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Arcadia First Baptist Christian School
· MAKING A DIFFERENCE We are incredibly proud to share the that our secondary students at AFBCS are embarking on a meaningful service project to support impoverished families in India. These compassionate young individuals have taken it upon themselves to raise funds to provide cots for families in need, ensuring they no longer have to sleep on the ground. This initiative was entirely driven by the students themselves. Through a collaborative process, they collectively decided to undertake this noble cause, reflecting the values of service for the Lord, empathy, compassion, and global citizenship that we strive to instill in our students. The students are not simply asking for donations - they are actively earning every penny. From setting up their own lemonade stand, doing extra chores, to contributing from their own savings, each student has shown unwavering dedication to this cause. The Zenteno sisters, with their lemonade stand, are just one example of the inspiring efforts put forth by our students. The outpouring of generosity and kindness has been truly touching. Mrs. Lisa at the front desk has been collecting the funds, and her heart was moved to tears last week as students brought in their contributions daily - every penny they could find, they brought it in. This is a testament to the selflessness and compassion that defines our school's community. As we witness these remarkable acts of kindness, we are reminded of the immense impact we can have when we come together as a community. The spirit of unity and collective purpose is a testament to the transformative work that the Lord is carrying out through AFBCS, as we continue to nurture disciples for CHRIST. ***A special thank you to Mrs. Cook and Mrs. Alegra for being the sponsors on this project.*** If you would like to contribute to this service project, please mark an envelope with AFBCS Cots for India and turn in to the school front desk. Thank you for your support! SARED FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF I Love Being Christian
· A while back I was asked by a group of pastor’s wives to go with them to strip clubs. That sentence alone sounds strange. But hang with me. At first I was a little hesitant. And not for reasons you might think. I love people. Especially ones who are broken; it’s part of my calling. But, given what I’ve walked through, I know how fragile broken people can be. And I know how insensitive the church can be. And I was uneasy. But, these weren’t just any pastors wives. They had a vision. One that longed to love on women that society had thrown aside. It reminded me a lot of Jesus. So, I jumped on it. Their plan was to visit these clubs once a month to deliver a meal and gift baskets. I joined them the first night and I’ll be honest, I had NO IDEA what to expect. Now, I had my fair share of time (back in the day) in bars and such, but I’d never been to a strip club. I was totally unaware of what I was walking into. We arrived and the bouncer ushered us back into the dressing room where we introduced ourselves and began distributing the gifts and food. I was shocked by what I saw. And I’ll tell you why: I was raised to believe that no good comes from places like that. Which is probably true on many levels. (I wouldn’t suggest making it your go-to for date nights) But, I was filled (as were many Christian kids) with fear about “places like that”. That “those people” were heathens and doing all kinds of sinful, shameful things. Which, again, is true of strip clubs. And bars. And many other places. Even churches. But, these girls – these lovely, girls – were so…..normal. As I talked with one in particular, she reminded me of any young mom I’d talk to in the school pick up line. Minus the fact that she didn’t have much clothing on – I tried not to focus on that. (Oh dear God, she’s talking about strippers in a Christian blog and talking about them being half naked. We should not EVEN be thinking such things! First, my sweet friend, it’s okay to laugh. Like seriously, it’s OKAY. The fact that 4 pastors wives and their pregnant friend even went into a strip club is kinda funny. If you’re going to walk with Jesus, you’re going to find yourself in some pretty awkward situations. And if you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re toast. Like seriously. So, I give you full permission to go ahead and laugh at the mental picture):) They showed pictures of their children, talked of pregnancy (I was pregnant at the time) chatted about trying to get back in shape after having a baby, etc. It was SO NORMAL. But, as we talked, and I looked into their eyes, I saw women – young, broken women. Who had stories, probably much like mine or yours. We didn’t stay long. They had a shift to work, and we didn’t want to overstay our welcome. But, as we left, they thanked us. More than once. As I drove home, I totally fell apart in my car. Not because I felt sorry for them. Not because I thought I was so much better than they were. Not because I pitied their circumstance. I cried because my heart was broken . One thing the Lord continues to do in my heart, is humble it. Like over and over. Countless times, I think I’m going in to minister to some lowly soul and then I walk out, completely undone because the condition of my own heart was exposed. I wept before God asking for His forgiveness in the way I had viewed women in that profession. Because, people – that could have been me. It could have been any of us. Had my journey taken a few different turns, I very well could have been on the receiving end of that encounter. Man. HE WRECKED ME. I had my baby shortly after that visit and didn’t get to go back for the monthly visits to see the women. But, I stayed in contact with one of the women organizing it and every so often, I ask her how it’s going. They have been visiting them for a year now and received permission to leave a prayer box where the women could leave prayer requests. The first few times they collected the box it had silly things written in it. But they continued to leave it there. Over the following weeks and months (as they continued to love on these women), the prayer requests got real. Real situations Real hurt Real needs Last time my friend and I got together, I asked about the strip clubs and this is what she said: Her eyes always, always fill with tears when we talk about it because God is SO in love with these precious women. She said, “The women are starting to reach out more. I’ve been texting with one and getting to connect with her a bit deeper” We talked a bit more and she turned to me and said something that I am still rattled by. “You know what one of them said to me last time?” “What?” “She said that she was so glad we come to visit them because we’re not like the other churches” I said, “what did she mean by that?” She said, “Apparently other churches send them hate mail. ALL THE TIME” I’m sure my face turned three shades of white. Complete shock and disbelief gripped me. We both looked at eachother and about fell into a pool of tears right there. People – church – WHAT ARE WE DOING?! Did we forget (or do we just sing it songs) that Jesus was a friend of sinners? Did we forget that it’s his kindness that leads us to repentance? Did we forget that it is ONLY the blood of Jesus that makes us holy? That ALL OF OUR GOOD BIBLE LOVING STUFF is like filthy rags without Him? Jesus was UNAFRAID of walking in love to the least of the least. Like the scum of the scum. He walked right in, sat down and ate with sinners. Gross, ugly sinners. And the religious HATED HIM FOR IT. A few years ago, I met with another pastor’s wife across the country who shared with me a similar ministry, although after months of developing relationships with the dancers, they asked the owners a crazy question. They asked to hold a Bible study. IN THE STRIP CLUB. Just for the dancers. Surprisingly, they were given a yes. (Something about it building morale in the employees, but whatever. It was a yes!) So, they started leading a Bible study in the club. But, something was missing. And those ministering knew it. The women they were ministering to needed to be led by a man – not because these women were incapable, but because of the damaged, skewed image they had of men. They needed to see a man who was safe – they needed a man who knew Jesus. This woman’s husband (who was a pastor) stepped up and took on the challenge. And, for months the dancers wouldn’t even look him in the eye. But he kept showing up…. Soon, one by one, the women met Jesus through this pastor’s humble, gentle leadership. There were prayer sessions. Women were set free. And many went on to lead, healthy restored lives. All because this group of women and this pastor were unafraid to go where God was leading them. I’m not suggesting that we all have this calling. I am not the Holy Spirit. What I AM saying to you is that if Jesus were here, walking among us, wouldn’t it be just like him to walk into the most un-Christlike place (strip club or whatever) and completely freak the religious folk out? Just a thought. He loved then. He loves now. But, he can only reach as far as you and I are willing to go. SHARED FROM Sarah Jane
· To say that there is much buzz online concerning the upcoming April 8th solar eclipse would be a vast understatement. Just exactly why is this particular eclipse causing such a fuss??? Check out this amazing article from author Michael Snyder! "I am going to share something truly amazing with you in this article, and once again a lot of naysayers out there will dismiss it as a “coincidence” that really doesn’t mean anything. But how is it possible that such a vast number of “coincidences” just happen to take place in April 2024? Last Friday, I told my core supporters about an amazing discovery regarding how the sun, the moon, and the seven other planets in our solar system will be aligned during the Great American Eclipse on April 8th. In this article, I am going to focus on seven specific locations that are named “Ninevah” which just happen to fall within the path of the Great American Eclipse on April 8th. Let me start by going back almost 7 years. On August 21st, 2017 the first Great American Eclipse made headlines all over the nation. It was also known as “the Seven Salem Eclipse” because the path of that eclipse crossed over seven U.S. locations named “Salem”… -Salem, Oregon -Salem, Idaho -Salem, Wyoming -Salem, Nebraska -Salem, Missouri -Salem, Kentucky -Salem, South Carolina Salem is short for “Jerusalem”, and that is why so many early Americans chose that name for their communities. Now the second Great American Eclipse is almost here, and the path of that eclipse will cross over seven U.S. locations named “Ninevah”… -Nineveh, Texas -Nineveh, Missouri -Nineveh, Indiana -Nineveh, Ohio -Nineveh, Pennsylvania -Nineveh, Virginia -Nineveh, New York The eclipse will also cross over a location named “Ninevah” in the province of Nova Scotia in Canada. So that is why you sometimes see lists of “8 Ninevahs” on social media. In some of these locations residents will be able to view a total solar eclipse, and in others only a partial solar eclipse will be able to be viewed. So what do we know about Ninevah? Well, Genesis chapter 10 tells us that Ninevah was built by Nimrod, and I think that is very noteworthy. In addition, Wikipedia tells us that the path of the Bur-Sagale eclipse crossed over Ninevah on June 15th, 763 BC… The Assyrian eclipse, also known as the Bur-Sagale eclipse, is a solar eclipse recorded in Assyrian eponym lists that most likely dates to the tenth year of the reign of king Ashur-dan III. The eclipse is identified with the one that occurred on 15 June 763 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar. Some believe that the Bur-Sagale eclipse happened at the same time that Jonah was in Ninevah warning the population that the city would be destroyed… The Bur-Sagale eclipse occurred over the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh in the middle of the reign of Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel from 786 to 746 B.C. According to 2 Kings 14:25, the prophet Jonah lived and prophesied in Jeroboam’s reign. The biblical scholar Donald Wiseman has speculated that the eclipse took place around when Jonah arrived in Nineveh and urged the people to repent, otherwise the city would be destroyed. This would explain the dramatic repentance of the people of Nineveh as described in the Book of Jonah. Ancient cultures, including Assyria, viewed eclipses as omens of imminent destruction, and the empire was in chaos at this time, struggling with revolts, famines and two separate outbreaks of plague. I can understand how the appearance of such an eclipse could have been seen as strong confirmation of Jonah’s message to the people of Ninevah. Now a historic solar eclipse of our own is here. But instead of crossing over just one “Ninevah”, our solar eclipse will be crossing over seven “Ninevahs”. It is being reported that the Great American Eclipse of 2024 will be the most viewed astronomical event in all of U.S. history. Interestingly, out of more than 19,000 cities, towns and villages in the United States, the very first community in the U.S. that the path of the eclipse will touch will be Eagle Pass, Texas. Of course Eagle Pass, Texas has become “ground zero” of the national immigration crisis… Residents in a border city in Texas have revealed how police and National Guard troops have taken over – seizing their properties as migrants’ trash lines the streets. Eagle Pass, which is home to 28,500 Texans, has become the ground zero in the country-wide political fight, as swathes of lawmakers, celebrities and journalists flock to give their two cents on the ever-swelling migrant border crisis. Illegal migrants crossing has overwhelmed nearly every sector in Eagle Pass – but state and federal responses have too, weary residents say. The Del Rio sector, including Eagle Pass, reported 16,718 migrant arrests in January. The issue has become exacerbated under Joe Biden – and the southern border has witnessed a record of at least 6.3 million migrants crossing since he took office. Just another “coincidence”, eh? There is one more thing about the month of April that I wanted to mention. In late April, billions of 13-year cicadas and billions of 17-year cicadas will start emerging from the ground simultaneously for the first time since Thomas Jefferson was president… This spring, two different broods of cicadas — one that lives on a 13-year cycle and the other that lives on a 17-year cycle — will emerge at the same time from underground in a rare, synchronized event that last occurred in 1803. Billions of the winged insects will make an appearance across the Midwest and the Southeast, beginning in some places in late April, for a raucous mating ritual that tends to inspire fascination and annoyance in equal measure. This year’s dual emergence is a once-in-a-lifetime event. While any given 13-year brood and 17-year brood can occasionally emerge at the same time, each specific pair will see their cycles aligned only once every 221 years. What’s more, this year’s cicada groups, known as Brood XIII and Brood XIX, happened to make their homes adjacent to one another, with a narrow overlap in central Illinois. A narrow overlap in central Illinois? That is odd, because the path of the Great American Eclipse of 2017 and the path of the Great American Eclipse of 2024 just happen to intersect in Illinois. A giant “X” over America is being formed by the paths of those two eclipses, and that giant “X” will finally be completed on April 8th. There is so much more about these two eclipses in my most recent book entitled “Chaos”. But as I stated there, I am not anticipating that any particular event will happen on April 8th. Rather, I believe that what we will witness on April 8th is a sign and a warning for the entire nation. Just like the city of Ninevah in the ancient world, we are being given an opportunity to change direction. Will we take advantage of that opportunity, or will we ignore it?" Galveston County Food Bank
· Make court ordered donations from your cell phone or home computer. The new GCFB webpage is available for all court-ordered community service payments! Make your required donations without leaving your house. Just use the below link and your receipt will be emailed to you. Contact Donor Relations with questions at (409) 945-4232 ext 2307 or at donor.relations@galvestoncountyfoodbank.org https://communityservice.galvestoncountyfoodbank.org/ Galveston Island Humane Society When a young child comes in to GIHS to donate the profits from her lemonade stand, it certainly shines a bright light on our future. In a time where literally every dollar counts, she worked her stand all day to bring a donation to the shelter. From all of the staff and animals we thank you! Great Job Coral, we are looking forward to great things in your future! Mosquito Hunters Will Stop Them Before They Get Inside! Introductory Mosquito Property Barrier & Exterior Pest Control Treatments Starting At $39 & ZERO contracts!
Veteran Owned & Local 🇺🇸🦟 ‼️CALL‼️ 8327380012 or 281-603-3142 http://mosquitohunters.com/league-city-tx Mosquito Hunters of Galveston County HIS Ministries Santa Fe/Hitchcock
We are so happy to officially ANNOUNCE that we have purchased the old St. Lutheran Church! We are so excited for this next adventure that God has in store for us. Above all we are incredibly blessed to be able to provide a non-profit hub for West Galveston County. We have so many things in the works and can't wait to share them all with you! Please read the posts below to learn even more! #nonprofit #nonprofitorganization #galvestoncounty #santafetx #hitchcocktx HOW THE APOSTLES DIED.
1. Matthew. Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound. 2. Mark. Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead. 3. Luke. Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost. 4. John. Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully 5. Peter. He was crucified upside down on an x shaped cross. According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died. 6. James. The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club. This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation. 7. James the Son of Zebedee was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian. 8. Bartholomew. Also known as Nathaniel. He Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip. 9. Andrew. He Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words, "I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it". He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired. 10. Thomas. He Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Subcontinent. 11. Jude. He Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. 12. Matthias. The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot. He was stoned and then beheaded. 13. Paul. He Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament. Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor to compare to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times For the sake of the Faith. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endures to the end shall be saved. Pass on to encourage other Christians. Why Do we feel sleepy in Prayer, but stay awake through a 3 hour movie? Why are we so bored when we look at the HOLY BOOK. But find it easy to read other books? Why is it so easy to ignore a massage about God, Yet we forward the nasty ones? Why are Prayers getting smaller, but bars and clubs are expanding. Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity, but very difficult to engage with God? Make this message your contribution to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tim Franklin
· We just gave away $2,000 from Coffee Connection to support Gulf Coast Outreach Services to help with Narcan distribution in our area. Galveston County Food Bank
· Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Ann Willis of Houston, TX. She's a very dedicated volunteer who comes 2 to 3 times a week to assist with sorts and in our on-site pantry. Mary brings a lot of energy and a positive attitude to everything she does. She is a great volunteer that we depend on greatly. She even encourages her neighbors and friends to come and volunteer with her. Thank you for being a Hunger Hero! #GCFB #volunteer #thankyou |