Have you read this lately?

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis
by an anonymous Norman c. 1915 A.D. Peace Prayer

Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood,as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.


For more info on this prayer, click here -> http://www.franciscan-archive.org/patriarcha/peace.html

It takes more than a few meetings...

This morning Cesar and I spoke to a homeless man named Charles. He came in for the usual (food, clothes, money), but left with something else...hope. The hope of sobriety was in his heart. He sat there and wept for what seemed like hours (it was actually only a few minutes). I told him that we (meaning "we" at this building called Mosaic) could merely offer him food, clothes, and a welcoming church home. But he needs much more than that. When asked the last time he smoked crack, he replied, "It's been a few weeks." Further probing revealed that it had only been 14 days if all he said was truthfull. "I've been going to meetings," he said. To my knowledge, nobody ever stopped smoking crack cocaine by attending a few meetings. I asked Charles if he wanted to get off crack to which he responded with a yes. Then I explained to him that it would require significant commitment for that to happen. He would have to enter a 29 day dry out program followed by a 4-6 month rehab program in Memphis. Charles said he would go. We are still waiting to hear from Bruce Patterson and Harold Nash regarding the rehab. Please pray that God would continue to move in Charles' heart and that he will come back to Mosaic on Tuesday to begin his journey towards sobriety.

Now that I figured that out...

Now that I can add pics to this thing I just couldn't resist publishing
this incredible photo on my site! This is Bob "Cotton" McBryde circa
1979. What a stud!!! Please, ladies...no calls to the house. He's a married man! :) Notice my tiny mother just behind him.

MO NEWS from Rob McBryde, Issue 13, October 18th, 2004

HUGE NEWS!
God continually shows me that His plans are far better than my plans. “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Prov. 19:21). My experiences this past year have reinforced to me that God is always in control and desires the very best for His children. Even through disappointments, failed pursuits, and incredible anguish, the Lord has at all times been gracious and kept His watchful eye over me.

One such example of His sovereign love has been evident in the development of a close friendship. For over a year now I have worked alongside someone who loves the Lord deeply and desires to serve Him fully. During the last several months our relationship has flourished into something we repeatedly refer to as a “pleasant surprise.”

There has been prayer involved in our relationship since before we ever met. Friends and family have showered us with prayer and wise counsel; and the Lord has revealed His pleasure in our relationship in many different ways. With all of the confirmation I had received through our own interaction as well as from friends, family and God above, I felt very confident in proposing to Inés Velásquez on on September 1st! Such conviction was strengthened even more when she said, “Yes!” The big day will be December 18th, 2004.


Above: Me and "mi prometida" which is spanish for
"my promised one"

Yes, the wedding is coming soon! We are knee deep in the planning process, and on top of that, we just bought a new house! We are forever grateful that the Lord continues to show us His mercy and blessings. Please pray for us as we prepare to unite our lives and take our knowledge of oneness to a whole new level.


Above: Our new address is 13827 Hickory Glen, Alexander, AR 72002.

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS
I have noticed over the last 6 weeks that life and ministry do not slow down just because you get engaged. It’s quite the opposite actually!

Ministries are moving at lightspeed this fall, and I love it! My primary focus at Mosaic is the young adults ministry. MoYAs (Mosaic Young Adults) is continually growing in breadth and depth. On September 16th, a small group of MoYAs experienced The Gathering, our first monthly young adults worship night.


Above: An intimate setting for an intimate time
with God at The Gathering.

MoYAs’ presence was made known on the UALR campus on September 24th as we hosted the first Mosaic Café of the year. This evening of sipping coffee, playing games, and relaxing with new friends was a collaborative effort between MoYAs, Metro Student Ministries, and International Friendship Outreach. Metro and IFO both have a heart for international young adults, and the night was a good first step towards developing our ministry partnership in reaching out to this populace of college students.

On October 8th and 9th fifteen young adults escaped for the weekend on our first annual Fall Encounter. We traveled to Hot Springs, AR to stay at the Lake Hamilton Resort. During this escape from the normal routines of life, we explored the subject of authentic relationships and their necessity within Christian community. Two main conclusions were drawn about authenticity: 1) We must be honest with God and others about who we are, and 2) we must be the first to initiate authenticity. Don’t wait for someone else to start it! The retreat was a very encouraging experience for all of us, and the time invested helped strengthen our community.


Above: 15 MoYAs representing 6 different ethnicities
pose in front of a natural spring during the MoYAs'
first annual Fall Encounter retreat.

Shortly after my return from Hot Springs, I attended a going away party for a friend who is headed to Army training this month and then to Iraq in January. His name is Bobby Paine, and he is a young adult that has been coming to Mosaic for a few months. Even though I haven’t known him very long, I could tell what an incredible man of God he was just by the large number of people who came to see him off and pray for him before he leaves to serve a tour in the Army National Guard. The support and prayers that were given that night were powerful! Please join me in prayer for Bobby as he spends up to 18 months fighting in Iraq. This young man has a rock solid faith in Jesus and will undoubtedly be used mightily by God to minister to fellow soldiers and others during his time overseas.


Above: Friends and family gather around Bobby (in the
red shirt) and pray for his witness and safety as he pre-
pares to leave for Iraq.

There is so much more I could say about the work that God is doing here at Mosaic, but for sake of space I will conclude the ministry highlights with one more story. Last week, a homeless man named Wayne came into the office for some financial assistance. I had met him several months ago, and the church provided him with clothes for a job interview. This time he came to the church to see if we could buy him a bus ticket so he could move to Tennessee to live with his aunt. I had him complete the assessment form that we use to discern the needs of those requesting help from Mosaic. There is a question on the form that asks, “If you died this moment, where do you believe you will spend eternity? Heaven? Hell?” He put a check mark by “Hell”, and the Holy Spirit prompted me to share the Gospel with him. He seemed genuinely convicted about the life he had been living away from God, and he accepted the offer of hope through a relationship with Christ. Wayne came through our doors looking for a temporary solution to his problems and walked out with an eternal one. Please pray that Wayne’s walk with the Lord continues to grow and that we at Mosaic have opportunities to nurture that walk in the days and months to come.

ALMOST THERE!
With the new fiscal year comes a new budget, and the support raising efforts continue! I am pleased to report that through the consistent monthly gifts of eight outside supporters plus the church’s contribution, 73% of my salary has been raised! That is awesome! The church has also added medical insurance to my salary package which is a huge blessing and relief. Beyond that, they have approved me to raise additional outside support to move me past just squeaking by financially each month. This is especially critical in light of my upcoming marriage. So, with ten more months in the fiscal year, it is my goal to raise an additional $500 per month beginning in November.

Would you prayerfully consider pledging a monthly contribution of $25, $50, or $100 to support the ministry God has me doing here at Mosaic?

Tax-deductible checks may be made out to Mosaic and mailed to Mosaic Church C/O Rob McBryde, 6420 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, AR 72204.

Thanks and God bless!
Rob McBryde <><