Seeing God Moving - Men's Ministry

The Men's Ministry team at Water Street Mission has put together a compilation of their reflections around the question, “Where did you see the hand of God moving in your life in the past month at WSM?” Take a look at these short testimonies in response to this question.

Intern Tom – I have had God open doors for me through an internship. Everything is opening up for my higher education.

Phil Wrightstone – I see his hand of protection over me as I work in the Community Emergency Shelter.


Mark Noel- God provided mentors to 2 of my clients in unusual ways that caused them to praise God.

Jon Shacklett- Seeing lightbulbs go as I teach class.

Michael Kerrigone- During a recent conversation with a Community Emergency Shelter (CES) guest I witnessed a profession of faith in action.

New Seasons and Celebrations

I love nature and the way God brings changes to us through the seasons. We can expect good things out of every season because every season has its set purpose. Without one season the other seasons would not be complete. So, it is in our own journey of life. We go through various seasons in our lives so that God’s purposes can be established.

This week at the Lydia Center we are celebrating a new season for one of our residents who has completed the program, found a job, and is now moving into her own apartment with another former resident of Lydia Center. We celebrate this new season in their lives and pray that God will continue to lead them through the seasons of life.

Lisa Good • Lydia Center Program Counselor

Watching 'Seeds' Grow at the Lydia Center

Last week I spoke to a client who after being with us for 9 months had left our program without completing it. When she left, we prayed she would do well; and since grace always provides a way back, told her that she could reapply as early as the following week. We were all praying she would.

This client relapsed shortly after going back home and having to face some of the temptations she had previously succumbed to, but got up and continued her recovery. As we talked, she told me that she had not realized all the tools she had received at Lydia Center until she had to use them out in the world.

This client is a success story in that when she relapsed, she knew exactly how to get back up and rely on God to continue her journey of recovery. She is working part-time now, planning to attend Christian college in the winter, and making preparations for her future. What a great reminder that our role is to plant seeds and water and then trust that the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance those things that each client needs as she goes forward in her recovery.

I thank God that He is always at work – that He pursues the residents that leave Lydia Center just as He pursues each of us because He wants to set us free from ourselves and our destructive patterns. Phil 1:6 – “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work will perfect until the day of Christ Jesus.” This client experienced His mercy and grace in fresh ways and she knows that if she does relapse again, His grace is sufficient to get her through and put her back on the road He has for her because grace always has a way back – that real hope!

Melissa Alcorn • Lydia Center Executive Director

Words From The Lord

Each summer as I am preparing for the new school year, I spend time asking the Lord for a verse or a passage of Scripture for our staff to use as a theme verse for the new school year. As I was praying this summer, I did not hearing any particular direction. So at staff meeting last week, I gave the teachers the following assignment. “For our devotions on Friday, I would like each of you to come with a verse that you feel God is speaking to you for Wonder Club for this year. It may be for you personally, for your classroom, or for the team as a whole.” In my mind I thought that perhaps God would speak to us by having two or three persons come with the same verse or verses.

As we went around the table and shared our verses and why we had chosen each one, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, God! These are great verses, but what does it mean for us as a team?” As you can guess, no two persons had chosen the same verses. As I shared with the teachers that part of what I was hoping would come from this exercise was a “theme” for the year, Miss Nikki spoke up, “Here is what I heard as we were going around the table.” And just like that, Nikki allowed God to use her to put it all together for us. Out of nine passages of Scripture, Nikki summarized our time with the following thoughts (I have included the references of each thought):

Wait
(Psalm 37:7)
I will cause the growth
(I Cor. 3:5-9)
I will give you a new heart
(Ezekiel 36:25-26)
I will give you a new mind
(Romans 8:5-8)
Forget the things of the past
(Isaiah 43:18-19a)
If you are obedient
(Ephesians 6:1-3)
I will make you an imitator of me
(Ephesians 5:1-2)
I will teach you all things
(Isaiah 50: 4 & 7)
Nothing is impossible with God!
(Luke 1:37)

As a staff we were astounded at the way God had spoken to us as a team through the individual verses and how He had given Nikki the words to put it altogether so concisely. So while we may not have a “theme verse” we do have some precious words that we felt God was giving us through our individual seeking of the Lord for direction. Words that we wanted to share in the hopes so that you too would be encouraged. We are so excited we can’t wait to see what else God is going to do this year!

- Lorraine Brandt, Wonder Club Administrator, Wonder Club Early Learning Centers