All I Want For My Birthday - Your Lunch Money!

It’s my birthday!!! 

I typically want to hide on my birthday.  I don’t know why, but I spend most of my life feeling embarrassed and the birthday attention just adds to it. 
Super stupid, I know. 

Charlie once had a surprise birthday for me and it nearly ruined us.  He was so excited and I was totally mortified (super stupid, I know.)  
I have gotten over my issues a little bit over the last few years, but poor Charlie is scarred for life. 

That being said, I woke up at 4am with this BIRTHDAY BLOG on my mind….

When we go to Uganda we are having a crusade. 
Two ministries that I dearly love CSI - Christ Sanctuary International, and Redeemer House,
 are joining efforts and we are having a crusade, which is the African version of a conference. 
It is free to all who attend and everyone is invited.
 We are going to share the Gospel and enjoy a meal together.

The people will hear about Jesus - the bread of life, and we will break bread together.

John 6:47-50 New Living Translation (NLT)

47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die.

Here is what I want for my birthday.

I want your lunch money.  J

God has made it very clear to me as we are planning this that

He already knows what He is going to do.  

The scripture that has been highlighted in my heart thru the planning process is

John 6:5-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

God is not the lunchroom bully and neither am I, because He already knows what He is going to do and He doesn't need us or our money to do it. He is more like King of the lunchroom (and world) and has invited us to join Him for lunch (and life everlasting.)

If you want to be like the little boy who gave his lunch and got to be a part of what God was doing and witness an amazing miracle because he gave up his lunch, then who am I to not let you in on it. 

I can imagine how that little boy felt when he watched his little lunch feed thousands.

Just for fun, here is one glimpse of what God is already putting together.

This is a picture of  Moses and Eve and their family.
Eve works at Redeemer House and Moses is a baker.  Moses has been crippled since he was 6 years old.  He can not use his legs and yet he works hard for his family.  The picture you see below is where Moses makes bread and lives with his family.
We have asked him to make bread for the crusade, and we want to bless him big for taking this on.

I’ve often wondered how God provided for missions before social media and all the fundraising campaigns (this is me being sarcastic) but this is what I do know,

  God doesn’t need me or you or facebook or anything else….He already knows what He is going to do….but he does provide opportunities to be a part of what He is doing.
 If you want to give your lunch money you can click on either of the links below.
 This link and the link below will take you to
Paypal Donate Button of xHope
which is the ministry that oversees Redeemer House.
 Please just put in the notes that this is your lunch money and we will know it goes towards the crusade.

Thanks!!!

If you are not familiar with the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 here it is.  Be blessed

John 6 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

6 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”

8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward, he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.