blog | Page 11 | Merlin Gonzales.com

Arctic Food Allocation

February 7, 2014 Merlin Gonzales Backyard Missions, FHL Food Pantry, Self-Sustained Food Pantriy

The extreme cold did not stop the leaders and volunteers to address hunger.

The extreme cold did not stop the pastors and volunteers to address hunger.

FHL is opening food pantries in the Arctic?

Yes, it seemed like we were in the Arctic yesterday. It was around 8 degrees when we unloaded the Litho Press 24-footer truck. Five food pantries received their allocation. They in turn will distribute the food at their own neighborhoods namely, West & East 38th St., East Indy, Hamilton County and Fort Wayne. Hundreds of individuals will receive grocery items in this cold weather.

I believe God had scheduled the food allocation during a single-digit day because one of the Pastors who has a warehouse offered FHL to use part of his warehouse for pantry purposes.

FHL food pantries are designed to be missional communities where everyone gets to play. It’s a place where people pitch in and help out for the common good of the neighborhoods. It does not matter if it’s cold or hot; the needs in our communities are not dictated by the weather but can be addressed by the collective effort of everyone.

Mission field in our own backyard…they exist in central Indiana. We believe that we can drastically lessen the number of hungry people if we come together with something to offer – time, talent, treasure and prayers.

FHL is looking to partner with farmers, livestock owners, landowners, realtors, businesses, church/ministries, government and school systems to identify underutilized resources. We can shift the hunger statistics together right here in our own backyard, not in the Arctic.

Please contact [email protected] for more information how to start a food pantry in your neighborhood.

Mercy Missionaries

January 28, 2014 Merlin Gonzales FHL Food Pantry, FHL Indiana

Jesus Christ of Nazareth reaching out to Peter

I love the sculpture on my desk. Jesus looks very calm and loving during a critical and emergency time in Peter’s life (Peter sinking fast in a turbulent lake). I’d like to send you this short message that I believe is critical. No, it’s not about the sub zero temperatures and snow. Although these are critical as well, there are looming disasters and crises that are so subtle that make us feel they are not emergencies. These are already taking a toll in our communities.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a 2.5 days Disaster and Crisis Relief training in Evansville, IN. Immediately after the training, I found out why I was supposed to be there. I felt God told me that we don’t need to wait for disasters and emergency to come (as we know it). In a sense, some of our neighborhoods are already in crisis and in emergency state. For example, hunger is on the rise. While you are reading this article, thousands of people in metro Indy will not have 3 square meals and many more are starving from spiritual food. Our communities are experiencing some of the greatest challenges in recent years.

At the training, I also heard the term “Mercy Missionaries.” They are ordinary people who have big hearts and faith that can move mountains. At FHL Food Pantries, our focus is the people, not the food. Ironically, more people are being fed, more volunteers are reaching out and relationships are established. Our mercy missionaries are encouraged to model the life of Jesus to reach out with our hearts and to bring the compassion of God. The Holy Spirit is raising up passionate missionaries for this critical hour.

Starting on February 25th, FHL will hold a Food Pantry Class. This one of a kind class consists of 3-session classroom teachings, 2 field trips and (if qualified) 6 months on-the-job training. Topics include developing missional communities, ministering to the poor (physically & spiritually) and how to become mercy missionaries.

For more information regarding the FHL Food Pantry Class and how to become Mercy Missionaries, visit www.fhlcommunity.org or 317-578-3370

Simple Kingdom Living

December 30, 2013 Merlin Gonzales FHL Food Pantry, FHL Indiana

Welcoming 2014 with you

FREE PIZZA dinner

There’s a nice pizza place in Noblesville that I visit whenever I want to relax and have a good pizza. Just a few days before Christmas, my wife, my son and myself stopped by to have pizza and to finalize FHL’s Christmas Greetings. When it’s time to pay our bill, the owner came and said that a company gave them a Christmas gift so they can give away some Christmas dinner! My son said, “This always happens to you!”

CHRISTMAS BIKES for children

Two weeks ago, one of my FB friends Inboxed me and said that the restaurant that gave bikes last year is doing it again. They give bikes to children of less fortunate families. I thought of asking one of FHL’s food pantry Directors. Sure enough, her grandchildren do not have any Christmas presents this year. On Dec. 22nd, her 2 grandchildren received bikes. They were so thankful. Here’s the text that I received from the grandmother, “Thank you, this means the world to me.”

UNEXPECTED LUNCH from a FRIEND

On Christmas Eve, my parents asked me to bring them to a restaurant to eat. The temperature was in the teens. However, I sensed that they needed to get out of the house, so I brought them to a restaurant. My mother had stroke 2 years ago and my father has a progressive dementia. They live with us for about 3 years now. We enjoyed our lunch and I asked the waiter to bring our bill. He told us that someone had paid our dinner! I found out that one of my friends saw us coming in the restaurant and he paid for our lunch! I thanked my friend and he said, “You serve many people; you are being honored today!” I gave our waiter tip almost the same amount as our bill. By the way, this is the same restaurant that donate 100 bags a week for use for our food pantries.

ANSWERED PRAYER

The day after Christmas, I went to the office intending to work on some odds and ends stuff (yeah, right). I was getting immersed in cleaning my Inbox when I saw the FedEx man. He is the same man who asked for prayers a few months ago for the issues of his life including the selling of his house. I greeted in outside of the lobby and asked him how’s the selling of his house. All of a sudden, his demeanor changed and said that his house was just sold after 2 years in the market. He was praise God for answering his prayers.

It’s SIMPLE

I wanted to share these short stories with you to encourage you that Kingdom living is simple. Just be yourself and as a saying says, “Be supernaturally natural.” You don’t need to be weird to be spiritual. Just be yourself. You’ll be surprised when you see the unexpected things happen in front of your eyes…without striving. Those are the miracles! Kingdom principles applied anywhere, anytime.

It’s fascinating to see the supernatural becoming an everyday occurrence in your life…which is supposed to be. We are created to be Kingdom people, to spread the Good News and the freedom we have in Christ including seeing the supernatural in the natural. It’s not complicated; it’s simple.

If you are in doubt, I challenge you to plug in with the creator of the universe. You are the pinnacle of His creation! You are the reason why God sent His one and only Son to the earth to live among us. You are the reason.You are the reason why Christ died on the cross. You have eternal life in Christ. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are created in His image.

You are the most WONDERFUL person!

If you agree, then you are the most wonderful person here on earth! You have everything including the endless inheritance in heaven. However, if you have any questions about your identity in Christ, please contact me because you may be being deceived by the great enemy.

God bless you and May you have a Blessed NEW YEAR! Keep in mind, God is continually looking for people who would expand His Kingdom and to redistribute His blessings here on earth. Please check out this video to see how a simple Kingdom living can be blessings to others.

Merlin

I am thankful for you!

November 28, 2013 Merlin Gonzales Message

Family vacation

Happy Thanksgiving from Biloxi, Ms.

First, I want to thank you for your unfailing prayers and support. The FHL Breakfast Fundraising was a success. With God’s grace, you made it happen!

After more than 5 years, I am also thankful for my family vacation. God has shown my family and I things that we have not noticed in our lives while being with each other for almost 2 weeks together! We are learning a lot about and from each other. Nothing more exciting than loving and being loved by your family.

This Thanksgiving, please slow down and put a set of eyes as you spend time with your loved ones. You just might see the obvious things that are just behind the facade of our paradigm.

God bless you!

Merlin

Thanksgiving and sound of melody

November 28, 2013 Merlin Gonzales blog, Message

Happy Thanksgiving!

Please take a few moments to ponder what you are thankful for. Then, take another minute to think about the instances in your life that you should be thankful for. Consider this except from the FHL Blog:

I thought of asking you rhetorical questions. Feel free to make Comments on this Blog as well.

Which one would you rather be:
- a person who has the ability to donate food and time or a person who rely on others for the next meal?
- a person who can help someone to do strenuous physical activities or someone who is hindered physically?
- a person who give his/her time, talent & treasure because God had graced you or a person with different circumstances who receives from you?

Keep in mind that it could be reversed. For example, by helping those who are “weak”, you realized you are strong. By giving of yourself to others without expecting anything in return, you suddenly receive blessings in unexpected ways.

What if we take a few moments to meditate on the passages of Isaiah 51:3,

“Indeed, the Lord will comfort Zion;
He will comfort all her waste places.
And her wilderness He will make like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the Lord;
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.”

Whatever situation you found yourself in, you can release the joy and gladness and thanksgiving to provide a melodious aura in the atmosphere.

Happy Thanksgiving!