President's Corner

Christmas-A Savior Is Born For All Of Us!

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:28:55 GMT

This time of the year is always a great time as we celebrate the birth of our Savior! As I travel to all of our centers it is exciting to see the smiles and the joy that so many people we serve have on their faces. They have a joy that is only possible because of a Savior. Many have come to us with a true sense of hopelessness and to see them with hope and joy is such a blessing. God does change lives everyday at the Mission.

It is also so great to see the many families serving together, moms and dads, sons and daughters all pitching in to serve and make Christmas so special for all we serve. We have generous companies from all over the area who come in as well, donate, give time and treasures to make this a special time for all What a joy it is to see the faces of those who come to serve!

I also see the hearts to serve that our staff show not only at Christmas but everyday. We are so blessed with dedicated people who love the Lord and love the people we serve. They pour out everyday to serve with the gifts that God have given them. I have seen them pray, cry, rejoice and laugh with clients, other staff and volunteers doing the work they do. We as a ministry are truly blessed to have them!

As we get ready to celebrate Christmas this Friday, I want to encourage all of you, stop for a minute in the midst of all the busyness, think of that baby in a manager who came down from Heaven for all of us. If you know Him as your Savior be reminded of not only the birth, but His death on a cross and the great joy of Easter as He rose! If you have not yet made that decision, why not now? It is the best gift you could get at Christmas or anytime honestly, just stop, pray to God, let him know you have sinned, you have fallen short as we all have and that you believe He is the Christ who did come and take away the sins of the world and that you would like to turn your life over to Him right now. It is not by what we do, or how many gifts or good things we do it is a free gift to all of us. I pray if you haven’t done this yet that this Christmas would be the time you receive the gift of the Savior-born for all of us. It is the joy that Christmas is all about!

I thank God for all of you, for all the people we get the privilege and honor to serve everyday at the Atlanta Union Mission. We could not do what we do without the generosity and help from so many.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Blessings,

Jim

Thankful at Thanksgiving

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:55:52 GMT

As we get ready to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday at the Atlanta Union Mission we are so thankful for all of you who pray, volunteer and provide financial resources! We everyday with your help get the opportunity to see people move from hopelessness to hope! We are so thankful, as we watch families being restored, lives being changed of the men and women we serve!

We also hear from those who serve at the Mission how their lives are never the same! This past week I watch a man with his family who so cares for the men bring them to his church service and share with them the love of Christ and also the love he has grown to have for them! I watched high school students, give sacrificially of their time to pour into the people of the Mission!

It of course is a very busy time in all of our kitchens as we prepare all the food that will be served this week as we will serve thousands of meals! This food provides the physical nourishment and we pray that the men, women and children will also feel the love of those who serve them and the love that Christ has for all of them.

To all of you we want to say a special thank you and wish you and all your families a very special Thanksgiving!

We thank God for all of you!

Jim

Weather Forecast: Strong Storms followed by faith driven calm

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:53:35 GMT

In Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus is with his disciples when a great storm arose, the seas where swamping the boat and they all thought they were going to die. In a panic they awake Jesus and say: "Save us, Lord we are perishing". He said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" He then rose rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.

I don't know about you but I know for me at times it takes a great storm for me to get to the end of myself and wake Jesus up and ask for help. As I was sharing this week at an early morning chapel at our men's recovery facility in Jefferson, The Potters House it is during those times when the boat is rocking the most that I have turned to Him and He and honestly only He has been able to calm my spirit and many times use it as a means to change or teach me.

Sometimes it take a very, very strong storm to force us to turn to Him and ask for only what He can give us. As I thought of these verses and shared on these I thought of the storms that God has used to bring so many to Him or back to Him. I also realized that many times people who love you the most are praying for God to send a strong storm to help you turn back to Him.

This week we celebrated the graduation of 17 women at My Sister's House, who had completed the intensive discipleship rehabilitation program that God uses to change peoples lives through the Atlanta Union Mission. As these women's shared I could only think of the storms of life God had allowed to happen to each of them. A Mom who was with her 8 year old daughter, homeless in a terrible storm of life challenged by addiction. Another women caught in the chains of addition that had a gale force wind that had blow away her relationship with her family. A young women, caught in the hurricane of self destruction that had seen the waves destroy all she had. For each of them they hit the point that had them cry out: "Save us, Lord we are perishing!"

So as they each got up to share at graduation they all started with the common words: "If wasn't for the Lord Jesus Christ, I wouldn't be here tonight and I want to thank Him for saving my life." So for each of them as they hit these terrible storms of life they cried out and God answered. He calmed the storms and put them back on the path of healing and restoration.

We all face storms in our life, "financial hurricanes", "the storm forecast of the scary medical news", the "lost in the storm child that we desperately pray will come back", to the "earthquake of a serious marriage issue" to what might seem like to everyone else an easy afternoon shower that is "flooding our boat". It showed us in this passage of scripture that the great "storm calmer" just asks us to call out to Him. He doesn't promise that always the storm will go away, He does promise however He will give us grace to handle it and that He will be with us.

I don't know what storm you could be facing today, but I want to encourage you to call out Jesus, let Him calm the storm in you-lean into Him. We want to support you and pray for you. We have added on our website, PrayerNet for you to ask for prayer where we will pray for you and to also ask you to pray for us. We would love to have you as a prayer partner with us. We know that God answers prayers and clearly wants us to reach out and depend on Him. We are excited about offering this and if you are facing storms in your life please let us pray for you. We are asking all of you to please join, let's all cry out to God for our needs and those of the needs that are many times the least of these. I am praying this opportunity for us to pray for each other will encourage and strengthen us all in our walk with Christ.

Thanks be to God for His love and care for all of US!

Blessings,

Jim

The Fight for Freedom

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:59:43 GMT

This past weekend we celebrated in the United States our national holiday the 4th of July, our Independence Day! It is a day where families get together, with hot dogs, hamburgers and apple pie and of course the fun of the fireworks at night! We are reminded of the brave men and women who have fought to keep our freedom over the more than 220 years that we have been a free nation. I love and am thankful for our great country!

As I reflected on the joy of the freedom we share, my heart also went to the many people who live in this free country but are trapped in the world of addiction. They might live in a free country but in talking to our men and women who are or have been in our programs there is no freedom when you are in the world of addiction. You will do many things you would never think you would to get that desired drugs or alcohol. Your decisions and addiction, might have lost you your family, you might be living on the street, you might have lost your children or your husband or wife. You are captured by the enemy even though you are in a free country.

But we have many who are fighting this battle to help set people free. I want to thank and encourage all the people who work, volunteer and donate to the Atlanta Union Mission who are willing to fight the battle with those who are held hostage to the world of addiction. We see Christ working in people every day as the true chains of addiction are broken and people are once again set free. As you visit our centers you hear the testimonies and the stories of our people of the terrible pain and loss of freedom that comes from addiction, but you also hear from those in our Christ centered recovery programs of the miracle of Christ's healing power that is truly setting them free! We see husbands and wives reunited, we see children back with families, we see broken relationships restored and made whole again, all by the saving power of Christ.

So as I celebrated this weekend and saw all the fireworks in the beautiful clear sky, I thought of God in heaven who loves us all so much that He would send His Son so that we could all experience eternal freedom!

I want to close by asking us all to remember the powerful weapon against the war of this world, Prayer! I would ask that you would please be in constant prayer for all the staff and the people we serve at the Atlanta Union Mission, that God would be honored by all that we do, that we would get the resources we need to do the work He has called us to do and that His healing power would pour in the people we serve and those we touch each and every day.

I also ask on a personal note that you would be in prayer for our troops around the world who are fighting for freedom and would ask that you pray specifically for our troops in Afghanistan as a dear friend's, son, a marine is fighting on the front line over there now.

Thanks for caring so much to take time to pray!

Humbled to serve with you,

Jim

Two Great Celebrations – A Banquet for our Wonderful Volunteers; A Spectacular Graduation to Honor our King and Celebrate Homecoming with AUM Alums!

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:20:14 GMT

On, Friday, April 24^th . . . we experienced some really joyful celebration over dinner while taking the opportunity to honor many of the remarkable volunteers who serve tirelessly at Atlanta Union Mission. It was an exciting night of food, fun, entertainment and fellowship as we issued a heart-felt “thank you!” to people who regularly give of their time, talents and treasure. The evening’s musical treat was provided by our own “My Sister’s House Choir.” Through their talent, these ladies honored God and thanked our volunteers for all they do!

It was so exciting to walk around, meet people and hear about how they are serving the Mission. What I heard several times from the guests was how much they loved what they do in their volunteer work and how serving at the Mission has deeply impacted their own lives. I was overwhelmed with stories of leading others to Christ, wonderful parties with shelter kids, opportunities to lead a chapel service, the excitement of teaching Bible studies, the joy of serving meals, and the times of fellowship while on clean up duty. It occurred to me that there are consistent themes in these simple acts of service: The idea of people loving other people for and through Christ; sacrificing (even though no one would admit that it was a sacrifice!); and providing encouragement and hope to God’s children!

An exciting highlight of the evening was asking all the volunteers to stand and having them remain standing or sit based upon years of service. It was amazing to see how many people have been serving the Mission for over 20 years! In fact, one faithful volunteer, Wes, was the clear standout with the longest service of 41 years! And, the bottom line is that whether you are a first year volunteer or an AUM regular with over 40 years, we couldn’t do it without you! We praise and thank God for all of you!

On Saturday, April 25^th . . . at The Potter’s House in Jefferson GA, we celebrated an exciting “Homecoming” with over 200 graduates and their families. The graduates, families and AUM alumnae gathered together to honor God, enjoy the blessings of family time, and reconnect with friends. It was an absolutely great day! There was an array of activities with games, puppet shows, hay rides, horseshoes, delicious food, and, of course, great music! We celebrated together God’s goodness and what He has done and is doing in the lives of people at The Potter’s House!

This was my first AUM Homecoming and, wow, what a spectacular time it was! I had the opportunity to make many new friends, to hear their stories, and to learn about how the Lord is directing their lives. I was blessed personally to meet many reunited families, and to join in as they celebrated the day and praised God’s kindness and mercy. By the end of the day we experienced wonderful and heart-gripping testimonies from men whose lives have been dramatically changed through the love of Jesus and the work of so many caring staff members and volunteers! It was an awe-inspiring time hearing the stories of how these men had lost everything in the grip of life-long addictions, homelessness and despair; how they arrived at The Potter’s House; and how God, the staff, and other men reached in to change their lives! One man’s testimony told of how his 84 year old mother’s continuous prayers for him had been answered. As he spoke his mother, wife, children, and grandchildren listened intently from the audience. We capped off the celebration by singing praise songs together. The praise time was highlighted when our own Jay Cory cranked up his harmonica with a spirited rendition of “I’ll fly away”!

Two great celebrations! On behalf of the entire Atlanta Union Mission, I want to thank all of you who volunteer and share in the Lord’s work. We couldn’t do what we do without you! You are a blessing to us all! To the graduates of The Potter’s House, to our staff, and to our entire organization, you are one of the main reasons that the Mission continues to rescue lives, offer hope and touch people with the saving knowledge of Christ. You are a living testimony to the faithfulness of God, to how much He really loves us, and to how He cares for us all.

It was great being at both of these events, meeting so many people and seeing the power of God!

As I reflect on the volunteer dinner and the homecoming event, God’s word from Romans 8: 38-39 connects directly to the extraordinary concept of how “infinitely” God really loves us: “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below - indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Blessings and thank God for all of you!

Jim

Are you a modern day Thomas? Touching with our hands the marks of His nails-He is Alive!

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:56:07 GMT

Some Easter Observations

This past week we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, at Easter services all around the world. Across the globe Christians celebrated the major event of the Faith when Christ not only arose from the grave, but also triumphed over death. He had truly been raised from the dead, was alive and completed his earthly assignment for the salvation of believers. As we read the accounts of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, we share the tears of Mary Magdalene as she wept finding Jesus’ body missing from the tomb. And then in great relief and joy she discovers that He is still present! Later that day Jesus appeared to the disciples who exploded in emotions ranging from overwhelming joy to guarded disbelief; this latter reaction being the famous exchange with "doubting" Thomas who wouldn't believe until he actually touched the wounds of the Savior! How many of us today doubt the presence of Christ in our lives as Thomas did? But, like Thomas, we come to “strengthened faith” as we see God work in our lives and as we observe the opportunities that we have to trust and assist in the building of the Kingdom. I want to share with you some of the opportunities ahead for the Atlanta Union Mission and how the risen, living Savior is at work in the mission to bring care and healing to the homeless, addicted and hungry in our city and state.

Each day we see that He truly is alive in our lives and in the lives of those who serve and are served! Following are a few opportunities from the past few weeks for you to see how “touching the wounds” can strengthen faith and grab hold of the opportunities provided by the Lord.

Men's graduation ceremony at our Carpenter's House facility . . . We hear testimonies from men whose lives have been changed by the Great Healer! He is with them and continues to grow these men in faith and hope. I am with men with whom I was serving beside at our Community Center six months ago. Most had just arrived from the streets; lives shattered and without hope. Here they are now on graduation night alive, excited and sharing how Christ over the months has reached into their lives bringing change and healing! These men have touched the wounds of the nails in the body of the risen Christ!

Women’s graduation celebration at My Sisters House . . . We share in the joy of others at our women's and children’s facility for the homeless which also serves these ladies as a recovery program. This night we see Him again in different ways: A woman stands up and shares her struggles and how she has made it only through the power of Christ. Fighting back tears she addresses the audience praising God and thanking her husband of 30 years who is quietly standing at his seat. This gentleman, who shared the journey with his wife, told me later that “she's my wife and I could never turn away from her.” We saw the nail marks of Jesus in these two lives; a husband who truly loves his wife as Christ loves the church, and a woman who has hope and confidence restored! And, by the way, she starts her master’s degree program this fall! He is Alive!

Volunteers who tenderly love people and faithfully serve the Mission . . . We see all sorts of people from all walks of life serving: A couple who have been touching lives at the Mission for 25 years; a young person who is serving for the first time in the nursery; a very successful business man (Harvard grad!) at my side serving bread and soup at lunch. His smiling face, filled with compassion and concern, communicates to the men that his actions, care and love are real. He is Alive!

As we continue to celebrate Easter, the big headline is: He is not there! The tomb is empty and the Lord God of the universe is alive! And back to our friend Thomas . . . Jesus had him place his hands on the wounds; the marks of life, not death. Thomas quickly believed! Jesus then made the statement still critical to all of us today: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

While none of us have placed our hands on the marks of Christ, I can still see the glorious results of those wounds in the lives that He touches everyday at the Atlanta Union Mission (including my own life!). I pray that these stories will encourage you to cling to the reality that He is alive and moving in people’s lives today! Get involved at the Mission if you aren't already. See firsthand His impact on the lives of so many people. I am confident that once you do, your life won’t be the same!

Thanks for your continued support of the work through your time, talents and treasures. Would you please be in prayer for all of us at the Mission? I would encourage you also to go to the recent edition of our Light newsletter on the website to read about Charles, Mandy and Judge Barbara Caldwell to see how God is working in powerful ways!

Blessings,

Jim

No April Fools Here!!!

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:12:52 GMT

Well, today is the day when everyone plays "jokes"　or "April Fools" on other people. I must admit that over my life I have pulled a few pranks, but have probably had many more pulled on me!　 As I was thinking of this day and what we do here at the Atlanta Union Mission, I was reminded of the likelihood that many people look at homeless individuals as "fools" in our society.　

This past month I had an opportunity to spend time visiting a 4th grade class. I talked with the kids about the homeless and asked them what they knew about the subject.　 I came away with a great perspective: The youngsters said that they were often afraid of someone who appeared "homeless". Others acknowledged that they felt sorry for the homeless and wanted to help. Several of the students wondered what had happened to the home of the homeless person, and if their family situation was the reason for the homeless lifestyle. One young 4th grader with tears in his eyes and heartfelt conviction expressed his compassion and desire to care for these down-and-out individuals.

On a cold morning recently, I had the privilege of serving breakfast at our Community Center for men (where over 1500 meals are provided daily!) along with a group of businessmen. As we talked when serving was completed, the conversation quickly focused on how much these homeless men cared, how smart they are, and how respectful and appreciative they were during the breakfast.　 The businessmen said they had great discussions and an all around wonderful time with these men.　 As these business people departed the Center, the common comment was that they felt that they had been ministered to rather than doing ministry to others.

As you talk or share a meal with our women and children at Atlanta Union Mission’s My Sisters House, you see mothers who are trying to be good moms by showing the love to their children that they themselves might not have received. Those in our recovery programs are working to reclaim a positive life while striving to be a wife or a mom who has a positive impact on her family.　 As I talk with volunteers and others who serve these women and children, I hear stories of love, affection, and great desire to be the woman God made them to be.　 I see them working hard to find jobs and share their joy when they find that new employment!

When you spend time with the homeless, they often will tell you mistakes they have made, problems they have created, and changes they know that still need to be made.　 As I talk with these folks, I am reminded of my own mistakes, problems that I’ve created, and the many changes that I am yet to make.　 How about you? Does any of this ring true in your life?

I am constantly aware that these people we have the privilege to serve are someone's son or daughter; sister or brother. Just the other day I spoke with a dad who is praying that his son will choose to receive help. I talked with someone on Sunday whose homeless father had died. These individuals are not "fools" although they may feel "fooled" by this world and some of the people in it. These are people who are loved by others, and, most important, loved by God.

As God loves "the least of these," He also perfectly loves you and me.　 He knows we make mistakes. He knows we sin (and will continue to do so!). He cares enough and loves us so desperately that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we would never need to be separated from Him.　 As we look to Easter, it is all about this story of the God who loves us so much that He died for us.　 Do you know Him as your personal Savior?　 If not, invite Him in now, today. He wants to provide to you forgiveness of your sins and a "Home" for eternity with Him.　 As Denver Moore says in the great book Same Kind of Different as Me, we are all really "homeless" in the very real sense that this planet is not our home!

I want to also say thanks to all of you who in these difficult times have continued to give so that we can serve.　 We cannot do what we do without you!　 You are a great encouragement to me, to the entire team at the Mission, and, most importantly, to the people we serve together with you!

I pray as you think of "April Fools" that you will be reminded that "our God don't make no throwaways!"　　

If you have any stories that you would like to share, please send them to me. I’d love to hear from you!

Jim...

Love Knows No Economic Downturn or Fear

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:11:39 GMT

As we have started 2009 we can't pick up anything to read or listen to that is not about the economic condition facing our country or in all honesty the world. There are discussions of government bailout programs for this company or bank working to save them or help turn the economy around. We like all ministries have felt reduction in giving that have forced us to make some cuts and do some things we really wish we wouldn't have to do but need to do to keep focused on the people we serve.

But in the midst of all of this uncertainty the certainty of the Love of our Savior Jesus Christ of His people shows brighter than ever and is not moved by economies, tragedies or disasters. He loves us all so much and that never changes!

During the last couple of months I have been able to witness in the midst of all this bad news, His love in our staff, in our volunteers, in our donors in and the people we serve, let me just give you a quick couple of examples:

In our staff, I have watched our people even with the pain of watching some of our colleagues lose their jobs love them, care for them, pray for them and encourage them in Christ. I have watched them as we have served more people than ever in the history of the Mission in January serving people with love and care even though they were pushed to the maximum of their human abilities. We had many nights in January at our Men's shelter downtown that we had over 500 men staying at the facility-a year ago that was 350! Christ gave them power and they showed His love! We have had over 100 children on most nights at our women's and children center.

I have watched our volunteers engage and gather coats in our coat drive that raised over 30,000 coats this year for agencies all across Atlanta. I have watched, Brunner an advertising agency in Atlanta volunteer to help us with our brand and pour there heart and soul i n helping us be more effective and communicate better to all that we touch. I have watched women prepare meals with love and care for people, I have watched executives serve lunch to the least of these with a smile and a love that made a very cold and rainy day a little more bearable!

I have talked to and received letters and checks from people who "just knew time were hard" and that they needed to help. As I talk to them on the phone they share their heart to encourage me and all of us to keep up the work God has called us to do and thanking US that they can serve with Atlanta Union Mission thru the financial support of the gifts they give. When spending the day with a couple in Atlanta who have had a major impact in so many areas, to hear their hearts and to pray in their living room with our arms around each other and tears flowing down my cheeks. A note or a call from a board member or friend telling me that they are praying for me and the Mission.

During the night of the Super Bowl, the big night in America spending we had a surprise Super Bowl party for 400 plus homeless men at our shelter downtown with men from my church, Jay and our staff as we had wings, chips, sandwiches and drinks together. The smiles, the cheers the fun we had together was a chance to share our love and them to share their love with us. It was a special night no matter who won the game! We prayed that these men would know that most importantly that we loved them and cared for them and that they are special people in God's eyes!

So needless to say there is much going on around all of us, the papers all have bad news, the television talks about how bad it is and yes in many ways these are very difficult times but in the midst of all of this, I see our Savior getting our eyes off of this world and on to the next world and truly what is most important in this world anyway people.

So when we hear the bad news-let's not forget the most important GOOD NEWS! We have a Savior, He died for us and He loves us more that we can ever imagine. As I look into the eyes of all of those we come in contact let me, not worry about the things of this world but truly keep my eyes focused on what Jesus wants me to focus on-what He focused on people!

Let me leave you with God's word on Love:

1st Corinthians 13:13 "So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love"

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Thanks for your heart for the Mission and may you feel the Love of our Savior!

Blessings,

Jim

Merry Christmas-Good News for All The People!

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:33:02 GMT

As I have quickly gotten to my first Christmas at the Mission, I have seen and continue to see wonderful things take place and at the same time heart breaking stories of people who are in desperate need.

This Christmas I have been really focused on the words of the Lord thru the Angels to the Shepherds captured in Luke 2:8-11: "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Christ, the Lord."

God sent His, Son, and the angels shared it was good news for all the people! As we serve over 1100 people everyday I am reminded that they as well as myself are part of "all the people". Many times they come in our doors with no hope, hungry, afraid hurting sometimes physically and most hurting mentally by damages of there life. But as the angels declared God sent His Son for all the People! I watch our people be the feet and hands of Christ, I watch our many volunteers love on people and show the love of Christ and I watch and get to see the miracles of God changing lives.

A couple of quick stories over the past several weeks that I would like to share:

On the 14th we had an event called WinterFest where a previous client of my sisters house puts on a great Sunday afternoon celebration to honor those who are in the program today-providing encouragement and hope to them. She has done this for the last 12 years and is a great inspiration to us all! How God is using the restoration of her life to truly impact so many!

At our Christmas lunch for the staff this year we took to time to have people share stories of God working across the Mission, and a couple of these included a lady giving money for a man to get a new pair of shoes at one of our Thrift Stores-when asked if he would like new pants or a shirt he said no all he needed was shoes-even in the midst of difficult circumstances a heart of contentment and gratitude.

We have put another 80 permanent beds in The Shepherds House and a group of friends came together and honored a widow and her family for the impact of her husband who had passed away five years ago by contributing $30,000 to get this done. Now 29,200 additional men will have a place to rest there heads over this year and years to come and this family was honored in a special way by these friends.

A man receives our publication "the Light" and is blessed and sends and encouraging email to us to thank us for all God is doing.

And just this morning as I stood in line greeting and talking to the men who were receiving breakfast, I was blessed by the smiles on their faces as we shared a greeting and an opportunity to shake hands and wish each other a "Merry Christmas"!

To the entire Atlanta Union Mission Family, I want to thank you all for your care, love and support of the Mission. We could not do the work we do without your help and your contributions. As I read the cards and letters that come in, I am so moved by the faithfulness of so many of you that contribute to the Mission. God is truly doing great things in all of us who are touched by the Mission. I have been so humbled and blessed by the chance to serve alongside all of you.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and pray God blessings on you all. I also know that for many this time of the year is a difficult time and I pray a special pray for you that you would be comforted by God and you would feel His presence in a special way.

I would also ask that you would remember our guests and clients that we serve in your prayers, for some this might be a Christmas away from home-a chance to really be healed by God but still a very difficult time and for many the pains of past Christmas bring a hurt and a reminder of the past and for others a true blessing that this Christmas might be the first time in many years that they are not bound by the chains of addiction.

Merry Christmas!

Jim

A Pair of Shoes Provide Hope

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:08:51 GMT

When people give clothing to the Atlanta Union Mission it can serve several purposes-from giving our guests and clients clothing they need immediately to being able to provide financial resources through there selling at our Thrift Store and More Stores. I wanted to share a story of a life being given hope by a pair of socks and pair of shoes.

On Saturday morning when the men were coming in for breakfast from the shelter and the street, around the corner comes an older gentlemen with one shoe and on the other foot just a sock. He had a look of no hope and despair to be honest, one of our employees quickly ran over to him and asked him what size shoes he wore-size 10 and 1/2 he said, I came over and helped him to a seat as we went to get him shoes and a new pair of socks. I brought him his breakfast and here comes the new socks and new (used) pair of shoes-the employee bent down put on the socks and the shoes. It was a quick reminder to me of Christ washing the disciples feet. As the gentlemen finished his meal and got ready to leave he came over and thanked us so much-he had a smile on his face-hope in his eyes and a walk totally different than what he came in. God used that morning a new pair of socks and shoes to provide encouragement and hope.

I share this story to thank all of you for your generosity of the clothes and the resources to provide the over 1100 people we a place to sleep and the more than 3000 meals we serve everyday! So to all of you who contribute-know that on this day and everyday the gifts you give are changing and saving lives!

2nd Corinthians 9:9 "As it is written, He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever."

In Christ,

Jim

Prayer Requests:

1. For all the people we are serving each and everyday that they would see the love of Christ in all we do

2. For the families of those who we serve that God would bring those back to Him and back to each other

3. For jobs for our people who are graduating from our programs

4. For the important year end giving that is so critical to our year

Thankful

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:08:04 GMT

My first Thanksgiving at the Mission was a humbling, encouraging and special time to be Thankful!

During Thanksgiving week I had the privilege to visit all of our centers and the clients and guests in those centers. I thought I would highlight some of the weeks amazing times that I had with people.

Monday was a special day where I got to tour our Atlanta facilities with my youngest daughter Courtney and a dear friend Leslie. As we had lunch with the men at The Carpenters House we heard the stories of how God was changing their hearts from one of anger to one of forgiveness, from one of dependency on substances to a dependency on Him. We went from there to My Sisters House our women's and children's center where we got to interact with the staff and see the facility and also have the opportunity to talk with one of our graduates in her room as she is starting work-she also shared that she had recently found out her grandson had some serious illness and they weren't sure what it was so together in her room we were able to pray that God would give the doctors wisdom and that He would heal this little boy! We also visited our downtown men's campus. It was a great time for me to share with my daughter who has a great heart for people, the opportunity that God has given me to serve in this capacity! Praise be to God!

I spent Tuesday at The Potters House in Jefferson our men's recovery center. I got to start the day by doing chapel with the men where I shared on the importance of us being men of prayer. I shared Psalm 109.4 "In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer." I challenged the men and myself to pray with discipline but not out of obligation but out of privilege and that prayer is about our desperate dependence on God! I spent most of the time interacting with the men as they were doing their work assignments. As I met with the men I heard their stories of how God had brought them there, they included from a father of two young children an addiction to crack, a man who had finally turned to help with his alcohol addiction because he was losing the relationship with his two sons and from a man who had come with no idea that it was a Christian recovery program, who didn't believe in God but who now has accepted Christ and tells how much his life is different. Powerful stories with every man you talk to on how God was working.

I also during the afternoon visited our Athens and Winder, "Thrift Stores and More" where people were dropping off donations and we had many shoppers! These thrift stores are a great way for the communities to help in so many ways-from the generous donations we are able to sell to people at a significantly reduced price while allowing those people to purchase and allow that money then to fund services of the Mission. Our thrift stores also this year ran an special opportunity for people to be generous by donating money to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving-this was a WOW God result for us as we watched people who truly had little be generous by giving 50 cents to $1.00 or more! For our entire staff this was a great picture of the faithfulness of God in all the things!

On Wednesday got to celebrate as we served people at our Community Center downtown-what a celebration as volunteers worked so hard to honor and serve the men the great Thanksgiving meal! It was a festive time with people of all ages serving! People helped serve meals, engaged with the men and created a truly great atmosphere!

On Wednesday night I had the special blessing of having dinner with my families and the ladies and their families from Village Atlanta our transitional housing. We again celebrated with a great meal served by a local church, with a great message and music and entertainment. On the walls the children had prepared the night before posters of what they were thankful for and some of those items were: a roof over my head, my mom who loves me so much, for Jesus who answered our prayers, for a place that is safe, for my brothers and sisters, for the staff of Village Atlanta who love us so much, for the Atlanta Union Mission, for my grand dad and grand ma and countless others. It was so great to get to share and be with all of them. I had the chance to close us in prayer and specifically prayed for each of the children!

Thanksgiving morning I was at our chapel service at My Sisters House where we celebrated all that we were thankful for! It was a moving time with great song and worship thanking God for His great provision and blessings, the women had the opportunity to share a very short testimony-it was a powerful time of seeing the power of our Savior in restoring and saving lives! We heard from the women how they had been restored to there families, how this was the first time in 34 years they had been clean, that I have graduated from the program and start work Monday, that I can now be the Mom I prayed I could be, that I would have been dead if not for God saving me through the Atlanta Union Mission and many more! I am confident that God looked down at the chapel that morning and smiled at how lives who had turned to Him were being changed.

So Thanksgiving week was a moving week for all of us at the Mission. I want to personally thank all of the Mission Family who so support the work we do! We couldn't do this without the generous support of so many in so many ways! I also want to thank our staff-these men and women who serve with a great heart for Christ all of our clients and guests-I am so thankful that each of them has answered the call to work here! I pray you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Thankful to our Savior,

Jim

The Power Of God in a Cardboard Sign

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:02:33 GMT

At our annual Agape Dinner where we recognize our members of the Agape Society we all got to see the power of God and the work He does at the Atlanta Union Mission! This night was truly a very special night and my first time there! The night centered around a very familiar sign of homelessness the cardboard sign written with a need for food, work, shelter or clothing that is held by a man, women or even a child on the road or on the street. This night the card board sign however told a different story-the story of how God changes lives from desperation to hope and redemption to many of the clients of the Atlanta Union Mission! From our opening prayer with a women holding up a sign on one side that said-"Abused and abandoned" then on the other side "God will never leave me", to another women who said "Almost Dead" to "Learning to Live", to a man "15 years crack addicted" to "3 years Christ Delivered". These were powerful testimonies to God as each individual, husband and wife, woman and child came up and in a simple cardboard sign showed how God through the work of the Mission had intersected their lives and changed them, freed them or gave them a hope that had been lost! This was so powerful-we wept as the stories of each individual came up! How great is our God! I would encourage you to go to the slide show at www.atlantaunionmission.org/friends2008 I have included my individual picture below as the last one up thanking God for all He has done in my life!

It was truly a celebration of the generosity of so many and the power of our Savior to change lives! I want to thank all of you who pray, contribute and donate goods to help us change lives! We couldn't do it without your help! I thank God for the power of a Cardboard sign!

Blessings,

Jim

God - same Today as Yesterday and Tomorrow

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:59:28 GMT

During our weekly Senior Leadership Team Operations Meeting yesterday, Melissa Clayton was talking about our need for turkeys for Thanksgiving. Donna Ellis shared with us about an idea the stores have implemented to engage and give the opportunity for the people who are in our stores to contribute to the Mission in addition to what they purchase.

They have been focusing on having people help buy Turkeys for Thanksgiving. Well our stores have been doing this for two weeks and people have contributed over $1800 and more is being raised every day!!! Many of these gifts are for 50 cents to a $1.00 from people who have very little but are generous and caring for others.

I was reminded of, Mark 12:42-44 “And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all of those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put everything she had, all she had to live on.” This scripture talks about the heart of the giver and I thank god for all the generous people who give sacrificially to this ministry.

I want to first praise God for His constant reminder of His provision to us as a ministry!!!

I want to thank our whole Thrift Team for coming up with the idea and implementing it in a way that has allowed people to engage and contribute in the ministry. I am confident that all who contributed felt blessed as they have done this. My heart for us is that we are truly the Light of Christ in all the communities we operate and this is a great way to do that!!!

It is also a constant reminder that we are stewards of the resources that God has entrusted us with at the Atlanta Union Mission and people are giving sacrificially to help us do this. We need to always keep this in mind with everything we spend and do!

God continues to show us His faithfulness and the faithfulness of His people, even in the midst of a economic storm that no one is sure about! We can always rest in the confidence that God is the same today as yesterday and tomorrow!

Glory Be to God for all He has done and is yet to do!

Thankful to serve with you,

Jim

A Dedication to Thank God For His Faithfulness!

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:02:27 GMT

Well it has been a fast several weeks with many great things taking place at the Mission. On October 22nd we had the dedication of our chapel in our new downtown Community Center for men. We started the morning with the AUM staff together, meeting for a time of worship and a message from Dr. Crawford Loritts on a "Call to Courage" from Joshua 1. We as a staff then went into the Shepherds Inn and the new Community Center and prayed over every bed and chair that men would be eating at and sleeping in that night and left a card with our signature telling them we had prayed for them that day. It was a special and moving time for all of us as we reflected back on the faithfulness of God for almost 70 years at the Atlanta Union Mission and the love of Christ shown to the men in a hot meal and a place to sleep

For the dedication service of the chapel we honored the Oglesby family and specifically, Dr. and Mrs. Stuart R Oglesby for who the chapel is named for. Dr. Oglesby was a great man of God in the city of Atlanta and was instrumental in the Mission starting in 1942 and his son Lamar and grandson Bill are currently on our board today. We are confident that Dr. Oglesby would be glad to see that we focused our dedication of this new facility in the chapel where God's word is shared and many we pray will come to know him over the next 70 year. We were honored to have Mayor Franklin with us as well. It was a special day of remembrance of our past and an exciting day looking into our future.

On October 28th a city wide event around homelessness that the Atlanta Union Mission was one of the key agencies to be part of was held at the Georgia World Congress Center featuring the authors of the book: "Same Kind of Different as Me" , Denver Moore and Ron Hall. This book is a moving story of two men and a wife being mightily used by God to become friends and best friends while understanding that we really are not that different. It is a great book and I would highly recommend it to everyone to read. Denver was a homeless man in Fort Worth and Ron was a rich art dealer that God knitted their hearts together to create a great friendship and love for each other. It was an event with over 2500 people from the city of Atlanta being there and is the largest event ever in the city to help homelessness. God was glorified at the event and the difference He makes in lives.

A last quick story from my time in our centers over the past several weeks and the turmoil in the financial markets all around the world.

In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus tells us "to not store up for ourselves our treasures on earth, but to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." As I have been with our men and women and see the new hope they experience as they put there true faith in Christ and His healing power it is a constant reminder that it is not what we have but it is really about who's we are! As markets move up and move down we can rest assured that God is the same today as He was yesterday and what He will be tomorrow. Our confidence rests in Him.

I want to add a new part to my blog and request your prayers.

Would you please pray for the men, women and children in all of our centers that we would serve them with such love and care that they would see Christ in us and they would all grow spiritually.

For some specific needs, for Turkeys for Thanksgiving, for blankets for our shelters and for toiletries for our men.

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement as I update you-God is doing a great work in all of our lives and I thank God for you, your support and love and care for the Mission.

Blessings to you all,

Jim

Seeing God in So Many People and Places

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:50:39 GMT

Over the past two weeks it continues to be exciting, heartwarming and overwhelming to see all God is doing in our community and in our ministry here.

Last week I started my week with a great day at The Potter’s House, where I had a chance to talk with our leaders of Thrift Stores and More and from The Potters House about leadership from my presentation on SALT! It was an engaging time where we talked about leadership, we talked about our learning's and we got to share our hearts with each other! I also got to talk and spend time with Kevin, Dean, Tony and Jeff to hear what they are doing and what their teams are doing-what a blessing these men are to the ministry and what a difference they and their teams are making every day in the lives of people and in the overall impact of the Mission.

Jay and I got to have lunch with the clients as well, which is always a highlight of my time in the centers. I got to hear of a story of a young man, who, was on the streets in another city, addicted and feeling of no value but he is seeing how much God loves him through the love of all of the people at the Potters House on him.

That night, I got to participate in a dinner that The Potters House Staff had for Jay, to thank him for his leadership and to tell him just how much they love and appreciate him. In addition they did tell some funny stories and gave him some great funny gifts! It was a moving night as people shared what God had done in their lives. It is true-real Men do Cry-especially real Men who love Jesus!

On Tuesday last week a great friend of the Mission, John Rice-Vice Chairman of GE held a reception at their offices to welcome me to the Mission with guests from the community. I was overwhelmed again by the goodness of God, with the warm welcome, with the hearts for the Mission that all these people have. As I talked about our desire around the needs of people in the areas of rescue, recovery and re-entry and the stories of some of the people I have already met it was a humbling and heartwarming night. We are so blessed to have great community leaders like John and his wife who care so deeply for the Mission.

Thursday we re-opened our Thrift Store and More in Gainesville! It was an exciting day where the Mayor of Gainesville proclaimed it Atlanta Union Mission day and we had shoppers and people donating all day. We cut the chains of addiction as a mark of what God does in the programs of the Atlanta Union Mission. A powerful God honoring testimony was then shared by one of our alumni, on how God had brought him out of the chains of recovery to now working to complete his training to be a counselor himself! How great is our God! To Donna and her whole team-you have done amazing work in transforming that location to a light in the community! We are excited to see what all these improvements will represent in our desired growth of our Thrift Store and More operation.

My wife and I attended the graduation at My Sister's House on Tuesday night to watch three ladies graduate! It was a great time to hear the stories of these women and their journey and how God and The Atlanta Union Mission had changed their lives. It was so moving to watch them walk in to a standing ovation from their families and their peers! One of the most powerful moments for me that night was when one of the ladies sharing her story, thanked her dad who was in the audience-for never giving up on her, for never stopping to pray for her even though the way she had lived her life gave him every reason to! I hugged and thanked that Dad for being a man who loved his daughter so much! It was a moving and great night to see the power of our God to change and restore lives!

Yesterday we had the Senior Leadership team and the Leadership team in our old Executive Office. I say old because we are not calling it that in more, we are calling it “Mission Support Center” to highlight the focus of our work here being to support the work of the Mission in the field. We met and talked about being an effective team, what does it look like, how do we do it, what stands in the way of it. We then broke into four small groups and identified the areas that the Mission Support Center was doing well, areas we could improve in and how we should measure the success!

It was a great day with these leaders doing great work.

We have a lot going on across the Mission, which is exciting and challenging! I have only captured some of the stories of my time in the centers.

I shared yesterday in our meeting from God’s word, John 13:34-35 “A new command I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. Our ability to love others doesn’t come from us but comes from our love first for God and through that love we can love others! As I am across the Mission, your love for one another and your love for those we come in contact with, be they a client or guest, a volunteer, a person in the community or someone who has nothing to do with the Mission is amazing. May we all be the disciples that Christ spoke of by showing that love!

God is doing great things! I am humbled to get the chance to serve with you here! May He be truly glorified by all we do and may we do all we do with excellence for Him!

Blessings and I thank God for each of you!

Jim

The Lost Sheep Finders

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:34:50 GMT

This week I want to share a couple of more highlights from my time around the Mission and I must say it was another great week watching all God is doing through all of our donors, volunteers, staff and Board members!!

Our Senior Leadership Team had the joy of spending Wednesday afternoon at My Sister’s House where we got to pray together with the staff, hear their histories, hear great stories of what God was doing in the lives of our clients and their kids and then tour the facility together! It was an inspiring, heartwarming and WOW GOD time together. Jay Cory our Executive Vice-President and I then stayed and got to have dinner with our clients and their families (chicken wings, thanks to the generosity of Hooter’s). A special thanks to Melissa Clayton and her teams for the great work! I got to hold a 5 week old baby from one of our clients, I got to talk to a new shelter guest who was with us because of a personal family crisis and loss of her Dad, but you could see hope in her eyes because of how all of us are caring for her. Praise God for this great facility and for the hearts of our people who serve and show Christ to all who come in there!

Thursday morning, bright and early Jay and I got to serve breakfast and talk with clients and guests with Glen Jackson one of our great loyal board members and 6 guys he is mentoring from the Buckhead Church at our new community shelter downtown. It was great to see the young men serving and also pouring into our clients and our guests -- you could feel the energy and the encouragement that these great young men provided with their love for Christ. It was a great morning to see God moving! It is so exciting to see this great new facility come together with the final completion taking place over the next several weeks as we get ready for our dedication on October 22^nd!

As I think of the word of Jesus in Luke 15:4-7:

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

I think constantly of all of you and what you do:

You are the lost sheep finders, lifting them up on your shoulders, showing them Christ many times for the first time or helping them get well to the point that they are back in the flock. You show them love, you show them compassion and you show them hope through Christ, knowing that our lives can only be lived with the power of Christ in us.

I continue to be humbled by all you are doing and that God is doing at the Mission, thank you for your heart for the “sheep”.

May God bless you and watch over you and the Atlanta Union Mission and thanks be to God for His love for all of us!

"Be Strong and of Good Courage..."

jim.reese@myaum.org (Jim Reese) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:08:59 GMT

WOW! Hard to believe I am closing out my first 4 weeks and is has been great! I have had the chance to be at all the centers, meeting people, holding some meetings with the teams, getting to know some of the clients, getting into the community to begin to meet leaders there and just being blessed by all you do!

I am humbled and very grateful for the number of people that give their time and talents to our Volunteer Ministry, give their gently used items for our Thrift Ministry, and the generosity of our monetary donors that ensure we will always welcome homeless men, women and children with open arms and God’s loving promise of a new life through Him.

I had my first board meeting last week representing all of us on the team and I wanted to very briefly give you some of the highlights of what I presented.

I started by thanking Jay for all he has done acting as the interim CEO and how blessed we are to have him.

I opened with Word, Worship and Prayer. With the Word I talked about the importance that we at the Mission keep our focus on Christ in all we do and with everyone we meet! I shared the following scripture:

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear omen to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” Philippians 1:27-28.

This passage highlights God’s call that we be worthy of the gospel, that we will be standing firm in the spirit, we will have unity, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel-while not being frightened by anything from the enemy! I talked how this is how I see us as a team at the Mission working together with our focus on Christ.

I am very excited about where we are but even more excited about what I am confident we can become together. I want us to do what we do with absolute excellence as we represent the Savior in all we do and I also want us to seek Him and dream what God would lay on our hearts to do as a Mission.

I wanted to thank you all for your warm welcome, for your prayers and for the care I feel from you already. As I said to the board, “I know even clearer today that I have answered the call that God has placed in my life and humbled by the opportunity to do this for Him.”

I wanted to thank you all for all you do - you are the hero’s of the Mission, the ones who work so hard to show people the love of Christ and to help them however and where ever God has them!

“…Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

In Christ and proud to serve with you,

Jim