Evangelism Focus 11/26/10

The picture above is the preparation pile for operation Black Friday evangelism (ignore Mickey, he just happens to be part of the wall).

Just in case anyone is unfamiliar with Black Friday, it is the term used for the Friday after Thanksgiving. In the United States, it is the starting day of the Christmas shopping season. The term "Black Friday" refers to the period in which retailers are turning a profit or "in the black". To increase those profit chances, the retailers offer many special deals for the early bird. This year I heard about sales starting at midnight, 2 am, 3 am, 5 am and so on. Because of these sales, people will wait in long lines, sometimes for hours, in very cold temperatures (in Minnesota anyway) for a shot at a good deal.

My friend, Kim, and I decided to visit people waiting in line for the doors to open at Menard's (home repair store). Greg and I prepared bags ahead of time (using the supplies pictured above). Each bag contained a snack cake, gospel tract, and a personal note from us. We prepared 200 bags, and Kim and I easily distributed them all in about 20 minutes. This is the second year we've done this, and each year we learn a little bit more about how to do it better the next year.

I pray that God will use the gospel message to penetrate the hearts of those standing in line at Menard's this morning. May He be glorified through it!

I will end this post with the text from the message included in the bags this year:

Christmas is the season of giving!

Today, you stand in line waiting on the generosity of others. Today, we visit you because of the generosity of someone else.

We celebrate Christmas because over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ showed great generosity toward all mankind when He (fully God ) came to this earth and took on human form (fully man). It is a gift beyond comprehension. The Bible speaks of this gift in the book of Philippians. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-10

We have provided for you today two things:

• A treat (to enjoy while you’re out and about starting your Christmas shopping)
• A gospel tract (our hope is that you will read the message in the tract and spend some time considering it today).

Merry Christmas and enjoy your day!

Postscript:

Paul at The Word Street Journal blog e-mailed me this new and improved picture of Mickey Mouse. Love it! Just had to share it with the rest of the blogging world. Thanks, Paul. Mickey has never looked better--always thought he needed something important in that hand.

Happy Thanksgiving

Make a joyful noise to the LORD all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

We are his people; and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100: 1-5 (ESV)

A reason to be thankful now and all year round!

Cooking Baking Night 11/22/10

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night, and in attendance this evening: Emily, Ethan, and Carissa. It was Emily's birthday choice (she turns 10 on Sunday).

For supper she requested homemade macaroni and cheese and twice baked potatoes.

For her cookie choice she asked if we could make some desserts for her family Thanksgiving meal---fudgy fudge brownies for her (I think the name is the big appeal there), scotcheroos for Joe, and sugar cookies for Meghan (ahhh, your Thanksgiving classics). We made a half batch of two of those, but it still made for a very busy cookie baking night.

Birthday choice nights are always a hit, and this one was no exception. As usual, a fun time was had by all.

The Omnipresence of God

Today I'd like to share with you a post from my Grace Gems daily e-mail feed.

THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD

(John MacDuff, "The Night Watches")

"Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Where shall I flee from Your presence?" Psalm 139:7

The omnipresence of God! How baffling to any finite comprehension! To think that above us, and around us, and within us--there is Deity--the invisible footprints of an Omniscient, Omnipresent One! "His Eyes are in every place!" On rolling planets--and tiny atoms; on the bright seraph--and the lowly worm; roaming in searching scrutiny through the tracks of immensity--and reading the dark and hidden page of my heart! "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do!"

O God! shall this Your Omnipresence appall me? No! In my seasons of sadness and sorrow and loneliness--when other comforts and comforters have failed--when, it may be, in the darkness and silence of some midnight hour, in vain I have sought repose--how sweet to think, "My God is here! I am not alone. The Omniscient One, to whom the darkness and the light are both alike--is hovering over my sleepless pillow!" O my Unsetting Sun, it cannot be darkness or loneliness or sadness--where You are. There can be no night to the soul which has been cheered with Your glorious radiance!

"Surely, I am with you always!" How precious, blessed Jesus, is this, Your legacy of parting love! Present with each of Your people until the end of time--ever present, omnipresent. The true "Pillar of cloud" by day--and "Pillar of fire" by night, preceding and encamping by us in every step of our wilderness journey. My soul! think of Him at this moment--as present with every member of the family that He has redeemed with His blood! Yes, and as much present with every individual soul, as if He had none other to care for--but as if that one engrossed all His affection and love!

The Great Builder--surveying every stone and pillar of His spiritual temple;
the Great Shepherd--with His eye on every sheep of His fold;
the Great High Priest--marking every tear-drop; noting every sorrow; listening to every prayer; knowing the peculiarities of every case: no number perplexing Him--no variety bewildering Him; able to attend to all, and satisfy all, and answer all--myriads drawing hourly from His Treasury--and yet no diminution of that Treasury--ever emptying, and yet ever filling, and always full!

Jesus! Your perpetual and all-pervading presence turns darkness into day! I am not left un-befriended to weather the storms of life--Your hand is from hour to hour piloting my frail vessel. The omnipresence of God--gracious antidote to every earthly sorrow!

"I have set the Lord always before me!" Even now, as night is drawing its curtains around me, be this my closing prayer, 'Blessed Savior! abide with me, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent!' Under the shadowing wings of Your presence and love, "I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me live in safety!" Psalm 4:8

The First Snow

Emily spent the night at our house on Saturday. Saturday was a our first big snow (about six inches). It was a great wet and sticky snow. Emily and I made a snowman in the backyard.

Cookie Baking Night 11/08/10

Tonight was Cookie Baking Night. We made an apple cake. Ethan took another try at cracking eggs (he tried it once, had a bad experience, and refused to try it again--that was at least a year ago). Tonight, I encouraged him to give it another try. He did a great job. Now, with one success under his belt, I think he'll be ready to practice this skill in the future.

We also made play dough. We used green Kool-Aid to color it. Then we spent some time playing with it.

Here's the recipe if anyone's interested:

3 cups flour

1-1/2 cups salt

3 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cream of tartar

a few drops of food coloring or 1 pkg unsweetened Kool-Aid of your choice.

1. Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan.

2. Cook over medium low heat, stirring intermittently, until the dough comes away from the edges of the pan and becomes thick. Remove from heat.

3. Let play dough cool in the pan until it can be handled.

4. Turn play dough out on counter and knead 3-4 times.

5. Store in air tight container.