Parkside Mission

It's December 13th, and this is it for me.  It's the pinnacle -- the peak of Christmas craziness. Even as I have grown to approach this season more thoughtfully over the past few years, it is still busier for me than any other time of year.  I have ornaments to hang, presents wrap, cards to mail, parties to attend, teacher gifts to purchase....the list goes on.  Those are all good things, to be sure, but it's still an awfully long list. And from what I can tell, it's the norm.  Everyone I talk to, including my wisest and most prudent friends, operates at warp yuletide speed in December.  Where do we find peace and joy amid the chaos of too much well-intentioned celebration? As someone who craves quiet and peace during every season, I'm often tempted to just skip Christmas and hibernate until  January 2nd.   Since that's not practical, I have found comfort in a surprising place:  the account of Elijah's battle with the Israelites and King Aha...

This Christmas "I myself will" ___________.  1. This Christmas I myself  wil l not put on 5 pounds . 2. This Christmas I myself  will  not buy my wife a small kitchen appliance . 3. This Christmas I myself  will  love my neighbors well. What would you write in the blank space?  Would you write something like my examples:  1. Which is doable but not likely to change the world or spread love to others. Or,  2. Which also doable, but is the least a decent person in your situation should do. Or,   3. Which is wonderful, but honestly, we won’t do it nearly as well as we should.  Then I remember how Christmas came to be in the first place. An ancient scripture prophecy of the coming Messiah, Ezekiel 17:22, " ‘This is what the Sovereign  Lord  says: I myself will take a shoot  from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a h...

We are thankful for the individuals, families, and churches that pray regularly and give financially so that we can bring the love of Christ to those we are called to serve. We are also thankful for the talented people who create administrative systems that handle our donations and finances so that we can be efficient and that our donors have confidence in the process. Emily and Trent McEntyre, 2014. What is the admin change? Starting September 1st, 2014, we are receiving a sort of administrative upgrade that will make our ministry more efficient for us and our donors. The national mission support agency, Mission to North America, will now be receiving our donations and sending receipts to our donors. Based in Atlanta, Mission to North America (or MNA) has a great team of staff, excellent secure websites, and also offers services for special types of giving like stocks. MNA does not charge us for these services! 100% of the funds receive goes to the Parkside Mission. What do I...

What is new for Fall of 2014? Do you remember the feeling of starting a new school?  Two of our three daughters, Kathryn (our youngest)  and Samantha (our oldest) each started at new schools this year. Kathryn entered first grade at Morningside Elementary. No more elementary school for Alpha sister Samantha. She entered Inman Middle School. We are so thankful for the opportunities our children have here for education, friendship, and community. Kathryn, Samantha, and Langley on the first day of school 2014. Notice the middle schooler is still in her robe. They don't start class until 9:00 am. Emily and I have some exciting new developments this Fall as well: We have two wonderful new partners in the community: St. Paul's Presbyterian Church and Midtown Young Life. Emily has begun part time work as a specialized reading tutor.  Trent has joined the Inman Cross Walk Parent team. Just look for the neon green vest and large hand held stop sign. Trent a...

January 28, 2014, Atlanta, GA is facing an affliction that it is for which we are never prepared. Snow! So far, we've had about a half an inch, but all we need to cause widespread panic on the streets of our Southern city. And since we only experience this once in about three or four years, we really never learn how from it. Unfortunately, we can go through life similarly. Because we manage to avoid pain, when it hits we can overreact. Certainly, we forgive the overreactions of our children when they stub their toe or pinch their finger in a door. Good parents teach their children how to anticipate and how to handle pain, which invariable comes to us all. Thankfully, those who follow Jesus Christ have the benefit of a Heavenly Father who knows how to use affliction for our good.  JI Packer, now well into his eighties, provides a great explanation for how God uses affliction in our lives: “God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other affl...

Life with Christ, in Christ, by faith in God's Spirit...a key, if not the key to real Christian life. Believing our real union with Christ is what the real Christian life is all about.  True Christians operate, not from their own resources alone, but with the life of God connecting with their lives. A relationship with God is not merely knowing things about him. It is supposed to intimate, like a wife knowing her husband. Quote from John Calvin about union with Christ: “We must now examine this question. How do we receive those benefits which the Father bestowed on his only-begotten Son–not for Christ’s own private use, but that He might enrich poor and needy men? First, we must understand that as long as Christ remains outside of us, and we are separated from Him, all that He has suffered and done for the salvation of the human race remains useless and of no value for us. Therefore, to share with us what He has received from the Father, He had to become ours and t...