One saturday morning recently I woke up before dawn and had a stronge sense in my spirit to drive to Bay and prayer walk around the church, so I did – thinking this was the reason the Lord woke me up and sent me to the church. But as I rounded the front corner, I was startled by seeing 2 homeless men asleep in the flower bed up against the church wall.  Then I realized the real reason He sent me to the church that morning – to minister to these men.The sun was barely peeking out at this point and I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do. “go get them breakfast” – so I went to Mcdonalds and brought back breakfast and one man was stirring when I got there. Read more »

A few weeks ago I was driving in Fairhope to run some errands. I’m 20 years old, work three jobs and I only have one day off a week. On my off days I spend all my time running around getting things done. This day I had way more stuff to do then normal, but as I was leaving Fairhope I drove past a mom with 2 kids sitting on the side of the road. I noticed her car was very smokey and her 2 kids were about 50 feet away sitting under a shady tree. I kept driving and something told me I should turn around and see if she needed help. I didn’t want to because I was so busy but I did anyways. When I got turned back around she said she was a single mom, who recently got divorced and was leaving her home in Gulf Shores to move to Mobile. Read more »

Each Christmas my wife and I buy small angel tree toppers. We then get 10/ $100 bills and put them in the hollow opening. We drive around Christmas Eve night to fast food places and C-Stores, walk in, place the angel on the counter, and say Merry Christmas and God bless you…and walk out. Most times we are gone before they discover the gift.

I noticed a homeless guy on Government St. in Mobile that had mismatched shoes. I pulled over and asked him what size he wore. So happened the ones on my feet fit him. Handed him a Just Because card and a little something for breakfast. I didn’t realize how much this might have affected him until I saw him again the next day wearing his new kicks :) That made my day.

- Jim

I decided to go through the car wash at the Malbis Shell station a few days ago.  The young man who was the car wash attendant that day had no idea that the Lord was about to bless him, and neither did I.  When I was about midway through the car washing, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me to go back around after the car wash finished, and talk to the young man and give him the $50.00 bill that I had just gotten about 10 minutes earlier.  I had to smile because I knew this was going to be another special blessing time for me!  I drove back around, parked, and started walking toward his little booth.  He met me half way out with curiosity.  I said “I know you might think this is a little strange, but the Lord wanted me to come talk to you and give you this money.’ Read more »

My husband and I go on a date on a regular basis and we went to our “normal” spot for dinner. It was a pretty crowded night and obviously we were getting antsy. We finally got seated and about a couple tables down from us was a couple and their teenage daughter. I know them from work. I can say that these people haven’t had it so easy the last few months. I won’t tell their story, but all these people have had was a lot of judgment thrown their way. We all know that we have absolutely no right to judge anyone unless we have never sinned. Anyways, my husband and I decided that we wanted to “Just Because” them. We didn’t want them to know who did it, but we wanted them to feel that not everyone judges them and that they are loved. So a couple days later, the man came into my office and thanked me for the dinner. At first I tried acting like I had no idea what he was talking about, but then he told me that they had been heavily searching for the right church to attend and to actively serve in. He said that he believes that the “Just Because” card was a way for God to show them where they needed to be. Ever since then they’ve been at Bay and are planning on becoming members and making Bay Community their new home and family.