Vol. 4 Issue 13: Sometimes accepting help isn't just for you...

All too often, our news, social media feeds, and even our conversations with friends and family are centered around anxiety-filling and rage-inducing content. It can be so difficult to believe good things happen every day when the things reported or shared are examples of the worst humanity has to offer.

That’s why we started Real Positive Vibes. We wanted to create a haven inside your inbox to share some good news with you. We hope that while you read our newsletter, you can recharge and feel refreshed.

In His service, Chaplain Michelle

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About Us

The mission of Real Positive Vibes, RPV, is to help society move toward goodness, finding it within themselves by seeing it in others. RPV is a service of Church Builders Bible Training Center whose mission is to help each person discover their vision for life, find their passion, and focus their purpose. Our beliefs are interdenominational. We are unapologetic about our non-religious Christ-centeredness. Find out more: bibletc.com/vision

Let them help you

As caregivers, it is our instinct to give endlessly of ourselves. Still, it is important to make sure that we refill our own cups too. But how?

Well naturally the 1st way is to turn that caregiving instinct inward. We've talked about the importance of and ways to practice self-care before. But a less obvious way is to let the people in our lives care for us too. It can be difficult, I know. When you are the one responsible for taking care of others it can feel like a failure to receive help from someone else, even if they aren't a person you normally care for.

So I want to offer you a different perspective, offering and accepting help is an act of love and respect. When I was a kid I often took for granted all the work my parents did both in and out of the house to take care of me and my siblings. I even resented helping out with my younger siblings, as most teens do. But as I have gotten older and seen just how complicated being an adult is, I have a new appreciation for everything that they did and still do. So whenever I can, I help my parents, with little things, big things, and everything in between. I offer to help, and they let me.

My parents could say no, they could refuse my help because they can take care of themselves and they took care of me. But they let me help them because they know it is one of the many ways that I show my love and respect for them. They let me help because they get tired sometimes and letting me take something off their plates gives them opportunities to rest and recharge. They let me help because they want me to accept help when I need it too.

Getting help from others is not an indictment of your ability, it isn't failure. It is accepting love, affection, and respect from someone. It is refilling your cup so that you can give of yourself another day. Take the help with the same gladness that you hope someone receives help from you.

Email us and let us know how you bring a little positivity to your life. We would love to hear it and we may feature you in a future issue.

Outreach

Missions Trip Update

Well, friends! It's been nearly a month since I embarked on this spiritual formation journey to South Africa. My mission was to do what I do at home, develop disciples into disciplers. It's been an amazing experience that has forever changed my heart and kingdom perspective.

At first, things were off to a rough start as eight students could not come due to passport and visa issues. Further, I got sick the first week, losing my voice. Thankfully, I recovered well, though we missed the students who were unable to come.

Once things got going, everything has been paradoxically amazing and heart wrenching. The students are amazing and excited about learning. As the instructor for the day we've spent a great amount of time together. All of them, are hungry for a move of God and are learning everything they can about the ministry gifts they steward.

If I could describe them in just a few words, I say joyful, loving, and resilient. On the first day, the power line to the farm was stolen! Yes, stolen. No power for two days. At the farm that means no running water, or even flushing toilets. These Godly people prayed thanked God and did not complain for a second. I was convicted by their contentment. I, as an American, learned so much from them.

When I wasn't teaching, I was taken to the township schools and a preschool. The teacher-to-student ratio is 1 to 45. The teachers have no aides or assistants. There is one counselor between the two schools we toured. The preschool ratio was a little better; yet, the building was run down with an electric fence to keep thieves from vandalizing and stealing from them. As I ministered to the teachers and the Director there, my heart cried and was filled with hope at the same time.

No matter the struggle, these people love God with all their hearts.

Thank you so much for your love, care, and support. I could not have done this without all of you.

My Sister's Closet

My Sister’s Closet of West Michigan, is a service of Church Builders Bible Training Center to survivors of domestic violence, former incarceration, or other devastating tragedy to meet the need of one of the three basic needs of survival, clothing. Find out more and how to volunteer here.

Dearborn Thai restaurant loses power, gives away free food

Like so many residents in southeastern Michigan, a popular Dearborn Thai restaurant is also without power following Wednesday's ice storm. On Friday Chef Genevieve Vang at Bangkok 96 cooked up their food and decided to give it away at noon until it runs out.

"The power never came back, so I decided to cook what I had in the refrigerator and cook for the community instead of just throwing it away," said Chef Genevieve Vang. The give away began at noon, with dishes like garlic brown sauce, veggie curry, rice, to an appreciative public - so many suffering without electricity themselves.

"We don't know if this is going to help but that's all we had, and we tried to do the best we can," said Chef Genevieve.

Powerball winner donates entire $150k prize to charity

A South Carolina man donated his entire $150,000 Powerball prize to charity, according to the South Carolina Lottery. He bought the ticket at the GT Express Mart in Greenville. The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, told lottery officials his donation was made to a charity in upstate South Carolina.

Snow sharks turn heads in front yard of Michigan woman’s home

Left Shark, Baby Shark, Jaws... whatever you want to call them, she’s got them in her front yard - Three snow sharks which are turning heads in Madison Heights in Metro Detroit.

Jennifer Ramirez, a high school art teacher, says her sharks have been grabbing the attention of people driving by since she made them after last week’s snow storm. She says people see them, stop and take pictures and it happens all day long.

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