Hands Headlines

The video only takes 3 minutes to watch in entirety. It was created by CommonCraft. You can view the original on the CommonCraft site or read a transcript of the video.

This is the BEST NON-TECHNICAL EXPLANATION of how to stay updated on your favorite web sites. If you have ever wished, “Boy, I wish there were a simple way that my favorite web site would notify me whenever they post new stuff,” then this video is for you!

It explains how to use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to stay updated. Almost all new web sites are offering free RSS Feeds (or syndications).

RSS Subscription Feed for HandsHeadlines.com is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HandsHeadlines

Why not use what you learn in the video above to stay updated on HandsHeadlines.com? It’s one of your favorite sites, I’m sure!

Again, the video is super simple. It’s called “RSS in Plain English.” This is not for geeks. Normal people will like it.

If you are thinking, “I just want to stay updated by email, that’s all.” Then there is a different free service you may want to check out offered by a web site called FeedBlitz.com See our post about it here.

We have some special needs related to our travels to the training events this summer. See the details about these on our previous post. Would you pray that the Lord would provide?

If He directs you to help financially, you can give a gift in a variety of ways. See our donations page.

All of these travel and conference expenses are totally reimbursable IF we have extra donations come in to cover them. These are not regular budgeted expenses so therefore are not included as part of our monthly financial support.

Here’s the scoop on exactly what we need:

About $2,875 for gas, lodging, food, and training event costs.
Since this trip will cover about 4,000 miles round trip, that works out to about 72cents per mile. Any gift of any amount would be appreciated. If you want to give very specifically, then . . .
$72 will cover about 100 miles.
$360 will cover about 500 miles.
$720 will cover about 1,000 miles.
$1,440 will cover about 2,000 miles.
$2,875 covers the whole trip.

Thank you for praying about this. Our first hope is that the Lord would receive all the credit and glory regardless of how He responds. As always, we walk by faith with another great opportunity to trust Him with the details of our life!

To sum up: The Lord God heard all our prayers and He answered! . . .And He answered even beyond what we prayed for!

Sold Our House
We asked you to pray that our house in Mableton would sell by Columbus Day (October 9th). The people buying our house came to see it the day before Columbus Day and gave us a formal offer two days after Columbus Day! Please pray that the closing goes well - it was scheduled for November 8th but has been postponed a day or two due to some technicalities (incomplete paperwork) on the buyers’ side.

Support Provided
We still need approximately $200 per month more to be at our minimum goal, but compared to where we were support-wise a year ago, it is simply amazing! What’s even more amazing is how God provided again and again through unexpected and unplanned avenues. Praise the Lord!

Home in Orlando
It’s still coming together, but it looks like we will be able to purchase a new home in Orlando which is within walking distance of Campus Crusade for Christ Headquarters!! Originally, the price of this home was way more than we could afford. After they accepted our low-ball offer, we can only give credit to the power of prayer through God’s amazing kindness. See more.

Turkey on Columbus Day?

  Albeit only October, we had a small Thanksgiving service at the Hand house this evening.  After praying for our faith goals for the last 40 days or so, we have so much to be thankful for!  

  Many prayers – specific prayers – have been answered.  Yet the best result we’ve seen is that our hearts have grown peacefully more confident in our Father and His great love for us!  He is a God of grace.  Truly, although He was rich, he became poor for our sake, so that through his poverty we might become rich.  If our lives are gripped with this simple truth, everything else falls into place.

Answered Prayers
These are the results of your labors of prayer!  Give thanks to God with us for what He has done so far. . .and we believe there’s more to come!

• Almost $800 in monthly support has been provided in about the last 40 days.
• Over $400 in commitments have come in just the last 5 days!
• We’ve been introduced to and personally spoken with 27 new potential financial partners in the last month.  With busy schedules, that is a miracle in and of itself!
• About 90 new people have joined our prayer team this year – approximately 30 new in the last 40 days.  It’s no coincidence many more prayers are being answered!

There are amazing stories behind several of these new commitments.  Too much to share here right now.


Inside the Ballpark

• About $250 in monthly support is still needed at this point.  With at least 2 people still praying about their decision and several more potential partners we have yet to contact, there’s great hope this remaining amount will be provided.
• After conferring with our leaders in Orlando, we are close enough to our goal to begin tentative plans to move!!  Perhaps as early as next month.

House Update

• Several of you know that a realtor showed our house to a couple Sunday – while we were at church which allowed us to recruit even more people to pray for it to turn out well!  This particular couple had seen our house once before and returned for a second showing.
• We did get word that the realtor called our agent with a few “standard fare” questions about our house on Sunday, and did not indicate one way or another what they were thinking.
• Our agent will check back with them soon.
• Please keep praying!  This is our biggest need right now – for our house to sell.

 
Needed Break

• Early Wednesday morning we are leaving for a needed break!  This is a trip we had planned a few months ago yet it is coming at a great time.  The Hand Clan will be visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Washington D.C., plus several friends and family in Virginia.  It should be an educational and fun time for our family.
• We’re planning to return around October 20th.  After then we’ll begin ramping up towards our move.
• Pray that we’ll be refreshed and have some good ‘down time.’
• Pray that the Lord will continue to do miracles while we are gone.  Specifically, that the house will sell.

Thanks a TON for your persevering prayer.  The Lord is answering!!

Only by God’s amazing works:


(A geographic representation of how much support we still need in order to move.)

 We’re getting pretty close to our goal!  The Lord has ‘floored us’ with some huge, generous, unexpected commitments this week.  

Approximately $250/month is the minimum still needed as of this afternoon.  Keep praying for October 9th – Columbus Day – that’s this coming Monday!

Still waiting on the buyer for our house to show up at our front door any moment now!! (And with the way God is responding, this could very well be.)  Again, this will only happen by God’s grace and His perfect intervention.  

The sale of our house seems to be the most pressing need we have right now.  Could you please pray throughout this weekend?  Ask the Lord to send the right person, ready to make an offer by Monday!  We join you in praying boldly.

More updates will follow this one right here on HandsHeadlines.  These updates should give credit to the Lord for specific answered prayer.  Already, some stories we have to share are truly incredible.

Of course we won’t leave you hanging on Monday - we’ll try our best to send out another email and post the progress update here.  Other posts could come before and after Monday, but we probably won’t notify everyone by email for these.  If you’d like to find out how to see automatic notices of new posts on HandsHeadlines, go to this page on our site:  http://handsheadlines.com/2006/07/05/whats-rss/

Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying!!

Just Ten Days till Columbus Day!

We’re hoping to celebrate Columbus Day - for the first time ever, maybe - and certainly like never before.  After pursuing the Lord for these faith goals for many months, we’re still hopeful that He will supply the remaining needs by October 9th.  Yet, there’s still a long way to go - a miraculous amount to be accomplished in such a short time.

Pray for the Lord to do even more than this list asks, but here are the basics:

• Ask God to respond in ways that make Him the center of attention - and will remind others of His true character and purposes.
• Specifically, by October 9th, pray that the Lord would choose to provide the right people to give joyfully.  We currently still need a minimum of $746 in monthly commitments.
• Not only pray that God will provide the right people, but also pray that we would be able to talk to these people in person.  Pray that when we call people, we would not get a voicemail message, but get to talk.  Also pray we could talk to many face to face.
• Would God use you to answer some of these prayers?  Let us know if you can introduce us to someone who would like to learn more about what God is doing in our ministry (no obligation to give).  
• If you are already giving regularly to our ministry, would the Lord have you increase your giving?  Perhaps even by $10 or $20 per month or $100 per year?
• Another huge need is for God to supply a buyer for our house here in Mableton.  We aren’t able to look at houses in Orlando until our house here sells.  Pray that the person God wants to live here next will see our house and give us an offer by October 9th.
• Pray that the Lord would prepare us to move.  We feel prepared but there are hundreds of details that must be taken care of. 
• Pray for our whole family to walk closely with Jesus.
• Pray that we would praise the Lord for His pure greatness, regardless of what happens on Columbus Day.

So, To Recap:


1)  Minimum Support Needed:  $746 in monthly commitments (or annual equivalents).  Works out to just about 10 new people at $75/month.

2)  House:  Would like to have a buyer by October 9th.

As of this morning, here’s where we’re at:

(Not geographically, but as a representation of how much support we still need in order to move.)

Story of Jesus for Kids

“Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’

 7″The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’

 8″But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

 9″Here’s what I’m saying:

   Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open.

 10-13″Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”

Luke 11:5-13 (The Message)

This passage has really spoken to us over the last several months.  Looking back on our prayer requests from January, our thoughts were framed around this passage.  It’s neat to see several of those requests being answered.

Pretty much the entirety of 2006 so far for us has been comprised of asking, seeking and knocking.  He loves to provide what we need. But often He is much more concerned with the process of us learning to trust Him than providing the simple things we need.  That’s where the persistence in asking comes in.  And persistent praying.  And waiting.

As of today, we still need over $900 in monthly support to meet our minimum goal and our house is still sitting here unsold in a sluggish real estate market.

No doubt God can accomplish the two items mentioned above, but it appears He wants to make it an absolute miracle:

I’ve invited 20 new people in the last three weeks to join our partnership team.  Two people have committed finances.  A couple more are still praying about it.  We still need about more 12 people to join us at $75/month.  Or 9 people at $100/month.  Or 18 people at $50/month.  You get the picture.

Whatever number it is, that’s at least a dozen more people than I know to ask at this point.  I am really just about out of contacts.  . . . Again.

Sometimes I feel like everyone I know plus the dog next door has heard my story, vision for ministry, Campus Crusade’s goals for the Great Commission and an invitation to join our support team.

At least the dog next door is easy to get an appointment with.

God is not slow to keep His promises.  Nor is He reluctant to do so.  He even ENJOYS answering in ways that seem impossible.  Like getting my introverted self to actually enjoy finding and meeting 20 new people (many more than that in the last year).  Or finding someone who would love to buy our house when seemingly hardly anyone is even looking.

Last Friday, at about 5pm, just when I was realizing “I have called everyone possible I know to call for our partnership team” (I was thinking of visiting the dog next door again), I received an email from a friend.  I’d asked this friend two months ago to introduce me to some of his close friends who might like to meet us and learn about our ministry.  He had agreed enthusiastically when I’d asked him, so I was assuming the best.  I even left him SIX voicemail messages last week.  (Hey, the Scripture says to ask persistently!)

So, in the email, my friend listed four families he had called for me.  He had spoken to each one, and given me a great introduction.  They were expecting my call.  So, I had four new people to call this weekend!  Another Ephesians 3:20 moment.

I ramble on.  All of this is to say:  PLEASE continue to pray with us and don’t give up.

Will God do it by October 9th?  All He is telling me is to keep asking, seeking and knocking.  Either way, He is so good.  And it’s a joy to trust Him rather than to anxiously wonder if my efforts are good enough.

We’ll keep ya posted.  Thanks for listening and to God be the glory. 

“We’re called to do the work of God, but only God can do it. That’s why we pray. We’re called to do the impossible, but only God can do it. He’s got us again. . . If the Holy Spirit doesn’t do it, there’s nothing to it.” - Armin Gesswein*
from Everything by Prayer: Armin Gesswein’s Keys to Spirit-Filled Living by Fred Hartley III

*During the late 1940’s, little known Lutheran pastor Armin Gesswein started the dynamic prayer ministry that launched the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades in Los Angeles. He was a mentor and inspiration to many of the great Christian leaders of our generation, including Billy Graham and Dr. Bill Bright. Gesswein entered heaven in 2001.

FAITH GOAL
Shannon and I have prayed and talked, and feel like the Lord wants us to trust Him to have everything we need to move to Orlando by October 9th. T-Minus 30 days and counting!

What does “everything” include?
A) New financial supporters. We still need a minimum of $900 monthly in commitments.
B) Our house in Mableton sold.

Only God can accomplish these things. As we think about it, since we have so little direct control over A or B, it almost sounds ridiculous to think all this could happen in less than four weeks.

We literally have no idea where the new supporters will come from. God will simply have to introduce us and bring into our lives those whom He has prepared to share in our ministry.

So, again: only God can accomplish these things! Amen?

That’s why we ask you to pray with us each day through October 9th. Please let us know if you are praying specifically in this way. Simply ask God to show up in a God way - beyond our feeble efforts and beyond human understanding. As the quote above suggests, asking for anything less is asking for trouble.

The Lord has given us favorable progress in providing the new financial supporters to enable our move to Orlando.

As we’re learning: relationships with people sustain us in ministry for the long haul. That is ultimately what we need: Relationships with people who want to be involved in our lives and ministry through their heart and treasure. (According to Jesus, heart and treasure are very related!)

Building relationships takes time. Yet, we’re still very eager to move to Orlando within a few weeks.

Please continue to pour on your prayers that the Lord will lead us to the remaining 17 or 18 financial/prayer partners we need to meet our minimum goal!

Check our progress below.


(For those of you who like to do the math: Orlando is about 450 miles from Atlanta; We’ve seen the Lord provide about $1250 out of the needed $2400/month in additional support; . . . so the corresponding ratio yields 230 miles traveled out of the total 450!)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44

Preaching to the choir usually is inherently unhelpful, can appear illogical and comical, and also can get you in trouble. Yet, that is what I am embarking on with this blog post. Hopefully it won’t get me into too much trouble, and perhaps it will even go against the normal trend and be somewhat helpful.

Over the past several months, we’ve been working full time on developing new financial support for our ministry. Raising support has consumed our time and efforts not just this year alone, but in several seasons throughout many of the last 14 years on staff with Campus Crusade. You could say it is a normal way of life for us.

All of that is to say that we have learned a thing or two (and have a LOT more to learn) about giving and receiving.

We’re convinced that most, if not all of our ministry supporters do give joyfully. Very joyfully.

Therefore this topic will appear to be preaching to the choir and thus my disclaimers above. Nevertheless. . . I know that sometimes the best sermons I hear are those that I preach and re-preach to myself! So, I need to hear this even if others don’t:

Here is a common thought which creeps up in my mind when opportunities arise to give to the Lord’s work:

“Hmmmm. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Joyful giving. . . . Giving joyfully. Isn’t this one of those huge oxymorons we have just come to accept? How could I possibly gain more joy (not decrease it) by giving away my money?? Isn’t giving just one of those ‘necessary evils’ that we just have to do in order to obey God? Like eating brussels sprouts and broccoli and saying that those items made the meal even more tasty?”

It is true that Jesus commands us to give. And, everything on earth - including all ‘my’ money – belongs to Him.

But let’s look at the heart behind the imperative to give. When we look at all that Jesus had to say about money and giving, we find something very interesting. Jesus says that the type of giving which pleases Him actually increases my joy and my treasure. This is a radical thought in our money-driven culture. It is quite the opposite concept of financial investments. Investing increases my treasure on earth. Giving decreases my treasure on earth yet increases my ultimate joy.

Jesus says it is also possible to give out of a pseudo-type of obedience, yet without joy and without increasing your treasure. Notice several times He tore apart the Pharisees and religious leaders (could be just like me) for . . .tithing! Giving or tithing out of this weak and impure motive does not result in more joy and obviously is displeasing to the Lord.

Joyful giving is a stark contrast. It is defined by a heart attitude which is a result of God’s amazing, powerful grace. Joyful giving is an overflow or result of Jesus’ initiative to seek me out and love me – while I was yet a sinner. He gave first. Anything I give is the result of His magnanimous first gift.

When I see God and new life in Him as the ultimate treasure, my financial giving is a mere token of gratitude I can afford for Him. The parable of the man who found the hidden treasure sheds light on this: In his joy (emphasis mine), he liquidated his assets in order to buy the field where his treasure was hidden. Jesus introduces this parable by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like . . .” If earthly treasure hidden in a field adds value and joy to our life, how much more will the heavenly treasures in His Kingdom bring us?

Jesus puts it this way: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The real treasure is God Himself – our all-sufficient source of satisfaction for every desire we have. Scripture says we have this treasure in our hearts. We already have the deposit guaranteeing our eternal joy! Giving to the Lord is one heart exercise for this life on earth which lets us experience that joy here and now.

Of course, I give intellectual assent to the fact that heavenly treasure is more valuable than earthly treasure. Yet, do I truly believe it? Often I find myself living more like the man who accumulated earthly treasures until he had to tear down his barns and build bigger ones in order to store all of his ‘stuff.’

So how do I get more joy through giving? Only through a grace-based relationship with the Treasure Himself – Jesus. Mere happiness can be found almost anywhere – especially in the “you can buy anything right now with zero down” instant-gratification world we live in. Yet, true lasting joy is only found by enjoying the Joy-Giver Himself.

Just some thoughts as I preach to the choir and myself. Thanks for listening.

[Notes: I give great credit to Dr. John Piper who influenced my thoughts on this subject through his audio sermon “Treasures in Heaven.” You may read the sermon transcript on Dr. Piper’s site or download the audio sermon here.]