Crazy Busy: Audiobook Review

I received this audiobook courtesy of Christian Audio for the purpose of writing a review.

Narrator Thoughts ~ This narrator did an excellent job of bringing this book to life. I so enjoyed his calm and rich voice as he read this book. It was a perfect match.

Book Thoughts ~ Hands down, this was the best book I have ever read about business. I like staying busy, but I also complain about that more than I should. As I read this book I was challenged and encouraged in my journey.

It helped me to remember that even Jesus couldn't meet every need. He had to say no to some people.

I also loved how Kevin dealt with our attitudes behind business, not how to tame your schedule. I felt so much guilt and strain falling off my shoulders. I realized how much unnecessary pressure I put on myself.

I had become very bad about bringing volunteer work home, not focusing on family when I was home, and not paying attention to friends. This book helped remind me to live in the present.

This was an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone struggling under the weight of a crazy busy schedule.  

To Live Is Christ: Audiobook Review

I received this book courtesy of Christian Audio for the purpose of writing a review.

Narrator Thoughts: I have heard Matt Chandler preach several times. The narrator did a pretty good job of conveying the message, he didn't convey the passion that Matt and Jared put into the book. It was good, just not as good as it could have been.

Book Thoughts: I enjoyed this book in many ways. It encouraged me to look to Christ and not focus on myself. His thoughts about finding everything that we need in Christ was reaffirming everything that God has been teaching me. They weren't new thoughts, but I liked the passion and presentation of this message. All-in-all a great book.

To get your own copy of To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain visit Christian Audio or Amazon.

The In-Between: Audiobook Review

By Rose H. 

I received this book courtesy of Christian Audio for the purpose of writing a review. 

Narrator Thoughts - I always have preferred books that are read by the author. They can read their own works like no one else can. This books was no exception. I enjoyed his style and his voice. I felt like I was sitting in his living room and he was sharing his life with me. 

Book Thoughts - This book came at the perfect time for me. For the past few months I have been struggling with what God wanted me to do next. I was trying to force things to happen and make some of my dreams a reality. Through this book and the help of some friends, I realized that I could just rest in where God had me for now. I didn't have to try and make things happen. I could just rest in what God had already given me. 

In this short and well written book, Jeff invites you to embrace the "in-between" time. Enjoy the simple days and moments of our lives. Because it's in them that we are really growing. We are learning who we are and where we should be. It's in living and enjoying these seemingly boring lives that we really find fulfillment and peace. 

If you are struggling with what God wants you to do next or feeling stuck, this is a perfect book for you. 

You can find this title on Amazon or Christian Audio.   

What Happens When Women Say Yes To God: An Audiobook Review

By Rose H.

Narrator Thoughts – I thought this woman did a wonderful job of bringing this book to life. With a good mix of emotion and clarity she read this book and put her heart into it. I thoroughly enjoyed her.

Book Thoughts – I was so excited when this book came up for review. A few months ago I read Unglued and was so encouraged by it.

This book was also so encouraging. I love how real Lysa is and how much she opens her heart. She’s so real and I’m encouraged by that. This book made me feel like Lysa came alongside me and encouraged me.

With stories, quotes, and verses this book blends together in a beautiful story of surrender to Christ. When we say yes to His leadings, great things happen. All that He has becomes ours and all that we are becomes His. I enjoyed her encouragement to test the thoughts that come to us. Many times I want to run ahead and do whatever I feel, but God does call me to see what His plan is. I’m thankful for people like Lysa to be real with us and encourage us to say Yes to God.

And I love the cover. It’s so pretty.   

You can buy this audiobook here, http://christianaudio.com/review/product/list/id/31601/

When It's Time To Change

Dear Friends,
     Wow, this blog has been an amazing journey for me. Being able to help girls in their ministry has been a wonderful blessing.
     Yet I feel like God has been leading me to move on to others things. To enjoy the journey He has me on right now, not focus on the previous one. So I won't be posting regularly here. You might see some book reviews, but mostly I'm not going to be around.
     My prayer is that you have been encouraged to start doing ministry at home and that it will continue to grow and flourish. Continue it what you have begun.
    Pleasant journey, Rose

Next Generation Leader: Audiobook Review

By Rose H.

Narrator thoughts – I can’t say much either way. He had a good voice and it was easy to understand him, but it didn’t seem like he very passionate about this topic. Overall it was fairly good and he delivered the book well.

Book thoughts – I liked many of his thoughts on leadership. His thoughts on honing in on your strengths and making sure you live out your priorities were encouraging. Today it’s so easy to get sidetracked. So easy to crave power and fame and lose what is most valuable to you in the process. Yet we aren’t super human. We can only do so much. Focusing in on your strengths and letting others take care of the rest is incredibly liberating.

On the other hand because of the spiritual journey God has taken me on, I don’t think that the church system is the primary place where God works. I’m not saying that all of us are called to leave the church, but not all of us fit into that system anymore. For me I feel God is leading me into some leadership positions that extend beyond the church system. Sometimes it seemed like that’s the only leadership position he thought a Christian could have.

So while overall I felt the book was fairly good and I was able to glean some encouragement. I would recommend this book to anyone who is going into ministry or church leadership. It will help get you started on the right track. 

To Explore this title, follow the link http://christianaudio.com/review/product/list/id/30185

20 Bits of Encouragement For Ministry #4

1.       Always make time for family and friends.

2.       Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

3.       Know that God works all things (yes even that situation that seems impossible) for your good.

4.       Give yourself permission to be imperfect.

5.       Know when to say, “It’s finished”.

20 Bits of Encouragement For Ministry #3

1.       Ask for help when needed.

2.       Pray and seek God when new opportunities arise.

3.       Just because it’s a need, it doesn’t make it your ministry.

4.       Plan “white space” in often.

5.       Cut someone some extra slack today. 

20 Bits of Encouragement For Ministry #2

1.       Give freely.

2.       Love generously.

3.       Seize the moment.

4.       Never overload yourself.

5.       Say thank you a lot. 

20 Bits of Encouragement For Ministry #1

This month I’m going to be giving you 20 pieces of advice that I’ve found over my years of ministry. My hope is that these little snippets will encourage you in your endeavors.

1.       Always remember the reasons behind your actions.

2.      Pray (all the time). Even if you don’t see the effects, know that God hears and will act.

3.       Enjoy the process. Life is a journey, enjoy it.

4.       Put people first, even if it means all your work doesn’t get done.

5.       Stick with a project. It may not seem glamorous at times, but you make more of an impact than you think. 

June Ministry Of The Month

June came way too soon for me. My schedule is full. One thing is that I have noticed is when you make yourself available to God, He takes you up on the offer. Even though my life is busy, I can honestly say that I am living out my passions. I"m following the dreams that God placed in my heart.

As far as the month goes, I'm going to be making a blanket for Project Linus. This ministry has always had a special place in my heart since they were the first ministry I gave things to.

God bless and keep you all.

May Ministry Update

Wow, this month has been amazing.

Our whole family went on a trip to Washington D. C. and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

And the long car trip afforded me time to work on the nativity. I completed all of baby Jesus and I got quite a bit done on Mary.

It was good to have a vacation. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was that I made the decision not to worry about everything that I had left undone. You know what? That took so much stress off the whole trip. Now that I'm back home and the work is mounting, I'm trying to continue in that same attitude.

 It's good to work hard and do your best, but stress can be avoided. What if we chose not to get stressed over life. What if we did our best and then rested in what God is doing inside us? Wouldn't it be amazing?

Let's try it, shall we? Let's chose not to get stressed. Let's chose to enjoy the work. Let's chose to live today to the full.

Just Let It Go

Since the last time we talked, things have changed. I've spent a lot of time with God and catching my breath. You know what I found out? There's great peace that comes when you let go.

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Let go of your plans, your wants, and your impossible wish list. I had worked myself into a frantic knot trying accomplish everything that I thought I needed to do. I was running around crazy, but not doing anything well.  That wasn't a to do list that motivated me to get things done, it was causing me nothing but worry. That should have been my first clue. When something in our life - a goal, list, or what have you - is causing us nothing but fear, it's probably not from God. It probably comes from our need to have things get done.

It's in letting go, there is real peace. Simply freeing yourself from the need to do it all is so freeing.

Sometimes the demands of ministry can become overwhelming if we hold ourselves to an impossible standard. Let go. Do all you can and then leave room for God to work. 

When You Don't Feel Like Doing It

Today I woke up with a ridiculous amount of work to do. Sticky notes and lists cluttered every area of available space. Work that had piled up lay scattered around the room. I was overwhelmed. I spent most of the morning running around trying frantically to put a dint in the ever growing pile of work.

Have you ever had times like that? You just wonder how you are ever going to make this deadline? Write that blog post? Finish that project? Complete the work you've been given?

Today I'm wondering how I can get this list done. The sad thing is, I don't feel like doing any of it. All I want to do is rest and shut out the world for a while. That's what I feel like doing. But that's not what I should be doing.

I've spent most of today worrying, complaining, and frantically trying to in my own strength complete my work. But this is only because I don' see the reality of what is.

What is the reality I'm missing? The fact that if I don't finish this project, the world won't end. The fact that no matter how I feel, I'm loved more than I ever know. The fact that neither bad or good feelings can make me any less a Child Of God. The fact that I don't have to do this work alone. God is in me to help me sort this out. The fact that life is beautiful and meant to be enjoyed not rushed through. The fact that this is just a passing time, it won't last forever.

No I don't have it all together. Yes I really didn't want to do some of this work today. But with God's help and by slowing down enough to realize what I have in Christ, my perspective changed. I'm not alone, and I'm not as stressed as when I started this post.

Check Mark

Jesus only had one thing on His to-do list. Seek and save the lost. when that was done, He put a check mark  by your name. "It is finished."

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The work is complete. You are enough. Know that you will always have more to do here. There will always be more demands on your time and energy. There will always be something else to do. You can't possibly do it all.

But just because you can't do it all doesn't mean that you are a failure. It just means you're human. Know that in God's eyes, you are already enough. You are complete. You are treasured. You are loved. 

When the pressures of to-do lists, deadlines, meetings, and people press in you aren't a failure because of what you can't do. You are loved for who you are. Let go of unrealistic expectations and enjoy the reality of living in His finished perfect work. 

Messy Life & God's Grace

 As I write these words, I feel down. More emotionally than anything. I had taken on too much. Sadly I was in the middle of it when I realized this.

Yet even in the midst of tangled emotions, damaged egos, feeling overwhelmed, too much to-do, and so little time, God never leaves me. In the midst of everything this life can throw at me, I know I’m not alone.

Source

Life is messy. It’s just a fact. We’re all messed up human beings trying to live the best life that we can. Accept it. And when you make mistakes, don’t let them define you. It’s so easy to start name calling yourself (believe me, I’ve been doing some of that today). Give room for God to work despite your mistakes.

We all get to feeling down sometimes. We all sometimes wonder if it’s worth it. We all make mistakes. Remember you’re loved, treasured, accepted, and redeemed. Hold onto that. Savor that today.

Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: Audiobook Review

I received this audiobook courtesy of Christian Audio for the purpose of writing a review. 

Narrator Thoughts - Tom Parks does the perfect job of reading this book in the matter-of-fact way that it is written. His clear and simple way of speaking provided the perfect framework for this book. It was a perfect choice. 

Book Thoughts - As someone who has doubted they have saving faith, I really enjoyed this book. Greear spells out the truth so clearly that I found my faith refreshed and my soul encouraged. It's all about resting on the finished work of God, not what we do. "Salvation isn't about completing a ritual, it's about consummating

  a relationship with God." - J. D. Greear. He also explored each scripture that some pastors use to threaten people with losing their salvation. He looked at them in the light of all of what Jesus taught and God's nature. It put my mind at ease about some things that I had heard preached.

If you would like to learn how to get your own copy of Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, stop by ChristianAudio or Amazon to get one. 

Ministry Of The Month

This month is going to be a little different. First off, I am going to be posting just encouragement posts on Fridays. I've been going through a busy season, and that has taught me some things about ministry and life. I wanted to share it with you.

Secondly for my ministry this month, I choose to make a nativity for my Mom for Christmas. Every year since 2006 I have made my mom a nativity for Christmas. So this year I am going to start early and make her one similar to this.

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I hope and pray that your month is filled with love, ministry, and fruitful service with Him. 

April Ministry Update

I made five hats for cancer patients. These were so fun and easy to make. I enjoyed working on them.  

My favorite was this one. I love putting flowers on them. My hope and prayer is that whoever gets it, the bright flower will cheer them up. 

ASL & Open Doors

One of the things that I have been privileged to do this year is continue an American Sign Language class.

Back in August, some of our neighbors started taking an ASL class from a local public school teacher. They offered to let me come with them.

I agreed. I couldn't believe that after years of reading ASL books and wanting to learn more, I was really going to learn ASL.

What followed was an excellent learning  experience. In two months, I learned brought that I was able to communicate with some deaf people I met. Within four months I had had my first ASL performance where I signed a song.

My teacher is very passionate about ASL and teaches with excitement and patience. Even when I make mistakes or sign things wrong, she just laughs over it and shows me how to do it right. It makes the class fun and exciting.

One thing that she encouraged all of us to is to wear ear plugs off and on for a month. This was a tough project for me. In one sense it did cut down on a lot of distractions, but for the music loving girl inside me, I found the silence hard sometimes. And I missed hearing my families voices. But it gave me an appreciation for sound and for some of the struggles that deaf people have. It also helped me to realize that if I was deaf and someone was willing to communicate with me in sign instead of making me come into their world, it would mean the world to me.

This year, my vocabulary has improved and I'm able to have conversations with other deaf people. It's wonderful. It's opened up doors for me that I would never be able to think about before.

What do I hope to do with ASL? Apart from taking to deaf people and encouraging others, I'm not sure. It's one of those passions that God put on my heart, but I don't know all of what He wants me to do with it. For now I am content with what God has given me. And I'm sure that when God wants me to do more with ASL He will let me know.

For now, I'm enjoying the adventure of learning a new language and seeing what God has for me.

Audiobook Review: The Blessed Woman

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I received this audiobook for the purpose of writing a review. 

Narrator Thoughts - To be perfectly honest I didn't finish this audiobook partly because the narrator wasn't very good. She didn't put much feeling into the words. She seemed to be just reading it, not putting her heart into it. It put me off. 

Book Thoughts - Like I said, I didn't finish this book. Maybe it got better after the part that I left off, but I didn't stick around to see. It was pretty boring. The subject was good, but the way it was presented wasn't engaging. Maybe it was just my perspective, but it was kinda dry. 

It could also be that the author writes from the married woman perspective. Being a single-girl, I felt like this book is more geared for married women. 

So this book won't go on my favorites list, but I do think that you can gain encouragement from this book if you stick with it.   

Audiobook Review: Operation Screwtape

I received this audiobook for the purpose of doing a review.

Narrator Thoughts - If I could have picked a voice for this audiobook, I would have chosen someone like David Heath. His deep voice adds the sinister touch that blends with the book to make it believable. He got into the character so well that I was trying to remember that this was just a fiction book based on spiritual realities.

Book Thoughts - The book itself was very good. I thought that Andrew Farley did an excellent job of explaining some of the ways in which the enemy deceives and manipulates us. It was an excellent book for that. It also helped me to remember that I need to rely completely of God. Some of the ways he puts things are brilliant and eye-opening.

The only note I would put on this is that it's not as good as The Screwtape Letters. C. S. Lewis in my opinion wrote the best book on how the enemy of our souls wages war. This book is good, but as far as passing the Screwtape Letters, no it comes in a close second.

To read more on Operation Screwtape, please visit Christian Audio or Amazon

Encouragement

God goes before you today
and His presence is with you.
He has a life for you to live,
a plan for you to follow,
and a purpose for you to fulfill.
He has allowed you to be here,
at this time in history,
to be His watchmen for this generation. 

Love Like That

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By Rose H.

I like this song. To me it summarizes what I want to do this year. I want to live my life in such a way that when people see me they see the Love of God.

Am I love to the least of these? In all my ministry and striving, am I showing love to others? I pray so. I pray that my life screams LOVE.

                                                     Live Like That
                                                             By Sidewalk Prophets 

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I'm only just a memory
When I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don't know my name
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Ministry Of The Month

This month I decided to make hats for cancer patients. I've always enjoyed making these. Sometimes, if I have the time, I like to put a crocheted flower on the side. It adds a nice touch and I hope it gives the cancer patient a little cheer.

What are some little extra things that you do to make your projects more cheerful for the recipient?

March Ministry Update

March was a wonderful month. We had a lovely family Easter celebration.

All during March I made scarves. It was so fun.

In all I made 4 scarves

I had fun creating these. 

Happy Easter

Sunday we celebrate that our Lord indeed lives.

Nothing is more important. The fact that our God is alive changes everything.

It gives us the courage to go on doing the hard things when it counts. It gives us the faith to believe that all things are possible. It shows us the power of an Almighty God who will love and care for us. It lets us know that God will never leave us or forsake us.

God has come to live among us through His Spirit. We are never alone. As you work, play, walk, and craft God is with you giving you everything you need to continue on your journey. 

I encourage you to take some this weekend and revel in the love of God. Enjoy His presence. Remember His resurrection.

He Is RISEN!

Living It! #3

I've been a volunteer at the hospital for almost two months now. When I set out to become a volunteer, I had little idea of how things would sort out. I came prepared to do whatever they needed. My hope was to spread some sunshine to the people I came into contact with.

But now, two months into this new adventure, I'm enjoying what I get to do. From helping staff and patients, to making the someone's day brighter, to chatting with my fellow volunteers, I like sharing the life and love God with others. Doing little things to make their day a little brighter.

Each day has a different set of challenges and joys. Part of what I enjoy is the different tasks and adapting to each.

It's just one of the ways that Live It. What could you do or start to live the It out in your life?

I Still Believe: Audiobook Review

By Rose H.

I received this audiobook courtesy of Christian Audio for the purpose of writing a review.

Narrator Thoughts - Not much to say one way or another. He did have a good voice and put some good emphasis into the words, but it wasn't amazing.

Book Thoughts - When I saw this book come up on my list that I could review I jumped at the chance. A few months ago I saw Jeremy Camp in concert and was impressed by his humility and his honesty. So when this book came up I was so excited to read more about his life. His journey hasn't been easy, but through it all God has brought him to a place where he can say, I still believe in God.
One of the things I liked about the book was his honesty. About his struggles, his roots, and his anger. In todays world we aren't comfortable when people raise questions or struggle. For Jeremy it was just one step on the journey. He worked through the struggles and questions. I appreciated that  he didn't make light of his anger, but looked at it as something to wrestle though with God.
Overall, I found the book enjoyable and thought-provoking.

To buy this and other audio visit http://christianaudio.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/

Living It! #2

By Rose H.

Last year between co-op, filmmaking, family things, and ASL class. I feel like I didn't have much time for ministry work. Certainly not as much as I wanted to do. This year I made it one of my goals.

#2 Monthly Ministries

By choosing a ministry to work on each month, I feel like I have some focus and purpose. I can put my resources and extra time to good use. Besides I enjoy making things with my hands.

Living It! #1

By Rose H.

This year MOHL and it's writers are centered on living out our faith not just writing about it.

For me this goal is personal. For months I felt like had been urging me to step out, take a chance and do something new to help others. It's coming in several different forms. This month I want to share with you some of the different ways God has been helping me to live out my faith.

#1 Serving Family

One of the things that I wanted to do is make sure that I serve my family, even as my life gets busier. It seems like we are all getting busier with different and amazing activities. But I wanted to make sure that I'm still taking time to contribute to our family. So this year, I've been trying to do little things daily to help my family.

Things like ... Cleaning up after I cook something, help siblings with work, make more sweets (always a winner), and encouraging and praying for them.

My hope for the the rest of this year is that I can encourage and bless my family.

February Update

Sorry to get this out late. I was at the hospital volunteering all day yesterday, so I didn't have time to type this up.

This month, I've been making little baby gowns for the preemie babies at St. David's hospital. I think of all the things I make, I like making these the best. They are so small and beautiful.

This month I made five gowns, one hat, and one blanket. Aren't they precious?

Ministry Of The Month

Is it March already? Goodness, times does fly.

But this month eager to jump into another ministry project. This month I chose Contagious Hope. This ministry provides warmth and comfort for orphans and the hurting.

This month I want to make some scarves for them. They're easy, fun, and beautiful.

See you at the end of this month for an update.  

Small Action Stories 3

Anonymous gifts. Have you ever gotten one? You are going about your day and a package shows up with your name on it. No return name or address.

I know that my family has been on the receiving end of several of these gifts. They have ranged from gift cards, money (when we needed it most), a saddle, and a car (I kid you not). All these have been totally God things. The timing, the gift, and the amount, have always been perfect. It must be a God thing.

We have all probably heard stories about anonymous gifts. These are always fun stories to share and to be a part of.

But today I want to challenge you to go beyond hearing about these stories. Do something anonymously for a friend or a stranger that God places on your heart. Give something to someone who needs it.

You would be surprised how much it means to the person who receives the gift.

Audiobook Review: Making All Things New

By Rose H.

I received this audiobook for the purpose of doing a review.

Narrator Thoughts - He is very passionate and speaks clearly. I've  always prefered author read books. The only thing I didn't like was that from time to time you can hear pages turning. It's not very loud, but just enough that you can tell.

Book Thoughts - At the beginning of the book I thought, "This is going to be a great book." The opening chapter was about God's dream to draw us to Himself. That part I liked.
As the book went on however, I became disappointed. He talked a lot about judgement and the torture of those who don't follow God. While I understand that this is a very real reality, I felt like he camped there for too long.
I liked his thoughts that God is going to make everything new and that one day all the pain and suffering that we see in the world today will be made right. But I disagree with him about how God will bring that about.
Overall it was an okay book, but I thought he spent too much time on judgement and some of the forms of sin that exist in our world today. But he did have some good points though.

Small Action Stories 2

Last year I found an article from a 2006 edition of Guideposts. In this article a woman shared how she began to knit for charity 10 years earlier. She did originally to help recover from some grief, but soon she grew to enjoy the knitting. She started to get together and knit sweaters for charity. As they worked together and knit, they were all encouraged.

Soon others joined in, not only in their town, but all across the USA. In ten years 300,000 sweaters had been made and given to charities all over the world. Because one woman started to knit with friends, 300,000 sweaters got to kids who needed them.

Is there something that you do with friends? Volunteer together at a food pantry? Make blankets for charity? Whatever it is, know that you are contributing to making the world a better place. Small actions done together make for even greater impact. Keep it up.

Small Action Stories 1

Our actions make a difference.

This is the thought that stuck with me after listening to the Focus on the Family Radio Theater version of Les Miserables. As I listened to this dramatic tale unfold, I was struck by the love and grace of the story. Because of the kind act of one poor priest, a man was changed. And because a man changed, many others were loved and changed for the better.

Never think that your actions are too small to make a difference. Your actions may seem small, but they create a ripple effect that spreads to all those around you. These acts show God's love and care.

Whether it's holding a door open for someone, talking kindly to an elderly woman, encouraging a little boy to do better, or cleaning something without being asked your actions make a difference. They give others the courage to go on, to keep up the good fight, to change. Keep going. Keep giving. Keep Loving.

Your actions (however small you may perceive them) make a difference.

January Ministry Challenge Update

Is it the end of January already? Wow, time flies.

I hope you are enjoying this new year as much as I am. I'm enjoying the new opportunities that God is placing in my path and the new things that I'm getting to do.

This month I challenged myself to make blankets for the hospital that I am going to be volunteering at. They take them and use them in the NICU to protect babies from more light than they need.

I didn't want to overwhelm myself so I just made this one blanket this month.

But I also had these others that I had made awhile ago and I donated them at the same time. That was fun.

I enjoyed making these and knowing that they will be used to bring a little cheer into another life.

Start of Something New

Photo Credit: Mikayla H.

By Rose H.

Ah, January. The time of new beginnings. The time to make new goals and work on new projects.

It’s always so easy to make goals. It’s harder to stick with them throughout the entire year. Right now we are caught up in the new and the fresh goals. A few months from now the excitement will wear off. Your goals will just become one more thing on you to do list.

When this happens, keep going. Remember the reasons you made your goals and stick with them. God had a reason He had you make those goals and He has a plan for how you will finish them. Remember this verse?  Galatians 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

So when the excitement wears off, remember why you made your goals, and keep going. Keep working for an abundant harvest. 

Your Great Name: Audiobook Review

By Rose H.

I received this audiobook for the purpose of a review.

Narrator Thoughts - I have always prefer read-by-the-author books. It adds so much to the words if the author can put his or her own emphasis into the book. This author/narrator has a rich voice that made the audio pleasant to listen to. I enjoyed it very much.

Book Thoughts - In each of these all too short chapters, Michael describes a name of God and how it applies to our lives. I found his collection of names encouraging and uplifting. As I thought on the names of God, I was drawn by the love and greatness of my God. He is great and mighty, loving and forgiving, merciful and compassionate.
Complete with quotes and thoughts from other authors and teachers, the names of God in Jewish, and personal stories from the author, makes this book a wonderful reference or short devotional. This book is one of the best I have read on the names of God.

To check out this title and more, go to http://christianaudio.com

Enjoy the Process

By Rose H.

Enjoy the process of making something new.

Enjoy the process of continuing in ministry.

Enjoy the process of each day.

Enjoy the process of learning.

Enjoy the process of what God is doing in you. 

Encouragement

Photo credit Mikayla H. 

 Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. 

Happy New Year!

By Rose Holman

2013 has begun! Can you believe it? Time seems to be going faster these days.

So what are you going to do this year in ministry? Try something new? Work on something old? Whatever you do, dive into it. See it through. Do your best at it and watch God work in some amazing ways. 

My goal for this year is to pick one charity every month, and for the duration of that month make things for that charity. I look forward to picking these charities and making things for them.

Each month, I’ll give you an update on what charity I picked and how much I was able to make.

Enjoy your new year.