Redemption Part 7: 3 wise people and a star or the news spreads

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Last week we heard about how the good news came first to the Shepards. This time the news is going to a distant land through a star. Be encouraged and challenged! You find the bible reference for todays theme in Matthew 2.1-12

Hi our friend

We want to wish you a blessed and happy new year. May you experience Gods love, goodness and grace in a new way this year. May it be a year filled with the joy of the Lord which is our strength. A joy that is not based on circumstances. May he bless you in many ways!!

Our week was wonderful! Our Christmas brunch and dinner were so much fun. Everyone who came was encouraged and felt blessed. We also got to connect with family over zoom during Christmas which was a blessing. We are excited for this new year ahead! Jen and I have a tradition to pray and ask God for words for the new year and look back at the ones from the year that passed. Its so encouraging to see things God did during the year. Maybe start that tradition too!! It’s a blessing!

We want to encourage you to have as a new years resolution to grow closer to Jesus in this coming year, no matter the cost.

God bless you

Markus, Jen and Caleb

Redemption Part 6: The first ones to hear

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How would you feel if you would be the first one to hear the best news ever? Today we will talk about some people in the Christmas story who that happened to. Be encouraged and challenged! You find the bible reference for todays theme in Luke 2.8-20

Hi our friend

First of all we wish you a blessed and merry Christmas and a good start into 2024. We had and still do, since I wrote this the day before Christmas, a wonderful Christmas time. We got to celebrate with our church last Sunday and Thursday with a wonderful Christmas meal. We also went caroling at the ferry building with a group of friends. It was wonderful to see people sing along and having a smile on their face when they heard us singing some of the classics like joy to the world or hark the herald angel sing. Christmas eve we will have a brunch with neighbor friends. In the evening we will sing Christmas carols at the ywam base and after give out Hot Chocolate to neighbors on the street in the Tenderloin. Christmas day we will cook a Christmas meal and eat together with neighbors. What a wonderful season to bring community and share with others about the best news in the world, the birth of Jesus!!

Also remember that God cares so much about you and wants to bring Redemption in your life too!

God bless you

Markus, Jen and Caleb

 

Redemption Part 5: An untraditional birth

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When you think of a child being born, especially of noble heritage, you probably think of a hospital or at least a home with a midwife and not a barn. Also you would probably not consider that they would travel 90 miles on the back of a donkey in that condition right?  But that is exactly what the couple did who we talk about today while carrying the King of Kings in her womb. May they inspire and encourage you. You find the bible reference for todays topic in Luke 2:1-8

Hi our friend.

When you think of Mary and Joseph and their long journey from Nazareth to Betlehem it makes me think of all the people they met along the way. During a prayer walk last week I got to meet multiple people and encourage them. It was also wonderful to hear their stories and a bit of their life while walking for a while together. Its not happening all the time that you start walking with total strangers, hear their stories and then say goodbye at friends, but it can happen when love others along the way. These conversations started after me seeing that they looked lost and offered them to help. We want to encourage you to leave margins in your life to be able to observe and to stop if needed to help others. God sometimes uses those short encounters to encourage people and show them his love. And sometimes you find wonderful friends that way!!

We also want to encourage you in this Christmas time to not forget the ones around you who might not have anyone to celebrate with. Invite them to either celebrate Christmas with you or have them over for some hot chocolate and Christmas treats to show them that you love them and that they matter to you and God!!

Spend some time to think and reflect on how Redemption for all of us started in a barn. Think about how Emmanuel God with us, the king of King was born in a humble barn and into humble circumstances.

We wish you a blessed and merry Christmas!!!

God bless you

Markus, Jen and Caleb

Redemption part 4: Elisabeth or a miracle from god

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We hope the series encouraged and challenged you so far. Today we are talking about another woman in the Christmas story Elisabeth and how God is doing a miracle. Here is the bible part to it Luke 1.5-25 and 39-56

Hi our friend

How are you?

We had a wonderful week here in San Francisco. We got to celebrate the wedding of an older neighbor friend which was really special. The food at the reception was so good!! Then right after that, we had a Christmas celebration with our YWAM family. It was so much fun connecting with everyone and playing some games together. We love our YWAM family. On the way back from that Christmas party Caleb got to see the beautiful Christmas tree at Union Square and really loved it. And then at the end of the week, we baked and delivered almost 100 brownies and Christmas cards to our neighbors. Many people had a huge smile on their faces when they got the brownies. I remember one time a neighbor saying to me during the summer how she never forgot the brownie. It’s amazing how much love a brownie and a Christmas card can show. How is your Christmas season going so far?

We want to encourage you as we said in the video above to trust that if God gave you a vision, that he will also make it reality. Ask him for faith and trust for that!

God bless you

Markus, Jen and Caleb

Here is the Love your neighbor monthly tip – Sing Christmas carols with neighbors at a nursing home or senior center

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Why is it important?

When Jesus called us to love our neighbor, he gave us a task that is possible for each one of us and is also a blessing for each one of us. Many people around us might feel isolated or don’t feel a sense of belonging (maybe including us), and each one of us can bring change to that. You will see how loving your neighbor will change those things and also the relationships but also how it will give you a greater love for the people around you. It will leave a great impact and it builds a strong and lasting community for your neighbors and you as well to just name a few things. When I think back to last year and how the pandemic affected everyone around the world we saw more and more 1. the need of bringing God’s love to our local places and 2. How important it is to be connected with our neighbors. We got reminded of the call from Jesus also because our neighborhoods were the only places we could go to. So let’s all do this together starting today to take Jesus seriously and love our neighbor. We will give you a monthly tip with how to establish that relationship and love your neighbors in a practical way and then we will all put it into action with the neighbors right around us.  And then watch how over time your neighborhood will change! You, me, and all of us can do it so let’s do it!!

Our tip for this month is sing Christmas carols with neighbors at a nursing home or senior center! Watch the video with some tips on that!

Hi our friend

First of all we want to wish you a happy and blessed first of Advent week!! The first candle symbolizes hope which is something so important in every area of our life. Spend some time this week to think about true hope only God can bring.

If I would have to title this week I would call it the week of the meetings. All of the meetings were good and productive which is wonderful. I really love those times to be able to help others but also get help and advice from others. It is such a blessing to walk with others and also see all the different giftings God gave each of them and us in use.

Also as mentioned in our monthly love your neigh or tip, lets bring some joy this Christmas season by singing Christmas carols with neighbors at a nursing home or senior center

God bless you

Markus and Jen