Share Well With Others » homelessness

No Room At The Inn – Part 1 of 3 on Homelessness

Chad Houck — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:28:54 +0000

The following is part one of three Christmas guest blogs written by Chad Houck for GivMusic.com. An excerpt of each post will be posted here, and you can go to GivMusic’s blog for the full series! As we approach our Christmas and New Year’s festivities, may we be mindful and purposeful toward those who find themselves without a home this Christmas season, and beyond. Don’t know where to begin? Check out the 12 Days of Christmas Homeless Challenge and get started!

He Learned Their Names

Now I lay me down to sleep.
My bed will be the cold hard street.
I am not here because of choice.
I’ve lost my face. I’ve lost my voice.
I bow my head, chained down by shame.
Then along came one who learned my name.

He took my hand and helped me up.
He filled my soul when he filled my cup.
He asked me what I’d like to say
To those who’d never looked my way.
He didn’t ask who was to blame,
He just listened, yet I’m not the same.

I’m not invisible any longer.
My struggles, my story, have made me stronger.
I’m a father, a mother, a child, a wife
A husband, a daughter, a son… a life.
A once smoldering ash is now a flame.
All because he learned my name.

Read on at GivMusic.com, and please, learn the names behind the stories.

12 Days of Christmas Homeless Push

Chad Houck — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:48:31 +0000

While I understand that there are no longer 12 full days before Christmas, I also understand that the issue of homelessness and the plight of those without a home will not go away on December 26th. With that, I would like to challenge you to consider taking on the challenge within the 12for12k “12 Days of Christmas Homeless Push”. It provides 12 simple, practical ways that you can both create an impact and increase your awareness of both this issue and those that find themselves in the unfortunate place of being affected by it.

I am currently preparing a three part series on homelessness that we will roll out on this blog in the days leading up to Christmas. The posts were originally written as guest blogger posts for another organization, so once they roll them out, we will link to them from here.

Stay tuned, and Merry Christmas. To steal a line from the 12 Days challenge, may you find yourself being human to another human being this Christmas!

Love as Jesus loved. Live as Jesus lived. Share Well With Others.

Two New Share5 Videos – Sermon & Mexico Trip

Chad Houck — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:09:29 +0000

As we caught up today, we were fortunately able to get a few videos finished; one that we have been sitting on for about a month, and one from the most recent trip (week 1) to Mexico. Since we are limited on the amount we can add to Vimeo (anybody want to donate $59.95 for a pro account??) we loaded the Mexico video to YouTube until next week.

The first is a sermon preached by Chad at New Horizons Church in Southgate, CA just after Valentine’s day (if you wish, you can watch this one in High Definition on Vimeo)

Chocolate, Church, and Jesus from Share5 by WorldWins on Vimeo.

This video is a montage of week one of our trip to Mexico on a building project with Bethany Community Church’s High School Ministry (Tempe, AZ) for spring break. Hope you enjoy!

Teamwork and Teen-work

Chad Houck — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:28:46 +0000

This past week, Amy, the kids, and I were allowed to be spectators of and participants in the working of a miracle. On Sunday, March 8th, we loaded the RV and two vans with High School youth, adult leaders, and a few younger family members. We were 19 in total, and we had a mission in mind. We headed to Mexico to redirect the future of a family; to set them on a path out of poverty. We were going to build them a house.

What ensued was a modern day miracle. 19 people who were not professional builders in any aspect of the phrase put together their willingness to sacrifice a couple of days with their confidence that in God all things are possible, and when the "dust" cleared, not only did we provide a safe, locking, dry, and comforting home for a family of five, but we were actually able to go beyond and begin a second build, leaving a project at about 60% complete (habitable but not finished yet) for another team. Imagine that. God allowed us to go beyond what we had imagined. He proved once again what it means to have more than enough; more than enough time, labor, energy, enthusiasm, and love to go around.

So here we are. 6 days from our departure we have returned again to Tempe, AZ. Our plans were to go on to the other corner of the valley for the week, but as you know, plans change. We have decided to return to Mexico this week with the second team heading down this Sunday and finish what we started. We will build another house for Anna and her 4 children, and we will finish the second house that team one started for Renaldo and his family of 9. One and a half houses is the target. It will be a new team of 20 or so, and a whole new dynamic. Different but none the less capable. Once again, I am expecting that God will work a miracle through the hands and feet of the young people and willing adults that will place themselves as available vessels through which He can be glorified. We will go down to Mexico, we will offer ourselves as a gift, and we will come home humbled.

How can I say that so confidantly? I know the God I serve, and I have confidence in His miracle working power. May the same be said of you today as you go about bringing forth the miracle he has called you to deliver. May you be His hands and feet.

See our Flickr album of the Week 1 Mexico Build 2009 – Irma's House and for Week 1- Renaldo's Addition!