You all know my son, Nathan. Some of you may not know our other Nathan. He's not a Fletcher by birth, but he's about as close as you can get. Plus, he's the only convert I've ever had--Eagles convert, that is. Oh, he's all in on the Eagles. Ask him about his jerseys, rings, and sheets. Tonight, he sat with me at the Methodist Men's annual Valentine's Dinner. My man Nate can put down some fried chicken and fish! Everyone that knows Nate knows how joyful he is. Just don't mention the Cowboys to him--any more. He won a door prize and I did, too. I think he may have convinced his mom to let him have her prize. Nathan always asks about our family. He wants to make sure everyone is well. That's his heart. That's part of what makes him a blessing. I hope you know someone like Nate. Stay blessed...john
If you haven’t heard of Family Promise , a national organization that supports families with children who are experiencing homelessness, I think you’d be inspired by their work. This morning I read a story from Family Promise of Irving about a family who had just “graduated” from the program. That means moving from housing insecurity into stable living. It immediately took me back to 2010, when the congregation we served there was part of a core group of thirteen churches partnering with Family Promise. The organization does many things to support families, but one of the most powerful pieces is how they work with churches in a creative, practical way. So many congregations have space that sits unused most of the week (sound familiar?). Host churches open their buildings to vetted families for a week at a time, offering a safe place to sleep. Other churches serve as “buddy churches,” providing meals, supplies, and volunteers to support those weeks of hosting. I remember that in our c...