Servant's Heart Sunday: OCC Prayer Guide

" Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." 1 Colossians 4:2

"Every shoe box offers an opportunity to share the Good News of the Savior with a hurting child."
Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan's Purse

The shoeboxes have been stuffed and they are being prepared for their world-wide destinations, but you can continue to  partner with Operation Christmas Child... in prayer!

I was at a Christian bookstore this weekend getting a few more items for our shoeboxes when I saw a stack of bookmarks from Samaritan's Purse. Imprinted on the bookmark was a weekly prayer guide for families that are willing to cover this important ministry in prayer. What an amazing opportunity for you and your family to impact children all around the world while preparing your hearts to cebrate the birth and first coming of our Messiah. Think of all God can do through these simple gifts and prayers that are offered up in His name. If we are only obedient to His call to give and to intercede, He can pour out His love and grace through us and fill not only shoeboxes but searching hearts! Here are the suggestions for daily intercession:

Sunday: Pray for the children and their families who receive a shoe box gift, that hearts will be opened to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Monday: Most children who receive shoe box gifts live in desperate circumstances. Pray that God will meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual nees.

Tuesday: Pray for our ministry partners in countries around the world, especially that the shoe box gifts and follow-up discipleship programs will be effective evangelism tools.

Wednesday: Pray that doors will be opened, so the Good News can be shared in countries that are not receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thursday: Pray for those who fill shoe box gifts this year, especiall for children, that they will see that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.

Friday: Pray for those involved in collecting, processing, transporting, and delivering shoe box gifts, including the tens of thousands of volunteers.

Saturday: Pray for Samaritan's Purse staff located throughout the world  as they handle the logistics of Operation Christmas Child.

For more information about this God-honoring ministry go to: Samaritans Purse ~ Operation Christmas Child

Servant's Heart Sunday: Love in a Shoebox

Can you fill a shoebox with love? The answer is yes ~ 8 million times! Last year over eight million care packages were delivered. Since 1993, over 130 countries have received these boxes filled with love & hope, reaching millions of kids each year. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. It has one mission: to demonstate God's love to needy children around the world and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. While you may not be called to be an overseas missionary, you and your family have an amazing opportunity to respond to the Great Commission and reach every corner of the world with the love of our Saviour! So how do you get started? I'm so glad you asked!

1. Find an empty shoe box or a small plastic container (Rubbermaid, Sterilite, etc.) A missionary told my prayer partner that the plastic containers are reused by the families it to haul water and for a variety of other uses!

2. Determine whether your gift box will be for a boy or girl and the child's age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. You can download labels from the Samaritan's Purse website.

3. Fill with gifts & love

4. Please include a $7 donation or more for each shoebox you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online through the EZ-Give method, or you can use a donation envelope.

5. Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during National Collection Week (November 15-22, 2010) or you can send your shoe box gift to: Samaritan's Purse, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607

6. Be sure to pray for the child that will receive your box!

Gift Suggestions

School Supplies: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch, Slinky, etc.

Hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, bar soap (in a ziplock bag), comb, washcloth

Other: hard candy and lollipops, mints, gum (please place all candy in a ziploc bag), t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights with batteries.

A Personal Note: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back! We discoved to our delight that God directed one of our boxes to Burkina Faso. The girl that received it wrote us a lovely letter in French (her native tongue). We were able to use an online translation website to convert her letter into English. We were blessed beyond measure to have this treasured correspondence from this sweet young lady! We sent several more packages directly to this girl's family and eventually received a photo of her. This was an amazing lesson to our three children as they searched our world globe for the country of Burkina Faso (in Africa). We marveled at just how far God's love had reached... across countries, across oceans, across continents and around the world!

Remember, there is power in a simple gift! For more information about this ministry opportunity go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

"Your gift of love may be the door God uses to open a child's heart to Jesus Christ."

Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan's Purse

Servant's Heart Sunday: Birthday Blessings

Last week we celebrated the birth and life of my eldest daughter. As my husband and I reminisced and recalled fond memories, we marvelled at how quickly our little girl has transformed into a young woman. We rejoiced and celebrated this child that God has entrusted into our care. While we have not been perfect parents, God has. His grace has abounded and has been sufficient, even when my husband and I fell short. She is precious in the Lord's sight and in ours! While we have had some bumps and hiccups as we navigate through these teenage years, I see evidence of our Lord's amazing love and grace as it transforms my daughter into a godly young woman. I was so touched as she made her handmade party invitations requesting that her friends forego bringing a birthday gift and instead consider making a monetary donation to a local mom of 5 (and expecting another baby this summer) who was recently widowed as her young husband died unexpectedly. I am encouraged that my sweet girl chose to use the occasion of her birthday as an opportunity to bless others. My other kiddos have done this as well in previous years. I always leave it up to them. I want it to come from their heart and for them to give sacrificially to the ministry, cause or family that they feel God is directing them to. As followers of Christ we have been blessed with new life that is not simply counted in years or candles on a cake... but is eternal and infinite. My hope is that our family will continue to share God's love and message consistently, each year, each month, each week and each day.

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

Servant's Heart Sunday: Dear Riley

This week I didn't have to search for a service project for our family or for this blog post, it found me! The homeschooling forum I belong to is always a wonderful potpourri of ideas, thoughts, opinions, requests, resources, recipes, stories, laughs, inspiration and more. This weekend as I tried to catch up and read the accumulating messages in my inbox, I came across Riley's wish. Riley Philpot is 9 year old girl who has been battling a rare form of cancer since she was six. Her cancer has returned and so have the hospital visits. Riley's wish is to have the mailman bring a bag full of get well cards and wishes. As I read a posting from her father regarding her "race" I was so touched by their faith during such trying times. Please join me and my family as we sign, stuff, seal , and stamp as much love and encouragement as possible into letters for Riley. Also, please consider praying with your children for Riley and her family.

Send your "love letters" to:
Riley Philpot
206 Slaney Loop Rd.
Winterville, N.C. 28590

Have fun and be creative! Pour out your love in a drawing, poem, card, collage, or letter and seal it with a kiss! Perhaps you can even include a picture of your family. You could draw a big get well sign or banner and take a picture of your family holding it. I'm sure it will delight Riley to see the smiling faces of those lifting her up in prayer! I know that Riley will be blessed, as will you and your family as you share the love of God with a little girl that is still running the race.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

Servant's Heart Sunday

"Then the King will say to the people on his right, 'Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' The righteous will then answer him, 'When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!" Matthew 25: 34-40

Oh, how I desire to raise children that have loving hands and willing hearts to serve and honor the Lord! As we find volunteer opportunities where we can serve together as a family, our Heavenly Father teaches us about compassion, mercy, love and extending grace. It is then that His light shines brightly like a city on a hill! As this New Year unfolds, let us look for ways we can minister to others and demonstrate the love of Jesus to the world and let our lights burn brightly.

Check out these websites with me! How can we help?
Let's pray about how we can let our light shine before men!

http://www.compassion.com/
http://www.biblesunbound.com/
http://www.feedingamerica.org/
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
http://www.worldvision.org/
http://www.cefonline.com/
http://www.kidscare.org/


"You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before people so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16