For the past two weeks, the chaos of Christmas had arrived in my home. In addition to our everyday schedules of work, school and Carrie's extracurricular activities, I have been working hard to meet deadlines for AB Women and preparing information to send out for our church's human trafficking events in early January. In addition, there has been cookie baking, holiday parties, presents to buy, Christmas cards to address and decorations to put up. We finally purchased a tree the other night and we decorated it yesterday. Where was the reason for season in all of these activities these past 2 weeks?
Christmas means different things to people. At 3:00 am this morning, the feeling of Christmas had finally arrived within me. I was sitting up in bed, listening to the wind and snow hit the windows. It was dark and quiet and I felt an inner peace inside of me. Although the weather was wild outside, I felt safe and secure in my bedroom. I imagine that is how Mary and Joseph felt the night Jesus was born. After traveling a great distance and Mary giving birth, they were safe and secure in the stable with baby Jesus knowing that God was watching over them. It is that inner peace that God gives me that is my Christmas present. The time I spent at 3:00 am this morning with God was special. I prayed and I listened. Wonderful memories of the past filled my head. The chaos of Christmas was finally gone and the true season has begun for me.
Jesus is truly the reason for the season.
As Christmas day draws near, I pray for each of you that you will find the true meaning of Christmas inside your heart and you will feel an inner peace amongst all the chaos around us in the world. As Women Destined for God's Purpose, let us take this time to reflect and be thankful for the gift of Jesus, born in a manger, Savior to the world.
Christmas blessings and Peace on Earth,
Barbara
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
A Cry for Freedom: Let Freedom Ring for Victims of Human Trafficking
The title of my blog today is the theme my pastor and I have selected for our services for Human Trafficking Awareness Day in January. You are probably wondering why in the middle of the Christmas season I have decided to write about Human Trafficking. Human Trafficking Awareness Day is January 11th. It comes so quickly after the holidays that I want to alert everyone now so they can think about what they can do to bring awareness on that day.
I am so lucky to have a supportive pastor and a church who supports my passion for this ministry and has become involved in my desire to bring this issue to our community. On Sunday, January 10th our morning worship will be devoted to this issue and that evening, we will have a prayer service and candlelight vigil on our front lawn. We will be decorating our church on New Year's day with purple lights, purple ribbons and a banner for our community to see. We will follow-up with flyers, and articles in our town newspaper so that the community will learn about the issue and understand as Christians, we have taken a stand to become involved.
What can you do to bring awareness on this issue to your church and community? I don't expect everyone to go to my extreme with purple lights, but can you imagine how cool it would be if we could get all the churches across the country to place purple ribbons on their doors and pray for this issue? How powerful that would be! Go to the AB Women's Ministries, Break the Chains website, www.abwmbreakthechains.org and you will find a variety of ideas that you can do with your church to make a difference and bring awareness on a variety of different levels.
During this season of giving, let us remember the victims of human trafficking who are still enslaved waiting to be rescued? Let us continue to work towards bringing freedom to all of them so that they too may enjoy the season of giving. God gave us his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Let us, as Christian Women, bring the love of Christ into our community and the world, and break the chains of human trafficking, one link at a time.
May you continue to shine your light for Christ this Christmas season as we continue to be Women... Destined for God's Purpose.
Blessings,
Barbara
I am so lucky to have a supportive pastor and a church who supports my passion for this ministry and has become involved in my desire to bring this issue to our community. On Sunday, January 10th our morning worship will be devoted to this issue and that evening, we will have a prayer service and candlelight vigil on our front lawn. We will be decorating our church on New Year's day with purple lights, purple ribbons and a banner for our community to see. We will follow-up with flyers, and articles in our town newspaper so that the community will learn about the issue and understand as Christians, we have taken a stand to become involved.
What can you do to bring awareness on this issue to your church and community? I don't expect everyone to go to my extreme with purple lights, but can you imagine how cool it would be if we could get all the churches across the country to place purple ribbons on their doors and pray for this issue? How powerful that would be! Go to the AB Women's Ministries, Break the Chains website, www.abwmbreakthechains.org and you will find a variety of ideas that you can do with your church to make a difference and bring awareness on a variety of different levels.
During this season of giving, let us remember the victims of human trafficking who are still enslaved waiting to be rescued? Let us continue to work towards bringing freedom to all of them so that they too may enjoy the season of giving. God gave us his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Let us, as Christian Women, bring the love of Christ into our community and the world, and break the chains of human trafficking, one link at a time.
May you continue to shine your light for Christ this Christmas season as we continue to be Women... Destined for God's Purpose.
Blessings,
Barbara
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Telling the Story this Christmas Season!
Well, I have started bit by bit putting the Christmas decorations up around the house. It is beginning to look alot like Christmas at the Anderson house. Looking through the decorations can bring back many memories. As a child, one of the most favorite parts for me was to set-up our creche. As I look through my decorations, I come across my first nativity, all the figurines were ceramic and done in mother of pearl. I made it in ceramics when I was first married. This creche has been with me now for almost 28 years.
After we brought Carrie home from China, I knew that our family needed a new creche so she would be able to touch it and set it up like I did when I was a child so we purchased a new family creche with figurines made of sturdy wood. A good creche for little hands.
Through the years, I have continued to add to our family creche collection. I have a small handmade one from Mexico and a small hanging nativity ornament from South America both purchased at Green Lake. A special friend gave me a beautiful Mary and Joseph made by Jim Shore as a gift when I graduated with my Masters. That same friend gave me a beautiful nativity scene music box when I became President. I am still looking for an Asian creche in honor of Carrie's heritage and culture that she brings to our family.
Each creche is unique and holds special memories for our family but yet they all tell the same story of the most important event - the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and that is the reason for the season.
It use to be that you would see the creche in each community, usually somewhere in the center part of the town. It's a shame that most communities have stopped displaying their creches, afraid of offending those who are not believers.
As Christians, we need to tell the story now more than ever. We need to compete with all the TV ads, Christmas specials (that don't tell the story) and more that this time of year has become to remind those around the world the true meaning of Christmas - to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
So as we set-up the creche in our homes and churches this season, let us remember the creche is the center of it all - it tells the story of that night, how Mary and Joseph traveled by donkey to Bethlehem and because there was no room at the Inn, Mary gave birth in a stable and on that night, our Lord and Savior was born. As Women, Destined for God's Purpose, let us continue to tell the story not just at Christmas but throughout the year.
Blessings until we connect again.
Your Sister in Christ,
Barbara
After we brought Carrie home from China, I knew that our family needed a new creche so she would be able to touch it and set it up like I did when I was a child so we purchased a new family creche with figurines made of sturdy wood. A good creche for little hands.
Through the years, I have continued to add to our family creche collection. I have a small handmade one from Mexico and a small hanging nativity ornament from South America both purchased at Green Lake. A special friend gave me a beautiful Mary and Joseph made by Jim Shore as a gift when I graduated with my Masters. That same friend gave me a beautiful nativity scene music box when I became President. I am still looking for an Asian creche in honor of Carrie's heritage and culture that she brings to our family.
Each creche is unique and holds special memories for our family but yet they all tell the same story of the most important event - the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and that is the reason for the season.
It use to be that you would see the creche in each community, usually somewhere in the center part of the town. It's a shame that most communities have stopped displaying their creches, afraid of offending those who are not believers.
As Christians, we need to tell the story now more than ever. We need to compete with all the TV ads, Christmas specials (that don't tell the story) and more that this time of year has become to remind those around the world the true meaning of Christmas - to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
So as we set-up the creche in our homes and churches this season, let us remember the creche is the center of it all - it tells the story of that night, how Mary and Joseph traveled by donkey to Bethlehem and because there was no room at the Inn, Mary gave birth in a stable and on that night, our Lord and Savior was born. As Women, Destined for God's Purpose, let us continue to tell the story not just at Christmas but throughout the year.
Blessings until we connect again.
Your Sister in Christ,
Barbara
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