In a message dated 3/17/99 12:34:51 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< There are some times I'm not sure why I'm in Rangers, while other times
it is very clear why I am in Rangers.
>>
As a young father I had a desire to be involved with Boy Scouts. Having been
in them as a boy, I thought it had made a lasting impression on me. I also
wanted to do it with my own son. Well, those years past by and I got
introduced to Rangers when we started going to an AG church. My son became
involved and I did too. However, we felt a need to return to a church that we
had left about 7 years earlier and so we did. They were Pentecostal but not
AG, so there was no Rangers. After two years of telling church leaders about
the program we finally gave it a try with me becoming the SR Commander.
I wasn't sure if I was called or not, but I have stuck in out for 5 1/2 years
and now I am loving it.
I guess I have quit at least 20 times, but never told anyone except my wife.
In the last of 97 I did stop for a month to decide whether to stay. This time
was the hardest of all. I decided to stay, and only be Sr Commander only.
The best decision I ever made. The ministry has improved ever since. I
believe that is when I turned the success or failure of our Outpost over to
God. I THINK MANY OTHERS OF YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME THING.
My son was too old for Pioneers when we started it, so I never had the
chance to be his commander and he is 19 now. It has been the toughest Church
job I have ever had, but the most rewarding. I don't think I would ever want
to do anything else. I want to share something I wrote a couple of weeks ago
that will explain why I am Here.
Last Sunday Night I was introduced to a lady who had just gotten custody of
her three boys. They all were living with the lady's parents. They had
apparently been placed into the care of the state because of an abusive
father. Ages 6, 8, and 11, they were introduced to me so I could tell them
about Royal Rangers. I could tell by their actions they had been abused.
They were withdrawn and nervous. I told them how we would go camping, hiking,
and canoeing, and one of them said, when? This mom seemed to be very grateful
that we were going to become a part of her boys lives.
At the end of the service this mom went forward for prayer with her boys. As
the prayer time was winding down a scheduled baptism service began. So this
mother just decided that she and her boys were going to be baptized and they
did. I guess since she was starting over she might as well do the first works
over as well.
I pray that we can be a help to this mom with those boys. I know we can't
take the place of a father, but maybe we can demonstrate the love of Christ to
them and restore trust back into their lives.
As for me, I love our church kids that have both a loving mom and dad. They
need our ministry too. But these boys that come from a broken home hold a
special place in my heart. They are what keeps me going in Rangers and why I
love this ministry. I thank God He gave me the chance to work in it.
James Styles, Sr Commander
Outpost 45 Huntsville, Al
_______
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"Eat the hay & spit out the sticks!" RTKB&G4JC!
Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://rangernet.org
