25 Years of Love, Laughter and Living

Well, 25 years ago on June 8th, Leanne and I said “I do” and other than when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, it is the best decision I ever made. She has been a blessing and more importantly my best friend since day one. Even before we were married God used her to show me aspects of His love that I had never known and enrich my life with a forever friendship that was and still is beyond my highest hopes and beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

Now before you go, ok enough with the sappy sweet stuff, please know that our lives are not perfect and while we strive everyday for excellence in Christ, perfection will only come with Jesus in heaven. However, just as with our relationship with Jesus the grounding anchor of our marriage is the truth of real love that is a commitment and promise to always be there and together.

So to commemorate this wonderful milestone, I wanted to share a short poem I wrote with some of my artwork to hopefully encourage everyone reading in your journey of life.

ARTWORK - DG 2014-5 (3) PEOM

Also, for those of you who missed our celebration at set-up of the NTX Expo, I hope you enjoy the picture they took of us with our big cake. :)

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NTX Expo Update

Wow, what an awesome day God gave us Saturday!

Yes, at 100+ degrees, it was the hottest Expo we have ever had but from the youth who came from Clovis, NM and helped with set-up and tear-down and the large Gateway Church buddy group to the pontoon boats that showed-up and the first time rockwall appearance God provided all that was needed for us to not only survive but THRIVE in the atmosphere of His love and light. :)

Thanks to the pond stocking there were even lots of fish caught in the mid-day heat to go along with the many horserides, hayrides and kayaking trips and of course the faithful volunteers who hung in there till the end were a true blessing. To top it all off there were 2 people who prayed to receive Christ at the Gospel bracelet station making everyone’s efforts more than worthwhile!

We are still finalizing counts but our early estimates are that God blessed us with around 900 attendees on top of the 5×8 trailer full of items to take to Belize next year! Hope you enjoy the below photo collage and get a glimpse of all that was done Saturday in the sun and more importantly under the Son.

COLLAGE - 2016-6 ALE NTX

 

Scripture Artwork

Good Saturday morning friends and family! As a camp counselor I know used to say every morning as he knocked on our doors at 6am to wake us: “Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised!”

You know God is so good to us and yet we all still forget and take for granted His love, forgiveness,  protection, provision and presence in our lives everyday.

However, His mercies are new every morning so I hope and pray the below artwork I have designed and the scriptures with each will encourage you to remember the truth of God’s light and love, in Jesus precious name. Amen

ARTWORK - DG 2011-1 N5

ARTWORK - DG 2011-2 N8

ARTWORK - DG 2011-9 N13

ETN Spring Fling

Our 1st ETN Outpost activity of the year hosted by Shady Grove was a blessing to many with 70 total folks attending including participants and volunteers.

The snack jars were particularly popular as was the food but everyone enjoyed the crafts and games, too. A neat addition this year was a performance by their children’s choir which really helped engage folks in many new ways.

Below is a picture of the participants watch the choir so you can see a few of the faces.

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Crafting a Community in ETN

LOGO - ALF CAC

I wanted to share what great banquet we had last April 21st! The food was great, the decorations were beautiful, the performances were fun, the auction items were awesome and the testimonies were encouraging. There were lots of new church and volunteer connections, too. What I liked most was the fact that so many people with disabilities were given an opportunity to be included and shine at the event. It was definitely a God blessed success! 

On the financial end of things we were down quite a bit from last year but we know God will be faithful to provide all that is needed. Overall the gifts were down by about $3,000 and the auction purchases were down by about $1,000. Our matching gift was up by about $2,000 though so overall we were  just $2,000 down from last year.

All in all, please know that Leanne and I so appreciate each of you and all you did to make things happen. We know God is faithful and will provide all we need!

Showers of Blessings in JAX

I wanted to share what a great Expo God gave us in JAX on Saturday, April 16th. The weather reports were not promising but with the exception of a brief 5 minute shower, God kept us all dry and the blessings flowing.

In fact, 400 hamburgers and 200 hot dogs were served to the over 480 attendees this year and we received several items to be shipped to Belize including two REHAB power chairs!

Attached is a photo collage so you can see the smiles and joy God’s presence brought to our 7th outreach in JAX and 32nd Expo overall!

COLLAGE - 2016-4 ALE JAX

Big Wheels Roll in CFL

We had our 3rd annual Big Wheel Deal wheelchair basketball fundraiser in CFL this past Saturday and for the 1st time it was a not just a game but a tournament. In fact, we we had nearly 50 players in all including those who normally use wheelchairs and those who don’t mixed on each of the 4 teams!

We were also blessed with nearly 40 volunteers who served popcorn, pizza, cotton candy and snow cones, took pictures, sold AL apparel and manned our ministry INFO and pledge table as well as helped things run smoothly on the administration side of things. There was even an appearance by the AL mascot “I Kan” garoo keeping the fans, MC and referees on their toes.

The championship game featured the presentation of the colors by the Edgwater High School ROTC following our opening prayer and then our national anthem was sung by Detective Duane Hunt from the Ocoee Police. Homemade trophies and prize baskets were awarded afterwards including special items for those who participated in the halftime free throw contest for folks living with disabilities.

A photo collage is below so you can see the smiles and some of the action. :)

COLLAGE - 2016-3 BWD CFL

6th Annual Expo in West Palm Beach

Well, God blessed us with another amazing Expo in WPB this past Saturday with 1,138 attendees! His presence could be felt covering the event and seen on the smiles of so many participants and volunteers alike.

Over 1,400 hamburgers and hot dogs were served, many mobility items and medical supplies were collected for Belize and we know of at least 1 person who prayed to receive Christ makinbg this an eternally memorable day! 

A photo collage is below but there were so many good pictures another one may be coming soon.  :)

COLLAGE - 2016-2 ALE WPB

A New Friend Named Eli by Nanette Ryan

During one of our team conference calls before we went to Belize, one of the women with Hearts of Christ in East Tennessee told us about Eli, a man who had been in a wheelchair for several years due to an accident, and had become a Christian this past December. He was mentioned as someone to pray for as we prepared for the trip and to let us know that he would be one of the people we’d be building a ramp for while we were in Belize.

On Tuesday morning of our trip, we headed out to the village of Ontario to meet Eli and to distribute packets of rice and beans to the people in the village. When we drove up, Eli was on the porch working on someone’s bicycle tire (he repairs bikes for a living). After they finished, Korie made the introductions and the builders got to work removing the old ramp (the porch remained, but was reinforced). We saw some frogs that lived under the ramp and uncovered the hiding place of a tarantula, which caused some excitement, especially when the tarantula appeared again later in the process!

While the ramp was being built, Eli and Doug, who has also been living with a disability for many years, were able to spend time talking and getting to know each other, sharing their stories. Eli told Doug, “I’ve lived for 13 years since my accident and have never met another person in a wheelchair.” Eli was able to see how God has worked in Doug’s life despite his disability, and that he can be used by God to encourage others as well.

Later, some of the Hearts of Christ team told us about when they met Eli and shared Christ with him. Eli didn’t think that he could become a Christian because he didn’t know anything about God. They told him that he only had to repent and believe and that he could learn more as he spent time with the Lord. Eli said, “I finally decided it was better to live for God than live for nothing.”

Our team was also able to bring Eli a new manual wheelchair to use while he works and also repaired a motorized wheelchair that Eli had already owned, but needed updating. Eli was appreciative of the new “wheels” as well as the ramp and porch and the other practical items that the team brought him. There was also some places in the flooring in his house that needed to be repaired and the team was able to take care of that to make it easier for Eli to maneuver around inside.

Eli was another person we met who told us that he had prayed for God to send help and that we were an answer to his prayer. Thankfully, we have a Good Father who sees our need, and hears and answers our cries for help!

COLLAGE - 2016-1 BLZ RAMP 2