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AHW MINISTRIES NEWSLETTER
About His Work with Janet December 2013
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Happy Birthday Jesus!
I posted the above picture on my Facebook timeline and received many questions about the Birthday Bag for Jesus in front of the Christmas tree. At our house, that Birthday Bag is the biggest present under the tree and a reminder that we are celebrating the birthday of Jesus.
This tradition started early in our marriage when we decided to throw a birthday party for Jesus. Since our anniversary is December 19th, it's already a packed month for us, but we knew the Lord was prompting us to throw Him a party, and so we did. The first year, we invited a few family and friends and had the kids attending act out the manger scene (this continued in subsequent years and became bigger each year). We had a birthday cake with candles and gave everyone a party favor that represented the true meaning of Christmas.
The highlight of the party was the Birthday Bag. We made "Birthday" postcards on the computer and gave everyone a card as they came through the front door. The heading on the card had the date and "This year I give Jesus...." Guests were advised to think about what gift they would like to give Jesus . . . maybe more of their time, or energy, or money . . . and then write it on the card. Perhaps getting involved in a ministry, or spending more time with family and less time at work would be his or her gift. They could sign the card or leave it anonymous and place it in the bag. On Christmas Eve, our family read the gifts and prayed that each gift giver would stay true to their intent. For more information on the Birthday Bag and how to throw your own Birthday Party for Jesus, read my blog at The M.O.M. Initiative.
As I pray about what gift to give Jesus this Christmas, I think it will be the gift of Praise. When I think of all the amazing things God has done in my life, none surpass the gift of eternal life He gave to me, and offers to all those who believe in Him. The gift of knowing Him as my personal Savior has comforted me through the tough times and blessed me in the amazingly wonderful times. A list of praises would wallpaper my entire home and then some! I want to be intentional this next year in praising God not just for what He does for me, but for Who He is and why He sent His one and only Son to earth.
I pray the more open I am with my praises, the more people will be drawn to Him.
My heart is filled this year with the joy of having the opportunity to be a small part of all your lives. Wherever you are in this earthly journey, I pray that you too will have a very Merry CHRISTmas remembering the most important Gift of all-God's Son, Jesus Christ.
About His Work,
Janet
PS: Make plans to join me for The M.O.M. Initiative Conference next year. Early bird prices for the Conference have been extended until December 31st as a gift to those attending.
PSS: Need a break from CHRISTmas "to do's"? Check out: Time to Sit With You.
PSSS: Exciting News! Dear God, They Say It's Cancer is up for Non-fiction Book of the Year at Book Fun. Would you please take a moment to cast your vote!
PSSSS: Blessed that my 2014 speaking engagement calendar is filling up fast. If you were considering bringing me to your church or event, let's chat soon.
PSSSSS: Read the Author Interview with Dianne Butts about her book, Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus and a chance to win a free copy.
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FEATURED
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Face-To-Face with Elizabeth and Mary:
Generation to Generation
Available for Kindle
or
$8.99 *$8.00 signed and personalized from our website shop
*Special price for CHRISTmas
Elizabeth played an important mentoring role to Mary in the Christmas Story. You've probably read the story many times of Mary's visit from the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:26-45. It's an amazing revelation to a young teenage girl that she is to become the mother of the Messiah. But there is another parallel story told in these verses ....read more
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I Would Love to Speak at Your Event!
To contact Janet
about your event call or email to discuss availability.   |
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Everything you need for starting your Women's Mentoring Ministry
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TALK TO US I'm Training Ministry Leaders and Teams on Mentoring and Team Building
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Mentoring Moment
"I fear the disapproval of God more than I fear..the disapproval of society."
-- Pastor Rick Warren
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Now Available for your Kindle or Nook
It's time to think about Winter and Spring 2014 Bible studies. Help the women of your church learn God's plan for mentoring in the Face-to-Face Bible study series or study on your own or with a friend. Leader's Guide in the back of each book.
SAMPLER PACKAGE
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 Two About His Work |
"GRAMMIE'S CORNER"   
A "Norman Rockwell" Decorating Moment
My favorite part of decorating for Christmas is when Grampa puts the tree up on Thanksgiving weekend, and the grandkids decorate it! Grampa puts on the lights and the angel on top and Grammie puts a few ornaments on high branches, but the kids do the rest-and I don't move a single thing.
When we started having grandkids, I eliminated almost all breakable ornaments for safety reasons as they crawled around and played with the tree. As they got older, they could decorate our tree without worrying about breaking anything. We have ornaments with pictures of all eleven grandkids, and the three that are near to help decorate love finding the ornaments with their cousins and their own pictures. They are starting to remember ornaments from year to year, and they're so proud of the beautifully decorated tree-but not as proud and blessed as I am.
Here is a short YOUTUBE video of our grandchildren acting out the Christmas Story.
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Meet An Author
 
Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus
In Seminary, I wrote a paper on the prophesies of Jesus foretold in the Bible. My friend and fellow AWSA author, Dianne Butts, has written three books on this topic and I asked her to share with us at CHRISTmas time about her book, Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus.
You wrote an in depth book on prophecies that have been fulfilled. Why did you feel the need to write this book?
Prophecy is important because it proves God is who He claims to be. He gave prophecies in advance and then fulfilled them at a later date. No one else could do that except the one true God who knows the end of time from the beginning.
I'm surprised that some people I've met do not know much about the prophecies given in advance that were all fulfilled in Jesus. I wrote this book to help them understand the amazing story of what God has done for us!
In the Christmas story in the Bible, I found thirty-five prophecies that were given by God in advance that came to pass in the birth of Jesus. I wrote a short chapter on each one. We travel back in time to see the prophecy given, then forward in time to see it actually being fulfilled in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. It's amazing to witness!
All this happened 2,000+ years ago. How does that apply to us today?
As our nation slips farther from God, with fewer people going to church and fewer churches teaching the Bible, we have a growing population of people who know nothing about the God of the Bible. While this may seem sad to Christians, it is actually a remarkable opportunity to share our knowledge. And there is a tremendous need. If you have knowledge of the Bible, people out there need you to teach them what you know, and God expects us to share what we know with those in younger generations.
Some people may be able to do that easily, but others need a resource or guide to help them. Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus is a perfect resource for leading and teaching, whether you're leading your spouse and children in family devotions or want to lead a small group Bible study or nonfiction book club. I have gathered all the research together in one place for you. (I gathered it in one place for me, too!) I wrote it in easy to understand everyday language, and yet it goes deep into the Bible.
Knowing what God did, how He foretold the future, and that it came true, strengthens our faith in the one true God. It strengthens our faith for the future in these troubled times because we learn God will bring about His promises (prophecies) perfectly. It also shows He is in perfect control when it seems our world is spinning out of control.
Who can benefit from reading Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus?
This book is great for individual reading or study, for family devotions, for nonfiction book clubs, and for small group study. It can be used to lead a Bible study or teach a class.
It will benefit anyone who is interested in diving deeper into the Bible as well as those just getting started in exploring the Bible. It would also be great for skeptics because it reveals not only what Christians believe but why we believe it.
Are you planning a series of books about fulfilled prophecies?
Where can we find more information about your books?
You can learn more about all my books on my web site and my blog. My books are available on most online outlets and you can ask your favorite bookstore to order them for you. Find the whole list of my books on my Amazon Author page.
Thank you, Janet, for the opportunity to talk with you and your readers about my books, and especially Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus. May you each know Jesus ever more deeply through the study of His Word and the story of His birth this Christmas.
For a chance to win a free copy of Dianne's book,
Prophecies Fulfilled in the Birth of Jesus email me with CHRISTmas in the subject line
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Janet's Publications
Featured Article
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Speaking 2014
Plan to Attend the LifeWay "YOU Lead" - Training Women in Ministry Conference
"YOU Lead" Conferences where I'm speaking
July 24-25
I'll teach on "Mentoring" and "The Team That Jesus Built"
Women's Leadership Training event preceding
Living Proof Live
with Beth Moore. Attend both and get a discount.
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Speaking 2014
March 15
Idahope Writers Conference
May 3
First Baptist Church
Tulsa, OK
Woman To Woman Mentoring Event
July 31 - Aug 2
Trinity Baptist Church
Jacksonville, FL
The M.O.M. Initiative
Better Together Conference
Register Now!
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Speaking 2015
Jan 30-31
Evangelical Free Church
McCook, NE
Women's Winter Conference
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