A Gateway to Christ

As I write this article, it is hard to believe that my “Rookie Year” as your Community Lay Director is over and now the next year begins. I have been blessed with a great board that has endured my tenure. To all of the Board Members who are going off the Board, I thank you for your dedication to the Emmaus community.

To the new members coming on this next year, I thank you for your willingness to serve. We have a lot of work to do in the next year.

We have had 2 Town Meetings and the Community has given us some insight into what they would like to see accomplished this next year.

Such as;

These are just a few of the things that the Board will be working on this next year.

I am looking forward to working with the board this next year.

So it is time to “roll up your sleeves” and begin the work for Emmaus and more importantly for our Lord and Savior.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy & Blessed New Year! -De Colores

Being a musician, almost everything seems to remind me of a song. As I read the story of

Daniel, it brought to mind a song by Ginny Owens called “If You Want Me To”. Has anyone ever heard it? Has anyone ever heard of Ginny Owens?

Let me tell you about her. I think her

story is relevant (and maybe has some similarities to Daniel), but first let me share the lyrics

from the first verse of this song…

As Daniel was being driven out of his homeland and taken to Babylon with many of his friends and family, it may have provided quite a bit of time to consider his faith and his relationship with God. Kind of like we do at a Walk to Emmaus Weekend. But Daniel’s “walk” could have taken a month or more.

I have always viewed Daniel as one of the most devout characters of the Old Testament. No matter what difficult situation was put before him, he always relied on God to pull him through it, and he always came out better, due to his strong faith, than before he began. Ginny Owens story, helps to see how a modern day person overcomes obstacles and challenges - much like Daniel had to do in his time 2800 years earlier.

Ginny Owens was born with poor vision, and has been legally blind since she was three years old. In spite of her defective vision, in 1997, she earned her bachelor of music education degree from Belmont University. She set out to be a music teacher, but found that most people were skeptical about hiring a blind music teacher. Maybe, like Daniel, she was ripped away from what she thought would be her career and

was left wondering what she would do with the remainder of her life. But fortunately she didn’t get discouraged, she trusted God and began writing music. She is now known for performing Contemporary Christian music, but has more recently had her songs featured on Warner Bros, ABC TV shows, and independent films. Owens had three

albums chart on Billboard albums charts in the 2000s.

So, Ginny Owens took what appeared to be a bad situation and turned it into a good situation, much like Daniel. I don’t know if this song is about Daniel’s story or her own,

but this is what I do know about Ginny Owens. Like most of us, she believed that trials are what helps shape us; what helps to build

character and faith. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

But someone told her, (maybe at the height of her depression over not being able to pursue her music teaching career,) “It’s not the trial that makes you stronger, but how

you respond to the trial…”

My takeaway from the Book of Daniel was that he was a pillar of strength not because of all the trials he encountered, but because he trusted God to respond to his trials. In every trial, Daniel would pray and then wait for God to respond or wait for God to resolve the problem... Which leads me back to the rest of Ginny Owens song…

“No, I'm not who I was when I took my first step.. And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet...

So if all of these trials bring me closer to You... Then I will walk through the fire... If You want me to”

No, I don’t think Daniel was the same at the end of his journey to Babylon as he was when he took that first step. I think many of the people of the tribe of Judah would have had a life changing experience as they made that trip. But Daniel, and his friends, certainly came to the conclusion that God was molding them through His (God’s)

actions, and at the end of this journey they would be closer to Him. That allowed them to walk through that fire. And the song continues…

“It may not be the way I would have chosen... When You lead me through a world that's not my home..

But You never said it would be easy

...You only said I'd never go alone”

So, What’s the bottom line? We are all on a journey. And, we all should take the time to think how we should respond to the trials we encounter along the way. If we remain obedient to God, and take the time to pray, and allow God the time to answer our prayer before trying to take over ourselves, maybe we can be more like Daniel (or like Ginny Owens).

CLICK OUR LINKS BELOW

What are we doing as a sponsor? The full list is included in the Pilgrim Sponsor form at www.floridacrownemmaus.com, but here are a few of the key ways to give service to your pilgrim. 

 -De Colores!

I my last article I wrote about how important it is for the new pilgrims to check their profile in Ministry

Manager, but it is important for all Community Members as well. The Weekend Lay Directors and Team

Selection are busy form the Teams for Weekend #85 and Ministry Manager is an important tool in that

process. The Team Selection committees look at the experience of potential Team members to put

them in the appropriate positions. Ministry Manager contains the service records of previous Weekends so if you are interested in being on the next Team, it is a good idea to make sure that your records are up to date in Ministry Manager. If you helped in the dining room or the Background Team, it shows your

commitment to the Community. Make sure it is recorded properly.

Once the Lay Directors have a list of qualified persons for the various positions, they start the process of

contacting them to see who is available. Make sure that the contact information in your profile, such as email, phone number, and address, is correct. I know frustrating it can be for a Lay Director to have a great candidate for a Team member but not be able to reach out to them. Even if you are not able to be on a Team at this time, having your contact information up to date will make sure you are getting newsletters and other information to serve behind the scenes. Certainly, one of the best ways to support the Weekends is to pray for them. The prayer vigil for Walk #85 is already set up in Ministry Manager. Just select your time and start typing your name. Remember how you felt on your Weekend when you saw all those names posted on the wall.

Another benefit of Ministry Manager for the Emmaus Community is the tracking of Reunion Groups. If

you are already in a Group, make sure it is registered in Ministry Manager. Sponsors, if you are starting a Group with your Pilgrim, ensure that it is registered as well. That way, those looking for an existing Group will know what is available. The best way to ensure that Florida Crown remains a vital and vibrant Community is to have strong Reunion Groups. If you need help finding or starting a Reunion

Group, reach out to the Board Reunion Group Coordinator, Verna Fields. If you have any questions or

need help with Ministry Manager, just email me a [email protected]. Let’s use all of the tools we have to make Walk #85 a great success!

At certain times in your life, you wish to reflect on what's taken place in growth. You hopefully become spiritually more aware of who you are as a Christian. -This is definitely one of those times for myself.

I've been truly blessed to be a part of this Florida Crown Emmaus Community. From going on the Emmaus Men's Walk, to playing in the praise band for Emmaus, and being a part as the Communications Coordinator this past year....

There has been a spirit of love, uplift, and a desire to build God's Kingdom through this ministry.

I want to thank you personally for allowing me to watch and learn through your example, as to just how powerful the Walk to Emmaus Ministry truly is! I love you, and thank you for allowing me to be an integral part... And continue with an excited heart to see what God has next in store!

-Have a Very Happy 2024!

-Decolores!!