Too many years have gone by to remember names, but the image on Christmas morning is forever etched in my mind. We were newlyweds, celebrating our first Ohio Christmas together, both of us bored out of our minds. The tiny “blink and you’ll miss it” country town held little charm and even less in the way of evening entertainment. Our first ministry in the brick church by the railroad tracks wasn’t going so well, and we had lacked hope that our efforts were making any lasting impact on the community. I’m not really sure how it all came about because we really had no extra money to speak of. But we were both hungry for something more. When the opportunity to give hope presents itself, it’s a good idea to grab hold and let it take us places we might not normally go. We Continue Reading
When You Need a Little Christmas Spirit: Hope for the Holidays
When you' need a little Christmas Spirit... “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” ― Norman Vincent Peale Sometimes..... we need a little help finding beauty and creativity. “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” ― Calvin Coolidge Sometimes..... we need a little help dreaming again. http://youtu.be/ozVmO5LHJ2k “I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.” ― Norman Vincent Peale Sometimes..... we need a little help Continue Reading
7 Steps to Become an Intentional Hope-Gifter
How well would you rate yourself as a gifter? I used to be pretty good at it, but through the years as life has squeezed and time has pinched, I’ve not done such a great job in this area. "Last minute" seems to be my modus operandi. Why a post on gift giving? Well, I’m really feeling the crunch with graduations, weddings, baby showers and birthdays all hitting within a couple months of each other. For many years I kept a shelf in my closet filled with gifts I found throughout the year, but too many years have gone by while the shelf sits empty. I’m tired of playing catch-up, always behind, and gift giving is a big area in which I want to be more intentional. But more than all of this, I'm feeling the nudge to move beyond my world and into someone else's. In a world filled with Continue Reading