Rosilind Jukic's Blog, page 79

Christ Revealed Through the Passover

"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians (Ex 6:6-7 NIV)







The mighty arm of God redeemed Israel from slavery and Egyptian bondage through the death of the first born and the blood of a lamb on the door post of the Israeli homes. Exodus 12:1-14 describes how the redemptive events would take place.


1. God was going to send a death angel throughout the land of Egypt. The first born of all animals and humans would be killed.

2. The Israelite families were to search through their flocks and find a one year old male lamb that was without blemish.

3. On the fourteenth day of Abib the lamb was to be slaughtered at twilight and the blood of the lamb painted on the door post of the house.

4. The lamb was to be roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

5. They were to eat the meal dressed ready for travel.

6. When the death angel came through the land he would Passover all who had painted their door posts with the blood of the lamb.


“So this day shall be to you a memorial: and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance” (Ex. 12:14). Jesus kept this memorial feast. “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15-16).


Jesus had celebrated Passover all of his earthly life, why was this Passover so special?

The full meaning and purpose of Passover would be fulfilled in the events that were about to follow.


1. Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” was born in the fields where the Passover lambs were raised.

2. The birth of Jesus was first viewed by the shepherds who cared for the Passover lambs.

3. Jesus was crucified during Passover as the lamb who would deliver all of mankind from the slavery of sin and the one who had the power of death (Eph. 1:7; Heb. 2:14).

4. Every portion of the Passover meal holds the symbol of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for mankind.

  Jesus was examined his final days before he was crucified as the lamb was to be examined.
The Passover meal has a cloth with three compartments each containing a loaf of unleavened bread. The Jewish families believe it represents Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The center loaf is removed and broken. Half is returned to the cloth the other portion is hidden and later searched for by children who receive a prize when they find it. Jesus took this portion of the unleavened bread and broke it and said, “This is my body which is broken for you.” The cloth with the three loaves did not represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Rather, it represented the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.Jesus took the “cup of redemption” and said, “This cup is the new covenant in blood.” Jesus blood would be the blood of redemption, not the blood of an animal (Hebrews 9:11-15).
After the meal the children search for the hidden piece of unleavened bread. When it is found a prize is given to the child who found it. The morning of the third the women came and found the body of Jesus gone. They told the disciples who went searching and his body was not there. Later Jesus appeared to all the disciples and to as many as five hundred at one time. All who find Jesus receive the wonderful gift of eternal life.

This is only a small portion of the way Passover reveals a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ. Each of the feasts of Israel brings a greater revelation of Jesus Christ and His redemption of mankind.


You have just read a guest post by my father Dr. F Dean Hackett. He is the author of F. Dean Hackett - Foundational and Sr Pastor of Living Faith Church in Hermiston, OR. He has been in full-time ministry for over 30 years, during which time he has both successfully pastored many churches as well as planted many others. But most importantly, he is my dad! You can read his other guest posts  here and here
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A 4-Point Challenge to Becoming an Amazon Associate

Have you been considering ways to monetize your blog? Have you been trying to earn money with blogging, but find you are unsuccessful? Do you feel you lack the creativity or know-how to make it really work?



Today I'm over at Christian Mommy Blogger sharing a 4-point challenge relating to yesterday's post.  Pop on over to read it.

Oh - and be sure to check out Julie's tech tip from Tuesday while you're there - how to embed a Google Plus post in your blog. Like this:







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Top 10 Ways to Earn Money With Amazon Associates + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #47

Last month I shared about how you can earn money with ads on your blog. I alluded to Amazon and received quite a few comments from my readers about how hard it is to earn money with Amazon. I totally understand that. I have not earned much myself to-date.

So, I began to research, and found out that there is so much more that I could and should be doing to maximize my Amazon potential! A simple ad on your sidebar wont cut it. In fact, it may earn you a big, fat $0.00!!



1. Recipes - Do you feature recipes? Link to odd ingredients, like coconut oil, specialty noodles, or quality cookware.  Did you know that there are people who purchase their groceries from Amazon? Yes, its true! In your recipe, you can feature a special ingredient and share its benefits or why you use it.

2. Roundup posts - These are super popular right now. Find a topic that your readership is interested in and do a roundup. Seriously, the sky is the limit here: from holidays and home school materials, to baby gear and inexpensive chic jewelry.

3. Deals, deals, deals - What is your niche or readership? Find deals on items and then blog about them.

4. Best Seller lists, Review lists, Top 10s- These are like roundup posts, but better. With review lists, you can even link to other bloggers' reviews and get more attention! You can read more about how to make these work for you in this post: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money with the Amazon Affiliate Program

5. Holidays- Take advantage of holidays. Do round ups, top 10's, best seller lists, "ultimate resource" articles and link, link, link! You can feature a special item you have that you love. And don't forget food!  Do you have a secret ingredient to share, blog about it. Feature it!

6. Your own Reviews - Do you have a favorite product? Kitchen gadget, yard tool, baby item, camera, printer, computer program...(really the sky is the limit here). Review it on your blog and link to it.

7. Product comparisons - Take your favorite product and compare it with other similar products and link to both!

8. Diversify - Use both links and images in your posts (more on that below. Better yet, don't use Amazon's images. Take a picture of yourself (or your uber-cute kid) with the product and link your image with your affiliate code!

9. Store - Create an Amazon store. Just like the Amazon ads you use in your sidebar, the store alone will do nothing for you. But diversification is key. A little here, a little there, and you have yourself a nice income.

10. Buy now button - At the bottom of your review posts, use a "Buy now" button. Such a small thing can make a big difference!

There are a few things to remember as an Amazon Affiliate, though:
1. Use lots and lots of links! In doing my research, those who made a lot of money were very liberal with linkage. They will repeatedly link to the same item throughout the article. But don't just use links in your text, use images. You can use both Amazon's images and your own. 

2. You make a commission on whatever the person buys. This is beautiful, folks! Say your reader clicks on your link, they visit the product and decide to shop around. You may link to a book, but if they see a DVD they like and buy it, you receive commission on the DVD. Seriously, I have received a commission on in-line skates that I have never promoted. True story!

3. Don't be afraid to promote high-end items. The higher the ticket price, the greater your commission. Don't be afraid to promote these kinds of items. You may not sell as many of them, but one sale could bring you more commission than a bunch of little items.

4. You must build trust and rapport with your readership. Ask yourself: "Why would my readers trust me when I tell them they should buy something?" Do you come across as an expert in your niche? You need to, or this will not work as well for you.

5. Don't just push high-end items. The little sales do add up. And in these economic times, you will not have as many big sales as you will little sales. Keep your demographic in mind

6. Don't be afraid to make a shift in your blog. If you want to monetize your blog and truly earn an income, you will need to do some of the top 10 above; which means you may need to make some adjustments in what you blog about. Remember, sometimes change is good.

7. Don't change too quickly or too often. Sudden or frequent change can cost you valuable readers. Make slow, deliberate adjustments that will last. Guide your readers, don't drive them. If you drive them, you will drive them to someone else.





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 And now for the party!!!!
Here are the "rules"

1. Link up as many posts as you'd like (even giveaways!)
2. Link up old posts you wish would have received more attention!
3. Link back here by posting my button in your post or sidebar - or with a link
4. Visit the post just before yours

The party runs through next Tuesday evening!
So have FUN!

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Jesus - The Bread of Life

The symbolism we see in scripture between Jesus and bread is something so fascinating:

The mana in the desert
The bread that fed the 5,000
The unleavened bread used for Passover

When I consider this deep symbolism of Jesus and bread, it gives me chills because it is so rich. It is a symbolism that many use even today, without even realizing it.

I wrote about this amazing symbolism at Coffee for the Soul today. I hope you'll pop over and take a look.



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A Winner and The Missional Handbook!

I have some super exciting news!!!  But before we get to that, we have a winner of my newest book: Tidbits From Help Meets' Hearts!

Deborah C - you are the winner. We have contacted you, and you should receive your book soon.

For those who didn't win, you may still purchase the book here:

   10 years ago I sat on a friend's couch in Bosnia. I camped out in her living for 3 full months. Truth is, the first time we met was when I showed up at her doorstep at midnight with 2 bulging suitcases. Later that night (or morning?) we sat at her little kitchen table sipping tea and chatting.  She is the most generous person I know.

And during those 3 months she would often find me furiously typing away at my laptop.

I didn't blog then. But I still wrote. And in those three months I wrote my 2nd book. My first book "Live Worship" - which was then called "Worship the Father" was still unpublished. And the book I wrote in Bosnia would sit on my laptop for nearly 10 years.

My time in Bosnia opened up for me a whole new perspective on missions than I had ever considered. And as usually is the case with me; once the ideas started rolling, I thought they'd never stop.

This new concept of missions seemed so radical to me; but so much more logical.
Over the next 9 years, I would share my ideas with people; who would heartily agree that this approach met the needs of the modern world in a far greater way - it was certainly more economical.

While I sensed a growing interest in missions, I somehow believed that few would find my book interesting enough to read. The time to publish it never seemed right.

In the meantime, I published 14 Days of Agape, Live Worship, Homemade Cleaning, The Ultimate Missionary Gift Guide, Pray Through the Lord's Prayer and New Year's Evaluation Packet.

After my fall missons series Answer the Call here on A Little R & R, I knew it was time to publish my book. I took much of that series and mingled it in with the book I wrote in Bosnia, and added a bit more and culmination of that is The Missional Handbook.



In the Missional Handbook you will not only read about what the Lord showed me as a new and modern approach to missions, you will also find information on how you can implement this approach, prepare for the mission field and how you can help support other missionaries abroad.

But that's not all, The Missional Handbook also includes a question-and-answer section and a bonus section that includes tips from missionaries and stories from local, "uncommon" and global missionaries.

The Missional Handbook will release on May 5th!

We are looking for people who will help us launch The Missional Handbook. You can help launch the book in the following ways:

Share the graphics and ads across social mediaPost a review on AmazonPost a review on your blogShare with your friends about the "freebies" to comeInterview me about the bookAllow me to write a guest post for your blog about the bookIf you would like to join our launch team, you may write me at missionalcall @ outlook . com and request to join either the Facebook Launch Team group or the Google Plus Launch Team group.  By joining our launch team, you will receive a free preview copy of the book.



For those who do not wish to join the launch team, you can download a free chapter today by liking the Missional Call Facebook page or joining the Missional Call Google Plus community!!  (click on the graphics below)




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Worthy of the Call

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."



My heart wrenched as I read the words above this morning.  It was as if the curtains of my mind were pulled back revealing a large screen on which were depicted the many ungracious moments I have served.

The many times I arrogantly criticized someone serving alongside me.

The times I mistakenly thought that being a "leader" meant I was above those who served with me...forgetting that Jesus was a lowly servant.

The many times I failed to have a gentle spirit when frustrated because someone was late, things didn't go the way I anticipated, or I was tired and burned out.

How often I lacked patience , thinking my vision was more important than those I was serving.

The times I made multiple changes to my ministry forgetting that the months of considering and planning for these changes had prepared me, but that I had failed to properly prepare my team and give them time to adjust to the upcoming changes.

The times I found my more immature team members annoying and didn't want to deal with their "drama", when instead I should have lifted them up in prayer before Almighty God and been a proper mentor to them.

And finally, and most disturbingly, I was reminded of the hours I spent criticizing pastors, ministries, churches, and other Christians

Most often I did not know the whole story
Most often I didn't even know them personally
Most often my criticisms were based on assumption and what I had read in the news or on various websites - and mistakenly assumed this was accurate.

Yet, would it have made it right had I known the whole story, the person/people personally, or had accurate information?

God didn't make me the "Christian Ministry Police" and the time I had spent criticizing others was completely wasted when I could have spent that time praying for those in need or encouraging someone who was feeling down.

Building up, instead of tearing down!
Somehow it is so much easier to fall into a pattern of walking unworthy of our calling . It is easier to be critical, impatient, frustrated, and to tear down than it is to be humble, gentle and patient.

It is easier to serve out of pride rather than serve with grace.

Today I purpose in my heart to walk worthy of the call!



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The Meaning of True Success & Weekly Newsletters

The sad truth that this era of social media, YouTube, American Idol, and the knowledge that this fame, which was a mere fantasy for previous generations, can be a reality, has fed our tendency to narcissism, indiscretion and a belief that the world’s definition of success is the only viable measure.

But is it?

Is success having a secure financial future, a nice retirement, and a piece of the American dream?  Is this what Joshua meant when he said, “For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”?  – Joshua 1:8




I was recently over at Missional Women talking about what success means for the child of God. You can read the rest of the article here.


You spoke and we listened!
As of today I am cancelling the RSS feed for A Little R & R and Missional Call. As a subscriber to either or both of these, rather than receiving an email each time an article is posted, you will receive a newsletter each weekend with a recap of the week's articles.



I hope this will help keep your mail box down to a minimum.



Don't forget to enter the Tidbits from Help Meets' Hearts giveaway!
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5 Ways You Can Use Easter to Evangelize

"Why do we celebrate Jesus’ birth more than His resurrection?His birth didn’t redeem us and save us from sin. So, why do we place a lesser importance on celebrating His resurrection?  This is a question that has been nagging at me the past few months."
Yesterday I shared 5 Ways You Can Use Easter to Evangelize. You can read the post here



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RSS Feed Email - Help or Hindrance {Work @ Home Blogger} + A Little R & R Wednesdays a Linky Party #46

If you subscribe to A Little R & R or Missional Call, you receive an email each time an article posts.  Lately I have played around with "excerpts", which means, you receive the title and a link to click over to the blog to read it,  and "full feed", which means the full post (including the graphic) appears in the email. You can read it right in your email inbox.

I actually have a question - a poll - about that. but before we get to that, let's look at whether or not this poses a problem.



Earlier this month, Amy Lynn Andrews revealed an issue with RSS feed emails and Amazon Associates. Fact is, if your full RSS feed goes out in an email to your subscribers, whether via Feedburner, MailChimp, Mad Mimi or any other subscriber service, you could be violating Amazon Associates' terms of service.

You can read her article here, because she clearly laid out a personal conversation she had with a representative at Amazon.

If you are an Amazon  Associate, you need to read her article!
The question arises: do other affiliate programs have similar terms?

The bigger question is: how do we alert our subscribers to new content without violating Amazon's (and possibly other affiliate services') terms of service?

Here is where I need your help in decided which avenue YOU - my reader - prefer.

a) You can "truncate" your feed.

Blogger users: That means you place a "jump break" in your post where you want the "read more" to show up.  Note: this will affect how your home page appears.  When you do this, it will cause all of your posts on your home page to shorten to a excerpt with a "read now" where you placed your "jump break". (I actually like how this makes my home page appear - people can view more posts at one time) The same thing will happen in your newsletter.

Wordpress users: You don't have to do anything but set up your email service to send excerpts and not the full feed. The email service will automatically shorten the feed or simply send a title with a link attached.


The downside: Your image will not appear in the email. I have had very little action with this. My open and click rates are pretty low


b) You can send a weekly newsletter

At the end of each week, you send out a short newsletter. You can recap your week with a short personal note at the top, place thumbnail images from your posts with a small excerpt or description of the post and a link for your subscribers to click over and read what you offered that week.

The upside: This does not clog your subscribers' mailboxes with emails multiple times a week. It also offers them an overview of more content and a choice of what they will find. Another plus is that fewer emails combined with some personal content from you (and I would emphasize that you should write in a very personal, down-to-home nature...and brief!!) could offer more incentive to open and click over.

The downside: It will take a little more time on your part each week to put the newsletter together; and if  there is something we all lack, it is time.


In the end, you have to know what your end goal is and weigh your options. Could you find an extra 20-30 minutes a week to do a nice, personal weekly newsletter? It could be very effective.


As my reader, which would you prefer from A Little R & R and Missional Call? A or B?


Take a few moments and sound off below. Vote and/or share any other options you think could be helpful in avoiding violations with affiliate merchants.



Be sure to enter to win a FREE copy of Tidbits from Help Meets' Hearts!!

Read my introduction to this new series here



**********

 And now for the party!!!!
Here are the "rules"

1. Link up as many posts as you'd like (even giveaways!)
2. Link up old posts you wish would have received more attention!
3. Link back here by posting my button in your post or sidebar - or with a link
4. Visit the post just before yours

The party runs through next Tuesday evening!
So have FUN!

Click here to receive a weekly reminder about this party!




An InLinkz Link-up


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Tidbits From Help Meets' Hearts Review and Giveaway!

 

I honestly can't even remember the last time I sat down with a group of girlfriends to have coffee and chat without the usual interruptions: "Don't yell. Don't run in the house. Don't run your scooter over your brother's head." 
And there are times when I need to know that the craziness of having two active boys only 21 months apart is normal. I have so many questions and fears; and often think I'm the only facing the hardships that are, in reality, just part of motherhood.
I had the honor to partner with 6 other amazing women from Marriage, Motherhood and Missions to author this book: Tidbits From Help Meets' Hearts". 
It really is from our hearts. 
We talk about:
How to make time for devotionHow to love our husbandsHow to raise our kids for ChristHomemakingMinistering outside our homesFinances...and then we just offer a word of encouragement from our hearts.

Ren expertly ushered in the topic of loving our husbands in a tasteful but challenging way that leaves you blushing, but nodding in both approval and agreement.  I love how Heather points out that we should ask our husbands what element of  homemaking is important to him. I wish I'd have thought of that, because I have learned by trial and error that my husband and I don't place importance on the same things. hmmm....

I loved Marissa's chapter on how our children mimic our actions, and how we need to display righteous acts for them to mimic. It really stuck with me, because my boys do this a lot. They repeat words I say, they play-act things I do -- and the thought came to me that perhaps I should schedule in some "quiet times" during their playtime. Let them play and have my devotions at the time during that time. Let it be natural, but let it be visible!

Bridget's story of Mrs. B who reached out to her touched me deeply and offered me some ideas on how I can do better in this area of ministry outside my home. Misty gave some really great ways to remain frugal - and I really love how she emphasized giving to God is important. And April's story on how she became a stay-at-home mom was amazing. I really related to much of it...because even though being a stay-at-home mom is what I've always wanted to be, and have never considered anything else, I understood the daily struggle. I have a "retreater and screamer" and some days I'm not sure which is tougher: calming a kid with a short fuse or trying to light a fire under the wet backside of a kid who is passive-aggressive.  

Here are some amazing quotes from the book. Honestly, I could sit here all day and quote from this book. Each woman shared priceless pearls of wisdom from her heart, making up a book that is a must-read for every help meet.


"Tidbit's From Help Meets' Hearts" Author Quotes by Slidely Slideshow

You can read more reviews at these blogs:

A Look at the Book
Apron Strings and Other Things
Joy from Grace
Suburban Stereotype
Women of Worship
My Mis-Matched World
Marching to a Different Drummer
In All You Do - Breed Love

And one more thing, thank you Misty for letting us join you in writing this treasure!
This book is launching today!
 Pop on over here and pick up a copy!! It's $2.99 only until April 5th. This book would be a wonderful gift for a new bride, a new mother, or a girlfriend who needs encouragement. 

But one person will receive a copy FREE!!!!

Enter below to win one copy of Tidbits From Help Meets' Hearts for free.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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