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 #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. 

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?

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.

Rose's Idea's Part 3

Ministry To Elderly People

One of the things that this generation takes for granted is its older generation. We visit grandparents, but many times we miss out on other elderly people in our world.
I have an elderly neighbor that I work for once a week. She tells me stories and has things from all over the world in her house. I consider her a friend.
What about you? Do you want to get involved in an elderly persons life?
There are so many ways that we can help them, but here are a few to help you get started.

Make a meal for an elderly couple once a week.

Volunteer at a nursing home.

Take some cards or other handmade gifts to them.

Offer to clean their house once a week.

Volunteer with a shut-ins program.

Make some time to talk to them (this can be the most important one).

Rose's Idea's Part 2

Baking Ministry

If you’re not good at crafts, but love to hang out in the kitchen, here’s an idea for you. When a mother has a baby in your church, make her a meal. If a new family moves into your neighborhood, you could welcome them with a plate of cookies. Or when someone gets sick, you could take him or her some soup.
There are so many ways that this idea can be applied, but find one that you like and do it. Trust me there is never a lack of people who like homemade food. 

Ministry (or lack there of)

What do you do when you haven’t been doing a lot of ministry things? When you’re a ministry blogger, I guess that I should be doing more for charities and such. But lately I haven’t been doing much. I’ve been mainly making films and spending time with family. Making things for charity has dropped down on my list. 

It’s not that I don’t want to make things for charity anymore, it’s that I haven’t been making time for these things. I’ve been too busy. 

As I sat down to write a batch of blog posts, I felt bad that I didn’t have more to tell you. That I couldn’t show you what I had made, or tell you about something I did. But as I sit here writing, I couldn’t come up with anything to tell you about. 

Yet there’s one thing I can say, there are seasons when we are more productive than others. There are times when we will have fruitful seasons of ministry. And no matter what stage were in, God is right there with us. He will show us what we are supposed to do and where we are supposed to go. 

So I may not set a record for the most items made for charity, but I’ll focus on what God has given me to do today and see where that takes me.  

New Ministry! Spirit Jump

If you would like to send cards and gifts to someone who is fighting cancer, then look no further. Here is a ministry that connects you to cancer patients. Check it out on the Ministries Page!

Ministry Assignment: Home Life

This can sometimes be the toughest one. I do so much ministry that sometimes stopping and taking time for my own family can be hard.

But over the past few months, I have been trying to take more time to spend with them. Here are a few of the things I have done.

Try to say goodnight to each of them every night.

Take over some chores for a day.

Play a board game with them.

Check in on them from time to time and see how they are.

Make more cookies for them.

Since ministry starts at home. We should start with our family. Love them. Care for them. Make sure they know they are loved.   

Ministry Assignment: Food Pantry

Photo Credit ~ Mikayla H.

For the past year my family and I have been volunteering at a local food pantry. This is fun, invigorating, and fulfilling work.

We come in and sack food. They food pantry volunteers come in and take these prepared items and hand them out to the poor. It’s a simple system, but I am so glad we get to be a part of it.

We get to help other Christians fill a need in someone’s life. We get to work together as a family. We get to make a difference.

I enjoy helping out there. It’s a ministry allows me to see how much I have.

Ministry Assignment: Film Camp

God is so good. He gave me a chance to use my movie making desires to minister to others. No talent or desire that He gives is wasted. In June He gave me an amazing gift. Let me tell you a little about this gift. 

I was so excited to go to film camp. I had always been interested in making films, but I had never had the chance to work on a movie set.

Then I heard about Filmmakers Academy. It’s lead by Christians who are passionate about making movies for the glory of God.

And I got to participate in their weeklong intensive course. It was hard, but so much fun. I was set designer for the Biblical part of the movie. This was challenging. Not only did I have to work with a very modern location, I also had to learn to work with the directors (some of whom would start saying two different things). If you are a decorator set design is for you. You have to envision what you want for the set and work to implement that vision. For me, it was all new and I had to learn quickly, but I did enjoy it (even if it was stressful at times).

Before

After

And for one day in June we did filming. Complete with Texas heat, bright lights, and smoke machines. I learned that day that most of filming is move the camera and lights around. Yes there is a little acting in between, but most of shooting has to do with cameras and lights.

Fun Fact: They use a lot of wooden clothespins on sets, but they call them C-47’s.

The next day was spent in editing and getting things ready for our film premiere. We also took some time to breathe after the hard day of filming the day before. 

At the premiere I was floored. All of our hard work came together to make a really good film.

I learned so much this week about film. As to where God is going to use all these tools, I don’t know. But I am so glad I got to learn and participate.

If you want to watch the film go to https://vimeo.com/44284055       

Seasons of Ministry

By Rose H.

In life everything has seasons. A time attached to it. Nothing (in this world) lasts forever.

Even ministry has its seasons and times. God may call you to do this or that for a time. Yet everything has a time. He always has us lay it down.

The trick is not to hold onto anything too tightly. Don’t clutch at ministry so tightly that God can’t give you something even better. That’s what He does. He never takes things out of our hands without preparing something infinitely more wonderful and special for you. Open up to change. Let the seasons flow. Do what you have been called to do for today, then if you wake up tomorrow and feel God’s call in a different direction, follow Him.

And if you have felt His call to move into something different, but were afraid to move, pray. Ask God to help you make the change. Courage and strength don’t come from us anyway. Trust God for these and move into what He has planned.

Seasons will come and go. Here on this earth we are confined to time and space. But God gives us works of love to do for today. Learn to flow with the seasons and enjoy them. 

Summer Camp

By Rose H.

During the summer most kids don’t stay at home. They are off to camp or go on vacation.

We do our best to make summers fun and interesting. We want to make time off enjoyable and constructive.

This summer why not have camp at your house? Instead of going somewhere, get the kids together and do some fun projects every day. Buy some fun food and enjoy some relaxed time together.

Or if you don’t have kids of your own yet, get together a group of kids and offer to do a week long day camp for them. Plan out crafts and activities and share Christ with them wherever you can. If you get overwhelmed, pull your friends in to help. It makes a great team project.

It’s a great way to strengthen and encourage those around you. Plus it helps build great friendships with others.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start planning, summer vacation will be here before you know it. 

New Ministry: Threads of Love

A nationwide effort to help preemie babies in the name of Christ. Check it out on the Ministries page!

New Ministry!

Source

I found another ministry that helps wounded soldiers. Although I have some ministries that help out our servicemen and women, this one targets wounded soldiers and tries to help them. Check them out on the Ministries Page!

Completely Revised and Updated

I have updated the ministry page and all the links.

Check it out!

Last Post Of 2011

The New Year is nearly upon us. Scary right?

My year has been full to overflowing. First with more teaching at co-op, play, cross stitching, baking, taking care of a neighbor, cleaning, writing, sewing, traveling, blogging, play writing, family stuff, and volunteering. Yes, for me it has been a full, crazy, wonderful year.

As I look ahead to the coming year I’m excited at what is coming. There are always new projects to get done, stories to be written, new mountains to climb.

As I dive into a new year of ministry, I look forward to exploring new horizons and sharing it with all of you.    

Check this out!

http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/free-downloadable-crochet-guide-share-homemaking-skills-with-girls-all-over-the-world/comment-page-1/#comment-28196

Want to help girls in third world countries crochet? Follow the link to find out how!