Wise WOMEN (of the Mini variety)

Hello, my Mini-Women! Happy Epiphany Season! I'll explain what that means in a minute (in case you don't already know). But first I want to thank you all so much for your prayers. I KNOW they're a big part of why I'm getting better so fast. You are the BEST.

I also want to say "Good job!" for carrying on so well and so patiently while I've been recovering. You prayed for each other and helped each other out, and I'm thinking that's how the Body of Christ works. Usually I list all the prayer requests but since it's been more than a few days since I've been able to do that, I'm going to trust you to skim through the comments and pray where you're led. We'll get back to our regular routine on that Thursday. How does that sound?

    One prayer request I do want to point to, though, and that's for MENE who's going into the hospital for surgery and won't be with us for three weeks. 

We have two more things to chat about before we get started on our new GIA Agents: Mini-Women Division series. 

    * Welcome STEPH! Looks like everybody's given you a good Tween You and Me welcome and I hope you already feel at home here. I personally owe you an email -- I haven't forgotten.

    * If you have your own blog and would like to give us the link in a comment here on Tween You and Me, please do these things (in this order!)

        (1) Email the link to me first at nnrue@att.net

        (2) Wait for me to email you back saying I've checked it out and it's okay for you to announce it here (that's only because it's my responsibility to keep things totally safe here)

        (3) When I give you the okay, give us the link in a comment and say, "Mrs. Rue (or Nancy)  has given me permission to announce my blog here." Then we'll all be totally sure.

All right, then -- are you ready for your next "assignment?"

Here's what's in store for you between now and February 8.

We just entered the season of Epiphany in the church year. It's named after the three wise men who followed the star to the place where Jesus was born.

An EPIPHANY is when God makes himself known either by physically appearing (as he did in our Lord Christ) or by making some God-thing really clear to us (like the moment  you realize God really loves you, or you see for yourself that Jesus is real). The WISE MEN  not only saw the Lord Christ, but they understood what they were seeing.

And then they did something about it.

First, they decided NOT to tell King Herod what they'd seen, which probably helped save Jesus' baby life. They went home by another way to avoid having to report to Herod.

Second, they probably went back to the East and told the people there what they'd seen. They were the first to spread the Good News to the Gentiles (people who weren't Jews).

This month-long season of remembering the Wise Men is important to YOU for at least two reasons:

    Reason #1: You too can understand what Jesus means to you, in your real, everyday, ordinary and astounding life. You CAN!

    Reason #2: You can carry that like a light, like a torch, in the things you do in your real, everyday, ordinary and astounding life so other people can see it too. You CAN!

So we're going to spend Epiphany the way we did Advent, only we're going to use both the story of the Wise Men AND the things Jesus tells us about being lights for the world. In each post (which will happen twice a week instead of every day), you will find:

    * A short passage of Scripture to read, with some notes from me so it'll be easier for you to understand

    * Something to think about that connects to your own life

    * A way to pray about it (we're  going to do some very-cool, different things with prayer in this series)

    * One small action to take 

    * A way to keep track of your thoughts and prayers and actions

    * A suggestion for sharing with us

We'll have TWO CONTESTS during our Epiphany series. AND -- drum roll please -- we will end with an on-line, live BLOG PARTY on Friday, February 8, 2013 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. U.S. Central Time . More on that later for those of you who have never "been" to one before. Way FUN!!

Here's what you'll need to add to your GIA Agent toolkit if it isn't in there already 

    * A DRAWING PAD -- it doesn't have to be a fancy schmancy one you buy at the store; it can be some blank paper in a binder or stapled between sheets of construction paper if you want. As long as it's a separate one from other places where you doodle and draw, you're good to go.

    * Some fun STUFF TO DRAW WITH. Gather whatever markers, crayons, paints, chalk you have around the house and keep them or close to your toolkit.

NO ARTISTIC TALENT IS REQUIRED FOR THESE ASSIGNMENTS!  This is just going to be a different way for you to think and pray and express that will probably help you be free to do some way, way cool things with your assignments.

So here's what you can post in a comment: tell us if you're in or if you have any questions AND tell us what you hope this series teaches you about being a light. We all wanna hear that, right?

Okay -- see you here in the comment box -- and here in a post on Thursday!

 

Blessings,

Nancy Rue

Comments

[Amelia]

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! A BLOG PARTY! I LITERALLY SCREAMED!!!!

Ok. Back to normal.
I'm in! As I read the last light, the kitchen light (I'm in the kitchen) flickered to life!

Plz pray for me to be more forgiving and patient to others.

[Cassi]

I'm TOTALLY in w/ this series! I just can't wait!

Glad you're feeling better, Mrs. Rue! Keeping getting better, we're all praying for you!

[Grace Anne]

I can't wait! I love starting a new series!

[AnnaRachael]

I Squeeked! I dk what to do, but I am sure it is like a chat room, where you just talk, and people reply. We got a few tests back in, but are not sure which ones. But they are clear, so whatever they where, I am not them, if that makes sense. Hey, so, what should I put in my tol kit?
I did not really know what to do.I got a pad for Christmass, and gel pens! ayayayayayay! So exited!

[Mary-Brett]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA[deap breath]AAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!! im TOTALLY IN!!! i can NOT wait for my FIRST EVER blog party!!! im sooooooo ready for the new assignments, anything that involves a scetchpad gets me EXCITED!!! Prayer Request: my friend [a guy] had a grandparent recently pass away. also im starting Confirmation Class at my church Wednesday.

p.s. praying for u Mene!!! so glad ur feeling better Mrs. Rue!!!

LOL [lots of love] Mary-Brett

[Olivia]

Me to Marry-Brett.... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH......teehee

[Casey]

i'm in. really exided for the blog party but i don't know if i'm going to be able to do it. :( my first too Mary-Brett.

[anna elizabeth]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEW SERIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLOG PARTYS ARE SO MUCH FUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beth:D Smile cuz God loves you!!]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY Totally excited for this!!! I've never been to a blog party before yay!!! Totally excited I haven't made my toolkit yet I'm gonna find the post and do it!
Prayer request: At my co-op I'm taking a high school class and I got an F and I might have to do extra credit and ya.
Praying Mini-Woman!!!

[Brittany]

Yay, I am totally in!
At the moment Ina Australia there are huge bush fires around the country, so far no one has been killed but many people have been injured. The fires are not close to my house but I would like prayer for the people whose house has been burned Down, who had to be evacuated and don't know if their house is safe. The people whose paddocks have been burned and the people whose relatives live in areas where bush fires are raging.
Please pray!!
I am praying for you guys to :)
Love Brittany

[Grace Anne]

Praying!

[Mary]

Excited for the blog party & Epiphany! :)

Please, please, please pray for me because I made a huge mistake. In E/LA, our class is kind of boring, and I'd really like to be challenged more, so I wrote this "petition" (though it wasn't one) listing some of the reasons why I'd like to see E/LA changed, except I tried to be humorous and light about it. But this morning my teacher stops to talk to me and tells me she was really hurt by it & that she thought I dreaded her class based on this petition, which is so not true! I tried to explain & apologized, but that was this morning and I've felt absolutely horrible about myself ever since. I'm going to try to fix this up... but prayers, PLEASE!

Praying!

Mary

[Emma !!! ♫]

praing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats great Mrs. Rue!

[Ciara]

I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaly excited about my first blog party. I've heard other people say that it's fun. I'm excited to learn about the wise men I've heard the story, but it's been a while.

[Ciara]

Praying Mary

[Baylee]

I'm in!! it sounds really fun since i've never really done this before. i hope that it teaches me how to bring other people to Jesus. Praying for everyone :)

[Josie]

I'm in!!!

[Mary Beth]

I am so excited for my first GIA agent assignment! this will really help me grow in my faith in Jesus!