06 May 2009 Pastor Mike on the Radio!
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Pastor Mike will be on “Ask The Expert” on WTAR (850AM) this evening from 6-7pm. Tune in …and call in! (757-627-9827, or toll free at 1-800-359-8585)

Not local? Listen online @ http://wtar.com

We are trying to work out a way to record it… check back in a few days and we may have the show up on the website.

28 Apr 2009 Catching Up?
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It’s officially “Busy Season!”

I schedule the donation pickups for VH. I’m off on Mondays (Melissa schedules them then), so when I came in this morning I had a huge stack of messages on my desk.

I counted 17 messages… a sign that busy season has started. During the cooler months we get maybe ten to fifteen calls, and end up with about ten stops a day at the most.

Practically as soon as I sat down I was brought 5 more messages. (This was at 8:45).

A few minutes later, the phone rang. A few minutes after that I was brought 3 more messages.

Steadily, every ten or fifteen minutes, I get at least one more message - right now, even after calling back 10+ people, I still have just as many (if not more!) messages than I started out with!

It’s a good thing. We need donations! It’s exciting to see the pace start picking up.

You know what else is affected by busy season? We get a lot more NICE stuff at the thrift store! *hint hint* ;)

So, two things to remember:

  • We need donations!! Give me a call if you’ve got some stuff. I recommend calling 2 or more days before you want your pickup, though - we fill up FAST.
  • We need you to shop our store!! So come by… you know you want to! We’ve got so much cool stuff. What’s better than getting awesome stuff at awesome prices supporting an awesome ministry?

See (or hear from!) you soon!

11 Dec 2008 God at Work
 |  Category: Nancy  | One Comment

God encourages me often with stories folks share with me.  Last week, a Dad called about his son in jail.  The Dad started out by telling me his wife had seen our article in the newspaper.  He said they thought it was “a God thing” because the newspaper was 3 weeks old and his wife actually read it instead of just throwing it away!  They saw the article about Victory Home and felt it was God’s answer to their prayers.  His son is scheduled to come to Victory Home by the end of the month.  What a wonderful, merciful Savior!

11 Nov 2008 Exciting News & Events!
 |  Category: Bethany  |  Tags: ,  | 2 Comments

Just a quick update to let you all know what’s going on… 

-Pastor Mike will be on the local news (WVEC, channel 13) at noon tomorrow, November 12th.

-Pastor Mike will also be on the local radio (WPCE, 1400 AM) from 10:45-11am on November 13th.

-We were featured in the Hampton Roads Church Guide this month. You can read the article on page 7, here: http://www.thechurchguide.com/issues/Nov2008.pdf  

-We will, again, be featured in this Sunday’s edition of the Clipper (in the Virginian Pilot). They did a story about us a few years ago, also.

-Also, we will be featured in Discover Chesapeake at the end of the month.

-We have a PSA out on several local radio stations. You can listen to it on our website.

-The Fundraising & Awareness Banquet is coming up quick - only a week away. God is doing some amazing things - as you read on Melissa’s post, we already have 21.5 tables sponsored (paid for) and 14 table hosts (meaning 14 tables filled with people!). We also have 32 items for the silent auction. We are really looking forward to seeing what God’s going to do for us next Tuesday evening. Please be praying that we will get caught up financially through the donations brought in by the banquet.

11 Nov 2008 Seeing God at Work
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Our nation has experienced some history-making events over the last few weeks. The word “change” has been heard in every corner of the country. Nevertheless, no matter how the media and politicians of today try to define “change,” only time will tell whether the “change” is for the better. One thing is for sure… we will never have to guess at the outcome of the change that God’s brings.

Victory Home has always been about change… the change from the old life to the new, and the change that comes as God grows the ministry. Over the last month, I have had the privilege, along with the rest of Victory Home’s staff, of watching God seamlessly pull everything together for our upcoming banquet on November 18th.

This year is our fourth banquet. We have never had so many table sponsors (21.5 tables paid for!), so many table hosts (14 at last count), and so many high caliber auction items donated (32 so far)! It has just been amazing. And it’s not like the Lord has been doing this just the past week… of course, He works like this all the time. However, working in ministry, one often gets used to “everyday” miracles and keeps on pluggin’ away.

Our finances are stretched at Victory Home, to say the least. At times, the strain is more noticeable than others, but we continue to trust our Provider for all we need. He is faithful, and I’ve been reminded of this in a BIG way in the weeks leading up to our banquet.

There are many other thrilling things God is doing…and the list is longer than the time I have to record it all. Relative to fundraising, also, is the answered prayer for more car washes at a set venue. The Auto Zone around the corner from us lets us hold car washes regularly in their parking lot, and today I heard Emmitt (a VH client, and car wash king!) talking about two gas stations that set dates for us to use their property, too. It’s awesome!

I read Oswald Chambers’ during devotions every day (almost). This week, and last, so many of the daily readings hit the nail on the head, so to speak. This is an excerpt from last week:

We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19).

When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, “What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!” But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were “foolish” enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.

I am grateful that, though we are tested, the family of Victory Home is “foolish” enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment! 

 

17 Oct 2008 The Face of Love
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There is a constant ripple of change here at Victory Home. Men come, men go.

As we watch them come, we see many faces,
     the face of anxiety, 
          the face of fear,
               the face of hopelessness, 
                    the face of weariness,
                         the face of relief.

As we watch them go, we also see many faces - sometimes the face of anger, sometimes eagerness to return to the pigpen, and sometimes, the face shows 
     humility
          and gratefulness
               and determination
to continue in the the things they have learned. Those faces can be seen all over the community.

One can be seen at Chick-fil-A, where a woman has been working since she completed Victory Home over two years ago (we had a woman’s program at the time), is active in her church, and has not returned to her destructive lifestyle.

There’s one attending school at a local Bible college, who is reunited with his wife and children, and drops in periodically to touch base with his Victory Home family.

There’s one in Franklin, working hard as an auto mechanic and living with his family again.

There’s the HIV patient who calls periodically to let us know that he’s doing well.

There’s the man who now has a good job at the shipyard, and called just last week to say hello.

God can take a heart full of anxiety, fear, and hopelessness, and change it into a heart of faith, integrity and promise. All it takes is a heart ready to forsake all and follow Jesus,

who is the face of LOVE.

06 Oct 2008 Hungry, Anyone?
 |  Category: Melanie, Uncategorized  |  Tags: ,  | One Comment

Victory Home feeds over thirty people, three times a day.

And we spend hardly anything on food!

How is that possible? It’s easy. Two steps.

1) We pray.
We go to the Lord with our needs; this is His ministry and we ask for His provision. After all, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills!

2) God lays it on hearts of those in the community to give. 
And they do! Individuals buy spices and staple goods, grocery stores offer leftovers, restaurants save their extras, and other ministries share their blessings.

 

Is God speaking to you about giving?

Not sure what we need?

Give us a call at 487-2633. Let God use you today!

25 Sep 2008 Shop ’til you drop!
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We’ve had a busy summer - God has blessed us with so many generous donors for our thrift store that we’ve been able to have yard sales nearly every weekend! And we’ll continue to do so as long as we’re able. This weekend we’ll be at Rosemont Christian Church on Bainbridge Blvd. in South Norfolk, if the weather clears up. Every other weekend we’re across the street from our church (Geneva Park Baptist).  Here are a few pics of last weekend’s sale.

 

Join us this weekend - you never know what kind of treasures you may find!

22 Sep 2008 Flapjacks Galore!
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We had a great time at the Applebee’s Flapjack Fundraiser this weekend!

The flapjacks were delicious and we had lots of customers to serve. Our volunteers washed dishes, served the food, and greeted folks as they arrived.

Victory Home netted over $700 and we’re looking forward to having more of these breakfasts.  I’ll be sure to post the details when we schedule them.

22 Sep 2008 Yum!
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A friend of Victory Home received a large number of pears from a neighbor and decided to bless Victory Home by canning them and donating them to be sold in the thrift store.  Canned Pears, Pear Preserves, Amber Pear Preserves, and Pear Honey with Pineapple are all available now!
 

She also gave the extra pears to the Victory Home kitchen staff, so that the clients may enjoy this delicious fall bounty. Yum!