Flood Blog – Current impact opportunities, stories of impact and classifieds.

“God I am lost and confused and I do not know where you are in my life. I cannot feel you like I used to and I feel as if you have turned your face from me!”

This is a common prayer for people who feel distant from God. This is the type of prayer that is resonated through Psalm 88, and this is the type of prayer that St. John of the Cross wrote extensively about. This feeling of distance and isolation was one that was very familiar to him as he faithfully served God even in the midst of his own great spiritual darkness which he calls “the dark night of the soul.” The perspective he brings however is significantly different than what we might expect. He defines the dark night of the soul as a time when God desires for us to grow deeper. He writes that “The ‘dark night’ is when those persons loose all the pleasure they once experienced in their devotional life. This happens because God wants to purify them and move them onto greater heights.” Interesting.

Is he trying to say that God at times will intentionally bring us into times where we feel distant and separated from Him? Yes, but it is for our own good. It is for a greater purpose that we probably do not understand at that point, and most importantly, it is out of His great love for us!

Later on in the his book, he writes that:

[God’s] love for us is not content to leave us in our weakness and for this reason He takes us into a dark night. He weans us from the pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness…Through the dark night pride becomes humility, greed becomes simplicity, wrath becomes contentment, luxury becomes peace, gluttony becomes moderation, envy becomes joy, and sloth becomes strength. No soul will ever grow deep in the spiritual life unless God works passively in that soul by means of the dark night.

These times of darkness and distance can very well be gifts of God presented to us for our own growth. God has not left us there, He has brought us there. There is some way in which He desires for us to grow in order for us to truly experience Him in a more complete way. God’s joy is not for us to be stagnant in our faith, but to come to a deeper lasting knowledge of who He is and how He desires our lives to be played out.

This is why we must hold onto the truth of Christ and the recognition that God is the “God of my salvation” as Psalm 88 is keen to point out to us. This psalm does not end in hope, but that does not mean that hope does not exist. We must cry out to God openly and honestly as we trust that as He has brought us into these times, He will be faithful to lead us out again. He has our best interests in mind. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Scott E. McGhee

The feeling that you have been forgotten is devastating. I can distinctly remember a time when I was in the first grade when my identity became that of the forgotten. The final bell of the day rang and I went outside to wait for my mom under the big tree out in front of the school. Cars with moms (and the occasional dad) stopped by to pick up their children while I continued to wait patiently for my own mom. One by one every single one of my classmates got picked up, and I was left alone sitting on a bench under the big tree. It felt as if all of eternity had slowly snuck by as I sat there waiting. Talk about feeling forgotten! There I was, seven years old, and obviously no one loved me, not even enough to pick me up from school.

Psalm 88 depicts a man who feels as if God has turned His back on him. He feels as if he has been rejected by God despite constant attempts to cry out to Him. He feels isolated and alone. He feels forgotten.

There are times in our lives where we will feel just as the psalmist of Psalm 88 felt; isolated, alone, and uncared for. We will come to times when we cannot feel the presence of God as we once did. That day under the big tree was one of those times for me. Even as a seven year old boy I was able to feel the weight that isolation and rejection can bring. So what do we do? How do we respond when we cannot figure out which way is up or why we feel the way we do?

In the opening verses of Psalm 88, the psalmist writes, “LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.” In the midst of his suffering, the psalmist still turns to God. Even though he felt alone, abandoned and forgotten by God, he still turns to God. He says “God I don’t know what is going on in my life or why I am feeling the way I do, but I am going to hold onto the truth and trust in the fact that You are my salvation!” He held onto the hope that even though God felt distant from him, that God could still save him; “LORD, you are the God who saves me.”

After a while, as I sat under the big tree, a school official came and took me to the front office. They called my mom and she quickly came to get me. As it turns out, our neighbor was supposed to pick me up from school that day. In the midst of my deep despair, the truth came out. Though I had been forgotten by someone, it had not been by my mom, and right then the person I thought had forgotten me, was the very person who pulled me out of my darkness.

Let us hold onto the fact that even in the depths of our darkness, God is still our salvation, and He has not forgotten us.

Scott E. McGhee

I am currently looking for open nanny/caretaker positions in San Diego county. I would absolutely love to work with a family who has good Christian values and great communication skills. I would also be interested in a live in position as long as the accommodations were semi private. I would love to join someone’s family and provide excellent childcare!

* Special Qualifications:
* CPR, First Aid and AED Certifications (Updated 9/09)
* Valid CA Drivers License with Auto Insurance (Large Ford Taurus w/ Progressive Insurance)
* Clean Driving Record (with dmv record)
* Clean Background Check/Trustline
* Excellent Experience and References Available upon Request
* Associates Degree in Psychology and Currently Working Toward Bachelors Degree
* Took Part in Parenting Classes through San Diego Youth Services for Sixteen Months (I am single with no children. I simply wanted to educate myself on developmental psychology and the latest parenting techniques.)

Here are just a few of the activities the activities I have done with the children I have worked with. I generally choose one enriching or educational activity a day and open to suggestions from you or the kids.

Ages 0-5:
* Engage in Pretend Play
* Blocks
* Legos
* Trains
* Coloring
* Play Outdoors
* Take Nature Walks
* Walk on the Beach
* Borders Babies or Tots Story Hour
* Ride the Carousel at Seaport Village
* Teach Fundamental Learning Step Stones
* Drive to Appointments and other Obligations
* Go to the Park
* Go to the Zoo
* Go to the Aquarium
* Go to the Childrens Museum,
* etc.

6-10:
* Swimming Instruction or Play
* Beach or Pool Supervision
* Cooking Lessons/Cooking Together
* Reading or Homework
* Outdoor Play
* Bike Riding
* Take Walks
* Drive to Appointments and other Obligations
* Teach Basic Home Responsibilities
* Have Picnics
* Host Play Dates
* Go to the Beach
* Go to Museums
* Go to the Butterfly Garden
* Go to the Field of Flowers
* Take a Ferry Ride
* Explore the Airport
* etc.

* I can offer your child/children a Christ centered, stable, structured, and nurturing environment. I always make sure the children have proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep, understand their homework and finish it on time, and feel loved and understood. I also work hard to connect the kids with other good kids around their age because I believe social interaction is vital to their development. I have basic household rules which are understood and can not be changed by whining or begging. If all the basic necessities are taken care of then I have a wide array of activities that the children can have fun with. In our down time I like to read to the kids, listen to what they have to say, or play floor games that they pick out.

* I am looking for a family that I can connect with and work well with long term because I believe that is the only way a nanny/family relationship can work. I am looking for something that is 35 to 45 hours a week with 1-4 children under the age of ten. I would consider part time if the hours were workable with a second job. I specialize in babies but am experienced in other ages as well. Ideally, I would love to help out a new mom or a current mom with a toddler and a newborn. I expect complete honesty and will give it in return. I am also looking for a family who will treat me as the professional that I am when giving schedule changes, requests, and other things.

I look forward to hearing back from you with questions, information, or a potential interview. I will be available ASAP. Thank you for your time!

Hi, I am a 20yr. old female, full time student, and nanny. I currently live in point loma but due to apartment conditions I am being let out of my lease next week and need somewhere to go. I am ideally looking for a cheap studio that I can make my home ($400-800). However, I know that it is not so realistic to think that I will find that by next week. In the meantime I would be open to renting a very affordable room from someone in the church for a temporary time. Also if you have children I would be more than happy to work out an arrangement for childcare in exchange for rent. I have been in the childcare profession for many years and am great with newborns and young children. Something like that may even work out to be long term if a mutual agreement is made. I would really appreciate the help. God feels close some times but other times it is test after test. This is one of those times and I am just trying to keep holding on to him and trust that something will come along.

We are 3 Flood attending men. We have 2 rooms open in our house and are looking to rent these out at $600/month. 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bathroom, Kitchen, Living Room, Dining Room, Garage, Small Backyard, Quite Neighborhood. We have Washer and Dryer, Wireless Internet, Big TV. My brother and I share the master bedroom, and we have 1 friend renting the other room. This is a Townhouse/Duplex (we share a common wall with neighbors, and all bedrooms are upstairs). We live by Mission Trails right off of mission gorge, near where San Carlos, Allied Gardens, and Del Cerro merge.Please let me know if you are interested!!! Steve Buck – 530.828.4680 buckmore2000@yahoo.com

BlueChowder.com <http://www.bluechowder.com/>  is an innovative online
social community that connects Gen-Y users in a unique way by helping them
to discover a fulfilling life with social purpose! Fusing rich media and
user-generated content in an environment based on respectful dialog and safe
content, BlueChowder goes beyond traditional social networking to connect
users with social causes and important issues. Empowering its
community to get involved and make a difference, BlueChowder is dedicated to
mobilizing users in serving many world-changing organizations and also
donates a percentage of profits to global causes 

BlueChowder is seeking an experienced web developer for implementation of
new features and ongoing site maintenance.  Our goal is to find someone,
whether fulltime or part-time, who catches the BlueChowder vision and is
committed to helping to see that vision fulfilled.

Following are the skills that a candidate must possess :

*	PHP/.NET Web Solutions
*	SQL DB
*	Software Development
*	Flash

In addition to the above, an ideal candidate would possess some or all of
the following skills:

*	Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
*	Content Management Systems (CMS)
*	ECommerce Site Experience
*	Customized Shopping Carts
*	Social Networking Projects

please email Casey at Casey@bluechowder.com with resumes.

Hey! I am looking for a female roommate or roommates who are interested in looking for an apartment in the SD area. I love the beach, dogs, reading, going out and being social. I also love country music, so if you do to0 that would be a plus! I am looking for someone who shares a love for God that is still working on their journey towards Christ. I am not perfect nor want to room with someone who thinks they are! I am an almost 21 year old SDSU student looking for a good group of girls or girl to live with.

Email me if your interested in living with someone like me

Andrea @ agomez177@hotmail.com