the fun we had in the midst of pain, as we traveled up and down the dark freeways of New York.
I have not hugged you in a while, my friend. But that doesn't mean I dont miss you, think of you, and care about you.
Just wanted you to know we talked about you, and your boy, last night, and it brought smiles to our faces.
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Thanks, Judy!!
******************************************************************************
Hello! I have thought of you so much in recent weeks and am just now getting around to emailing you to tell you so.
Yesterday jeff and I spent an incredible day down in NYC and we ended it thinking of you.
On the drive home, late last night, we stopped at a rest area on the freeway, looking for something to eat. The one we stopped at was one I have been to with you and Paul. We parked in the parking garage type area (strange for freeway rest stops) and went into the building, where everything was closed down, just like it was when we were there with Paul (and looking for a snack for your hungry boy...)
It is a two story building inside, with escalators taking you up to the bathrooms. Remember that one? There were only vending machines to use, that were on small breezeways that overlooked the lower area. I'm pretty sure Paul found some money under one of the machines. :)
Jeff and I were in luck, in that one store was open, Dunkin Donuts, so we ordered a bagel or two. As we stood waiting I told him about my trip there with you and Paul. I tried to pull out of the back of my brain every memory I had of that night, every place we walked in that building as we hunted for a decent snack.
Of course we started talking about Paul too. And Jeff surprised me by saying, "I still have a rock in the pocket of my orange coat, a stone that Paul gave me as we walked through the woods. It's still there, in the bottom of my pocket."
He's not a man of many words but I know what he meant. He keeps that rock in his pocket on purpose. It reminds him of a brave little boy who made a big impact on a lot of us during his short time on the planet.
Then finally our bagels were done and we walked through the almost dark, quiet building, back to the car. Then, just as we approached the outside doors, I spied something shiny on the ground. A bright copper penny.
I am sure, so sure, that Paul left that penny there for me. To let me know that he remembered too. He remembered the fun we had in the midst of pain, as we traveled up and down the dark freeways of New York.
I have not hugged you in a while, my friend. But that doesn't mean I dont miss you, think of you, and care about you.
Just wanted you to know we talked about you, and your boy, last night, and it brought smiles to our faces.
******************************************************************************
Thanks, Judy!!
February 27, 2010
Calling All DFW Folks!!
Helping Kids with Neuroblastoma
Here's a chance to eat a yummy breakfast and contribute to a great cause. The New Year of Hope Foundation (www.anewyearofhopefoundation.org) has a two-fold mission: to help families whose children have Neuroblastoma and to provide funds for research at Cook Children’s NB Center.
Who: A New Year of Hope Foundation
What: Pancakes, eggs, meat, and drink included. You can even have a second helping of pancakes!
Cost: $6 per person
When: March 6, 2010. Be sure to arrive between 8am and 9:30 as the breakfast food needs to be cleared out in time to make way for the lunch crowd.
Where: Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar (Near the Ridgmar Mall)
660 West Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76116
Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.
For more information, please contact Karen at karen@tdkd.com
Here's a chance to eat a yummy breakfast and contribute to a great cause. The New Year of Hope Foundation (www.anewyearofhopefoundation.org) has a two-fold mission: to help families whose children have Neuroblastoma and to provide funds for research at Cook Children’s NB Center.
Who: A New Year of Hope Foundation
What: Pancakes, eggs, meat, and drink included. You can even have a second helping of pancakes!
Cost: $6 per person
When: March 6, 2010. Be sure to arrive between 8am and 9:30 as the breakfast food needs to be cleared out in time to make way for the lunch crowd.
Where: Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar (Near the Ridgmar Mall)
660 West Freeway
Fort Worth, TX 76116
Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.
For more information, please contact Karen at karen@tdkd.com
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