And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 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. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:8-14

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story is when the angels showed up in the field where the shepherds were watching their flock. I love it so much because God chose these average than average people to announce the biggest news the world has ever heard. Not only was Jesus’ birth the opposite of fancy, but the people who helped proclaim and spread this news were also just your typical shepherd.

Can you imagine just hanging out minding your own business and all the sudden a “multitude of heavenly hosts praising God” shows up? I am pretty sure I would have dropped everything I was doing and would have gone “with haste” (Luke 2:16) just like those shepherds did to find this baby.

What a wonderful and marvelous picture of God using ordinary people to make an impact for His Kingdom.

At Feed the Need Missions we are all ordinary people just trying to be obedient to the calling God has put on our lives. This Christmas, we hope you join us in praying that ordinary people, like you and I, will be used by God to spread His love, just like he did with the shepherd that night in Bethlehem.

I have several magnetic boards throughout my house displaying thank you notes from various people throughout the year. Recently, a friend commented on them and I realized while I walk by these colorful treasures each day, somehow they’ve faded into their surroundings. Many days my list is so long with the things I want to accomplish that I forget to be thankful for all the things I’ve been fortunate to do.

Like many of you, I began the year full of great ideas that I’ve yet to complete. I find myself feeling discouraged and if I’m being honest, a bit frantic to rush through this exhaustive list. Today, I paused long enough to open just a few of the notes I’ve displayed. As I was reading the heartfelt words of thankfulness, I realized I’m hardly slowing down enough to fully embrace and appreciate these wonderful opportunities I’ve been given. I’m doing them, sure, but then quickly moving on failing to appreciate the intricate way God has designed the opportunity to bless me.

I’ve been here before and I’ll be here again, but today I am resting in the certainty of Who holds the details of my life together. I am hearing Him say, “I’m taking care of the needs you don’t even know you have. Just stay focused on Me.” He’s holding all of us together in His sovereign grace; we just need to pause long enough from our hectic lives to recognize all that He is actively doing.

As we enter into the Fall season of cooler temperatures and watch the new beautiful landscape God is at work creating unfold, it may feel like you’re juggling more than you can handle. Remember that Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Renew your spirit of thankfulness in His grace and embrace Fall’s changes as a gift personally created for you. Pull out those wonderful thank you notes you’ve received and devour the words. I encourage you to reflect on all the good things you are accomplishing this Fall. These blessings may be a child safely tucked in a bed, a warm meal on the table, an encouraging word to your spouse or a friend, or a heartfelt thank you note that will become someone else’s treasure.

A couple of days ago, I was driving by the high school with my son when he realized that he’s not returning in August because he graduated in June. His sigh of relief did not have to do with homework, teachers, other students, etc., His sigh of relief was he did not have to worry about shootings anymore.

In another conversation, with another group, we shared our concern about the pressure of sexual bullying from upperclassmen with incoming freshmen.

Even though, these two instances are alarming, they do not begin to touch the surface on the issues within our school districts. There are alarming and disheartening things happening within the lives of our students every day. However, this is not a time for us to be discouraged, but rather a time for us to bring our concerns to the Lord Almighty.

Joshua 1:9 says, “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

With this said, please be diligent in prayer for our students, teachers, school volunteers and all faculty members:

• Pray that students have the strength and courage to resist temptations.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit would bring peace and unity within the schools.
• Pray that teachers and facility members will have endurance, patience, strength and wisdom to handle each situation.
• Pray that each student, teacher, and facility member who calls on the name of Jesus will be bold in their faith to share the Gospel.
• Pray that our schools become fertile ground for the Gospel that when seeds are planted they will produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.
  Pray for our country to allow God back into the schools.
• Pray that each student and parent who comes to a Feed the Need Missions location would feel the love of Jesus.

Pray about how you can invest in the lives of students to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.

Lastly, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that we may proclaim it clearly, as we should.5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” Colossians 4:2-6

Welcome Summer! Long days, reading in the shade, baseball, iced tea, sunshine — ’tis the season of unparalleled displays of God’s common benevolence.

Summer it’s also full of exciting opportunities for us to grow in the grace of prayer.
Did you know God’s grace is immeasurable, not seasonal? “…so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7. There’s not more of Him now than in January, but summer tends to open our eyes a little wider. We can see a little clearer. And this helps how we pray.

In other words, prayer is when we snap out of it. Out of the busyness, out of Facebook charades, out of our culture-imposed identities. Praying is the most real thing we do, and if summer is when we are most awake, then let it teach us how to pray. Let it invite us into deeper fellowship.

During your prayer time this summer, remember Feed the Need Missions and the families that we serve.