5 Minute Advent Meditation

Advent Devotional

Advent is, perhaps, my favorite time of year. It is a season of waiting, with hopeful expectancy... remembering that Christ came to restore our relationship with God... and remembering that He promised to come again...

This year I'm reading a new Advent Devotional. You can get it here. Henri Nouwen is my favorite author- so I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

An excerpt from day 1: "I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God's saving power... Our temptation is to be distracted by them... When I have no eyes for the small signs of God's presence- the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends- I will always remain tempted to despair.

The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, HE asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream and overwhelm us with its claims and promises." -Henri J.M. Nouwen

Read Isaiah 11:1-3

"We welcome you, small child of Bethlehem, whose coming we await with quiet attention. Shield us from the shouts, the screams, the empty promises of the season, and encourage us to turn our hopes to your coming. We know that the promise is hidden in the stable in Bethlehem and rooted in the offspring of Jesse; let us look for our salvation there. Amen.

Today I will look for one small sign that God is present in my daily life. I will give thanks for His presence. If He is absent, I will resolve to find out why.

-Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri Nouwen (Day 1)

How are you fixing your eyes on Jesus this season? How are you reaching beyond your holiday traditions and truly loving the world, like He did??

Hallelujah! Give Thanks...

From our family to yours- a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy this little clip of Caleb saying his latest memory verse: "Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever." -Psalm 106:1

Witnessing around the Table

Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be grateful for- I don't even know where to begin... grace, family, being home, the scents of the season, warm rich colors, pumpkin pie, coffee, our champions, my little pilgrim and indian, but most importantly- eyes to see all the blessings tucked into this crazy life!

What is on your gratitude list this year? Salvation?

Let me extend a little holiday challenge. Is there anyone at your Thanksgiving table who needs to know about the saving grace of Jesus? Start praying for them TODAY! And ask Jesus to present you with an opportunity to love them, and share the hope you have in Him! It may be as simple as having the courage to read a Bible verse of thanksgiving at the table, or thanking God for the salvation you've received. Or just being extra kind and taking time to really listen to someone. Maybe it is pulling someone aside and sharing the plan of salvation. I don't know who God is calling you to share with, or what He is calling you to do.

I do know there's one at our table who needs some extra lovin'- and I'm asking Jesus to soften his heart. I may not get the chance to share with him today or tomorrow- but God knows I'm willing whenever the opportunity arises.

Who knows- perhaps you'll be on their gratitude list next year for sharing the gift of Jesus with them!!!

Christmas Change

Are you looking for a way to make Christmas more meaningful this year? Do you already feel like you have too much stuff? Take a look at this:

Christmas Change from Kujilana on Vimeo.

Want to join us on this adventure? Leave a comment!

Thanksgiving Challenge!

Nate, at CF Husband has posted a Thanksgiving Challenge- and I am answering the call and extending the invitation to you! Thanksgiving has fallen from it's intended purpose and become another tradition of family, food, and football. None of those are bad things- but do we pause to give thanks, really?? And shouldn't we really be living lives of gratitude at all times? Ann ,at a holy experience, does a great job of this on her Multitude Mondays! And I have caught the gratitude bug!

Would you choose to give thanks instead of complaints this week? Each time you are tempted to say something negative, can you offer praise? It won't be easy- but it could get our holidays off on the right foot this year! And perhaps usher 2010 in with open arms and grateful hearts! There are so many around the world who are utterly joyful, despite their circumstances. Maybe we can learn a lesson. The video is a little long- gets good in the middle :) African music:) Love it.



Today I am grateful for our faithful champions, our family, our recovery from illness, an apple pie in the oven, and God's nearness :)

Financial Update

Thank you for praying! The boys are napping well right now... I didn't think I'd get another chance to blog again this week! As I have been praying about our finances Jesus has broken it down for me and given me some concrete numbers to pray for. We want to be up front with you- and we want you to pray specifically with us. And also ask Jesus how He might be asking you to be part of the answer to our prayers.

We currently have 37.8% of our monthly pledges (we're praying to be at 50% by the end of the year), and 27% of our one time gifts. We have 5 churches and 46 individuals who are pledging financial support.

We are praying for at least 5 more churches who are willing to put us in their missions budgets.

We are asking Jesus to fill our schedule for January- March (currently we have 2 open Sundays in Jan, two in Feb and 3 in March). See our calendar at the very bottom of this blog for specific dates.

We are also praying for 240 individuals who are called to give financially on a monthly basis. We are asking Jesus for:

5 people (or churches) @ $100/month
15 people (or churches) @ $50/month
50 people (or churches) @ $25/month
75 people (or churches) @ $15/month
100 people (or churches) @ $5/month

**We've been studying prayer in the World Go! Manual. And as you know our need for prayer is great! Stay tuned for other ways to partner with us!

Sick again...

We'll have to put the World Go! Manual on hold until we're all healthy again. Unless someone would like to guest post- or add discussion questions to our World Go! Discussion Group. E-mail me or comment if you're interested.

Be praying against all illness that Satan would not have the victory- that we would praise Him even though we're exhausted- that He would get the glory- that we would recover quickly- that Seth's fever would continue cooling- that we wouldn't infect anyone else in this household. Please pray.

Satan wants nothing more than for me to curl up in a ball, and do nothing about furthering the kingdom. We're feeling attacked and need you to fight for us! It seems silly, but every time we make progress in reaching out to champions, or reach another personal goal for our HMA (Homeland Ministry Assignment), we all get sick. That is no coincidence. Our enemy has had Uganda in his grip for decades and won't let her go without a fight. Join us on the battlefield!

First Video Blog!

Bear with me- being filmed is not my favorite activity in the world. But, I knew God was calling me to stretch and grow :) Praying that you will be blessed and challenged to make prayer for the world a daily habit!

***This is where the video would be- but the dubbing is off... can anyone help? It uploaded fine to facebook?! Weird. ***

What are some other ways that you plan to incorporate prayer for the world into your holiday celebrations? What are some of your struggles with prayer during the holidays?

Advent Preparation

We did this last year, and are looking forward to doing it again this year! Hope you enjoy these advent envelope ideas!
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I was trying to think of fun things to do as a family this year to make the season special. For our advent calendar I put one "mission" in each envelope leading up to Christmas day. Hope you feel inspired!

Light the Christmas Tree
Go to Chick-fil-a for dinner and play in the playroom!
Read a Christmas book
Treat with Grammy and Poppy
Treat with Grandma Laurie and Grambo
Watch a Christmas movie
Have a Christmas music dance party
Make Christmas colored play-doh
Color a Christmas picture
Go to MOPS Christmas Party
Make a Christmas Centerpiece
Do something kind for someone else
Have cinnamon buns for breakfast
Go to Barnes and Noble Story-time
Make a Gingerbread House
Drive around and see Christmas lights
Read Homemade Caleb and Seth story
Have an indoor picnic by the Christmas tree
Light Ice Lanterns
Make Christmas cookies
Give a dollar to the Salvation Army bucket
Open your Christmas Eve gift

Harvest Time

Ann, from a holy experience, gave a hard challenge to us as a closing gift to the Candle in the Corner giveaway! The giveaway ends in 7 hours! There is still time to join in and let your little light shine!

As we close this chapter on prayer and begin to explore the World Go! chapter on witnessing- I'd like to ask: "Where is your harvest field?"

Be praying about that- where does God want you to focus your efforts in prayer? Who are the specific missionaries He has laid on your heart? What region of the world really gets you excited or lays heavy on your heart? And what local missions do you need to be interceding for??

And as you pray about that- also ask God to open your eyes to the witnessing opportunities along your path every day. Your harvest field is wherever your two feet land- for me right now, it's my home and my boys. Am I truly being Jesus to them at all times? Or your place of work? Or your children's school? Or your neighborhood? Ask God for one or two specific people He wants you to reach out to- and then ask for the courage to share His love!

This week, read the chapter on witnessing in the World Go! Manual. If you haven't downloaded it yet, you can get it here and join us on this missions journey!

**Stay tuned for some brief closing thoughts on prayer in a video blog soon!**

Spending Time with Jesus...

Caleb and I were reading his story Bible this morning, and the story of David and Goliath struck me anew... even brought a tear to my eye.

"David took his slingshot and walked toward Goliath. step. step. step. Goliath walked toward David. THUD. THUD. THUD. "You?" Goliath peered down at the small boy. "I'm little!" David shouted up to him. "But God is great!"

Goliath laughed an even terribler laugh than usual. "HAAAAA- HA- HAAAA!" it went. With just one swing of his giant sword, Goliath could finish the boy off.

But David kept going. "It isn't how strong you are or how many swords and spears you have that will save you- it is God who saves you! This is God's battle. And God always wins His battles!" (excerpt from The Jesus Story Bible, every story whispers His name)

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As we were sitting on our couch spending time with Jesus, I got a little misty-eyed. It is so good to know that whatever battle we face- whatever giant is looming before us- God always wins His battles. Praying that you can take courage in that today! I know I will!
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We'll be back to our World Go! Manual discussion tomorrow. We'll wrap up prayer and start on witnessing this week! Can't wait!

Need Prayer?

We are all on a mission! And so just as much as we need your prayers- you need ours. How can we be praying for you and your mission? What could we do to be the answer to your prayers?

Make sure you read chapter 1, on Prayer, and choose your action step. If you're committed to working on your prayer life- leave a comment on our facebook group: World Go! Discussion- and let us know what your action step will be! We'll move on to chapter 2 next week!

Welcome to Our Corner

Thanks for checking in today! For our regulars, just a heads up, we are part of a giveaway carnival, and so today we're introducing ourselves to the world. Head on over to Moms, Ministry and More to learn more about how you can do your part!

And for our guests from the Candle in the Corner giveaway, WELCOME! We are so glad to have you in our little corner!


Uganda has been called the "Pearl of Africa"- it is a gorgeous country: awash with vibrant colors, balmy, tropical temperatures, and warm, loving people. There is much to love about this amazing country. And yet the world looks in on Uganda, and Africa as a whole, and sees only war lords, poverty, aids, malaria, and orphans. But God sees Uganda as a country of promise and potential! He won't rest until she shines with His righteousness- and neither should we! The world sees danger and poverty- but we see hope.

God has HUGE plans for Uganda- and WGM is on the front-lines training local pastors to reach their own people. It is so exciting to be on the cusp of such a grand adventure! Our whole focus in ministry is bringing people deeper in their relationship with Jesus.

We are the Hallahans (Josh, Kelly, Caleb and Seth) and we are heading to Kampala, Uganda in June 2010. We are missionaries with World Gospel Mission, working in student ministry. We will be working at Heritage International School as Campus Pastor- hanging out with the international students (grades K-12), getting to know them, leading youth group and Bible studies, and ministering to their families. We will also be discipling college students at Kampala International University.

At the Christian international school, there is such a need for stable, loving people to invest in these kids and their families. So Josh and I are excited to open our home and serve cookies, play Wii, and just love on these kids (in addition to leading formal youth group and Bible studies). For a much clearer picture of our work at the university check out this field video!



Would you like to pray more specifically? You can check out this post to read our latest field prayer requests. Would you like more information about our ministry? Check out our personal profile on WGM's website. So blessed to meet you all- and join hands as we spread His light around the globe!

Prayer of the Priesthood

"A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." -I Peter 2:5

"Much that was allowed to an ordinary Israelite was forbidden to the priests. Priests could have no bodily defects or blemishes. Bodily perfection was to be the model of wholeness and holiness in God's service... All this is symbolic of what the character of the New Testament priest is to be. Our priestly power with God depends on our personal life and walk. Jesus must be able to say of our walk on earth "They have not defiled their garments."

"Are you willing to offer yourself for this holy work? You know the surrender it demands- nothing less than the Christ-like giving up of everything, so that the salvation of God's love may be accomplished among men. Don't be one of those who are content with being saved, just doing enough work to keep themselves warm and lively! Let nothing keep you back from giving yourselves to be wholly and only priests of the Most High God!"

You will not only join in the general prayer of the Church for the world, but be able in your own sphere to take up your own special work in prayer. As priests, you will work on a personal basis with God to receive and know the answer, and so to bless in His name." -Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer

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Are your hands clean? Are your garments spotless? Take some time today to get right with God and prepare yourself for the great work of the priesthood!

Beauty Challenge

"God's everywhere.... So beauty must be."

You're warmly invited to join me in a Beauty Challenge this week, your own motley crew of bottles, your own furniture vases, your own hunt for God with slips of beauty not bought but quietly and unexpectedly uncovered. A twig may become art when attended to. Of course, not all the found beauty will fit in a vase. Some will find a perfect container in a gratitude journal. Regardless what empty place you fill with beauty , it will grace you, this week, a life, with God. -Ann, at A Holy Experience

Here are some snapshots of glory I've captured already this week:

belly laughs from boyish silliness...joy

beautiful bush surrendering glory... pools of red... portrait of love...

lone leaf, clinging tightly, bracing against wind... lifting my eyes toward heaven

hot cup of tea... while boys nap... time to seek Him and His beauty

rays of sunshine falling... on flower pot full of sunshine... delightful...

bare branches lifted high... dazzling sun breaking through dark clouds... He still shines

"God's everywhere.... So beauty must be." -Ann Voskamp

Prayer Power!

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -Mark 11:24

"What a promise! It is so large, so Divine, that our little hearts cannot comprehend it. In every possible way we seek to limit it to what we think is safe or probable. We don't allow it to come in just as He gave it to us with its quickening power and energy. If we would allow it, that promise would enlarge our hearts to receive all of what His love and power are really ready to do for us." -Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer

May God increase our faith in His great promises! May He so enthrall us and draw us to His throne, that we can accomplish great deeds for His kingdom, before ever leaving our knees!

Read the Bible study on Prayer in the World Go! Manual today and ask the Lord to speak to your heart through His word. And then spend some time in prayer, listening to what He is saying. Jump on over to our facebook group (World Go! Discussion) and let us know how He is leading you!

Introduction

I don't know about you, but I love a good story! And that is just how the World Go! Manual begins! Today, let's read the introduction and 1: Pray chapters of the story. You will meet Mark (your average american Christian) and Randall (a foreign missionary), and Mrs Appleby (Mark's neighbor). It's only a couple pages, and an easy read! If you haven't downloaded the World Go! Manual yet, you can do it by clicking THIS LINK

Take a few minutes and ask God to open your heart to the lessons He wants to teach you through this study. And pray for the others who may be joining us- join our World Go! Discussion group on facebook- add your prayer, or your first impressions of Mark and Randall!

World Go! Manual

For those who don't know what the World Go! Manual is, allow me to introduce you!!! This is a phenomenal resource distributed by World Gospel Mission. You can download it or order it through the link above. We are serious about coaching each one of you to greater missions activity- and this is one way we're trying to do that.

So come back each day this week and we'll dive in to the first chapter on prayer. Leave a comment and let me know you've downloaded the first section on prayer and get ready to go new places on your missions journey! We want this to be as interactive as possible- so to get the most value out of this study- please also join our World Go! Discussion group on facebook. Can't wait to see how God will grow us!