Month: December 2010

Family News

Recent Random Pictures

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Hi and Merry Christmas Everyone! Well, I have some random pictures from the last week or so… they don’t really go together, but I thought I’d post them all anyway.

A special Christmas lunch at a nearby sandwhich shop with the girls in the BL Office here…Nickie, Sarah Rachel, Bekah.

Ok so when we bought our Christmas tree this year, we were told that it had been returned because it wouldn’t stand up straight. (I know. Who returns their Christmas tree?!) But my dad and I thought, No problem…We’ll work with it. Unfortunately we didn’t have as much success as we thought. This is how we found the tree on Christmas morning. I love Stephen’s expression. It was a race to get all the water and pine needles off the carpeting before Mom got up!

Christmas caroling! This is actually a great ministry, people are generally very touched.

Our “littlest caroler” warming up from the cold.

Stephen bought another guitar the other day. I’m so excited…

Yesterday morning was official “winter wonderland” in Marion, Iowa! All the trees were like this — It was amazing!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

And Mary said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour….” (Luke 1:46-47)

Christmas Ministry Ideas/Miscellaneous/Witnessing Stories

Christmas Story Printout

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Here’s an idea of how to get into witnessing conversations at Christmas. Ask people, “Have you read the Christmas story from the Bible yet this year?” If they haven’t, you can give them a copy! — a great way to get people into the Word. One friend at church asked us for 35 copies to mail in her Christmas cards. I thought that was a really good idea.

If you’d like to print off copies you can do so HERE. It’s 2 pages, so print it on both sides.

Thoughts

God My Exceeding Joy

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Christmas is supposed to be time of joy. That’s why so many especially struggle at Christmastime if there is pain in their life. So if there is something in your life that hurts right now, take a minute to pray Psalm 43 — a psalm that has really blessed me recently!

“…O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling places.
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”

When God is our joy, our joy is secure. God made us with deep needs so HE Himself could satisfy those needs. May we long for Him and delight in Him as we should.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25)

“Gladden the soul of your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You.” (Psalm 86:4-5)

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11

Christmas Ministry Ideas/Miscellaneous/Witnessing Stories

Christmas Tracts

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A few people have recently asked about Christmas tracts. We wish we had more. I sometimes use this “Christmas Quiz” that my dad put together. People receive these very well and they teach about the Christmas story and ask a few gospel questions. (We print it on both sides and get two on a page.) My dad also wrote a short “Prince of Peace” tract this year, which we link to in our December newsletter. I hope these ideas are useful for some of you!

Christmas Ministry Ideas/Family News/Thoughts/Witnessing Stories

Simple Christmas Questionnaire

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Merry Christmas Everyone! Christmas is such a great time for sharing about Jesus with unbelievers because people are in a festive mood and willing to talk! Here is a simple questionnaire that can be used to get conversations started:

1) What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
2) Why did God choose to be born as a baby and enter the human race?

Just grab a notepad and pen, find someone on a bench at Wal-mart who looks bored, and see if they are willing to take your Christmas questionnaire! 🙂 After they answer the second question, you can ask them if they’d like to hear what the Bible says about why Jesus came. (Consider sharing these Scripture verses: Matthew 1:21, Luke 19:10, John 18:37, Philippians 2:7-8, Hebrews 2:14)
And be prepared with a Christmas tract to leave with them!

On a different note, this afternoon my dad and I bundled up and picked out our Christmas tree at a local tree farm. We picked it out in record time this year! (The temperature probably had something to do with that!)

Thoughts

Intercession

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If you have not yet seen Eric Ludy’s video clip, “Intercession” please take the time to watch it! I love this clip. What a powerful message. And what an awesome Savior Christ is.

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Witnessing Stories

A New Special Friend!

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This is my new special friend, Francisca! Francisca is the girl who prayed and asked God for eternal life recently in the mall food court. (See post from November 24th) We’ve kept in touch via texting, and this morning my dad and I drove to take her to church in her area. It was really encouraging to be able to spend more time with Francisca (and her two adorable daughters) and see her desire to understand the Bible more. Francisca told me that yesterday she had a conversation with her friend about how we can ask God for eternal life. Apparently her friend doesn’t really understand yet – but I was glad to see how Francisca is already “witnessing” from what she knows! 🙂 Praise the Lord for what He is doing in Francisca’s life! And please pray for Francisca as she grows in the Lord.

Bright Lights Office/Miscellaneous

NEW: Monthly Newsletter


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If you’d like to read November’s newsletter online, click here.
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