A CHRISTIAN MISSION
June 2025 Newsletter
Prayer Request: Dear God, let my words be seasoned with grace, my actions wrapped in gentleness, and my presence bring light to those around me. Help me reflect Your love through patience, humility, and sincere compassion.
Let my spirit attract for the peace it carries and the joy it gives. I ask for a character that gently draws others closer to You.
Please call us if you have any questions about the Mission or how you can help. 432-337-8294
A Word From Our Director ~ Pastor Andrew Pistone
Winsome:
Cheerful, Lighthearted, Generally Pleasant
(Portions inspired by the writings of Charles Swindoll)
In his book, Seasons of Life, Charles Swindoll talks about,
WINSOMENESS – the tasteful, appealing, magnetic quality that has the ability to cause joy and genuine pleasure – even though the daily grind of life has its challenges. When a teacher has it – students line up for the course. When a physician has it – his practice stays full. When a salesman has it – he's very busy taking orders from customers. When an usher at church has it – the church is considered to be a friendly place to worship. When parents have it – the children usually develop it, too.
We all know that life has its demands, and that being mature - involves discipline and responsibility…but, who says we have to develop an ulcer because we're so serious all the time? Some of us have lost the ability to relax and just have a good laugh.
When talking about a sense of humor – of course, we're not referring to distasteful, inappropriate, foolish, silly talk that's offensive or ill-timed. We're referring to our demeanor – delightful expressions or thoughts which lift our spirits and lighten our day. Even if we don't think of ourselves as having a quick wit, we can still be cheerful and pleasant. It will have a positive effect on the people around us.
A Joyful Heart
How's our sense of humor? Are the situations of the world starting to affect our attitudes, our outlook, and our faces? If we aren't sure how we're doing – we can ask the people who know us best. They'll tell us!
When things around us are difficult - we can all use a reminder from Solomon:
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22) A winsome attitude is healthy for our bodies.
“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.” (Proverbs 15:13,15)
If we are following biblical principles - we can have inner peace and cheerfulness – even in difficult situations. In the 1500s, Martin Luther, the brave German theologian exposed the evil and corruption in the Catholic church. He opened the Bible and taught the truth of Scripture: that our salvation is through faith alone – through Christ alone.
His biographers said that – even though he was doing the serious and dangerous work of exposing corruption in the church – he had an abundance of plain and pleasant honesty, and a playful sense of humor. No wonder he attracted the people of his day who were brow-beaten with the deceptive and evil rules about paying money to the church – falsely hoping that their sins would be forgiven. The leaders in the church also tried to kill him for preaching truth from the Bible. He was doing extremely dangerous work, but he was also winsome.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great preacher of London in the 1800s, was known to use humor in his sermons, and many criticized him for it. They didn't think that using humor in the pulpit was dignified, and they told him so. With a twinkle in his eye, he once replied, “If you knew how much I hold back, you would commend me. This preacher thinks it less a crime to cause a momentary laughter, than a half-hour of profound slumber.” He infected people with truth and cheer, and like Martin Luther – he was winsome.
Getting Rid of Gloomy Attitudes
If we find ourselves being gloomy a little too often – we can develop winsomeness, and communicate that winsome attitude in our homes, and also to the other people we encounter. Here are some simple, practical things we can do:
Be intentionally thankful. As we're getting out of bed each morning, we can thank God for His love, and for a new day. After all - the sun comes up each morning, and the moon is in the sky every night…steady reminders that He's in control. Thankfulness goes a long way in helping us to have true joy.
Start each day with pleasant words. Our families will be the first ones to benefit. We don't have to dance around like Bozo the Clown, or crack a bunch of silly jokes. We just want to be cheerful.
Smile more often. I can't think of many occasions when a smile is out of place. A frowning face repels people, but a smile reaches out and attracts. God gave us the gift of a smile and we can use it to encourage people. We want to break our concrete masks, and smile. We might even release a laugh or two.
Express at least one sincere comment of appreciation or make an encouraging remark to each person you meet during the day. As Christians, we want to share the love of Christ, and lift up hearts that are heavy. We can ask the Lord to help us develop a genuine interest in others – instead of being completely occupied with ourselves.
We want to make sure that we don't start to shrivel into bitter, impatient, critical Christians. Are we starting to resemble employees at a mortuary? The Lord points to a better way – the way of joyful winsomeness.
Hopefully, we can make an effort to find reasons for genuine cheerfulness and winsomeness. It's good for us – and for the people around us. It might even be contagious!
Pastor Andrew
Thrift Stores
If you haven't had a chance to shop at one of our Thrift Stores, we hope you will do that soon. The proceeds from the store are a significant source of our support. You will find thousands of quality items at incredible prices, and you can shop with confidence that your dollars are helping to change lives.
Our stores are located at 1515 E. 8th St., Odessa & 1020H Andrews Highway, Midland
Our hours for shopping are Monday - Saturday from 9:00 am – 7:00 pm.
We continue to take ALL donations with grateful hearts. We could not do this without your help.
We will come to PICK UP any donations – call us at 432-337-8294 to schedule a pickup. You can also drop off your donation at the Thrift Store,
Please visit us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DoorOfHopeThriftStore
All donations are tax-deductible.
Please check out our latest post and like our page at https://www.facebook.com/DoorOfHopeMissionTX
Funds / Donations Needed
Your financial support will help us provide hot meals, a safe place to sleep and shower, and exposure to the truth of God's Word through Bible study and counseling to those who struggle with addictions. Many come to know Jesus as Savior because of the work God is doing here at the Mission.
There are a few ways you can give:
#1: PayPal Giving Fund:100% of your gift goes to the Mission. Paypal does not charge a processing fee when you use this service. If you would like to make a direct financial donation, you can go to PayPal using the link below.
https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2432315
#2: Use our Website http://www.doorofhopemission.com/donate.html
#3: Mail a Check to Door of Hope Mission PO Box 1789, Odessa, TX 79760
#4: When you Shop on eBay, add us as your preferred charity, and a portion of your purchase will go to the Door Of Hope Mission.
With Ebay: You must add the Door Of Hope Mission to your favorites. Click the link to add us.
https://charity.ebay.com/charity/charity-name/2432315
If you have any questions, please call us at 432-337-8294.
The Door of Hope Mission is supported 100% by DONATIONS and our thrift store. We do not take money from the government because they would restrict us from preaching about the freeing power of Jesus to those we help.
All donations are tax-deductible.