The Christmas season is often a less-than-simple time for many people. There are family dynamics that sometimes create stressful environments. There are those who will spend their first Christmas without a mate, or a parent or a child. Many will struggle to find the necessary finances to do the things they've always done for others at Christmastime.  It is a proven fact that people often become emotionally depressed during this season.

If you find yourself in trying circumstances right now, remember the essence of Christmas is the fact that you aren't alone. The One who loves you with an everlasting love is within you and will sustain and strengthen you, even giving you a joy that defies common sense in the face of difficult times.

As 2009 comes to a close, we give thanks to our Father for how He has used Grace Walk to impact lives across the world.  We have personally shared the gospel of grace with people on six continents and look forward to seeing the revolution of God’s loving grace continue to reach out through this ministry in the days ahead.

This is the first time finances have been mentioned in the Grace Vine this year, but I want to share with you where we are right now so that you can pray about both your year-end giving and your plans for giving in 2010. There has never been a time in the history of our ministry when our monthly income has equaled our monthly outflow. The way the Lord has provided thus far is that at the end of each year there have been those who give a year-end gift above their regular donation. Others give to the ministry once a year in December.

Because of these year-end gifts, we are able to make up the monthly deficit as the months pass. This past year our monthly income has averaged 3700 dollars less than we have spent. This isn’t an amount short of our budget. It is the amount short of what we actually spent to do ministry. That’s why year-end gifts are important!

Would you pray about giving a gift this month?  If our ministry hasn’t impacted you, be assured that this appeal isn’t directed to you. However, if the ministry of Grace Walk has enriched your life and if you believe others could benefit from being exposed to the message we share, will you help us reach them?  Grace is indeed a free gift, but doing the things necessary to bring the message of grace to people across the world isn’t inexpensive.

In addition to traditional giving, there have been times a few people have shared with the ministry in other ways. One family has given stock to Grace Walk.  Another notified us that Grace Walk has been included in their family trust and that the funds will be disbursed upon their deaths. One named Grace Walk a benefactor in her will. Another encouraged his family’s charitable foundation to give money to Grace Walk for several years.

The bottom line is that those who know the ministry and know me realize that I don’t badger people for money. I seldom mention it, but the truth is that we need your help. Charitable donations are down for everybody these days. I know there are many places you can give your money and am deeply appreciative to those who share financially with this ministry.

2010 will be another year of great opportunity to share our Father’s love around the world. We will be holding our Grace Walk Leadership Meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico in March and will meet with our leaders from Mexico, Argentina and El Salvador.

The "Sunday Preaching” broadcasts on our web site are being watched around the world and we regularly receive emails of thanks from those who watch.

Under the direction of Dave Lesniak, Grace Walk Radio has broadcast over 200,000 hours of teaching in 57 countries since its inception five years ago.

Gerardo Vasquez and Craig Snyder continue to crisscross Latin America, giving away our books at no cost and preaching to crowds who can’t contribute financially toward their ministry with them.

Mike & Julia Quarles continue to share through the Grace Walk Recovery Ministry and are being used to set people free from addiction and to lead others in ministering to their addicted loved ones.

As Administrator, Cheryl Buchanan keeps our organization financially "lean and mean” as she carries out a myriad of details necessary to keep us going forward.

Michael Zenker,  Jose Collacilli and Edwin Castellano passionately work to reach their countries with the gospel as Directors of Grace Walk in their respective countries.

Do you get the picture? A lot is going on and these are just the tip of the iceberg! I hope you’ll decide to support this ministry because you believe in it. It is indeed a pleasure to work together with you in impacting the world with the liberating message of the grace walk.

LIVING IN HEAVEN’S EMBRACE

This series of messages were recorded live at our Living In Heaven's Embrace Conference in Atlanta, GA. The topics for the three sessions are:

Session 1: The Group Hug
In this teaching you will learn about the eternal love relationship that has existed among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for all eternity and how He determined to create mankind to include us in this circle of love.

Session 2: The Cold Shoulder
Did Adam's sin in the garden change God's attitude toward man? This teaching will show how our loving Father relentlessly pursued man after he sinned and how He would not give up on us until He brought us back to Himself.

Session 3: The Divine Lover
This teaching will show how that the meaning of the cross had nothing to do with the Father pouring out anger on His Son, but rather was the work of our Triune God dealing with the fatal effect sin was to have upon all humanity apart from divine intervention.