Conversations With Families

Conversations with Families 

Heaventrain is...

"...the best because my grandkids want to come and visit me every Saturday." 

After Davion's first Heaventrain visit,  he called his grandma every night asking if Heaventrain was coming tomorrow. Now when the bus comes around the corner he gets so excited. I watch him every week running up to his grandma, pointing laughing and jumping up and down.

Heaventrain is...

"...the best thing going on in the neighborhood."

Heaventrain Saturday is...

"...the only day I let my kids out of the house."

A young mother yesterday at Garden Valley was frantically looking for her kids. Another mom walks up to her and says, "Your kids are safe they are on the bus. It just takes a while for them to finish but they are good. Don't worry they watch out for the kids on Saturdays!"

This is me standing outside the bus at Woodhill.

Doesn't that hot dog look good?  Who can resist a fresh hot dog!

I've held puppies, babies, watched baby strollers, bikes, skateboards, even a 5 lb frozen Christmas ham for kids on Heaventrain.

Yesterday a young man came running from a carnival with his hot dog still warm. It was hot off the grill. 

I laughed when he walked up to me and asked if I would hold it for him while he was on the blue bus. 

So here I am standing in line with the two ladies watching the two baby strollers and I'm standing holding a hotdog and his drink.

Fainting Goat or Leaping Lamb

My heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. — Psalm 16:9 (NKJV)

This is for the Women of Faith Blog Hop, subscribe to the newsletter, and join the conversation.

Are you a Leaping Lamb or a Fainting Goat? 


Excerpt...Humanly speaking, they (fainting goats) are like women who refuse to face the truth. They don’t recognize that God is in control and in the situation that startled them. They just faint and go to La-la Land until the distress passes by. Of course, when they come to, the circumstances are still there.  The leaping lamb is joyful and the goat doesn't want to deal with the struggles they are facing. Instead they just exit-the circumstances and ignore the problem.


I struggled a little with this comparison of a lamb or goat.  Like the goat, there have been many times when I want to duck out. Right now I am at a place, not matured by any means, but a place of joy in the midst of life. In urban ministry there is always going to be someone who is far worse than my current circumstances. I know where my next meal is going to come from...I have a safe place to sleep....and it can go on and on. Then after reading the comment from 


 In this passage of Scripture I like the verse right before it. I am always thinking of the Lord and because He is near, I never need to stumble or to fall. -Psalm 16:8 (LAB). 
 The result of being and listening to Him is PEACE today, tomorrow, and into the future. The promise of a relationship with Him is HOPE. No matter what the circumstances our petitions are heard, in fact, He was there before, it was spoken in our prayer. It is not taking Him by surprise. He is making a way for us to see HIm working in the circumstances. Our gift is to HOPE, BELIEVE and to dwell in PEACE.

Na-Na and Man Man

I see a lot of nicknames on Heaventrain

Na-Na

Man Man

Ma-Ma

even Dollar and Money

 then some really cute names

Divine Blessin, grandaughter to one of my good friends Vonita

and two sisters

Cherish and Charity, the two girls my blog is named after...

I'll never forget one little guy.

One day I was signing kids in and a cute little guy about two years old-big eyes and curly black hair came walking up with his big brother.

I turned and looked at the little brother...

"What is your name?"

He replied, "Man Man"

I wrote Man-Man on the sheet

and, "What is your last name?

He said, "Stink Stink!!!"

His brother and I laughed so hard we started crying. 

I see this little guy every week and never forget the first time I met Man Man Stink Stink, aka Amad.

Love is...a Tattoo, Sticker, and Hug

I had a great day with my kids on Heaventrain yesterday. We had the youth group from Xalt Youth Ministries visiting from Salisbury, North Carolina. At the first stop, I think they fell in love with the Heaventrain kids. I heard one of the them say, "I don't want to leave." 

The teens painted tattoos, created chalk art, jumped rope, laughed, played, hugged the kids all day, 

and even sang Happy Birthday to a little girl at Outhwaite.

The  Xalt youth group verse is from 1 Corinthians 10:31, paraphrased...In whatever you do exalt Christ." 




 I noticed a little guy was hanging around instead of leaving when Heaventrain was finished. I asked him if he was ok and he said that some kids were waiting to jump him.


"Can you walk me home?"


On Heaventrain there is one rule Do not leave the bus and get out of view. I decided I couldn't take him home." Then the would be attacker came up and taunted him. Another girl came and said, 'He isn't going to fight you, then laughed, and walked away."

 Pray for preschool, elementary, middle, and high school kids in the Central community. The kids are fighting, growing up too fast, and sometimes killing each other. 


The CMSD school year starts in a couple of weeks. Please pray for the security, students, staff, and faculty in the Central Community. Some of the schools include:Marion Sterling, George Washington Carver, Central Academy, and East Tech High School. 

Chalk Art

Fun for all ages....

One face done and one to go....

Chalk art brings out...

even the CMHA Police.

At Outhwaite two police cruisers pulled up during Heaventrain. The officer said, "I'm gonna write you a ticket with chalk." He proceeded to entertain the kids with chalk art cartoon characters....

the other officer drew Squidworth...

They entertained the kids with jokes and talked to them.

At Outhwaite as we were leaving one of the teens wrote this message...

God is Love

God Loves You

... just yesterday a young man was shot and killed in this same parking lot. The message of hope displayed for all to see in beautiful hues...God loves You!

Baked

The ultimate sweat machine. The temperature on Heaventrain was 97 degrees with a heat index of 104. YIKES!

Then, I climbed into a black car that was sitting in 97 degree heat for 2 hours with the windows rolled up. 
Death Valley California had nothing on this heat. I could have baked cookies in the heat, fried an egg, and probably cooked a rare prime rib. It sucked the air right out of your lungs. To make matters worse, The air didn't work and the windows wouldn't roll down.

At every red light, I opened the doors, to let the cool 97 degree air blow through the car.

A Fear of Poor People

Kuddos to Meg Miller and her honesty, Learning to Love Like Jesus. I have to confess I've never felt like that but I love her honesty and will be following her blog and this journey.