NightLight Blog (Annie's Journal): "Divine Connections, Pt. 1"

Annie Dieselberg heads the staff at NightLight, a ministry in urban Bangkok, Thailand, that reaches out to women and children working in the bar areas of the Nana-Sukhumvit district. Located in a neighborhood with a growing sex trade, Nightlight’s vision is to share the Light of the world in both word and deed to those who live in darkness, and to combat the sexual exploitation of women and children, both Thai and foreign.

Divine Connections, Pt. 1

“Friday night’s outreach started out on the wrong foot – literally. A team member tripped over a wire strung across the sidewalk and fell flat on her face. She was determined to continue but when she started feeling intense pain one of us took her back to her room," Dieselberg writes in this latest post at NightLight Blog. "Heading to the red light area I began to cross the main street when a huge pink tour bus made a sudden illegal u-turn and came charging toward us barely missing the woman behind me. 'Oh God, get us back in sync with your plans. I’m not sure what is going on here,' I prayed."

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Right now, the greatest need at NightLight is to sell more jewelry. NightLight Design Co., Ltd. is a registered jewellery business which employs women coming out of prostitution or having been at risk of prostitution and/or trafficking. If you are interested in hosting a jewelry party please write to Charity at charity@nightlightusa.org . Charity will assist you in setting that up. Remember the beautiful jewelry is also available on-line at http://www.nightlightbangkok.com/ . "God is going before us to the bars preparing the way. He is sending us to receive the women and give hope," Annie writes. "We ask you to join us in this adventure. Thank you to those of you who already do. You are saving lives!"

In the News ... "Salvation Army Shelter in Big Spring at Full Capacity"

Anayeli Ruiz
Reporter
KWES-TV

BIG SPRING, TEXAS - Freezing temperatures force the homeless to fill Big Spring shelters to the brim. Every available inch of the Salvation Army shelter is being used to help keep them warm, but more people means the shelter needs more supplies.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KWES story.

In the News ... "Church Organization Helping Homeless Stay Alive During Cold Nights"

Beau Berman
Reporter
KOSA-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - The homeless population in Odessa finds a way to survive year-round without shelter but when the temperatures drop, living outside can be life threatening.

One organization is stepping up to help those with nowhere else to go this winter.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KOSA story.

Advent Reflections: December 2

Psalm 50 BibleGateway.com

The sun comes up over the mountain, the beams shine through the tops of the trees, and I feel a rush of expectation. Here they come! The elk are passing through this high desert valley as they do every morning, headed for the lake. They saunter slowly, pausing only to nibble at something on the ground. They lift their heads and look straight at me. Do they know I am watching? How beautiful they are, how graceful, even those with heavy racks! Then, they continue, secure in the knowledge that this place is theirs, this place is their home. It is at times like this that I almost ache with the absolute knowledge of God, our creator, and God’s claim upon us.

When I read the Scripture for today, I think of the elk. You and I belong to God just like the elk. We are part of God’s creation. Psalm 50 asks us to make a decision. It is a call. Do we or do we not serve God? Do we or do we not acknowledge God’s sovereign claim upon us? We are called from self-centeredness to proper relationship with God. We are asked to live our lives consistently with the beliefs we profess. Do we pretend and just go through the right motions, saying the right words, or do we live according to the will of God?

In this time of Advent when we examine ourselves, I remember the elk and the absolute knowledge that we, the elk, you and I, belong to God. May we offer thanksgiving and praise for our lives and live in gratitude to God.

Gracious God, as this advent begins, may I be reminded that we are all your people. I eagerly await the glow in in my life, as I prepare for the giving of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen

Helen Almanza, PhD (MDiv’04)
Associate Pastor, Tarrytown United
Methodist Church, Austin, Texas

CLICK HERE to listen to each day's devotional.

______________________________

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Word from West Texas: "Five Advent Ghazals"

In August, 2008, John P. Van Dusen and his wife moved from Fort Collins, Colorado, to West Texas, to help build The Bridge,a contemporary worship service in a new space in a traditional Protestant church.

In this post at Into the West Texas Sun, John writes, " Ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century pre-Islamic Arabic verse. It became popular in English language poetry in the late 1960’s. The story of the advent of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is one of sadness, love, and ultimately joy. This form strikes me as an excellent way to express our beautiful account of Emmanuel, God with us."

In the News ... "Local Shelters Prepare For Winter Weather"

Diane Tuazon
Reporter
KWES-TV

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Shelters like The Salvation Army, and the Journey Home ministry, are expecting a whole lot of people knocking on their doors for a warm bed, and they're ready for the night's freezing temperatures.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KWES story.

Advent Reflections: December 1

2 Peter 1:12-21 BibleGateway.com

This text comes to us, we who lose our way in the demands of our lives, as a reminder, a call to think again the story of Jesus Christ. There is no suggestion here that we neglect the duties and details of our lives. Instead, we are reminded that in the darkness that haunts our lives, the story of Jesus is and always will be our light. This should be no surprise. That is the point: that we already know this. We simply forget to think it. We forget to remember this light.

But how do we remember? How do we find this light? Where is it? What do we need to do? It is striking that the text does not suggest that Jesus is everywhere, that his light shines within us and around us. We cannot, for instance, go to the mount ourselves and witness the transfiguration firsthand. Instead, we have witnesses. We have prophets. We have texts.

This text assures us that the witnesses are true, that the apostles really saw the glory of Jesus, that prophets speak not their own mind but, carried by the spirit, speak from God.

The light of Jesus and the words of God come to us in the holy texts. We find the light by reading. And reading again. Until the day dawns when Jesus’ light is everywhere, the light comes to us in written words. The morning star rises in our hearts when we read the prophecies and stories of Jesus. The Bible is our memory and our light.

Prayer: Gracious God, open our minds and hearts to your word, that as we read the Scriptures, the light will dawn and your truth will hold us forever, through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Lewis Donelson
Ruth A. Campbell Professor of New Testament Studies
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

CLICK HERE to listen to each day's devotional.

______________________________

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Midland group reports U.S. grants political asylum to Chinese legal advocate's family

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Midland group reports U.S. grants political asylum to Chinese legal advocate's family

Released by ChinaAid, November, 2009 ...

"TEXAS – After more than two years of political advocacy and months seeking political refuge outside of China, the wife and two children of imprisoned Chinese legal advocate Guo Feixiong were officially granted political asylum by the U.S. government on November 10, 2009."
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

Coming to West Texas: Jack Modesett

Jack Modesett, Jr., Bible in 90 Days video presenter and board member of the Christianity Today International ministry, will be in Midland, Tuesday, December 1st.

First Presbyterian Church-Midland is hosting a luncheon with Mr. Modesett from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Koinonia Room. Lunch will be served for $5 in the FPC kitchen beginning at 11:30am. Mr. Modesett will speak at noon and then host a time for questions and answers.

Mr. Modesett is chairman of the board for Christianity Today magazine, has taught adult Sunday school for decades. His lessons are broadcast on Christian radio in greater Houston.

Everyone is welcome. Please join us for this special opportunity!

In the News ... "St. Luke's United Methodist Church begins renovations"

By Megan Lee Buck
Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - The ground has been ceremoniously broken and construction crews have become a familiar sight as St. Luke’s United Methodist Church begins the first phase of a $2.5 million renovation.

In an effort to attract young families — and better serve the families and children currently in the congregation — the church will add five new classrooms to the facility. They also plan to expand the space dedicated to their Child Development Program, a 30-year-old preschool and day care.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Advent Reflections: November 30

Amos 2:6-16 BibleGateway.com

Amos doesn’t seem to fit. His writings begin with a searing judgment on the nations surrounding Israel, and then his gaze turns to both Judah and Israel. The reigns of Uzziah in Judah and Jeroboam II in Israel were marked by a period of relative peace and prosperity. Amos tells us, however, that not all is well. His scathing critique
includes both the abuse of the poor by the rich and powerful and the liturgical practices in the temple, which he dismisses as mere noise.

I remember Advent from two years ago. I was a missionary working in the slums and shantytowns of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The hot summer sun beat down on the metal roofs, making the makeshift homes unbearable during the day; the running of sewer rats on the metal roofs made for a lack of sleep by night. It was seven square blocks of misery. One of hundreds around the city. One of thousands in Argentina. One of millions around the world. During this Advent season, let us reflect on the meaning of Christmas from their perspective. Can we hear the voices of the crucified poor? Is all well?

An Argentine priest, Carlos Múgica, wrote “Mass for the Third World.” I’ve translated part of it for you. Let it be our prayer.

Prayer: Glory to the God that is love and in the land peace to those who struggle for justice! We praise you as we struggle so that our starving children eat. We glorify you as we want to destroy today the instruments of torture. We give you thanks, for there are men who give their lives in the revolution. We give you thanks, Lord, because you are not a spectator God, but rather a God who became human, who suffers along with suffering humanity.
We give you thanks, Lord

Brian Plescher
Middler student from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

CLICK HERE to listen to each day's devotional.

______________________________

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Conspiracy Launched at Midland Church ...

... though it's not the kind of conspiracy you'd find in a Dan Brown novel. Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption - a movement of Christ-followers who want to ...

● Worship Fully,
● Give More,
● Spend Less, and
● Love All.

It's a conspiracy without a hidden agenda ... every Sunday from November 29 through December 20, First Presbyterian Church-Midland will host classes devoted to Advent Conspiracy. The classes will meet from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. in Lynn Fellowship Hall. The classes will be preceded and followed by fellowship, with coffee, juice and a variety of brunch snacks.

Today's lesson included a video featuring featuring the three pastors that started Advent Conspiracy as they describe what it is and why they started it 3 years ago.

Advent Reflections: November 29

Luke 21:25-36 BibleGateway.com

Before we get to words of the babe and swaddling clothes, we begin this Advent season with words like helpless and roar and terror and the passing of heaven and earth echoing from this apocalyptic passage. Luke offers not an invitation but a command to pray, and so I do:

Holy Jesus, Son of the Most Holy God,

We are not worthy to call you Lord. We paint you in pastel robes with a Mona Lisa smile. We cover up the stern words of the Sermon on the Mount with layers of pious decoupage. We imagine that you must forgive us everything and that nothing will be required of us. We make you into our own personal Jesus.

Yet you are the Son of Man. You rule over the black holes of space and every mind that thinks “I am.” No secret prison is unknown to you. No smug hacker can hide from your gaze. You gave up paradise for obedience and comfort for a cross. You made forgiveness of sins as real as bread and wine. In your presence, the arrow of time is broken and all is calm. Without you, our being falls away into nothingness.

You call us to have eyes to see God in this world and to move our hands to caress the weary, the frightened, and the forgotten in your name.

Prayer: Forgive our blindness to the signs of our times. Burn away our sloth. Rouse us from hopelessness. Show us our strength. Open our eyes to welcome you in this season with fear and trembling, with dread and holy awe. For you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, though heaven and earth pass away.
Amen

Timothy D. Lincoln, Associate Dean for Seminary Effectiveness and Director of the Stitt Library
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

CLICK HERE to listen to each day's devotional.

______________________________

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Simple Gifts at First Prez

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.
(1st verse and refrain from the original by Elder Joseph Brackett; 2nd and 3rd verses added later)




First Presbyterian Church of Midland hosted its second annual Neighborhood Thanksgiving Party, Tuesday night, where friends and family were joined by guests from Breaking Bread Soup Kitchen, and others who do not have a place, a family, or the means to enjoy a shared meal for Thanksgiving. In addition to a traditional holiday meal with all the trimmings, there was plenty of fellowship, and dancing to live music from Jody Nix and his band. Also, a large number of meals were packed "to go" for delivery to the home-bound.

Organizers were pleased with this year's event, and are already talking about getting together once again, same time next year. For more information about Breaking Bread Soup Kitchen, call First Presbyterian at 684-7821.

Coming to West Texas: Jack Modesett

Jack Modesett, Jr., Bible in 90 Days video presenter and board member of the Christianity Today International ministry, will be in Midland, Tuesday, December 1st.

First Presbyterian Church-Midland is hosting a luncheon with Mr. Modesett from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Koinonia Room. Lunch will be served for $5 in the FPC kitchen beginning at 11:30am. Mr. Modesett will speak at noon and then host a time for questions and answers.

Mr. Modesett is chairman of the board for Christianity Today magazine, has taught adult Sunday school for decades. His lessons are broadcast on Christian radio in greater Houston.

Everyone is welcome. Please join us for this special opportunity!

In the News ... "West Texas Food Bank Needs Help to Help Others"

Diane Tuazon
Reporter
KWES-TV

ODESSA, TEXAS - Their mission is to provide local, non-profit agencies with food, to give to those in need. The struggling economy isn't the only thing making it difficult for them to accomplish that this year.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the KWES story.

Word from Uganda: "From Orphan to Queen"

Missionary teacher Natalie Rolfe writes, "'When He calls me, I will answer ... I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.' My call was Mbale, Uganda and that is where I have returned to serve for another year. Specifically, I am teaching phonics at Lulwanda Children's Home, an orphanage and school for 90 kids." Natalie also keeps an online journal of her service at the weblog, When He calls me, I will answer ...

From Orphan to Queen
"I have been so grateful to be able to really grow and understand a different culture outside of my own. What I mean is that many times when people do mission trips for a week or so, they get to see some of culture, but really haven’t even seen how things work.”

"Having lived in Uganda for 2 years now, I have seen and experienced how many things work. What got me thinking about this is was our Friday fellowship at LCH. It is a wonderful time that we have as staff and kids all together, where we sing, pray, and someone shares the Word. Through these fellowships and Sunday services at Church, I have come to my own conclusion that although the Gospel is the same and True everywhere, for every culture, the way it is celebrated and interpreted is different."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of Natalie's post

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If you are interested in supporting LCH by sponsoring one of the 90 children, go to www.ugandaorphans.org If you are interested in financially supporting Natalie in her mission, you can send checks (with "Natalie Rolfe" in memo) to: Midland Bible Church, 2800 North A Street, Midland, TX 79705

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 10/25/09

Burundi
• Please pray for the staff and volunteers with Christian Community Development of Burundi as they minister to children in need in Kirundo, Muyinga, and Ruyigi provinces.
• Give thanks to God that CCD Burundi was able to distribute food aid to 3,000 children and their families in this province. Pray that God will provide for these children and give them hope in the knowledge of God's comforting love and grace.
• Pray for an end to the drought that has caused several poor harvests in a row, which led to severe food shortages.
A report from Doctors Without Borders
A report from UN regional Information Network
A report from AFROL

Spain
• Give thanks to God for the work of Garrick and Dziu, a missionary couple, reaching out to college students in Spain through an international ministry.
• Pray that God will provide for this young couple and their small children, Evelyn and Mathis. Pray for support and encouragement in this challenging mission climate where so many people have been alienated or hurt by the church.
• Pray that through Garrick and Dziu's outreach efforts and humanitarian aid projects, many students will have the opportunity to develop a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ,

Malawi (CURE International – www.helpcurenow.org)
• Pray for the disabled children receiving treatment at the CURE International Hospital in Malawi and for the medical staff and caregivers there. Please also pray for a 16-year-old girl named Cesel.

Sudan
• Please keep the children and people of South Sudan in prayer as increasing tribal conflicts and a looming famine threaten the underdeveloped region.
• Pray for those who are already feeling the effects of an inadequate harvest because of a poor start to the rainy season.
• Pray for vulnerable families who have been driven from their homes and sparse crops by the surge in tribal clashes.
A report from alertnet.org

United States
• Pray that God will comfort and heal high school students involved in a recent bus crash as they were on the way home from a marching band competition. Pray for the family of their band director who was killed in the accident.
• Pray that God will bring healing and comfort to 5-year-old Noah who is in the end stages of cancer following a two and a half year battle. Pray for his family and friends and the medical community that has cared for him.
• Please pray for children who are in foster care. Pray for those who have been uprooted from the only "normal" home life they've ever known and placed into a very different environment. Pray for those who are upset and confused by all of the new experiences. Pray for those who are moved to a new community and school. Pray for those who are separated from siblings and friends.
• Thanks be to God for the rescue of four teenage girls from a prostitution ring in Houston. Pray for their healing and safety. Please pray that God will comfort them as they try to rebuild lives shattered by the greed and lust of others. Pray for these 16 and 17 year old girls as they return to their home states. One of the girls was kidnapped at gunpoint as she walked down the street in Kansas. Pray that the five people arrested for the federal crimes of sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, and the transportation and coercion of minors will be held responsible for their part in harming these young women.
A report from Houston Press/Blogs

Faces of Children
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

In the News ... "Founder finds life mission in Journey Home"

By Ruth Campbell
Reporter

Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Gilbert Delgado founded Journey Home, a shelter for homeless people and those who want to rid themselves of substance abuse problems, four years ago as a spin-off of his ministry Fishers of Men.

"This is like a refuge where a person can come and surrender," said 59-year-old Delgado, who works for Midland Memorial Hospital's engineering department. "It's not a rehab program. This, hopefully, is where a person can feel at home. We try to make a person feel they can stay and open up their heart (to Jesus) -- the sooner the better."

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Word from Thailand: "Chiang Mai Photo Exhibit"

Brett and Shelly Faucett are mission co-workers living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we had a chance to meet with them during our mission to that country, earlier this year. They are HIV/AIDS regional consultants. Brett is a nurse and amateur photographer. Shelly, a former literacy specialist and ESL teacher. They have their two daughters, Acacia and Annapurna, with them.

"I have entered my first Photo Exhibition which starts on Nov 14th and runs until the 29th. Let me back up though and tell you that I'm not a professional photographer and I joined a photography group in Chiang Mai to hone my skills," Shelly writes in this post at their Welcome to the Jungle blog. "I feel very lucky to have 7 photos represented in the exhibition. The theme of the exhibition is Chiang Mai and Asia in general. I have 3 pictures from my Mission trip in India and 4 pictures from around Chiang Mai."