Another New Home Owner

We had another Habitat family become a home owner today. We closed this afternoon on TriState Habitat for Humanity's 200th home. It was really exciting for me to witness this one. It's been a long process for this family who have been living in some pretty awful conditions. It was so cool to get to see the new home owner sign her closing documents and get the keys to her new safe, decent, affordable home.
While I get a paycheck for my work with TriState Habitat for Humanity, days like today are my real pay days. It fills me with such joy to know all of the time, energy, volunteer hours, and donations have been building up to this one moment. It was truly a time to celebrate and thank God for what God has accomplished in this family's life through the ministry of Habitat.
I continue to be honored and humbled by this work and ministry to which God has called me.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

TGIF

Thank you God for Friday. Thank you for the end of a work week. Thank you for the privilege of having a job when so many people in America are unemployed. Thank you for having a job that brings me joy and that brings honor to your name. Thank you for work that makes a difference in people's lives.
I know that there are some days, even some days this past week, when I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. I wondered if I was really making a difference. It feels like there is so much more need out there than I or Habitat are able to address. There are so many people in TriState Habitat for Humanity's service area who will sleep tonight in some deplorable conditions. It honestly overwhelms me at times God.
Remind me that I am not Superman and my job is not to rescue everyone. You already sent a Savior to the world. My job is to trust in Him and in your unending grace. My job is to use the gifts that you have given me to serve families living in poverty in the best way that I can.
Thank you also God for a week that marked a milestone in my parents' marriage. It's hard to believe that they have been married for 47 years. When half of all marriages end in divorce, their love and relationship has endured. I'm grateful for the example of the love that my parents have displayed and lived out in their lives.
God, help me to find rest and renewal this weekend. I feel like I need to recharge my batteries. I want enjoy Sabbath time and also some play time. I hope to enjoy this wonderful region to which you have led me in some way. I don't know exactly what that means yet, but I trust that you will guide me.
God, most of all, thank you for your love that remains steadfast. You have led me to this place at this time and it has blessed me beyond anything I could have imagined. I am enjoying my work. I'm a part of one of the most gifted teams with which I've ever worked. I attend a church that inspires me and serves the city in some truly amazing ways. I have a family and friends who love me. I am filled with humble gratitude for your faithfulness in the midst of my life.
Thank you God for Friday and every day that are all gifts from you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Happy Anniversay Mom and Dad!

I want to wish my Mom and Dad a very happy anniversary. They have been married for 47 years. We had a nice dinner together tonight. I'm grateful for their love for one another that has been an example of steadfast love in my life.
Happy anniversary Mom and Dad! I love you!

Two New Families

Today I had the great honor of telling two families that they have been approved as Habitat Partner Families. I love making these calls. The emotions are always so varied. Some people get really excited and whoop and yell. Other people start crying. Others are just quietly grateful.
I have the honor to be the person who first gets to tell them the good news. I congratulate them and then tell them that now the hard work of partnership begins. They will have to complete 500 sweat equity hours. They will have to attend required classes. They will fill out tons of forms. They will have to recruit others to help them build their homes.
This is really the fun part of my job. It's so wonderful to hear the varied reactions and to be able to offer hope to people who have been rejected and denied so many times before. It's the beginning of a whole new part of their lives. Habitat will walk with them and support them, but they still have to do all of the hard work themselves.
I ask for your prayers for these two new Habitat Partner Families. They have a challenging road ahead of them. It will test their patience. Hopefully, the process will also cause them to change old patterns of behavior and thinking. Most of all, I hope that God will work in their hearts as they work along side volunteers and staff who want to see them succeed. This is a day of new beginnings. It's a day that will launch their path towards becoming home owners of safe, decent, affordable homes.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Wall Raising Tomorrow

I am really excited that we have another wall raising service tomorrow for a new Habitat house that we are starting. This house is being built for a family in my current hometown of Hamilton, Ohio. The Mayor of Hamilton will be present for the wall raising service along with some other community leaders. I think it will be a great day of celebration. It's been a while since we finished the last house in Hamilton so I'm glad we are getting started with this house.
This family has waited for a long time to finally see this day come. I know it will be a blessing as the first walls are raised by volunteers to help another family in need move from substandard housing to a safe, decent, affordable home. It will be a true celebration.
I ask for your prayers for this new build and for this Partner Family. I've been with Habitat long enough to realize that nothing ever goes smoothly in construction. There will be delays and set backs and disappointments as we move forward. The family will want it to go faster than it is going. There will be challenges along the way that will test every one's patience. Please pray that the family will experience God's peace during this time of waiting. Please also pray for the safety of our volunteers and staff. Please also pray that God will help this build to be a positive witness to the mission and ministry of Habitat for Humanity in Hamilton and beyond.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

House Dedication

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
- Psalm 121, NKJV

I participated in a house dedication today in Rising Sun, Indiana. The Habitat Partner Family's parents donated a parcel of land from their farm on which to build the family's house. It is located on the top of a hill with views of the Ohio River and the hills of Kentucky across the river.
I had the privilege of giving the devotional for the service and I decided to use Psalm 121 as the basis for my devotional. It was extremely fitting given the setting for this house. I talked about how the house placed on top of that hill is truly a blessing from God. I reminded the family that most Habitat families don't get the privilege of a view like they have from the top of that hill. Whenever the family lifts up their eyes to the hills, they will be thinking of home and the many ways in which God has blessed them.
The Psalmist also reminds us that our true help comes from the Lord. I reminded the family and everyone gathered there that this is true for us today as well. This family could not have done this without God's help. God was with them and watching over them as they waited and hoped for this day to arrive. It is only by God's help that they will have a safe, decent, affordable home.
I also pointed out the verse: "God shall preserve your going out and your coming in." I invited the family to remember that every time they go in and out of the doors of their new home that God will be with them. That while there are most certainly new challenges ahead of them, God will never ever leave them alone. They are loved by God and nothing will ever change that reality.
The other wonderful part of the service was the dedication of a tree planted in the yard of this home. It was donated by volunteers in memory of one of our volunteer construction site leaders who died of cancer several weeks ago. He had volunteered on several homes before this one and started out helping to lead this build as well. There is a stone engraved with the volunteer's name, the years of his birth and death, and the Habitat logo.
It was a great day of celebration and another reminder of why I love this work and ministry. I am truly blessed.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

House Dedication

This evening I traveled to Batavia, Ohio in Clermont County for the house dedication for one of our Habitat Partner Families. It was a huge blessing for me to be there as it always is. This is a family of eight people that includes a mom, a dad, and six boys. I am always impressed whenever I am with this family. The boys are extremely well-mannered and a joy to be around.
What impresses me most about this family is the love and support shown by their church family. There were several of their church members in attendance at the dedication along with their pastor who led the devotion. One of their fellow church members gave a testimony about the kindness that our Habitat Partner Family had shown him when he was in need. Throughout the entire Partnership process, even when it didn't seem like it was ever going to happen, this family faced adversity with joy and great faith. They knew that God had wonderful plans for them and their new house is a living testimony to their faith and perseverance.
Everyone who participated in the house dedication did a great job and God used them to share God's love and give witness to the work of God that had been accomplished in the building of this house. It was a time to thank God for the all of the time and energy of the volunteers and gifts of the donors. It was also a time to offer prayers and praise to the God who calls us to kingdom work. I found myself tearing up several times during the service. As always, I felt honored to be a part of the miracle that is Habitat for Humanity.
I ask for your prayers for this family. We are so close to being done with their house but there are several hoops that we still need to jump through before we will be able to close. There are some construction things that still need to be done. There are also some grant applications that need to be completed. We will have to make sure all the bills are paid and the final sale cost is established. We also need to work with the attorneys so that they can prepare the closing documents.
In the meantime, this family is still living in substandard conditions in a house that too small for them. Also, the boys will be starting school in the coming weeks and in the midst of all of that transition, the family will have to think about packing and moving. So, this is certainly going to be a stressful time and one that will test their patience. Soon, though, they will be able to realize their dream.
Another family is about to move from horrible living conditions to a safe, decent, affordable home. They will sign their closing documents, receive the keys to their new home, and God will be honored. Then we will move on to give the next Partner Family a hand up out of poverty housing and the mission and ministry will continue.
Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Wall Blessing

This morning I attended a wall blessing service in Lebanon, Ohio for a new Habitat home that we are just starting. We normally do a wall raising service but due to weather and other circumstances with the construction process, we were not able to raise the walls today and so we decided to do a wall blessing.
Volunteers began constructing the wall this morning at 8:30 AM. At 10:00 AM, the volunteers paused their work and others gathered for the wall blessing service. There were prayers of blessing and introduction of the Partner Family. After this, everyone was invited to write something with a marker on the walls. Some people wrote prayers. Some people wrote Scripture verses. Others wrote messages to the family.
It was a neat experience that I found meaningful. To know that my words of blessing will be written on the walls of this new house for as long as it stands was a humbling thing to realize. Even though the writing will be covered up with drywall, I hope and pray that God will allow these words to be a sign and symbol of a hedge of protection and blessing for this Partner Family.
I wrote: May all who live within these walls experience the love and peace of God. May it be so.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

July 4th Memories

Today is a special day. Most people celebrate Independence Day in the United States on this day. It's a day for cookouts, patriotic music, and fireworks. While all of these things were a part of my July 4th celebrations when I was growing up, we also gathered to celebrate my Grandmother's birthday.
I have some very good memories of this day. For many years, we would get together at my Uncle Dave and Aunt Barb's home in Mishawaka, Indiana for a family gathering. These family gatherings were loud, chaotic, and usually only mildly dysfunctional. My Uncle Dave would cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. There was also almost always potato salad and a lot of other good food. We also got to have cake and ice cream since it was my Grandma's birthday. Grandma always got to have sparklers on her cake instead of candles.
After lunch we would sometimes play Euchre. Before they were determined to be a hazard and eventually banned, we also often played lawn Jarts. Some of my best post-dinner game memories are of playing croquet in the backyard with Grandma Buckley and some of my cousins. Even though she was well into her seventies and eighties, Grandma was quite a croquet powerhouse.
Our Independence Day/birthday celebrations ended with fireworks at Wilson Park in Mishawaka. My Uncle Dave would go over to the park early and park his pick-up truck to reserve a spot for our family. We would then carpool over to the park before the fireworks. We took blankets and lawn chairs. We sat on the ground and in lawn chairs. The fireworks were always an awesome display. There was a fireworks company in Mishawaka and they in partnership with the city provided a wonderful show. We would "ooh" and "aah" and wait with anticipation for the finale when they shot off a bunch of fireworks all at once.
After the fireworks came my favorite part of the entire day. Really, it was one of my favorite parts of the entire year and what would become one of my most cherished memories of the Independence Days of my childhood. We would all pile in the back of my Uncle Dave's pick-up truck for the ride back to his house. It was only a few miles but it was always so fun. There was just something so cool and fun about riding in the open pick-up bed with my family after watching fireworks. We never went very fast because it was usually stop-and-go traffic getting out of the park. However, there was usually at least a short distance where we got to go above 30 miles an hour. The night air would blow against my face and through my hair. We would ride in the back of that pick-up under the star-filled Midwestern sky and laugh together as we hung on for dear life. For that brief distance and for just a few short minutes, all seemed right with the world for that young boy that was me those many years ago.
I know, it's not safe to ride in the back of a pick-up truck. I know that it's illegal in most states now. But for some reason, I loved that annual ride home from the fireworks display.
My Mom posted on her Facebook page that if my Grandma Buckley were still alive, she would be 105 years old today. As I pause to reflect on this July 4th, I realize I really miss eating her birthday cakes with sparklers on them. I miss playing croquet with her. I miss hamburgers on the grill and fireworks at Wilson Park. But most of all, I really miss my Grandma.
As I write this blog post, I can see fireworks going off in the distance above the treetops. The memories are flooding into my heart and mind on this Independence Day night. I'm tempted to find someone with a pick-up truck and see if he or she will drive me around for a while.
Happy birthday Grandma Buckley! Thank you for all of the Independence Day memories. I love you and miss you!
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Birthday Wishes

I want to extend birthday wishes to my friend Sheri.

Sheri declined when I offered to sing my rendition of the old Chi Chi's restaurant birthday song with her this morning when I talked to her on the phone, so I thought I would share it with everyone now:

Happy, happy, happy birthday!
Happy, happy, happy birthday!
Happy, happy, happy birthday!
To you, to you, to you!
Olé!

NOTE: This is much better live when I sing it dressed in a traditional Mexican costume. :)

Happy birthday Sheri! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Pay Day

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

- Isaiah 61:1, NIV

 
I had the privilege of participating in a house dedication in Oxford, Ohio this morning. I am always honored and humbled to be a part of these services. They are true celebrations and remind me of why I do what I do.
During the service I shared with those gathered for the dedication that while the TriState Habitat for Humanity have regular pay days every two weeks in which we get salaries for our work, witnessing a family realizing their dream of home ownership was really our pay day. Every time we get to present the keys to a soon-to-be home owner, it's worth more than any money that we might earn. Every time we get to help a family move from sub-standard housing into a safe, decent, affordable home, we are richly blessed. Every time we have the chance to see the results of the time and efforts of volunteers, donors, and staff, we are witnessing the kingdom of God becoming a reality.
So, today for me was a pay day. I got to be a witness to God at work in Oxford, Ohio. I got to see first hand the Holy Spirit moving in the life a family living in sub-standard conditions. I got to experience the joy of bringing Good News to the poor. I got to see a dream come true for a family.
For all of this and more, I am grateful to God for this work and ministry. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I am truly blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I am grateful for the honor of being in this place for such a time as this.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Birthday Wishes

I want to wish my Dad a very happy birthday. We had a nice dinner together with my family in celebration of Dad's birthday. Happy birthday Dad! I love you!

New Life

Congratulations to my friends Mike and Diane Wandling! They are the proud parents of Thomas Michael Wandling who was born on May 26, 2011. Congratulations to his sister Audrey, Aunt Sheri, Uncle Ian, Grandma Rendall, and Grandpa Rendall.
Seeing the photo of this beautiful baby reminded me of all that is good and wonderful in creation. Thanks be to God for the gift of new life!
I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I am looking forward to a relaxing long weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Dirty Shoes

As I shared with you in a previous post, I had the honor on Saturday of participating in a wall raising service in Oxford, Ohio. This is the first house that TriState Habitat for Humanity is building in what will be a twenty home subdivision. The subdivision is called Reckford Woods named in honor of the current CEO of Habitat for Humanity Jonathan Reckford. There will be two cul-de-sacs in the subdivision: Carter Court (named after President Jimmy Carter) and Fuller Way (named after Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity).
As a part of the wall raising service, I gave a devotional. In my devotional, I talked about the shoes I was wearing. I shared with those gathered that for the wall raising that these shoes were my wall raising service shoes. They are my old tennis shoes. I don't care if they get dirty or muddy. In fact, when I put them on last Saturday morning, there was still mud on these shoes from the last wall raising service in Northern Kentucky. I also probably had mud from an earlier wall raising service in Clermont County, Ohio.
I told the volunteers and Habitat Partner Family that they would most likely leave with mud or dirt on their shoes and that was okay. They would be taking a little bit of that site with them to where they live and work and learn and play. This is a good thing because at that moment they were standing on holy ground. Before time began, God knew that a miracle would take place on that land. God knew that people from different backgrounds and faith communities would come together for a common purpose. God knew that a family would one day have a safe, decent, affordable home in which to live on that land. By taking that dirt with them on their shoes, the volunteers, staff, and Partner Family were spreading God's holiness and grace out into the world. They were going to also carry their excitement and acts of service with them as well. That mud and dirt is a sign and symbol of God's amazing grace.
When I came home, I noticed that I had some new mud on my shoes. When I saw that mud, I gave God thanks for the miracle that I am a part of that is Habitat for Humanity. I thanked God for the chance I have every day to serve the least of these in our world. I thanked God for the lessons that our Partner Families teach me. I thanked God for the volunteers and staff who work so hard to make the dream of home ownership possible for families living in poverty. I thanked God for the nineteen other families who I have not even met yet who will one day take a step of faith to apply for our home ownership program.
I am truly blessed beyond my wildest dreams. For me, ministry does not get much better than this. I love this work - mud and all!
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Day of Celebrations

Today was a day of celebrations for me. I started out the day by participating in the Wall Raising Service for the first house in our new 20 home sub-division in Oxford, Ohio. It was a wonderful celebration. This has been many years in the making. A lot of people prayed, worked with the City of Oxford, donated resources of time and money, and kept the dream alive. Today was a huge step in the journey for both TriState Habitat for Humanity's work in Oxford and for the Partner Family who helped to raise the first walls of their home.
I am so excited to see more homes built in this subdivision. However, before this happens, we will need to get more families approved as Partner Families. I continue to ask for your prayers regarding this. It is a slow process. I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by it all.
This afternoon I attended the wedding and reception of my boss' son. It was a nice wedding. I got to sit with some of my fellow employees and a Habitat volunteer so that made it fun.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Fascinating History

I have been watching through my Netflix subscription a BBC series on the English monarchy entitled Monarchy. It starts with the very beginnings of the concept of the English monarchy and covers each successive monarch. While I consider myself a bit of an Anglo-phial, I am learning a lot of new things by watching this series. It's really more of a lecture series than a television series. The same scholar hosts the entire series and he is the only voice that it heard. I didn't think he would keep my attention but he does a pretty good job. He reads from original texts and gives a lot of behind the scenes tidbits.
One thing I will say about the English monarchs, they were definitely not saints. They were corrupt and power hungry. Even the kings who were considered good leaders were also ruthless and ruled with an iron fist. They were also involved in more scandals than Jerry Springer could ever come up with. They were conniving and deceitful and down right mean.
One of the points that the series tries to make is that English monarchs were different from the beginning. They did not embrace the ideal of unquestionable supreme ruler in the same way that other monarchs did in Europe. They instead had to deal with the English people who often rebelled and kept their rulers' power in check. The successful kings and queens figured out a way to win popular support and use it to maintain their power.
I'm sure there are lessons for leadership in all of this. I certainly agree with Shakespeare when he wrote "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
I hope you have a great weekend. Busy Saturday ahead for me. I'm attending a wall raising service in Oxford, Ohio in the morning and then a wedding and reception in the afternoon. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Birthday Wishes

I want to wish my nephew Michael a very happy birthday! I love you man. I hope you have a great day!

Mother's Day and Birthday Celebration

I was so glad to be back in worship at my church this morning. I was grateful to hear my pastor preach and grateful for the music. The children's choir sang along with the adult choir and they were both wonderful. We sang Love Divine, All Loves Excelling which is one of my favorite hymns. It was just a good morning to worship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
In his sermon this morning, the pastor shared the following list of things that you would never hear your mom say:


1. "How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?"


2. "Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too"


3. "Just leave all the lights on ... it makes the house look more cheery"


4. "Let me smell that shirt---- Yeah, it's good for another week"


5. "Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I'll be glad to feed and walk him every day"


6. "Well, if Timmy's mom says it's OK, that's good enough for me."


7. "The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It's not like I'm running a prison around here."


8. "I don't have a tissue with me ... just use your sleeve"


9. "Don't bother wearing a jacket - the wind-chill is bound to improve"

I definitely never heard my Mom say any of these things and probably never will. Oh well, happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you!

I also want to wish my nephew Cameron a happy eighth birthday.While his birthday party this year was slightly calmer than the year we went to Chuck-E-Cheese's or Pump It Up, it was still pretty loud and very sticky. I hope that he had a great day. Happy birthday Cameron! I love you!
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Wonderful Day

Today was a wonderful day! I wasn't sure how it was going to go when I woke up this morning. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I had a hard time prying myself from beneath the covers when my alarm clock went off. However, I got moving and thanked God for the sunny cool morning as I headed to Northern Kentucky for the wall raising service for one of our Habitat Partner Families.
The wall raising service was great. We had a lot of people including groups from a local Firestone plant and a Catholic high school. This week is also National WomenBuild Week for Habitat for Humanity International. It's the week when women are encouraged to volunteer with Habitat and participate in our mission of ending poverty housing in the world.
The Partner Family was so excited as we raised the walls. The mother especially got a bit choked up when she was thanking everyone. She offered gratitude to God, to her church, to her family, and to everyone gathered there for helping to make her dream of home ownership a reality. I must admit that I got a bit teary-eyed when she began to speak. I have the humbling honor of knowing a lot more of the details of families' stories and this family, like many of our families, has had a rough road. So, today was a huge milestone and a great day of celebration.
This afternoon I attended a workshop in Springboro, Ohio that focused on how to get published. It was a good class. I think I come away from the workshop feeling a bit overwhelmed by the whole idea of publishing my writing. I don't know if I have what it takes to really do it. I enjoy writing but one of the points that the presenter really drove home was that publishing is a business and to get published you have to think like a business person. That is hard for me to do when it comes to my writing. It is very personal and hard to think about like a commodity to be bought and sold. I know that's what the reality is. I just don't know if I have the energy and entrepreneurial spirit to take the next step. I guess this is something I need to really pray about.
I'm really looking forward to attending my church tomorrow. I also am looking forward to spending some time with my family for Mother's Day and my nephew Cameron's birthday.
I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Busy Weekend Ahead

I am hoping that sometime soon I am going to have a nice quiet weekend with absolutely nothing to do. This will not be one of those weekends. Instead, my weekend is full of activity.
Tomorrow I'm attending a wall raising service for one of our Habitat Partner Families in Northern Kentucky. It looks like the weather is going to cooperate and the rain will hold off in the morning. I am looking forward to this day. This is the first family that I worked with through the entire process since I've been with TriState Habitat for Humanity. We had other families approved or who were already in process when I started with THFH but this family is the first family that I did the initial application review, worked with them to get their application complete, and then finally saw their application approved by the Board of Directors. So, this will be a very special day for me.
In the afternoon I am planning to attend a writing workshop in Springboro, Ohio. The workshop is led by an author who is supposed to take class participants through the steps of getting a book published. I am looking forward to being a part of this. I think some of my writing class participants are going to attend the workshop.
On Sunday, my family has a two big celebrations. Of course, it's Mother's Day and I will get to spend some time with my Mom. Also, Sunday is my nephew Cameron's eighth birthday. It's hard to believe he's eight-years-old. It will be fun to celebrate with him and my family.
I am also really excited to be able to get back to my church. I have not been able to attend for the past three weeks and I really miss it. I am looking forward to the worship service.
I know there are probably a lot of people who have busier schedules than I do, but for me this will be a lot. This is especially true since I would like to just nap and watch Netflix. Oh well. Let the weekend begin! Thanks for being a part of my journey!