Sunday, November 11

Be A Blessing This Christmas, Let Your Light Shine




Sharon at Sit With Me Awhile and I would like to encourage the women and men in our blogging community to start a sweet tradition.We would like to get everyone involved-even the children.


We want to be a blessing in His name this year.We would like you to come up with an idea that will enable you to reach out to someone in need during this Christmas season. If you are already involved in some type of Christmas giving tradition, we would like to hear about that too.

Here are some ideas:


*Collect food for a food bank

*Shoeboxes by Franklin Graham

*Angel Tree-they provide gifts for children with parents in jail

*Collect donations for a local charity

*Bake cookies for a nursing home

*Decorate a room at a nursing home for Christmas

*Let your children make Christmas cards for soldiers in Iraq

*Send a care package to a soldier

We want your ideas.On November 12th, we will ask you to post your ideas and link back here so that others can get some ideas.We will give you a month to complete your adventure in giving.

If you have children or grandchildren- please get them involved. We have been given so much-let’s show them how great it feels to be a blessing during this time of the year.

If you have children involved -maybe you could interview them and let the post be about their responses. And , if you can take pictures we would love to see them..

Once your post is up come back here and we will have another Mr linky up so that we can all share in the joy.


Our final post will be on the 10th of December. After you have your post up come back and add your post to Mr Linky.

Lets be a blessing in His name this year. Please be thinking-spread the word and come back here on November 12th to join with us. Let’s choose to reach out in the name of our Lord and be a blessing and a light.

Please feel free to grab the button that I have created for us. It is a pleasure to join arms and work together with you in His name.

Update: I have a couple of other ideas that some of you might like.

1. Volunteer at a church or shelter that is providing a Christmas dinner to the less fortunate. They are always in need of help and often the dinner is the week before Christmas.

2. When you make out your Christmas card list, add this address:

The American Red Cross

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue NW

Washington, DC USA 20307 - 5001

53 comments:

  1. Wahooooo-we did it!
    Not so bad after a gazillion emails!
    Now may God do with it what He wants to.
    To Him be the glory!!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Yes, we did do it!!! Good work, Sharon. God will take it where He wants it to go. All the Glory goes to HIM!

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  3. Count me in dear friend, wonderful idea.

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  4. Thanks, Denise. I look forward to reading about the things that we can do to be a blessing.

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  5. I have posted this on my blog, hope you do not mind, love you.

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  6. I'm doing a couple of Smaritian Purse toy shoe boxes... and I wanted to tell you that I've done the writing meme...
    http://everlastingmercy.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-would-you-write.html

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  7. Mary,

    This sounds like a fine idea. I will see if I can come up with something beyond the usual. Thank you.

    hugs,
    Tina

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  8. You always come up with such wonderful ideas:-) xox

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  9. Denise,

    The more publicity the better. Thank you.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  10. Ancient One, Tina and Pea,

    I would be honored if you would all participate. Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving the kind comments.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  11. How scary dealing with all that. My brohter is the computer guru in the family and he has told me it is easy.
    I think I will leave that to later days.
    Although it would come in good on some comments I leave. One day!

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  12. Mary,
    I am a member of a Realtors' community service committee and we raise money for needy children to be used primarily to give them a Christmas they might not have had. We shop for the gifts, wrap them and donate them to families with children. I will refer to you in my next post. By the way, I have had a difficult time getting the Santa award to work on my blog -- I will keep trying, but thanks.

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  13. Sharon,

    You will know when the time is right. If I can help, just let me know.

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  14. Violetlady,

    Thank you so much for mentioning me in your next post. That is awesome! I'm glad to hear that you raise money for needy children. I can't imagine how sad it would be not to have Christmas. Though we didn't get much, we focused on the Reason for the Season.

    I know what you mean about the Santa Award. I had some difficulty with it but finally! You will get it too.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  15. Mary,
    Until June of this year, I was an inner city missionary in Los Angeles with World Impact. This Christian organization has "Christmas presents" you can "buy". Go to www.worldimpact.org and click on Chrismas Catalog 2007 or Christmas toy store. The people who are shown in the changing photos are all my co workers or kids/adults I know. My dh taught in The Urban Ministries Institute.

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  16. Hi Mary ~~ What a lovely idea for us to do something for others at this holiday season.
    Thank you for your comments
    and concern for my son. I am sure he has had more pain than he admits to. Take care, Mary,
    Love Merle. Nice photo of you.

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  17. Willow,

    I will certainly check out that website. How interesting that you work as a missionary in the inner city. I'm sure you find the work very rewarding. May you be abundantly blessed in the work that you do helping others.

    Mary

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  18. Merle,

    It's alway nice to help out someone less fortunate. I try to do a couple of things every year that will give someone a better Christmas. I usually focus on the children, but the parents deserve to enjoy Christmas as well. I've had Christmases that were very bleak, so know how they feel. I hope you will join in the fun.

    Thanks for the comment on the photo.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  19. I see you have the hospital address posted all ready! You are so on top of things. I have a few other ideas as well... So I will be joining in for sure! God Bless! Oh, love the button!!

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  20. Kathleen Marie,

    I'm glad you will be joining in and sharing your ideas. I'm sure you have some good ones.

    Thanks for the comments on the button. I made up several and Sharon to chose. I was in agreement wholeheartedly.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  21. Thanks for the "recovering soldier" addy...I will be doing that one for sure.

    Great ideas all!
    =)

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  22. Thank you, Melanie. Sharon and I decided to get as many people involved as possible.

    T*mmy,

    I will also be doing the recovering soldier one and a couple of others as well. I always donate children's books to the local Christmas Basket program. I am a great promoter of literacy.

    Thanks, Ladies, for your encouragement.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  23. I would like to do this to if Nancy is doing good when it comes time to post!!

    We post about this on th 12th and write down some ideas we have that we can share..Right??

    Sometimes I can be a little dense!!Love and Hugs, Carolyn

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  24. Hi Mary - thanks for visiting me and for your concern for my daughter. She is home and doing well. I'm so tahnkful for the medical care that is available to us! I've enjoyed your blog and the ideas in this post are wonderful!

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  25. Grams,

    Yes, that is correct. If you have any questions feel free to ask. We are hoping that lots of people will become involved. I do hope you're able to join in the fun.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  26. Mari,

    I will continue to pray for your daughter. I'm glad she is home and doing well. Thanks for your comments and updating me on her progress.

    May you be abundantly blessed during her recovery.

    Mary

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  27. This is a wonderful idea, Mary...I quite love it. I'll have to think of something to do with it on the Breakdown.

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  28. Rosie,

    We would be very appreciative of any help you could give. Thanks for your comments.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  29. I posted a week or two ago about "Hearts to Hands" that I am participating in again this year. This is to either make or buy mittens for a couple of different children's missions in New York City. Hopefully we'll be able to keep some little hands warm this winter.

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  30. Paula,

    I remember seeing your post and I hope you are very successful. I'm sure there are many small hands in New York City that could use a pair of mittens for Christmas.

    Thanks for commenting. I hope some of the ladies (or guys for that matter) will knit up a few pairs of mittens to donate.
    Blessings,
    Mary

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  31. What a wonderful way to spread this great idea - through blogging about it! Thanks for getting me to thinking about this! We've participated in many giving programs at Christmas time over the years, but so far this year we haven't thought about what else we might want to do.
    At our family Christmas, on my husband's side, everyone contributes money which is given to a family truly in need in the area. It is given anonymously by a family member who is also a rural postal carrier. The perfect cover for playing Santa!

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  32. Kylee,

    What a wonderful tradition your family has. And the postal carrier is the perfect person to play Santa. How wonderful for the recipients in need to find money in their mailbox.

    Thanks for your comments. They made my heart soar.

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  33. What a wonderfully thoughtful way to make the holiday such a meaningful one.

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  34. Joan,

    Thank you for your comments. I hope you will join us in making suggestions and letting your light shine.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  35. A lovely idea. I hope you don't mind but I've mentioned this on my post today (Thursday) with a lonk back to this post. :o)

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  36. Mary,

    Wonderful idea. We do the Christmas Angel Tree every year at my church, and we go caroling in a nursing home, when we deliver the gifts. We also have a Holiday Food Bank, besides the monthly one. that we are very involved with.

    Thank you for the Recovering Soldier addy. I will do that one, too, plus pass on the address to friends and family.

    God bless you!

    Renie

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  37. Ruth,

    I don't mind at all. In fact, I'm delighted that you would help to promote the program.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  38. Renie,

    I'm so glad that your church does the Angel Tree, feeds those less fortunate and sings carols to Seniors. All very commendable good deeds.

    The Recovering Soldier addy is one near and dear to my heart. Whether it be Canadian or US soldiers, they all need to know that we support them.

    Blessings for a great day in your woods.
    Mary

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  39. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  40. Sorry, the link didn't work in the last comment so I deleted it.
    I said...
    Christmas commercialism is difficult to avoid. I wrote about this last year on my blog (Nov 3/06) and listed some charities I wanted donations forwarded to instead of gifts for me. One family member actually made a donation to the Mennonite Central Committee for my gift and I was so happy.

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  41. We did the shoe boxes with Franklin Ghram already. I had my girls help me pick out things to put in there. I will try to think of other things to do this season. I have been thinking about baking quick breads, and giving them to neighbors.

    But I would love to participate!

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  42. Ruth,

    Yes, the shoeboxes for Franklin Graham in Canada were due in today.

    Having friend and family donate to a charity in lieu of buying you gifts is a wonderful donation. Great idea!

    Thanks for dropping by.
    Blessings,
    Mary

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  43. mommy,

    Kids love doing the shoeboxes and ours (Canada) were due in to headquarters today. I hope that every child that gets one is blessed in a special way.

    I'm glad you're going to participate. This will be fun.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  44. So Many good people in the blog world. I'll add this to my friendly Friday post.

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  45. peppylady,

    Thank you so much for helping to spread the word. I always look forward to your Friendly Friday posts.

    Blessings for a great day.
    Mary

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  46. Mary,

    You can count me in as this is a wonderful idea - I already have a few.:)

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  47. Thank you, Deborah. I can hardly wait to hear all of the ideas.

    Blessings for a great day.
    Mary

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  48. Looks like you have a wonderful response already.

    As part of our church we do a number of things. I don't think I'll get time to post next week as hubby is on holiday from work and we are going to spend as much time as possible together.

    I'll tell you here what we do (as a church but we as a family contribute to all these things). We donate toys for local needy children so that they have presents to open on Christmas day. We donate money to Tear Fund (above the normal amount). We donate food to a local charity that cares for children with HIV whose parents are very poor - mostly asylum seekers. We ensure that every person from our church who has nowhere to go on Christmas day has a home to go to for Christmas dinner - unless of course they prefer to be on their own! Lol.

    Blessings, this is a wonderful thing you are doing, I hope it is so blessed.

    xx

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  49. love sows seeds,

    Thanks so much for your kind comments and also for the things that your family does for those less fortunate. You and your family are truly a Christmas blessing.

    Enjoy your time with your husband and thanks so much for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  50. We like to give to World Vision. We buy a goat and some chickens to help a family with food and start a business

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  51. vic grace,

    That is a terrific way to give at Christmas and it helps out so much for families of World Vision.

    Please stop by on the 12th and add your name and post to Mr. Blinky.

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  52. Mary, this is Bev Brandon...thank you from the bottom of my heart for your encouragement to let our lights shine. My son is trying to find 123 orphans to bless this Christmas at the orphanage where my daughter volunteers in Thailand. All money will go directly to the orphans. $10 per orphan---and that goes really far in Thailand money. And my daughter who is fluent in Thai will have an ongoing ministry to these children---actually, her church pastor and a few others in her church serve at the orphanage. So, I can't thank you and Sharon enough for this awesome idea straight from the heart of God. Thanks, Bev
    PS We have found 39 people to sponsor and orphan and need 84 more people to sponsor by making a $10 pledge and promise to pray. You all had a wonderful idea!

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