Just Nuggets

An overwhelming gift... from a MOTHER...

I love ALL my gifts I get each year.

I appreciate them more... TODAY... as all my gifts were much needed and I am very thankful for such giving people in my life.  My parents... all my in-loves (laws)... my husband FIRST AND FOREMOST... etc, etc, etc.

One certain gift given this year overwhelmed me... because of TWO reasons...

1.  It was from my dog.  Literally.  I mean... come on.  I not only have the CPOP (cutest puppy on the planet), but he is also an ARTIST!  Who knew?!

2.  I am overwhelmed by the love of a mom (and her son).  And, I wish EVERY SINGLE STEP MOM could feel the same about their step kids mom!

Yes. 

Crazy.

I.

Know.

So very opposite of what the world tells you to feel.  But, I cannot for one minute imagine life any different.

Side note: This is why I need to continue to write my book:  "FAKE" MOM.  It is going to be SO very helpful for all those step moms out there who have a lot of bitterness and actually for those moms out there who do too.

So... here is the gift... from Kellie and Braedan and Trigger... that really means so much!

Yes.  Those are Trigger's paws... he painted with some black paint on my favorite color, green, canvas.  What talent eh?

Thanks Kellie and Braedan for a very meaningful gift! 

(and, consider this your thank you card)

THE Card...

...that I would have sent out IF... (you can fill in the blank)

We hope you have a great Christmas & New Year!

Just for fun, look up where the "Christmas Tree" originated.  Pretty interesting.

And, don't forget to figure out what your "motto" will be for 2012!  (Mine will be revealed soon!)

Front

Back

And, let's be honest... this isn't what I would have mailed out... but... I love messing around with Illustrator... my fonts... my photography... and this is what I came up with!!

An appropriate time to use the statement: "OH!MY!GOD!"

Wednesday night.  Thursday night.  Friday night.

Our ministry... along with those who gave financially... reached out to three families that didn't have a Christmas tree or dinner budget.

beINVOLVED (the "reach out" part of Audacious Faith) gave THREE Christmas trees, lights and stands; THREE Christmas TURKEY meals; a Bible and Matthew Barnett's new book:  The Cause Within You, to a few different families.

Well, you know how God works.  He's always just perfectly ON TIME.  Not on mine though.

Believe it or not... the easiest part was receiving the money (still need $80 if you'd still like to be a part) and buying the "goods."  Finding the families?  Not so much.  

Not until THE day of delivery... a couple hours before the time we wanted to deliver... did things swing into motion, realizing, people with no Christmas trees don't just stand on the street corner to tell you.

Thank goodness God doesn't depend on ME!  It wouldn't have panned out so much.  I would have had all three families chosen by Wednesday night... times given that we were going to show up at their doors and a big to-do list CHECK OFF by 9pm.

Nope.

We had ONE family on Wednesday night.  We got there 30 minutes later than planned because of the Christmas tree (wait time... turned into blessing time) pick up.  So, 7:30 turned into 8pm.  But, low and behold, their 5 year old had to go to bed.  She was sleeping when we got there.  How much BETTER for her... to wake up to a TREE with LIGHTS in the morning?  OMG!

And, we ended up hanging out for about 30-45 minutes... chatting... laughing... crying and praying with this amazing family!  OMG!

Then... the next family we blessed only needed a meal.  Then, our neighbor (right in front of our noses) needed a tree.  Our other neighbor needed lights.  And, after receiving brand new lights from a friend at work who over heard what we were doing, we still had a tree, lights and meal left to give.

Braedan... our AMAZING, AMAZING good hearted red head... went to school and asked his teacher if she knew anyone who could use a tree and meal.  She knew her neighbor could.  So, Friday night we went over to her neighbors and blessed them with the goods.

This 2nd graders face... when she opened the door... will aways be grained in my head.  She jumped up and down and yelled, "A Christmas tree with lights!!!"  We set it up and were on our way.

I'm leaving out SO many details!!!!

I'm blown away!

My eyes have been opened a small bit to the NEED of our community.  Doing this "hands on" was so up my alley... but also so hard.  I love to give... but, in the past I've liked to give and not be hassled with the details.  Not anymore!

OH!MY!GOD!  Our God is truly amazing.  How He provides.  How He loves.  How He died for us!  How He teaches us by His perfect example how to do this on earth too.  It's NEVER too late to love your neighbor!

If you'd like to give to this cause... we are still in need of $80 measily dollars. 

Go HERE  to give! 

And, if you'd like to give to FUTURE, beINVOLVED ministry things in 2012... just earmark your "gift" for that part of our ministry.  We'll make sure it gets used in our community!

A special THANKS to ALL of you who GAVE.  No matter if it was $50 or $5... it all added up and we were able to buy a ton of GREAT stuff!

We aren't done yet!  We have plenty more to do... as 2012 is going to be a GREAT year!

It's MAGICAL!

As I was making B breakfast this morning... he came down and was enthralled in this letter that his elf, Mitch, wrote him.  (aka Jason) 

He read with intent and laughter and belief.

Then, while eating breakfast, he was glancing over the letter again (like an old man does while eating his cereal) and getting to certain parts he would get a big smile on his face (like reading something from a dear friend)!  Then, he re-read a part to me... because he thought it was so funny.

I asked B if he really believes in an elf.  He said, "If you believe... it's real."

He also told me the other day that two boys in his class DON'T believe... so they won't be getting an elf or anything from Santa.

Kids.  So genuine.

I have been in a couple conversations with adults lately... about some terrible health issues that have happened to them or to someone they love.  I BELIEVE in healing!  I BELIEVE in a living, loving God... Who created the universe and our bodies and loves us.  I BELIEVE He heals... just as simple as he created.  As I was reminding these adults of this... that we BELIEVE in a healing God... they said, "Well, this is pretty much un-fixable.  This is a really bad situation."

Let's make sure we are BELIEVING in the right Person!  God, Who created the entire universe... Who created our amazing bodies that no only heal themselves at times, but accept miracles too!  Who came to this earth and healed and forgave and loved... does the same... TODAY... for YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.  (I don't care if it's a dog!)

I love the honestly and vulnerability of small children.  And, I'm totally grateful that Braedan believes in this stuff for a time... but ultimately, he believes in a living, loving God... who he never outgrows!

If you can believe in the magic of Christmas from a "worldly" perspective... how much more can we BELIEVE in The God... that did EVERYTHING for us?

BELIEVE IN YOUR MIRACLE!  Become that child again, with childlike FAITH! 

Isaiah 58:8 ~ And... here is a letter from God... directly to us!  Let's BELIEVE!

EXPRESS CHRISTMAS

**You'll only get this blog title if you watch Modern Family!**

We've actually named this awesome opportunity to bless our community: Operation Christmas Tree.

 We are sponsoring this through our Church.

I am getting the WORD out via every possible way... and so can you!

God is a BIG God and has put a BIG opportunity in our midst.  Helping our Roswell community in need.

We are blessing 3 families... buying them a Christmas Tree & lights... a Christmas dinner (turkey, stuffing, etc)... a Bible... an encouraging book, The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett... AND... delivering next Wednesday the 14th!

If you'd like to donate $1 or $5 or $10 or $20... please do so (info below)!  I figured if everyone sent in $5... we'd raise $300 for OP easy!

We will be delivering it next Wednesday... and this is just the BEGINNING of what we will be doing in our Community as a Church!

If you donate... you'll get a GREAT email after the deliveries... with how it all unfolded!

If you'd like to be a part of the DELIVERY on the 14th, let me know.

And... if you know a family in need, tell me that too... we don't have them picked yet!  And, who knows... you are ALL generous people... if we can bless 10 families because of the abundance... we will!


Link to giving:  http://bestirred.tumblr.com/online-giving

Mail checks to:  Audacious Faith, PO Box 767322, Roswell, GA 30076

Tax Deductible

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

It's a MONUMENTAL year!

The next decade!

We hope and pray this next decade is filled with abundance... more wisdom... health and joy!

love... carissa, jason, braedan and trigger

Dung (and I didn't mean to write "dang")

This blog post is called Dung.  Because, that is what it's about.  And, it makes me laugh that I was reading to Braedan not too long ago and used this word and HE KNEW WHAT IT MEANT!  What?

We had another flood.  I didn't take photos, because it would make you barf.  I think all the dung we've dunged poop we've pooped over the last week... came up in our shower... and decided to flood the first level.

It could have been worse.  We could have a basement.  It could have happened on our second level.  We could have walked downstairs in the morning, instead of the middle of the night (to get water, ironically enough) to find an even bigger mess.  It could have happened when we were in California.  It could have happened AFTER I cleaned the floors.  Needless to say, they are clean now, thanks to my fabulous hubby!

I do, however, wish it happened on a weekday.  Plumbers charge a lot less on the NON-weekends!

Oh well.  What do you do?  You laugh.  You remember back to when it happened in the big house and then it's really not a big deal compared to having to get $7000 worth of hardwoods done.  

Water.

It sure likes us.