Pray for our Medellin pastor and wife's employment

Our pastor and wife in Medellin, Colombia make clothes for a living. They do such a great job.  Before we left Colombia, they made us some fun clothes.  3 skirts for Kimberly, Sarah, and I.  2 nice shirts for our boys (which are a tad big, so they'll wear them later.)  And this adorable dress for Mary! =)They had them all packed up so nicely.

They would like to start their own line of clothes (they normally sew for other companies) and this is the tag they'd like to use. =) 

Us girls wearing our skirts from them.

~I took these pictures of Mary (wearing the adorable purple dress they made her) when she was 13 months, but never got them posted on my blog. =) 
[She was laughing at Noah and Sarah who were peeking around the corner! =)]

We thought that Bro. Alberto and Sis. Alba did such a great job making these clothes for us!

***Please help us pray that God will continue to meet their financial needs through their sewing.  They don't make much, and many times, the stores that contract them end up not paying them on time. (And this is after them making 100's of articles of clothing over a period of weeks!)

~What's Christmas about?~

It's more than turkey and stuffing...
It's more than presents and wrapping!
It's more than santa and toys...
It's more than all the Christmas noise!
It's more than reindeer and a sled...
It's about our Savior in a manger bed!  Written by Sarah (11) Dec., 2011

posted by Sarah

Snowball Cookie Recipe...

Snowball Cookies...from Taste of Home
I made these cookies and they were delish. 8 23

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Crisco® Light Olive Oil
• 1 1/4 cups quick rolled oats
• 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® White Cake
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsps. clear vanilla
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• Powdered sugar

Directions

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine olive oil and oats. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cake mix, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Fold in nuts. Form into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 8 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove cookies to cooling rack. Roll in powdered sugar while still slightly warm. Yield: 7 dozen cookies.
•  
• Post by Kimberly

Think about it for a moment...

With little prayer, work is a drudgery and fraught with hindrances.
With prayer, work is a joy and progresses smoothly.
With much prayer, God works what no amount of labor by a multitude could ever do.

Con poca oración, el trabajo es un trabajo pesado y lleno de obstáculos.
Con la oración, el trabajo es una alegría y progresa sin problemas.
Con mucha oración, Dios hace lo que ninguna cantidad de trabajo por una multitud nunca podría hacer.                 - Phillip (Felipe)

Some Great Reasons To Pray

It used to be common to meet someone called to a ministry of prayer.  Where are those called to such today?  Nowadays when you meet someone who prays much, you have met a rare person.  But if Christians really believed these four points, there would be a lot more great pray-ers.   

1.) History Makers Are Those Who Pray

Some used to be intercessors but are now living off the blessings of a past life.  They are still good people, but has-beens in prayer living a busy life.  Some others have yet to discover the glorious blessings of forsaking all to spend their life in the precious presence of God.  But those praying now may not realize it, but they are the real movers and shakers of history.  For pray-ers make history by teaming up with God.  

2.) Those Who Pray Are Marked

Those given to a ministry of prayer if they are wholly sanctified are marked by a sweetness, a brokenness, a carefulness.  The Spirit of God rests on them.  To be with them is to be in the presence of Jesus.  They follow our Lord.   They live in the very presence of our Lord.  They bear the image of our Lord.    

3.) Great Things Follow Those Who Pray

God’s answers to prayer are spiritual blessings.  Revivals and awakenings sweep down by prayer.  God fearing congregations, glorious denominations, saintly grandparents, godly parents, holy youth have all been birthed by prayer.  Pastors and missionaries, evangelists and faithful laity rise up as armies in answer to prayer.  Who could place a value on prayer?  To try would be fruitless.   

4.) Prayer Brings Much More
Oh, we must pray that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth [prayer] laborers!  For prayer begets prayer.  And much prayer begets much glory, holiness, and blessings from the God who inspires and leads us in such a high calling.       

-Phillip

~God sent me a Christmas tree~

~I told you here on my blog that I was going to let Sarah post about this simple little tree in the kids' room.  It's known to our family as "Sarah's tree!"   Soooo, here's her version...with a little bit of help from Mommy! =)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I really wanted a tree for OUR room, but Daddy didn't feel like it was wise to spend the money for a 2nd Christmas tree...(When we don't know WHERE we are going to store it yet).  I kept telling Mommy ideas like we could gather branches and form a tree to wrap lights around, etc. for I REALLY wanted a tree for our room.
Finally Daddy and Mommy told me to PRAY about God giving me one or helping me to find one (along side of the road, in the trash or where ever. =)
One night I asked Mommy how to have FAITH that God would answer my prayer for a Christmas tree. (She told me to make sure and pray "If it's Your will" and then trust God to do what was best!=)
[All the while She and Daddy were PRAYING HARD that God would answer my prayer! =)

The next day (Thanksgiving eve) as we were walking to get last minute supplies for our Thanksgiving dinner...Mommy (Who was DETERMINED to help Jesus answer this prayer for her little girl...IF He wanted to answer it =) saw a part of a Christmas tree sticking out of a black garbage bag on the street corner.  Mommy went over and looked in the bag and it was just this simple little tree and it's base.  Mommy called me over and said, "Look, Sarah,...look what Jesus just found you?!"
So, we picked up the tree and couldn't wait to get home to show Daddy THE TREE THAT JESUS GAVE US for our room!!  =) ~

posted by Sarah