Tag Archives: Christine Hales

What Do You Think of Christmas?

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Hello Friends and Family:photo

As we finish up this month with Christmas thoughts, gifts, and remembrances, we wanted to especially express our gratitude for each one of you in our lives.  More and more, it becomes obvious that we can’t really accomplish much on our own – but with God’s help, and yours, anything is possible!photo

I am working on a commission  that has the two 8′ by 3′ patron saints and co-founders of the Graymoor monastery as well as two more large, 8′ x 4′ Icons for Albany, NY.  I love working large and am grateful now that Michael did all that work in the barn over the summer because now I have a big space to work in.  There’s no heat or electricity, but with the warm weather we’ve had all November and December, I have been able to log in a lot of hours working up there – and I’m happy as can be!photo

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Michael has been inspired this month after praying for over a year for what God’s next assignment is going to be.  Here is a description of the new project he is starting to work on:

Kingdom Arts Ministry: Youth Video Project [YVP]

Vision:   To teach and equip young Christians to make videos which glorify God, to post them online and interact around them.

Purpose:

  • Create a body of Christians who actively utilize the visual media for innovative dialogue.
  • Activate youth groups in churches to independently produce media to dialogue with the unreached in their community.
  • Create a bridge which opens opportunity for personal testimony and ministry.
  • Create a path for youth to have a voice within their own communities, churches and universally.
  • Develop a network of active video makers for Christ across America and the world.
  • Identify potential future film making talent to coach and release into the industry.

                            THE PROGRAM WOULD CONSIST OF:

  •  A four session course with additional follow up visit can be scheduled in one of two options-
    • Three evening sessions and one Sunday morning.
    • Friday evening, Saturday two sessions and Sunday morning.

     

  • All sessions start with prayer and worship.Session One- View a variety of short videos, discuss different options and approaches videos used, discuss local community needs or personal aspirations for a short video subject. Qualify how it glorifies God. Homework to write outline of the video, where it is to be shot and who it is directed towards.

    Session Two- Review outline and undertake shooting.

    Session Three- Review film shot and edit to three minute video.

    Session Four – Pre Sunday service- show all films to the group and discuss and pray through presented issues. As a group decide and plan presentation for the congregation, deliver during Sunday service and preach around it. Post video online.

    Follow up session two weeks later to encourage continuing to create videos and post. Process any development issues. Connect and network youth to other churches who have gone through the course. Annual conference for all participating youth groups to show videos, discuss issues and develop awareness of potential ways to serve.

So, if you have any ideas, thoughts, or support you’d like to give Michael for this project, contact us!  So excited about what God is going to do!

Here’s a quick video Michael made about Christmas that I think you will like.  

What do you think of Christmas? from Michael Hales on Vimeo.

Some of the interviews were taken during our lasts Art & Friends Community Potluck Dinner in Hudson:    photo

So, once again, we ask for your prayer covering of the months ahead. You are always in our prayers, to and we look forward to hearing in more detail how we can pray for each of you. Together, and with Christ, we can do anything!

Love and prayers,

Michael and ChristineIMG_9383

 

 

 

Thanksgiving

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Hello Friends and Family:photo

I know you all join with me in giving thanks for a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving for our country and our families.  In these times our prayers are more important than ever, I believe.

“If you make the Lord your refuge, If you make the most high your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your dwelling.“Psalm 91:9

Michael and I are praying daily for peace, safety, and protection for this country and for all the refugees to find good homes.photo

I listened to an excellent interview with Krista Tippett on her program “On Being” and the interview was with Jonathan Sacks, former chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations in Great Britain for 22 years.  In this interview he explains how religious ideas can help inform modern challenges. In his book “The Dignity of Difference” he speaks about how we are enlarged by the people who are different from us- not threatened by them.  Another paraphrased quote that I love, “By being true to your faith, you will be a blessing to others, regardless of their faith….and it is in my uniqueness that I can contribute that something of value to the universe that no one else can give.”

These quotes are helpful when seeking to understand how to minister to our everyday world around us, to people who have no interest and often even an aversion to God. But we are called to be a light in a dark place, and Rabbi Grant shed light on exactly how best to do that in our contemporary world.smallfile

The artists community potluck dinner is going incredibly well – a growing number of artists in the area regularly come each month, and a community is starting to happen.  Last month we had about 60 artists, and many others emailed that they were sorry they couldn’t make it, but they will come next month. So glad it’s a potluck, because I never know how many people will come! :).  Our ministry sponsors and runs the dinner and it is held in the basement of the 1st Presbyterian Church in Hudson, NY. The above photograph Mick took of the “Key in the Hand” by Chiharu Shiota at the Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. I made a short video that included this art work and several others that I showed at the artists dinner. So, please keep that in your prayers, for God’s blessings and hand to be on it in an abundant way.photo 1

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I have a large Icon commission for the Graymoor Monastery in Garrison, NY that could use prayers for God’s lavish creativity, and blessing too.  The above drawings  are part of my daily drawing series.

Michael has been traveling quite a lot this last month and working on photographing a book in the New York City area for Rizzoli. One of the great things about New York City is how diverse it is, how many different cultures are gathered together. It is wonderful to see a group of children sit before the Franklin D Roosevelt’s classic speech of the Four Freedoms set in his commemorative park on Roosevelt Island. One of the freedoms he called for is “the freedom of every person to worship God in his own way- everywhere in the world.”  In America there are incredible opportunities and with that come overwhelming questions of which direction to take and what doors to go through._MG_4002

God loves all of his church and it is good for us to see the good in all the different denominations. I have been reading The Healing River and its contributing streams by Dr. Randy Clarke which outlines how healing prayer has been viewed by the different Christian streams. When we recognize we have many differences but the same purpose we can be so much more effective for the Lord. When the different streams start to flow together that is when we will really be pleasing to the Lord.

We are very grateful for the foundation which we hold on to through our belief in God and the directions we receive through His Holy Spirit. Sometimes we have to wait for the next step to be made clear, in the mean time we realize how important it is for every person to worship God in his own way- as much here in America as in war torn Syria.

We have so much to be thankful for!  Sending you love and prayers,
Christine and Michael

www.mickhales.com

www.christinehales.com

www.newchristianicons.com

www.americanassociationoficonographers.com

 

 

 

October in the Hudson Valley

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Hello Friends and family:

We hope you are well and feel the prayers we send for you daily. We very much appreciate and are blessed by your prayers, too – please keep  praying!photo

This past month, we held an Introduction to Icon writing retreat at St. James Episcopal Church in NYC. It was filled to maximum  with a lively, dedicated and enthusiastic group. We could feel the vibrancy and health of the St. James church community active all weekend around us. I hope many of them will return next year to make another Icon!_MG_3460

Due to the timing, we could not be present at the Artists Community Potluck Dinner that our ministry runs in Hudson, but a local ceramics artist was able to run the dinner and present her Mala meal project – an art piece that combines prayer, eating, and art as well as solidarity with the world’s poor. Thank you, Mary Anne Davis!

The weekly Icon writing class has had many absences over the fall, with only 5 or 6 people each week as opposed to the usual 10-12. It’s a busy time and also the beginning of winter colds. Our new Icon class home at Westminster Presbyterian Church is beginning to feel more comfortable and we are now able to store material there which helps a lot.

I will be having an exhibition of my Icons this coming January in Sarasota at a church and will use some of the time there to re-write my self published book on the “New Revival in Christian Art” that includes my Icons and prophetic painting.

Michael has been busy working to get some book projects off the ground and in his “spare time” he’s been painting our barn. We had a new roof put on it this summer and it is looking the best I’ve ever seen it! The beautiful, warm weather of this fall has contributed to Michael’s joy in painting back there!  photo

cshI Planted 70 bulbs – faith and hope that spring will come!

Here’s Michael:

At the moment I am developing three different books, one is now underway and the other two are still in the proposal stage. A couple of weeks ago I was photographing on the High Line Park in NYC for one of the proposals. The High Line is a park created out of an abandoned elevated railway track which runs through 15 blocks of New York City. It is an incredible achievement not only horticulturally but also to pull a project of that scale together in NYC. However not only has the railway line now got a new purpose but it is drawing so many people to it that the whole area is getting an economic regeneration._MG_4082

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After photographing the park I stopped for a slice of pizza and had an extraordinary encounter with a construction worker in the pizza parlor. He was all dressed up with construction hat, heavy boots and protective gear. He heard me say, “Praise God”, as I often do and challenged me to say it again. That started a long conversation where he eventually told me how his mother had died and how he blamed God for that. It was one of those moments when you realize, this could get very scary quickly and I started asking God in my mind what he wanted me to do. Suddenly I started telling this hulk of a man how much God loved him and that Jesus had died for him on the cross. Before I knew it he was crying like a baby.

It led me to think about how circumstances can be turned around when we receive a vision of something different, a different paradigm for the old tracks we have been on. Quite often as a Christian in our society we can see how necessary it is to show people a new vision of who Christ is and what a personal relationship with him means. It is the same old tracks but totally renewed and redeemed.  “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  Acts 16:9

photo  Please, please keep us in your prayers, as you are in ours.

Sending  you love and prayers,

Christine and Michael

www.mickhales.com

www.christinehales.com

www.newchristianicons.com

www.halesart.com 

www.americanassociationoficonographers.com

September and the Pope’s visit!

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Greetings Friends and Family:popefrancisweb

Yes, the leaves are starting to turn – not too happy about that :). Such a glorious summer, it’s been particularly beautiful here in the Hudson Valley with warm dry air and gentle sunny days. We’ve been getting boxes of fruit from the local farm stands to freeze for winter- then all winter we can have fruit tarts and stewed plums! Yes, you can come over for some!

Mick and I have been watching the broadcasts of the Pope’s speeches and went in to NYC on Friday to see if we cold catch a glimpse of him.  The security was very tight – 6,000+ police in front of barricades two blocks in front of where the Pope would be traveling. But we did get to experience the incredible Spirit that pervaded the City, as we made our way from location to location – meeting people and all of us praying for the Pope and his safety. It was very exciting when the Pope drove by us on his way to ground zero.. _MG_2460 He was waving out the window but when he saw me and a woman I was standing with, he leaned forward with a huge smile and waved especially at us!  He looked so energized and happy! There was a beautiful feeling of joy all day, even though it was strenuous waiting in crowds. So many times people in the crowds were nice, kind and caring. Not your usual NYC experience!_MG_2524

A few weeks ago, I felt a strong urge to check out a church that is for sale in our neighborhood. I felt an inner excitement building with the idea of having it for an Icon writing studio and having daily prayer offered for whoever at all wanted to come.  It’s a dream of both of ours, to have an artist/photography studio that doubles as a church on evenings and weekends. When we graduated from ministry school that was our dream and plan – it still is!  But as we looked it over carefully, we realized the building would need work, and the expense of buying, heating, and repairs would put us in a financial position we don’t want to be in.  IMG_0536We are both tentmakers, me with Icon writing and painting, and Michael with photography, and that is how we want to be. While we are very grateful to all of you who support our ministry financially, we are glad we don’t have to make extra requests for financial support and we want to keep it that way!  But, if you would just keep our dream in your prayers, that God will fulfill it in His way in His time, we would be grateful._MG_2618

The annual Christian Parade in Hudson was this past Saturday. Michael was part of it and was able to provide healing prayer for all those who wanted it down by the riverside._MG_2610
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The Pope’s visit was a reminder for me to “Always be joyful.  Keep on praying.  No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  How he can be joyful with all the problems he faces, is truly the grace of God! And I claim the same for all of us!

The popular Artists & Friends Community Potluck Dinner is back with a Sept 18 dinner that hosted NYC artist and author Brainard Carey who gave an uplifting and informative talk about alternative ways to engage with the art world.

Just a few notes:  I am teaching an Introduction to Icon Writing Retreat at Saint James Episcopal Church on Madison Ave. in NYC, Oct 16-18.  There’s still time to register: contact Grace Beecham,email: gbeecham@st.james.org

I’ll be teaching that again in May at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY. Email me if you’d like to register for that. Also at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in March, 2016.

Michael and I thank you so much for your support and prayers. We are grateful for each one of you and keep you constantly in our prayers, too.

Blessings and love,       IMG_0480
Christine and Michael

www.mickhales.com, www.christinehales.com, www.newchristianicons.com, www.americanassociationoficonographers.com 

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August Travels

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Dear Friends and Family:  photo

The Philmont Community Healing Day was beautiful, thank you for your prayers. The Holy Spirit filled the pavillion, lots of little and big children comfortably  enjoyed being there, sat rapt.. listening to the worship music and occasionally making art that got pinned up on the stage for all to see.  One young man made a decision that day to quit drugs and he started at teen challenge the following week. Please keep him in prayer for full recovery and for he and his two local friends who have also gotten off drugs to receive all the support they need to stay clean.

Michael is helping with two more community outreaches in September being organized by an ad hoc group of pastors working under the name of, ‘God Belongs in Our County.’ It is a small beginning but these outreaches are gathering steam and inviting people to work together from different streams.photo
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A sad note: one of our friends from when we held the Revival in Philmont about 6 years ago, a lovely lady in a wheelchair died suddenly when she was hit by a car last week in the village. At the revival she was powerfully touched by God and ever afterwards was active in the local church and ministered to the local kids on a daily basis. She was loved by many. By the grace of God, we just happened to be coming home from out of town that night, dropped in at the Cumberland Farms to pick up milk and heard that she had been hit.  As we drove home, we saw her, still at the street corner, with the police and a small crowd. We ran over and prayed with her.  She said to Michael “Don’t stop praying”.  She looked ok and refused to go to the hospital, but after Michael and her friend Skip helped her get home, she decided to call an ambulance. She kept saying to Michael, ‘Don’t stop praying.’ She died that night. She is missed by many._MG_7597 (1)

This month we will be going to the UK for our niece’s wedding in Leeds. We will be in Bristol for a very quick visit on August 29. Then up to Leeds on August 30. Let us know if you’re in Bristol and would like a quick cup of tea and catch up!ChristineHales_SavetheDate

I’m having an exhibition of my paintings at the McDaris Gallery in Hudson in September and will give a talk there on September 26.

We love you, pray for you and thank you for your prayers. With God’s help we can bring his Kingdom here on earth.  Don’t stop praying!

“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome.”  Ephesians 3:12

Love and Prayers, Christine and Michael

www.christinehales.com              www.mickhales.com                          www.newchristianicons.com    www.americanassociationoficonographers.com

 

June Flowers

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Dear Friends and Family: photo

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

Here in Philmont, NY, there is a heroin epidemic among the young and poor. This is a small village – maybe 700 people, and yet our youth are living with such low hope.  It’s generational here.  When you drive into town you see the 20 and thirty somethings on their front porches, little children running around, glazed looks in the parents’ eyes.  It’s so sad and seemingly unstoppable.  As I describe this, I want to also describe “the future we have not seen”.  I have a vision for Philmont becoming a safe place for children to grow up, with no drugs allowed in the area.  A drug free zone.  Won’t you join us in prayer for the youth of Philmont?  We know that prayer is powerful, and God can change the destiny of a place and its people.  In the weeks and months ahead, please pray some time each day for Philmont to be drug free and a safe place for children to grow up. photo 3

I’m working hard on painting- I have three galleries now that I have to bring in paintings, take back paintings, etc.. The exhibition in Chatham at the Bookstore sold three paintings! Praise God!  Also have a new Icon commission so am busy trying to stay organized. Please pray for me to find a good computer person to help me with the administrative tasks. 🙂

I’m taking a break from the Artists & Friends Community Potluck Dinners for July and August, hoping to get someone to help with it all. We’ll start back again September 19.

“One out of a hundred will read a bible. The other 99 will read you and me. Hopefully we are an accurate translation.”  Dutch Sheets

Michael has his Healing Day in Philmont on August 1 where we’ve rented the town pavilion for the day. Please keep that in prayer, that miracles will happen and people will get set free:    photo

That day is one of five dates set for different outside activities scheduled by a group of pastors from Columbia County joining together under the heading, ‘God Belongs in Our County’. They are set to take place in Claverack Town Park, Chatham, Greenport and Hudson. Michael has asked an evangelist from Baltimore, Rick Cecil to be among the speakers for that day and is expecting  worship music from past Kingdom School students. There have been so many predictions and words about the train coming in or the big wave moving through the Hudson Valley of God’s presence I found this picture at the Hudson Railway station particularly appropriate. Please keep this area in your prayers.photo

We love you all and keep you in our prayers, May God continue to bless you and your families, keep you safe from all harm and provide for a surplus of all your needs.  Help us to be mindful of the needs of others.

Christine and Michael

May Blossoms

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Dear Friends and Family:

“Love your neighbor as yourself.  Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.  Romans 13:9,10″

This spring we are reaching out into the community now that the grip of winter is over.  Our monthly Artists + Friends Community Potluck Dinner has been growing in many ways.  Each month we have 45-60 people coming to share a potluck meal and art work with each other. There are performers, visual artists, ceramicists, writers, poets , and we all gather to share our true selves with each other and celebrate what joins us together._MG_3602_MG_3617

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Michael and I also met with some of our former students from Kingdom School for dinner and prayer: 8 adults and 5 babies under the age of 3!  So much fun!

The Icons for Saint Vincent’s Church are completed and will be dedicated on Pentecost! May 24th 11:00 am service you’re all invited!  It will be an exciting moment to see them unveiled!

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Michael is going through a period of intense discernment to see where the Lord is leading him next. He has been exploring the opportunity for further training in Chaplaincy and is applying to Albany Medical Center to join the excellent program they offer there for Chaplains. He is also exploring the Lutheran denomination to see whether the Lord has a place for him in that stream. In the mean time we are beginning to see that our role within the artist community  is really laying a foundation for ministering to a group which has often rejected Christianity but are seriously searching for a fuller meaning to their creativity and life. God has extraordinary ways of weaving peoples lives together after long intervals of time, so we connect again in a different context for another opportunity to be in relationship. As we know God is all about relationships, with Him and with other people. We seem to be in a season of growing many new relationships and it is very life giving especially in the artist community.

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We feel an excitement that God is forming a cohesive plan, we do not see it clearly yet but it is as though it is being created around us. The former students from Kingdom School are all on new and exciting paths, many of them are going through interior growing and healing. God has a plan and we are so excited to be just one part of what he is doing in the Hudson Valley. Please keep us in your prayers and let us know how we can pray for you.

Love, prayers, and blessings from us to you!

Christine and Michael

www.christinehales.com

www.mickhales.com

www.americanassociationoficonographers.com 

www.newchristianicons.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Videos in February

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Hello Friends and Family:station1

Where we live is reminiscent of Siberia now – snow lasting for days, a brief respite then starting up again. Snowfall is now measured in feet and icicles are measured the same.  Single digit temperatures.  All of you in South Africa or Southern states, bask in your warmth and pray for us!

But we hardy ones in the North are working indoors on computer based activities :). Michael has completed two neat videos.  The first one is called “The Armour of God”, made with our friend Tyler Slade. Here’s the link: 

Michael feels like he is getting called back to working with video for the Lord. Particularly using the visual image with scripture in a contemporary style. There are many people who have not read the bible and really have little chance of coming across God’s word in their lives. Somehow, we need to make it available to them in a way which is dynamic and memorable, but not diluted. The visual image is  powerful, so combining it with the word of God can cut through the tendency to reject the Bible as irrelevant in todays world. For ‘the Armour of God’ video he feels like it is for intercessors, prayer warriors as well as those who have never heard of the passage from Ephesians before. It reminds us that we are in a battle all the time and we need to use the protection God has given us toSerenity declare who He is- Lord of this nation.

We ‘ve also just returned from an Immanuel Retreat in the Washington DC area, hosted by our friends the Stalcups from ANGA and the Acanforas at Church of the Apostles. It was called  The Immanuel Approach. It was great and our friends George and Jane Conger prayed us back home through a snow storm!  We are excited about what God is doing in the Baltimore and DC area and hope to go down there again soon.

My exhibition in Lancaster PA was fun -God is always showing me what comes next! I’m looking forward to the Icon Retreat in NYC later this month and the Hillsdale Icon class is going well- the Albany class hasn’t met for over a month due to snow cancellations!

The second Video Michael has made is for my Icon writing classes. Here’s the link for that one:

 

We so much appreciate your prayers.  We particularly need prayers for finances, good sales and commissions for me and for Michael, and a church we can be planted in.  Our ministry has three community outreaches this spring and summer and we are praying about offering a weekly course as well.  Our monthly prayer group is a good prayer furnace and we lift all of you up in prayer, that God blesses you with more of His love and kindness and safety in travel.

Until next month,

with love and prayers,

Christine and Michael

 

 

 

Advent Waiting

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Dear Friends and Family:    _MG_9195

One of my friends has made his Christmas puddings and is now waiting… and we are all in the season of lighting candles and waiting.  It is a Holy time, and we look forward to celebrating Christmas in a special way each year.

Looking back over 2014, we realize the direction that God is giving us and want to share that with you, our trusted partners:

Living in the Capital region which has the lowest churched population in America, we are  recognizing the need for changing our strategy about how to bring the Kingdom to our region.

archgabrielWe realized that operating as a ministry we are competing with other churches and ministries for the same small group of people. Meanwhile, the unchurched remain disinterested or sporadically participating in ministry activities.  Power evangelism needs to be adapted to reach a hardened and skeptical population.

Over the past year, Kingdom Arts Ministry has been involved in building Pastoral relationships through Michael’s involvement with the Capital District Ministers Association. He has also been the guest speaker at several area local churches, regularly brought meals to the elderly through the meals on wheels program, and been a strong supporter of the local “Community Spirit Day” that attracted over 250 low income local families to hear the Gospel message preached through Teen Challenge and local churches. The message was mingled with free food and entertainment for the children and held in our Town Park.

photo copy 10Christine has been reaching out to artists  in the capital region and has a strong desire to create more community events for artists. Last Spring, she partnered with the Columbia County Arts Council and the Hudson Chamber of Commerce to produce an exhibition and performance of local artists meeting the business community. She has also started an Artist Way group –a spiritual program of development for artists, in our home. She is working on a large commission of eight Icons of modern saints for Saint Vincents Church in Albany, as well as leading Icon retreats in Saratoga and an ongoing Icon writing class and fellowship at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albany.photo copy 9

Waiting for 2015, we realize that we are laying foundations of relationships that we can partner with over the next year to find ways to collaborate and bring a culture of God and honor to our region. We are so grateful to all of you who partner with us financially and in prayer. Without your help we really would not be able to do what we do. Our world is certainly in a difficult time and challenging in so many ways. We draw strength and joy from your prayers and support. You are instruments of God’s help and a source of His provision for us. Thank you! LadySign

Next month we will outline our direction as a ministry for 2015. We have already been laying the groundwork and it promises to be both exciting and challenging!

Thank you and we love you, Please pray for us that we stay close to God’s plan and hear His voice clearly. You are in our prayers daily too.

Love, Christine and Michael

Giving Thanks in November

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Hello Friends and family:  photo 2

The fall has been so beautiful – I can’t resist sending you some photos of what it’s been looking like around here.  A great place to live if you’re a painter or photographer :).

We attended the ANGA Retreat this fall and met some great people- Betsy and Sam Stalcup have a ministry called Godhealstoday and we are looking into partnering with them for teaching and prayer ministry events in the new year.

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We are focusing on local prayer partnering opportunities and are happy with the relationships God is bringing to us.  Last night we had a prayer meeting in our home and prayed for Philmont, Claverack and all the families within our area.  We plan to meet regularly to pray and share about the ways God is answering our prayers.

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THe Albany Icon class I teach is growing into a prayerful community of artists that are growing in their understanding and technical skill in Icon writing. _MG_6745__ The Healing Icon Retreats in Saratoga have been really wonderful. Action packed for two days, but such a joy to see people concentrating in prayer and fellowship for two days.

 

 

At Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Albany, we will be giving workshops for their Holy Spirit Weekend, November 21 & 22 ,.My workshop will be “The Joy of Prophetic Painting”.  This will be a hands-on workshop and all are welcome. Michael will be teaching on deliverance.

Often we have no feed back for how our prayers have helped others. At the ANGA retreat sitting at our small group table was someone we did not know and he surprised us by saying Michael had prayed for him in Brooklyn nearly nine months before and he had received healing from a very painful nerve condition. Sometimes we get to hear what God did when we reached out to others but often that is not the case._MG_6624__ Michael loves to pray for healing for people and yesterday he had a visit to NYC and got to pray for three different people for healing, one in an elevator and two on the streets. The reactions initially are surprise that someone would offer to pray, then always real gratitude and then the comments like ‘I feel peace, or warmth or soothing just happened’. The last person he prayed for last night said ” Wow, thank you so much for your prayer. I really felt something and I’m Jewish!’ What Joy God is!

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is Good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1

We give thanks to the Lord for you all and keep you in our prayers.
Blessings and love,

Michael and Christine