A Christmas Card Drive for YOU and for Me!

In all the missions trips my husband  has been blessed to be on (Cuba, Guatemala & Haiti) there were things in each place that completely broke his heart.

The oppression in Cuba, the extreme poverty & devastation in Haiti, and poverty in Guatemala.  On each trip he went with a different organization and experienced what life is like in those countries.  I've talked a lot lately about his trip to Haiti with GCA (Great Commission Alliance) but I also wanted to share with you about his trip to Guatemala last year with Compassion.

While he was in Guatemala he had the awesome honor of meeting our sweet Compassion daughter, Erika.  They went to her school, went to her house to meet her family, went to her church and even got to spend the day taking Erika and her mom (see below) to the amusement park.

(photo taken by Sheila Englund)

While he was also there he met with tons of other kids, LDP students and with the Compassion staff in the area and they all said the same thing...

Your Letters Make a HUGE Difference!!!

Story after story after story just reaffirmed that your letters are some of the most special treasures to these kids!  

Get this...our friends over at (in)courage (love those gals!) have partnered with DaySpring cards to stand up and make a difference this Thanksgiving for so many kids that just need a word of encouragement!

That’s where YOU come in!

Well you, DaySpring, and Compassion International. From now through November 29^th (the Monday after Thanksgiving) Studio DaySpring will be hosting a Christmas Card Drive for the children of Ecuador.

 You design the card, Compassion will translate it, DaySpring will print it, and a team from both organizations will travel to Ecuador to deliver it in person in time for Christmas!

Four student projects with over 100 unsponsored kids are looking forward to hearing from YOU!

Did your tummy just do the happy flip? Mine sure did!

Here’s how it works:

1. Click here to go to the Studio DaySpring Christmas Card Drive page.
2. Design a card for a super special kid in Ecuador just dying to hear from YOU (for as little as $1.99).
3. Tell them what makes them so worth celebrating this Christmas season.
4. Include a photo of you and your family and a little bit about you so they know who the card’s coming from – kids LOVE photos!
5. Bear in mind we’ll need some room on the card to translate your message into Spanish.
6. Add to Cart and Voila – you’ve just created a Christmas message that will be hand delivered from you to a child in Ecuador. Our team will be there December 11-16.
7. Oh and we’ve got a blog button to help spread the word – you can grab it off our side bar.

Kind words are like honey – sweet to the taste and good for your health. Proverbs 16:24.

Your words will nourish no matter whose hands your card finds its way home to. You don’t have to know a child to impact their life. You only have to know the Jesus you both have in common.

*** all words in red are straight from my friend Lisa-Jo's post over at (in)courage.

Come on...what are you waiting for?  

This is something we can do right where we are! 

Book Review ~ If I...I Will

If I...I Will

By: Debbie Covington

What a sweet little book...at only 97 pages it is a quick and easy read, but make no mistake about it, in those 97 pages are blessings and encouragement for you, no matter where you are.

With chapters like:

* She Suffered...

* She Heard...

* She Came...

* She Thought...

* She Was Free...

* Who Touched Me? She Touched...

* Will You Let the Crowd Stop You?...

* Jesus Pursues Us!...

* She Knew...

* Her Healing Faith...

Taken right from the words in Mark 5:24-34 Debbie opens our hearts and eyes to see things through this woman, through Jesus and even through ourselves.  You will absolutely walk away with nuggets from this book that you can apply to your life right now.

If I…I will: simple words, but do we ever move past the “ifs” in our lives? Do we know in our hearts and minds that God indeed will help us to achieve our dreams and goals?  If I…I Will is an insightful look at the healing of the suffering woman in Mark 5 whom Jesus healed. And just like that suffering woman, we must step past our suffering, the words we may hear, our own thoughts, and the crowds around us to reach for Jesus. What if we reach Jesus? Will He change our lives forever? Will He heal us? Yes, indeed! Maybe Jesus won’t follow the way we envision the healing or the change to happen, but faith in Jesus will forever change us. So, step out and reach for Jesus’ hand, and begin the adventure of a lifetime.

If you'd like a copy "If I...I Will" you can pick up one here from Amazon.  You can also take a look at the other reviews of If I...I Will through the book review blog tour.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Godly Gals ~ Alece Ronzino

Eternity in Our Hearts

by: Alece Ronzino

"He has planted eternity in the human heart."  
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

Such a beautiful, divine thought...

Eternity is planted deeply in the soil of my heart. Placed there by God Himself.

If eternity is within me, then the past and the future exist in each moment just as much as the present does.

Trying to wrap my brain around that makes my head hurt. Such an unfathomable concept.

But the idea that eternity courses through me with every beat of my heart, seems to make some sense of my too-often struggle with being fully present in the moment.

I'm not very good at living in the now.

I am more likely to dwell on the past or restlessly wander ahead into the future. Both hold fears and hopes, of entirely different kinds. And both can either rob me of my present or enhance it.

God is timeless---existing simultaneously before now, after now, and right now---and He's planted the seed of His timelessness inside me.

As a gift, not to be fought against, but to be embraced.

There is a reason He wants me to live in the tension that past, present, and future create as they collide in every single moment. There is a purpose in the struggle.

Maybe embracing the now doesn't mean switching off the ever backward- and forward-wandering of my heart.

Maybe, instead, it means choosing to engage my present in light of the regrets and joys of my past, and the hopeful, sometimes fearful, yearnings of my future.

I need to remember that the One who was and is and is to come, lives within me, stabilizing me in the uncertainty of what was and is and is to come.

When I do, I live more mindful that God is in control. I live with more active trust in Him.

The constancy of Christ at work inside me---He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever---provides an anchor for my unpredictably inconsistent heart.

And that anchor holds fast.

No matter how turbulent the storm may be.
___

Alece Ronzino moved to Africa at 19 and pioneered Thrive Africa, a ministry focused on training indigenous leaders in the poorest region of South Africa. Her journey of faith is a mix of grit and glory. Mostly grit.

Visit her blog  |  Follow her on Twitter  |  Learn more about Thrive Africa

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so much Alece, your heart for Him shines brightly through all you do! What a sweet blessing you are to so many! I truly love getting to know you and am so thankful for your friendship!

What an incredible gift it is to meet these women...these Godly Gals right where they are.  Real Women, Real Life, Real Faith in action...I love it!  I love meeting these women, hearing their stories and sharing them with each of you.

I also know that some of you have a story to share as well and I'd love to hear it!  If you would like more information about being a part of the Godly Gals series then send an email to melsworldministry {at} gmail {dot} com and I'll send you a copy of the submission guidelines and answer any questions you might have.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you...

Word Filled Wednesday ~ Rest

Sometimes it is just so hard to slow down...

there are so many things to do, 

so many errands to run,

so much left on our list each and everyday,

but...

sometimes,

we just need to slow down a little bit

and

REST!

Praying you find time today to 

"come off by yourselves" 

"take a break"

and "get a little rest"...

not because I said so, 

but because Jesus said it.

WFW is not about books, authors, artists.. it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word.

Join myself and some other wonderful ladies as we share by signing into to the Link below!

Word Filled Wednesday at the Internet Cafe Devotions site.