It's been a while since I've written. As the Toyota Venza ads imply, sometimes it's best to put your virtual life on hold to do something significant in real life.  It's no secret that our nation's economy is not what it could be. I have become aware of three families with ties to our congregation that have been hit rather hard by the recession.
     As president of our local Thrivent Chapter, I have had the opportunity to organize and build support for teams to provide real hands-on help: the Kendall-Aurora chapter of Thrivent generously funded projects in which church members and other volunteers: painted, stained, sanded, scraped, floored, provided material support and dozens of hours of labor for these families. Rehabbed kitchens, usable decks, and even the thrill of working hot-water (which had been out for years) all fairly shouted: “We care!” in an encouraging way that these families heard loudly and clearly.
     Tomorrow is the last of these projects, but we have much more to do. This Sunday is our blood drive (from 10 AM till 1 PM) and there are others who can benefit from our being Jesus' hands and feet. I'd just like to say a huge, “Thank You!” to all of our members and volunteers who helped in any way.  There will be a number of pictures to follow–look for them on our Thrivent photo section.