Author: Andrea
Thirty Day Challenge!
I was presented with a thirty day challenge on a blog I enjoy reading, Moneysavingmom.com. It is, to “Give to someone in some fashion every day in November.” Now I understand we are already two days into November, but you might just as well begin today! Or tomorrow! I think it is a wonderful challenge in this materialistic age, and I am excited to do it myself. Yesterday I shared some homemade pumpkin soup with a friend whom I knew would enjoy it. Today I wrote a card to mail to my grandmother who is recovering from knee-replacement surgery. I am adding to the challenge, that it cannot be something I already regularly give, for example, time on a bus route you work each weekend anyway, or time spent with an elderly friend you routinely visit already.
I gave the challenge to my sister, and she said she would definitely do it, with the additional idea of journaling your giving along the way. Better yet, it might be a wonderful project to work on with your children if you have any. Maybe this will teach us not only generosity, but gratefulness for what God and others have so undeservedly given to us!
Are you up for the challenge?
Giving Thanks
Happy autumn to everyone! I love fall, and the colors here in Pennsylvania are just about to peak! My favorite are the reds since that is my favorite color. And I love Thanksgiving. It is a shame so many jump from Halloween to Christmas without thinking much about the Thanksgiving holiday in between. What a blessing they miss!
Recently I was in a ladies’ class and was touched by a singular truth which was presented. The lesson was about murmuring and complaining, a weakness which I am sure, all too many of us struggle against. The teacher mentioned that usually, ‘the things we complain about are trivial things’…we could not go shopping as we planned; we were not able to buy that sweater we wanted; dinner did not turn out; or our family member dirted the freshly-cleaned floor. She went on to explain however that, “We complain about the little things, when God has given us big things!” The health to live, work, and even go shopping is an undeserved blessing itself. We have a wonderful place to call home, and even more than that, A FAMILY; that must certainly be a gift from Heaven. Beyond that, we have friends…a true friend is a precious thing. We have our church family, and a pastor who cares for us and prays for us. We have THE TRUTH of GOD’S WORD! We could never comprehend what a blessing that is. And through that precious book, the Bible, we have SALVATION! Salvation from all our sin, from the punishment of sin, and from fear and eternal damnation. Then, we have the ASSURANCE of that salvation from God’s Word (I John 5:13 –“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life,…”). And we could go on forever about the BIG things God has given us while our small complaints pale in comparison! So, this Thanksgiving, and all the year ’round, let us not “…complain about little things, when God has given us big things!” Thanks be to God!
Psalm 111:2 –“The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.”
Lindsey
Lindsey is coming to visit us! We are so excited!
Lindsey is my little sister who has Down Syndrome, and one of the most precious people in the world! Just before her birth, the doctors held a special conference with my parents and explained that Lindsey would probably never breath her first breath. They proceeded to advise my parents to abort Lindsey. When my Mom and Dad calmly said no, the Doctor insisted even to the point of growing frustrated and angry. Unaffected, my parents again said, no, we understand she may not live, but we have peace about that. (That “…peace of God, which passeth all understanding,…“) The doctor gave up…good thing…leave my sister alone! And now, Lindsey is a precious eighteen year old, who has accepted Christ as her Saviour, and lives a wonderful, active life of serving the Lord and blessing others! And to think that Doctor would have had her aborted…
She attends the sixth grade at Fairhaven Baptist Academy, and loves her teacher dearly. In fact, one of my goals of her coming here to visit Dustin and I, is to regain my “favorite person” status I had held for so long, but since marrying and moving away, I fear her teacher has dethroned me! Of course I am joking, (I think Linz has many “favorite people”!) and truly, I am grateful she has such a caring teacher along with a class full of true friends. These are the children who love Lindsey so much they want her to be in their class. And they choose her to be on their team for contests knowing she will never win the competition! When she has a birthday party, there are more presents than any of us ever deserve! And through the tough time of losing her mother, it goes without saying that these people, among so many others, meant much to her.
Now, if any of these classmates were dubbed “Honor Roll Students”, Lindsey has them beat. For though not in percentages or grade point averages, it is in devotion and time where she has them far surpassed. Why, they dread homework usually; do only what is required of them most times; and never insist on doing homework, when a diversion is proposed. Lindsey on the other hand, is religious about her homework. She willingly goes to the school library carrying a heavy, pull-behind suitcase for a backpack, spreads all of her books out, and writes loops on notebook paper for hours if allowed! “How much homework do you have tonight, Lindsey?” “Four homeworks.” And often she must be convinced to finish up and go home when the time comes!
She attends Sunday School, and all other services faithfully at Fairhaven Baptist Church, and finds many opportunities to serve the Lord. She goes to a nursing home facility with friends on Saturdays to see and hug “the Grandmas and Grandpas.” Then during the week she empties the trash in the school office each day along with helping out in the cafeteria at various times. And for that “work kitchen” part (cafeteria), she is about as religious as with her “homeworks”!
To top it all off, she is the pride and joy of her family, and dearly loved by so many friends from Church. She is a blessing to more people than I probably ever will be, and has the uncanny ability to draw smiles on more faces than I could ever wish to do!
