Updates

Generosity

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

imagesAt Ridge Church and in the RouseHouse we are teaching our children how to be generous. We want to create a culture of generosity because we are called to bless others and I truly believe that when we are generous with what God has graciously given us then we are blessed.

Mac, our 7 year old son, and I had this discussion the other night before we prayed and went to bed. It went something like this…

Me: Mac how was UpStreet today?(this is the environment that he goes to at Ridge Church on Sunday mornings)
Mac: Good. We are helping Eric, the boy that lives in Africa again. We are filling up jars with money so he can have what he needs. The boys and girls are racing to see who can fill their jar up first.
Me: Cool.
Mac: I gave my two dollars that I got from helping clean up at Nana’s yesterday.
Me: Mac that is awesome that you gave what you had!
Mac: I remembered that I have a full piggy bank too so I am taking it to church next week and emptying it all out.
Me: Really? That would be great.
Mac: I think that he needs it more. You know he actually has to pay to go to school and only gets to go to the doctor a few times a year. My school is free, I have tons of toys and I can go to the doctor every time I’m sick.
Me: I think that would be great Mac. Let’s pray and go to bed.
Mac: God please help Eric get all the money he needs for stuff and God I hope he can get more than he needs………

WOW! I left that bed room full of excitement for the generosity that is growing in that little boys heart. The big kicker here is that Mac has been saving his money to buy an iPod touch but instead he is giving much of his money away. This reminds of the story in Mark 12 where the lady who had very little gave it all. God loves a cheerful, generous giver! How can we all be generous today with what we have? How different would our communities and world be if we all took this to heart today.

Mark 12:42-44
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty(need), put in everything—all she had to live on.

Sweet Release

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Started the day with an overwhelmed heart but looking forward to the Night of Worship at North Point Community Church. I got couple of the lines to one of the songs and was stopped by these two lines:

Running to You arms and Nothing compares to Your warm embrace

I found my self with arms raised reaching for God, tears flowing because I know that He is my only hope, and my heart is calling DAD! In that moment my mind and heart were taken to another place. I was picturing God, our Father(DAD), standing with His arms opened wide and saying, “Spanky, my son, I love you, things are going to be ok, Your mine and I am here for you.”

My mind went to the passage Joshua 1:9, ” Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Go my son, do what I have created you for! I have you and lifes situations under control. I have already taken care of everything for you. Don’t focus on the needs, struggles, and problems in life. These don’t matter, the mission I have you on is what really matters.

Exhale, laid down the burdens, surrendered and it was a sweet release. Awwwwwwww.

Date day with Elly

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

photo-17As most of you know Lara is super involved with our church’s preschool environment, Waumba. Today she took a road trip with some other staff and volunteers to a conference that will teach them how to better partner with families. So, today it was a date day with my girl, just me and Elly. We don’t spend to many days just me and her so this was a special time, for the both of us. We mainly ran errands, ate breakfast, laughed at each other, and cuddled. We had some really awesome conversations…well as good as they can be with a 10 month old baby. I thought they were pretty special talks.

I love spending one on one time with my children. I have to admit that sometime around mid-morning I did have the thought that I really need to get some work done, but by the grace of God I also had the thoughts of her growing up. Like when she is a teenager and other boys are the one she is smiling at, college years when she will leave me, and the day when someone else will be the love of her life. I quickly forgot about anything I thought needed to be doning and enjoyed my time spent with my baby girl. I never knew that there would ever be another girl, other than her mommy, that could capture my heart with just a smile. I love my Ellyana!!!

Thank You from Piney Grove

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

This is a pretty cool ‘Thank You’ card that I received from the school and the PTA after our last work day out at Piney Grove. I am so thankful that I am the one that gets to see all of their appreciation and excitement. We are not serving and giving to this school, these families, and community so that our church name can be made more famous, or to make us feel good about ourselves. We are not even trying to convert people to our belief each time we go out there. Our purpose is to give more fame to our Father, show this community and these people His love, and be about good works that He has prepared for us. I do believe that in our continuing support and service,His name will be more famous in that community and our hearts will be more satisfied.

Ephesians 2:10 (The Message) No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and the saving. He creates each of use by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Serving and Creating Community, part 2

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
Ridge Organizing Bookbags
serve·ice: noun /ˈsərvis/ services, plural / serving, verb
The action of helping, assisting, or doing for someone

When I think about the “church”, God’s people, I think that this should be one of the main pillars of who we are and what we are doing. Serving those around us, those in our world, country, city, and especially in our community. Doing for others, giving of our resources, spending our time investing, using who we are and what we have for the purpose of loving on those that are not in the church and those who are just in need! I think about that popular section of scripture in the beginning of the book of Acts where Jesus says,”…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7b

Let us get started right where we are, our Jerusalem, with the people in our community. I feel like for years and even the past generations we have been talking about what needs to be done and now is the time to do! Church, let us be bothered by the things that bother our heavenly Father and do something about it. Let us be the Gospel in action and take steps to make a difference ! This is where this passion for serving our community has come from in me and Ridge Church. We looked at the community around Piney Grove Elementary School and said something has to happen. We were bothered with the drugs, gangs, poverty, low test scores, challenges, and homelessness of families that is growing just 3 miles from our church. We got together and said that we were not ok that this and something has to change! This something we knew that was going to have to start with the “church”. Ridge decided that we were going to take our time, energy, resources, and volunteers and try to make a difference among this community. As we began making plans and putting it into action we found that others had this same passion but just needed the opportunity to do “something”. As a result we have partnered with 2 other churches in our community to make a lasting difference in the Piney Grove neighborhood. And so, we began by providing book bags and school supplies for the families that would not be able to do this for them self. This seems small but we believe that this first step has truly made a huge impact on families in this community. And the exciting part of is that this is only the beginning!

If we are not making an impact for Jesus in our community, city, and so forth are we really His Church? Are we fulfilling His purpose for our lives? Where can we start? What needs are there? What resources and opportunities has God given us to use to make a real difference?

We are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10) for His glory! Serving is fun,satisfying, and sometimes serving can even bring a sense of meaning to this life! Try it and see what can happen in your community.

Serving and Creating Community

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

photo-10Serving others in our community is one of he most valuable things in my life along with creating spiritual/relational community. With out community in our lives who is going to listen, love, and help lead us week after week, year after year, and season after season of life. I believe that we were created to be relational and if we don’t have the relation aspect in life then we will ultimate feel less fulfilled. I want to share over the next few blogs about the latest opportunity my family and I had to “serve” our community and how that in its self built community in lives.

I have been working on putting a project together this summer and it just took flight this week. I have been working with Ridge Church, New Charlotte Church, and others to provide 600 bags full of school supplies for children at Piney Grove Elementary that are among some of the neediest in our area. This is one of the first steps we are taking this year to see a difference in this community. Simple and easy way to connect people.

I really wanted to take this first blog to share some of the responses and excitement from the families, teachers, and volunteers of that evening. It was an amazingly touching night. More details of the actual project to come later. It was a fun and exciting event that will produce life change over and over.

So, here is what we heard from parents, kids, teachers, and administration that evening when we passed out these book bags:

“FREE? Really!”

Brother, “I got a free back pack!” Sister: “Me too! and mine is BRAND new!” They then sat down on the sidewalk so they could see what was inside. It looked much like a Christmas morning. Sister: “Look everything in new, like never been used! Notebooks, paper, and even pencils!” Mom stands over them with a big smile.

Teacher, “Wow! this is amazing! How did you get so many book bags and why?”

Administration, ” What a blessing, what a blessing, what a blessing. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this will mean.”

Principal, “This is amazing! We appreciate your help! We love you Ridge Church.”

Councilor, “A parent said to me after they got a book bag with supplies ‘Did you know that they gave us a new book bags and school supplies…for FREE!’ They are making a difference!”

“I love my backpack! It looks cool.”

“I bought my daughters school supplies but I haven’t been able to buy my boy’s yet.” Volunteer, “He can come get a book bag and school supplies here for free.” Mom, “Really, thank you so much.”

“Hot-dogs too!!”

Administration, “Speechless”

“I saw the kids faces and you don’t know what this real means to these families…my family. I love Ridge Church”

Volunteer responses:

5th grade kid from Ridge, “This is so much fun! It just feels good too.”

“Man, I love this kinda stuff!”

“If I could have a job doing this all day everyday…That would be great!”

“better than I thought!”

“How cool is this!”

“I have already teared up once and I just got here”

“What an awesome day!”

Teenager, “Can I go give that kid a hot-dog and book bag!?”

“This is the best way I could think of ending the summer!”

“I feel so blessed to be apart of this!”

Mac, my son, “I love serving and giving to others. This is fun!”

“What is the next project we can serve at here at Piney Grove?!?!”

Hearts were touched, and we were able to take one step closer to seeing real life change here in the Piney Grove community!

A story worth telling

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

UG11D Gulu 200
We were all crammed in the back seat of an old 4 wheel drive Landcruiser when Joseph began telling us about his previous interaction with the Karamajong people. Joseph Nelson Elyanu is an older man with some white hair, big belly, and a huge smile. He brings joy to everyone that is around him. Joseph loves and truly lives for Jesus everyday. He was going with us to this new area called Karamoja to make relationships with the Karamajong people.

Ovre the past couple decades the Karamajong have been known for being violent and brutal. When someone would ask us where we were traveling to and we told them Karamoja, they would either laugh because they didn’t believe us or get a look of fear on their face. For me this place and these people were just stories and pictures of a far reaching people group, until Joseph told his story.

In the back seat of the car Joseph began telling us his encounters with the Karamajong. He said that many years ago when he was in bible school they came and raided his village and eventually made their way to his house. Joseph and his family heard the guns so they ran and hid in the bush so when the warriors came to their house they could not find them. The Karamajong warriors yield for them but none of them came because they knew that they would kill them. A few years later the warriors came back to Joseph’s village this time when they couldn’t find Joseph, his wife and 4 boys they got mad and set fire to their house, books, clothes, and everything they had. Joseph and his family had to look on from a distance and watch everything they had be taken away from them. They then had to live in a refugee camp for many years until the government could take control. Joseph was finally able to finished school and rebuilt his home, but it took many years and was a hard struggle.

As Joseph is telling me this story I am felling anger build up in my own heart. I asked him, “how in the world could he ever think about going to this village even though it has been so many years. Do you not have any hate in your heart towards them for all that they have done to you and your family?” Joseph turns to look at me and with an intense face he says, “how can I hate these people after all that Jesus has done for me? If anything I praise God for giving me the opportunity to go with you and share the love and forgiveness of Jesus with them. God sure is writing a good story.” This conversation and Joseph’s commitment to the Gospel left me almost speechless for the next 4 hours. I keep thinking about the “story” that God is writing.

The time we spent with the Karamajong was so amazing. One of my high lights was to see how Joseph played with the children, talked to every person that came anywhere near him, and how he had the biggest smile on his face as though it was Christmas. Joseph’s story is one that I will never forget. It’s about love, forgiveness, and the difference that Christ can make when He is the author of your stories and life.

Mac talks to God

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
A couple of months ago Mac told us that he talked to God one night and God talked back. We half hazardly listened to him because we pray at night as a family so talking to God was normal, so I thought. Then a few weeks later he told us one night after reading the bible that he let Jesus come in to his heart. This lead us to really questioned him about what he meant by this. Just so happened that at church we were having an event where the Gospel message is explained in the best way for a child to understand.

Well, I will let Mac tell you what happened next. Watch Mac tell his story at http://www.vimeo.com/22352477.

Passion

Posted on by Spanky Rouse
It's a Girl 014I have noticed something about myself lately. I am passionate! If I believe in something or feel lead in a direction I can easily become very passionate about it. It doesn’t even matter what it is, I can get passionate about simple, insignificant things and hugly important things. If it is a new food, I can tell you all about how to prepare that food. If it is a place, I can give you all of the best reasons for why you should visit there. If it is a musician, I can tell which songs would really speak to you. If it is an idea, I can help you understand why you should follow me in that way.

I think that this is a great attribute to have especially when I need to cast vision around a mission or a project that needs funds, man power, and prayer. But, I think that it could also be dangerous. I can find myself quickly getting off track or loosing heart when the passion fades away. So, how can we stay focused, and how can I(we) direct our zeal for the important things in life. We all have to think about this so that we can look back and know that we spent our time and energy the best way possible.

Obviously, I am directing this to Christian believers, therefore I believe that we need to first have the bible and time in prayer to be our guidelines to determine where we need to focus our passions.

I think that if we ask ourselves on a constant or routine basis what am I doing or where am I focused we, can realign ourselves. A wise person once told me that I need to keep asking myself if I am being faithful painting this door or have I gone on to painting windows. Let me explain. If I am hired to paint the front door of a house but as I begin painting I notice the many windows that need some work done to them too. If the one who hired me to paint the door comes home and sees the door not finished but sees me painting these windows, they are probably going to be frustrated with me. I was hired to paint the door, right.

We have to find the one thing in life that really excites us and is worth us spending our time, energy, and money on. STICK with that. Let that be your goal and vision in life. Don’t stray from that goal. You may have to take different vehicles to get there but keep that goal in mind with every effort in life. It may even help to right it down just to bring it formally together.

Why do I feel like this is even worth talking about? I know that God has created us for a specific purpose. Each one of us He has a plan for. “The steps of a man are established by the LORD,when he delights in his way.” Psalms 37:23 He has chosen each of us to carry out His plan but in a unique and specific way. Be encouraged in that you are special to God and He wants to use each of us and He wants us to live a life worth living. Don’t get caught up in a boring and normal life!

What are you passionate about? What are you doing with that passion? How can you make much of Jesus and live a life pleasing to Him with what He has put in your heart? I would love for you to reply and share. I love hearing stories of passions. I will write about mine later.

Jesus or Braveheart?

Posted on by Spanky Rouse

Picture of Mel Gibson as William Wallace from Braveheart High Quality Photo A15467

I’m reading through the life of Jesus and seeing new things that I have never seen in some very familiar passages. “Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things in your law(word).”Psalms 119:18

Jesus was just baptized by John and now being filled with the Holy Spirit He is lead in to the wilderness. The Father “commissioned” Him and now He is going to prepare Jesus for ministry. Seems like so many times in life when I am on a spiritual high or filled with the Spirit that I am immediately lead into a wilderness or valley. Coincident? I think not. So Jesus had been in the wilderness for 40 days which probably felt more like 40 years and now at a weak time Satan comes to attack. He always knows the best time to attack, unfortunately.

Satan attacks Jesus’ personal weakness first. He knew at the time what Jesus was thinking about,”FOOOOOOOOODDDDD!” Satan knows our weakness. Money problems, physical issues, relationship drama. Satan wants to take you out as quick as possible! Jesus combats his attack with scripture! Luke 4:4

Next Satan attacks/tempts Jesus with power and success. Why does Satan think that that would even be a temptation for Jesus or us, is God the Almighty not our Father? Satan knows that we have all thought of selling out at sometime or another to get ahead and that we all want to be a little more successful in life. Jesus again combated this with scripture. Luke 4:8

Satan was getting desperate in his attempts to pursued Jesus. He used scripture and twisted it up to see if he could get Jesus to question his trust in God. Luke 4:10-11 “Doesn’t the word say that He will give all the angels to watch out for you, you want even get hurt, right? Jump let us see what happens Jesus.” I can just see him saying this with a smirk and smart alick attitude. This sounds a lot like, “That’s not to much money to spend, after all does God not want the best for you.” or “We are living together to see if it’s a right fit. After all God hates divorce and we would not want that to happen.” Satan loves to twist God’s word so that we are tempted to question our faith in the Father. Jesus combats it again with scripture again. Luke 4:12

I am sure you already know that I am trying to make it clear that the word of God is the absolute best weapon to counter attack the enemy. We are helpless with out it and so many of us barely pick up our bibles Monday through Saturday. Why? Because we don’t realize the power and life that this book gives us. It is real, alive, all powerful, and at our disposal. Read it, study it, mediate on it, let it digest and take hold of your life. You will be amazed at the battles that you will be victorious in and the peace that it will deliver to your life. It is food for your soul. Take a bite and be satisfied.

I am picturing Jesus as Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Sitting on his horse with his head held high, war paint on, and sword in hand attacking and humiliating Satan in battle. Dude of all dude!

“Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things from your Law(word).” Psalms 119:18