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.

Source

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

A Very Merry Christmas

Source

May God bless all of you on this Christmas day. I hope that today finds you enjoying time with family. And have a very Merry Christmas.

Holiday Idea’s Part 3

Source

By Rose H.

During the holidays there are many opportunities for helping others that you can take advantage of. Just dive into them and spend some joy.

1.       Volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen.

2.       Ask a needy family in your church over for a meal.

3.       Invite some friends over to make Christmas cards for a local nursing home.

4.       Give some change to bell ringers.

5.       Take some friends cookies and let them know what they mean to you.

6.       Be a secret Santa for someone in your church.

7.       Send a Christmas card to a faraway friend. 

Holiday Idea’s Part 2

By Rose H.

One of the great things about the holidays is the time we get to spend with your family. Here’s some things that you can do together that are fun and easy.

source

1.       Read a holiday book together like The Forth Wise Man, Christmas Stories for the Heart, The Little Drummer Boy, or If You Take A Mouse To The Movies.

2.       Pull out some of your favorite Christmas movies and enjoy them together as a family. I have some friends that wrapped up all their Christmas movies, and unwrap and watch one every day in December. That way it would be a surprise what they would watch that day. Whatever you do, just make it fun.

3.       Bake together. Have everyone pick their favorite cookie, and work together to make them.

4.       Take a winter stroll together.

5.       Enjoy hot chocolate in front of a crackling fire together.

6.       Work on Christmas presents together. 

Holiday Ideas Part 1

Source

By Rose H.

December is a fun month. A month to enjoy family and friends. A time to bake mouth-watering foods. And a special time to help out those in need.

During December things also can get pretty crazy. So I’ve come up with some tips to help make this holiday season less hectic. And all this month, I’m going to make some suggestions for things you can do that will make this December special.

1.       Plan ahead. Write down lists of everything that you need to do, putting the most important things at the top of the list. Then work through this list.

2.       Realize that you only have so much time. Use it wisely, learn when to say no when something will take too much of your time.

3.       Make sure to spend a lot of time with family and friends. Enjoy time with them and make some memories.

4.       Try to clean the house this week instead of waiting until right before Christmas or a party. Get it done early and relax.

Merry Christmas

I hope that you are having a great Christmas.

I know that I'm having a great time with my family and enjoying some time off.

Let's enjoy the day and enjoy the last little bit of the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.



Scheduled post.

Emmanuel

By Rose H.

It’s Christmas Eve. About this time we are putting the final touches on our Christmas preparations and getting excited about tomorrow. It’s a fun time of year.

At Christmas time we celebrate, God coming down and making Himself one of us. It struck me with new force this evening that over two – thousand years ago, the thought that God would come down was insane. God, in their minds, lived up in heaven only available to the priests. They (sometimes) followed His rules, but lived without much hope of a better future.

Source

It dawned on me that when God came down that night as a baby, He was Emmanuel. God with us. God living among us. God in us. Now instead of being cloistered in heaven, God is among us. We get to know a whole new part of God. We get to talk to Him all the time. We get to feel His presents. We get to come to Him with all our problems. God is with us, living in us, working though us, loving us. Emmanuel.

I know that things can get stressful in this life. Things get crazy, schedules fill up, and we wonder what we want guidance in the midst of it. Just remember that He is Emmanuel. God with us. No matter what we are going through, we can make it with God’s help.

Source

God With Us by Amy Grant

The skies don't seem to be as dark as usual
The stars seem brighter than they've been before
And deep within I feel my soul is stirring
As though my hope has been restored

The shepherds say they've heard the voice of angels
Confirming rumors spread across the land
That a child protected well from Herod's anger
Is our Father's Son and the Son of Man

Love is raining down on the world tonight
There's a presence here I can tell
God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

He's the savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts, He will dwell
God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

I feel compelled to tell all who will listen
That peace on Earth is not so out of reach
If we can find grace and mercy and forgiveness
He has come to say He is all of these

Love is raining down on the world tonight
There's a presence here I can tell
God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

He's the savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts, He will dwell
God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

Love is raining down on the world tonight
There's a presence here I can tell
God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

He's the savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts, He will dwell
God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

God is in us
God is for us
God is with us, Emmanuel

    

Nativity Time Part 3

This is a paper nativity that I made for a Christmas show and tell one year. 

I gave it to mom for her collection later. 

Nativity Time Part 2

Black and white. One of my favorites.

Nativity Time Part 1

For December I’ve decided to show you all some of the nativities that I make my mom every year for Christmas. I started doing this about five years ago and have made her a nativity each year ever since. 

Black Friday

Wow, thanksgiving 2011 is in the books. Now it's time to do our Christmas planning and shopping.
Normally our family doesn't do much shopping today, but I am looking forward to the new holiday season.
I pray that in the coming weeks God will help me to be able to spread joy and good news wherever I go.
Let's be on the lookout for ways that we can bless others this holiday season. Even if it's just giving a few dollars to a bell ringer, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or spending some extra time with family.

Merry Christmas

May God bless you with joy and peace now and throughout the New Year.

I hope that you are all enjoying time with family today.
Have a very merry Christmas!

Song

Thankful by Josh Groban

Somedays we forget

To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There's so much sorrow
It's way too late to say
I'll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It's so long overdue
So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.


Even with our differences
There is a place we're all connected
Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see
It's up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more


There's so much to be thankful for

Christmas Is Coming

        All the cards are made. The gifts (for the most part) are bought and under tree. There are still some cookies to make. But I can’t make those until later.
        Now is the time to sit back and enjoy the season. Now is the time to enjoy family and friends.
        This Christmas, let’s take some time to enjoy the season. Do as much as you can ahead of time. Then enjoy the time with family.
       The best gifts we can give, is time. Let your family know how special they are make sure to take some time with them.
       Then lets make some special things for our families. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but make some little things to let them know they’re loved.
       Have a very merry Christmas.