Weekly Prayer Updates Update 05/24/2013

vom groups weekly prayer updates "Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18 VOM-USA Prayer Update for May 24, 2013 On Thu. May 23 2013 at 03:19 PM Moderator wrote: Sierra Leone--150 New Christians Baptized Source: VOM Sources Matthew 28:19-20 A VOM worker reports that 150 new believers were baptized recently in the village of Kaboreh, and 80 of them are converts from Islam. VOM has provided bicycles, motorbikes, megaphones and Bibles to Christian leaders in this village, and they have seen many of their former persecutors come to faith in Christ. Among the new converts are four village chiefs, all of whom were formerly Muslim. As a result of their conversions, the few remaining Muslims have said they will no longer obey them. Pray that these new believers will trust in Christ despite facing pressure to return to Islam. Pray also for the continued protection of evangelists in Sierra Leone.[/quote] China--House Church Pressured to Join TSPM Source: VOM Sources Hebrews 10:24-25 A house church in Panzihua City, Sichuan province, is under intense pressure to join the government-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) church. In April 2013, police and officials from the Department of Religion surrounded the church, expelled everyone from the building and sealed the door with an official document stating that the church was closed and that members must worship only in TSPM churches. The church was left without a pastor in 2012 after he died from breathing fumes from a poorly ventilated gas heater. The pastor's widow, who has been leading the church, has been pressured by authorities to sign a document stating that the church willingly agreed to merge with the TSPM church. She has refused to sign the document. VOM has provided this church with Bibles and other materials.[/quote] Turkmenistan--International Day of Prayer and Fasting for Syrian Church Source: Forum 18 News Isaiah 55:11 Two Christians in a village in the eastern Lebap region were fined more than two months' average local wages recently after police and state religious affairs officials raided their homes as well as those of other believers, Forum 18 News reports. The raids, which occurred after police were informed that a church member was reading Christian literature at work, resulted in the confiscation of Bibles and other Christian literature. The judge reportedly told one of the fined church members, "If you want to know about God, read the Koran." Muslim leaders in Turkmenistan often serve a dual role as state religious affairs officials. Pray for believers in Turkmenistan, who are under constant threat of raids and confiscation of Christian materials.[/quote] North Korea--VOM Project Pray for an upcoming balloon launch that will carry 352,000 gospel flyers into North Korea. Last year the North Korean government began telling its citizens that the flyers coming from South Korea are coated with poison. Two years ago they mobilized an entire army unit in an effort to gather flyers launched from China. The North Korean government clearly views the flyers as a risk to its control of information. Pray that these flyers will fall into the right hands and that many North Koreans will come to know Christ.[/quote] ************* • Printer-Friendly Format • Add the PrisonerAlert application on Facebook • Download the prayer application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Download the photo issue application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Digital versions of our books are available on the Amazon.com Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK bookstores: search for Living Sacrifice Book Company[/quote] Suggested Links Persecution.com The Voice of the Martyrs official homepage. Find links to our programs, read news about recent events, and learn more about the organization. VOMBooks.com Order books, videos, and other materials related to the persecuted church through our secure online store. Like us on Facebook Become a fan of VOM on Facebook! Connect with other fans and discuss recent events. PrisonerAlert.com Write to a Christian Prisoner in their own language! Use our letter-writing template online to build your letter, and send it by mail to a needy Christian. Follow us on Twitter Follow VOM-USA on Twitter for updates and prayer requests. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Weekly Prayer Updates topic at www.vomgroups.com. If you have received this email in error or if you wish to unsubscribe, click here.

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Ian Cron chases Francis Posted: 22 May 2013 02:56 PM PDT I'm a protestant, the founder and former pastor of a non-denominational church, but when I went through a dark time God sent a Catholic saint to save my faith. I knew little about St Francis of Assisi until I went through a spiritual crisis a few years ago. I was burnt out on church ministry, disillusioned with church, fed up with evangelical subculture, tired of not being able to voice my doubts and questions without being labeled a 'backslider,' not to mention weary of telling people that just because I was a Christian wasn't an ipso facto admission I voted Republican, owned assault weapons, or hated gay people. At the height of my faith meltdown a friend invited me to visit him at his home in Bermuda to pray about whether I should remain in ministry or not. While packing I saw an unread copy of GK Chesterton's St Francis of Assisi on my bookshelf, and without much thought threw it in my bag. Over the course of the next week, I devoured it three times. It was a game changer. St Francis helped me realize how narrow my vision of Christianity had been. The more I read about him the more I thought, "If this is what being a Christian in ministry looks like, count me in." More importantly, his life gave me a vision for how we might reverse our culture's increasing disdain for Christianity, and inspired me to write the book Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale to share that vision with others. So who was this winsome saint Time Magazine ranked 9th on the list of the most important people of the last millennia, whom Jack Kerouac dubbed the patron saint of the Beat Generation, and historian Sir Kenneth Clark called "Europe's greatest religious genius?" What made him so extraordinary? He rescued the Church from collapse. Scandals wracked the church in the 13th century. Sexual misbehavior and shamelessly opulent lifestyles among clergy were commonplace. Christian leaders made the name of Jesus into a brand that helped move lucrative products (e.g. indulgences, relics, etc.), corrupt involvement in power politics, and encouraging people to kill Muslims to secure their salvation, led people to distrust the church, and by association, the gospel itself. In response, Francis began a movement that restored people's love for the person and message of Jesus, gave people reason to trust the church again, and brought a revival to Europe, the effects of which last to the present day. How'd he do it? By more nearly mirroring the life of Jesus than anyone since New Testament days. What would Francis tell us to do if we wanted to overcome the jaded impression our culture has of Christianity and the church? Extravagant Love for the Poor Francis and his followers were renowned for radically identifying with the plight of the poor. Their willingness to step directly into their world silenced critics of the church and the gospel. When it comes to materialistic lifestyles, Christians and non-Christians are hard to tell apart these days. Why would anyone believe "Jesus is enough" when they see us "mall trawling" like everyone else; hoping some new purchase will fill our own gnawing sense of spiritual dis-ease? If we want the contemporary church to flourish, Francis would tell us what he told his fellow friars, "It is faster to get to heaven from a hut than a palace." Peacemaking Francis recovered the early church's commitment to non-violence. He traveled to Egypt hoping to forge a truce between Christian Crusaders and Muslims. Francis made the refusal to bear arms a condition of membership in his Order, a move that dramatically reduced violence in the Europe of his day. Do we want to restore the credibility of the gospel in a culture that 's increasingly cynical toward our message? If so, Francis would tell us to turn our attention back to the early churches ministry of reconciliation, and make peacemaking at home and abroad a priority. Love for Creation Francis knew from scripture that all of creation, not just human beings, was waiting, groaning in expectation for the restoration of all things. This is why we hear one story after another about his beautiful, personal interactions with animals, how he preached birds, and befriended wolves. Whether these stories are factual or not is immaterial, they reveal an amazing theology of creation. How might adopting Francis' understanding of our relationship to the natural world reduce people's impression that we are apathetic toward climate change, which is arguably the greatest crisis we face at the moment? Contemplative Spirituality One of the contemporary church's problems is its uneasiness, and often outright, rejection of Christianity's contemplative heritage. As vital as a rich intellectual life and the study of theology are to our faith, theological reflection alone cannot yield produce transformation. Fortunately, our tradition brims with the wisdom of contemplatives and, dare I say mystics, who wrote about the why's and how's of spiritual union with God. Francis, a mystic himself, would advise the present-day church to revisit the practices and teachings of John Cassian, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Brother Lawrence, Jean Pierre de Caussade, Simone Weil and Evelyn Underhill, among others. People are hungry not only for good biblical teaching but for rich experiential encounters with the living God. Are we ready to lay aside our prejudice against the teachings of our contemplative mothers and fathers, and integrate their practices into our daily lives? "Rebuild My Church!" St Francis of Assisi's ministry began when he heard Jesus say to him, "Francis, rebuild my church, don't you see it's in disrepair?" I would argue Jesus is saying the same today. We are living in a kairos moment; a time when our culture is facing many of the same challenges St Francis faced in his era. Is it time we stopped thinking about what new, hip gimmick will reverse the momentum of our demise and look back to someone who succeeded in bringing revival to a church in crisis? As my friend Bob Webber said before his death, "The road to the future runs through the past." Maybe it's time to read a few pages from Francis' playbook. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Ian Morgan Cron is the author of the book Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale. His spiritual memoir Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me…A Memoir…of Sorts was a WSJ bestseller. He lives with his wife Anne and three kids in Franklin, TN.

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Inspirational summer reading for the kids Posted: 17 May 2013 12:24 PM PDT Summer is coming soon, and that means that the kids will be officially on summer vacation. Although the pool and enjoying the warm weather is always a great way to keep the kids occupied throughout the summer months, it's also important to keep kid's minds engaged while they are out of the classroom. Need some ideas for books that no only keep the kids entertained, but also strengthen their reading skills and encourage them spiritually? We have some suggestions that would be great to share with your children: Always Daddy's Princess by Karen Kingsbury, illustrated by Valeria Docampo From New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, a new children’s book about a very special father-daughter relationship. A new children’s book by New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury poignantly captures the unique bonds of a daddy-daughter relationship and chronicles them in a fresh and engaging light. In Always Daddy’s Princess, Kingsbury’s playful, emotive prose follows a girl’s journey from birth to childhood to motherhood, illuminating her father’s supportive presence every step of the way. Told through tea parties, soccer games, braces, and boys-and enriched by the whisper of God’s scripture on each beautifully illustrated page-young girls and their dads will see the treasured dimensions of their relationships reflected in this story and will be reminded of the many blessings they share. An inspired addition to popular princess-themed titles, Always Daddy’s Princess offers a rich, spiritual alternative to more secular offerings. Perfect for gift giving and special occasions, this book can serve as a treasured keepsake as well as a compelling reminder of the influence a loving father can have in his daughter’s life and the supportive guidance found in God’s Word. Dead Man's Hand by Eddie Jones Adventure and suspense thrill in The Caden Chronicles, a new series for kids ages 9-12 by award-winning author Eddie Jones. The series launches with Dead Man’s Hand and introduces fifteen-year-old Nick Caden as he travels with his family on a ghost town vacation, where travelers become part of the show. But within an hour of arriving, Nick’s convinced he’s witnessed a real murder. With the help of “Annie Oakley” and Nick’s newfound detective skills, Nick tries to figure out if he’s seeing ghosts or just losing his marbles. A hilarious new series with unforgettable characters, The Caden Chronicles leaves readers anxious for the next installment, as Nick tries to figure out what’s real and what’s imagined. It’s hard to find answers when everyone thinks you’re going crazy, including your parents. Jones offers a compelling tale that draws kids today, filled with real issues of faith and biblical truth, plus intriguing twists, turns and edge-of-your seat suspense, great for reluctant readers. Parents can also trust the wisdom carefully woven into these tales, featuring a teen kids can relate to-a guy with a great sense of humor and an imperfect but loving family. The Blue Door by Christa Kinde ZonderKidz launches an exciting supernatural series for kids 11 and up. The Blue Door, the first book in The Threshold Series, introduces Prissie Pomeroy, a teen who discovers she can see what others cannot: angels all around. Even more startling is the surprising secret she uncovers about people she thought she knew. As she wrestles with this unexpected ability she must come to grips with the spiritual battles surrounding her. Especially when she learns she received this gift because God has a unique role for her in his bigger plan. But if she's to fulfill it, she'll need faith like never before.This exciting debut by author Christa Kinde draws on the rapidly growing interest in angel stories, an emerging trend in teen and preteen supernatural novels. Boys and girls alike will appreciate her gifted storytelling that captures their imagination with things beyond human sight. And parents will appreciate the family-friendly tone and godly messages maintained throughout this intriguing tale of adventure and spiritual warfare. Raising the Bar by Garbielle Douglas After competing in the 2012 London Olympics and winning two gold medals, Gabrielle Douglas's life changed forever … but in many important ways, it stayed the same. Inside these pages, Gabrielle shares an inside look at her day-to-day world, from the things that are still important to her—time with her friends and family, her favorite comfort foods, and her training routine—as well as what's it's like to suddenly walk the red carpet and interviewed by various people. Along the way, Gabrielle also offers tips on how you can raise the bar on your life and accomplish your dreams. Through candid photos taken by Gabrielle to exclusive images taken behind the scenes, experience what it's like to be an Olympic Champion and a normal teenage girl balancing a life in the spotlight with a life in the gym. The Berenstain Bear Storybook Bible by Jan & Mike Berenstain Join Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear as they read favorite Bible stories together as a family and imagine what it would have been like to see Adam and Eve in the garden, watch Noah build the ark, and listen as Jesus tells a parable to the people. Told with words and pictures in the beloved Berenstain style, twenty-three Old and New Testament stories come alive for young readers.

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Weekly Prayer Updates Update 05/17/2013

vom groups weekly prayer updates "Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18 VOM-USA Prayer Update for May 17, 2013 On Thu. May 16 2013 at 03:01 PM Moderator wrote: India--Pastor Beaten During Church Service Source: VOM Sources 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 A Pastor in Uttar Pradesh state was recently attacked and beaten during his church service, a VOM worker reports. Near the end of the service, a group of Hindu men attacked Pastor "Caleb," tied him to a tree and beat him. The attackers, who apparently were directed by Hindu leaders in the village, broke Pastor Caleb's arm during the beating. VOM partners are helping provide medical treatment and urging police to prosecute the attackers. Pastor Caleb's church has been threatened in the past by high caste families. About five families who have faithfully remained with the church had angered villagers by refusing to offer a gift to a Hindu goddess. A group from the village also became angry when the Christian families refused to help with the wedding of a high caste family's daughter. Pastor "Caleb" continues his ministry.[/quote] Nigeria--Militans Kill 29 Christians Source: VOM Sources 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 On April 16, 29 Christians were murdered in Maiduguri, Borno state, after refusing to denounce Christ. Unidentified gunmen stood along a roadside and stopped cars, separating Muslims from Christians. The Christians were told that if they would not say the Shahada (Muslim profession of faith) or renounce Christ, they would be killed. On April 19, also in Borno state, Muslim militants destroyed Christians' property and reportedly killed more Christians. Militants had previously warned Christians in the area to leave or be killed. Please pray for the victims' families as well as for the Christians who remain in the area.[/quote] Iran--Christians' Appeal Rejected Sources: VOM Sources and Mohabat News Matthew 16:18 Four Christians from the Ahwaz Assemblies of God Church have been ordered to begin serving their one-year prison sentences, after the High Court rejected their appeal on May 1. Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh, his wife, Shahnaz, and church members Davoud and Naser, were arrested during a church raid in 2011 and convicted of "converting to Christianity, inviting Muslims to convert, and propagating against the Islamic regime through promoting Evangelical Christianity." They were sentenced to one year in prison and all of their Christian materials were confiscated, but they had remained free pending their appeal. The AOG church has been closed since the raid. Pray that these believers will know the presence and peace of Jesus during this time, that the body of Christ will continue to grow in Ahwaz and that the High Court's decision will be miraculously overturned.[/quote] Uzbekistan--VOM Project Pray for the persecuted women and families who have received sewing machines to help them earn a living. Many Christians are deprived of job opportunities because of their faith.[/quote] ************* • Printer-Friendly Format • Add the PrisonerAlert application on Facebook • Download the prayer application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Download the photo issue application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Digital versions of our books are available on the Amazon.com Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK bookstores: search for Living Sacrifice Book Company[/quote] Suggested Links Persecution.com The Voice of the Martyrs official homepage. Find links to our programs, read news about recent events, and learn more about the organization. VOMBooks.com Order books, videos, and other materials related to the persecuted church through our secure online store. Like us on Facebook Become a fan of VOM on Facebook! Connect with other fans and discuss recent events. PrisonerAlert.com Write to a Christian Prisoner in their own language! Use our letter-writing template online to build your letter, and send it by mail to a needy Christian. Follow us on Twitter Follow VOM-USA on Twitter for updates and prayer requests. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Weekly Prayer Updates topic at www.vomgroups.com. If you have received this email in error or if you wish to unsubscribe, click here.

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Secret Church 13 Teaching Sessions Now Available Posted: 13 May 2013 08:31 AM PDT For those of you who’ve been waiting on the videos from this past Secret Church, we have good news! The teaching sessions from Secret Church: Heaven, Hell, and the End of the World are now available online. You can stream online directly from the Radical website or download the files to your computer. The study guide (blank or filled in) is also available for download—just click the “Materials” button under Session 1. Or if you prefer, you can purchase a CD or DVD set of the teaching sessions and spiral-bound copies of the study guide from our online store. We’d love to hear how you’re using the material from Secret Church with your friends, small group, or church. Would you mind taking a few minutes and sharing your Secret Church story with us?

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What the Table is for – An excerpt from “Bread and Wine” Posted: 11 May 2013 09:00 AM PDT The light is fading, the sky bleaching from blue to white and then warming to the softest blush pink, like ballet tights, like a rosewater macaroon. I'm worn-out and the house is ragged, but my mind and heart are full from last night's little celebration for Brannon's baby, the fourth Cooking Club shower in a year. It was a lovely, wild night—babies everywhere, dishes sprawled all over the kitchen, platters of brisket and plates of macaroons fighting for space among wineglasses and forks and ramekins that used to hold bread pudding. Brannon insisted it wasn't a shower—she insisted on no invitations, no fuss, nothing formal or showery. But we reminded her that she's not the boss of us, and if we wanted to celebrate her baby boy, we could celebrate all we wanted. A compromise was reached: Cooking Club as usual, with a few extra friends and a special "mini" theme to celebrate the new mini-man who would join our little family in a few months. The Cooking Club began when Aaron and I moved back to Chicago from Grand Rapids three years ago. There are six of us—my cousins Melody and Amanda, who are sisters and both teachers; our friend Casey, whom Melody and I have known since junior high; Brannon, my stylish and sophisticated college roommate and dear friend; and Margaret, an actor and screenwriter and friend from church. Our friend from South Haven, Josilyn, was an original member until she moved away. We meet once a month, and sometimes more, and whoever's hosting picks the theme and cooks the main course, and then the rest of us fill in around that — appetizers, sides, desserts. Or at least that's how we started. It's a little looser now. Amanda tends to remind us of the themes we keep saying we want to do. Melody and Casey cook main courses. I tend toward appetizers and side dishes. Amanda almost always does a salad and a dessert, often an ice cream. Margaret is also a baker, and Brannon always brings cocktails. True to form, on that night, Melody brought mini-brisket sandwiches on soft white buns, and Margaret made tiny ramekins of chocolate chip bread pudding. I made mini mac & cheeses and cups of tomato soup with little grilled cheese sandwiches balancing on top. Casey poured her famous green goddess dressing into the bottoms of juice glasses, then filled the glasses with raw veggies — slim carrots and celery and cucumber. Our friend Emily came in from Michigan with mini loaves of her grandmother's poppy seed cake, which I requested because I love it, especially with coffee, for breakfast. There's always a little chaos right when everyone arrives— bringing in hot dishes, shrugging off coats, lifting babies out of car seats. We bump the oven temp up and down; we go into one another's drawers for knives and cutting boards and platters. We chop herbs, assemble sandwiches, dress and toss salads. The once-empty spaces of our homes become overrun with baskets, coats, shoes, things we've borrowed and are now returning, cake plates, baby clothes, cookbooks. We swirl around each other, hugging hello, opening wine, lifting down glasses from the highest shelves. Mel and Amanda are always early. Margaret is always late. Mel, Brannon, and I all collect red Le Creuset pans and bakeware, so it can get a little confusing, but Casey has orange everything, so you can always tell what's hers. Brannon is always arriving with what seems like a truckload of furniture and bags—things she's bringing for us to borrow, things she picked up at the store that reminded her of one of us, bassinets and baby slings and bottles. That afternoon, as I got the house ready for Brannon's "don't-call-it-a-shower" shower, I thought that even though the Cooking Club always, always sits around the table, this time it might be nice to sit in the living room. I moved furniture, made a place for presents, and set up a buffet on the round table in the living room. When everyone was assembled, when there was a fork or serving spoon on each platter and everything was sliced and warm and ready, I tried to move everyone to the living room, and it just didn't work. I kept urging them toward the buffet, toward the couches and chairs in the living room. Finally, though, I admitted defeat, and we pulled a love seat up to the dining room table for extra seating and settled in happily. That's where we belong, it seems—around the table. When Josilyn moved to Haiti, she wrote us a letter to say good-bye. And in that letter she wrote this line: I can't imagine life without a table between us. Yes. Yes. Exactly that. I can't imagine life without a table between us. The table is the life raft, the center point, the home base of who we are together. It's those five faces around the table that keep me sane, that keep me safe, that protect me from the pressures and arrows and land mines of daily life. And it isn't because we do all the same things, live all the same ways, believe all the same things. We are single and married, liberal and conservative, runners and adamant nonathletes, mothers and not. Those of us who are mothers do it differently, from cry-it-out to family bed, from stay-at-home to full-time work. Around this table we've mourned the loss of eight pregnancies, and even as I write those words, it seems a cruel and unusual number. We've gone to funerals and birthday parties together, reported bad test results, gotten advice about sick kids, made trips to the ER, walked together through postpartum depression. We've visited each other's babies in the hospital, and we've brought over meals and sleepers and blankets. We've talked about faith and fear and fighting with our husbands, sleeping through the night and anxiety and how to ask for help when we need it. On the hardest days, when Brannon's daughter Emme had surgery, or when Casey's stepdad passed away, when something breaks apart or scares us, we send around a quick group email, even as our hands are shaking, even while the pain is slicing. We fill everyone in, ask for prayer, let everyone know how they can help with meals or with the kids, and at the end of the email, someone always says, Thanks for being my people. Or, Glad you're my people. Or, What would I do without my people? That's what this is about. This isn't about recipes. This is about a family, a tribe, a little band of people who walk through it all together, up close and in the mess, real time and unvarnished. And it all started around the table, once a month and sometimes more. We bump into one another in the kitchen, sliding pans in and out of the oven, setting and resetting the timer. We know one another's kitchens by heart — where Casey keeps her knives and how many pans will fit in Brannon's oven. It seems like we've been meeting together forever, but we realized last night that it's been three years this month, and that's worth remembering for me—that it doesn't take a decade, and it doesn't take three times a week. Once a month, give or take, for three years, and what we've built is impressive—strong, complex, multifaceted. Like a curry or boeuf bourguignon, something you cook for hours and hours, allowing the flavors to develop over time, changing and deepening with each passing hour on the heat. You don't always know what's going to come of it, but you put the time in anyway, and then, after a long, long time, you realize with great clarity why you put the time in: for this night, for these hours around the table, for the complexity and richness of flavors that are so lovely and unexpected you're still thinking about them the next day. That's how I am today, still kind of mesmerized by last night, by the taste of Amanda's butterscotch budino and the little pile of baby clothes for the boy who will be born later this month, by the laughter and the baby noises, by the faces of my people, feeling like this is what life is for, this is what Sunday nights are for, this is what the table is for. Mini Mac & Cheese This is a mash-up of Grace Parisi's three-cheese mini macs from Food & Wine and another Food & Wine macaroni & cheesecalled, appropriately enough, Macaroni and Cheese.1 Be generous when you dust the Parmesan, both in the empty cups and on top, because that's what holds them together—that and the egg yolk. These can be made gluten-free, obviously, by using brown rice or corn pasta, which is usually what I do. Watch the cook time on the pasta, as gluten-free pastas seem to be a little more unpredictable than conventional pastas. Ingredients ½ pound elbow macaroni (or 4 cups cooked) 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for pan 1 tablespoon Dijon 2 dashes Tabasco ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg yolk ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Smoked paprika Instructions: In a pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni for about 5 minutes, to just al dente, which is just a touch firmer than how you'd like to eat it. Drain. Brush mini muffin pan with melted butter, then sprinkle half the grated Parmesan into the muffin cups. On medium-low heat, warm butter and cheddar cheese, and whisk till smooth. Off heat, add Dijon, Tabasco, egg yolk, and whisk again. Add macaroni and mix until well coated with cheese. Spoon into muffin cups, making them slightly rounded and packing them lightly. Top with grated Parmesan. Bake at 425 for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden on top. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving, because they will set as they cool. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Serve warm or at room temperature. MAKES: 24 mini macs — the perfect amount for an appetizer at a dinner party for 8. For a cocktail party, double the recipe, using a whole box (1 pound) of pasta. "Three-Cheese Mini Macs" recipe, first published in Food & Wine magazine, December 2007; "Macaroni and Cheese" recipe; first published in "Quick from Scratch Pasta," 1996. Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. Written by well-loved writer and blogger, Shauna Niequist, this is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir about our life around the table—the celebrations, traditions, and experiences that we share, and the ways God teaches and nourishes us as we nourish the people around us.   Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread and Wine. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. As an author and blogger, Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life—friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God. Shauna is married to Aaron, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron and Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac.

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Weekly Prayer Updates Update 05/10/2013

vom groups weekly prayer updates "Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18 VOM-USA Prayer Update for May 10, 2013 On Thu. May 09 2013 at 03:18 PM Moderator wrote: China--Book Store Employee Arrested Source: VOM Sources Psalm 46:1 In December 2012, an employee of a Christian book store in central China was asked to come to a police station to retrieve $6,000 worth of books that had been seized from the store in a raid several months earlier. However, when Mr. Li arrived at the police station, he was immediately arrested and sent to prison. Although his family was told that he would be released by February, he remains in prison. He will make his first appearance in court on May 9, but officials have not given a reason for his arrest. While in prison, Mr. Li has led three people to Christ. Pray that Mr. Li's lawyer, who is a Christian, will represent him wisely, and pray for his wife and two children, who desperately want his return.[/quote] Malaysia--Christian Work Continues amid Civil War Sources: freemalaysia.com, Prison Fellowship Malaysia, VOM Sources Psalm 119:9-16 Hundreds of Malay- and Iban-language Bibles that use the word "Allah" have been confiscated from a prison in Sibu. Prison Fellowship Malaysia (PFM) said authorities began seizing the Bibles after the Sibu prison director wrote a letter to prison headquarters questioning the use of "Allah" in Bibles given to inmates. PFM said Chinese- and English-language Bibles, which do not use the word "Allah," were not seized. PFM fears that other prisons in Malaysia will take similar actions, leaving inmates without Bibles.[/quote] Libya--Christian Workers Released Source: VOM Sources John 8:36 Libyan authorities have released an Egyptian national and three other foreigners who were arrested on Feb. 10 in Benghazi for allegedly illegally importing Christian materials. The Egyptian national is recuperating at home with his wife and two children. "Although he and the others suffered for the sake of the Master's name, they received it with great joy and with an attitude of willingness to suffer for Christ," a VOM contact wrote. "As we update you about this, we would like to thank you so much for your prayers and your support for us and them during this last period until all those who were involved in the crisis were released. We pray now for post traumatic relief for the workers who came back, and we seek direction for the next phase in their lives."[/quote] Colombia--VOM Project Pray for two conferences this year that will bring persecuted pastors together for fellowship, encouragement and training.[/quote] ************* • Printer-Friendly Format • Add the PrisonerAlert application on Facebook • Download the prayer application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Download the photo issue application on the iTunes Store or the Android Marketplace • Digital versions of our books are available on the Amazon.com Kindle and Barnes & Noble NOOK bookstores: search for Living Sacrifice Book Company[/quote] Suggested Links Persecution.com The Voice of the Martyrs official homepage. Find links to our programs, read news about recent events, and learn more about the organization. VOMBooks.com Order books, videos, and other materials related to the persecuted church through our secure online store. Like us on Facebook Become a fan of VOM on Facebook! Connect with other fans and discuss recent events. PrisonerAlert.com Write to a Christian Prisoner in their own language! Use our letter-writing template online to build your letter, and send it by mail to a needy Christian. Follow us on Twitter Follow VOM-USA on Twitter for updates and prayer requests. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the Weekly Prayer Updates topic at www.vomgroups.com. If you have received this email in error or if you wish to unsubscribe, click here.