Christmas Idea #1

CHRISTMAS IDEA #1

Participate in giving children CLEAN WATER in Africa all while Christmas shopping.  

http://water4christmas.com/

Water for Christmas is partnering with charity:water. (http://www.charitywater.org/).

We participated in giving to this last year but this year they have stepped it up.

They have opened an etsy shop where you can shop for chrsitmas gifts and ALL THE EARNINGS go to giving water to people in Liberia.  Give a gift this year that makes a difference.

My friend, Meg, has a great blog post on her blog about this. She has some pictures too. She and several other girls got togehter for a weekend to create items for the etsy shop. Maybe you have a talent to create something. You can donate your items to the etsy shop for others to purchase.

For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat,

I WAS THIRSTY and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in."

Matthew 25:35

Just Three More Bites

Jason and I got to spend 13 hours driving together this weekend . . . it was a quick trip there and back for him to speak in Fairview, OK for their Harvest Missions Service.  Grandma and Grandpa were so nice to offer to keep the kids overnight so I could go with him.  It was great to talk and catch up. The last two months with his work load with seminary we have had brief conversations. We talked about so many things . . . . .

We even talked about Christmas. . . .
not about when we'll travel?
what we want?
Or if we should get a real or fake tree?  . . . .
But how we want to GIVE this Christmas.
Should we agree to give away as much money as we spend on Christmas?
Should we buy less and give away the difference?
How can we show LOVE this Christmas? 
We do something each year, last year was probably the most we'd ever done
and yet we want to do more this year. 
Why?

Ironically Jason preached this past week on a passage in Amos. He spoke on God's Heart: Justice and Righteousness.  Not Justice as in making people pay but as in protecting, looking out for the poor, the marginalized, the destitute, making the world a better place for the people in need and addressing the systems and circumstances that created the problem in the first place. It's pretty clear God cares about that stuff and wants us to take part.

We looked at a verse in Matthew where Jesus has been going around preaching/healing the sick/ raising the dead and it says he looked at people and "felt compassion". Those words "felt compassion" means "being moved as to ones bowels." Jesus was sick to his stomach. Are we sick to our stomach about what is going on around the world? Around our area?

I too just finished a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Don't read it if you don't want to be challenged.   Here's two short passages from it.
" Remember the story where Jesus fed thousands of people with one boy's small lunch? In that story, according to Matthew Jesus gave the loaves to His disciples and then the disciples passed them out to the crowd. Imagine if the disciples had simply held onto the food Jesus gave them, continually thanking Him for providing lunch for them. That would've been stupid when there was enough food to feed the thousands who were gathered and hungry. BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE DO WHEN WE FAIL TO GIVE FREELY AND JOYFULLY. WE ARE LOADED WITH TOO MANY GOOD THINGS, MORE THAN WE COULD EVER NEED, WHILE OTHERS ARE DESPERATE FOR A SMALL LOAF."

"He (God) is asking you to love as you would want to be loved if it were YOUR child who was blind from drinking contaminated water; to love as though it were YOUR family living in the shack slapped together from cardboard and scrap metal."

This has NOT been a good financial year for us but REALLY don't we still have an ABUNDANCE???

 We didn't make any final decisions about Christmas yet but I challenge you to start thinking too!! How can you make this Christmas about the things that really matter to God. After all Christmas is about HIM!  I'll post some ideas in the upcoming days!! I've got several rolling around in my head.

Just Three More Bites

I had biblestudy tonight.
When I listen to a speaker , read something,  or study something that resonates with me thoughts whirl around in my head.
I want to process it all, digest it, apply it!
I want more!
I physically can feel "on edge" from my own thoughts.
Is anyone else this crazy?

I want to share that craziness with you.
I'm going to start randomly posting on the things I'm chewing on, learning, being challenged by, & processing.
It may be once a week, once a month; we'll see!
I'm going to title all these posts . . . .
Just Three More Bites! 
When my kids are done eating their dinner they usually say, "Can I be done mommy?"
And I say, "Just three more bites (or something like that, it is usually the number of their age.).
I want them to get a little more full,
a little more nutition,
I want it to last longer in their bellies.
Well, when I "chew on something" that I'm learning in God's Word
 I want to process it and digest it so that I too can get a little more full spiritually,
 get a little more health in my thinking,
and make that sweet full feeling that scripture offers stay longer.
 These posts won't necessarily be neatly packaged with a bow on it.
I don't want to preach; I'm the daughter of a pastor and I sleep with a pastor so no promises.
I just know I'm on a journey . . . we all are . . . and every journey is more fun with fellow travelers!!

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Here's my first bite for you to chew on!
Comes from the Beth Moore video series I'm going through.


We were studying  out of Joshua (in the Old Testament). She (Beth Moore) points out something interesting in two different descriptions of Joshua.

At the very beginning, in Joshua 1:1 it says "Joshua, son of Nun, Moses assistant."

Near the end, in Joshua 24:29 it says "Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord."

He (Joshua) starts out with a title like "assistant" and moves to "servant of the Lord." At the end of my life I pray God will say Nicole, daughter of Jules (that's my dad's cool name), servant of God!
Think of all that must have gone on in Joshua's life to have evolved into that description!

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Another bite!

Joshua wasn't always Joshua.
His name was originally Hoshea and Moses changed it to Joshua. (Numbers 13:16)

His original name, Hoshea, meant Salvation/deliverance.

Joshua means Yahweh(God) saves/Yahweh (God)delivers.

Slight difference in words but the MEANING of that difference is huge.
Everytime Joshua heard his new name he was reminded that he isn't the one who saves people or delivers people, GOD SAVES, GOD DELIVERS! 
We can't save anyone, we can't deliver them from their problems.
Are you trying to save someone:? Free them from their issues?
Trying to save yourself? Free yourself from your issues?
Can't!
So glad God is all about saving and delivering people!

My nephew's name is Joshua. Cool name Josh!
From now on everytime I say it I'm gonna remind myself that it isn't ME it's God who saves and delivers!!

I'm full now, I'm going to bed!