Here I Raise My Ebenezer

We sit around the table, the last bits of dinner drying on my aunt’s good china. Candles flicker and Christmas lights resting on branches of evergreen twinkle from the living room. Our attention is drawn to the rocks that sat on our napkins when we first sat down for Christmas dinner.

I hold the rock, knowing what is coming. Dreading what is coming. Before dinner my aunt asked me if I would share a bit about the word Ebenezer. If I would share with everyone what it means. I hold the rock in my hand knowing that each rock is to be an Ebenezer for each of us at the table. That we will share with each other what this Ebenezer is to remind us of.

I'm posting over at Deeper Story today. Head over there to read the rest of the post.

twelve causes for christmas: day two

Kicking off day two of the Twelve Causes for Christmas is Elizabeth Esther. Her cause is the sanctity of life. You'll have to read her post to find out all about Mary's Shelter, but I will tell you my favorite part of EE's post: "I believe an important part of being pro-life means providing actual care and tangible support for young women."

Whether you take with a pro-life stance or not, there are young women without resources who want to bring their babies into this world. Mary's Shelter, located in Southern California, is helping young women, ages 12-17 do just that.

twelve causes for christmas: day one

Over the last year or so I have developed—or rather God has developed in me— a love for His Bride, the Church. I've tended to be someone who distinguishes myself from those Christians, but God has been showing me more and more that those Christians are just like me—or rather I am just like those Christians.

When Joy pitched the idea of Twelve Causes for Christmas to the Deeper Story crew, emphasizing that she wanted people to see that organizations are not in competition with one another for the lost, I knew that even though I couldn't write an individual post, I could most certainly point, and blog, and tweet about what as going on.

There were many emails sent back and forth in a very short amount of time as troops and causes were rallied, spreadsheets were organized, and all of a sudden the twelve causes were ready to roll out. Each of these organizations is out there doing Kingdom work, and it's not about whether you sponsor a child through Compassion or World Vision. It's about whether you are being Jesus to the least of these.

Joy wrote the first post for the Twelve Causes for Christmas. You can read all about the radical love for the homeless that is going on right here in my hometown, Portland, Oregon in Joy's post. Joy highlights the amazing work with and advocacy for the homeless being done by Knowing Me Ministries.