Happy Birthday to Us!

On Friday last week we celebrated the PARC being 8 years old! In some ways it seems like only a short time and in other ways if feels like decades!! It served as a wonderful reminder to me of how far we have come. My mind goes back to so many memories over these past years. I remember when Robert and I opened the first bank account with $150.00, because that was all that we had. We were washing windows and trying to find people that might understand what we had in our hearts to do and might come along beside us. It seemed impossible. Slowly we found people that believed in this crazy, hard to describe idea who began to surround us and bring what they could to help.

We were so out of our league. We truly had no idea what we were doing, but we had made a promise that if God gave us enough to take the next step, then we would take it. I remember the day we decided that our vision wasn't going to work. We couldn't find a building and we weren't really raising money, to speak of. We had decided to 'shut it down' when we both believed that God wanted us to look one more time for a building in downtown Amarillo. Despondently and with little hope, we drove around one more time. And then we saw it. We saw our little building, and it was awful!! It had been a strip club/ swingers club and was in very bad condition. But we SAW it. We saw that it was the perfect fit for the vision of what we had in our hearts to do. Oh my, I found a picture of me standing in front of that building the day we signed the papers. We were so proud, and it was so horrible. But ,there was redemption just waiting. We knew it!

Friday as we celebrated, I looked at that picture, I looked around at our now beautiful and quirky little building that I love so much, and I watched the video and saw the drawings of the new building that is to come. I have a hard time taking it all in. There have been so many miracles!! God has built this place and continues to take it places that we never imagined were really possible. In this time Robert has gone, and I remember feeling so alone. But you came. You were there, and you continue to come and surround the PARC with your love, your prayers, your gifts and offerings. Your words of support and encouragement are immeasurable. God keeps moving. He keeps growing and loving the PARC. He keeps doing the miraculous every single day.

So many lives. So many lives have been touched by this place. My prayer is that every, single person that comes through our doors experiences the love of God. Every, single one feels accepted and valued. Because when they leave our building, if they have even gotten a 'seed' of those things, it matters. It makes all the difference.

This place is beyond words. This place is my heart. I thank God every day that I get to be here, meeting the most amazing people and watching His love change us all. I love how God has used me and allowed me to be a part. I laugh often and say, "I love it. I wouldn't recommend it, but I LOVE it." I am grateful for these last years and look with anticipation towards all that He has planned for our future.