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