Busy weekend

Many things transpired this past weekend. I started Saturday with an 8am Staff meeting with Religion in the News (RIN) at Channel 8. We planned the “Give Back” day for the staff during FHL Week. We decided to start a garden for one of the families who will be receiving other household services.

This month’s edition of RIN features FHL Week. I invited 3 Guests to be on the show: Lourenzo Giple – a Project Manager; Jonathan Granados – a Youth Leader for FHL Youth Conference; and Angie White – a recipient of household services and other projects.

Later that afternoon, my wife, Annie and I, and our 2 children, Kayla and Andrew, went to a Concert at Conner Prairie. We had lots of fun. It was a great time with my family.

My typical Sunday morning involves either preaching or visiting churches. However, instead of getting ready to go to church, I spent my morning appreciating God’s creation in my garden. While tilling my garden, Annie read the Bible for my mother on our back porch. As she was reading Ezekiel 37, the Lord spoke to me to preach on it that afternoon at Nuevo Amanecer, a Hispanic church. After tilling my garden, I went to my study room to read Ezekiel 37. It was the introduction that I was seeking for the sermon I had prepared earlier.

I arrived at the FHL office to meet my 12:30 appointment, Tarie White, a single mother of 3 children. She was to receive a donated vehicle from FHL. She was very thankful to receive the 1997 Saturn.

After transferring the title, Tarie drove the car home smiling and praising God. My wife and I hurried to our van to proceed to Nuevo Amanacer (New Horizon Church). I had preached at this church a few months earlier and was invited back to help the leaders encourage the congregation to action. At the end of my message, I sensed the Holy Spirit’s Presence and that the people’s hearts were ready. Everyone in the congregation came to the front for impartation, prayers and blessings.

We were invited by the Pastor and his family to eat dinner at a Latino Grocery/Restaurant. We got to know more about each other while sharing pleasantries. We had great time and thoroughly enjoyed the delicious authentic Mexican food.

We left the restaurant to go to another Hispanic church, Iglesia Wesleyana Monte de Sion. We watched the FHL worship band’s rehearsal for the upcoming Prayer Celebration at the Circle. They sounded great, but more important was that together, they ushered in the Presence of God.

Once we got home, I recorded the Day 22 Prayer and drafted this Blog. As I look back at this weekend, I realized how blessed I am to be a participant in the expansion of the Kingdom of God in Central Indiana. God had used me and my wife to share God’s love to my family and to others, such as the single mother, who I had just met for the very first time. What a blessing for me to see God use my hands as an extension of His Hands, my resources to bless others and use my talent for His Glory!

Merlin GonzalesBusy weekend

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