Pabama Family Opportunity

You asked for it, here it is!  
- How do we keep Pabamaing people in our lives in between our monthly 'runs'?
- How do I get my kids involved?
- Why is there braille on the drive-up ATM?

The answer:  Cards

Yup, cards.  Have you ever received a card from someone you didn't know, or didn't really know?  It's powerful.  To receive a card from kids?  Exponentially more powerful.  (Sammy Sabatino glued salt to a card for someone, how cool is that?!)
ex·po·nen·tial  (ekspo-nenshel) adj. Expressed in terms of a designated power of e, the base of natural logarithms.
Mr. Clausing, if you would be so kind, please comment to this post with the reaction of your father to kid's cards! 

A link to the Card Ministry spreadsheet will always be in the 'Cool Links' section, currently at the top of the right column.  Or <Click here>
(Note:  it is started by leads from the CLC church Care Ministy.  [That's my church, Mitchem].  BUT, ANYONE can be added, PLEASE add people.) 

There are some pretty heavy needs in this list, and this is an easy way bless someone with a huge blessing.  We have proven time and time again that if we throw something out there for God's Glory, the Spirit will answer powerfully, and multiply our efforts.   

To God be ALL the Glory. 

Thank you Knights!  I love you all!)

Krazy throws down the gauntlet!

I received this email from Krazy over the weekend:


OK..... who's in?

BikeReg.com

136 West St - Suite 101 - Northampton, MA - 01060

Billing@BikeReg.com - (888) 956-9560

Bill To Karl Schmitz 1431 Ridgewood Dr Jenison , MI 49428 US XXXXXXXXXXXX8400 karlrs@comcast.net (616) 291-7088

Charge on card statement will be indicated as BIKE REG COM

Order Date 02/25/2012 1:25:00 PM

Confirmation Number 93H286972W520182C

Event Name (Date) Category - Participant Name
ODRAM (One Day Ride Across Michigan) (Aug 18 2012) ODRAM - Karl Schmitz	$65.00
Service Fee	$3.80
TOTAL	$68.80

It's time to stop Toe Dipping and register!

If you are nervous, good, it's a long ways.  However, if you throw a little consistent training at it, it is very doable.  Mitchem will lay out a basic training schedule soon.  So, what do you say:  Let's get some nuts!!!  (Of course we won't be able to feel them during the trip . . . Boy, I hope Lou doesn't read this post.)

From their website:
Is ODRAM a ride that only really hardcore cyclists can complete?
No way!  Cyclists of all ability and experience levels can and do finish ODRAM...most even roll into the finish party with an ear-to-ear grin on their face (a phenomenon known as "BikeFace").  If you can complete a century, you can pedal ODRAM.  The hardcore folks do the return ride (MARDO - Mad Ass Ride Do-Over) into the prevailing winds the following day.

Books?.... What if he doesn't like to read?

Welcome Brother Herm to the Pabama Knights!

It was a great turn out tonight to bless brother Corban.

So this is what it is all about.... A bunch of guys meet at the book store to pick up books for a guy who we don't know is much of a reader.

Prayers are spoken over the gifts...and God takes it from there....

MATTHEW 6:8 - "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him".

Check out Corbans facebook post-

That is PABAMA!!!!

Thank you God!! We love you!!!

Welcome Herm!

The Spirit was strong again tonight!  We welcomed Herm as an official Pabama Knight!  (Sorry everything is so unorganized Herm, that's just how it is around here!).  Then we blessed Corbin with some books and a Meijer gift card.

Steve Sabatino gave extra tickets for the movie Courageous to Corbin, randomly as he walked in to the movie.  Then Corbin ran into Steve again at the Courageous winter Campout (nice work Cheese!).  Corbin came back for the 6am Bible study in the parking lot in January, and last was seen at CLC church on Sunday.  (This is not Mitchem's church if you are wondering.)  Corbin is searching, let's pray the Spirit prepares his heart. Some other highlights:

- 10 men showed up and prayed over the books, movie & gift card.  Well, 9 prayed, see the picture to the right . . .
- We had to play the A-team theme on one phone, through a 2nd phone to a 3rd phone on speakerphone.  Mitchem, we need another round of CDs!
- Another run where the pot grows instead of shrinks.  Current balance:  $451.59.  There is a word for that: Pabama!!!

As always God, use our crude efforts to further your kingdom.  To God be ALL the Glory!

I saw Christs this morning!

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus - Philippians 2:4-5

I saw Christs this morning . . . .

Daisy is our homebody.  She often likes to curl up on the couch with her beloved 'snuggli'.  This gives her the peace and comfort she needs, while for Ellie these concepts are completely unknown . . .

So this morning, Daisy is sad, she just doesn't want to go to school.  She wants to stay home with her snuggli.  She is crying pretty hard and there are moments where she clings to the closest available leg.  Rational thought is no longer happening.

This was quite hard for me.  This doesn't happen often, so we don't think there is an underlying cause.  Thus, other than time, there is no way to 'fix' it.  However, we don't have time, the school bell rings at 8:05AM, whether you are sad or not.

We made it to school.  The red eyes and clinging caused us to attract attention from the class that did not help with our attempts at recovery.  Finally after a little time in our seat (while hugging dad), we calmed a little.  Then the 2nd bell rang.  There was a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as I knew I had to leave.  My staying would not help her, it only made her want to go home more.  I had to do it.  It's ridiculous, but it was so very hard for me.

That's when I saw him.  I saw Christ!  He was in 2 places at once, but hey, he's the Almighty Creator of the universe, he can do that sort of thing.  He first showed up next to my daughter and held her as I let go.  He looked curiously like her teacher Mrs. Kingma.  This enabled me to force myself out the door.  But I just couldn't leave . . . what if she was spiraling downhill?  So I hovered outside the door.  I peaked in to try to determine if I could force myself to leave the building.  As I looked in Daisy was still being held, and she looked a little better.  I started to relax.

That's when I saw him again!  He had seen the father hovering in the doorway, and understood.  He made a point to come over and he assured me that Daisy would be well looked after and would receive extra hugs.  (Extra hugs from Christ, SIGN ME UP!).  I felt Christ so much, that I didn't even question that he looked exactly like Daisy's teacher Mrs. Brace.  With this assurance and one final peak in, I saw that my Daisy was returning back to her normal self.  Finally, I had the peace to leave.

That's how I saw Chirsts this morning.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. - Matthew 22:36-39

Let's Go East!

Maybe not to Jeruselem, but at lest Jamestown (Hudsonville) and Jenison.

A couple of key men in the church have agreed to feed us needs, and add some manpower.

It looks like the Jenison Leg is officially starting to walk.

Let me know what fits into the schedule and I'll let you know what the needs are.

C'ville Unite!

The Coopersville Knights have officially kicked off.  And even though there is only one knight that has been dubbed into service so far, the wheels are turning.  Everyone, please welcome Jim "my life is the definition of Pabama" Hunter.  (hard to see, but notice the C on his chest!).

I will try to put upcoming Coopersville info on the list on the blog as well.  But I just want everyone to know, if you are a Pabama Knight, then you can also be included in the C'ville subgroup.  So, if you ever want to join us on a mission, then "just do it" (my favorite slogan from the past).

I love it when 2 PABAMA’s come together!

Hey Guys!  While operation “Couch Leg” was going on around the home base the other night, (Awesome job there!) I must report that a 2^nd operation was indeed taking place at the same time!  There was a PABAMA grocery drop that was given to a neighbor of mine in Holland who was recently and abruptly left by his wife and kids.  He just needed some unconditional financial support.  I gathered the men of my church group and some fellow neighbors and taught them a new word!  “Nope it’s not Cabana, it’s PABAMA!”  They got the idea after some practice and witnessed firsthand the pure joy of acting on God’s behalf.

Because it was a neighbor, my wife and younger kids (Sara was one of the kids involved in the drop) got to watch from the front window the utter shock from the recipient as he stared at a landing full of groceries between each of 3 trips to the kitchen!  Another cool twist, had kids ages 6, 12, and 17 involved in the operation!  PABAMA!  God rocks!

Happy Valentines Day God!!!

I love you God, it's all yours!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Everyone:

The 'Pabama Signal' is down.  5 Knights combined for a successful move!  What started as 1 trip did turn into 2 with the addition of the garage.  But with Sabatino's sweet trailer, removing a door at the destination, removing a leg of the couch and Baker stepping up at the end in true Pabama form, it was a wonderfully successful trip!

As always, God, use our simple actions to show yourself to others.  To God be ALL the Glory.

(P.S.  No couches were hurt during this trip, the leg was re-attached.)

Introducing - The 'Pabama Signal'

Everyone:

This is the Pabama signal:  I will email it to all of you.  If you put it out with your request, the Knights will saddle up, and come a charging!  It is probably best suited for short term, outside the regular meeting requests.

Wow, come to think of it, I have just such a request!  What a co-indidence! 

(Play inspiriation, Mission Impossible type music here)
Mission:  Move 4 pieces of furniture
Story:  One of our 3 Christmas recipients has moved.  She cannot move the large furniture.
Specifics:  Please synchronize your time pieces to:  http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/simpletime.html and meet at the Meijers in the parking lot by the gas station at 8:30pm, Monday the 13th.  Email Dyk, and we are looking for a trailer.

A Thousand Words

A tisket, a tasket, 8 men and a basket.

[For some reason, when we are on a Pabama run, like last night, everything seems to be right. The messiness of life seems to go on hold, and everything seems right and good. I hope that's a feeling of lining up with God's will and his plan. If it is, I want to work on feeling that more, it is so very, very good!]

We assembled Herm's basket, and we learned something new about Sabatino! He is amazing at arranging baskets, he's kept this talent well hidden, but we will be sure to use it in the future!  (That's some of his work to the right)

We also learned something about Cheese.  He is serious about these missions!  He wore latex gloves, so he didn't leave a finger print on anything!

But even more awesome than's Sabatino's basket, I know, it's hard to believe, was the praying over the basket.   The spirit was strong, and I am confident that the basket will serve his purposes.  To GOD be ALL the Glory!

Well done fellow Knights!

(For those of you wondering:  The words Tisket and Tasket do not appear in standard dictionaries, so were probably fabricated to suit the rhyme and metre.)

Are You Exhausted Spiritually?

I have been struggling to piece together a 'God Part II' entry (maybe I should listed to Track 14 on Rattle and Hum ....), so today enjoy the latest from Oswald Chambers (utmost.org).  Sometimes, thinking about our sin, depravity, fallen-ness, I want to remove myself from all equations since I am un-worthy.  Oswald says this is not the case . . . what are your thoughts on his opinions below?  This is pretty heavy stuff!
(Bottom line, from many angles, I am learning that I am not living as God wants me to live.  Pray for me, and then help me!)

Feb 9, 2012
The everlasting God . . . neither faints nor is weary —Isaiah 40:28

Exhaustion means that our vital energies are completely worn out and spent. Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but of service. Whether or not you experience exhaustion will depend on where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing with which to feed them (John 21:17). The process of being made broken bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other people’s souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you completely— to the very last drop. But be careful to replenish your supply, or you will quickly be utterly exhausted. Until others learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply, until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and sheep, as well as for Him.
Have you delivered yourself over to exhaustion because of the way you have been serving God? If so, then renew and rekindle your desires and affections. Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies. You have no right to complain, “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. “All my springs are in you” (Psalm 87:7).

Krazy's posting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY