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My City-My Valley

Waiting for LOV

LOV Luncheon – Pastors, Ministry and Marketplace Leaders

Recently, I was privileged to attend a LOV (Lighthouses of Valley) Movement Luncheon. This is a group of pastors, ministry and marketplace leaders who love the Coachella Valley and want to share the love of Christ with everyone within it. For me it is an extreme answer to prayer. Back in 1999 a pastor at Palm Springs Baptist church and I started a prayer group that included pastors and others from Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and Palm Springs. When that pastor left the Valley this group bounced around to a couple of other churches over the next few years until it finally disbanded. I remember the night it disbanded, standing with my Senior Pastor in the courtyard of our church, talking about the vision that we had for prayer in the Coachella Valley. We both agreed that if this sort of thing was keep going it needed to be rooted in a pastoral group that comes together in unity. We prayed for God to bring a group of pastors together in His time to start this group.
In 2004 my Senior Pastor was asked to meet with two other pastors to discuss forming a pastoral group that could support each other as they ministered in the area. The next meeting they had included twelve pastors. At that point they formed the LOV Movement. Since then, many of the original pastors have left and new ones have come, but the unity continues to be astounding considering the diversity in the group. This group is committed to praying and caring for each other and the people of the valley, which has opened doors to sharing Christ within their spheres of influence. Together they have accomplished some amazing things. However, for me, every meeting jump starts my faith because they are a living breathing answers to my prayers and they remind me that God reveals to us His plans, so that we can participate in what He is doing.
God often waits to answer prayers, but if we keep watching and waiting we will get to see some awesome things.

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Personal Musings

View Through The Screen Door

Looking through our screen door at our son’s window.

As I look out the screen door of our living room… something is different. We are now looking at our son’s bedroom window. So, what does that have to do with being on a God Hunt?

Over the past year we have been praying for ways to cut our expenses. Our son is 33 years old and unable to work because of several issues. However, these issues, according to the government, are not significant enough to get disability payments. This means that we have been supporting him financially, so that he doesn’t end up on the streets – while still allowing him to maintain his independence.

This is an answer to prayer that I never expected, nor did I really want. Recently, one of our neighbors died after a prolonged illness. As a result, his housemate was looking for someone to rent the vacant room to help offset household expenses. This room is a little larger than the studio apartment we have been renting for our son and includes a private bathroom. The asking price for the room is about $250 less that we have been paying. Yes, it seems like a match made in heaven. This allows our son to still have his independence, while we reduce our expenses, our neighbor gets a renter, and it is easier for us to help our son when issues come up.

I am sad that our neighbor is no longer around. However, I am amazed that God has used this awful circumstance to answer our prayers and for that I’m thankful.

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New To Us? Personal Musings

It’s A Sign

Signs That Speak To Our Hearts

Sometimes, when we ask God for a sign that we are doing the right thing, He takes us literally. In the mid 1980’s, as my husband and I transitioned out of college, we joined some friends in buying a small farm in the Kent Valley near the Green River. Our goal was to create a community of Christians that lived in unity in our diversity – with each family having their own home but sharing the water well and a common garden – providing a living example of God’s love at work in a group of people. At the time my husband and I lived in and ran a Christian sober living/transition home called the Wholeway House. Although we never actually lived at the Farm, because God called us to other things, it was a rich time in our lives full of growth and hope.

Fast forward 30 years, when we were again at a transition point in our lives, we were asking God for a clear sign of what our next adventure would be with Him. Our new friends, who had just purchased FARM restaurant in Palm Springs, approached us about an interesting idea. They wanted to grow a community that was a living example of God’s love to a diverse group of people – many of whom were part of the recovery community or were in need of love and acceptance. This is how “Live 180“, the ministry we now run, was birthed.

God knew we would need a special sign to give us hope and clarity as we stepped out in faith.  He used something that would speak right to our hearts, the “Farm” signs. (Farms – places where things grow and life is sustained.) We could have easily missed the connection but, we have years of practice hunting for God’s movement in our lives. He likes to do fun things like this to help us navigate difficult situations. We pray you too will enjoy hunting for God’s movements in your lives.

What to know more check out our website: Live180.org

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New To Us?

Going On A God Hunt

The Sun shining on the Coachella Valley
Palm of God’s Hand

What is God up to?

I have a saying, “Get people praying the same thing at the same time and watch for God’s answer.” In other words, go “On A God Hunt.” Over the past 20 years I have seen God do some amazing things in the Coachella Valley as a result of prayer. My desire is to start documenting some of them to encourage and inspire others. I hope you will join me on this adventure.

Andrea Sanger

P.S. I would love to get to know you