Looking back at 2012

Many often ask who I am and what I am doing. So here a recap of 2012 and what I spent my time on doing:

I am 31 years of age, teacher at a local private school and dedicated member and servant in Shofar Christian Church Swakopmund.

At the school I have a grade 5 as register teacher and teach Natural Science as main subject in it. Other than that I teach Physical Education in grades 3-7 and Religion and Moral education in grades 5-7.

Other than that, I lead a small group with teenage girls who I disciple and have the privilege of leading and accompanying into a vivid relationship with Jesus Christ. Also I am part of the intercessory group in my church and lead the Outreach and Missions Ministry.

Here a summary of what went on throughout this year in the outreach and missions ministry.

I pray you enjoy it and am looking forward to another year of serving our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

Outreach and Missions presentation for blog

Abundant blessings!

Jessica

Reach out to your family this Christmas

The final post before Christmas…and I gave it quite some thought. As you probably read in my first post on the topic there are many who feel Christmas is a festival of hypocrisy amongst people they should love.

Love can however only flow, when we are reconciled and act in true love toward one another. Often it is reconciliation that lacks. Offence, bitterness, unforgiveness and even hate all too often dwell among those we should love most.

Now…no matter who started it, whose fault it was or who should make the first step… I want to challenge you:

YOU do the first step toward reconciliation. Take time… take beautiful paper…and write letters.

Letters to all those that you don’t feel 100% comfortable around due to one of the above reasons or where you deem they feel that way about you and you don’t even know why.

Write a letter to each of them. Make the letters individuals. Write and ask for forgiveness… forgive, and put into words you appreciation and you love for that person instead. Compliment them where it honestly applies… appreciate them for the things we often take for granted as well.

Put the letters into beautiful envelopes and if you can… deliver them personally or make sure they still get them on time!

Only when you and I make the first step in love and humility towards reconciliation will Christmas happen in your own home too.

May you be abundantly blessed this CHISTmas!

How to give – Christmas

Perhaps the previous posts were not quite yours… or perhaps you enjoy giving and would love some more ideas? Well here is a marvelous idea:

Buy a big plastic bucket, then fill it with day to day goodies and staple foods:

Flour, sugar, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruit, cereals, … whatever comes to mind. Make sure not to buy the cheapest goods, but things you would have enjoyed receiving yourself!

Then pray to God to reveal a person who would need such a gift for Christmas. Probably it will be someone you are barely acquainted with… the single mom next doors, an old lady you meet when taking a walk in the neighborhood, … .

Go there and deliver it with a card reading Christmas blessings you feel applicable.

Believe me when I say… the recipient of such a gift (when being shown by God to you) will be the happiest person you will meet in a looong time!

Blessings!

Christmas season – outreach idea

Here we go… I hope you enjoyed my last two posts on this topic. Here is a second idea on how to reach people with God’s love this Christmas season.

Go to: http://www.fathersloveletter.com/ and copy the text in the most common languages of the area you live in.

Print it on beautiful paper, roll the message up and bind a lovely ribbon around it. (You do want to take at least 20 of them… they will be gone quicker than you know.)

(Sometimes attaching a sweet helps when distributing them.)

Then go out into the streets… smile!… and hand them out as season greetings to people you pass by. And experience the blessing of receiving a smile and knowing you just handed them the key that might lead to life!

Blessings!

A Christmas idea – how to give

Perhaps after reading my previous blog, you were wondering how you could reach out to others?

Well here is idea number one: if you can, bake some Christmas cookies, decorate them beautifully and put a few of them in small little cellophane bags with a beautiful ribbon.

Then go to Luke 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”3

Copy this text (handwritten if you can) or a part of it. If you feel like doing something special copy it on a piece of paper you later can fold into a star, otherwise just roll it. Attach a beautiful ribbon and bind it to the cookies.

Then go into town… choose people, smile and wish them a blessed Christmas, whilst giving them a small Christmas gift. And allow God to surprise you.

Blessings!

A controversial season – Christmas season

Spending time chatting to friends on the net about this topic I find that there are in general two groups: those that love this season (for various reasons), and those that hate it. What makes each group feel the way they do? Why does this season arouse such strong feelings?

Those that love it are in fact few. It is those that love spending time on holiday, with family, and loving others. In our society this group is getting smaller by the minute.

Among those that hate it are those that feel forced to hypocritically play the game of “ideal idyllic world”. They are sick and tired of fighting all year long and having to PLAY peace over Christmas… they long for true reconciliation and true love and true acceptance. However every year they feel like hypocrites (which they condemn and hate), and they lose faith in ever celebrating a truly felt Christmas.

Then there are those that hate it, for they feel lonelier than ever in this season. They lack family, true friends, company, an ear and a heart that listen. Some even lack essentials…

And there are those that bear bitterness in their hearts that surmounts all love directed toward them in this season. They would even argue that NO love is ever shown towards them. And looking at it with human eyes…some of them would have every reason to feel that way.

HOWEVER, does it have to be that way? It seems around the world this season is used to promote help for aid organisations, mobilise consume of every and any kind, and to promote happiness. Surely that arouses anyone’s feelings. Those that promote it get excited when people like it…and when they explicitly don’t.

Those that hate it… they long for joy, not happiness, peace of heart, not of a moment, love unconditional instead of all the conditions attached. Every event, occasion or date that explicitly celebrates and names JESUS, is increasingly becoming such a controversial matter. Jesus doesn’t leave people untouched.

So what can you and I do to change Christmas for the people we meet this festive season?

–          ask for forgiveness (no matter who’s fault it was), and choose to forgive (EVERY TIME)

–          (confess) love and make a point of giving true compliments

–          give… of your time, your love, your effort… not to gain back…but to demonstrate love

–          spend an amount of time, doing something you never did before, to bless others (ideas for that will follow here on the blog throughout the next few days)

–          spread the GOSPEL… spread the message of the light in the stable that became the light of the world, when dying at the cross.

In short,… BE Jesus to them…even if it seems like little to you… it might mean the world to others. Live your faith, without hypocrisy, applied practically, authentically and full of love…and witness about how your needs were met by Jesus.

And if you need ideas on how to do this… observe this blog… I will post an idea every day until Christmas now.

May God bless you abundantly!

Jessica