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The Burden of Blight

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The Burden of Blight by A-ChuckAllen

When humans exist in an elongated period of sorrow, loss, tragedy, or poverty, they can fall into a state known as human blight. It’s that place where hope seems to have been gone forever and hurt seems to have taken up residence in the human heart.

Human Blight is what I experienced on the Abacos Islands last week. I arrived into Nassau Thursday and immediately hopped in the back of a Piper Cub and flown into Marsh Harbor. Marsh Harbor is truly a disaster zone, but it was nothing compared to what I saw on Man-O-War Cay or Hopetown. These are just two of the complete disasters in the Abacos Islands.

What I saw would crush any person’s heart. What was an oasis of beauty and what was once quaint little beach towns, untouched by the rapid westernization and chain hotels and restaurants, is quite literally destroyed. Nothing is left that is green. Every leaf and every tree – gone. Every colorful hamlet – gone. Most every boat sunken, capsized, tossed into parts, or picked up and carried miles inland. While flying about 300 feet over the islands on the way back to Nassau, I spotted boats that had been picked up by winds or by storm surge and placed entirely miles inland in the middle of a chicken farm.

The natural disaster left in the wake of Dorian is overwhelming. The task to clean up and rebuild seems impossible. There is more debris than the islands can burn or bury. Every home is either destroyed or already covered in mold. Every resource is down. No running water, very little electricity, and then comes what I believe to be the worst disaster of all. The catastrophe of human blight.

People are destroyed under the enormous loss and chaos created by the sustained 185 miles per hour winds and island swamping water surge. What didn’t blow away, has been washed away. To add insult to injury, there is very little mass coordination regarding the relief efforts, and of course, there are the sin-filled and evil people that are seeking to profit from these folks’ misery and lack of resources. I wouldn’t consider myself an angry or violent man, but some folks need to have their hind parts beaten because of their insensitivity and wicked ways. And just to put the rotten cherry on top of the spoiled whipped cream, these tiny ports are under stress to manage duty on the incoming relief supplies in container ships. Small ports used to handling wholesale goods to mom and pop shops are trying their best to adjust to the new demands…and not terribly well, quite yet.

I honestly could talk for hours about the problems, and the pictures do no justice to the damage as you can see in most pictures the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean just beyond them. So what are we regular, American folk to do? Here are what I believe to be the best avenues to help, considering that it might take three years to restore these gorgeous islands.

The burden I feel for these folks is more than I can carry and more than our church can carry alone. I’ve been so blessed to have become a part of a vast network of organizations and people that can help.

  1. PRAY! Pray for these poor folks. And yes, I mean sick as in economically, spiritually, and emotionally. The only way that these gracious people recover is by the hand of God and the sweat of God’s People!
  1. Start with rebuilding and restoring the churches. Most of the small churches on the islands were completely demolished. Start with the easiest to restore and get them rebuilt, dried in, mold-free, and operating. You cannot imagine the importance of the local churches and their pastors on the islands. The church is the center of hope, food, restoration, recreation, and health. These churches aren’t worried about how big they grow, but how they love their people – Great concept, right? One church, like the church I pastor, could rebuild and sweep debris away from the local church and set up extraordinary temporary structures in one week! Sugar Hill Church will start with one and restore as many as possible! Please, join us!
  2. Restore the homes of the local pastors. Many of these folks have had to relocate to shelters. If this were the American church, I’d say, restore them last, but the people of Abaco see their pastors differently. These leaders are more than pastors. They are the connection of God to a tiny part of the world, filled with the similar strife that we Americans deal with, minus the affluence. Sugar Hill Church will start with the pastor’s home of our first church and continue to restore as many as possible. Will you and your church consider helping us?
  3. Restore dignity and hope into the lives of the Bahamian people, Bahamian-Haitian people, and Haitian migrants, both legal and illegal. Yep! You heard that right. The Bahamas has a much smaller immigration challenge, but a challenge for sure. They also have a race problem. All three of the people groups I mentioned have great need, and none of them are immune from to blight of hopelessness. As a supporter of the Prime Minister and the government of the Bahamas, I want to support and aid their rebuilding agenda…but not at the loss of human dignity and human rights of the Haitian people. Sugar Hill Church will help rebuild homes and start providing help for any people. We aren’t that big, but human dignity requires very little money. It does require a great deal of empathy and compassion. Will you and your church consider helping us?

I know this may feel cold, as this short agenda seems focused on rebuilding things, but friends, this is about restoring hope, health, and order found in the love of Christ Jesus and the power of the Divine God of all Creation working through His people and His church. We do not have much time to wait and get structured. I’m building a website that can update people on how they can travel to help, pray to help and give to help. I’ll also pass along ongoing work with a few heroic organizations that have been on the ground from day one. One such group, led by a superhero, Austin Holmes, has already restored the structure and dried in six churches. And every one of those churches held worship gathering s last week (more to come). As soon as the site is live, I’ll connect you guys.

More to Come – Go in Peace,

A-Chuck

4forFRIDAY with A-ChuckAllen

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This week’s 4forFRIDAY October 4, 2019

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings and Reviews, simply for your enjoyment. Thanks Again! If you don’t already subscribe to my Weekday Meditation Podcast, I encourage you to check it out HERE. If you missed the articles that I posted earlier this month regarding my trip to the Southern Border, you can find it HERE.

A Really Good Read: The Road Back to You

This is a solid read. It will give you insights into why you think the way you do, why other people annoy you, naturally, and how to best interact with others in every facet of your life. I’ve been an enneagram fan for years, but recently reread this great book. Enjoy! I liked this so much that I’ve now read it twice and listened to it once. Our staff is reading through this together this month as well.

This Was a Great Reminder: Central City Tavern is Really Good

I met my friend Carlos there earlier this week and we shared the Game-day Nachos as an appetizer. Then I enjoyed the Chicken and Chorizo Quesadillas. Carlos enjoyed the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. I know a lot of folks from church ate there after last week’s Celebrate Sugar Hill Service. You’ll like it!

I Loved this Book from Taylor Morton; Kingdom Leader

In Taylor’s second book, you will be challenged and sharpened. Every believer should read up and let the Lord use Taylor’s book to give you an on-point view of leadership that matters!

This Isn’t Your Average Netflix Special: The Brain of Bill Gates

I just started watching it on a recommendation from my good friend Bobby McGraw (YourStoryMatters.com) and he was right on. This is a most fascinating look at one of my lifetime’s brightest thinkers and doers. Enjoy!

My New Journal, Power Routines 3 is now available on Amazon.
Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES II at Sugar Hill Church! And coming soon to Amazon!

A Quote from Max Lucado

“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one that says it, our prayers do make a difference..”

The Weekday Podcast and the Weekday Meditation

The Podcast is a 5 minute/day, 5 day/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures. The Meditation is about 6 minutes/day, 5/day/week and is designed to give you a combined and guided prayer/meditation experience.

Both of these resources are available on the Sugar Hill Church APP or WeekdayPodcast.com & WeekdayMeditation.com

Go in Peace, 
AChuck

The Sermon Not Preached Sunday.

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The Sermon Not Preached Sunday 9/29 by AChuckAllen

It was a perfectly beautiful Sunday, if it were the middle of July. Ninety degrees and a heat index adding another 10 degrees made for a challenging morning for an outside Worship Gathering. That’s why this sermon wasn’t taught. So, here you go…The sermon not preached on Sunday!

Can you imagine what it’s like to be blind? I mean, what if you couldn’t see anything? What if you couldn’t even imagine what the world’s most beautiful beach looked like? Or what if you had never seen a sunset as the purple turns to orange and the orange fades to pink on a beautiful summer evening? What if you felt like you offered nothing to society? That you were considered a problem rather than a person?

What if, like the character in our story today, you had to panhandle, you begged for your sustenance and survival? Having to sit there every day in the hot sun and call out to people walking down the street, people you can’t even see, who might be mocking you even as they drop something in your cup.

So it was with a man by the name of Bartimaeus. Every day on the side of the road, sweaty and grimy with the nasty dust kicked up in his face, and the stinking animals…well, let’s not go there today..

Let’s try to walk alongside Jesus as we see Him through the eyes of Witnesses. In Mark’s account today from the New Testament writer of Mark 10:46-52.

Mark 10:46-52

[46] Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. [47] When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” [48] “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” [49] When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” [50] Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. [51] “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” [52] And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

I wonder, as he awakened that morning, if Bartimaeus thought there to be anything unusual about this day? I doubt it. It likely dawned like any other day; he was likely awakened by the early-morning noise of the city of Jericho.

Bartimaeus clutched his ever-present coat around himself and struggled to his feet. His crude living quarters provided him shelter and little else. With matted hair and unshaven face, this blind beggar began to make his way into town.

Most of those who did see him diverted their attention away from him quickly. It is difficult for the sighted to fathom the handicap of blindness; it is difficult for us to fathom what grinding poverty must be like. He lived a life of surviving on charity, on people’s leftovers. He experienced little joy in life, little success, little peace. His daily goal was survival.

And so he sat. Passover was coming, and the crowds in the streets would be larger—maybe this would be a more profitable day than most!

Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered around Jesus. Jericho was only about 15 miles away from Jerusalem, and the main road ran right through town. Jesus was on His way to the Passover; and so, people gathered around and listened to his teaching on the trip.

If Vice-President Pence were walking through Sugar Hill, a lot of folks would come out! So the streets would be lined with people. And maybe, just maybe, this would be a red-letter day for a beggar like Bartimaeus!

Anticipation was heavy in the air as the crowd began to enter the city of Jericho. The mood was festive; people were hopeful that they were in the beginning stages of ushering in God’s long-awaited Messiah, the political deliverer who’d get them out of this bondage to the Romans.

They say that when a person loses one of their senses, others compensate to the degree that they are able. His sense of hearing then being keenly developed, Bartimaeus could tell that something had caused a huge crowd.

He had to find out what all the commotion was all about, and so he cried out, asking if anyone could tell him the reason for the ruckus, and he was told: Jesus of Nazareth was coming that way!

He had heard stories about the rabbi, the miracle worker.

“How could a man do these things unless God is with him?” Many times he had thought, “If only I were in the presence of this Jesus, he could heal me too!”

He had no eyesight, but perhaps he had remarkable insight. Helen Keller said, “Better to be blind and to see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.”

This was Bartimaeus’ moment of truth; it was act now, or forever be consigned to blindness; forever wonder what might have been; forever live with regret and pain. There come such moments of decision in this life for all of us. Moments which, looked back upon, are make-or-break moments.

He swam in the sea, drank of the deep Embraced the mystery of all he could be. This was his time!

For Bartimaeus, the opportunity was now-or-never. He didn’t allow the negativity of the crowds deter him. He didn’t worry about his handicap; he didn’t lament what he couldn’t do, rather he just did what he could. He didn’t hesitate; he began calling out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Did you catch the response of resistance from the crowd; they tried to shut him up. Why spoil the Passover celebration? “We’re on our way to the Holy City; we have no time for a blind beggar!” “Don’t bother the Master, you old beggar man!” “He’s got more important things to do than to fool with you!”

Oh the irony here!

This is the church crowd, on their way to a religious festival! These are people who are listening to Jesus’ talk about the kingdom of God! They are in the right place, listening to the right thing and they completely miss the point!

Sunday morning doesn’t matter a whole lot if what we do when we leave this place doesn’t reflect the truth that we have met with Jesus, the Son of the Living God!

There were people who were with Jesus, listening and taking it all in, in the right place, if you will, but when it came to helping out a blind man, they told him to shut up. They failed to seize a golden opportunity that smacked them right in the face. Does that represent what the church does sometimes? They were so interested in listening and so woefully short when it came to obeying. They told the blind man that Jesus wouldn’t have time for him.

But that’s where they were wrong, dead wrong. Jesus was far more concerned with the hurting and the needy than His schedule or His fame.

Bartimaeus just cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, hey, have mercy on me!” When the cry reached Jesus’ ears, it froze Him in His tracks. That phrase, “Son of David”, had significant overtones; this is the first time we read that anyone had publicly referred to Jesus as such. He heard a plaintive cry and a prophetic salute at the same time! Jesus knew who was crying out for Him and why.

And so Jesus, on His way to becoming the Savior of the world, stops to become the servant of a blind beggar!

The fickle crowd had been saying, “Shut up!” Now, their refrain changes, as they say, effectively, “Cheer up!”

There was a real reason to cheer up, to take courage, for Someone was here Who could make a real difference! Now the crowd said, “Get up!” The Master was calling, and when Jesus calls, we better not stay where we are. Up to his feet he leapt, and following as best he could the sound of the voice, he made his way to Jesus. Tossing aside his old coat he made his way to Jesus. Bartimaeus responds to the call of Jesus.

“What do you want?” Jesus asked. In Bartimaeus He saw true faith. God responds to faith! And He asks Bartimaeus, “what do you want?” He asked Bartimaeus to articulate the words of faith, words that acknowledge why the blind man had called for Jesus in the first place: “Teacher, I want to see!” And Jesus granted His request!

Think of it: total darkness to 20/20 vision in a millisecond! And just think – the very first thing that blind man saw was the face of Jesus! He once was blind, but now he sees!

But the story doesn’t end here. Bartimaeus “began following Jesus on the road.” He never went back and grabbed the old coat. When Jesus changes us, we don’t need the old things anymore! Just imagine the things that Bartimaeus would see just a few short days later, as this gentle Healer was scourged and mocked and then crucified.

The faith that caused Bartimaeus to call out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” was a faith that sustained this man, having been delivered by the mercy for which he cried, through the most trying of times, a faith that was bolstered by the event of the resurrection!

And there, lying on the ground by the Jericho roadside, is an old coat, no longer wanted or needed by a man whose life has been radically transformed by Jesus, now a memorial of the fact that, when Jesus changes a life, we don’t need the old stuff anymore!

Are you ready to lay down your old coat and let Jesus, the same Jesus that stopped for Bartimaeus stop here in Sugar Hill and offer you healing, forgiving mercies?

Peace by Yours, ACHUCK

4forFRIDAY with A-Chuck Allen

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This week’s 4forFRIDAY September 27, 2019

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings and Reviews, simply for your enjoyment. Thanks Again! If you don’t already subscribe to my Weekday Meditation Podcast, I encourage you to check it out HERE. If you missed the articles that I posted earlier this month regarding my trip to the Southern Border, you can find it HERE.

A Really Fun Movie: Downton Abbey

Totally burned my man card and admitted that I loved the show and enjoyed the movie even more. It’s got a few new wrinkles but its quick-witted and fun. If you didn’t see any of the television series, it might be challenging to keep up.

Leadership Blindspots: How Successful Leaders Identify and Overcome the Weaknesses That Matter

Leadership Blindspots is a comprehensive guide that helps individuals surface and act on unrecognized weaknesses that can impair their effectiveness, damage their organizations and derail their careers. Written by an author with years of experience working closely with leaders as a management consultant, the book provides a useful model for understanding how blindspots operate and the risks they pose.  At the same time, Leadership Blindspots offers a clear roadmap to becoming a better leader by offering pragmatic advice on how to manage blindspots more effectively.  

Power Routines Volumes 1, 2 and 3

All three Power Routines Books are available on Amazon and help the reader discover PEACE, POWER & DIRECTION in just 15 minutes a day through the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Prayer.

A Television Show We are Enjoying: Yellowstone

It’s a bit like a modern DAllas starring Kevin Costner. In the Wild West in modern day it’s still wild. I think you might binge watch on Netflix or Prime Video.

My New Journal, Power Routines 3 is now available on Amazon.
Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES II at Sugar Hill Church! And coming soon to Amazon!

A Quote from Roy T. Bennett

“Consistency is the true foundation of trust. Either keep your promises or do not make them.”

The Weekday Podcast and the Weekday Meditation

The Podcast is a 5 minute/day, 5 day/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures. The Meditation is about 7 minutes/day, 5/day/week and is designed to give you a combined and guided prayer/meditation experience.

Both of these resources are available on the Sugar Hill Church APP or WeekdayPodcast.com & WeekdayMeditation.com

Go in Peace, 
AChuck

People vs Politics: More Truth from the Southern Border

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People vs Politics: More Truth from the Southern Border by AChuckAllen

Without any doubt, the American political system has simply gone crazy. I don’t mean a little crazy. I mean bat-wing-knuckle-headed-lost your mind, crazy! There, I feel better.

I’ve listened to the Democratic hopefuls make some outrageous statements in their debates. I’ve heard that we are tearing families apart, that we are ripping children from mothers arms and that we are turning families away without due process. I’ve heard Conservatives and Liberals whine and cry about all of the horrible things we Americans are doing to the poor folks that are seeking asylum in the USofA.

Let me just say, with great conviction. That’s just HORSE CRAP!

I’ve now been to the border three times and have visited five Border Stations. Next month I’ll be in Yuma Arizona and back to El Paso and Juarez again. In October I’ll be in San Diego and Tijuana. I’ve seen it – up close. I’ve spoken with migrant men, women, families and kids. I’ve seen the stations where folks, primarily from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba and Mexico are processed and given an opportunity to be released legally into the States or at a minimum, given an NTA (Notice to Appear) to plead their case for asylum.

If you are an Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC), you have four levels at which you are expedited. 1) You have a verified parent already in the States. If so, you are moved to the front of the line and you are escorted all the way to where your parent resides. 2) You have a verified family member (non-parent) and then you are escorted to where your family member resides. 3) You have a vetted and verified friend of your family and again, you are escorted all the way to where that friend lives. Or 4) You are truly alone and with no sponsor. In that case, you are escorted to a UAC Facility that is designed with the safety and comfort of the child. I visited a UAC Facility in Texas last week. More than 300 boys, ages 13-17 are receiving three great meals each day (I ate two meals with them – no! Not at the same time) an American education, sports opportunities and more than 200 of those same boys have chosen to give their life to Christ and all of them are receiving skills training that any child in America would be thrilled to have. I saw, up close, the teaching in the school and saw the dormitory that was better than most of the dorms that I moved six daughters into on their freshman move in date.

Yes, this should break our heart and yes, it is a humanitarian crisis, but children are being loved and cared for in ways that are better than many of them have ever been cared for! Yes, we should do better and I am privileged to be taking a lead role in connecting American families and churches with these awesome kids. But don’t bite on the non-sensible banter thrown around by either party or candidate. We can meet the needs of kids and families and we can care for short or long term needs. This is the role of the Faith Community — Not the Government!

I heard just a few minutes ago, a replay from CNN, from the mouth of a prominent presidential hopeful that “we are ripping babies from the bosoms of their mothers.” Oh my stars! Can we cease with the politicizing of these kids? But it’s not just one way. The threat of ending immigration or living with totally open borders is just insanity. We have laws, most of which help the immigrant. Let’s use them and improve them, but for the sake of all that is decent on this planet, let’s stop using people for our personal, petty, platforms!

These folks are really good people. They, for the most part, seeking asylum for the opportunity to live the American dream. But our present laws do not allow the entry into this country for a better job. Let me be clear… Not everybody qualifies for asylum into this Land of the Free. But when we have kids that have lost their parents in the brutal process of dealing with the cartels on the way to the USA, we do and we should continue to love on the kids and care for these kids and serve these kids as if they were the most important kids in the world! Here’s the good news! Like or hate this Administration, they are allowing the faith community to step in and make a huge difference. For that, I will forever be grateful. You and I can serve the Moms and Kids that are in the middle of the process and then continue to serve them as they find their new homes in the USA.

More to come next week, but for now, the flood of folks has been slowed down to a manageable number of immigrants reaching our borders. That is the direct result of three things:

  1. Mexico is helping share the burden with groups on their northern and southern border.
  2. The rapid adjustments made by our Customs and Border Control Stations to accept and process mass numbers of people, even though they were never designed for that.
  3. The threatened tariffs of the Administration that has families detained on the Mexican Border awaiting their date to plead their case. By the way, I’ve visited one of those centers in Juarez, Mexico. It is as clean and efficient as the centers on our side of the border – minus air conditioning – and is accomplishing the task that the Migrant Protection Protocol intended.

I am hosting a “Real Truth Presentation on my Border Visits, including a Q&A Session” in October at the new Eagle Theatre in Sugar Hill, Georgia. I’ll be sure to post the specifics next week. I think you’ll be thrilled to hear and see the real deal, with absolutely zero political positioning or exaggerations.

Go in Peace,
AChuck

4forFRIDAY with AChuckAllen

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This week’s 4forFRIDAY August 9, 2019

I love to share good reads, learnings, listens and reviews with friends and followers. So, thanks for joining me on my 4forFRIDAY BLOG. Each week, the 4forFRIDAY offers recommended Reads, Listens, Learnings and Reviews, simply for your enjoyment. Thanks Again! If you don’t already subscribe to my Weekday Meditation Podcast, I encourage you to check it out HERE. If you missed thearticles that I posted earlier this month regarding my trip to the Southern Border, you can find it HERE.

A Really Fun Television Show: Ellen’s Game of Games

It’s funny, clean and a bit slapstick, but we love watching it! It’s a fun family show…even for folks that don’t like Ellen. I think she is hilarious.

A Really Good Read from James Clear: Constant Improvement

As many of you know, I’m a huge James Clear fan. He is practical, insightful and challenging. I cannot encourage you enough to be a part of his creative writing!

A Gadget that I Really Like: Self-adhesive Leather Pen Holder with Elastic Loop for Notebooks, Journals, Planners and Calendars

I use these on my iPad, my notebooks and my Power Routines. They fit every size of pens and I find them super handsy, even on my Bible.

A Great Listen from Jennie Allen: How Shame Affect All of Us

I’m a Jennie Allen fan and this episode, which was shared to me. I thought it was a powerful learning!

My New Devotional, Power Routines 2 is now available at Sugar Hill Church.
Instigating the habits of Gratitude, Scripture Reading, Journaling and Guided Prayer is a powerful way to CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUR LIFE! Pick up your copies of POWER ROUTINES II at Sugar Hill Church!

A Quote from PAULA WHITE

“Don’t waste another moment crying over what went wrong! If it wasn’t a blessing – it was a lesson.”

The Weekday Podcast and the Weekday Meditation

The Podcast is a 5 minute/day, 5 day/week Cup of Encouragement, straight from the Scriptures. The Meditation is about 7 minutes/day, 5/day/week and is designed to give you a combined and guided prayer/meditation experience.

Both of these resources are available on the Sugar Hill Church APP or WeekdayPodcast.com & WeekdayMeditation.com

Go in Peace, 
AChuck

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