Not My Idea On How To Begin The New Year

Well, The soup is simmering on the stove and I have a few minutes to share what is going on in my life. First I want to say that I am shocked at how much time has passed by since I lasted posted. I knew life had kept me from posting this month but I had no idea I have been so neglectful. I did not realize so much time had passed since my last post.

I had intended to make a New Year’s post but obviously I was unable to do so.

A few years ago I met a woman on the bus while visiting my mother in northern California. This woman is deaf and so all of our conversations basically consisted of passing notes, even though I had two years of American Sign Language in college. (It is true-if you don’t use it you lose it.) Well, I would see her every day on the bus as I went to see my mother and she went to work. I was only in California for a week but sometime during that week we exchanged emails and that friendship continued on after I arrived home.

After much prodding from this long distant friend I finally decided to sign up for Yahoo Messenger. It did make our occasional conversations much easier. Last year I decided Yahoo Messenger may come in handy in ministering to others. Besides being able to chat with by typing, Yahoo Messenger allows long distance voice conversations over the Internet for free. My only problem is I did not have a microphone. So in December I started looking around to see what was available. I also went to ebay, where I discovered I could get a web cam much cheaper then in the stores and it would come with a free mic. So after speaking to a tech friend, I made a bid and won.

For a web cam to work DirectX software is required. Downloading such software should be easy but something went terrible wrong for me. Having several techs tell me they had never heard of the problems that I was having ever taking place before did not comfort me. One tech even said it was impossible. Basically, my computer could no longer find any hardware. The computer still worked, as I was still able to get online, back up my data, and do many tasks. I just could not print, load pictures from my camera or do many other tasks. When I went into Device Manager I discovered it was empty. My computer simply could not find the hardware.

I had tech friends all over the country trying to help me but everyone was stumped. Finally I was left with no choice but to reload Windows. That solved my hardware problem but suddenly I received errors when trying to get on the Internet. After wasting a day trying to solve that problem I finally downloaded Internet Explorer again. In the end, I spend over a week trying to fix this computer. For the most part I am up and running again, though FrontPage 98, which I use to design the web site and another program are still not working. If you are familiar with FrontPage and tech savvy, please contact me.

I have never desired to be a computer tech but over the years the Lord has given me opportunities to learn. The experience does come in handy when I have a problem, saving me from having to pay someone to help me. But lately I have been getting a lot of experience.
In December my neighbor asked me to look at his computer. With the help of a tech friend who lives in Illinois, it was determined the hard drive was fried. I borrowed several books from the library and am now prepared to replace his hard drive, just as soon as he has the money to buy a new one.

In early January a friend from Church complained about how slow his computer had become. I have been over to his house to clean old files and Spam off the computer and look for any other possible causes. He may need a new battery.

A few weeks ago an elderly church friend contacted me asking for help in setting up her new notebook and a lesson in how to do email. I still have not been able to get together with her, but it is on my to do list.

So here is a little update as to what I have been doing. I hope your New Year has gotten off to a better start then mine. And I promise to try and do a better job of keeping everyone informed of my activities.

Back to the reason all my computer problems began. If you have Yahoo Messenger and desire to speak to me about any spiritual issues, I am available by appointment. To do so please email me at ao_communities@yahoo.com and share your desire. We can communicate via email, chat or talk using Yahoo Messenger. But first you must email me and make your desire known. I do not chat with total strangers who contact me out of the blue.

This photo is the view I woke up to looking outside my apartment window on an early January morning.

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.