Shakyhands's Weblog

Possible Building – Prayers Beneficial!

Neal Alligood — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:59:47 +0000

Hey Everyone – asking for a lil PRAYER HELP to be lifted up.

The C3 family via the leadership has put in a letter of intent with an offer on a building. Jeff has been keeping us updated on our search for a new location occasionally on Sunday mornings but I wanted to take the time to let ya know what was taking place and to ask for your prayers ASAP!!!

This building is located (see pic below) on Kennesaw Due West Rd – Right beside Hayes Elementary School & across the street from a Right Aid. In the picture it is the building with a GREEN ARROW above it. It was formerly the “West Cobb Wellness Center”.

So we are asking you to earnestly pray for a few things – we feel God has been moving in this situation and that there are some “positive factors” in our favor but we DEEPLY DESIRE this to be completely God’s will for us.

So let’s pray:

1) That the owner accepts our financial offer and lease terms

2) That we are able to locate a reliable & knowledgeable architect & contractor to run this process (Jeff has some strong leads in this area)

3) That we will be able to raise up some SERIOUS funding from our own Church family as well as outside resources to finance the “start-up” costs of getting the building ready to use – if God blesses us with the rental of this property.

4) That we will be able to come together as a Church family and all be willing to sacrifice and make financial commitments to the monthly increase of budget that a step of faith like this will take.

5) That in ALL THINGS we HONOR & GLORIFY GOD with what takes place – that we DO NOT VIEW this building as what will make us grow or great – but that GOD is what makes us good IF ANYTHING – and that we will USE THIS TOOL of a building to better enhance His Kingdom and better reach our community.

So there it is people – now it’s time to – GET TO PRAYIN’!!!

I am truly excited to see God work in some mysterious and monstrous ways for the future of our Church family!

Seeking HIS WILL in our futures!

Neal A.

Will WORK for food….

Neal Alligood — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:15:20 +0000

We’ve all seen those people standing on the side of the road with signs – and if you are like me sometimes it is much easier to drive by & judge than to stop and engage. So coming off our “Soul Revolution” series & the 60/60 Experiment - I felt like I needing ask God what He wanted me to do. So I prayed & pondered and then I stopped and interacted – so here is the story… (via the e-mail I just sent out to our Church body to seek help)

I met a guy yesterday who he and his family are really in need right now.

His name is Todd and he and his wife and I think 5 kids (not young kids – he said they have been married 29 years & has a grandbaby) live in the Smyrna area (near where I live, been there 35 years) but he was over here at the intersection of Mars Hill & Cobb Pkwy trying to find work.

I stopped and talked to him for a few minutes to see his story – he seems like a legit guy just looking to find work. His gas & electricity have been cut off. They do have a fire place where they can keep warm, they do have a phone, and 1 car left. He had his truck repo’d cause he couldn’t make payment.

He is by trade a ROOFING SPECIALIST – but he is also a carpenter. HE IS NOT however able to do electrical/plumbing or heat/air unit stuff. He said he can do anything EXTERIOR from Roof to Curb – they (He and his sons – he ran a roofing business and they worked for him) do Exterior Repair and Maintenance. He said he can do just about any type of work down that line that ya need – this includes PAINTING as well.

I have just spoken to him by phone and asked him to send me some form of document with his expertise and experience as well as some references that can be checked. This way I also have something to pass out to people who might be interested.

He has some “feelers” out for some long term jobs but they have to have work RIGHT NOW each day to make ends meet. He said he is not a big fan of just “getting handouts” that he wants to work for the money. He says he will do the work and have you be happy with it before he is paid a dime.

So I was straight up with him – I told him I don’t have any extra money – that I can’t promise him anything from my church or friends – that I don’t even have a house of my own to have work done but that I would do all I could to find him some work or some help.

IF ANY OF YOU – KNOW ANYONE LOOKING TO HIRE – OR HAVE WORK YOU NEED DONE YOURSELVES – OR YOU HAVE A SUGGESTION of something to be done to help this family PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get in contact with me. I am willing to try and make any connection that I need to – he even said I could stop by his home (because it is near where I live in Smyrna) and take me around to jobsites to show me his work.

I am thinking & praying and seeking how we might be able to help this man and his family. Right now there biggest need is to get the gas cut back on for heat (he said they are taking baths by heating up water in the fireplace and pouring it in tub) – They owe $550 and then have to pay another $150 for a deposit. He at no point asked me for that money – I had to ask him what they owed. He did say there is a church who has contacted him to possibly get this worked out. I told him to keep in touch with me if this happened.

Anyway – there is the need – and with each need is an opportunity for God’s people to do good. I am not sure that any ONE of us can do this alone – but working together as HIS BODY I believe we can make a difference. And not just a “difference for one day” but a difference for their future as well.

Not asking anything specific – just asking for you to help me to find a way to help them!

Please pray for Todd and his family – pray for open doors, for wisdom and stewardship, and for whatever their spiritual standing is that this process will draw them into God’s presence!

THANKS THANKS THANKS for being a church family that is willing to listen & respond!

My Spin on “The Great Christmas Debate”

Neal Alligood — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:35:59 +0000

Okay so I know ya’ll have stayed up all night & kept clicking on my blog to finally see what I have to say about all this (yeah I know not really ha ha ha). So here it is my take on the post I put up yesterday about “The Great Christmas Debate”.

I guess I originally started thinking about this a few weeks ago when I saw a new GAP commercial where they were singing and dancing about the “Holidays” and they included EVER FORM – Christmas, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice etc etc. Didn’t really think too much of this (I mean it is GAP not some spiritual icon). Then later I saw people on facebook in an uproar calling for a BAN ON GAP for daring to put Christmas on the same spiritual level with the solstice. So it got my brain a churnin’ but I wasn’t really “pushed to the brink” to write about this till I got that e-mail yesterday.

So here are my thoughts – and they will generally be tied to the thoughts of the e-mail “Letter from Jesus about Christmas”, because for the most part I COMPLETELY AGREED with the sentiments & statements that were made.

I LOVED the part about not whining because your town won’t put up a nativity scene – so instead just get all Christ-followers to put them up in their yards and then no one would even notice there isn’t one at the “town hall”. How awesome would that be – I mean I would say most people who complain about that stuff DON’T HAVE ONE IN THEIR OWN YARD – and that is the place that YOU HAVE CONTROL!!!

I thought it was an interesting take on the idea of calling it a “Holiday Tree” and how we should just be more thankful and reminded how God made EVERY TREE – and I would like to add – He even made the tree that produced the wood that eventually His own Son would be nailed to – so that each of us have the SAME OPPORTUNITY to be saved. Including those who voted at the “town hall” to not have a nativity scene, and those at GAP who decided to produce the commercial that so many despise – and YES even those who celebrate all the other holidays instead of Christmas and even those who don’t celebrate ANYTHING. And THAT is a reminder I need to have each and every day – not so that I just give up & throw my hands in the air and say “well then everything and everyone is all okay now let’s just get a cup of hot cocoa” – but instead to do a MUCH better job of showing that same love of Christ that was shown while nailed to a tree that His own Father created that we now bicker over what it is called.

That is the SAME LOVE that God had for this DARK WORLD when He chose to send HIS ONE AND ONLY SON into it in the first place – which is why we have this thing called the Christmas story!

But now let me address the “Top Ten” list that the e-mail gave:

1) I will say I am not “totally opposed” to petitions & protests – I realize that some people in their deepest desire to love God find their purpose in being activists in that way – but that simply doesn’t resonate with me. I DO however love the idea of expending that energy that may make a bigger difference in one person (such as these soldiers) life!

2) Good call on the nursing home – we should DEFINITELY do more of that.

3) WOW – sort of a smack in the face about praying for the Pres. & other leaders – if we were half as good prayers as we are complainers – man how the world might be different!

4) YIKES – #4 might have been one of the most VICIOUS and yet ON-POINT kicks in the butt!!

5) I bet most of us would just rather forget #5 – guess I’m glad Jesus didn’t.

6) SOBERING THOUGHT – we don’t like sobering thoughts most the time, wow how this should change the way I greet people today!

7) This one I could go on FOREVER about – although I’m not sure I totally agree with the part about stores closing on Sunday (although that would be awesome – and Chick-fil-a has proven that it can work & work well!) – what I mean by not agree is that I’m not sure that should be even on our radar of things to have happen. I think there are too many people “overly” concerned with Sunday as “The Lord’s Day” when He wants us to Worship Him EVERYDAY with our lives – but I digress since that is a whole other post – BUT it is funny that people who complain about stores being open or the materialism of the holidays/Christmas still go and probably spend more money than they can afford “just to make the kids happy”.

** Side note on this that makes me sick to my stomach about also is all the people that I have heard say things like “oh man I wish so-and-so hadn’t given me a gift or given me a gift so nice because NOW I have to go get them something or I have to get them something nicer” WOW PEOPLE HOW SCREWED UP ARE WE that it has totally turned into a comparison game – how far have we fallen that we cannot just be HAPPY and APPRECIATIVE that someone did something nice for us – and HEAVEN HELP THEM if they actually did it to be nice with NOTHING expected in return! So before we go all half-cocked and blaming the “retail world” (um hello their whole purpose is to make money and is built on greed or convincing people to buy things they may not need) how about we get ourselves and our own motives and attitudes in check. NO ONE and I MEAN NO ONE can take away the true Spirit of Christmas or the Reason for the Season from us UNLESS WE ALLOW THEM TO!

You cannot lessen my love of the Savior by wishing me a Happy Kwanzaa or a lovely Solstice (honestly never have even heard that one) or whatever the heck you want to say. I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO steal my Joy of Jesus – so instead why don’t I live my life as an example – why don’t I treat you in a way – why don’t I DO THE THINGS that Jesus (whose birth we should be celebrating) would want me to as I interact with people from ANY BACKGROUND AND SETTING or SET OF BELIEFS.

So while I am not able to determine OTHER PEOPLE’s actions – I am most certainly able and more so RESPONSIBLE for the way I determine my REACTION. So how about I try to determine it based on the Spirit of God and with Christ’s love?

And YES there is a part of me which wishes that everyone would just CHILL OUT and stop making all sorts of laws and dumb rules – and if they lady at the checkout counter wants to tell me Happy Kwanzaa I should respect her and smile and wish her a Merry Christmas. AND NOT BE OFFENDED – and if a waitress wants to wish someone a Merry Christmas that they would be willing to respond the same way. But for the most part we live in a society in which that WON’T HAPPEN. So my thought is not – LEGISLATE Jesus back into things but instead – LIVE THE EXAMPLE that people will DESIRE JESUS back into things.

Okay wow I just realized how “soap boxish” I got on that – I need to move on

8] AMEN AMEN AMEN

9) DITTO on #8

10) man I know feel like a jerk – #10 is a punch to the gut and yes I am just as guilty as anyone - LORD PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR LIVING IN THE DARKNESS so often when you desire the LOVE, LAUGHTER, and JOY of living in the LIGHT – the LIGHT that your Son brought! Let me do a better job of showing this to others.

And let us truly not forget – God was, is, and always will be the one in control. Pharaoh couldn’t keep God shut down, Herod couldn’t stop him, Hitler wasn’t able – so why in HEAVEN’S NAME do we think that a few measely commercials and poor decisions by leaders in this day and age will be able to? Yes I believe I should be willing to stand up for my Jesus, but why is it that “standing up for Him” is always deemed to be in a manner which in my humble opinion – often does not reflect anything about the Love and Legacy that Jesus left for us?

Okay – that’s WAY MORE than enough for now – but at least now ya know how I feel!

Neal’s Newsletter – October ‘09

Neal Alligood — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:35:46 +0000

And now – everything is finally caught up!

Neal’s Apprentice Newsletter for October ‘09

This one is JAM-PACKED with exciting C3 events!

The Great Christmas Debate…

Neal Alligood — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:47:32 +0000

Typically I HATE – I mean HATE – LOATHE – DESPISE getting e-mail forwards (as I know many of you do) and normally I read the first couple lines or check to see from where it came and then hit delete. But today one came through my inbox that intrigued me. I read it and found it interesting enough that I wanted to share (and you all have probably already seen it) but it hit on a subject that I have been debating whether or not to blog about.

So here is my decision – I am going to share the e-mail and withhold my thoughts and opinions till tomorrow – I will then summarize my overall thoughts of not only this e-mail but the overarching debate over our society’s move from calling things Christmas to referring to it as Holidays and what those who call themselves Christ-followers should do/feel about it all.

So here is the e-mail – it is entitled “Letter From Jesus about Christmas” please read it and then share your thoughts & opinions in the comment section. I realize this could be a “hotly” debated issue so let’s stick to the issue at hand and not attack anyone that posts a comment that we might disagree with – share YOUR OPINION and thoughts/feelings – THANKS A BUNCH!

Letter from Jesus about Christmas

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn’t allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn if all My followers did that there wouldn’t be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish. I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don’t you write and tell him that you’ll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up… It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren’t allowed to wish you a “Merry Christmas” that doesn’t keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn’t make so much money on that day they’d close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary– especially one who takes My love and good news to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don’t do things in secret that you wouldn’t do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don’t forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS!

Neal’s Newsletter – September ‘09

Neal Alligood — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:32:37 +0000

Oh yeah keepin’ it rolling with yet another episode!

Neal’s Apprentice Newsletter for September ‘09

Hope you enjoy!

_______ Christmas Gift EVER was….

Neal Alligood — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:41:23 +0000

Hey everyone – I NEED YOUR HELP!

Leave me a comment and tell me what was the BEST – WORST – FUNNIEST – MOST SENTIMENTAL – whatever-you-want-to-call-it – Christmas Gift you ever got. But also classify what “type” it was – for example:

Best Gift – Red Huffy Bike

Worst Gift – (tie) Holly Berry Suspenders & Mock Turtleneck

It can be a thing/event/moment/person etc etc etc – whatever you want to put but give me at least a lil detail if it is a “special” thing that we might not understand.

Get my drift? I need this ASAP – so hook me up with some great stuff!

15) John “B” AKA “The Riddler” – John 1:19-34

Neal Alligood — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:06:21 +0000

Join me as I take a walk through the pages of Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John, (aka the “Gospels”) in a Chronological Order and try to grow closer to, and learn more about Jesus. Feel free to go back and read the INTRO ABOUT THIS SERIES to understand where all this came from for me.

This next episode is a lil tricky since we have seen in some of our earlier episodes that Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized and then Jesus headed out into the desert to be tempted. It seems that all of these passages are talking about things that are happening around about the same time – so there might not be as “technical” a chronological timeline – or simply that Jesus came back through and John pointed him out to everyone so they would finally know.

We find the story for today in John 1:19-34 and there is some pretty cool & extremely important stuff going down!

So here is old John the Baptist (John “B”) hanging out in the desert – doing his thing of preaching repentance to the people. So the Jewish leaders went out to talk with good ole John. They were trying to find out who he was – is he Elijah? – NOPE – a prophet? – wrong again – well then WHO THE HECK ARE YA?

I love it – John is kind of messing with their heads – look @ his answer (that can be found from the Prophet Isaiah) - “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ “

John was like the biblical version of the “Riddler” – he never seemed to give a straight answer – but at the same time that’s EXACTLY what he was doing – giving the REAL ANSWER! (and I DON’T mean Allen Iverson!)

So then the religious leaders were all about how in the world John could go around baptizing if he wasn’t the Christ, or Elijah, or even a prophet? Then John smacked em again with a lil 411 – he was merely baptizing with water as a sign of the people’s repentance. Then he told them a great line – verse 26-27:

“but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

MAN – how cool is that – what if we all TRULY felt that way about Jesus! John was like “YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW!” Jesus was right there amongst them (not literally at that moment but the idea was that the religious leaders knew of & about him but didn’t really KNOW him – how many of us are like that???)

Then look what happens the next day – OH YEAH – Jesus rolls up on the scene. Then we see John “B” dropping a lil more RIDDLER-TYPE knowledge on the people – I can’t top it so let me just share what he said:

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

Man that is some GOOD STUFF – and we “DON’T EVEN KNOW” how important this claim the John made in vs. 34 was. By us not living in the context of that day and age when the Jewish people had waited for HUNDREDS of years for the Christ – the Messiah to come – and now here was John proclaiming “I TESTIFY THAT THIS IS THE SON OF GOD”!! Man that was some huge BOLD STUFF!

But it was not only huge for them, it is also huge for us – and my hope and prayer is that we actually DO KNOW – we not only know ABOUT HIM but we actually get to KNOW HIM! He is the “Lamb of God – who has taken away the sins of the world”