Hat Tea Party

On a warm spring afternoon in Atherton, we gathered together to get a preview of the eight Touchdown Camp.

Patty Cardona, president of Project Lost Sheep, brought children who had attended camp last year. Each child reported on a different aspect of camp. One little girl performed a dance.

Darlene Stethem, Bible teacher, gave a preview of the lessons and music for this camp. Dates: July 16-20 at Verbo Church in Redwood City.

Catherine Parlanti, treasurer, asked that we be alert to getting community support from local businesses.

We appreciate your interest and support to make a real difference in the lives of these children. Enjoy a camper who danced for us. Enjoy the picture-movie from the tea party recently held as a benefit for our eight Touchdown Camp coming this summer. (July 16-20)

Mother's Day

I suppose the most important gift a mother can give her children is not all the things she is busy doing for them but something of herself.

My mother was a teacher and she was serious about her teaching and also about her country. She would write letters to her congressman if she felt something should be changed.

We would hear her typing away on the old manual typewriter back in the bedroom. My mother was a tough woman. She put herself through high school working as a clerk in a law office. She then put herself through college and got her master's degree in education.

This was no small feat and she had a passion for education. She thought anyone could improve and yet she saw the needs of children around her and was concerned for "latch key" kids.

All of these seeds didn't, of course, mature in me until I was much older but I was prepared by my mother for the call to children when it came to me.

Her passion for education affected all of us. We all got college educations and teaching credentials although not all of us three sisters worked as teachers.

I don't know how she did all that she did. She did not cut corners. She taught, she shopped, she cooked, she cleaned and she and my Dad worked hard to be good parents and then grandparents.

She didn't have a lot but she had plenty inside. She had faith and she took us to church every Sunday and yes she taught Sunday school. Teaching and education were bedrock to her as were her faith. She gave much to her children, her students, and her community

In memory of my mother: Myrtle Sutherlin

Prioritizing Correctly

Lots of people tell me that they would like to volunteer... someday. When they retire or when the children are older or when they have more time.  We all work in a priority universe. What we do with our time tells us our priority. If we spend all our time making money and non of our time on things that we say are important to us then we may be able to fool ourselves but not those around us, nor God who sees it all.

On the other hand, there are people who "go over the top" out of balance on doing good things to the detriment of their families.

Ray Steadman, beloved former pastor and author, of Peninsula Bible Church once related the story of a woman who came to him saying her marriage was "on the rocks". When the pastor inquired what she was doing with her time the woman piously said that she was teaching 10 Bible classes a week: days and nights.

Pastor Ray told her to "quit her Bible studies" and save her marriage. Being available to God does not mean that we are crazy and neglect the people in our own family.

Jesus was available to the crowds and helped many of those in his path but he also had his guys, the disciples. He had the best mother and He never forgot her needs even when He was dying on the cross. He turned her car over to John.

{ BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER, Jesus said.
 And from that time Mary was taken
into John's home. }

When we love God we will spend time with Him: we will pray and read the Bible not because we have to but because we want to. We will be available to serve people and help them because we are ready and full.

The Lord has the answers to our craziness. Do we trust Him enough to give him our hearts and our time?

When we are in the center of God's will He give us joy. This joy can never be bought with our own efforts nor money. Joy is a fruit of God's Spirit: Joy is a lasting paycheck!

About Our Company

Project Lost Sheep
A non-profit organization that provides for Touchdown Camp in Redwood City and additional tutoring for "at risk" kids. "At Risk" means unsupervised children who are at risk of dropping out of school or lacking in proper care. We believed in giving opportunities to children as they are our future. Not everyone is born with a silver spoon or born in a good environment. We realized this and we are here to help kids understand the importance of education and good values. We need to take action to show them the way and be a guide. Show them love and encouragement. We believe that through encouragement and love, a person can do wonders. Nothing is impossible.

Showing Love Through Little Things

My grandmother was a very wise Christian woman. One of her favorite statements was "what can I do for you? She lived in Indiana and was the wife of a farmer but her impact on me was great because she really cared. She wrote me newsy letters of farm life.

Late, when the children were little she made by hand blankets for them. She also gave me shell jewelry which she made in Florida in the winter.

She had learned that there were lots of opportunities out there to show love to others and she did it with her hands and her heart. But, you say, I don't make things. I don't do any of that. Okay, neither do I... Wish I could... but there is a way. IF YOU GAVE YOUR TIME that you could help someone and show you cared. How the cold old world needs this today.

If you focused outward and wanted to show love where would you start? Try something small and practical. You could really listen to someone who had a problem. (gift of time). You could invite a lonely person out to do something with you. Go with you to something. There are many isolated older people who would love to do something different. You could really do something at your church. Try something that is beyond what you normally would do and see God work!

If you haven't felt God's love in a long, long time you could just check out on Sunday mornings some churches near you. Church shop like you do anything else. You might be surprised how relevant the Bible is to your problems today.

God likes us to see His opportunities. How do we know what they might be until we experience the greatest love in the world. God wants us to love Him and love others. We just have to get out of the "it's all about me" mindset and say what can I do for you?

Touchdown Camp For Our Children

Once again, we are excited to sponsor the Touchdown Camp for kids this summer, July 2012. We have up loaded some photos of camp. We hope that you can be a volunteer, a donor or an advocate for our cause. We need 50 volunteers and $10,000 to run the summer camp.

 

Camp Information

Date: July 16th -20th, 2012

Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Location: Verbo Church

2798 Bay Road, Redwood City, CA 94063

Tel: (650) 364-9821

For Volunteering

Call Doris Bates at (650) 368-1224

Email: djbdance@comcast.net

Visit www.touchdowncamp.com for more info.

For Donations

Write a check to: Project Lost Sheep

Mail check to:

co/Catherine Parlanti

Project Lost Sheep, Box 2735, Menlo Park, CA. 94026

Question about donations, email: catherineparlanti@hotmail.com

Help build our children's future. Donate, volunteer or be an advocate and spread the word. We love to see you there. Your efforts are much appreciated. Thank you and God Bless You.

Blossoms

I have loved spring blossoms ever since I grew up in San Jose. Then, the blossoms meant that summer was coming and I would be out of school. I loved school but around March I started looking forward to that routine of classes and pressures to change. Blossoms meant that summer was coming.

There is something about a gorgeous apple blossom tree or a "tulip" magnolia tree that just expands us with their beauty.  I llike really big, old blossoming trees. These have come into bloom year after year and are still putting out those dainty blossoms that sprinkle on you like spring snow.

How fun is spring. And of course, we feel the warm spring on our backs and we think of digging in the ground and just being outside. We lighten up from winter cares. We become a bit whimsical. We watch the clouds and really see the greening grass.

I love to take a walk in the spring. Walking on a warmish spring day does something for my soul. There are times we need to be dormant. But, spring is a time for new things. Are you ready to bloom and blossom? Take a walk. Really look at what is happening in nature. Feel God's love on you and feel His hand on your back and your life. You may do a little hop-scotching or think about it anyway. And suddenly, you are showering out sparks of joy and vitality along with all of God's world.

As my friend, Connie Rhodes said along time ago to me. "Spring is a time for new things." Yes, but we must be ready and be renewed in our hearts to launch into that newness.

THE EARTH IS FULL OF THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD.

Waiting

Have you discovered that life is full or waiting?
 
When we are young we wait for the next birthday. When we are older, we try to ignore it!
When we are waiting to hear back from a job appllication or appllications we can feel like nothing is happening.
 
And there are plenty of long waits these days.
 
Maybe we are waiting for the right person to marry.
 
You understand my points here.
 
We will experince waits.
 
The question is, how will we handle them?
 
If we have a little bit of faith that God, not us, is in charge of things then we may have what I can an Isaiah attitude.  (see chapter 40)
 
We are not waiting on others; we are not waiting on the economy to get better but WE ARE WAITING ON THE LORD.
 
There is a promise that goes with this. If we keep our focus there ie on the Lord, we will have our strength renewed.  We will be lifted up
 
an eagle on the wings. And how does that happen?  There is an invisible force that is lifting up the eagle. That is called wind.  It is
 
uncontrollable.  If the eagle didn't wait as he took off from a high point, he would crash. 
 
There are lots of people, me included, who at times want something to happen in my timing. I don't want to wait. 
 
We are, aren't we a rather impatient society?
 
How many people now thank you for standing in line for a few minutes?  That is because most people cannot stand to wait to be served.
 
We can wait. We must wait for God to strengthen us. If we don't, we take a nose dive.
 
Let's soar after the wait...however long that may be.

Precious Moments

Birthdays are a wonderful time to share some precious moments with friends either over a lunch, on the phone, or by reading birthday cards and opening presents.

No matter how old or young you are a birthday can be a time to celebrate the blessings of friends and family. Who can forget the first birthday party of that child? It is a time of real celebration for the family that a new person has arrived and will be part of the family from now on.
How much God likes to see us celebrate and enjoy life together. We need each other. We need community and we need precious moments.

No matter how old or young you are a birthday can be a time to celebrate the blessings of friends and family. Who can forget the first birthday party of that child? It is a time of real celebration for the family that a new person has arrived and will be part of the family from now on.

How much God likes to see us celebrate and enjoy life together. We need each other. We need community and we need precious moments.More than our thoughts towards God, King David knew that God's thoughts towards us "out numbered the grains of sand on the sea."

If we are thinking we are without anyone at the moment, let us realize that we are precious to God and He has proved it to us again and again. We are His child. And as that we and all of our concerns are of interest to Him.

Let us be thankful for precious moments with friends but let us realize that God has gifted us with all of them and that His thoughts towards us go way beyond what any person could think or want for us.

WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS WHICH HE HAS PREPARED IN ADVANCE FOR US TO WALK IN.

Christmas

It's December and there is something in the air. People clump together and talk. Strangers share stories with each other. I love this time of year because it is so easy to be open with others. There is something in the air that makes us want to get closer to each other. From where ever we are, or aren't with God, we have an openness that wasn't there before. Our hearts are more open this time of year. We aren't so self-focused. We hear music that brings a smile.
I was at a local store and an older man was buying a musical Santa Claus because it brought back memories. Young families are creating memories for their little ones with the Christmas Tree, food, presents. And for a child, the presents are the thing.

Well, let's admit it, we all get a little closer to being children when we see a wrapped present and wonder what inside. It is a time of year when WONDER wins over cynicism. It is a time of year when LOVE has a chance. People discover each other. People discover God. Churches get crowded.

What a wonderful time of the year. There is something in the air. And yes, that something, is real. As I was setting up the Nativity Scene this year, I had a moment of panic. There was Mary, Joseph, the manger, a few animals but where was the baby? I started to look.

It seems to me that the baby of Christmas is largely missing this year. Early shopping. Economic panic. To do lists. General business and stress have away of keeping The BABY out of Christmas.

I overheard a mother saying that she couldn't put up any Christmas decorations at her house because her daughter was using the house for a friend's baby shower and she didn't want the DECORATIONS to detract from the shower. Why would Christmas decorations detract? They did not seem important to their daughter. Did they embarrass her? Did she not know that there was ANOTHER BABY more important than her friend's coming child?

Is Christmas just decorations? Is Christmas just a family gathering? Are Christmas just presents for each other? I give you something and you give me something. Where is the Baby? We have to look.

Those who were in Bethlehem didn't know there were THE BABY, the Savior, the Good News, and the Branch of Righteousness right in their little town. They were involved in the tourists, the taxation.  The shepherds heard the message.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

They went to look. They found what they told was true and went back to work, filled with JOY. Don't be distracted and miss the real Christmas. I found the missing babe. Christmas isn't Christmas without Jesus in the manger and us drawing near to see the miracle that has happened.

 Merry Christmas to all!

Thanksgiving Event

Thanks be to God, a roomful of people who had worked hard for the children gathered to enjoy a festive Thanksgiving meal on November 3rd at our Menlo Park home church.

After enjoying the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing gravy and vegetables, we settled to hear reports from our 7th annual Touchdown Camp.

Doris Bates, camp coordinator reminded us of the scripture: "The feeding of Five Thousand" when small offerings were blessed to feed the crowd. We were delighted to learn that we had so much food donations, that food left overs were shared with the youth of Verbo Church, our sponsoring church and home camp in Redwood City.

Barb Siegal, VP, gave the report for the Project Lost Sheep's account that everything was sufficient after all bills have been paid for camp. Catherine Parlanti was missed as she was ill that day.

We have seen God's faithfulness over the years and we believed that this service will come through. The board has approved a faith project - The Coin Jar Offering. Each gift card of $50 dollars can be given to each of the 20 families in the tutoring program.

Sandra Jamaillo, director of the school, told us the needs of the children in school, that they have emotional problems as well as academic ones. Little by little, with love, they are making progress. She talked about a boy in fourth grade who is intelligent but does not know how to count to 20.

Michelle Bedecarre, who tutors every week with the program gave an appeal for more workers to come and help the children one on one. She talked about the joy of helping just one child do better. Lauren Younger from our group is also a regular volunteer at Verbo and does a great job with the children.

Doris Bates and Joyce Dueker offered the Coin Jar Offering with contents up for the blessing to the Lord.

Businessman Jim Dillard spoke of his experience as a volunteer at camp with his wife, Valerie. Jim is interested in volunteer development to help us expand.

Greg, a deacon from the Korean church in San Jose, explained that they had done much international work but were happy to get some guidelines for reaching out in the local area to children. There was a lively conversation around the table between our San Jose visitors, Sandra and Michelle regarding the needs of children from at risk families for tutoring.

Joyce and Sharon Lee introduced the Christmas Party which be held on December 4th. Invitations to follow. As one of our new visitors said, "it was a warm group" to experience.

We encourage you, wherever you are, to start a Project Lost Sheep group to make a difference for the "at risk" children in your area. We have groups stretching from San Mateo down to San Jose.

"Let us not be weary in well doing for in due time we shall reap." HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you from us.

One on One

One to one is the best way to communicate. I am all for e-mail and for the old telephone but if I really, really want to talk to someone I want to see them over lunch or in some way a face to face encounter.

Because of the hectic pace of the current life, it is sometimes easy to forget that this one to one is important. First, it is important to have a one to one with God. Don't we like our children to talk to us.

Also, in getting a child "up to speed" in school work there is nothing like one to one. A parent or a tutor needs to sit down with a child and help him understand.

Last year, we were able, thanks to a grant from a local church, open inside Verbo Church a tutoring program for children most at risk of failing in grades 1-5. These children were recomended to the program by the principals of the local schools.

The children were greatly helped and one young woman improved so much in math that she was able to enter school contests. Her entire personality changed as a result of her success. She had no one to help her at home.

This is what we are learning. In the poorer communities in America, the parents cannot help. They may not read their own native language. They do not read English. They have no time and can't help their own children in many cases.

Jesus said: 
COME TO ME ALL YE WHO ARE HEAVY LADEN AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

The child is doomed for failure without intervention but with attention and hours and hours of tutoring help these children have a chance to win at the school game. More than that they receive a "I can do this" attitude which we all know is a secret to getting through the long, hard thing called life.

We need more one to one tutors out there.

I remember so well my own Dad who sat with me night after night as I struggled with story problems in math. What if my Dad wasn't there for me? What if my mother worked 3 jobs and didn't even read English to help me with the problem?

I would be left to struggle and fail. And no doubt I would have flunked in math that year without my one to one tutor.

Let your heart absorb what this means. A few hours of volunteer time can change the entire life of a poor child.

Training

Recently a new fence was put up as I was thinking about the idea of training. When we have children we are training them in everything we do..good and bad. This is rather awesome. Children are informed by what they see us do. Later, they are informed by what they get from others ie their friends.

Because I like to garden one of the thoughts about the new fence was how nice it would be to have a pretty vine growing up. Of course, vines require training. You have to give them support so they will go up and over the fence not sprawl all over your patio.

Children need to be trained up so they will be tall and strong. How to do this?

We know that we are as Christians to instruct children in the way they should go. They need to be taught the Bible. The verses need to be repeated and learned and the need to see the Bible lived out in us. Wow!

The Bible promise is: 
TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM IT.

How the vine is trained makes all the difference. Did you know that America when it started had a PRIMER that was filled with Bible verses that children memorized. Bible reading was common in families all across the country as this country grew.

As you know we cannot teach the Bible in schools today. It is not allowed. So more than ever the teaching of what makes for strong character rests in the home and in the church.

The Leader - Steve Jobs

Steve Job's death has been all over the news. He made such a mark that he was "The Story" in the Wall Street Journal.  One of the lessons learned from looking at his journey was that it wasn't straight up. When he left Apple to others, the company faltered. He was the creative "visionary" plus sales person that made it come together.

Leadership in business is important. Leadership in our call is also important. We each have "something to do"...a path, a journey that we must go on. In this particular niche we are THE LEADER.

If we are a mom and wife with a husband working 12 hours a day, we must become very small and still help our husband survive.  If we are a husband at home and our wife is "knocking herself out..out there," then we must also take a serving roll in order to help her live.

Jesus said, "He who is greatest must be servant of all."

This is still true. God looks at our attitude. Lots of times, mine needs a major makeover. It is very hard for us get small enough to let God get big enough. If we belong to Him then He is the ultimate leader and we keep learning and obeying and getting correcting through all of the journey.

Discipline

Discipline isn't a fun word and yet we are all subject to disciplines as a part of the way things are.

If we eat more calories than we expend we will gain weight. In order to change that we have to be disciplined in both exercise and diet. No surprise here. In the spiritual life there are disciplines also.

First there is the discipline of taking time for God. Daniel, as the Daniel who got thrown in the lion's den, took time to pray three times a day to his God. It was this discipline of prayer that got him in trouble because the king had ordered that all must bow down to a gold image of himself.

Daniel was disciplined in his priorities. He knew that God came first...no matter what. And yes, the lions didn't gobble him up because God shut the mouth of the lions. Instead Daniel's accusers were "lunch" for the lions before they hit the bottom of the pit.

Having a strong position of trust in God isn't something that just comes in a day. It comes as there are some very trying circumstances in our life THAT CAN ONLY BE SOLVED BY GOD.

I'd like to say that I am disciplined to trust like Daniel but I have a ways to go. Do you have something you really don't like to do but God has you in the discipline of doing it now.

Maybe it is a job that you know is going to end and you get paid but have no satisfaction.

Maybe it is a season of discipline in the financial area. Many of us are learning to cut way, way back on expenditures. We just need to be careful. In fact, there is so much poverty here in America including 22% in children, that I hope we are starting to wake up to the needs under our feet.

In learning a new sport there is discipline. The great tennis player didn't just emerge. There had been countless hours of practice behind that beautiful win.

Let us not be discouraged in well doing because we are getting stronger in that direction. God knows how much discipline each of us needs and His discipline is for our good and for giving us a future and a hope.

On Abiding

Focus. Stayed focus. Don't loose your focus.

We all have heard this and are aware that without it we might not get anything done.  Focus is not the same is abiding. Abiding, in the sense that the Lord asked us, is living in a vital relationship to him so that we are like a living organism drawing from Him what we need day by day.

We cannot do any kind of ministry work that bears fruit without this "relationship" underneath. This is why prayer has been and always will be "homebase" for Project Lost Sheep. When we aren't seemingly doing anything out there we are praying and hope that we are praying for everything. 

Prayer is communication. It is a two way conversation. Part of it is worship and adoration and petition but part is receiving, getting a direction from the Holy Spirit and waiting to know what to do with that direction.  Abiding isn't easy. It takes focus. Yes, the focus on the Lord's agenda, not ours. Sometimes there are "lulls" in what we do "out there". These lulls are times to fill up and be instruccted

We open the Bible. We pray. We meet with others to share and pray. Se find direction. We move out but not out of our own will but of the One we abide in.  Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing."

Think about it.

What We Do

We are asked frequently what we do besides camp. We work year round in various ways. The follow up to the campers is done by Verbo Church. For example, 29 mothers of campers recently went to a women's gathering. These women will be invited back again. 

After camp 50 children got to ride on a float sponsored by the police who are very interested in working with Verbo Church on positive youth activities.  25 children will be selected to be in an after school tutoring program at Verbo Church. They will get free tutoring in math and English, be read stories from the Bible. This is the second year of this program, partially funded by a local church and the rest coming in from Project Lost Sheep support.

Well...keep posted because there are many more things happening too much for this blog.  Let us never give up on caring and giving to people. Those who love like know Got.

Why We Need To Befriend Neighbors

Put yourself in this picture. You are new to the block. Your husband works a great deal. Your son doesn't drive. You are young and healthy but you take a spill. You think you have a sprained ankle. Your husband leaves on a business trip. Your injury gets worse. You now have what looks like a grapefruit on your ankle. And you are in so much pain. You have to hop.

You can't even hop to the house next door but you remember that there was a neighbor who gave you a phone number. You can that number.  "I need help" you say.

Let's share our information. Sometime..the one calling out for help might be you.

Camp Food

Everyone gets hungry at camp. Imagine 160 hungry children...about 30 youth volunteers and 20 or so adults. Our Seventh Touchdown Camp had lots of food and food surprises. The surprises were that some of the new volunteers went out and bought or got donated food for camp. We also got milk from McDonald's and lots of cereal and snacks from Second Harvest, thanks to our president Patty Cardona's efforts and going after these.

We also thank Lou from Gourmet Frank under VP Barbara Siegal who got all we needed for lunches. The men at Verbo stepped up to the plate and barbecued the chicken at the park the last day. Before lunch the children all enjoyed pinatas given also through Verbo. Children had small treasures of candy to take home.

I am smiling because at the brunch we shared the story of the boy who shared his lunch with Jesus (otherwise known as the miracle of feeding the 5,000). Jesus blessed the small lunch and it turned into enough and more than enough.  How do you know if God is in it? There is always overflow. We were able to leave food for the youth camping trip just about to happen.

God promises, even in famine, to keep his loved ones alive. Don't look at your resources. They will never be enough. Look up. There is a very loving God who provides what we need. Our Project Lost Sheep team knows the truth of this. Let's offer our little and see God work!

Sports

Sports are an important part of Touchdown Camp. We walk the children over to a local school and park and they get to play games like kick ball, soccer, hula hoop, water balloons.

Along the way they get to talk to the youth volunteers from Verbo and the adult volunteers from Project Lost Sheep. It is always a joy to see children outside and having fun knowing that these children do not get much of this in their day to day life.

Once in a while we discover a real athlete. This year a camper came to me with a skinned knee. She wasn't going to participate. We sat for a bit. I watched her dash to the restrooms and could see her knees were okay. When she came back I told her she was a really good runner.

"Let's see you run all the way to the end of the field and then meet me back at the bench." Before I could say more she was flying across the field to the end in the most beautiful running form. A natural runner. She was panting when she flopped beside me.

"You are really a good runner," I told her. "When you get to high school, I want you to try out for track." "In the meantime, just remember you really are good at this."

She nodded. "I think I'll go and play," she said and left without a backward glance. Sometimes we need to tell a young person what we see that will guide them in the future. Let's encourage one another. Let's tell someone today what we see that they really do well. Especially, let's compliment a child, a neighbor's or our own.