My new favorite Christmas ornaments

These are two of my new favorite ornaments on our tree this year... Let me tell you about them... Studying missions and taking a journey around the world with "Pray 4 Kids" in Kings Daughters this fall has just thrown my heart into a most beautiful passion for the precious people and children in other countries. So often I feel like we get so wrapped up in the neatness of our own homes and churches and fall into such pity parties for ourselves for what we don't have or what we can't afford - especially at Christmas! But this Christmas, being aware of the Operation Christmas Child ministry, and the missionaries who are having to come home because they can no longer be supported overseas, my heart is burdened. Burdened for these people I've never met. Burdened for some child, or for some elderly adult who will not know Jesus before they die, and maybe because our economy is tight in the States. Or maybe because we paid no attention and whispered and fidgeted while the Missions video played on the screen at our church. Or maybe because we think we can't make a difference or it's not really our responsiblilty.

That's why I love these ornaments.

This one we made yesterday at our King's Daughters Christmas party. It's a world globe ornament that says, "Pray 4 Kids". Prayer changes things. If we do nothing else, we can pray. That's what we're learning with the girls. - and also among things we *can* do, such as OCC - which they loved! Anyhow, we made these balls to remind us, especially at Christmas time, 'God sent His Son, Jesus, for *all* the world.' We can pray that they will *all*come to know Him and experience His love and His care!

And this one was a gift from some sweet sisters who come to King's Daughters. It's an open Bible, and it came with a card from Samaritan's Purse. - One to tell us that this family had bought a Bible to give to a child in our honor.

"Give This Christmas Away". That's what it's about. Have you heard the new Matthew West song by that name? I suggest you listen to it. It's not about what we *get* this Christmas. It's about what we can *give*. Because of what HE GAVE!!!

love to all and a very Merry Christmas!!!

Hannah

hannahseale.blogspot.com

Operation Christmas Child

We have been studying missions and countries around the world this semester at King’s Daughters, our twice a month girls’ ministry. (www.sealesisters.org/ kings_d_home) I had come across a notebook at a resale shop at some point last spring and became super excited to use it as a launching for the curriculum I am putting together and calling “Pray 4 Kids”. We’ve been talking about the environment and culture children around the world live in, eating some of their food, playing some of their games and making crafts specific to their country; learning more about them so that we can learn more about how we can pray for them. The notebook I found was written by Franklin Graham, president of the “Samaritan’s Purse” organization. It’s a prayer journal and he asks that we pray for these children that we’re learning about. But this Christmas I challenged our girls to become more involved. We decided to participate in “Operation Christmas Child”. This is a ministry branching out from the Samaritan’s Purse organization. Their focus is to deliver gift-filled shoe boxes and Christian literature to millions of children around the world each year. I thought it would be a huge thing for us, as the King’s Daughters club to come together and be able to send shoe boxes this Christmas with Operation Christmas Child to help make a difference in some child’s life. So last Tuesday we did just that. The girls had been collecting shoeboxes and items to fill the boxes for several weeks and during our meeting this past Tuesday we turned on the Christmas music, pulled out the wrapping paper and construction paper and prepared boxes for children around the world. That in itself for me was a beautiful thing... just seeing 13 girls' happy faces as they packed gifts and wrote cards for a child who needed a merrier Christmas. But the most precious thing was, just before we began, I gave instructions and then asked if we could all pray for what we were about to do. Pray for the boxes; pray for the OCC organization; pray for the children who would receive the boxes; pray that God would use us to bless other precious little ones. Thirteen little girls bowed their heads and a few of them volunteered to pray. My own throat was constricted with emotion. I am so grateful to live in a country and in a family where we can celebrate Jesus and His birthday. I am so thankful that I know about Jesus and I so want to be used to share Him. We all wanted each box to meet the needs of each child who recieved them and for them to see Jesus' love through ours. That was our prayer and still is.

We put together twentyfive boxes and took them to a drop-off point in Sealy. I am so excited about God's work!

Blessings and love to you all,

Hannah