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Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-
Philippians 2:14-16
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Greetings!
picture a lighthouse in a storm:
or maybe:
Notice something. The lighthouse doesn't stop the storm, nor even attempts to. It simply sheds light for those needing it in the midst of the storm.
In the same way, every single one of you is going through some storm right now. Job insecurity, marriage problems, tight on money, stabbed in the back, doubt about your future, fear of your present, shame of your past. Whatever it is, it's a fierce storm for you. I don't doubt it nor discount it. I'm with you. I have my own storms.
But stop trying to fight it. Simply resist it, and be a light while doing so. There is a slight, but important, difference between fighting a problem (i.e. trying to change it) and resisting a problem (accepting its presence and persevering through it).
As the verse above points out, we as followers of Christ need to weather our storms, and be a light in the midst of the darkness, not try to avoid it all. And this is so for two reasons:
-God will get glorified as we stand strong & shed His Light
-those drowning in the same storms will have a beacon of light to cling to, hope on and draw towards.
If you are busy focused on stopping the storms in your life, how can you shed God's Light for those lost at sea? Take a new view, a Biblical view of what to do in the midst of your storms.
As for me, I want to be a wet, drenched, battered, but strong, shining and helpful bastion of a Light House for others.
Adonai, I almost hate to say this, but bring the storms on, strengthen the tower you've made me to be and shine your Light through me. I want to focus on the people in the storms around me.
Yours,
shannon
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Back to the Holy Land this November!
We are headed back to Israel and the West bank. This coming November, Cindy Shiblie and I are leading another team back to encourage and pray with Palestinian Christians.
We were there in 2007, and we both felt the nudge that it was time to go back. So we are leading a team of 10-12 people on a two week trip in November (10/30 through 11/13).
The focus of this trip is praying. Cindy and I feel we give too much lip service to prayer and don't really do it the way God intends. The books of Murray, Crabb and Chapell are teaching us that relational prayer (listening to God, really hearing what He has to tell us) must come before petitionary prayer (asking for things). And when we ask for things, they must be for Christ's glory more than our own good. This prayer time must be intentional, flexible, consistent and passionate. Physically getting on our knees really does work.
And so for the two weeks we are over there, we will spend the majority of our time (I'm talking hours every day probably), praying over the land as we walk the streets of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, Bir Zeit, Nazareth, Capernum and Akko. And in the evenings, we will be sitting with local Palestinian Christians, the living stones of the Holy Land, hearing their stories, encouraging them and praying with them.
There are three reasons to go on a mission trip:
1. Glorify God in obedience to His Call
2. Serve and impact others through real, actionable Agape Love
3. come outside our comfort zones and get stretched...a lot.
And so we put this prayer-centered trip together. We'll be interacting with God, doing the very thing the Palestinian believers love the most to do and maturing in our walk in the process. It's a messy and hard path, but with win-win-win results. ; )
So if you start getting that buzz in your heart, that nudge from God that He wants you applying for this trip, then do so.
Reply to this email and ask for an application. We will be doing interviews on five different days through the last two weeks of May, making the final decisions for who will be on the team in early June.
We have already created a Facebook page for this expedition, so check it out!
And be praying for us. This is going to be a tough and rewarding trip, and we need the entire process drenched in prayers. Not only ours, not only our Palestinian brethren, but yours also.
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MAY EVENTS
Here are our upcoming events for the month of May:
LETTERS FROM GOD
Remember back in the day, when we used to write and mail real letters to each other? In high school, I had a crush on a girl who lived a couple of hours away and we wrote each other every week or two. I would desperately check the mail, excited to see if I had gotten a letter from her. I would pour over her words, clinging to them, learning them, treasuring them.
We really should be that way with God. We should be that passionate about His Letters to us. And when we first start hearing from someone, the first thing we learn is their name and some of their most promiment characteristics.
So for the month of May, Rekindling is hosting a workshop where we will pour over some letters from God, searching for all His Names and Characteristics. I pray that we truly get our hearts beating and minds open to the Lover of our souls.
Come join me in person at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, room 103, on Thursday 13 May, 7-9pm. Or join me on the web for our first ever webinar on Tuesday 18 May, 8-9:30pm. Cost is $30/person. You can register and pay on-line at our website. Simply put in the memo line which night you are attending, and I will email you all the necessary information.
FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS
And don't forget that we have our co-ed Rekindling small group the first and third Thursdays of each month (5/6 and 5/20 this month), where we share our current struggles and victories and together dive into Scripture to see how we are to Biblically respond to them. Meet at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, 2nd floor of the parking garage near the elevators, at 7:25pm. This is free and open to any and all people.
ISRAEL/PALESTINE TRIP INTERVIEWS
Here are the dates we are holding interviews for the November trip. All interview sessions will be held in Tysons Corner, VA.
5/15, 1-5pm
5/16, 2-5pm
5/23, 2-5pm
5/25, 5-10pm
5/27, 5-10pm
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APRIL FUNDRAISER UDPATE
We hosted our first ever, annual yard sale this past Saturday. We had well over 400 items donated from about 15 different people. God kept the rain away through the morning (thanks, Papa!). And we sold/raised almost $1800!!
So a HUGE thank you to everyone who organized, donated, helped and attended the event. It was humbling to see people stepping up in the midst of their own busy schedules to help make this happen. I send a big shout to you Dave, for overseeing this whole thing!
Be on the look-out later this summer for our next cool, quirky fundraiser.
And if you would like to donate to Rekindling before then, whether a one-time gift or regular, monthly contribution, the money can go a long way in allowing us to keep Rekindling a full-time, impactful tool in God's mighty Hands. For more info on this, contact me or donate directly at our website.
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well my friends, that should give you enough to chew on this month. As always, I am your servant. So if you have any questions, need any help or are facing any doubt or fear, call me. God has clearly told me to impact others for Him and the Kingdom, and I want to take that role seriously.
with all my love for you and Him,
shannon
703.899.7442
www.rekindlingministries.org
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