A Thanksgiving Giveaway

Gratefulness swept over my heart as I opened my editor's email, revealing my article contracts for the upcoming year—a blessing and a gift. Another year of writing, of hearing amazing mission stories, of listening to the hearts of people across the globe and to the hearts of people just down the road. 

I don't take the writing opportunity for granted because one, my confidence level doesn't soar, and two, there are boo-koos of writers to fill my disposable shoes.

Every single story touches my heart, changes me, in one way or another. Thankful.

Two missions touched my heart so much that I've written novels about them. And I'm looking for a third idea, so if you know of a heart-touching mission, I'd love to hear about it.

Closing down my email, I realized that it's been 8 years since I've been writing for Woman's Missionary Union. Eight years. Thankful.

When I first received the invitation to write for WMU, it was July 4th weekend of 2008 and family was visiting. Excitement spiraled through me over the opportunity, but fear shook me.

My sister-in-law sat in the rocking chair next to me.

"I got asked to write a missions article. I don't know what to do," I said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'll be calling Africa, and talking to a 19-year-old young woman from Brazil. Her story is too important ... entrusted to me? I'm scared." Tears surfaced. "I'm scared I can't do it or won't do it justice. She deserves better than me."

"Shelli, you can do this." She smiled, rocking in that chair. "You can do this." Thankful.

And I've been doing this for 8 years. I can still hear that sweet girl's Brazilian accent ... and I'm so blessed to keep up with her on Facebook, all the way in Brazil now. Her mother even wrote to thank me for the article. Her letter was written in Portuguese, and I had to ask for an interpreter. Thankful.

When I receive the magazine that one of my articles is in ... my heart swells with gratitude. Seeing my work in print never gets old. But seeing God use the stories to bless people or encourage missions or support missions ... that's the sweetest. Thankful.

I'll tell you that sometimes I feel a tinge of guilt that I write about missions more than I do them. But my editor continually reminds me each year that writers are important ... that they help share what's happening in missions around the world. That it takes everyone doing their part. Thankful.

But I'll let you in on a little secret ... I've been a stay-at-home wife and mom for most of my adult life, and because of that, I've always had to watch each dime. And here's the secret—I look forward to the day that I can take a week or two mission trip overseas. What group will God have prepared for me? What will their sweet faces look like? What will their hugs feel like?

But missions is everywhere and needed everywhere. My latest November 2016 cover story is on missions here at home, in Philadelphia, about being thankful in tough times. There's much need all around us. And I have my sights set on a mission to help here in Texas ... I've just got to get in gear and join in.

So with this 8-year-mark, I want to shout out my gratitude—for writing opportunity, for God's undeserved grace and mercy, for so many things, but especially for you. Thank you for always reading my "scribblings" and supporting me. Even a "hello" brings so much encouragement along this journey. Thankful.

And because of that, I'm so excited to do a fun giveaway, offering two one-year subscriptions to Missions Mosaic magazine. If you have a heart for missions or have a family member who loves missions, this giveaway is for you. It's a perfect Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one.

What should you do to enter? 

Be a U.S. or Canadian resident and simply leave a comment in the comment section, stating that you'd like to be entered. Or hop over and leave a comment on my Facebook page or my Instagram @shelli_littleton ...

If you comment in three places, you can be entered up to 3 times, max. 

*2 Winners

And I'm so sorry that I can't offer the giveaway to my dear friends across the water. I so love you.

~~~

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

What are you most thankful for? Is there something you hope to do/accomplish one day?

*The giveaway will close November 17th at midnight Central Time and the winners will be announced on Nov 22nd. The subscriptions will be ordered immediately, just in time for Christmas.

More of the Story--Cleaning out the Closet

Just so you know, this may very well be one of my life's most embarrassing moments ... but some things, you just have to own ... ACB it ... admit, confess, and believe God will use it. 

"My first job, at only 15, entailed working at a five-and-dime. My tiny paycheck came by way of cash and loose change in a brown paper sack.

Christmas Eve had passed, and my boss divided the leftover Christmas candy that had never sold between us 5 employees. I was thrilled—kids and candy.

After work, I walked into my home with my bag of candy..."


Please join me for more of the story at WMU ... 

More of the Story--A Prayer Basket

" 'This is how we show others that we are praying for them,' said Ms. Donna some 15 years ago as she gathered all her Christmas cards received that year and placed them in a decorative basket."

 

*****

What do you do with the Christmas cards you received AFTER the holiday? This is what a dear, cherished friend does with hers ...

Join me for more of the story at WMU's website.

More of the Story--Keeping God's Appointments

"Girls loaded into van. All doors securely closed. Arriving at the nursing home and raring to go, we girls piled out of the van, hymnals in hand. Walking inside, we met 2 precious women at the dining table. 'May we sing for you?'

One eagerly smiled. The other voiced, 'I have a headache. No.' "

Please join me over at WMU's site for more of the story.

Blessed by you,
Shelli

More of the Story ... Motivation Through Remembrance

"Not getting back into the swing of things after Christmas is mind-boggling. For those of us who are active or have active children involved in functions, we seemingly have no choice.

But we can choose our attitude."

*****

Please join me over at WMU for more of the story.

Blessed by you,
Shelli

More of the Story - Relinquishing Your Rights

" 'Maybe we shouldn’t memorize so much lengthy Scripture this year,' I reluctantly suggested at the leader meeting."

*****

Please join me over at Woman's Missionary Union's blog for more of the story.

Blessed by you,
Shelli

More of the Story ...

" 'God had a radically different plan that would change our lives,' Lucy Tyler* shared.

The Tylers had a comfortable life in the States. But in 2011, God began speaking to them about those who have never heard the truth. The burden couldn’t be ignored."

*****

For more of the story—Lucy's story—please join me at WMU's Missions Mosaic website.

More of the Story ...

" 'Mom shed tears every time I returned to Colombia,' Kay Brown shared. 'But I loved my job there. I could share every day with someone about Jesus’ great love for them.' "

*****

If you'd like to hear more of the story—Kay's story—please join me over at WMU's Missions Mosaic website ...

Malta

If you got your hands on June's issue of WMU's Missions Mosaic magazine, on the precious missionary couple in Malta, you might want to read this update on the family.

Robin Pinkston shares more of the octopus story ...!

Fun!

Bluebonnet season is here!
I wanted to get a new photo for my blog site.

Taking pictures in the Bluebonnets would seem so simple.

But ... it's not.

Waiting for the right flower height,
a sunny day with no rain,
and no wind

can be a feat,
with only about a two week window of opportunity,
to boot.

Texas will seem dry as a bone
until the Bluebonnets come out.
April showers bring April flowers
in Texas,
regardless of what you've heard.

 

The day arrived.

And I thought you might be interested to see the fun

Bluebonnet Bloopers!

 

 

Not quite ready ...
 and are you sure you can't see the Tigger beach towel I'm sitting on?



Not quite ready ... and starting to get a little aggravated here ...
and the sun is so bright.



Oh, the wind ...



Repairing the wind damage ...



The wind again! More aggravated ...

 



Praying for the nightmare to end!

My attitude began going South
and
smelled a little like this ...

 

 

 

but we'll focus on the flower.

And then,

lo and behold,

you finally get a decent picture

but humidity has definitely taken hold ...
and this is partly why people think women in Texas
have big hair.
H-U-M-I-D-I-T-Y

 

 



 

And you realize the first one taken was basically the best.
Why didn't you just stop there?
Mercy.
(the lesson is never learned)
 



First one taken.

**

 

Another funny thing around our household ...

I have a ceramic eagle that I use throughout my book

in reference to a "bad gift."
See below ...

 

I had taken it down for a speaking engagement,

and look what filled its place ...

 



Day 1

Day 2

 



Aslan, our cat, is beginning to become a fixture around here.

 

**

 

Then, this little thing was just inches from me this week,

adding a new dimension to:

"if it had been a snake, it would have bit me!"

It's just a baby diamondback water snack ... I mean snake.

Don't worry ...
it's safe and sound
miles down the road!

**
 

The year's first scorpion was discovered

in Karalee's room.

She slept in Katelyn's room that night!
Unfortunately, it's not safe and sound.
And unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it,
but I do have a picture of the tiniest one we found last year ...
it's so tiny, it's almost cute:

This is a piece of a regular sized paper towel.

  

Oh, and I have a new article out in

WMU's Mission Mosaic magazine

titled,

"Bridging the Gap:

Friendships that Cross Age Lines."

If you'd like to order one,

go here.
I had the sweet chance to write about a very dear friend,
who is like an older sister to me ...

Ronda and me. And this is what humidity does to my hair
when I don't dry it with a hair dryer.

 

We went to Disney back in February.
I never had a chance to post any photos,
so here is my favorite photo ...

Pooh, me, and Tigger (hee, hee!) at the end of a very long day.
The best thing about this photo ... I didn't have to wait in line,
deal with the rain or the wind!

 

Blessings,
Shelli 

 

 





Unexpected

 

Forgive me.
It's unexpectedly been a while since I've written.

I unexpectedly found myself in the ER for an emergency appendectomy.

My appendix was spreading infection throughout my abdomen,
and it hadn't even ruptured.

That was totally unexpected.
I was unaware an appendix could do that.
Going in, all I knew was that there was a "soft mass" visible,
and something was blocking the view of my appendix.
Well, you know where my mind went.
But my precious surgeon put my mind at ease by stating,
"Shelli, this is not cancer;
this is your appendix spreading infection."
Praising the Lord she was right.
And what do you do when your anesthesiologist tells you to
think of the best dream ever? ...
Pray.
Waking to hear an infection from my appendix
was blocking the view of my appendix and
displacing minor organs was truly good news.

Recovery?
I've always heard people say:
it's harder to recover from surgery the older you get ...

They are right.

 

 

About to enter an ambulance to be transferred to the main hospital ...
an unexpectedly pleasant ride.

Arriving home from the hospital,
I was unexpectedly greeted at the mailbox by a copy of my cover story in
WMU's Mission Mosaic magazine.
It had escaped my memory due to sickness.
My article is titled Cultivating Faithfulness: WMU in the Philippines.
If you'd like a copy, it is the April 2014 edition.
Go here to order.

 

After arriving home from the hospital,
our beloved cat, Lucy, unexpectedly took a turn for the worse.
Oh, her health had been steadily declining,
but the timing seemed so horrid.
I was sick several days prior to surgery,
and I could tell she wasn't feeling well either.
Her eyes squinted. She was probably in pain.
She followed me everywhere, and she always wanted in my lap.
It got to the point if I went to another room,
I'd carry her with me.
She would just follow anyway.
I knew her strength was diminishing.
I was too weak to go to the vet with my family to have her put to sleep;
and I couldn't even walk out for her funeral that day.
My heart was broken.
I did not expect to love her so much.
But she had really grown on me.
I feel her brother, Aslan, is lost without her for the time being.
But I am so thankful to God for our precious eight years with her.




Lucy is the calico. Her brother, Aslan, is the orange tabby.

My baby girl also turned 14 after I came home from the hospital.
This was not unexpected,
but I had expected to plan a party for her.
I had to release my expectations
and allow my other daughter and my husband to take over all birthday preparations!
 That was not easy.
But I had no choice.
And she was a darling.

 

 

I spoke at a ladies' retreat this last weekend on surviving hardships.
After surgery, I didn't do much of anything or go hardly anywhere until the retreat ...
except for doctor appointments.
I knew I had to save my energy and be well.
God showed up as expected, but the degree of His love is always a little unexpected.
And then you smile and remember His faithfulness.

My mother and my oldest daughter went with me to help me out.
My daughter unexpectedly won the grand door prize of ...
a night for two at the hotel I spoke at!
Woohoo!
She says she is taking me with her ...
a night out for mom and daughter
when I am better.

I could never have made it through this time without God's love,
my beloved family, and the body of Christ.
You never expect to have to depend on people this much,
but what a blessing when they come through in such an amazing way.
And I'm so grateful.

 

 

Anything unexpected in your life?

Confessions of a Missions Writer

This blog post was written for Blooming with Joy's website

as a guest writer.
The "gift-a-way" is expired but ...

Re-posting it for anyone who may have missed it.

Blessed by you,

Shelli

Heart Confessions of a Missions Writer

By Shelli Littleton

Typhoon Haiyan pummeled my heart along with the Philippines. Why? I have had the privilege of interviewing missionaries there and sharing their stories with the world. A missionary friend wrote to assure me that she was back in the U.S. for a visit; she was safe from destruction. But where was her heart? Yes; she longed to return to the Philippines to help.

Love.

Yes, writing for Woman’s Missionary Union’s magazine, Missions Mosaic, keeps my heart feeling a broad spectrum of emotions. My most embarrassing moment, you might ask? I couldn’t retrieve an email from Melissa Moore … Beth Moore’s daughter! I couldn’t believe God had opened this sweet door for me to write on her Compassion International India trip, and I can’t get her email. My husband had set up “outlook” for my email. I had to actually go on-line to view her email, and it took me a while and my husband to figure this out. She was so gracious. Me? H-u-m-i-l-i-a-t-e-d! I no longer use “outlook.”

Grin.

My funniest moment happened while interviewing a young Brazilian missionary on mission in Africa. We spoke on the phone. Wow! She could speak a little English; I could speak no Portuguese. We laughed ourselves silly. Ending our conversation, I said, “I’ll let you go”; Texas translation: I would hang up the phone. And she laughed out loud. I realized she was thinking, “You’ll let me go … where?”

Doll.

My heart’s greatest overjoy was derived from Ron Hall, author of Same Kind of Different As Me. I had read the book, and Ron said he would do an interview. Thrilled! I couldn’t believe when my caller ID declared: Ron Hall. I told him his book made me want to give him and Denver Moore big hugs. During that same time, he came to my church to speak. Sheer God-thing. I had the opportunity to write yet another article on him for our church newsletter. When I walked into the Visitor’s Center where Ron was autographing books, he greeted me with a big hug. I was overjoyed and couldn’t function properly the entire day! He had not forgotten my request for a hug.

Precious.

When did my heart cry most? Challenged to write an article about a child forced into marriage and giving birth at ten years old brought me to tears. This precious child, who should have been chasing butterflies and dancing on her daddy’s toes, was living in a Nigerian, Muslim, lower-class society. Because her body was not ready for childbirth, she was left with a permanent limp and a chronic leakage of human waste. This is common. Their babies often die as they die to society. They are divorced … outcasts; but there is hope through Christ. One child said, “Rayuwu ba tare da Isa ba, ban’zane, na gan Isa, na taba shi, nakuma zama da shi,” which translates: “Life without Jesus is a miserable life. I have seen, touched, and even leave with your Jesus.”

Beautiful.

My most heart-humbling moments writing for WMU are when I am blessed to share my own personal hardships of infertility, miscarriage, daughter’s cancer battle at one year old, parents’ divorce, and adoption stories. I thank God for taking the very things Satan would have loved to have used to destroy me and using them for ministry.

Invaluable.

My future heart confession? My heart is breaking and overjoyed that my dearest friend is leaving on a jet plane this coming year for Asia. Though she will be missed terribly here, what I wouldn’t give to write an article on her work there!

Please, God?!

*Update ... my dear friend made it to East Asia, and I got to write that article on her. Glory.

WMU Articles

Hey y'all. I have a few more articles, interviewing missionaries across the globe, regarding times when God is silent.

West Africa

Peter Blackaby (relative to Henry Blackaby) in Canada

South Asia

Blessings,
Shelli

WMU-Missions Mosaic Articles Out Soon & Lambs

Here I am with my Barbie doll case and behind me
is my much cherished farm! There would be
no possible way to count how many times
that farm door said, "Moo!"

Hey! Hope May brings you lots of flowers and sunshine. I just wanted to share that I have two articles out in the upcoming June issue of Missions Mosaic. One is on glorifying God through hardships, and the other is on surviving your parents' divorce. I definitely know a little something about both of those. And just to let you know my heart, I cannot read the one on surviving my parents' divorce without tears dropping from my eyes. Though God has healed my heart tremendously from that event at the age of 8, at times it is like a fresh wound. However, if you have endured the same, I pray you are blessed and your heart is touched through the article ... that the Lord will pour out healing on your precious heart.

Go here if you'd like to order a copy. Or call 1-800-968-7301. Remember, it is the June 2013 issue.

Just one more thing ... we have added two baby lambs to our family - Bindi and Sandy! You wouldn't believe the effort we have made to get two lambs, unused to human touch, to love on us and allow us to love on them. We have worked hard. And it has paid off. In less than a week, they are feeding out of our hands. Yahoo!

Katelyn and Sandy

Karalee and Bindi

Much love and "hay,"
Shelli

April 2013 Missions Mosaic-WMU

Hey sweet friends! Just a heads up that I have two articles in the April 2013 issue of Missions Mosaic (WMU). Go here if you'd like to order a copy. Or call 1-800-968-7301. My first article is a "Missionary Focus" article on a precious couple from Southeast Asia. I got to Skype them ... an amazing and fun experience! Y'all, they have been there since 1986, the year I graduated high school. Gracious! Amazing service and amazing people.

Then, my second article is on "how to cope through a child's life-threatening illness" ... if you know anyone with sick children, I think this article would really help and encourage them. I have lived it, you guys ... our daughter had a kidney tumor (cancer) back in 2001. She was just a year old then.

Much love,
shelli

Happy New Year 2013!

February 2013 Issue

Just wanted you to know that I have a new "Cover Story" out with WMU's Missions Mosaic magazine, February 2013 issue, titled "Great Return" sharing how Women on Mission groups are aiding Christian Women's Job Corps (CWJC). If you would like to get your hands on a copy call 1-800-968-7301 or go to the WMU website to order one.

More Mission Articles

Hey! I have a few new articles out ... some great mission stories around the globe and home.

"Yes, They Can!" in South Africa

Rain from Heaven in South Asia

A Karenni Child Says, "Jesus"

I know you'll be blessed!

Love, Shelli

Missionary Snapshot Articles

Hey! Just wanted those of you who love to read on missionaries to know that I have a few new articles out.

Up on the Roof in South Asia - http://wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/feature/roof-south-asia

The Deliverer and Texas Port Ministry - http://wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/feature/deliverer-and-texas-port-ministry

Reaching Middle Easterners in the Heart of Dallas - http://wmu.com/index.php?q=blog/adults/feature/reaching-middle-easterners-heart-dallas

Be ever so blessed by these precious missionaries here in the U.S. (NAMB) and abroad (IMB).
Love,
Shelli

Human Trafficking

I have a new article out on human trafficking - Human Trafficking: Are you Willing to Risk the "Dare"?

And if you get a chance, read this older article (Not for Sale: The Fabric of One Cambodian Woman's Life) that I wrote about how women are taking a stand and saying, "I'm not for sale and neither is my family."

Love, Shelli

Disaster Relief - In the Name of Love

My first "cover story" is here! How thrilling! Call 1-800-968-7301 (Woman's Missionary Union) if you'd like to order one or more copies of this February issue of Missions Mosaic! Y'all ... in case you ever doubted for a second ... God is so awesome! And again, thank you for your precious prayers while I worked on this. You will meet four amazing women ... one survived the Alabama tornado and three served the survivors.

Missions Mosaic (WMU) February 2012 Issue


There is also an amazing article on Dr. Martha Myers written by Ann Knowles called "Living the Dash." Martha Myers (1945 - 2002) ... she was slain because of her love for Jesus. You will be greatly blessed by this article.