The next BIG thing...November ministry update

Here about the next project we're working on and how God is coming through in BIG ways!
Watch it now: http://youtu.be/OCMZjucXtlQ

The Praying Child

Think about it. All the essential habits of life are learned in childhood. It is a rare person who learns how to brush their teeth or tie their shoes in adulthood.

Why would learning spiritual habits be any different?

Teaching children how to pray and communicate with God at a young age lays a foundation for the rest of their lives.

Read this great blog from WMU on how to begin incorporating prayer into your family routine.

Get the article here: Teaching Children How to Pray

You're best $7

Prayer is an important  habit to build into the lives of children.
How great when we challenge a child to think about others they have never met.

Use these two fantastic resources from Pioneers to help lead your child in praying for unreached peoples using the acronym THUMB (Tribal, Hindu, Unreligious, Buddhist, Muslim)

It will be the best $7 you ever spent!

THUMB Coloring Book
.99 cent download
Click here to order

THUMB Prayer Cards
$6.00 + Shipping
Click here to order

August Ministry Update

Prayer update

The words of Theodore Roosevelt hang above my computer screen. This morning, like many mornings, I spend a few moments reflecting on them as the resonnate with my heart:

 

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

 

Lately, I feel like that man...the one in the arena, face marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, though errs and comes short again and again. My role as the new Director of Children and Family Mobilization is in full swing, and I feel the weight of it. As we sit at the drawing board, trying to brain storm a name for our ministry and work out ideas for our next project, I am stretched on every level. Like a child walking around in her daddy's shoes, I feel the growth I need to fulfill this position.

And so I stretch. I say with Paul, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them —yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." (1 Corin 15:10). I read. I ask questions. I fall on my knees in prayer. I give everything I have, leaving everything on the table. I never stop believing that God is able. That He confides in those He loves. That in the end we will see the lives of families transformed.

PRAY for me during this season of stretching and learning, asking our Father for greater grace, strength, and stamina.

PRAY for creativity, insight, and wisdom as we work out our next full-time project, wrap up the Perspectives family take home sheets...and that the Lord would give our ministry a name!

PRAY to the Lord of the Harvest for more laborers to complete our children's family team, as we seem to be losing the few people we do have.

PRAY for sweet intimacy with Him after a long and busy summer. I need to be filled so I can empty myself again. Next week, on August 22nd, I celebrate 10 years of walking with Jesus. I am taking the afternoon off to head to a nearby lake and celebrate with my Savior...PRAY that my time will fuel me for the season ahead as I reflect on all He has done.

 

Slowly, my support team is growing. I am back up to the $2800 in commitments I was out when I moved here almost a year ago (can you believe it...almost a year!). I am working to raise the remaining $800 a month needed to get to my new budget.

PRAY for a God's blessing and provision over my current financial partners, that God would continue to give them joy and provision as the partner with me

PRAY for God's continual provision of my daily bread and the remaining $800 a month needed to be fully funded. I am asking for 8 people at $100 a month.

May your heart be filled with great faith today in the one who is able to do more than we ask or imagine...so that even if you fail, you fail while daring greatly.

 

FOR our KING and HIS KINGDOM!

 

"Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God." -William Carey

Pray for your kids!

How to be an Olympic Mother

I'm not mom. I just dream to be one. But when I find great material on motherhood, I can't help but pass it on. It is my job afterall..to inspire mom's to raise strong and purposeful arrows. :)

Check out this blog from InspiredtoAction. Great material. Be inspired. Be encouraged.

I’ve been equally inspired by and distracted by the Olympics the last few weeks.
I have been staying up way too late and not getting enough done. But at the same time, I am so inspired watching the focus, commitment and passion of each athlete.
I love how their dedication to excellence defies the modern idea that we can have it all.

I know it may look to the average watcher like they have it all – fame, fitness, achievement – but the only reason they have those big things is because they gave up so many small (and not so small) things along the way.
They have given up, over an over, the things they want in exchange for the things they dream.
They don’t watch HGTV marathons. They don’t eat ice cream or snacks at their leisure. They don’t sleep in or stay up late.
The pattern of their lives has been to surrender their wants for their dreams.
The trajectory of their entire lives led to this one moment. What they ate, how much they slept, how they spent their time, how much they pursued pain because they knew Gold was on the other side.

It’s All About The Start

One of my favorite things to watch is the way each athlete preps for their event.Some listen to music. Some talk to themselves. Others seem to stare into oblivion with a focus and intensity that could burn a hole through anything that gets between them and the Gold medal.
No one is checking their phone, leisurely chatting with others or nibbling on a bag of chips. That would be ridiculous.
They are at the Olympics. This is the moment of urgency. All the training they’ve been doing their entire lives comes down to right now and they’ll stop at never.
There is no sacrifice without urgency.
Hours upon hours upon hours they spent on meticulous and mundane things like the way they start, the line of their arms, the way they breathe, and how they finish. They work for years in anonymity, early mornings, financial sacrifice and physical pain.
Being an Olympian really isn’t that different from being a mother.
But perhaps it’s easier to sacrifice when you’re standing at the starting blocks of your Olympic dream, but when you’re a mom and there are 5 long hours until nap time and 18 years to get the job done, it’s hard to feel the same sense of urgency.
And yet, in mother time, 5 hours and 5 years seem to go by equally. It is no sooner nap time as it is graduation day.
So, now is the time to make all those choices we hope our future selves will make. Now is the time to stop saying we’ll do better tomorrow, because we said that yesterday.
Now is the time to embrace the timeless urgency of motherhood, trade in our wants for our dreams and trade in regrets for Gold.

{This is where I put my hands on your shoulders, look you in the eye and say, “You’ve got this! Now go be awesome!” Fist bump.}

Oh yeah, there’s gonna be some well loved kids today.

Cue “The Eye of the Tiger…”
By Kate Lee @  http://inspiredtoaction.com/

Ramadan...challenge your kids to engage with the world

Rashid excitedly follows his father and uncles to the mosque. He has joined in prayer with the men before, but this time is different. He’s finally old enough to participate fully in the fast of Ramadan, the most holy month on the Muslim calendar. As his stomach growls in protest, Rashid realizes it has been hours since his predawn meal. His stomach will just have to wait until sunset, the time he will enjoy a meal with his family. But it is worth it. Rashid remembers his father’s words: “Fasting is an expression of our faith, a form of worship, and a way to please Allah.” Entering the cool interior of the mosque with the others, Rashid imagines other Muslim boys all around the world. Like him, they are observing the fast, going to the mosque in their town, and seeking to please Allah. Ramadan This year, Ramadan is July 20-August 18. Join millions of Christians worldwide in praying for the Muslim world during this period. The 30-Days Prayer Network produces a printed “Just for Kids” booklet for children and families on Muslim people groups in many countries with information, activities, and prayer points. It's also available as adownload. To teach your children more about this important Muslim observance and what the Bible says about the purpose of fasting, download the free Ramadan Basics. Also, check out Meet Noor, a 30-minute lesson for ages 5-7 about a Muslim girl in Pakistan. *From Stand4Kids newsletter, www.stand4kids.org

Great Mission Stories- now available as ebooks!

The award-winning TRAILBLAZERS are action-packed historical fiction novels introducing great Christian heroes. Each page-turning book portrays a significant period in a hero or heroine's life and ministry as seen through the eyes of a young protagonist. A page in the front of each book explains exactly what is fiction and which events and characters are historical, and a “More About” chapter at the end provides a brief biographical overview of the hero's life. We want kids to learn about pioneer missionaries and other important Christians . . . and have fun doing it.

These great books are now available as ebooks! Right now, you can get all 40 titles for .99c ents a piece. A must have for every family library!

Click here to take advantage of this great deal!

100 Days of Prayer

One of my new years resolutions was to build better habits, one of which was intentional, committed prayer for major things going on in my life. I didn't start to well, so I created this handy tool to help guide my course. So 11 days ago I began 100 days of prayer, asking God to get me back to 100% fully funded in 100 days.

And it got me thinking....You could use this with kids to help them pray for the world!
Here's what I did.

Step 1: Make a jar to place your prayer notes in. I used a cashew jar and just designed a label and glued it on.

Step 2: Create 100 prayer slips. I fit 6 on a page. I labled them Day 1 through 100. Then I just gave a kick off sentence, "Today I pray..."

Step 3: Each day, write out your prayer. I date my slips and fill them with my thoughts, prayers, lists, and verses God is speaking to me. You could use this to help your kids pray for the nations. You would write "Today I pray for China..." and then jot down some prayer points or journal them out (depending on age). Then place them in the jar!

I keep my jar and prayer cards where I can easily access them each day. I'm looking forward to looking back through them 100 days from now and seeing how God responded and worked!

Promotion of Honor

This week marked 5 years in full time missions, and Friday I was offered the position as Director of Children's Mobilization. I am SO honored and humbled, amazed at what God has done and is doing in my life. 


Join me in praying that God would give me the wisdom and strength to serve this role well and carry this ministry into the future!

Families in Mission

A New Purpose.

When I  started this blog 3 years ago, I intended to use to keep my faithful supporters updated on my ministry. I have not done such a good job of that... a part from the occasional newsletter upload. However, I discovered pinterest just a few weeks ago. I've spent many weekend hours looking up new crafts and techniques to become better organized. Through that process, I have discovered so many blogs...all by women, most moms, sharing their life with others.

I started to wonder...how many of these blogs, although great, share ideas on how to not just organize our kids, but to equip and engage them in the Kingdom. So I started a new board on pinterest and started pinning what I could find. There wasn't much. So it's time to put this cyber vacant spot to use. Each week, I'm going to aim to share some project/idea/video/resource that will help both you parents and teachers have the tools you need to "train up their kids in the way they should go," as well as keep you updated on the growing ministry

Thank you for your faithful support!

Until the whole world hears,
Carissa

DiscipleLand, CMTA, and more!

Spring brings new flowers, warm sun, and LOTS of ministry opportunities!
Check out what's happen this month and how you can be praying with me!

Check it out by clicking here.

God at work

Just helped a Perspectives coordinator, quote "see the value of going beyond childcare to actually engage kids in learning about God's heart for the world along side their parents," AND found out another ministry is going to publish my article on their website! Encouraged by how God is using me today!

Welcome to 2012!



A new year has kicked off here in the mobilization department of the US Center for World Mission.
We are already busy diving into amazing opportunities to mobilize children and their families.
Will you join me in praying for these up coming events?



January 17th...Teacher's Training at Grace Church
This coming Tuesday I will be the guest speaker at a Children's Ministry volunteer training at Grace Church in Bentonville, Arkansas. I will be teaching a segment on the lies children believe. Pray that these teachers and 
helpers will be encouraged, challenged and equipped!

January 19th...Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Begins! 
Next Thursday, the Perspectives course begins. I will be taking this class along side teammates Emily and Tanja. Each week, we will work to break down the lessons into a "database" of resources to better equip parents and kids to understand God's heart for the nations.

January 26th...Children's Mobilization Vision Day #2 
From 9-2pm, our team of 5 will be gathering again for a focused day of seeking and asking. We will spend time continuing to work through questions regarding how to be most effective in this new ministry and discussing in more detail what we are already working on in 2012 and what else is of top priority. Pray for unity and wisdom, as well as unhindered creativity as dream together.

Financial Partnership:
 For a tax-deductible receipt you may send financial gifts to USCWM Ministry Accounts, PO Box 3586, Fayetteville, AR 72702, or go online to www.perspectives.org/giveonline.  You may make checks payable to USCWM MA 164 so it is directed toward the ministry of Carissa Potter in Children's Mobilization. I currently need approximately $540 more each month to continue building the ministry in 2012.