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