In Spain ~ Creative Ideas for Prayer ~ Jim's upcoming March Madness Retreat

 

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The second half of February was serving at a Spiritual Retreat for missionaries. Traveling to meet up with my Novo team of creatives last month I learned that Malaga on the Southern Coast of Spain is a hub for Missionary Care. SentWell, is Novo's member care division, and we were honored to be part of the innaguaral group retreat held at their own, new retreat center La Morada. Listening prayer is not something this hyper-active gal did very much of before. Then I started hearing! Turns out, God does speak if we take the time to ask him to...and if I take the time to LISTEN! If you'd like, we've created a Hearing God booklet that's free! Also, I just wrapped up taking the Novo Spiritual Authority Cohort (for the 2nd time!). I'm looking forward to finding more people who want to go through it with me again. March 25th I get to teach about prayer walking at our home church here. This is another active way of praying, and listening to God lead in how to pray for the places we go. This kick off event for our annual Missions Conference is the first time I've been invited to lead something. We'll make it kid-friendly so that families can learn to pray for their neighborhood (and the world). You CAN try this at home! God has abundance for us in our experience of life with him, and we often forget! Here are some of the exercises we did at this "Storehouse" retreat. It was all so enjoyable! Here are some of the ideas you can try too: Get Outdoors for a hike! Go with a group for a prayerful silent walk outdoors. Pay close attention to the sights and sounds and smells. Listen for the Holy Spirit to speak through nature things that you need to know, or remember. Take a walk in the spaces where you spend time and have some influence. Where there are people you care about and things you are responsible for. What patch of the earth is and area can you claim as yours to love, nurture, serve, and bring the Kingdom of God? Make and Raise a Banner. In this place where you have spiritual influence, what is it that God brings through you to this place? Is there a proclamation you want to make? A word of blessing? As you spend time with the Lord in quiet, get out some art supplies to make your own banner as you listen to some worship music.  Go through, go through the gates;     prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway;     clear it of stones;     lift up a banner over the peoples. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed     to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion,     “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him,     and his recompense before him.” And they shall be called The Holy People,     The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out,     A City Not Forsaken. Isaiah 62:10-12 Even the men joined in and liked it! * What would be your word? All week I was kept thinking that He is The Lord God Almighty. That's what I wrote because I want to proclaim: He's in charge! Other words were Love. Safety. Healing. Find Rest. and Flourish. And flourish is what you help me do through knowing you are a partner in this Gospel work in your corner of the world!  Novo Makers met for two days before the SentWell retreat. This was our first time serving together. I turned 61 in Spain, and being able to be on a mission trip was a fabulous birthday gift! Thank you for your prayers about my time of traveling to a new place, with new people. I'm quite out of practice travellng without Jim! Since this was the first SentWell retreat at their La Morada retreat center, we took time to bless the land, and the couple who is now living there. Jeff and Candy are both experienced counselors. Fondly, Kimberly Creasman *Speaking of MEN... Jim is having a pastors' retreat here March 16-20th. Seven of the eight guests were pastors at Rolling Hills Covenant Church in the '80s-'90s. They've stayed in touch over the years when Jim organizes a tournament bracket for March Madness and a flurry of email catch ups. At first Jim Stewart was planning to come for a weekend of college basketball, but one Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, my Jim got on the phone with the rest. Maybe one of the other guys could come too... and six said yes! Now we've got our live-in helper Tyler inventorying the sheets and getting out air mattresses to make room for Dave Engel, Bill MacPhee, Michael Risley, Bryan Glanzer, Michael Pearsall, Kevin Hughes, and the original invitees - Jim Stewart and our Novo BFF Roger Hederstedt. My girlfriends tell me it's a good excuse to make another trip myself! Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world!

A Ministry Update ~ February 2023

 

It's been awhile! So much has happened, it was hard to know WHAT to write about! If you sent us your Christmas news, Thank You! This was the first year we didn't even do that! But... We've got a new bio on the NOVO website. Click to read about our new roles, our history, and a nugget about the boys.

If you want to know more than what's there, I've added a little more here. Last month a praying friend sent us an email asking for an update on our boys and if I'm still writing to prisoners.  Kimberly & a New Team: Makers All these years I've been focused mostly where my "boots are on the ground." In this new chapter, I get the opportunity share what I've learned about adding creativity to gospel movements with missionaries around the world. About 10 years ago, Artists across CRM/Novo had found each other and started meeting virtually. Together they explored creative ways to partner in seeing the Kingdom of God come. I joined these Makers after returning to the USA. None of these missionaries live in the same place. Many of us have decades of residential cross cultural experience. The results of our coming together virtually has prompted Novo to invite us to create a team. Since the summer, and a reorgainization with NOVO, we now get to infuse creativity into all of Novo - to pass on what we've been learning. We are being invited as a team to go where other teams are and teach, inspire, and co-create with them.  February 16-26th I'm heading to Spain for SentWell's Storehouse retreat. With some others in new positions with Novo, we will have some time face-to-face for prayer, planning, and collaborating. Well, yes, and enjoying this opportunity to be in a beautiful place together seeking the Lord. Alice Collier in the photo with me is our team leader. We were together in Chattanooga last month to do some planning for the year. Lots of good ideas! Lord, when the sky is not the limit for ways to creatively serve you in this world, we look to you for guidance and clarity. We need to know the steps to go. At least the next steps! You have affirmed our strengths as creatives by forming this team. But you also know our weaknesses (ie. not so logically strategic)! Thank you for the chance to be together this month to hammer some of that out. Always humbled by your care, support, and partnership with us. Kimberly & Jim Creasman Instagram: @Spicetolife  (My feed includes a bit about getting our boots on the ground of continent #7 prior to Tyler's 30th birthday)

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