You are dangerously close to Father's Day.. do not let it slip past you! There are still many great options for Dad- even if he lives far away.
If your dad is internet savvy, a great gift idea (that can be delivered INSTANTLY) is the gift of Amazon Prime!
You have nothing to lose and 30 days of free movies and music to gain. If you know your Dad will love the gift of free movies and music (and FREE 2 days shipping on orders!) the gift of Amazon Prime is a bargain at just $99 for a full year!
Undecided? There are also gift cards galore available at Amazon! A perfect gift for Father's Day (or any day) would be a Cracker Barrel gift card. Available in many denominations, you can also choose to have this sent via email- even schedule in advance for Father's Day delivery! Or you might choose an Amazon gift card! These also can be mailed or sent electronically!
There are affiliate links in this blog. Should you decide to buy from Amazon using these links, I will get a small commission. I have a CapitalOne360 account set up for these commissions with the hope of providing a special gift for my sponsored child or family in Moldova. If you open an account with CapitalOne360,I'll get a commission as well. This may mean a birthday party, livestock, warm clothes- whatever is needed. Thank you to those who have shopped this last year. I will definitely share what has been accomplished with these funds!
Last month my gas and electric bill skyrocketed to over $70! I can hear many of you chuckle. I am blessed with a small apartment and I turn the heat down when at work. We (at least in the US) are also blessed with low utility costs (relatively speaking of course).
I can't imagine what I would do if my heater went out! Snuggle under a pile of blankets but sooner or later, I have to get up and work, cook, and do errands. I enjoy cold weather and snow- but I especially like coming in out of the cold into a warm house.
Last January, I received a newsletter from Mission Without Borders telling stories of extreme cold in Ukraine and throughout Eastern Europe. Living in extreme cold is not impossible but you have to be prepared! For many families, this means purchasing firewood for a small brick stoves. Not the most efficient form of heat but you make do with what you have. A winter's worth of wood costs about $169. Sounds pretty cheap doesn't it? Unless you subsist on a pension or make $13 a week, like Petru.
Petru is a father of 4 in Moldova. Raised in a children's home, he has (and is) overcoming disability (he has been deaf since birth), come to know Christ through the local church, and has a loving wife and family. He is a hard worker, hauling goods in a horse drawn carriage.
Operation Winter Rescue assists families like Petru's get through the winter with firewood, warm clothes and water proof boots. Sometimes a better solution is a new stove. $352 can purchase a cast iron stove which is 33% more efficient and will benefit families for years to come.
Many families are struggling with cold weather and need assistance, both here and abroad. On this Giving Tuesday, let's not forget this essential need- warmth. And think about how we can help those who may need a little help during these difficult months.
If you're able to help families struggling in Eastern Europe, you can visit the mission website. Operation Winter Rescue is an "above and beyond" effort which assists families who are not currently enrolled in assistance programs but need help to make it through the winter. So every gift helps!
And please stop praying for snow. You know who you are!
Sunday nights are a bummer. I don't know why exactly. I think that going from the church service, (with all the praise, Scripture, exhortation, and communion) back home, then to work creates an emotional let down of sorts. The normal grind of life is just that normal, often boring, sometimes very frustrating. In general, life in a cursed world is always an exercise in frustration (to a greater or lesser degree). Even during the best of times, we know deep down that both the emotions and reality are transitory. Good or bad, "this too shall pass"
The only things that will last are investments in eternity- in the lives of real people by reaching them with real the real hope of the Gospel and with what they need for daily and long term survival.
“God has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Everyone wants to do something that will outlive him/her. That's why millionaires give donations to hospitals or museums to have a wing named after them. While you or I may not be able to fund the World Food Programme or start a Gates Foundation, there are ways that we can "outlive ourselves". By making strategic gifts to "help people help themselves" together we can create a better future not just for the here and now but for generations to come.
Mission Without BordersMotherCare program (click for a quick video) provides medical advice, "reusable nappies, ointments, baby clothes, nutritious food supplements and feminine hygiene goods" as well as a place to discuss concerns and support each other in a gospel-centered environment. Food and clothing for the new mother and baby may be provided as well.
Thousands of poor families across Eastern Europe receive high quality seeds and training to grow their own gardens. By growing their own food, families become more self sufficient and can sell excess produce for income. The seeds are given to the neediest of families, many who are dependent on their own food production for survival.
"The vegetables provided such a good yield that we had enough for the summer and autumn. We even have potatoes for the entire winter..this was an enormous help to our family.”
Mrs. F
"Because of their deep poverty, so many families across Eastern Europe suffer hopelessness as well as hunger. They are under constant stress with no work, no money and no future. That's why our 'Seeds of Hope' boxes are crucial – they grow food and they help families plant their way out of poverty to have a hopeful, sustainable future."
"It's more than just a pig! Giving a pig means you're giving families and orphanages the opportunity to develop skills in animal husbandry; to gain an income by selling the piglets and to have essential food".
Whatever you choose to do or give this holiday season, consider this: Many gifts get put in the closet, regifted. or broken within a few months. Give of yourself and invest in something that will last a lifetime (or generations!)
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
What was the best Christmas gift you ever received? Some of us may remember some special "cool" toy we received when we were kids. I remember the 2XL ("the smartest toy robot ever made!"). The fact that this particular 2XL was purchased at an estate auction is somewhat depressing. The fact that it still works (8 track tapes and all) is impressive.
But honestly, there are few presents that we receive for the holidays that we still hold on to and cherish years later. If we do, it's often because of WHO gave the present more than the actual gift itself.
The Best Gift Ever
The BEST gift ever given to mankind is forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Sin is not a popular topic these days. But let's face facts- it's out there. What's worse it's INSIDE here (me, you, everyone!) as well. It's worse than ebola, cancer, and heart disease. There's a 100% infection rate and a 100% mortality rate unless you receive the cure (Christ). That's the best reason to celebrate Christmas- to rejoice that a cure has been provided- a way for man to return to God and conquer death, hell, and the grave.
This same Jesus- whose birth we celebrate by spending billions on gifts- also said this:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Birthday Gifts For The King
Mission Without Borders has provided a way for you to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, visit those in prison, and clothe the needy. Through alternative gifts, you can give a gift in the name of a special person and truly change a life forever!
Thousands of pensioners in Eastern Europe have to make a decision every day. Do I buy medicine, heating fuel, or food? Mission Without Borders partners with local churches to provide hot meals for the needy. Working with churches ensures that physical and spiritual needs are met and the meals serve as a way for seniors to socialize (emotional health). $48 will provide one hot meal a day for one month.
One of the most practical gifts for rural families are farm animals. One sow averages 10 piglets per litter and can have two to three litters per year! These piglets can be sold to provide money for school, clothes- whatever a family needs! This is truly a "hand up" that will set a family on a path to self sufficiency!The gift of a pig is just $96.
"Children in Eastern Europe are not permitted to go to school if they don't have the basic equipment. So simply by giving new exercise books, pencils and rulers you're giving a child an education, and a future." Education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty. A gift of $20 will buy school supplies for a year for a needy child! Last year I gave several of these alternative gifts away. Order online. The type up a letter stating why you chose this gift (because you love school, I decided to help other children with their school supplies). You can make the presentation fancy or simple. The main point is to keep the focus on the real reason for the season- Christ's birthday- and honoring Christ by helping others in His Name.
I don't fully understand the above Scripture passage. But when we give to others (especially those who are never going to be able to repay us) in some way we are giving to Christ Himself. Will you commit to giving to those who will never be able to repay you this holiday season. You won't regret it, I promise.
Did you know that Amazon will donate .5% of almost any purchase to the charity of your choice? It's easy! However, you must register and make your purchases on the Smile Amazon website! Here's how you sign up-
First, go to the Smile Amazon website at www.smile.amazon.com. There you log in using your Amazon name and password. If you don't have an account with Amazon, you can sign up here as well.
Once you log in or sign up, you are given the opportunity to choose your charity! You can choose from thousands of 501(c)3 organizations (tax exempt charities). I went to the search box at the bottom and searched for Mission Without Borders. Then I was asked to select from a list of matching charities. Mission Without Borders, Inc. is the US branch that will use these funds to help families and needy children in Eastern Europe.
Choosing to give back is easy with this new program from Amazon! If you use Amazon at all, you can help change lives with each purchase. I know some people use Amazon for large purchases on a monthly basis. Why not shop at Smile Amazon instead and pay it forward?
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Or are you waiting to fight the crowds on Black Friday? I have one word for you. Actually it's a hyphenation- DON'T. That in itself is a radical idea to many people. And why is that? The mass media has us trained like Pavlov's dog to go and shop where they say, to buy what the advertisers tell us to buy. Now I'm not a radical anti-capitalist. There's nothing WRONG with buying gifts for loved ones. Actually, it's a practical demonstration of grace- the unearned free showering of God's salvation on the undeserving.
However, what if, instead of succumbing to the media, we were to do something different this year? Shower our friends with gifts that make a difference- a real tangible difference in someones life. A difference that will change a person forever. How about that? That's something a new box of Legos just can't do.
I'm talking about alternative gifts. Giving a gift in your child's or friends name to benefit someone else. If you are able, why not sponsor a child as a family? The education your children get as they send small gifts and notes (and receive them) to a needy child overseas will help mold them into the young man or woman you want them to become. The benefits for your family are multi-faceted. As you and your child pray for his new friend, you will be teaching spiritual values that your child will carry with him forever. It's also educational- he can learn about his friends country, life, and people.
Mission Without Borders has child AND family sponsorship programs where you will be paired with an individual child (usually living in a government home) or a family- where your gifts, prayers, and letters encourage a whole family and help them move toward self-sufficiency. There are other programs out there as well. But I have personally visited this ministry in Moldova (they also work throughout Eastern Europe) so I'm more familiar with them.
This is the perfect time to give to those in need and use this to teach children about the true meaning of Christmas. Lessons that will last long after the toys break and are long forgotten. Sit down now and explain what you want to do. Maybe they have ideas. Volunteer at a homeless shelter once a month. Visit a nursing home. Do something courageous and don't be satisfied with the same old Christmas routine.
“I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference.” ― Ellen Goodman This could be YOU this holiday season!
If you do shop online this holiday season, would you consider using my links to Amazon? I get a small percentage as a commission. I am setting this aside for a special project for my sponsored family in Moldova. I would like to meet some of their immediate needs and help them and they move toward self sufficiency and learn more about God's amazing love for them! Thanks! I look forward to sharing with you what great things are being done because you cared!
As we close in on Thanksgiving week, we have so much to be thankful for! Warm clothes (especially now that winter has settled in!), a roof over our heads, nutritious food to eat, a bus to get to and from work. (OK some days it is very hard to be grateful for the public bus but...I really am)
I am thankful to live in a city where good church and parachurch organizations care for the poor and lead them on a path of gospel transformation. Out of addictions, illness, depression- into new life, hope for the future, and community. One of these ministries is Jefferson Street Baptist Center. They provide a day shelter for warmth, a shower, free laundry facilities for homeless people(11,000 loads last year!), a place to pick up mail (you can't get a job if you don't have an address!), and a safe place for the homeless to store their luggage- usually their only possessions!
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