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A New Arrival to End the Year

12/30/2010

It’s official! Phoebe Grace is here! She arrived on December 27th at 12:50AM... 19 1/2 inches... 8lbs 2 oz… and she’s beautiful! Her timing was perfect too… after Christmas so my sister didn’t have to celebrate the holiday in the hospital, but not too far afterwards so visiting family (including me!) were still in the area when she was born! I actually left that same afternoon to drive up to Wisconsin to see my Dad, and the two of us came back to Rockford today. I’m so thankful that I’m able to spend a bit of extra time with all my family before returning to Tulsa.

This whole visit has been a special one. I’ve been able to spend extra with my family and we’ve made some great memories. We're even starting to capture our memories in a book for that purpose... each of us writing down things that were special to us about the holidays so we'll have that to look back on for years to come. Kids will grow, handwriting will change, but the memories will always be precious to look back on. I’ve been able to connect with some friends I haven’t seen for years during this trip as well… not to mention having more time than usual to spend with my Rockford church family, too. I guess the prayers I was praying for everyone else about taking time to “be” with friends and family during the Christmas season was multiplied back to me! I’m grateful!

Tomorrow, of course, is the last day of 2010. It’s a time to look back, but even more so a time to look forward. We’ll be having a special service at Banner of Truth International tomorrow night and then it will be back to Tulsa on Saturday. I’m excited about the year ahead, though. There is still a stirring on the inside that I will be doing more traveling Stateside, but God has some other special things in store, too.

And as the year ends, I’m especially thankful for the people God has put in my life… including you. Even the fact that you’re taking time to read this means so much. Thank you for being part of my life, and God’s richest blessings to you in the New Year!

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Stirrings as I Go

12/20/2010

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Well, I’m officially home for the holidays, but God finds opportunities to stir missions in my heart wherever I am.

I split up my drive time from Tulsa to Rockford by staying overnight in the St. Louis area. Since I was there on a Sunday morning, I took time to visit St. Louis Family Church (www.slfc.org). The Cameneti’s had spoken of this congregation on numerous occasions while I was with them in Australia, and it was wonderful to finally have an opportunity to share in a service there myself.

The church not only has an incredible missions outreach to the world through Service International (www.serviceinternational.org), but they make an incredible impact in their community and here in the States as well. Their building is tucked away in an area where you wouldn’t realize they are even there, but the CHURCH (the people) are making an impact that is incredible. I loved it and was inspired! Service International isn’t the only way they are making an impact, but I encourage you to take a moment to watch their video and see if God would have you to be a part!

After church, I had another stop before arriving home. A missionary couple I first met while working at House of Refuge Church in Rockford, IL are in a transition time in their service to the Lord. They graduated from the RHEMA School of World Missions before me and have been serving in Zambia for a number of years, but now they are getting ready to move to Morocco. They are a wonderful family and we have kept in touch over they years. While they are raising support during this season, their homebase is in the Normal, IL area, so it was the perfect opportunity to spend an evening with them on my way home. There’s nothing like sharing time with like-hearted people!

Right now they are scheduling “A Night in Morocco” events where participants can experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of exotic Morocco while learning about the culture and mission strategies of North Africa. It’s a cultural mission experience with an interactive twist that’s perfect for Sunday Evening Services, Midweek Services, Small Groups or Bible Studies. If you or your church are interested to learn more, you can contact Steve and Jennifer at 815.295.3394 or email them for more details. They would be wonderful people to consider supporting. They will be scheduling these events through the summer of 2011.

Well... it's Christmas week, so as I close I'll share the same thing I did at the end of my latest e-update... As you immerse yourself in the many “doings” of the Christmas season, my prayer for you is that you will carve out some “being” time in the midst of all… being with family and friends, and most importantly, being in His presence. His Word promises that in His presence is fullness of joy. May that joy be your strength as you walk in His peace and stay filled with His love. Have a wonderful Christmas!

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Praying for Kim

12/11/2010

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I really enjoyed sharing with the RSWM students last week. It’s a small class this year- six students compared to our class of 22 graduates- but I appreciated the more personal interactions I was able to have with them as a result. They are a great class… committed, focused, and with hearts for God. I’m excited to hear about what God does on their internships to establish and solidify the things they’ve been learning in the classroom. It’s just the beginning, though. I still learn on every trip I take!

While that was a wonderful start to the week, it has certainly been one where sadness has been a part, too. When I left the classroom Monday afternoon, there was a message on my phone from my friend Kim… her Dad had passed away that morning. It was especially hard news because her Grandma had passed away just two months before… a lot for any family to process so quickly.

The memorial service was yesterday and was a wonderful celebration of her Dad’s life, though difficult for the family. I share this here because many of you who read this are friends with Kimberly as well. So remember to lift up the Johnson family as the Lord brings them to your mind. They need the comfort and strength of the Holy Spirit in a special way right now. God bless.

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Last Train Home

12/5/2010

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What a privilege to be part of the Out of the Ashes Conference in Broken Arrow this weekend. God hand-picked people to attend on each of the days and for each of the sessions and used testimonies to open the hearts of those in attendance so God’s Word and His Love had entrance to pour in and change lives. Special break-out times into smaller groups gave opportunity for participants to share their hearts and in doing so minister one to another, too. If only one life had been touched, it all would have been worth it, but I know there were many more than that. More conferences like this will be scheduled in 2011, so visit www.mckinneyinternational.org for updates and information.

Personally, it brought me joy to allow the Lord to use my own testimony as part of what He desired to do in and through the weekend. It was in 1999 during a precious time of personal prayer that I consecrated my scars to Him, asking that He would use them for His glory. (The scars were due to self-harm. Cutting had been a way of escape for me that turned to an addiction from the time I was 15 until I was 22.) For a long time I have known that He would use various aspects of my testimony as means to connect with and minister to people, and He has allowed opportunities in 1:1 settings again and again, but this year the doors have been opening to share in other places too. He’s doing it… and as I prayed in 1999, it’s for HIS glory.

Today I also went to see a movie with some friends called “The Last Train Home”. Each year in NEAsia more than 130 million migrant workers travel home for their New Year's holiday—the one time they'll reunite with family all year. For those who have a heart for this area, it is a powerful movie that gives a unique look at culture and life in that region. You can do a search on You Tube to watch the trailer and to find out how you can see the whole thing.

For now, I need to finish preparing things for when I share in the RHEMA School of World Missions tomorrow. I’m bringing my personal perspective on “Effective Partner Communications” as well as sharing a bit about my experiences overseas. I love being able to be a part of others being trained to go into all the world. It’s an opportunity to encourage them in their vision for missions!

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A New Arrival to End the Year

Stirrings as I Go

Praying for Kim

Last Train Home

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