FINDING JESUS

Finding Jesus is an interactive hide-and-seek game that helps your children focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Your child can find God’s Word daily inside the pocket of a 12” plush, huggable Finding Jesus doll. There are short scriptures and illustrations, printed on 24 double-sided puzzle pieces, which come together to make a beautiful picture. Unlike most puzzles, however, the finished product is only revealed one day at a time. The scripture book correlates to each puzzle piece and walks through the birth of Jesus. The activity is designed to intrigue curiosity leading up to Christmas instilling the habit to Seek Him First. “I wanted to create something that would help families focus on the true meaning of Christmas,” says Lillian. “Finding Jesus is more than just a puzzle; it’s a way to engage children in the story of Christ’s birth and encourage them to seek Him daily.”

THE STORY 
            

The idea for Finding Jesus was conceived in December 2023 during a Bible Study Lillian was attending. The group discussed how Christmas can feel secular making it hard to keep the reason for the season in focus. Lillian says, her friend shared how her toddler kept taking the porcelain baby Jesus from their nativity scene, carrying it around their home, inevitably, leaving it here and there, which had Lillian’s friend constantly asking her toddler, where’s Jesus? Since that day, the Lord continued to impress on Lillian’s heart the idea of Finding Jesus, which would keep Christ’s birth at the center of the Christmas holidays. In mid-February 2024, Lillian began to act on the Lord’s prompting. 
            

Lillian recalls, “I felt strongly that God’s Word was the foundation of the product and no commentary from me or anyone else was to be incorporated. To make the words come to life, I wanted visuals that were attractive for adults yet playful for children.” She needed an artist but did not know one, so she prayed. Two days later God answered her prayer. She was introduced to the sister of a friend, Lauren Cox, who happened to be an artist. “She captured the spirit of this project with precious and playful illustrations for each day of scripture and a beautiful whimsical piece of art for the completed puzzle, shares Lillian.

The completed puzzle for Finding Jesus is not on display anywhere to show where the next puzzle piece goes and how the finished artwork will look. Lillian reveals, “The reality is that this parallels life walking with Jesus. It is an adventure, and we just don’t know the masterpiece planned, but we can trust that His plans for us exceed any of our own.” To order Finding Jesus you can visit https://seekhimfirst.com.

Lillian became a Christian in the 3rd grade. Ever since making Christ her Savior she has loved telling others about Him whether she is in the grocery store or on an airplane. As the founder of Finding Jesus, she gets to share the reason for the season with children. She says, “Finding Jesus has been an experience that I cherish. Each day I seek Him first and He gives me just what I need for that day. He doesn’t overwhelm me with everything I need to do or know… just what I need to do or know for that day.  

MANUFACTURING FINDING JESUS

Lillian wanted Finding Jesus to be made in the USA however securing a manufacturer in the states became unattainable. Then she talked with the Lord about going to China and she felt the green light to go. Every door seemed to open and she has been happy with the two manufacturers she chose. While talking with a friend, Lillian also learned that Christian missionaries are prohibited in China. When she received pictures from her manufacturer of all the workers sewing the nail marks into the hands and feet of the Jesus doll, she felt overwhelmed. God had bigger plans.

LILLIAN’S INFO.

She graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and worked at the Texas Rangers Baseball Club selling sponsorships until she and Adam had their first child.  She says, “I had the blessing of selling the naming rights for the Texas Rangers Ballpark, changing it to Ameriquest Field through a cold call at the age of 26.  The money that I have used for Finding Jesus has come from what I made during my time at the Rangers.” While attending SMU, she was on the Pom Squad each year. She has continued her passion for dance through teaching an adult dance fitness class, Dallas Dance Fitness. Over the years, she has also participated in numerous activities for her kids, whether it’s fundraising, children’s Bible studies, VBS, and chairing school events.  

THE GREATEST GIFT (A Poem By Lillian Richey)

The greatest gift
Is not tied up with a bow
It is a relationship with God
And here’s what you should know
 
It cannot be earned
By things that you do
It is freely given
Because God loves you
 
But the cost of this gift
Is very high
God’s own son
Had to die
 
Why did this happen?
It is hard to understand
So let’s start from the beginning
When God made man
 
God made the world
And everything in it
He said it was good
There was only one limit
 
He said not to eat
From one certain tree
The rest He gave
Completely free
 
But a crafty snake
With a purpose to deceive
Questioned God’s goodness
To Adam & Eve
 
And the forbidden fruit
Was a pleasing sight
So Adam and Eve
Took a bite
 
The moment they chose
To disobey
They felt great shame
And ran away
 
Sin means doing
What you should not do
You may think it’s fun
But that’s not true
 
It leaves you feeling
Bad inside
And makes you want
To run and hide
 
And since God is perfect
And can not sin
It separates
Us from Him
 
God knew no human
Could ever be
Completely perfect
And live free
 
So because God loves us
He had a plan
To bring together
God and man
 
He would send
His blameless, perfect Son
God as man
The Holy one
 
Jesus walked this earth
Like you and me
But instead
He did it perfectly
 
Healed the sick
Raised the dead
Walked on water
Five thousand fed
 
The things He did
Were all God’s will
His final act
The most costly bill
 
He paid the price
And took our place
For the debt of sin
What amazing grace
 
How awful
It must have been that day
When sin was on
Full display
 
They made fun of Him
With the things they said
A crown of thorns
Put on his head
 
His hands and feet nailed
To the cross
He bled and died
His life he lost
 
And none of this
Did he deserve
It was our punishment
That he served
 
For three days
He was in the grave
But came back to life
For us He saved
 
From that moment on
Nothing was the same
Mankind was forgiven
In Jesus’ name
 
Death was conquered
Jesus, now the door
To live with God
Forevermore
 
The price was paid
For sin’s deadly rift
Between man and God
Our greatest gift
 
Yet still God gives us
The freedom of choice
To receive this gift
With our heart and voice
 
Declare Jesus as
Your Lord and King
Your Savior, God,
Your everything
 
Invite Jesus into
Your heart to live
There is nothing else
For you to give
 
It’s not by works
Or what you say
God’s love is free
Just believe and pray
 
Lord, forgive me
For some things I do
I want to be
More like you
 
Come into my heart
And lead the way
For everything I do
And say
 
You are my Savior
Lord and King
Your praises
I forever sing
 
Jesus, you’re
The only one
To conquer sin and death
The work is done
 
Thank you God
That you would send
Both a Savior
And a friend
 
Who loves me
At my best and worst
I want to always
Seek Him First
 
The greatest gift
Will forever be
Jesus Christ
Who died for me
 

If you want your very own Finding Jesus Advent Puzzle click the LINK!

CREDITS

Founder, Finding Jesus, an interactive children’s activity designed for people about the true meaning of Christmas; Graduated from Southern Methodist University; Previously worked at the Texas Rangers Baseball Club selling sponsorships; Married to Adam; Children: Adam (17), Leif (15), and Marilyn Mae (12)

Nancy Haun is 82 years old and lives in a house by herself. She’s constantly on the move meeting with friends, volunteering at her church, or working out in her yard, but when she started having pain in her stomach and chest, her daily routine went out the window.

“It was terrible, because I just couldn’t eat and I was losing my strength. I would try to eat small portions at a time, but when I did, it hurt,” says Nancy. “So, I went to the doctor. He gave me medicine, and that didn’t give me any relief. In the meantime, I’m really praying, ‘Lord, I know you can heal me because you’ve healed me many times in the past.’”

She continued to pray for healing and for answers to what was causing these issues. Her doctors struggled to find the answer, until an x-ray revealed the source of her pain: twisted intestines.

Nancy describes her reaction to this news, “So I just continued praying and having some family members and friends pray with me, and I finally started praying and saying, ‘Lord, whatever Your will is, whatever Your will is, You do it.’”

She now had a diagnosis but the medical treatments for twisted intestines are limited, so she continued to pray for God to intervene.

Nany recalls, “April the 29th, I was watching The 700 Club as I usually do, and I was praying with Gordon and Terry, when all of the sudden, Gordon says, 'There’s someone, I just hear the phrase, ‘twisted intestine,’ and it’s extraordinarily painful. God is healing you right now. He is able to untwist, unblock, and just take all that pain, all that discomfort away now, in Jesus’ name. And, I go, ‘Wow!' And then Terry Meeuwsen said, 'Your entire digestive system is healed in Jesus’ name.' And I go, ‘Whoa, oh Lord, I receive that, I receive that, thank you, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus."

Nancy called her friend Judy who had been praying with her. “She got so excited and said, ‘Nancy, I saw that program. And I said, I claim that for Nancy. Praise God, praise God.' The next day, I was able to go out and work in the yard, and I actually had strength to do yardwork for several hours. And at dinner time, I actually ate a more normal meal, with no pain.”

With a humble heart, she loves sharing with others her testimony of God’s mercy and provision in her life. “I cannot be more thankful. I lay in bed just praising God, thanking Him and thanking Him. It’s not what I’ve done, or what I haven’t done, believe me, it’s only God’s love and grace, and how He suffered on the cross. He is amazing. I just want to encourage people, to keep on believing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re 20, 50, or 80, God is able to heal you,” says Nancy. 
 

Melany lives in Guatemala. Her mom Ana said got scared one day when she noticed a lump on her daughter that she hadn’t seen before, recounting, “I was giving her a bath and I saw and felt a lump the size of a grape on her groin. I was very scared.”

Melany’s dad Antonio also said his daughter seemed to cry when she was walking and playing.  Antonio recalls, “Every time she played with her brother she seemed to be in pain, she would lie down and start crying.”

Melany’s parents took her to several doctors—who diagnosed a hernia.  Unfortunately, they couldn’t confirm it because the lump had retracted behind the abdominal muscles.  They recommended a test which cost over. Antonio told us he only earns about $10 a day, explaining, “If I paid for that test that would mean that my family would have to without food.”

One day, the pain got so bad they rushed her to the emergency room.  Ana recalls, "At the hospital, they said they couldn’t find anything and sent us home.” Antonio painfully conveys, "Seeing my child suffer is the worst thing."

A few weeks later they heard about a hospital that partners with Operation Blessing.  There, YOU made it possible for us to pay for the test her parents could not afford and for the surgery to repair the hernia. The operation was successful and now Melany is running and playing without pain. Her mom Ana happily and gratefully says, “I feel like you have given my baby a second chance at life. Thank you, Operation Blessing.”

“I would wake up in the morning and sometimes I could not get out of bed,” Helen Panetti said. “I would start moving, but it was painful. I would have to hold onto the kitchen counter. Sad, disconnected, old beyond my years.”

“It was 2014,” Helen said. “I was making chili at the stove, and I have a rug behind me. I step backwards and tripped on that rug and fell on the kitchen floor. Real pain really started to kick in with my hip.”

“There was kind of a progression of this hip problem,” Helen said. “The pain in my hip was residual. It would go to different parts. It would go down my IT band to my knee. It would affect my balance. There were times I couldn't get up. My whole hip would be like in paralysis. In the lowest moments, I felt like there was a cloud of something over me. I just thought, ‘I know there's more. Lord, if it is your will, I ask you to heal my body. I want to be able to play with my grandkids.’”

“I was dealing with this for ten years,” Helen said. Going to the doctor, I was bone on bone. He said, ‘There's no solution other than a total hip replacement.’ I felt the Lord say to me, ‘Will you trust me? Will you relinquish this so I can be a testimony to your family who has had repeated surgeries, repeated orthopedic problems?’ And I thought, ‘Lord, they need you. They need you in a real practical way.’”

March 15, 2024 – “I had woken up that morning kind of stiff,” Helen said. “I went over and started watching The 700 Club and Ashley Key came on and started praying.”

"I believe there's a woman watching, and you've got something going on with your right hip,” Ashely prayed. “It's almost like the muscles in your hip area are completely deteriorated. There are talks for you getting a complete hip replacement, you're actually very fearful of that, and I just believe God is restoring those muscles. He's restoring strength to that hip. So much so that you will not have to get a hip replacement. Just praise God right now, just receive this healing from your heavenly Father who sees you and who loves you in Jesus’ name." 

“I put up my hand and I said, ‘Father-in-Heaven, if that's me, I'll take it,’” Helen said with tears in her eyes. “I rejoiced. I stood up, I said, ‘I will leap for joy.’ I was jumping, and leaping and praising God, and I was grateful. It was personal. It was confirmation. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. I can totally trust Him and walk through that door. I had the faith to believe that. I felt joyful.”

“It's been a testimony to my doctors,” Helen said. “They don't know what to say. ‘You shouldn't be able to walk.’ And I go, ‘All I know is this, I've got a really big God, and He must have something for me to do.’”

“I do believe that God is The Healer,” Helen said. “I believe He has given me a gift in healing, and having it spoken through Ashley that morning was just a solid confirmation of details that were undeniable. The joy I feel in what God has done, I have a hard time not spilling over. I am so joyful that it has resonated like ripples in a pond to my family. Faith we talk about now. It's become real. I tell the grandkids.”

“I believe in the power of prayer like nothing I've ever believed in,” Helen said. “I believe God will always take you through if you worship and you praise Him in the middle of it. If you will go to Him completely surrendered, not asking for what you want, but what He wants.”