When I moved from Wisconsin to Florida, several friends used to add verses of thanksgiving when they would write me a letter or send me an email. I had not come to Florida with a particular mission in mind, but as believers, we are all called to be salt and light wherever we are (Matt. 5:13-16). They would add verses such as…

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge – because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. (1 Cor. 1:4-6)

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Eph. 1:15-17)

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:3-6)

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Col. 1:9-12)

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 1:2-3)

Who doesn’t like to know that someone remembers you and is thinking of you? And if it’s true that prayers accompany that remembrance, we are reminded that we are not alone in loving the Lord, fighting for joy, and loving others no matter where we are.

For many people, the holidays are a sweet time with family and close friends associated with nostalgic memories both good and bad. Unfortunately, the holidays can also be a time of struggle for those who are missing the sweeter times and/or who long to be with family and friends. I feel at home both in Wisconsin and in Florida, but I have been blessed to celebrate every Christmas of my life with my family in Wisconsin. There are many however, who are not able to spend the holidays with their family, and though they may love where they are, at least some part of them probably longs for the sweetness of home, family and familiarity.

So maybe your Christmas cookies are starting to burn in the oven and you’re thinking, “Get to the point already!”

It’s very simple brothers and sisters, the holidays are always busy, but let’s not forget those who are far from us as they serve the Lord in other locations. At this point, it may be a little too late to write a handwritten Christmas note of encouragement that will get to the other side of the world by Sunday, but people of the modern era, there are many ways that YOU can still reach out to those you remember overseas. It may take a little creativity and might even involve learning a Christmas dance (oops – now you know my secret!), but this year, let us remember those we have sent out and pray that they will be more in love with the Lord and have opportunities to share the story of the birth of the One, who is worthy of our very lives and worthy of our sacrifices this holiday season. They may be sharing this story with some who have never heard of this baby, this Jesus. Let them know that you are thinking of them and pray for them as you remember how they are living out the gospel in another land. You will never know how timely or significant your letter, video, picture, song or dance (however long or short) may be until you send it.

Now back to some Christmas poetry that I hope to send to some friends far away. Here’s a taste that I hope will inspire you:

Joy

Oh joy

Tis the season

for joy

All the world

beholds the Boy

Who brought joy none

had ever felt

Who makes my icy heart

Melt.

I  love Bible study nights! There are so many wonderful women at OGC and women’s Bible study is one of the ways that I love to get to know them. Last night’s meeting will probably be one I never forget since we had to say our farewells to our consistent and persistent leader, Abby (first row, far left). She has taught me so much over the past four years and I have been so blessed to know her since I started my first Bible study back in the summer of 2006. So, as a way of expressing my love for Abby and as a notice to any future non-official leaders of the women’s ministry, here is my open letter to the next “Abby”…

Dear “Abby”,

Welcome to the adventure of your life! Participating in the OGC Women’s Bible Study is quite an exciting way to journey through life in fellowship with other women, and the fact that you are becoming the new unofficial leader says a few things to me:

1. You love the Lord so much that you are obedient to His nudges to start and continue studies
2. You are walking with the Lord in a way that models the Christian life to women of ALL ages
3. You understand the weight of your position and are committed to praying for each of the women and making preparation for our study a priority in your life
4. You are consistent in our studies and in the lives of our women
5. You have a hospitable personality that draws women in and allows them to feel safe to share on a deep level

Don’t be overwhelmed! If you don’t already possess these traits, I’m sure the Lord will develop them in you over time. For we have watched Him walk us through so many things together and we can truly say that there is nothing that He can’t do! On that note, though I am not aware of all of your struggles, I want you to know that our study is an open place where strugglers and “rejoicers” come together to glorify His name. That’s right – so when you have a bad day, we’ll still accept you as our leader and love you all the same. In fact, in some of the deepest valleys of your life, we promise to be there with you by praying with you, bringing food to you, and loving on you the best way we know how! “You can’t shake us” as Pastor Curt would say! And we pray that you won’t “shake us” when we experience our own struggles.

Please keep a few things in mind, new “Abby”. A handful of us are single, so we can’t always relate to your husband stories or your baby stories, but please feel free to share them anyway. We love feeling like you trust us with your struggles just as much as we love hearing your advice for our stage of life. And in general, if you are reading something or listening to something during the week, we all love an email with a simple, “This made me think of you” or “Thought this song fit what you shared on Monday”. It’s just a little something to remind us that our friendships are not Monday-only, but that you are thinking about us all week long.

Oh new “Abby”, I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to somehow fill all the shoes Abby Gjertsen filled here. The House of Gjertsen includes a unique and blessed bunch that were specifically called to be with us for their appointed time. They were open to how the Lord would use them and He blessed their availability and faithfulness. You are not meant to be their exact replacements. Just as God has called them to North Carolina for a new time and season, we pray that the Lord has called you here with us for a new time and season. It will not be better or worse than any time in the past, it will just be God’s predestined plan for all of us at this time!

So enjoy every moment. Make sure to laugh a lot, love a lot, and enjoy life. Others will easily follow you if you are following Him. I’m “Believing God” that He has prepared you for “Stepping Up” to this journey. I pray that He will lead you through any  desert wilderness like “Ruth” and give you faith to conquer anything like “Daniel”. I pray that He will make your “Woman’s Heart His Dwelling Place” and that you will build up the bride of Christ, His church, as Paul did in “Ephesians”. I pray that you will find your place and be who you are and love on us with all you have!

Welcome to the adventure of your life! We’ll be praying for you every step of the way!

**Carissa**

My primary prayer request going into this Urbana was that I would not continually compare my first Urbana (in 2006) with this year’s Urbana. During my time in Wisconsin for Christmas, I felt the Lord really pressing me to stop complaining and to look for more positive aspects of my daily life. So when I arrived on Sunday, I was prepared to be blown away. I thought I knew what I needed from this Urbana and I was ready to receive that from the Lord.

From day one, I realized that my prayer request was right on. It’s incredibly difficult not to have expectations when you have already done something. Yet, I was determined to try to stay positive and not to complain. After all, I had built up this week so much for my friends here and I did not want to speak critically and taint their experience. Within the first day, I felt the Lord whispering to me, “Carissa – it’s not bad; it’s different!” And soon I was aware that this time around, I was enjoying completely new things. Last time I raved about the worship but was too tired to enjoy much else, whereas this time I have loved the morning manuscript Bible studies and the arts seminars I am attending.

Though there have also been several challenges with this week so far, the Lord has shown me His abundant blessings in countless ways. Every day, small things have been making me blush as I realize how the Lord, who sent His son to dwell among us, cares about me individually and in the little things. Today, the gentle snowfall that we had prayed for reminded me that the Lord loves to bring joy to us even in something as simple as snow (for Floridians).

Then, the female percussionist of the Urbana worship team approached me from across the hotel lobby this morning. She also graduated from UCF and she saw my UCF sweatshirt. It’s hard to explain why this touched my heart. We have been blessed to stay in the hotel right across the street from the convention center which has resulted in more sleep, more consistency, a greater sense of community, and the chance to run into speakers, musicians, and other key players in the planning and execution of Urbana. For some reason, having this musician approach me based on a simple connection encouraged me that in the family of God, it is not our “statuses” that make us valuable. As I have watched her throughout the week, I have seen her heart to serve the Lord and to love His people and, this morning, she approached me as a sister-in-Christ, not as the “mini-celebrity” we sometimes make of speakers and musicians.

OGC family and friends, there are so many things I could say about the lessons I have learned through these past few days from speakers, from my friends here, and especially from the Lord, but I just want to leave you with this – though we think we know what we need or want from any aspect of our lives, the Lord’s sovereign plans coupled with His abundant love will provide more than we could dream or imagine. It certainly is not bad or weird; it’s different. But many times with God, be assured that different is really good!