Is This Really Camden?

Carol Riley remembers the tears running down her face as she watched her 7-year-old grandson Aziz Goode swim for the first time. 

"The biggest thing [The Salvation Army's Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center] did for me besides keeping him in a safe place, was you taught my child how to swim," Riley said. "Aziz learned how to swim here. We came to watch him – his mother, his father and me – and all we did was cry. Aziz can swim, and then he also went scuba diving? Where are we? Is this really Camden?"

Seeing her grandson at all is a gift that Riley counts her blessings for every day. After what she has been through, seeing Aziz born, let alone seeing him grow up, seemed unlikely. Ten years ago, Riley suffered a stroke; and then another and another. All told, Riley has suffered five strokes over the course of the last decade. The days lost to hospital beds have been far too many to count. Yet whatever toll those strokes have taken from here physically, they have done nothing to disrupt her mentally or slow her hunger for her family to succeed. 

"This is something on my bucket list – to spend valued time with my grandchildren before I go to sleep," Riley said passionately. "But before I go to sleep, they are going to have to tie me down. Thanks to this place and Life of Lords – which is where I go for medical and is the reason I'm alive – between mentally here and physically there, I might be here for a while."

Riley became aware of what the Kroc Center had to offer shortly after its opening. Her nephew had been going through health problems and hoped the fitness components the building had to offer could help him become healthier. 

"He's lost fifty pounds since coming here," Riley said. "I knew I had to come check it out."

As summer approached, she also knew she had to find a way to get her grandson into the six-week summer camp offered at the Kroc Center. So with the help of Aziz's father, Riley made the financial investment necessary to ensure Aziz's summer would be one to remember.   

 "The most positive thing that I have seen here this summer is that children in Camden have somewhere to go," said Riley. "I have lived in Camden for over 50 years and used to sit and watch the fireman come here (the Kroc Center site which used to be a landfill) because the fire would be coming out of the ground. I've been here a long time. Children have somewhere to go now. You really don't know how many lives you have saved here. These kids come in here in droves. They love this place, and I like it too."

"I had to find somewhere for my grandson to go for the summer where I knew he could be safe,” Riley continued. There are so many children and young black males, and Hispanics and whites killed on these streets every day.”

Riley paused before speaking about two young men in their 20s who were killed in Camden the night before. 

"I don’t care what city or town you are in - things happen, and I don't want my child to be out there. I thank God for his blessings for allowing us to be here."

In addition to learning how to swim, Aziz has improved on his math skills thanks in small part to the café. Riley makes sure her grandson can count change before allowing him to order a meal.

Despite seeing so many tragic things in her 50-plus years living in Camden, Riley's outlook is one of extreme positivity. She believes things have made a serious stride in the right direction in recent years and that the Kroc Center is a major step in the right direction for the city's future. 

"I have friends that come here from Voorhees," she said with a raised brow. "That's interesting to me. People never wanted to come through (Camden) on the bus, but they come here to the Kroc Center because they always know they are safe. You see people walking here, you see people coming in buses, cabs. People are coming to this place. This place is awesome."

After being through so much the last 10 years, Riley has a true appreciation for life and the time she gets to spend with her family. Having a place where that could happen this summer was the ultimate gift.  

"I couldn't have anything better," she said. "Kids always ask me what I want for my birthday, and I always tell them 'love, peace and happiness.' And God knows this has been my love, peace and happiness to have my grandson with me."


Written by Eric Schwartz
Operations Assistant
The Salvation Army Kroc Center - Camden

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Count Your Blessings

In preparation for a garage sale, I recently went through boxes stored in my basement. In one of those boxes, I came across my high school yearbooks. I took a moment to pause and look at my senior portrait. I reminisced a bit about that year and what has transpired since. 

The first thought I had was, "Wow, was I really that young?" I then started thinking about all the places I had been and things I had done since that photo was taken. I realized that while I had one idea of how my life would go, God had another.

I have continued to ponder this over the past few weeks and, while I shouldn't be, I am amazed at how good God's plan for my life has been. I have been blessed beyond measure with a wife who takes me for who I am without judgment and for three wonderful sons who are growing in their relationships with God. Don't get me wrong; I'm not always as positive about what's going on in my life as I am at the moment, but I cling to Exodus 15:2 (NASB) -

"The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
This is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will extol Him."

And, when times are especially tough, I remember the chorus of Song #396 in The Salvation Army Songbook (http://bit.ly/1rUmNLp) -

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Perhaps, today, you are struggling with life and feeling overwhelmed. Why not pause, take a breath and count your blessings? It just may surprise you to see what God has done in your life!

Written by Richard Pease
Divisional Controller

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Keeping Connected

Recently, my family decided to switch cell phone carriers in an effort to reduce our monthly cost. A result of this change has been a different level of connectivity for my smart phone. Most of the time, I don't notice a difference, but there have been occasions where I have wanted to check Facebook or post a photo to Instagram only to be stymied by a lack of network coverage. Initially, I was frustrated by this; however, I recently had an epiphany – whenever this has happened, I've been with my family, and the lack of coverage caused me to actually talk to my wife and kids rather than connect with them through social media. Needless to say, this has been a pleasant by-product of the change that I don’t want to give up.

As well as improving the connection to my family, I have also been reminded that I need to improve my connection with God, too. I recently reread 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (NASB)

and I had a renewed sense of what the Apostle Paul was saying. Prayer, as I see it, is communication with God, and Paul seems to be saying that we should be in constant communication with the Lord. There are so many benefits to maintaining this connectivity that I don't have the time to record them all, but here are a few that I see:

1.    There is a sense of peace that comes from telling the Lord how we feel.

2.    There is a sense of protection that comes from sharing our temptations with the Lord.

3.    There is wisdom in asking the Lord's opinion when facing decisions.

How is your connection with God? If, like my smart phone, you are sometimes disconnected, I encourage you to improve your connectivity by praying without ceasing and strengthening your relationship with the Lord. Unlike my wireless provider, improved connectivity is not dependent on external factors like cell towers and antennas; instead it is wholly dependent on your willingness to reach out to the Lord and talk.

Written by Richard Pease
Divisional Commander

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Even If He Doesn't

Men of Commitment.

That was the theme of Men's Camp 2014. To be willing to commit is essential in walking with Christ. We have to either be all in or all out. We learned that God can and will use people of contribution, but he desires people of commitment.

Commitment is daunting.

Commitment is difficult.

Commitment is necessary.
 
Commitment can be daunting because, well, forever is a mighty long time! The concept of always can be frightening. It can be said that we fear change, but I think permanence can be just as frightening. The pressure to never waiver may be suffocating. The fear of failure can make escape seem like the best available option.

If commitment was easy, it would be called something else. Its basic meaning is to serve. To serve is work, so by its very nature, commitment is laborious. It's easy to be committed when things are going smoothly.

I read a quote that said something along the lines of, "Those who think the devil is weak have never tried resisting him." How committed are we when the going gets tough? We need to be through and through people. Whether up or down, sunshine or rain, good or bad, we need to be committed. In Daniel 3:16-18, we find a familiar example of this for better or for worse commitment.
 
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

How many of us can look into the face of the enemy and declare that we will be delivered from our current strife, but even if we aren't, our faith wont waiver? Three young men taught us that commitment is not reliant on immediate deliverance or lack of storms in life, rather on the faith to endure even if deliverance seems impossible or far off.

As daunting and difficult as it can be, commitment is necessary. Without it, we are like the chaff in Psalm 1:4 that is easily blown away. Commitment isn't fleeting. It's the product of faith and effort.

Written by Lt. Darell Houston
Newark Ironbound Corps

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Jack's Back!

I must confess, I am a 24 addict. It took me a few years to get into 24, but once I started watching it on Netflix, I was hooked. I don’t know if it's the iconic ticking clock or the grittiness of the story, but I can't seem to get enough of Jack Bauer.

And I’m not alone, as the latest ratings show that I was joined by more than 8 million other viewers during the two hour 24: Live Another Day premiere on May 5th. My Monday nights now revolve around what is happening on Fox at 9:00PM, as I don’t want to be left out of the conversation on Tuesday. I need to know how Jack will, once again, save the world from evil terrorists who have no problem making innocent people suffer in an effort to right perceived wrongs.

As I sit in front of my TV mesmerized by the real time activity, I start to identify with Jack and his desire to protect others, even if it means sacrificing himself physically and emotionally. I think this is what makes Jack (and 24) so engaging – the idea that people want to see good prevail even if it means doing something wrong to get the job done. In Jack's case, he has no problem physically threatening a suspect, lying, or even non-fatally shooting a random protester in order to create a diversion. While this makes for good TV, it also reinforces a flawed belief about people – that we are inherently good.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the church in Rome: “For Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23 NLT) You see, the truth is that people are not inherently good, and we don,t all want to do the right thing. If you need proof, just look at children. I know that my three sons have all, at one time or another, exhibited our sinful nature (and if you ask my parents, I did too). A simple question like, "Is your homework done?" will be met with a lie. Why? It's not as if I will punish them; I'll only insist that they get it done. Yet, if my boys want to do something else, they may choose to lie rather than do the assignment. This is our true human nature.

Thankfully, God knows us intimately and loves us limitlessly. He sent His son Jesus to die on a cross for our sin and rise again to conquer death so that we can have a restored relationship with God through our belief in His Son. He declares this clearly in John 3:16: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (NLT) and promises salvation in Romans 10:9: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (NLT)

While Jack Bauer may live another day on Fox, we have the opportunity to live every day through Christ. And while Jack is only around for a 12-episode special event, Jesus is here for eternity. Why not consider putting your life in the hands of the Saviour?

Written by Richard Pease
Divisional Controller

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Love from the Most Loving

I'm not sure how a four letter word is sufficient enough to express a pool of emotions conjuring in my heart. A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, but how many words can I use to express the numerous ways God has been there for me and never forsaken me?

Out of all the words going through my mind, only one becomes repetitive: Love, a simple but powerful four letter word. A word so small that made such a difference in my life. Love is what embraced me in the presence of God, and it is because of love that God has gifted me with his mercy. Love is God, and God is love, but one can never understand how meaningful this relation truly is until acknowledging who God is and what love is.

To me, God is purity and perfection. He is so GOOD and mighty that because of my worldly life, my sinful eyes would be extinguished in his mere presence. But somehow, he finds a way to bless me with his touch and words, so that I know he is there through my praises and battles that he fights beside me.

To me, God isn't just my guiding father and uplifting warrior, but he is that conscience I feel when I am full of guilt, and somehow, at the same time, I am still filled with a grand amount of indescribable love and compassion. Before I even knew I was going to sin, God had already forgiven me and embraced me with open arms, and that to me is love.

This is the same love that stopped the stones from slaughtering a woman guilty of adultery (John 7:53-8:11 NIV). He reminds us constantly that although we are sinners, his love toward us is pure UNCONDITIONAL love.

esus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,"

Have you really thought about how wonderful it is that we have a choice? God doesn't get in our face and tell us "you must" do one thing or another. He allows us to live the way that we do. Of course, it isn’t always the life he wants for us, but we should know that no matter what path we take, we can always turn around, and he will be there.

"He will never leave you nor forsake you" is what Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) kindly reminds us. He loves you, and he loves me, and he loves us all. All we have to do to end our own self-conflicting heartache is obey him. He tells us, as well as the adulterous woman, to "Go now and leave your life of sin." If we would just live for him and him alone, we could live a life of love and be the image of God we were created in.

Day after day within my relationship with God, I have found that his love is indeed four things I am able to understand within my own reasoning. To begin, his love is Ludicrous, and it's ludicrous because I see it to be foolish, insane, and unreasonable at times. Why? Because it is so out-right crazy to what extent God truly loves us. I cannot honestly say I would love someone who betrays me, cheats me and lies to me. I find it to be ludicrous to love someone like that... but that someone is me, and God loves me. Somehow, through all the mess in my heart and life, God loves me, and that to me is beautiful.

What is so significant about the woman whom committed adultery is that we are that woman. God tells us that no sin is greater than another. That is the significance of that story; we have all been in both positions. We have either thrown the stone or been the victim of the hit. BUT WE ARE ALL SINNERS. We forget that Gods love isn't just for us; it isn't just for me or you, but it's for us to share with the world.

 A song that convicted me of pointing fingers at everyone but myself is a song by Casting Crowns, "Jesus Friend of Sinners." One important phrase I love from this prayer song is "open my eyes to the world at the end of my pointing finger, let our hearts be lead by mercy." Although it may be ludicrous to love your enemy, it isn't impossible. We can all be more forgiving of those around us. I know I can.
 
Secondly, my next word is Optimism. God's love has allowed me to become more positive about the trials I face in life. I was reminded in a video posted by my friend, Stephany Bento, that God doesn't give us trials we cannot handle. Philippians 4:13 (NIV) says "I can do all things through him who gives me strength."

Steph reminded all her viewers that God "always has a hand in everything that happens in your life," and He is "never going to give you what you can’t handle - He knows what you can handle."

Her words couldn’t be truer, and when you understand his love, you will see that doors close not because God hates you, but because he opened a better one for you. He will never betray you.

God's love is so Varied. He shows us his love in more than a way or two. Allowing us to take another breath in the morning is by his loving grace, and the opportunity to be forgiven is by his loving mercy. We are able to get through our toughest days by his love and protection, and this list could go on forever. There is nothing that God does for us that isn't out of love and with love. his love is just that immense; everything that has to do with him deals with Love.
 
Last but not leas, God's love for us is Eager. Eager because he solely wants us to love him as he loves us and be the children he created us to be. I believe that whenever another sinner gives up his or her life to God, that he is enthusiastic about this exchange of love. He must be, because angels rejoice with him over our redemption. God is eager for us. He loves and hopes for us to be just as eager to love him as he is to love us, and the wonderful magical thing about this is that no matter how much we push him away and deny his love at times, he doesn’t give up. He continues to love us, accept us and be eager for us regardless of how we react to him.
 
The ongoing statement is that He loves us NO MATTER WHAT. He loves us with unconditional love. He loves us without a reason and his love, like his water of life, is never ending. God, who is an everlasting God, loves us with everlasting love, so therefore God is love, and love is God. That four letter word may just be more then enough to express His love after all.

Written by Elizabeth Ramirez
Newark Ironbound Corps

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The Slow and the Furious: But and Yet

"This is going to hurt me more than its going to hurt you!"

The phrase heard around the world. No matter what language you speak or the neighborhood you’re from (unless you suffer from affluenza), these words preceded an inevitable form of punishment.

"How can it be?"

How can my pain hurt you, not as much, but more than it hurts me? As a child, this paradox baffled me to my core. It made no sense that the source of my perceived affliction would hurt more than I. As a child, and sometimes even now, my thinking was simple: Up was the opposite of down, there were winners and losers, and there were pain givers and pain receivers. Now, you ask me to believe in a mutual suffering? A mutual suffering that stems from love and anger.

Love. It has caused wars, raised heroes, built nations and caused committed men and women to gladly look death in the eyes and stare back! So has anger. These two great passions can be seen as the seeds from which all great efforts and conflicts grow.

A man will climb and cross mountains to get to the woman he loves. If she were harmed, in anger, he would traverse those same peaks in pursuit of her assailant. A mother would move heaven and earth for her children, yet she will grow angry if they misbehave and discipline them.

In the same way, God would do anything for His people because He loves us. Not unlike the loving mother’s reaction to poorly behaved children, this does not absolve us from the discipline of His love.

I was always taught that whenever you see 'but' in a sentence, the latter often contrast the aforementioned statement, BUT when you see ‘'yet,' a crucial detail is about to be added. In Numbers 14:18, we read:

"The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.

Yet

he does not leave the guilty unpunished"

The Lord loves us, but this love doesn't negate His anger when we exhibit undesirable behavior, yet the discipline is still from a place of love. Love and anger are a two car garage that are attached to the same house. One is a luxury sedan and the other is a four wheel drive SUV. They pull out of the same driveway and onto the same street. The weather or circumstance determine which the driver takes, but they are both intended to get us safely from point A to point B.

God is abounding in love and slow to anger, but that anger isn't rooted is hate. It's rooted in love. He only grows angry because He cares. My fear is not His correction. My fear is when He no longer desires to correct.

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound Corps 

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The Offering

It's the small things in life that truly capture my eye. Things like the smile of a child and that light in his or her eye that glows and shines beyond anything I have ever witnessed in life. Moments like these are captured flawlessly by my mind like a photograph, and they remind me about the love and word of God. One child in particular named Jayden, a small young boy in my Corps, left me with an unforgettable portrait. 

One Sunday morning during announcements, he tapped my hand and whispered, "Elizabeth guess what?" I looked at him with curiosity and responded, "What?" He smiled so widely as he cradled something out of his pocket. "What is it?" I asked. He opened his little fist and showed me two pennies, and his little eyes glowed with excitement. Then, he sat back and anxiously waited for the announcement to end and the time of offering to begin. As the time came, he smiled at me then became nervous. He asked me to walk with him, and I did.

It meant so much to see such a young child present an offering to God. Two pennies doesn't really seem like much. However, to this child, two pennies meant everything. It brought me back to the story in the Bible about the widow who gave two small copper coins in the offering box. The Bible tells us that “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." (Luke 21:1-4)

Jayden reminded me that it isn't about how much you give but how you are giving it to Him. He presented his offering with a willing heart, full of love and excitement for God. Even if he didn’t quite understand that, it was powerful to me. It reassured me and taught me that nothing is too small for God. I've convinced myself time after time that what I have to give to God just isn't enough, nor can it be compared to all He has done for me. My all isn't always a lot, but God says it's enough, and that amazes me. God receives all that we give with a willing heart and blesses it no matter how small. Deuteronomy 15:10 tells us to "Give generously to Him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."

That day in offering, Jayden gave more than anyone in the congregation. He offered to God all that he had, a big heart along with two small pennies, and that was the greatest offering I have witnessed. Not only do I believe that God will bless his little heart, but through Jayden, God has blessed me.

Written by Elizabeth Ramirez

Newark Ironbound Corps

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A Life Formatted for God

As a tech in The Salvation Army, it is best practice to use a disk drive or an external drive that has been formatted. By having the drive formatted, it will reduce the risk of infected files or corruption on the drive. Any time you work with something that is used and has current applications or software, it is best to format first. This will reduce any incompatibilities or current applications and software that are not needed. The assurance of having a formatted drive rules out and eliminates the possibilities of failure.

The Bible (God's Word) speaks concerning how difficult it would be to put something new into or onto something that has been used. In Matthew 9:17, it reads: "Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

I like what the last phrase of v17 says: "both are preserved." God's assignment is to assure both are preserved – HIS word and His people. That's why the scripture points out the story of Nicodemus in John 3:3. In reply, Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again (formatted)."

The Lord Jesus wants to format you that you can receive the Word of what the Father has spoken, concerning Jesus and your relationship with HIM. It's hard to rewrite over an application or program. The possibilities of failure are imminent! The Lord Jesus wants to give you a fresh start and a new beginning with him.

Let's not operate any longer on Windows 98 or XP. There is a new operating system that has worked out all the glitches (sin) and the blue screen (death). Jesus repaired both, and to receive his operating system (Holy Spirit), we must be formatted. It's amazing that the root word of format is form, and God the Father can do just that! Will you open your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, repent (turn away) from your sins, invite HIM into your heart, and let the formatting begin? God Bless you!

Terrell Curry
IT Service Desk

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Examine Your Assumptions

Assumptions are a powerful thing.  If we assume something, for example that it will rain today, it affects how we plan for that day.  You might grab an umbrella, reschedule a hike, or cancel a trip to the beach. 

Let's go deeper than just how it affects our day-planner.  Merriam-Webster defines assumption in the following ways:

1 : a taking to or upon oneself <the assumption of a new position>

2 : the act of laying claim to or taking possession of something <the assumption of power>

3 : arrogance, pretension

4 a : an assuming that something is true

b : a fact or statement (as a proposition, axiom, postulate, or notion) taken for granted

Depending on your life experience and working definition, you may identify with many of these definitions above.  The fact of the matter is when we make an assumption, we begin to own it or take possession of the idea or thought.  We all make assumptions.  It is part of our human condition.

Here is the big question:  What assumptions do we make about God?  Our faith? Scripture? I think we would be naive to think we don't make assumptions about God, either consciously or otherwise.  How can assumptions impact our faith? How do we move beyond these assumptions in our walk?  Scripture has a few things to say about this danger. 

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.
What happens when we go beyond just our assumptions?

Ephesians 4:14-15

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

Assumptions require going deeper to find out what lies beneath a thought or notion.  If we do the hard work of pressing beyond our assumptions we make ourselves open and available to the Holy Spirit.  We might not always know the end result, but at least we haven't settled in and stopped at simply assuming.

Written by Chip Kelly 

Territorial Lay Leader
Development Bureau Director

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Meeting Jesus Outside of Rite Aid

Shaheed has one tooth, zero legs and countless stories to tell.

He sits in his wheelchair holding a change cup outside of the Rite Aid on my way to work. Most passersby pay him no mind, myself included, until God called me out.

I stopped into Rite Aid for a few things on a rainy morning and quickly gave him my dismal change while shuffling back to the car. About a week later, I felt the Holy Spirit speak to my heart.

“You could have given so much more. Why didn’t you stop and talk to me?”

It was the best wake up call I've received. I packed up my favorite daily breakfast (two pieces of sprouted grain toast with almond butter, flax seeds and banana slices) and prepared to step out in faith.

I sat down on the sidewalk in front of Shaheed and asked for his forgiveness. I apologized for practically ignoring him a week before and asked how he was doing. Gentle and quiet yet cheerfully grateful, he accepted my breakfast and offer of prayer. We held hands, and I prayed a blessing over our new friendship.

That was a week ago. Neither of us could have prepared for what God did today.

This morning, I took my seat at the foot of Shaheed’s wheelchair, and he completely opened up about his life, from being raised by his Seventh-Day Adventist grandparents, to an adolescence of drug abuse and false success before serving in prison, to how he lost his legs (and dreams of pro boxing) in a fatal drive-by shooting - Shaheed was pronounced dead after being in a coma for 11 days. But God wasn't finished with him yet.

He chuckled a bit while explaining that after his recovery, the Holy Spirit started working on his ego, and Shaheed knew that he would have to surrender every part of his being and submit to Jesus. I chuckled when he said, “It actually didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would!”

As he spoke, a heavenly passion radiated out of him, and I sensed that Shaheed was telling me his story because he longs for it to be known. While making it clear that my intention was not to exploit him, I offered my videography skills. I told Shaheed I would be happy to record his story and share it with the world.

His face lit up.

As we celebrated this opportunity, I suggested we pray together and asked Shaheed to lead. He took my hands in his and gave thanks to God for a new friend who sees him “differently.” I continued in praise after his prayer, and when I opened my eyes, tears were streaming down his face.

In a flood of emotion, Shaheed shared that the woman he considers to be his mother did not speak to him for several years because she was disappointed in him. When they finally reconciled just last week, he promised her that he would tell his story, in the hope of it saving someone’s life. After making the promise, Shaheed wondered how he could fulfill it.

He said that one of his favorite passages in the Bible is Matthew 3:17 when a voice from heaven says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Shaheed yearns to hear his mother say, “Son, job well done.” I believe that when she sees our video, he will hear those words.

We both cried in the realization that God had brought us together for a purpose. I went into Rite Aid to buy a few things (including Shaheed’s favorite orange soda), and when I walked back out, a woman was talking to him.

His face was still in awe of God’s handiwork as he told Maria about our video idea. She also became excited and said the three of us should pray together right away.

I smiled and closed my eyes as Maria transformed into full-on prayer warrior, hands lifted towards the sky. She prayed to cancel Satan’s assignments against us. She prayed for blessing over our lives and plans. She prayed words of praise to Jesus Christ, and I stood with my arms outstretched, delighting in this amazing kingdom moment. What a sight we must have been to see on the busy street!

After spending a total of thirty minutes in conversation with Shaheed and being thoroughly late to work, we decided to pray on our video project over the next week before trying to start it next weekend. We want God’s will to be done – He is the director and producer!

Shaheed requested that we film in Asbury Park, where the home he grew up in still stands, and where many of his memories, good and bad, stem from. The first apartment I lived in as a baby also stands in Ocean Grove, the next town over. I’ve been in Asbury and Ocean Grove the past two weekends and will be again this weekend. I have always felt a divine peace there, and it’s starting to make sense.

For the past two years, I’ve been desperate to discover my calling as a follower of Christ, rarely meditating on the simplicity of joyful (and sometimes nerve-wracking) obedience to His voice. When God has His hand in something, you just know.

I am Shaheed’s answered prayer. And he is mine. 

Written by Elyse Jankowski
Community Relations Associate

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Why Are You Here?

It began as an assignment and quickly became a calling.

I'm the multimedia gal at the office. I build websites, manage social media accounts, take photos and film/edit videos. So, visiting The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Newark Ironbound to capture new photos was "all in a day's work" in my mind. I couldn't have anticipated what God had in His mind for me that day.

As I floated through classrooms of students doing homework, almost everyone stopped to flash me a smile. Some shared what they were working on, some wanted to know all about me. Every second that passed opened my heart a little bit more.

It's important and humorous to note that for practically my entire life, I've had an aversion to kids. Didn't want to be around them, didn't want to talk to them and certainly didn't want to have them! So, for God to be softening an area of my heart that had been hardened for years...Well, that's just characteristic of who He is!

I'm not sure exactly what it was about these children (perhaps sensing God's love for them) that made me want to come back again and again. I am now a weekly volunteer at the Club.

Spending time with "my kids" (it didn't take long for me to dub them that) is exciting, exhausting and eye-opening. In some ways, their childhoods mirror mine, and in others, they are painfully different. Many are considered at-risk children for circumstances beyond their control. I feel I have a responsibility to show them what they can control - their actions towards others and carrying hope for the future.

I want these kids to understand that the kingdom of God belongs to them (Mark 10:14), and the Lord of all creation knows them intimately (Psalm 139). I want to guide them in truth and grace. Sometimes, sitting on the steps and playing Uno cards doesn't feel like I'm doing that. But I know that every minute we spend together is blessed. Any time I have with them is an opportunity to encourage the good in their hearts and see the sparks in their eyes that nearly melt my being.

Last week, my future soccer star and Candy Land enthusiast friend, knowing I'm not a full-time counselor like some other Club staff, asked me, "Why are you here?"

"Because I love you," I answered.

I pray she heard my words as if they flowed from Jesus' lips. I pray that we as an Army and I as a follower of Christ show children why they are here. Because He loves them. Endlessly, fiercely and completely.

Written by Elyse Jankowski
Community Relations Associate

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A Lion in the Daniel’s Den

Trapped! You're locked in a pit. The only escape is plugged with a seemingly immovable obstacle. In the deep darkness, you pace back and forth throughout the day or night. You're not really sure of which because you've already lost track of time in your subterranean exile. Food is occasionally dropped in, but you shy away because the opening of your prison delivers an unusual brightness of the rarely seen sky, and it burns your eyes. Immediately after the door closes, you make a move toward the food before the others pounce on the scarce meal. The lack of food has made you irritable and overly aggressive. It's as if your captors wanted you to be hungry to maintain a ravenous edge.

You are a hungry, ferocious and proud lion that is trapped in a den, and things are about to get worse.

The sky reveals itself again, and the piercing light invades your space. Something is dropped into your den. It smells like meat, but something is different. As the entrance is sealed again, what you thought was food stands up and begins to walk toward you and the other lions. As you all huddle together and cower in fear, the undesirable truths grabs you by the lump in your throat as you realize you have come face to face with a Daniel.

Daniels and Davids and Jobs, oh my! I can say with bit of certainty that you have never heard that before, and there is a fair chance you may never hear it again. If my blatant "tagline" substitution isn’t a crime, then the lack of its usage should be.

"Fear not nor be afraid of them!"

Great words given to us by God through Moses. I have found that "them" isn't always people. Quite often, "them" is us, "them" is things, "them" is fear, and "them" is problems. It made me wonder, why are "them" not afraid of me?

The command God has given in Joshua 1:9 - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go."

Have I followed the order or believe the promise it ends with? My shameful answer is, if not no, perhaps not always. I think if the answer was a resounding yes for all of us, then we would approach life a lot differently.

From these thoughts, I've taken away three things:

1. We should live as if we have heavenly backup
2. Believe in the security that comes with the promises of God
3. Our problems should be afraid of us

I hope that these thoughts can in some way allow you to look into your own life as I have done mine and ask the tough questions. When the answer is no, decide what it will take to become a yes! We were fearfully and wonderfully made, not made to live in fear!

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound

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An Act of God

An 'Act of God' is described as an extraordinary interruption that is beyond human control and can't be prevented! Years ago, this term would lead a person to think directly of insurance claims as the image of a neighbor's tree which was once upright now rest on the roof of what used to be a minivan. In more recent years, the mind might rush to scenes of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina or the faces of Indonesian children after the devastation of a tsunami.

In any case, we have been led to believe that an 'Act of God' is some sort of natural anomaly that leaves behind a trail of debris and tears. There can't be many things further from the truth!

Thousands of years ago, as the sequel to the fall of man, an 'Act of God' occurred. A Champion was born to an unaware world to a carpenter and his young wife. As the third installment to this spectacle, another 'Act of God' happened. About 33 years later, that same Champion reached out to the west, He grabbed hold of the east and announced His victory over that great adversary, "It is finished."

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

That may have been the greatest 'Act of God' of them all, but the truth is that it wasn't the last one. The truth is that they happen every day! Not every 'Act of God' has a star hovering over it. Not every 'Act of God' has a crowd gathered and ready to bear witness to it.

An 'Act of God' is when a police officer buys a pair of shoes for a homeless man and helps him put them on without knowing cameras are watching. An 'Act of God' is a teacher who shields her students from an attacker. An 'Act of God' isn't an unstoppable wildfire or an unimaginable storm. It's unstoppable love and unimaginable grace. An 'Act of God' is every image of love, compassion and justice we project in this world.

Written by Lt. Darell Houseton
Newark Ironbound 

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