A Celebration and a Giveaway

I celebrate today because these past few weeks I've seen God working all around me in big ways. Through your examples of love, through the prison ministry, through prayers with friends, through my friends' stories from Haiti and even through the tragedy of death. I feel like God's unloosed something inside me and broken through some of my stubborn hard-heartedness giving me me eyes to see what I'd been blind to before. For one, I see how, despite geography, interests, economics, race and gender we are all connected by the blood of Jesus. I see how we, as Christ followers, encourage, support and inspire one another. I see so clearly the words of Hebrews coming to life:

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (10:24)

Dan and his fellow missionaries returned from Haiti on Saturday. We all visited together over brunch on Sunday. Their free flowing pictures and storytelling testified to the tremendous blessing this trip was for each of them. I wish I you could have been there. In lieu of that, check out this testimony by my friend Susan.

I have become convicted of the fact that we must be the hands and feet of Jesus--through our finances, but also through our presence, sweat and passion. And not just in a way that takes us to a far away location, but in a way that allows us to enter into the lives of the hurting, broken and lost around us. (I fear I'm far better at the former than the latter.)

My plans to go to Haiti are coming together. I received my shots, have started to pack and know a few key phrases in Haitian Creole including Bondye bene ou (God bless you). Thank you so much to those of you who have contributed to this trip. Your support blesses me—and I pray will bless the Haitians—tremendously. If you'd like to contribute, click on the "donate" button on the top right of my blog.

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I also celebrate my recent success in writing. I'm scheduled to have an article on digital photography featured in ParentLife magazine this summer and my story about the prison ministry, "The Most Unlikely Place" appears in the recently published book The Ultimate Christian Living. I am so thankful that the amazing story of God's grace as I've seen within the walls of the prison is being shared with a larger audience.
A few weeks I mentioned that a devotional I wrote was featured in the recently published Faith and Finances, A Journey into Financial Dependence. I received my copy of the book and have started to read it. I'm proud to report that it is an EXCELLENT story/devotional. I believe this book will take readers on a personal journey into the ongoing battle between our faith and their finances. The format of the book is unique in that it interweaves a fictional story among the devotional readings. I found this made the book far more impactful and entertaining that the typical devotional.

This book was published by Christian Devotions Ministry. In addition to book publishing, this growing ministry publishes topical daily devotions. (If you're a writer looking for a home for your devotions, I highly recommend you check them out.)

If you've stuck with me so far, you're wondering about the giveaway. Well, here it is. I'm giving away a copy of Faith and Finances. To enter, comment on this post by end of day Friday...or send me an email. If you donate to my trip to Haiti I'll enter you twice! :-) I'll announce a winner on Saturday if I haven't lost my mind in the trip preparation chaos.

Bondye benne ou!