4 min read
World Homeless Day
Every year on October 10, people around the world take a day to acknowledge the needs of those in their communities facing homelessness, and we...
“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13)
It’s hard to think long term. In today’s culture of instant gratification, creating a long-term plan– whether that be toward financial investments, retiring debt free, or investing spiritually in the next generation—is like swimming upstream. It takes wisdom, hard work, and sacrifice. For Caryl and myself, we were challenged early on with owning our own home before retirement. If we hadn’t made a plan and committed to it long-term, it would never have happened.
“Nearly anyone can control their behavior
for a set time, but unless there is healing at the
heart level, old behaviors will resurface.”
This principle holds true on the journey to recovery. It’s easy to say you’ll quit drinking or using, but without a solid plan, the chances of long-term success are slim. This is evidenced in short-term treatment programs that focus on the symptoms of addiction rather than healing the underlying causes. Nearly anyone can control their behavior for a set time, but unless there is healing at the heart level, old behaviors will resurface. For many, that means relapse.
What you’re doing when you partner with Union Gospel Mission is giving people the vision, tools, and resources necessary to create a long-term plan for themselves and their children. That’s our goal, and that’s what I see happening every day. Through faith-based guidance, wise instruction, and the opportunity to practice new behaviors within a safe, healing community, our residents are able to set a new course…for life.
The Mission is more than emergency food and shelter. We’re addressing issues of the soul, issues of the heart, and offering hope for a new life. As you read the stories in this newsletter, I want you to see how your partnership is an investment in the future. The healing that the Lord is working in hearts and minds every day will have a life-long impact on our guests, their children, and their children’s children.
3 min read
Brave Enough to Take that First Step
What would you say to someone living on the streets or deep in addiction? Finding the right words can be tough unless you’ve been there. For the past...
6 min read
Fall at the Mission: A caring community in action
Jessica Morgan, Director of Marketing and Communications: September 25, 2024
This season is special. And at UGM, it’s more than the smell of new school supplies, pumpkin spice in our mugs, cozy sweaters, and Washington apples....
1 min read
Heart to Heart: The Heart has Eyes
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director : September 16, 2016
Sometimes we are blind. The problem (for most of us) isn’t with the function of our actual eyeballs, the cornea or the retina or the optical nerve....
As a Mother Loves Her Child: A heart-to-heart message from Phil Altmeyer
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director : December 7, 2022
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” (Isaiah 66:13) For the past ten years, I’ve been teaching the UGM women’s Bible study. I...
Gratitude In Action: A heart-to-heart message from Phil Altmeyer
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director : June 19, 2024
Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) I’ve always marveled that one of the things God wills for our life...