Order Your Copy, "The Preacher's Wife" & Merry Christmas!

I feel incredibly blessed to be writing for Woman's Missionary Union. My favorite part is delving into missionaries' lives and sharing with our world what they are doing or experiencing - their courage, their unselfish love for others, their hardships, their triumphs. It usually goes like this: I receive a connection with a missionary ... I send them a questionnaire ... they return their answers ... tears well-up in my eyes as I pour over their precious answers ... I beg God to give me guidance on how to write about their amazing, sacrificial lives ... and God always delivers. He is our Deliverer, in every way.

I am now writing for WMU's magazine, Missions Mosaic. I have a cover story coming out February 2012, and because so many of you were praying for me as I endeavored to write this, I wanted to let you all know in case you would like to order a copy. Go here if you would like to order a subscription. I have never ordered a single copy before, but there is a phone number to call if you just wanted one issue instead of a year.

Our Christmas tree -
courtesy of Karalee and Katelyn

Without revealing too much, I will let you know that I was very blessed in this article to interview some very special women, including a very special lady, Lisa McKay. Some of you may better know her as "The Preacher's Wife." She is an author (You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes), a beautiful lady, and a survivor of the terrible storms and tornadoes that tore through Alabama April 27, 2011. I know you will be blessed by this article ... blessed by her story. And sweet Lisa, thank you for trusting me to share a fraction of your story through your storm.

I just received my Missions Mosaic January issue ... so the February issue will probably be out in only four weeks. So, act quickly. And remember when you support WMU, you support IMB and NAMB missionaries. A subscription also makes a very nice Christmas gift for a loved one or yourself; I just ordered this as a Christmas gift for my mother.

Christmas lights barely hanging on. Courtesy of Aslan.

I am showing you a picture of our Christmas tree that our girls assembled almost entirely by themselves. The bottom branches are extremely low, courtesy of our two cats (tree-climbers), Aslan and Lucy. And if you wonder why the tree isn't lying on the floor, that is courtesy of my husband who made a cement block years ago to maintain the tree (the tree pole is "stuck" in the middle of that cement block). The cement is sturdy and keeps the tree upright, regardless of the critter that ventures to climb it. The limbs may sag, but that tree is not going anywhere. We desperately need a new tree, as this one is fairly old, but we are sentimental souls. The girls have been leaving their marks with colors on the Christmas tree box since they were babies. By the way, do you see the kittie under the tree posing as a Christmas gift (in picture to the right)?

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

May you know Jesus today as your Counselor, your Fortress and Deliverer, your Father, your Knight in Shining Armor. And may the Lord be the one who maintains you this season, regardless of surrounding circumstances. And if I'm not back on here before Christmas, I wish you a very "Merry Christmas."

With all my love,
Shelli