Sheltering Arms Coalition

05/31/2026

Psalm 118:26

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord."

Each and every one of us is called to be the house of the Lord, and through Him we are able to bless others.

I want to give a big shout-out to Teri Arrington, Jennifer, Misti, and Christian, who, on very short notice, rearranged their schedules when one of our teams had to cancel and stepped up to serve 144 meals.

A special thank you also goes to Dana #2, Terri, and Leah, who faithfully ran the Resource Store. We were also blessed to have Leah's family—Cathy, Anna, Elise, and Laurel—join us and help serve in the dining hall.

We always love seeing new faces, and it is especially encouraging when volunteers bring visiting family members along to serve rather than having to cancel. God has truly blessed us with amazing volunteers who have hearts for serving others.

We are already gearing up for Christmas in July, and it will be here before you know it! Please help spread the word and invite others in our community to come and join us.

Next Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, and Chaplain Roy will be bringing the message from 10:00–11:00 a.m. If you don't have plans, you are always welcome to join us at Sheltering Arms Coalition.

May God bless you all, and have a wonderful week!

05/31/2026

This is a community event, and all are welcome. As God continues to bless us through Seasons of Change, Amazon, Walmart and others, we will in turn pass these blessing on to the community and would ask that you bless someone in return. Would love for you to come and see what God is doing here at East Texas Sheltering Arms Coalition. Feel Free to share this with our community. God Bless.

05/24/2026

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

As we celebrate Memorial Day tomorrow, let us remember the incredible love shown to each of us by the men and women who laid down their lives in service to this great nation. My heart cries out in gratitude for each and every one of them.

Thank you as well to everyone serving at Sheltering Arms today:

Dana #1 for the lovely spring meal
Jessie, Shayla, Conner, Lexie, Kaley, Kazmir, Brandon, and Noah for serving the 134 meals
Cornerstone for the delicious desserts
Dana #2 and Rebecca for the free resource store

Some of you may have noticed that we are under construction again. Please bear with us as we build additional storage space to handle all that God continues to bless us with.

Please continue praying for us as we seek God’s will in finding the right Executive Director — someone who will continue to help us grow and faithfully use all that God has in store for Sheltering Arms.

05/17/2026

Psalm 31:14 — “But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’”

I continue to say how blessed we are in so many areas — volunteers, finances, donations, and so much more — and I truly believe it is a result of this verse. You are our God, and we trust and rely on You for all our needs, and You have never disappointed us. Thank You, Lord.

It has been a busy week. Tuesday, we hosted and provided lunch for the Jacksonville Leadership Class. Friday was the Community Collaboration Council lunch, followed by a Board meeting Friday evening. Then Saturday, I began digging out and preparing for an expansion to our building.

Today, please say a prayer for Dana #1 as she had to make a quick trip to California. I need her back home safe so I don’t have to cook, lol.

Thanks to Cornerstone for the desserts, and to Danny, Nancy, Rebecca, Avery, Stanley, and Shay for serving the 129 meals. Also, thank you to Dana #2 and Leah for running the free resource store.

My prayer is that each of you will claim Psalm 31:14 and be able to say that He is your God also.

Have a blessed week.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there — and especially to the moms volunteering today to serve others.

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” — Book of Micah 7:7

A special thank you to Katja for volunteering to clean the nonprofit this week.

We are also deeply grateful for our regular volunteers and a few first-timers:

Dana #1 for cooking
Cornerstone for the desserts
Kristie, Leslie, Kynseilgh, Kayson, Don, and Mary for serving 135 meals
Dana #2 and Rebecca for running the free resource store

Your kindness and servant hearts made a difference today.

❤️A Mother’s Day Prayer❤️

O gentle Light who shaped her hands,

Bless these palms that held our storms,
That stitched our wounds with quiet thread,
And cupped our dreams like fragile dawn.

Let her mornings be soft with peace,
Her evenings wrapped in golden rest;
Let laughter spill like springtime rain
Across the garden of her years.

Guard her steps with patient grace,
Crown her brow with tender joy;
And may the love she poured so deep
Return to her in endless tides.

Amen to the heart that never tires,
Amen to the soul that always gives. ❤️

05/03/2026

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” — Matthew 18:20

Today we held our second church service (hopefully the second of many) at Sheltering Arms Coalition. There were five of us—and Christ—with singing, a message, and meaningful discussion. Thank you, Randy Allen, for sharing the message today.

A huge shoutout to John Souls Food (Souls Kitchen https://www.facebook.com/souleskitchen ) for another generous donation this week (including both beef and chicken). We’re so grateful for all you do to help with our mission.

Thank you to Dana #1 for preparing the meal; Hardus, Juanita, Randy, and Perry for serving 122 guests; Cornerstone for providing desserts; and Dana #2, Terri, and Leah for running the resource store.

Each week is such a blessing. The love and presence of our Lord and Savior shines through the volunteers and in the eyes of those we serve.

God is so good!

04/27/2026

Psalm 42:1-2
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

04/26/2026

Galatians 5:13–14 reminds us that we were called to be free—not to serve ourselves, but to serve one another humbly in love. “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

I’m so grateful for a team of volunteers who truly live this out, using their freedom to love and serve others.

On Friday, Don and I made a trip to Seasons of Change and picked up another trailer load of Amazon donations. When we got back, Ike—one of our neighbors who joins us for Sunday meals—came over and jumped right in to help unload everything into the warehouse. God is so good!

Then on Saturday, Dana #2 and Leah got to work sorting everything—and even managed to put me to work too!

A huge thank you to:
Dana #1 for another amazing meal,
Jesse Rowley, Shayla Rowley, Kaley Douglas, Conner Rowley, Lexie Rowley, Cashmere Jace, Brandon Orr, Zara Orr, and Noah Orr for helping serve 168 meals,
Cornerstone Baptist for the desserts,
and Dana #2 and Rebecca for running the free resource store.

We’re still working toward having weekly church services, but for now we meet on the first Sunday of each month—which is next Sunday! Everyone is welcome to join us for a casual, non-judgmental, no-conditions time of worship.

Have a blessed week!

04/24/2026

04/19/2026

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

Today was a vivid reminder of how light shines through acts of service. Sharing 116 meals with friends and neighbors in our community became more than a task — it became a reflection of compassion, generosity, and steady kindness.

Deep thanks to Don and Mary, Stanley, Shay, Maddie, Izzie, and JJ for showing up with willing hands and open hearts. Your presence helped make the day meaningful for so many. Each meal served carried a touch of your kindness and a reminder that light shines brightest when shared. Your teamwork and joy in serving others turned an ordinary day into a reflection of grace and community.

A special appreciation to Dana P., whose talent and care in preparing and cooking the meals blessed every person served.

And heartfelt gratitude to Dana M., Terri, and Leah for the hospitality and warm service you brought to the resources store. The way you welcome others truly lets light shine in practical, encouraging ways.

May every good deed continue to shine brightly and inspire you to do the same.