From the Desk of Jill Keenon, Operations Director:

The other day I cut the grass and cleaned up the yard for the first time this year, and I was so happy and thankful that we have a nice home and things look pretty. So, every day I would come home from somewhere and just enjoy how nice it all looked.

Then one day I came home and realized smack dab in the middle of the yard is a huge dead tree, no leaves, no buds, no nothin'! How could I have missed it all those days I was admiring our home?! Immediately, I knew that is exactly how I live my life, and I am assuming you live yours. You clean up well and look pretty good, but right in the middle of your heart is a big dead tree. A tree called worry, gambling, unkindness, bitterness, unforgiveness or a million other signs of deadness.

I asked the Lord to show me the deadness in me, and I have been noticing some of my problems a little more clearly this week. But the coolest thing is that after we talked to our friends about "cutting down the tree" and "when should it be done?" two days later God brought buds to the tips of the top of the tree. This tree had gotten mutilated by the ComEd crew and then the drought last year did her in - but God is a god of resurrection and new life! He can bring life out of our deadness. How incredible! Those tiny buds gave me hope.

COLOMA PLACE

• It feels like this home is dead some days. But God will bring new life to it. Sue is coming some time soon. Pray for God's hand and leading for her and her children. There is a lot of confusion in their home. A lot of lying by the husband.

QUICK HOME

• We just don't know what the Lord is doing. There were three brothers coming to the home last week, the pizza was ordered, the rooms readying and a call came at the last minute and plans had changed. Everything that looks like a God things in the last months seem to be stopped in its tracks. Something else must be coming because Will and Allison are ready and willing.

KEENON HOME

• Joel has moved his stuff in, and he will come on Tuesday to stay. Pray for his family as they go back to Mexico and miss each other. Pray that they can know we will take good care of Joel. Pray he will adjust to here and be able to make the new time in his life work. His dad said when he leaves Tuesday he probably will not see Joel for the entire year.
• Melissa is a little better this week. The biggest prayer is that we can somehow get her to go to this new doctor. Pray it will happen. He will address different issues than are being addressed right now.
• The room rearrangement worked great. The girls were funny about it but we had a great time doing the change and now Margie has the biggest room in the house with a TV. It is like their little apartment down there.
• My sister comes Friday from Arizona to help me move my mom on Monday. My mom was crying today because she had to quit work and could not pay me anymore. Mom has not worked since 1987. She feels worried all the time but the good thing is today is the first day I have ever heard my mom pray. At lunch after I prayed, and she prayed and thanked Jesus for Hillary and me. Pray my sister and I can do this with kindness and gentleness.

When you feel tired and dead inside this week remember: you serve a God of resurrection!

In Christ's Service for the Community,

Paul & Jill Keenon
Open Door for Teens, Inc.