Pray for the ones on the street...

Weather has been cold this past week...I have been seeing a lot of people on the street...It has been making me think? I know that God is BIGGER than this and will come through...If you are seeing my blog...Please continue to pray. I have a vision and want to help all of those that I can...It may only be a few here and there for now but I know God is bigger.

Happy Thanksgiving...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I just want to say how thankful I am for Jesus, family, friends and all that I wake up for...We need to keep pushing for the Government to help with the homeless situations of today, we also need to realize that this is not the only answer. You and I have to be humble and realize that it could be you or I if it was not for the grace of God. My challenge to you all as you spend Thanksgiving is to just remember how blessed you are even for the little stuff.(olives...LOL!)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I will be blogging more next week, don't forget to comeback and support our ventures...Check us all out.

What is Poverty?

What is poverty?

Poverty is a complicated state of being that has been described using many different theories, frameworks and definitions. Like most complicated things, these explanations all reveal bits of truth and all suffer from a lack of complete understanding.

Poverty isn’t just about a lack of money. It has a lot to do with social isolation, something many of us don’t think about.

Ask yourself these questions:
“If I were to lose all my physical assets and money, how long would it take to get a meal?”
“How long would it take to find a place to sleep for the night? For a couple of weeks?”
“How long would it take to get a job?”
Another way of looking at poverty relies on the concept of shalom. The word shalom describes a world in which every person has a position where they are useful and fulfilled and we have good healthy relationships with God, ourselves, the world and other people.

Thus, poverty is the lack of these healthy relationships. People living in poverty do not feel like their lives have meaning. People living in poverty are insecure and make bad decisions to cover up or distract themselves from what they do not like about themselves. People living in poverty work very hard and are not successful; they must consume more than they produce. Finally, people in poverty make daily mistakes in their interactions with others and they find that the other people in their social circle are unreliable. They suffer for the mistakes they make or that others make.

Many people who live in poverty are poor, but their financial problems are more a symptom of poverty than a cause.

Become an Adoptive Parent

In the California foster care system, there are over 80,000 children with a number of these available for adoption. Sadly, one out of five of these children turns 18 and leaves the foster care system without a family. Adopting through the foster care system (also known as fost-adoption) substantially reduces the costs usually associated with adoption and helps the children who need it most. Koinonia Adoption Services specializes in assisting families who wish to adopt through the foster care system and provide a waiting child with a loving, permanent family.

Families who adopt through Koinonia become certified foster and adoptive parents. Through our supportive process the families meet all of the legal and regulatory requirements allowing them to care for a child. In almost all cases, adoptive parents are expected to foster any potential child before an adoption placement is made.

Our commitment is to find families that can best serve these children and give them stable, loving and permanent lifelong commitments that they deserve. The ideal adoptive family is one that is loving, patient, supportive, and that is adopting to fulfill the needs of a child and not their own. While you may think a home like this is common place, the truth is most of these children have never had the opportunity to experience this and we feel it's our responsibility and mission to try and make that a reality.

In addition to the foster parent requirements, adoptive families go through a more detailed home evaluation. Some of the information that is gathered but not limited to includes:
Personal and family background – including the applicant's upbringing, education, marriage(s), life events, etc
Significant people in the lives of the applicants
Direct and extended family relationships
Motivation(s) to adopt
Expectations in adoption
Child ages and background the applicants can best serve
Experiences and feelings about infertility (if an issue)
Parenting and integration of the child into the family
Physical and health history of the applicants
Education, employment and finances – including insurance coverage and child care plans if needed
Criminal and Child Abuse background checks
For more information regarding adopting through the foster care system please read our adoption FAQ or explore our website to learn more about Koinonia and the quality and commitment we stand for.

If you're ready for the next step or simply want more information, please call us or apply online right now.

877-CHILDS-HOPE (877-244-5374)

Information gathered from Koinonia

200,000 Homeless Youth across the state of California...

SACRAMENTO – A new study released Monday underscored the need to improve the safety net for homeless youth in California.

The California Homeless Youth Project found an estimated 200,000 unaccompanied minors aged 12 to 17 experience homelessness each year in California

Studies of homeless youth have found that they are among California’s most vulnerable residents, showing an elevated risk of mental health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide due to increased exposure to violence while living on the street

***Information gathered from a source of Internet sites***

Staggering Statistics...

Currently there are an estimated 1700 homeless youth that live just in the Sacramento, Ca. Region...At least 2 million youth ages 12 to 24 nationwide experience homelessness each year. It is a proven fact that 1 out of every 5 youth released from foster care will experience homelessness within three (3) years.

These are alarming statistics to me...Remember, all it takes is one person to help another...Can you do that today? Will you? I urge you to pray...The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow...

God Bless!

Help Homeless Youth

There are approximately one hundred and ten homeless shelters in California, and only three of those are teenage shelters. There are shelters for Men and Children, Women and Children, and Family Shelters. These shelters are mostly used just for women and men and families with small children. These shelters are not being used for teens due to the fact that most teens leave their homes and families because of their situation. The top ten reasons why teens end up in homeless shelters are because of:

1. “Kicked out - Mostly the reason why kids leave home isn't because they 'runaway,' it is because they get kicked out.
2. Sexual Abuse
3. Violence
4. Alcohol or Drugs
5. Verbal Abuse
6. Neglect - they don't get basic stuff other kids do, like food or it may be as if they aren't even there and no one cares about them.
7. Crime
8. Stress - someone is always on their case putting pressure on them to do something all the time like cleaning up or doing homework.
9. School - they get bullied at school and can't put up with it anymore or they get in really big trouble at school and just can't go home because of what might happen when their parents find out.
10. Someone is Gone - this could be because they died, or parents get divorced or separated. It also could be an older brother or sister moved out of home.”

The only teenage shelter in the Sacramento area is WIND. “WIND Youth Services is a local non-profit 501(c)(3) agency that was established in 1994 to directly address the immediate and long-range needs of the Sacramento area homeless, runaway, and street youth and their families.” They deal specifically with youth coming from bad areas and bad home circumstances. WIND not only gives teens a place to stay but helps feed, cloth, and school help.
“Their goals are that:

• Youth will have access to a safe environment that encourages healthy functioning and independence
• Youth will be offered opportunities to develop healthy and supportive relationships.
• Youth will be presented with opportunities to develop and share their gifts and talents.
• Youth will be exposed to positive activities and learning experiences to channel their energy.
• Youth will be encouraged in skill building activities that promote self-sufficiency.
• Youth will be supported in the discovery and understanding of their own self-worth.”

Right now WIND is on the verge of having to shut down due to fewer and less donations. Without this organization many teens will end up on the streets, joining gangs, and dropping out of school. Anyone can make a donation whether its money or clothes or even time to help out at the organization. WIND needs to stay open and available to the many teens it helps and has helped and will help.
California is not the ony place going through hardships. There are shelters that are on the verge of shutting down all around the U.S.. If you are interested in helping out, check out local youth shelters in your area.

For more information about WIND Youth Services go to their website http://www.windyouth.org/.

Happy Wednesday...

Have you ever wondered what if?  What if I only did this or I bought this back when or whatever...Hind sight is always going to be 20/20.  Remember what we do today is going to have a ripple effect on the rest of our life.  Just look at our Government and you can see that this is the truth, but that is for another time.  It takes one person at a time to make a difference...Yes just one to finally stand up and help...Is that you?  Are you being called to help and not listening?  God opens doors for us, but trust me those doors do not stay open forever...Pray and move forward with the conviction that you walk with his grace, mercy, love and forgiveness; remember this...As much as he gives you...You should be giving to others.

Phillippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Homelessness In America

This is real...This is now...This is getting worse as I blog this...Next time you see that person on the street what would it hurt to buy them a hot cup of coffee, hot chocolate, muffin, hamburger...would it really hurt some of us to not have that one extra starbucks or pepsi? You are blessed more then you give thanks for...Pass it on.

Phillippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

"Children Of God" - Official Music Video

Poverty in America...

More to come tomorrow...Where does America stand?  Where is America going?

Struggles of the World...

Now onto the blogging...How many of you pay attention to the homeless children of third world countries?  How many of you pay attention to the homeless children of America?  What about all of the children that need adopted here in the U.S.?  Did you know that one out of every 6 Americans need food assistance...I don't know about you but that is extremely staggering statistics to me.  Did you know that if a babies first teeth come in on the top of their mouth in Ethiopia they are considered to be cursed?  Do you know what the tribes of this land expect the parents to do to these babies?  I do believe that God has a purpose for my life and I plan on seeking out that path...Please feel free to comment as you wish.  God is good!  

Phillippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Blessings...

In my first post I shared a little about my life and how I have been blessed.  The sooner we realize that even the rough seasons are times for us to get closer and stronger to our maker the better we will be.  No where has it been said that our life was going to be easy, but it was said that we would never be alone. 

You may read this and be struggling through something and at a point where you are asking why me, why now or on the flip side you may have come through this season and know what I am talking about.  Look upward and rely on God without him I can do nothing, but with him I can do all things. 

Phillippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Hello...

Welcome to Extreme Blessings…

First I just want to say I am thankful for today…I am thankful for what I have been given and what I have gone through, it has made me the man I am today.

You see my life has been slowly changing over the past few years and I still have a way to go, but I am here to tell you there is a reason for your life.

You see I was born on October 4^th. 1969 and was with my natural Mother for 2 weeks in the hospital, but then she had to give me up for adoption…For 4 weeks I was with a foster Mother and got connected and then was adopted to my Mother and Father whom I was blessed with…I grew up with abandonment issues and more…It was December of 2005 that I finally searched to find my natural parents to see what my medical history might consist of…I learned some things that I did not want to and other stuff that I was happy to hear.

I since then continued to communicate on a regular basis with my natural Mother and have forgave her for things I have carried over the years…I can say now; I truly have love for her. 

Now back to the change :)

In July of 2008 I was blessed with a Granddaughter…She is definitely the apple of my eye…Have you ever heard of the saying “Do-over”…This is my Do-over with my little girls, girl…I love them both dearly and all I can say is I AM BLESSED and so thankful.

My Marriage of almost 24 years has been through so many ups and downs I cannot count, but I can say that I am truly blessed to have the best wife, friend, mother, grandmother there is and I am blessed to say that it is only getting better and being blessed because of God.

I almost lost my life on August 20^th. 2011 but GOD used my wife, while I laid with a 3000 + lb. car sitting on my chest feeling like this was it I was ready to give up, but instead I cried out to God to please save me that I loved my wife and she needs me and when I looked over to her and saw her tears she miraculously was lifting the corner of the car off of me.  I have been wondering and asking why…what is the purpose of saving my life…There has to be a reason…You rain over me and all of this world…You have a purpose for all of us…This just cannot be it…God always brings me back to thinking about getting my business going and now a few other things like this blog and then using the funds to help children in orphanages, homeless kids, families, single parents with children, and more…My heart goes out to these causes and I am blessed to just have this laid upon my heart.

In closing I just want to say this if you are thinking or have ever thought about seeking out your natural parents don’t be afraid…This is good healing…  Remember God is good!

Phillippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.