Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving

November 23, 2005
Aloha and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
This week in preschool, I have been teaching my little ones about the first thanksgiving and it made me realize how much we have to be thankful for.
First of all I have to say thank you for all of the encouragement, prayers, and support over the past couple of weeks. God has been faithful to provide and He has used many of you to do that!!! I am feeling much better. I am up to 11 children in preschool. God has been carrying me through each day by His grace. Still looking for a full time preschool assistant come January and now I am also looking for a secretary as our is moving to Hilo in December. AND after a week of open-hood surgery, my Jeep is back up and running very nicely with a new radiator. I am thrilled to have a mode of transportation!!!!
During this season when everyone is talking about what they are thankful for, I would like to ask, what are you thankful for???
I was humbled while I was talking to a friend who grew up outside of the US. She was blown away when she walked into a normal American kitchen and saw all of the cabinets full of packaged food and refrigerators filled with food ready to eat. Growing up her family had to work all day in order to have an evening meal. She was thankful to go to school where she was given breakfast and lunch. How many of us can truly say we are thankful for food when most of us don’t know what it is like to go an entire day without food because we don’t have any?
Have you ever read the book Jesus Freak by DC Talk??? It is a collection of stories by Christians who are persecuted for their faith. Do you realize the freedom we have to say that we are Christians? The most persecution we, as Americans, have to worry about is being laughed at. There are Christian brothers and sisters all over the world that will permanently live with the emotional, social, and physical scars they received for standing up for what they believe in. Check out http://www.persecution.com/ for more information on how to pray for these individuals.
So what am I most thankful for???

- Freedom from my sins!! Jesus Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice with his life to give us eternal life. All we have to do is confess we are sinners, believe Jesus for what he did on the cross, and you are saved from the penalty of your sins, which is eternity away from Jesus (aka Hell).
Ultimately that is what thanksgiving is all about. Giving thanks to God for what He has done for us. That is why Abraham Lincoln set this day in November as a holiday every year for us to celebrate and give thanks.
For you history buffs- Here is the 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation…
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

Abraham Lincoln
So I wish for you a very Happy Thanksgiving!!! Enjoy the time with family and friends and know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela Calhoun

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Small Sacrifice

November 9, 2005
Aloha family and friends-
As I sit here tonight reflecting back over the past few weeks, my heart is overwhelmed by everything that has been going on. I have heard it said that you can’t appreciate the mountain tops without the valleys. Well I have to say, I have been in the valley for the past two weeks and the mountains are looming overhead. By God’s grace, the trek up the mountain has begun with my small sacrifice. I am humbled by the fact that God uses me even in my weakest moments!
I think back to the story of Abraham, when God told him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Abraham had faith that God would live up to his promise (which was that Abraham would be the father of many nations and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars). And God did provide a ram to sacrifice rather than Isaac.
I desire to be a living sacrifice for God but the problem with a living sacrifice is that they crawl off of the altar!!!

Without going into a lot of detail about what has been going on in my life, I thought I would share the Song- “Lifesong” by Casting Crowns.

Empty hands held high,
Such small sacrifice,
Not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight
May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my Lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you

Chorus:
Let my Lifesong sing to you
Let my Lifesong sing to you
I wanna sign your name to the end of this day knowing that my heart was true
Let my Lifesong sing to you
Lord I give my life
Living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be your hands and feet
So may the words I sing
And the things I do
Make my Lifesong sing
Bring a smile to you

Chorus

Bridge:
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Let my Lifesong sing to you
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Let my Lifesong sing to you

Chorus
Let my Lifesong sing to you ( Let my Lifesong sing)
Let my Lifesong sing to you (Jesus let my Lifesong sing)
I wanna sign (sign your name) your name to the end of this day (end of this day) knowing that my heart was true
Let my Lifesong sing to you.
Please let these words be an encouragement to you as they have been to me. It is not about us- it is all about God!!!

Prayer Request
School- This is both a praise and prayer request. The numbers of children in preschool are growing almost on a weekly basis (praise) but I am in dire need of help in preschool. At the moment I have a part time aide that works from 8:30 – 12:30. That leaves me by myself with children from 6:45 – 8:30 and 12:30 – 4. My preschool aide is moving back to Samoa in December and I am looking to hire a full time assistant as of January.
Strength and Health- Obviously with taking care of children from 6:45 – 4 everyday and all of the responsibilities of being director, my health has been affected. Please pray that the Lord will provide me some much needed rest, someone to sub if needed, and just overall health.
Friends- I can now kind of empathize with moms with small children. My conversations consist of “Do you have to go shi-shi? and “Use your words”. I need adult conversation after being with 3 and 4 year olds all day!!! The problem is most of the people that are my age have moved off island to other ministries. Please pray that God will provide.
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season are around the corner, I am thankful that the Lord has put you in my life and that He is faithful to provide when we put our faith and trust in Him!
Mahalo for your prayers!!! If there is anything that I can pray for, for you please email me or give me a call (808-553-8124).
Much love and God’s blessings,

Angela