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Pressing On

January 30, 2016 by Marlene Bagnull

Whew! What a week. More than likely you can relate.

I’ve often said that problems (it’s better to call them “challenges”) are groupies. They never seem to come one at a time.

“What’s wrong?” my husband frequently asked me over 50 years ago when I was a very young and immature bride.

“Everything,” I’d respond.

And sometimes, even today, that’s how it feels. Although my problems are nothing as severe as what the Apostle Paul faced, I can identify with what he wrote:

“In every way we’re troubled,
but we aren’t crushed by our troubles.
2 Cor. 4:8 GW

I’ve worked for over a month to finalize the faculty and program for the May 11-14 Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I am praising God for all He has done and is doing. I really enjoy putting it all together and typesetting our 16 page brochure, but . . . the formatting issues are enough to make me want to pull my hair out.

Before you ask, no it’s not something I can delegate. I write the copy to fit. The problem that is hard to explain and even harder to fix is what the printer requires and how those requirements change every year.

I need to design the brochure in an 8.5 x 11 format. But then I need to split the pages into a 5.5 x 8.5 format. That means splitting the two-page workshop grid into two separate pages that the printer will then put back together. I know. It doesn’t make any sense. And that is just the beginning of the “challenges” that I’ve tried to resolve the past two days.

Of course, the deadline (and I used to think deadlines were exciting) has come and passed.

But the Apostle Paul also said,

“We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.”
2 cor. 4:8 GW

I’ve searched the Bible. Nowhere does it say that following Jesus will be easy. Just the opposite. We are to expect opposition. We need to put on the spiritual armor He provides and toughen up.

I am convinced that dark days are ahead for our nation and world, but I’m clinging to His promise:

Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ
who loved us enough to die for us.”
Rom. 8:37 TLB

I’m determined, in His strength, to press on and to

“Carry the light-giving Message into the night.”
Phil. 2:15 MSG

What about you?
____________

If we have your USPS address, you’ll receive the brochure in the mail mid-February. But PTL it is available online now at http://colorado.writehisanswer.com.

Online registration opens Monday, February 1. But you can be the first to register by printing and mailing the form in the brochure. I will send a free copy of Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers to everyone whose registration is postmarked today, January 30.

Plans are underway for the August 3-6 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

 

 

Posted in Colorado Christian Writers Conference, God's promises, Pondering Biblical Truth | 1 Comment »

Will you live and write His answer?

January 25, 2016 by Marlene Bagnull

On February 1, a week from today God willing, online registration for the May 11-14 Colorado Christian Writers Conference will open. And plans are well underway for the August 3-6 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

It’s my 20th year directing the Colorado conference, my 33rd year for Philly. And it’s not gotten any easier. Instead the spiritual battles have become more intense.

The urgency I feel to challenge you to live and write His answer compells me to keep on keeping on despite the weariness, fear, and discouragement I often face. Michael Gantt, who will keynote at both conferences, expresses my heart burden far more powerfully than I can. As a watchman on the wall, he urges prayer “day in and day out for a move of God that will shake the nation out of its spiritual coma.”

Michael’s words about 15 years ago when he keynoted at the Colorado conference keep ringing in my ears: “Do you believe, do you really believe, that God can use you?”

Yes, I do!

Father, please help us to surrender our hopes and dreams for our writing – for our lives – to You. Use us, Lord.
_______________

Michael Gantt’s blog – www.growinggodlyseed.com

Too Little Too Late? Anglican Church Tries To Reverse Apostate Trend – Church attendance in Great Britain is now only 1.4 percent of the population! Is this where the church in America is headed?

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Praying for our nation | 3 Comments »

Is this the year?

January 10, 2016 by Marlene Bagnull

Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear,
so anyone can read it at a glance
and rush to tell the others.
Habakkuk 2:2 TLB

Is this the year you’re going to finally begin or complete the book you feel called to write? Or, more realistically, do you want to write short stories, articles, devotionals, or poetry but have had a hard time getting started?

I believe the need to “write His answer” and the opportunities to reach the world through blogs and eBooks as well as through both print and online magazines and traditionally published books has never been greater. But, as Ecclesiastes 5:7 says, “Dreaming instead of doing is foolishness, and there is ruin in a flood of empty words” (TLB).

If you are not part of a Christian writers group, I want to encourage you to check out the listing of groups in The Christian Writer’s Market Guide 2015-2016. Copies of this important resource can be ordered through the Write His Answer Bookstore at 25% off.  Click here for “Helps for Forming Critique Groups” if you believe Father is leading you to start and group and here for “The Critique Group Process.”

If you live in the Philadelphia area, you are welcome to visit the Christian Writers Fellowship (CWF) that meets in my Lansdale home once a month on a Thursday morning. Our first 2016 meeting is this coming Thursday, January 14, at 10:00 am. Directions and dates for each month are on my newly designed website at http://www.writehisanswer.com/greaterphillychristianwriters/.

Whether or not you can come, I hope you’ll make time (it will take less than 10 minutes) to read Chapter 2, “Look to Jesus,” from my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. Click here for it and other free resources to encourage and equip you to write about a God who is real, who is reachable, and who changes lives.

Father, help all of us to “look to Jesus” as we seek to live and write Your answer throughout this new year.

New WHA coverWrite His Answer is not just a book to read and put down . . . I keep my copy close to my manuscript and journals, dog-eared and tattered from use.  I purchased the original version years ago at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference when I had no idea how to begin a writing ministry. Although I’m excited about getting the new edition, my first copy filled with personal notes is simply irreplaceable. More than a devotional or a “how-to-and-continue-on” manual, Write His Answer is written by a woman who knows the heart of God and the heart of a writer. This has been a rich resource to encourage and challenge me to respond and remain faithful to God’s call and use His Word as  my guidance for every page. This is a classic . . . for keeps.   ~ Verna Bowman

For 25 years Write His Answer has encouraged writers. The new 2014 edition includes 176 pages with space to journal your response to His call as well as updated recommended resources. An autographed copy is available for only $10 plus shipping. Click here for excerpts and to order. It is also available as an eBook through Amazon.com.

Click here for review on Author Culture by Jimmie Kepler.

Posted in Called to write | Leave a Comment »

NEWS – 2016 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference

January 1, 2016 by Marlene Bagnull

Banner GPCWC 2016


Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear,
so anyone can read it at a glance
and rush to tell the others.
Habakkuk 2:2 TLB

Thank You, Father, for the opportunities this new year will bring us to live and to write Your answer. Draw us closer to You and by Your Spirit enable us to do what we could never do in our own strength.

Conference Preview – Continuing Sessions

Ted BaehrDr. Ted  Baehr
Author
Founder and Chairman
The Christian Film and Television Commission™
Publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®
www.movieguide.org

 

Ted is the founder and Chairman of The Christian Film and Television Commission™ and Publisher of MOVIEGUIDE® Magazine, a family guide to entertainment. An award-winning media authority often on television, radio, and in print, his purpose is to be used by God to redeem the values of the mass media and to encourage families to use wisdom in selecting their entertainment. His books include How to Succeed in Hollywood (Without Losing Your Soul), The Media-Wise Family, Narnia Beckons, Faith in God & Generals, as well as The Amazing Grace of Freedom and The Culture-Wise Family, among many others.

Learn how to write a script that is structurally sound, entertaining, morally responsible, and very marketable. Ted will show you how to go from treatment to theatrical release so that you can get the Word out through the mass media of entertainment. He also includes valuable information about the key principles of communicating through movies and television from a Christian perspective.

Dr. Baehr knows the ins and outs of both Hollywood and visual storytelling. This is a rare and valuable combination, allowing him to impart wisdom on the craft of screenwriting as well as the equally important craft of infiltrating an industry often hostile to the Church and Christian morals. To me he is an embodiment of Matthew 10:16 “…therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.” Students will take away an incredibly solid foundation for writing screenplays, and an insider’s insight into how “The Industry” works. Film and television are the most influential mediums for influencing our culture, and Dr. Baehr is on mission to equip Christians with the skills and wisdom to take Hollywood for Christ.     ~ Eric Cameron

Bob Hostetler Jan 11
Write Your BEST Nonfiction Book Now!
Bob Hostetler
Author, Editor, Pastor, Speaker

 

Bob is an award-winning author, editor, pastor and speaker from southwestern Ohio. His thirty books, which include The Bone Box and American Idols (The Worship of the American Dream), have sold millions of copies. He has co-authored eleven books with Josh McDowell, including the best-selling Right from Wrong What You Need to Know to Help Youth Make Right Choices) and the award-winning Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door. He has won two Gold Medallion Awards, four Ohio Associated Press awards, and an Amy Foundation Award, among others. Bob is a frequent speaker at churches, conferences, and retreats.
Bob was ordained to the ministry in 1980 by The Salvation Army. He and his wife, the lovely Robin, served in The Salvation Army from 1980-1992. In 2000, Bob (with his wife) helped to co-found Cobblestone Community Church in Oxford, Ohio. He has served that church in leadership and teaching pastor roles.

Bob has been a disc jockey, pastor, magazine editor, freelance book editor, and (with his wife Robin) a foster parent to ten boys (though not all at once)! Bob and Robin have two adult children, Aubrey and Aaron, son-in-law Kevin and daughter-in-law Nina, and grandchildren Miles, Mia, Calleigh, and Ryder. They live in Hamilton, Ohio.

Conceive, craft, complete, and sell the best nonfiction book(s) you have in you. No matter where you are in the writing or publishing process these sessions will be the best investment you can make in your writing future.

 

Tim Shoemaker color

 

How to Get Published
Tim Shoemaker
Author, Speaker
www.timshoemakersmashedtomatoes.com

Tim is a full-time speaker and author of 11 books. He is passionate about writing and has worked with youth for over twenty years. Code of Silence, book one of his contemporary suspense series with Zonderkidz, was included in the Booklist Online “Top Ten Crime Novels for Youth” list. Tim was selected by School Library Journal to serve on a four-member “Mysteries and Thrillers” panel for their Summer Teen Event.

Tim speaks at churches and parachurch organizations such as Focus on the Family, Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences, and Moody Pastors Conference. He speaks at homeschool conventions as well as retreats for men and couples. He speaks at public and Christian schools across the country–so if you know a librarian, principal, or English teacher–talk to Tim about that. Tim has a passionate style of teaching that makes his workshops enjoyable and helps make even difficult topics clear. Happily married for over thirty-five years, Tim has three grown sons and still loves doing volunteer youth work.

Both fiction and nonfiction writers will learn how to focus their ideas, structure articles and stories, handle rejection, and write query letters. Five essentials for publishing success including one thing you may have never considered before, but it’s a biggee. Five essentials for learning the craft of writing, and five ways to improve your fiction writing. Whew! Sounds like we’ll be busy. And we will-in a good way. Very detailed handout (without blanks) provided. 

Five more continuing sesions
plus workshops and clinics!

NOTE: The website still has 2015 info.

 More News

  • Michael Gantt’s blog

Michael’s keynote at this year’s conference was, I believe, the most important and powerful keynote in GPCWC’s thirty-two years of ministry. You can view it at http://bit.ly/1JkE8m9. For a complete transcript go to http://growinggodlyseed.com/stand. I strongly encourage you to subscribe to his Growing Godly Seed blog and to take seriously the counsel he offers in his December 21 post, “No Longer Good,” on how we need to prepare for the days ahead. Click here. Michael will keynote again at our 2016 conference.

 

·       PREPRAYER for the New Year with Anne Graham Lotz

Anne writes: “As I look ahead into 2016, I believe our national and global situation will get worse.  A good friend has focused my attention on Isaiah 60:1-2 as a word from the Lord for the New Year:  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  I can feel the encroaching darkness of evil that is like a heavy moral and spiritual fog.  It’s permeating our nation at every level. At the very same time that our nation is enveloped in thick darkness, God commands us to arise, let our Light shine, and the distinctive glory of our Lord will be obvious to all.” Click here for more info and to join Anne and me on January 1 in an hour of prayer.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Praying for our nation | Leave a Comment »

News from 2016 Colorado Christian Writers Conference

December 31, 2015 by Marlene Bagnull

CCWC 2016 banner

Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear,
so anyone can read it at a glance
and rush to tell the others.
Habakkuk 2:2 TLB

Thank You, Father, for the opportunities this new year will bring us to live and to write Your answer. By Your Spirit enable us to do what we could never do in our own strength. Thank You for Jonathan and Bruce Shank who are redesigning the conference websites to display on mobile devices. And thank You for everyone who has said yes to serving on the faculty.

Conference Preview
Some of the Continuing Sessions

Allen Arnold Nov 2013   
The Heart of the Storyteller
Allen Arnold
Director of Content
& Resources
Ransomed Heart Ministries

 

From the mountains of Colorado, Allen oversees Content & Resources for Ransomed Heart Ministries (led by John Eldredge, NY Times bestselling author of Wild at Heart). Prior to that, he spent 20 years in Christian publishing-overseeing the development of more than 500 novels as Founder and Publisher of Thomas Nelson Fiction. He was awarded the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Allen savors time with his family, craves the beach, drinks salsa by the glass, and is passionate about helping writers tell better stories from an awakened heart.

The heart of a story always begins with the heart of the storyteller. . . yet the heart of the writer is often neglected. It’s easy to see why. The life of a novelist is filled with isolation, pressure to find an agent or publisher, writing and rewriting, hyper-focus on performance, worry, fear, and trying to navigate the ever-changing world of social media – all while holding down a day job. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We will pursue the heart of the writer through conversations about identity and calling, story as offering, presence versus productivity, savoring the “land in-between,” and the importance of living your story before telling your stories. It’s time to breathe deeply, recover your heart, and savor story as you discover how to live free, write free.

 

Jeff Gerke


Christian Speculative Fiction
 Jeff Gerke
 Author, Editor, Mentor 

When you’re truly ready to make your fiction publishable, it’s time to call Jeff Gerke. Jeff trains novelists how to better do what it is they’re trying to do. He trains through his books for Writers Digest: The Irresistible Novel, Plot Versus Character, The First 50 Pages, Write Your Novel in a Month, and The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction. He trains through the many writers’ conferences he teaches at all over the country every year. He trained his authors when he ran Marcher Lord Press, the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction, which he sold after an award-winning 5-year run. And he trains through the freelance editing he does for his clients at www.jeffgerke.com. Jeff is known for his canny book doctoring skills and his encouraging manner, which leaves writers feeling empowered and like they really can do this thing after all. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and three children.

Some of us are just weird. We don’t like Amish fiction-unless it’s Amish vampires in space. Then, maybe. We would rather write about a sword in a stone than a mail-order bride. Warp drives and nanotech beat out Jane Austen any day, in our book. Come hear the man who has been called the de facto gatekeeper of Christian speculative fiction talk about the joys of writing Christian science fiction and fantasy, the distinctives of our beloved genre, and the prospects for publishing it today.

Andy Scheer


First-Chapter Bootcamp
Andy Scheer
Writer & Editor

Andy has worked in publishing since 1984. Now a writer and editor, he’s served as editor-in-chief for the Christian Writers Guild and Editorial Director for Believers Press. He’s also been an agent with Hartline and an editor with Moody magazine. As a freelance book editor since 2010, he’s edited fiction and nonfiction projects for Moody Publishers, WinePress, and Kregal, as well as individual clients including Dirk Cussler, McNair Wilson, DiAnn Mills, and Sammy Tippit. A journalism graduate of Colorado State University, he also studied at Denver Seminary. Visit him at AndyScheer.com.

In this hands-on class, learn what your first chapter and especially your opening page must accomplish so potential readers will want to buy your book. You’ll learn to align your content and approach for maximum effect with your target audience. (Intermediate to advanced)

 Five more to come!
NOTE: The website still has 2015 info. 

More News

  • Living Set Apart Blog

One of the primary goals of Kayla Woodhouse’s Living Set Apart blog is to spread awareness of current, world-wide, and regional issues with the aim of spreading the gospel and spurring people into action. There will be eight posts each month, in four different categories: A two-part devotional, two short stories/poems (submitted by your peer tweens, teens, and young adults!), a two-part Awareness article, and two applicable “Goals” posts. Click here to see the list of topics the blog will address monthly. I hope you will help Kayla reach her goal of 500 subscribers by the end of 2015.

  • Paula Moldenhauer releases first eBook in The Soul Scents devotional series

Awaken to a more intimate, peaceful relationship with God. The Soul Scents devotional series invites readers into an ever-deepening discovery of Who God is and how He interacts with us. Bathed in grace, this collection of thirteen week devotionals is down-to-earth, offering spiritual insight gained from Scripture and the author’s journey into spiritual freedom. Soul Scents: Awaken, the first in the series, features week-day readings which include Scriptures and prayers. Rest in the Son’s embrace as you enter the beautiful heart of the Freedom Giver Himself. Available on Amazon as a free eBook January 1 and 2.

  • PREPRAYER for the New Year with Anne Graham Lotz

Anne writes: “As I look ahead into 2016, I believe our national and global situation will get worse.  A good friend has focused my attention on Isaiah 60:1-2 as a word from the Lord for the New Year:  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  I can feel the encroaching darkness of evil that is like a heavy moral and spiritual fog.  It’s permeating our nation at every level. At the very same time that our nation is enveloped in thick darkness, God commands us to arise, let our Light shine, and the distinctive glory of our Lord will be obvious to all.” Click here for more info and to join Anne and me on January 1 in an hour of prayer.

Posted in Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Praying for our nation | Leave a Comment »

The Littlest Christmas Tree

December 24, 2015 by Marlene Bagnull

Child and Christmas tree“Is Daddy going to come?” I asked as my mother put the finishing touches on my angel costume.

“You know he never goes to church,” she replied.

“But can’t he come just this once to see me in the pageant?” I pleaded.

She sighed. “I doubt it. Try not to get your hopes up. I’m afraid you’ll only be disappointed.”

Despite her warning, I did begin to hope—and pray. But I was terribly disap­pointed the night of the pageant. Daddy didn’t come. I was silent the whole way home.

“Would you like to put up the Christmas tree tonight?” Mother asked, trying to cheer me up.

“I guess,” I said without much enthusiasm.

Carefully Mother unpacked our little artificial tree and placed it on the buffet in the dining room next to the couch where I slept. Daddy didn’t help us decorate it. Nor did he ask about the pageant.

It was a long time before I fell asleep that night. I kept looking at our little tree, wishing it was a big, live tree and that Daddy believed in Jesus so we could really celebrate Christmas together as a family.

Daddy died when I was ten years old. The following Christmas I talked Mother into getting a real tree.  We bought the biggest tree I could find. I spent hours decorating it. Each strand of tinsel had to be draped just right. Mother put our little artificial tree in the window. It looked small and insignificant next to the magnificent balsam pine, and it triggered memories I wanted to forget.

The years passed quickly. I got married and moved away from home. As if to make up for the pain of the past, I went all out trying to make Christmas as special as possible for my children. It became a family tradition to go tramping through the woods in search of the perfect tree. We decorated it together, baked cookies together, and most important of all, went to church together. Our home was happy and filled with a lot of love.

Our children are now grown. Arthritic knees and sciatica this year made it impossible for me to go in search of a live tree. Instead, my grandkids helped me put up an artificial tree. It’s much larger that the artificial tree from my childhood. It looks almost real. Yet I feel sad  when I think of the past and of that littlest Christmas tree. By now it would be a valuable antique, but I don’t know what happened to it. I do know what’s happened to me.

I now know Christmas is not about finding the perfect tree. It is about the One whose birth we celebrate–the One who has healed the rejection and hurt I felt as a child and who gives me strength to face the disappointments, problems, and fears of adult life.

Tears will be shed by many this Christmas as they look back on years past and on present circumstances that do not fit the pretty pictures on Christmas cards. I’ll shed some tears, too, as I feel their pain and wonder if Daddy is in heaven. But I’ll also recommit myself to sharing the good news of God’s love and forgiveness with a world that desperately needs to know Jesus. And my tears of sadness will be turned to tears of joy as I remember His promise to be with us always and to come again.

 

Posted in Pondering Biblical Truth | Leave a Comment »

Peace at Christmas – When Families Don’t Get Along

December 23, 2015 by Marlene Bagnull

Christmas peace

How fast the year has flown, I reflected as I took the photographs off the mantle to decorate it for Christmas. A charred mark on the paneling behind one of the photos instantly reminded of a Christmas when our home had been anything but peaceful.

My mother and stepfather were visiting. The relationship was strained, but we had been trying to keep the peace. On Christmas Eve the tension erupted into a bitter argument. The smell of burning wood stopped me from saying things I would have later regretted. A candle had tipped over on the mantle causing the paneling right near the thermostat to smolder. Trembling with fear of what might have been, I soaked the wall with water and later hid the damage with a photo. The damage in the relationship with my parents was not so easily hid. Painful memories have a way of refusing to stay camouflaged.

At Christmas we are forced to face the fact that all is not always “calm” and “bright” in our relationships with a brother or a sister, a parent or a child, an in-law or cousin. This season of joy can turn into one of misery as we have no choice but to spend time with people who go out of their way to avoid us the rest of the year.

When our homes are filled with conflict, what can we do to have “peace on earth, good will to men”?

1. Keep our eyes on the One whose birth we celebrate. The Gospel of John opens with the poignant words: “His life is the light that shines through the darkness–and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John l:5 TLB). The reality of that first Christmas was not just the angels’ song, but Herod’s decree that every baby boy two years old and under be slaughtered (see Matthew 2:16). The shadow of the cross was already hanging over the Holy Family as they fled to Egypt.

Jesus never promised us problem-free relationships, but He has promised to give us the wisdom to know how to love those who may be anything but lovable. Difficult relationships do not have to spoil the joy of Christmas if we follow Jesus’ example and respond with love and forgiveness.

2. Try not to put unrealistic demands on ourselves. Christmas Eve I typically am still racing to complete my “to-do” list and end up too tired to enjoy Christmas much less to cope with difficult family members. We need to learn when to make a good night’s sleep a priority so that we’re able to handle added emotional pressures.

3. Avoid having unrealistic expectations of others. It is unlikely that people who have been less than pleasant throughout the year will suddenly become nice just because it is Christmas. Yes, I believe God works miracles, but it is just as great a miracle to learn not to set ourselves up to be hurt through our unrealistic expectations.

I cannot remove that charred area of paneling without replacing the entire wall, but it can serve as a reminder that if I want peace in my family, it must begin with me. Truly, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself” (2 Cor. 5:19 NIV). Because Christ came, we can be reconciled to one another.
___________

It’s been over 35 years since that traumatic Christmas Eve. Thank You, Father, for bringing Your peace to these strained relationships and for the assurance that my mother and stepfather are now home with You. Please bring Your peace – Your shalom – to families in conflict. Restore estranged relationships and help us to love others as You love us.

Posted in Pondering Biblical Truth, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Our God Is with Us

December 21, 2015 by Marlene Bagnull

Nativity 1

IMMANUEL, God with us
wrapped in
swaddling clothes.
Helpless and
dependent.

IMMANUEL God with us
clothed in
a Rabbi’s garb.
Truth and love
revealing.

IMMANUEL God with us
stripped and
mocked and beaten.
Choosing death
that we might live.

IMMANUEL God with us
robed in
glorious white.
Our Savior
and coming King.

Marlene Bagnull

Posted in God's promises, Pondering Biblical Truth | Leave a Comment »

The Gift of Children

December 19, 2015 by Marlene Bagnull

child

Eagerly we awaited
our first grandbaby’s birth.
We praised God
as we held her in our arms
less than an hour after she arrived.
So tiny, so helpless, so dependent –
and so immediately loved.

How difficult it must have been
for Joseph and Mary’s parents
to wait several years
to hold Jesus in their arms
and not to even know
if Joseph and Mary
and their grandchild were safe.

Today countless little ones
will never be held in the arms
of their grandparents.
Separated by the ravages of war,
they will struggle to survive
in refugee camps or on the streets
or as child slaves, prostitutes, or soldiers.

 How can we best celebrate Jesus’ birth?
By remembering how He held children
in His arms and blessed them.
By not forgetting the plight
of children in crisis around the world,
and by giving sacrificially
even as He gave Himself for us all.

Marlene Bagnull

Posted in Compassion, Our Christian witness | Leave a Comment »

Contrasts

November 26, 2015 by Marlene Bagnull

Thanksgiving-Turkey

 
 
 

As I anticpate sitting with family and friends around a table overflowing with food this Thanksgiving, I think of the

 
 
 
 

Contrasts

Thanksgiving has ushered in
the Christmas season.
I am sobered
not so much by the calories I have
consumed
or the prices in the mall
(although both are too high),
as by the contrasts I see.
There is plenty and want,
joy and grief,
love and hatred,
hope and despair,
the real and artificial.
Father, help me to see You and to share
Your love.
Move me to give as Your Son gave
when He willingly went
from the manger to the Cross.

 
 
And I think of my friend, Terry Bryan, serving the Lord in Kenya, and I pray for her. In the second picture below, Terry is showing the Jesus film.
 
Father, thank You for Terry’s love for the people of Kenya, for her courage, and for her faith. Continue to surround her with Your hedge of protection and provide the funds to enable her to provide needed medical care, clean water, education, and so much more.
 
Terry Brynan RN
 
 
 
Theresa Brynan, RN, is President and founder of JIOA. She has worked with the Pokot people in East Pokot, Kenya since 2008.  She travels to the most remote, marginalized regions of East Pokot. She oversees the program activities and develops and facilitatesthese activities personally.  http://www.jesusisourall.org
 
 
 
Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for.

Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement and support. When I am in the bush, I have no internet and can only text if I have network and charge on my phone. So last week, a few people received a radical text message on their phone, from me, asking for prayer for peace and that it was being threatened on every side. Thank you for praying. Although I was safe, it was serious and I didn’t have enough battery to explain. In one day, I heard of a number of incidences that occurred involving 2 or 3 young Pokot men stealing animals from two other tribes and killed one person. Then, I received a text warning there was to be a huge raid against the Pokot, by another area of another tribe, the following week in my far places. The Lord told me to pray. I am thankful for cell phones in the bush, people praying, and God.

Jesus film KenyaThursday, as I was heading to the bush the road was pretty bad. Parts of it had washed out and I had to find ways around the difficult spots. At one point it rained somewhere and the water had risen in the road and was coming pretty swiftly. I didn’t realize the road diverted the other way now because the old pathway had been washed away. My truck sunk like a rock up to the frame on the left side. I guess it didn’t help that I was carrying a half a ton of water in the tank on the back of my truck. I really didn’t want to part with that water. The soccer team heard I was in trouble and came to dig me out. It didn’t look too bad early on but then, it began to rain somewhere again and the water began to rise again and the truck sunk deeper. It took many hours. Those who were left at the end, ran ahead of me in the dark, to show me the rest of the way to safety. I presented them with their new football. I felt really cared for. I am thankful for people who care.

The river had also risen and could not be crossed so I slept in my truck. Friday, I came across the some army and peace makers from the neighboring county where the animals were taken. They were responsible to retrieve the animals from the family of one the accused. I had a school closing to attend but decided to have a peace meeting the following day. I am thankful for those who help to keep our countries safe and for those who help to bring reconciliation and peace to our hearts, homes, communities, nation and world.

Education KenyaThat day I attended a school closing 30 km in the bush. It is one of the schools that the gutters and tank are to be installed and the mattresses and blankets are to be given. The children sang and those who were top in the classes given special prizes. I was able to distribute micronutrients and chlorine tablets to the parents, encourage them, distribute clothes and underwear to some of the students, and give them a soccer ball. It was wonderful to see the joy on their faces as they watched the Jesus movie. I am thankful for children learning and growing, mentally, physically and spiritually and for all of you who have prayed and helped to provide for these most basic needs. Thank you. God loves all of His children.

Peace Initiative KenyaSaturday, it was market day but, about 30 men came to the peace meeting. To my surprise, it was mostly young men. We discussed many things, including the penalty for stealing animals which they were witnessing that day. They want peace and expressed their concerns and challenges as well. It was confirmed those who live in the farthest area were responding to the threat of raid by bringing their cows down from the far mountains where they were attacked last May. The blessing of rain we are getting will also help to promote peace by providing grass and water for the cows to live on. It rained during the meeting and the river rose with a fury like I had never seen there. It was cutting away the steep river bank. A goat was swept by. Later that night, a person was also lost to the swift water. I am thankful for rain, grass, prevention, provision, and peace. I am grateful for comfort in times of sorrow.

Truck KenyaI slept a restless sleep in center again in my truck. The next day, I could not reach the church under the trees. Even though I could cross the river, the water had cut away the pathway to get to that place. I traveled 30 km back through the mountains to the cement hut (the one with the cat) and made it in good time. It did not rain that night so, the next day, I was finally able to get a truck to transport the gutters, tanks, mattresses and blankets to two schools, one 30 km and the other 50 km out. The 10,000 L tank didn’t fit in the truck so they tied it on the tail gate and the frame with some straps I had. I sent them off and I still had time to go a school near the cement hut to deworm about 400 children and give them cookies and a soccer ball. Just for reference. The cement hut is the starting point when I say I traveled 30 km out or 50 km out into the bush. The bush is about 100 km deep. I am grateful for safe journeys and God’s care.

I was able to purchase the gutters and attachments for all four schools, the 10,000 L tank, 40 mattresses and 40 blankets when I was in town the week before. The hardware store donated a 5000L tank to help the children and also the cookies. I was surprised. That had never happened here before. The truck, when transporting the goods from town to the cement hut, was delayed and the rain came first and everything got wet. The next two days were spent drying everything out. Everything dried well, it was just a little extra work. I will try to have the gutters installed in the next two weeks. I am grateful for generous hearts.

Hut KenyaThere is another problem I didn’t realize the people had. Their traditional round homes are made of mud and sticks with a grass roof. It has been so dry, the homes were in disrepair. Now, it rained, so there is mud to fix the walls but, there has been no grass to repair the roof. The roof is full of leaks, rain is coming in, leaving the children cold, wet and sick. I would like to buy plastic sheeting for the roof and blankets for 100 families. The blankets are $2.70 each. These are nice heavy blankets. They don’t have access to these blankets or plastic sheeting out in the bush. Would anyone like to help? I am grateful God sees our suffering and hears the smallest voice.

My heart and prayers go out to the people of all of the bombings in all of the different countries that took place while I was in the bush. We need to pray. We do not fight against flesh and blood but, against principalities and powers of darkness. I have seen in the bush how effective prayer has been to bind the enemy. That is why I pray diligently and cry out for prayer still. If you would like to pray like a warrior but don’t know where to begin, I am willing to share the first 7 pages of my daily prayer book with you to help you. I am grateful for healing, grace, comfort, and hope that comes from God and for compassionate hearts that overflow with love to those whose hearts are broken. I am thankful for the many prayers that have risen on behalf of those who have suffered and are living in fear. I am thankful for the mighty weapons of rejoicing, thankfulness and prayer to help us overcome. I am thankful to God for being everything to me. Jesus Is My All. He is able. He makes a way when there is no way and all things are possible with Him. He is my love and my life.

What are you thankful for?

If you get an opportunity, like Jesus Is Our All facebook page and I will try to update it when I can.

If you use Good shop or Good search for your online purchases for the holidays, please consider putting Jesus Is Our All as the charitable organization you would like to help. It is free yet, many stores will donate a portion of your purchase to Jesus Is Our All and it will cost you nothing. They have coupons that are available for your shopping discount too. It’s a win win. Google Good Shop and Good Search today!

If you would like to give a gift to directly help the children and families of Pokot, please visit our website www.JesusIsOurAll.org or you can send a check to

Jesus Is Our All
P.O. Box 111
Frederick, Pa. 19435

Thank you for your prayers!

Blessings to you, with love and prayers, I am thankful for you!

Terry Brynan

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