Angel Food Ministries

I promised to return in a few weeks and I have returned. Like I said, there is a lot going on.

First: I made another trip out to see my mother in the Sacramento area. A year ago in the Healing God’s Way newsletter I shared that my mother has Alzheimer’s disease. I last visited her in May and I have noticed a continued decline in her condition in only these past five months. Her life is now reduced to eating and sleeping with only brief periods of wakefulness. Occasionally I see life in her eyes and some type of response but not nearly as much as I did last May. If you did not see that issue of the newsletter and would like to read the article I wrote, please send me an email. I will be more then happy to email you a copy of the article. There is a spiritual root to this terrible disease and people with the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s do not have to be doomed to a slow death like my mother is experiencing.

Second: Sphere of Faith Community Church has participated in a number of isolated social endeavors, but nothing that is large scale or on going. That is now changing. Please keep reading even if you do not live in the San Antonio area because what I am about to share is spreading all over the country. Earlier this month Sphere voted to become an Angel Food Ministries host church.

Angel Food Ministries partners with churches to provide food at a lower cost then you can get at your local grocery store. Each box of food costs $25, but the same amount of food if purchased at your local store would cost over $60. A menu is provided a head of time so you can decide if you want to purchase a box for that month. This is not a box of canned food supplied by the government, but chicken, pork, turkey, beef, frozen vegetables, complete dinners, and more. For instance last month people living in Texas would receive lasagna, mac and cheese, pizza, hash browns, ribeye steak, etc. This month the menu is totally different. The Angel Food Ministries web site posts the menu each month, and has a listing of all the host churches in the country. If there is a host church near you, you do not have to be a member of that church. Just contact them and let them know you want to buy a box (or more then one box) of food. If there is no host church in your area, why not share this ministry with your church and become a host church. It really is easy.

Until next time…

Sorry I haven’t been by to share anything lately. So many things have been going on I just never seem to have the time. But since it has been over a month, I guess I must make the time.

Back in April I shared about Sphere Community Church. Actually I have since learned the name is actually Sphere of Faith Community Church. Well, this past summer the Pastor was told we were going to have to move. At the time Sphere was located in a community theater. The man who owned the theater sold half his interest to a partner, who wanted to speed up the renovation. In order for that to happen, Sphere would have to find a new home. But God is good. The Pastor learned we had to move on a Friday. By that Sunday a door had opened for a new location. Sphere is now meeting at the Ruble Center, which is located at 419 E. Magnolia St. If you live in the San Antonio area and are looking for a service oriented church, check out one of the members MySpace page.

This new location is a huge improvement over the old. There is a large room for the church to meet in with many side rooms that we can use childcare and classes. There is a kitchen available which makes coffee making a lot easier. Even though I do not drink coffee, I was drafted into that job. Every Sunday I arrive about an hour early to make coffee for our time of fellowship after the service. This move really was a blessing.

Sphere’s Sunday service begins at 6:00p.m.
Bible Study every Thursday at 6:30p.m.

Everyone living in the San Antonio area is welcome to come by for a visit.

There is a lot more happenings at the Hyatt house going on, but I am not ready to share them. In the upcoming weeks I promise to stop by and share those happenings. In the mean time, please keep me in your prayers.

My Savior My God By Aaron Shust

Is Your Commute Unhealthy?

There are some Top 10 or Top 25 lists you just do not want to make. Unfortunately when it comes to the fattest cities, San Antonio is among many Texas cities that rank high. So when I read a news article on the top 25 most unhealthy commutes in America, I was thrilled and surprised San Antonio did not make the list. I was surprised because there is so much construction going on all the time that getting around town can be a nightmare, especially on certain freeways. At the same time I am not surprised because for the most part our air is pretty good. We do get smoke from Mexico every spring when the fields in the Yucatan are burned and at times we get dust from Africa, but for a city as large as San Antonio we are blessed with good airflow patterns.

If you want to find out if your city made the list: http://finance.yahoo.com/insurance/article/103291/The-Most-Unhealthy-Commutes-in-America

Or go to http://my.yahoo.com/
Click on News, and search for:
The Most Unhealthy Commutes in America

The Forbes article provides a slideshow listing all 25 communities that made the list.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Have you ever wondered how Noah must have felt? He had lived over about six hundred years with pretty good weather (Genesis 7:6). Not once had it rained. Then he climbs in the ark with his wife, his three sons and their wives, and the world’s first zoo. I like animals, but I have my limits.

Once Noah and his family and all the animals were in the ark, God closed the door. For the next 40 days it rained. It rained all day and it rained all night. It rained and it rained and it rained.

As I sit here at my computer, it is raining outside. It has rained all day. It has been raining off and on every day for weeks. Occasionally we get a day or two of sunny, but humid weather, but this being South Texas, a storm can pop out of nowhere. In fact they are called popcorn showers. Popcorn showers need the heating of the day to be activated. Today’s weather is due to a tropical wave off the Gulf of Mexico.

Though it has been raining since morning, it hasn’t been that bad, at least not in San Antonio, TX.

Northeast of here, New Braunfels received over 8 inches (20.32 cm) of rain today. The Guadalupe River is just one of many rivers in danger of flooding again. Some of you may remember that just last month Texas was hit by a ton of rain. Many counties were declared disaster areas. Today’s rain is just as bad but mainly effecting South Texas.

Pleasanton, about 36 miles (57.94 km) south of here is just one of several areas that got about 4 to 5 inches (10.16 to 12.7 cm) of rain per hour. That is a lot of water.

The past two summers we were in a severe draught. We couldn’t get it to rain a drop. It was hot and dry. This summer it has been cool and wet. Everyone is complaining. We are getting to much rain. People’s yards have turned into swampland. It is rare to see the sun these days. The local weatherman’s pepper plants have turned to mold. People are joking that we now live in a rain forest. We really need to dry out.

Even though a lot of Texas is water logged, it has not rained continuously. I have managed to run errands without needing my umbrella. It has not rained for 40 days and 40 nights.

I wonder what Noah and Mrs. Noah thought after it rained constantly for a week? Maybe they were still in shock from hearing the screams of people trying to get on the ark?

I wonder what Noah and Mrs. Noah thought after it rained constantly for 2 weeks, then 3 weeks, then 4 weeks? When did the complaining begin? Or were they to scared to complain?

40 days of rain followed by at least a month of waiting for the water’s to go down. Talk about cabin fever.

As I listen to it rain outside, I am grateful that it will be clearing up in a day or two. I pray this rain moves to the west where it is really needed.

Updates

It is hard to believe it has been over 2 weeks since I last made a post. Time sure flies.

Last time I wrote about the newsletter Healing God’s Way. I am pleased to report that just this week another person signed up for the newsletter. I have to wonder how many people tried to sign up when I was using Topica, but failed? If you receive the newsletter, I would like your feedback. I am open to ways to make it better. If you have never subscribed, you might consider doing so. If you don’t like it you can always unsubscribe.

Earlier this week I discovered a wonderful and easy way for AOCCCI to raise funds. GoodSearch.com is a yahoo based search engine that donates about half its revenue (about a penny) is donated to your favorite non-profit. You can make it your homepage or you can download a toolbar. Either way, each time you use GoodSearch for your Internet searches, you are contributing to AOCCCI.

If Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured does not automatically show up in the Who Do You GoodSearch For? box, please add us.

I spent much of the day making minor changes to AOCCCI’s web site. Mainly I added links to GoodSearch and Amazon. Amazon is another excellent way to give to AOCCCI. When you shop Amazon from the web site or from the link provided on this blog (look under Links), a percentage of what you spend is donated to AOCCCI.

Now for an update on Sphere of Faith Community Church. I first wrote about Sphere in April. At the time we were meeting in a community theater which was in the process of being renovated in between musical performances. When the owner sold half his interest in the theater, we were told we needed to move. The new partner wanted to speed up the renovation. Pastor Bill learned all this on a Friday. Since he is human, panic set in. But God already had a plan for Sphere and by Sunday morning we had a new home to move too. We now meet at the Ruble Center, about 2 miles (3 km) from the previous location. This facility is a huge improvement and a real blessing.

Besides the Sunday evening services, we now meet Thursday evenings for Bible Study. We have a wonderful time. The first Thursday our youngest member, a 14 month old boy, came to the study. We shut him in the room and allowed him to roam freely. He had some giant legos and other toys to play with. One toy played digital music. Just as we adults bowed our heads for a time of prayer, the music toy started playing the Lone Ranger theme song.

Dear Heavenly Father, please bless each person who reads this blog. Amen.

Healing God's Way Newsletter

I have been publishing an on-line newsletter, Healing God’s Way, since the late 90’s. I am always blessed when someone tells me they have been helped by what I have shared.

Earlier this year I started encountering a lot of problems with Topica, the free newsletter service I was using. I suddenly started having problems receiving my own newsletter. A little investigation revealed I was not the only person. So in June I started searching for a new home.

For the last few weeks I have been busy setting everything up. I am now using GraphicMail, which does cost a little bit, but unlike Topica allows graphics. It has been hard work but so far I think it is worth it.

I think having to move Healing God’s Way may be an answer to prayer. People used to sign up all the time but not a single person signed up in 2006 or most of 2005. I made some changes to the web site and prayed a lot but still no one signed up. It really baffled me.

When I decided to start looking for a new service I needed to change the web site page where people can sign up for the newsletter. Since making the change two people have signed up to receive Healing God’s Way. Makes me wonder if Topica is the reason I was not getting new subscribers.

If you have never subscribed to Healing God’s Way, why not consider doing so. It is free, though donations to cover the cost are always welcome. Just go to: http://www.aocommunities.org/newsletters.htm

Since the beginning of the year I have sent out the following newsletters:

The Dangers of Fantasy, Part 1 http://www.aocommunities.org/letter1.htm
The Dangers of Fantasy, Part 2 http://www.aocommunities.org/letter2.htm
Fear vs. Faith http://www.aocommunities.org/letter3.htm
Faith On The Mission Field http://www.aocommunities.org/letter4.htm
It’s Cold and Flu Season http://www.aocommunities.org/letter5.htm
The Three-legged Stool Of Health http://www.aocommunities.org/letter6.htm
God Is The Same… http://www.aocommunities.org/letter7.htm
The Prayer God Loves To Answers http://www.aocommunities.org/letter8.htm
Train Wrecks http://www.aocommunities.org/letter9.htm
Temptation http://www.aocommunities.org/letter10.htm
Women’s Neighborhood Prayer International http://www.aocommunities.org/letter11.htm
Type C Personality http://www.aocommunities.org/letter12.htm

I don't usually post old newsletters on the web site, but since I know I was not the only person to have a problem, I took the time to post them. I don't usually post old newsletters on the web site, but since I know I am not the only person to have a problem, I took the time to post them.
They will not stay in the web forever, so if you want to read these old newsletters I suggest you do it now.

San Antonio Celebrates Spurs Championship 2007

What A Way To Spend Father's Day

San Antonio River Walk:
Our floats actually float

Inside The Alamo Dome

Spurs Win Championship

Congratulations San Antonio Spurs
NBA World Champions:
1999, 2003, 2005, 2007...

Prayer Requests

Back in the spring of 1999 I felt a strong call to attend Seminary. By autumn I was enrolled and attending my first class. For a number of years I took one or two classes a semester. By spring 2004 I had completed half of the required 93 hours to receive my Masters of Divinity. Then two major problems occurred. First, I ran out of scholarship money. Second, I injured my right hand on June 15, 2004. The lack of scholarship money was a serious problem, but the injury forced me to drop out all together. After nine months of therapy my hand was much improved but my financial situation was now much worse then it had been before, I had incurred some medical expenses which I still have not paid off. I simply do not have the needed cash to attend graduate school. I have searched for scholarships but they simply are not available when it comes to religious degrees. My hearts desire is to return to Seminary and finish that degree. The only thing stopping me is a lack of finances. Please join me in praying for this need.

Back in the mid 1990’s the Holy Spirit gave me and some others a vision of a community out in the boondocks where people who have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and/or other diseases can live, learn about Jesus, and find healing. Over time the others given this vision have left to do other things, leaving me all alone to run Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured (AOCCCI). I have prayed for others to help in this work. Board members are needed. Volunteers with a variety of skills are needed. Over the years people have come, but usually not for very long. The need is great. Please pray for this situation. And if the Holy Spirit may be leading you to join the work, please let me know. I am more then happy to discuss how and in what ways you may be able to serve God through the work of AOCCCI.

Hey, Only paying guests can swim in the hotel pool.

Spent Time With My Mother

If you get Healing God’s Way newsletter you know my mom isn’t doing well. She lives in a Living Assisted Facility, Alzheimer’s Special Care Unit. About a year and a half ago she stopped talking. They also put her in a wheelchair so she wouldn’t fall. For a variety of reasons, including breaking a rib, I have been unable to visit her for a little over a year. So when I made my airline reservations last month I wasn’t sure if she would remember me. On Tuesday, May 15, I walked up to my mother and greeted her. Every day I would say hi, then tell her my name and that I am her daughter. Her face didn’t tell me if she remembered but her behavior sure did. She quickly grabbed my fingers and refused to let go. Whenever her grip would loosen and I would try to pull away, she would grab on again. By the end of the day my left arm hurt from all the strange positions it had been in. The staff noticed my mom seeded really happy all day. The rest of the week she didn’t grab me much but smiled at me whenever I told her "I love you", which I did repeatedly. She seemed a lot more engaged, that is when she wasn’t falling asleep, and even chucked a little bit. Clearly she remembers me and benefited from my visit. It saddens me I can’t visit her more often and that there are over 1,700 miles (2,736 km) between us.

While in California I purchased some clothes for my mother. All of her clothes were several sizes to large. Tough buying winter clothes in May, but with the help of others I found a very large thrift store where I was able to get some long sleeve shirts for her. I also got her some slacks.

I won’t mention where I stayed but I have to say it was the worse room I ever been in. The décor was bad enough (San Francisco 49er's football wallpaper and furniture) , but finding a spider in my bed when I got up in the morning and another baby spider in the bathroom sink didn’t make me happy either. There were other problems with the room, which I sure hope they fix. Fortunately after finding the spiders they moved me to a much better room.

I flew on ExpressJet, a new airline that has non-stop flights. No other airline flies from San Antonio to Sacramento without forcing me to change planes. I got a little meal and was able to listen to XM Radio. I have no reservations of flying with them again. The plane held about 50 people, so it is small, but the flight was enjoyable. The only warning I have for others is we had to climb down steps, then walk over to the plane, and walk up more steps to get into the plane. They do have a way to get passengers in wheelchairs onto the plane, but be sure to let them know ahead of time if stairs are a problem for you.

National Day of Prayer

The first Thursday of May, by order of the Congress, is to be set aside for a day of prayer. The United States has a long history of setting aside special days in order to pray for the nation. Prayer events occurred all over the nation today. Every year I make a special effort to join hundreds at the steps of city hall for a time of prayer and praise.

I have no idea if groups of other religions (such as Jewish or Muslim) celebrate this important day, but Christians come out in mass to celebrate. Atheists also like to participate, usually with protest signs. They seem to think that people should only pray at church, but not on publicly owned property, such as the steps of city hall.

When I see the protest signs my heart goes out to them. I grew up in an anti-Christian home. I have relatives who are atheists. I do not understand the hostility toward Christians, but I do understand the darkness they live in. One individual held a sign that I think revealed the real issue: "No Gods, No Master". Atheists want to be in control of their life. To even admit the possibility that God exists means that you can no longer be the ruler of your life.

I have lived on both sides of the fence. I grew up in a home where God did not exist. The concept of sin was totally foreign to me. It didn’t matter what I did as long as it did not harm others or myself. Of course what is harmful is very subjective. My pre-Christian life was a life in darkness. Looking back I realize that I was depressed and pessimistic. I was taught you live and then you die and that is it. Life has no real meaning. In college I learned we will either blow up the planet in a nuclear war or pollute ourselves to death. Then our bodies will just decompose. Pretty dismal existence.

When I invited Jesus into my life everything changed. I had a reason to live. Over the years God has done amazing things in my life. If it weren’t for Jesus’ love I probably would not be alive today. I find it sad that so many in the world do not know God’s love and have no hope. And so today as the atheists stood in the crowd with their protest signs I prayed for them. When they heckled the Mayor while he read the proclamation he had signed declaring today the National Day of Prayer, I prayed for them. They are in spiritual darkness.

If you live in the United States, I hope you participated in this National Day of Prayer. If you did not, it is not to late. You can join by praying for our nation now. If you live in another country I hope you pray for your own nation. If your nation has a specific day like the US does, make an effort to join a prayer event. If it does not, then pray alone or with some friends. Take the time to pray for your leaders, the citizens, and your nation as a whole. Pray also for those who still live in darkness.

Sphere Community Church

Last month a friend told me I should attend a new start-up church. Pastor Bill Hill had preached a couple times this past summer, after our Senior Pastor had resigned. So I was familiar with Bill but had no idea he and others had formed a new church. Sphere Community Church has been meeting in an old community theater that is currently being renovated. The man who purchased it last year had started praying that a church would start meeting in the theater. For the past few months now, at the Woodlawn Theater, plays are performed in the afternoon and then Sphere Community Church meets for worship at 6:00 p.m. Since Sphere has only been meeting a few months, the numbers are very low, but that is to be expected.

Before I learned of Sphere, Bill and others walked the neighborhood praying and handing out fliers informing folks of the new church.

Saturday April 21 Sphere held a neighborhood picnic on a triangle piece of grassy land behind the Woodlawn Theater. We served hotdogs, chips, cookies and sodas to all that came by. We had all sorts of activities for the children. We got many new contacts. It was a very successful day. But I forgot to put sunscreen on and got a minor sunburn.

When I first was told about Sphere I promptly forgot it. Then that Sunday the Lord spoke to me about Sphere. I spent several weeks praying (and visiting the church) and finally came to a decision that the Lord wanted me to join forces with Pastor Bill. Being part of Sphere will have no effect on AOCCCI. A day will come of course when I will have to leave Sphere because the work of AOCCCI will take me away from San Antonio. But until then I will serve God in both ministries and will probably grow spiritually and professionally.

Please add Sphere to your prayers. This church is still very small with very few workers. There are many folks in the surrounding neighborhoods who have no church affiliation and many who have never met Jesus. We want to reach these folks.

Apartment Gardener

I struggle with discontentment. I live in an apartment but I want to live in a small town or out in the country. I really want to live a more environmentally sound life. I would love to have a yard full of vegetables. For now I have no choice about my living situation but I do have a choice how I live and I control my attitude. My apartment complex may not provide a way for me to recycle but I can save cans and paper, which I take to recycle bins at nearby churches. I also have turned my balcony into a vegetable garden. I have found basil, parsley, kale, baby bitter greens and of course aloe vera grow very well. Tomatoes and peppers don’t do very well. I don’t think they are getting enough hours of sun. I have also had a tough time growing mint which is frustrating since mint grew on the side of the house I grew up in and we could never get rid of it even though my mom thought of it as a weed. This year I am trying broccoli raab, arugula, and cilantro. I also have a couple of nasturtium plants, which happen to be edible flowers. So I may not have a home where I can share space with others and I may not have a yard for a vegetable garden. I may not have a lot of what I desire, but that has not stopped me from doing something. And when my attitude goes down hill, when I get really frustrated that AOCCCI has not moved to the place I believe God intends it to be, I spend time in prayer. I repent of my attitude and seek God’s direction for today. Then I go out on my balcony and water my vegetable garden.

Why The Name?

Coming up with a name for this blog was a challenge. Should I pick something more in line with the ministry or more focused on myself. I finally decided that since this blog will focus on both, it probably would be better if the name kind of touched both aspects. There is another reason I finally settled on Happenings At The Hyatt House, it is a pun. Hyatt is my last name. It is also the name of a five start hotel chain. I have no idea how people get my number but occasionally I get calls from people asking if this is the Hyatt Regency. They may not have reached the Hyatt Regency, but they did reach the Hyatt House. It is my home and for the time being the home office of Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured. I hope you like the name. But if you think you have a better idea for a name, please share it with me.

Greetings and Troubles Starting A Ministry

It is probably good the Lord never told me how difficult starting and running a non-profit ministry would be. If I had known I might never have taken on the challenge. The hard part is starting, especially a ministry that most people just do not understand. If I had started say, a Children’s shelter, well that is something people can grasp. But a ministry to help the chronically ill, especially a disease that many people have never heard of is another thing all together different. Often when I say Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), the response is, "Oh chemical addiction". I then have to explain what Multiple Chemical Sensitivities is and that is has nothing to do with drug addiction.

If you are one of those folks who have never heard of MCS, you can visit the Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured web site for a brief explanation.

All non-profits depend on donations but I have discovered sick people rarely donate and healthy people don’t donate to ministries they do not relate to or understand. What the answer is to this problem the Lord has yet to tell me. But I keep praying. Somehow someway I know the Lord will move AOCCCI from my apartment to the countryside. Until that day occurs I will keep ministering to folks online and in person when the opportunity arises.

Over the years I have published Healing God’s Way Newsletter, which is ministering to many folks. But not everyone has a need for such a newsletter. I have tried other ways to connect with folks who might be interested in this work but often they have failed. My hope is this blog will be that instrument. I plan on sharing what I am up to, what God is doing in my life, the progress of AOCCCI and whatever is on my mind. I hope you enjoy it and keep coming back. I am open to questions and comments but not arguments. God Bless You All