Wheeler Mission's Blog

More than 9,500 people showed up to participate in our seventh annual Drumstick Dash through Broad Ripple on Thanksgiving morning. This 4 ½ mile run/walk is a major fundraiser for Wheeler Mission.

A BIG thank you to all of you who ran or walked. Also my THANKS go out to the hundreds of volunteers who woke up early to make it to Broad Ripple in time to find a parking place before finding their work assignment! You made the race a great success.

To those who live in Broad Ripple, THANKS for being patient as people Dashed through your neighborhood! The funds raised through this event will help hundreds of needy families in our area.

Later that day around our family’s Thanksgiving table, my son challenged our family to enter the Dash next year and walk together as a family. Will I see you and your family there?

Rick

It’s the time of year when people, especially Christians, talk about being thankful. We think of the blessings of food, family, and a roof over our heads, as well as the freedom to worship our God. Our Pastors are preaching on the subject and we hear about it in the evening news. Even grocery ads remind us that it is the season to give thanks, although I think they have an ulterior motive.

The Psalmist tells us to “come before Him with thanksgiving.” We are instructed by Paul to “give thanks in all circumstances” and he told the church at Colossae to put on all sorts of godly attributes and then ends by saying “and be thankful!” I get the feeling the Lord is serious about this!

May you be blessed with a thankful heart this Thanksgiving.

Rick

He is a young man in his late twenties. He hadn’t spoken with his mom for more than three years as he lived a life that was spiraling out of control due to his addiction. He finally called her just so she would know he was alive. Her question to him was poignant, “how many times are you going to walk around this mountain, son?”

He had tried to stop taking drugs and was actually enrolled in several different rehab programs across the country, but would never stay long enough to make a difference in his behavior. He says, “I should have been dead many times. I kept fighting the Lord, and was out of touch with reality.”

He completed Wheeler’s Hebron year-long addiction recovery program and has been clean now for more than 14 months after a seven year addiction. He has enrolled in Wheeler Servant Leadership Program and is helping other men in the Hebron Program who are working hard to beat their addiction.

He tells them if he can stop walking around that mountain, so can they. Thanks for helping in his recovery process through your prayers and gifts.

Labels: addiction testimony

Below are thoughts from one of our staff members, Mike Barclay:

The history of the kings of Israel and Judah is pretty depressing. It seems that for every good king you read about, you have to suffer through 10 bad ones. Once you get to 2 Chronicles 14:2 however, there are some very refreshing words; “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God”. Asa is one of my favorite kings for several reasons. One reason is that his reign started strong. He removed the things in the land that didn’t honor God. He repaired the altar which was in ruins. When he faced a battle that he had no chance of winning he depended on God rather than on his own strengths and abilities and he won the battle convincingly. Under King Asa, Judah prospered and was at peace for 35 years. The second reason that I like the account of King Asa is that it gives us a very stern warning about what it takes to finish strong. You see, after 35 years of success, Asa found himself in a situation that once again threatened the land of Judah. This situation was nothing as fierce as the one he faced at the beginning of his reign when he allowed God to win the battle for him. The difference in this situation however, is that he didn’t involve God in it. He looked to his own abilities and resources and to those of a neighboring country. King Asa had forgotten where he came from and who had delivered him in the first place. The end result is that he lost control of the situation, got bitter at the prophet who told him that his failure was a result of not trusting in God and he ended up dying of a foot disease because he would only seek help from the doctors and he refused to seek God’s intervention.
King Asa is a reminder to us that what matters isn’t necessarily how we start, but how we continue on, especially when things get tough. We have always tried to be good stewards of what God has blessed us with in the good times and in the bad. As a result, we have seen God do wonderful and miraculous things at Wheeler Mission Ministries over the years. During these uncertain economic times, we will continue to be ever vigilant in seeking God’s guidance and direction in utilizing the gifts and resources that good people like you share with us for the Kingdom of God each and every day.

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I have been blessed to have some great pastors, including those who mentored me early in my ministry years. An important lesson I learned in those days was that we need to finish well. One of my mentors will turn 81 years of age in a few weeks and he is still going strong in ministry. When in mentored me back in the 1970’s, he told me he was determined to “wear out but not rust out” while serving the Lord. He was determined to serve Him to the end.

To the men out there – take a look at the Apostle Paul’s message to older men in Titus 2:2. He instructed them to have endurance. He was telling them “finish well.” Let’s keep on track. Don't let the rust start, and mentor those younger than us so that they may do the same!

Rick