Pray and Give

PRAY

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP). Please join me and other brothers and sisters in Christ in praying for the persecuted Christians and their persecutors.

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1 Corinthians 12:26 "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (In reference to the Body of Christ, the Church)

"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:3

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

We are free to believe in America (so far), but many Christians around the world are not.  Sadly, we often take our freedom for granted. Are we using our freedom to tell others about Jesus? We live a life of luxury here compared to many people in other countries. Are we sharing with those in need? Live your faith and your love out loud! Pray for courage and boldness, willingness and opportunity, grace and gentleness ...then go tell of God's love to all the world. In addition, please remember (not just today) to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for our Savior, who are beaten for "loving Jesus", who risk all to serve the King of kings, who give up everything to follow the Prince of Peace, who sacrifice so that others can hear the Good News.

GIVE
I'd like to remind you that the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) collection week this year is Nov. 15-22.  If you're not familiar with OCC, please read here or visit here.

I encourage you to get your family involved with this wonderful project.  You will be spreading God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world.  They will also get to hear the Good News.  "Your gift of love may be the door God uses to open a child's heart to Jesus Christ." (~Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse)

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord JESUS Himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35

~ Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts.

Christmas According to Scrooge

It is mind-boggling to me that some people get more into debt so that they can buy Christmas gifts for their families and friends and/or get so stressed out decorating, shopping, baking, preparing for Christmas.  I don't think that's what Jesus has in mind how He wants His birth to be celebrated.  In my opinion, we, Christians, should celebrate Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection...celebrate Him all year long any way, not just at Christmastime.  How should we celebrate?

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The Advent Conspiracy Promo Video from theadvance on Vimeo.

"This is love for God: to obey His commands." (1 John 5:3a)  Jesus would want us to celebrate Him by obeying His Word.  "Therefore go and make disciples of all naitons, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)  "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." (Hebrews 13:15-16)  We can celebrate Jesus by spreading the Good News, worshiping Him, proclaiming His name, doing good and sharing with others.  "Others" do not just mean our families and friends.  "Sharing" doesn't just mean gifts/things. 

Let's take a lesson from Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (by Charles Dickens).  After having been visited by his dead partner Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, he was given a second chance to live right and to celebrate Christmas.  What did he do?  He paid for a prize turkey and had it delivered to Bob Cratchit's.  He gave money for the poor and destitute. He visited his nephew, Fred, to have dinner with him and his wife.  Notice that Scrooge did not buy gifts for his nephew or his nephew's wife.  His gift to them is time and his love & acceptance.  Scrooge raised Bob Cratchit's salary, helped his struggling family, and took care of Tiny Tim (who was a cripple).  He used his resources to help those in need; he discovered the joy of giving! 

450 billion and 10 billion...what a difference!  We need to use our time, talents, and treasures wisely and for God's glory.  There are many ways to do that: serving at a soup kitchen, donating money/blankets/coats/ canned foods, etc. to the homeless shelters, visiting/go caroling at nursing homes, buying grocery for families in need, shopping through catalogs from organizations such as World Vision and Samaritan's Purse for the poor and for things that transform lives like Bibles, Gospel tracts, etc.

In this day of over commercialism, how does your family keep a meaningful and Christ-centered CHRISTmas?  Please share.

~Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts. Thanks so much to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays every week. Have a blessed day in the Lord, everyone!

Thankful Thursday #8

 
This week...
1. I am thankful for our niece's son who is turning one tomorrow.  He has been such a blessing...a bright sunshine in her life which is full of hardships and struggles.

2. I am thankful that my children have wonderful, God-fearing friends.  Few but fantastic :)!

3. I am thankful that my husband's wide angled glaucoma is not getting worse.  His eye pressure's test result on Monday was encouraging.

4. I am thankful that my children are not materialistic and they have learned that "it is more blessed to give than to receive."  Every year, they enjoy packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and spending their money on Gospel tracts, Bibles, animals, etc. for native missionaries and needy families from Gospel for Asia's gift catalogs.

5. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father's unconditional and unfailing love.  He knows everything about me (my ugly side and all) and yet He still loves me :).  My earthly father was an alcoholic who physically abused my mom.  Eventually, my mom took my brother and me away from him.  Even when we were still living with him, we hardly ever saw him home (he was out drinking with friends and he also cheated on my mom).  Sadly, he does not know his own children; my brother and I do not really know him, either. (I did forgive him for everything.)  I'm so glad that my Heavenly Father knows and loves me.  And I know and love Him!

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More Blessed

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35  And you know Jesus is always right!  It is indeed more blessed to give than to receive.  It's such a joy to be able to share God's love, joy, and hope with others, especially those in need.  Every year, our kids enjoy packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  I've recently found the above picture which was taken in 2002.  If you are not familiar with OCC, please read this post.  If you already are familiar with OCC, I'd like to remind you that the collection week this year is November 16-23 :).


Previous WFW:
- My Soul Pants for You
- Without Excuse
- Plentiful Harvest

- Brotherly Love

- Fruit Bearer

- More Than Conquerors
- Where Does My Help Come From?
- Jubilant, Joy, and Judge
- Rooted in Love
- Who Daily Bears Our Burdens?
- Reflecting the Lord's Glory
- The Rock Eternal
- His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Pencil with a Purpose

This week, I'm sharing something different than usual :).  I wrote "Pencil with a Purpose" (see below) two years ago to encourage people to participate in the Operation Christmas Child (a project of Samaritan's Purse founded by Franklin Graham).  My kids get excited every year around this time. Why? They get to pack shoe boxes!!! Their boxes along with boxes from others will be given out to children around the world who are living in extreme poverty, in constant fear because of wars/fighting, or in disaster-struck areas. These simple gifts will brighten up the children's life with God's love, joy, and hope. These shoe boxes are also evengelistic tools; they give local believers the opportunities to tell children about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, through Gospel literature and evangelism programs.

This is a wonderful project to get your kids involved in. Kids in America have so much to be thankful for, yet many take their plenty for granted. This is one of many ways we can share with others in need. For details (including how to pack a box and the location of the collection center near you), please visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/ or call 1-800-353-5949. The collection week this year is November 16-23.  If you choose to make your donation ($7 for each box to help cover shipping and other project costs) online using a credit or debit card, instead of putting your donation in an envelope and placing it in your box(es), you will receive an EZ give label (one for each of your boxes).  The barcode on the label enables OCC to track each gift. You will receive an e-mail telling you the destination of your gift, along with information about Operation Christmas Child in that country.  Isn't that cool?  I was always curious about where our boxes traveled to.

By the way, there are so many ways we can give, especially near Christmastime. Many Christian organizations (ex: Samaritan's Purse, Gospel for Asia, World Vision, etc.) have gift catalogs available from which you can purchase lambs, cows, chickens, pigs, goats, fishing boat, Gospel literature, VBS material, wells, etc. for native missionaries and needy children/families. These kinds of gifts touch lives and make a significant impact. Giving (especially secret giving) is such a joy!

"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain." Emily Dickinson

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord JESUS Himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35
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Pencil with a Purpose

     Pick me...pick me, please! Yes! A 7 year old girl picked me and put me in a clear plastic box next to sweet-smelling candies and a beautiful rag doll. There are more things in this container: a box of crayons, a sharpener, Bible activity pad, a writing pad, bouncy balls, a yo-yo, a jump rope, a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, a purple comb, a washcloth with heart shapes all over it, several glittery hair clips, a pair of pink socks and a pair of white socks. Before the girl closed the lid, she placed an envelope addressed to Samaritan’s Purse, and a letter on top. Then her mom and she bowed their heads and prayed for the child who would soon receive this special gift.
    
     I have to admit...it’s a little crowded in the box but I’m glad it’s a clear plastic box. I can look out and see the world while having a fantastic adventure. First stop was a local church which was one of 2,000 drop-off locations nationwide. I could see rows and stacks of all kinds of shoe boxes and plastic boxes. Christmas music was being played in the background. I felt festive all of a sudden. From there I traveled in a huge semi-truck to a regional processing center where boxes were inspected and prepared for shipment overseas. Volunteers cheerfully checked each box to make sure that there were no used or damaged items, war-related items, chocolate (which can melt), liquids or lotions (which can leak), breakable items, medications or vitamins (no-no items). A lady looked in my box and she smiled at me (wasn’t she sweet?) These volunteers also took out the envelopes with the donation. Then they secured the boxes by using rubber bands. I was thankful for that because I didn’t want to risk falling out of the box and getting lost. Oh...what a nightmare that would be.
    
     Ooh...my next stop was at an airport. I got to be on a plane for the first time. Millions of box gifts were loaded onto ships and planes and delivered to more than 90 countries. I wondered what country I would end up in. How exciting!!! I was so excited and bewildered that I didn’t realize we were in the sky for over 10 hours. Finally, the plane landed and boxes were transported to a rural orphanage by a pick-up truck and by a motor boat, respectively. People speak a different language here. They speak Thai. I’m in Thailand...can you believe it? Tons of children gathered in a small room. The room was filled with excitement and anticipation. How lovely those smiles were! The National Leadership Team explained about the Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse and told the kids that these gifts were packed by caring people from several parts of the world who wanted to share the love of Jesus with them. They introduced the children to God’s greatest Gift of all–Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Then the team members distributed boxes along with Gospel booklets written in their own language to the orphans who were beaming with joy.
    
     I was anxious to see who would receive the box I was in. Then the moment came...when the box was handed to a long, black-haired 8 year old girl. She said, "Kawp Koon Kha" (thank-you in Thai). She quickly opened the lid and took out the items inside one by one. When she picked me up, she looked at the words on me: "Jesus is God’s Greatest Gift." She wanted to know what they meant so she asked one of the team’s staff. The man took the opportunity to share with her the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. She listened attentively. The man invited her to join in the children’s Bible study program after school. She said yes and was so happy (I could tell because she couldn't stop smiling). She also asked that same man to translate the letter she found in the box. She then sharpened me and started to write a letter to the girl who wrote her. She asked the man if he could translate her letter into English and send it for her. He assured her that he would. Now...do you understand why I’m a pencil with a purpose? What better purpose is there than to be used to share a message of God’s amazing love and to spread His joy? I know...my life is short but it has been well spent. Don’t you think? :)
                                                               
~Written by Urailak Liljequist
Copyright 2007
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Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts.
Please visit here for the links to other blogs that are participating in the Operation Christmas Child Carnival.
Have a blessed week in the Lord, everyone!