Audrey's 1st, er 2nd Homecoming

That's right. It's a little confusing because, you see, the Ames Homecoming was her first one ever. It's just that it was in Ames, not Ballard, where she actually goes to school. So this past weekend was the Ballard homecoming dance and so technically, while her second Homecoming dance of the year, it is her first Ballard dance.

I didn't know having a kid with a social life would be so hard to blog about.

So, she was asked by a very nice boy, H, to go to the dance. Ballard's Homecoming is informal and Audrey was glad for that. The drama factor goes down and it makes for a nice evening. Which she said she had.

psst...I totally scored her this cute top at Charlotte Russe and I think she looks great in it!

Speaking Up

Sorry about that. I fully intended on writing again for Friday but other stuff happens (i.e. life).

To bring you up to speed, I've been writing about giving blessing bags to homeless people. What to pack in one. How every single homeless person affects me. How it can be such a chain reaction.

I can't stop. 

I have to say something.

I worry that when I write about giving a blessing bag that you might think I'm bragging. Ugh! No. In fact, I'm so humbled in giving one I can barely look at them without tears streaming down and choking out something. 

But I think I'm moving beyond the initial emotional response.

I truly, truly believe that we are to help the lost, destitute, distressed. It isn't a matter of a "calling". When I hear that term "calling" I get a little nauseated. It isn't being called to help a homeless person in whatever way you can- giving a bag, or gift card, or helping them to a shelter and more- it is obedience. YOU DON'T GET TO AVOID HELPING if you are a Christ-follower! I don't see it anywhere in Scripture. The Bible is jam-packed with helping others; I believe it's called "Love your neighbor as yourself". 

Do you get to judge like that? That man or woman, just like the orphan, just like you is in need of mercy. In need of compassion. In need of love. And while God is a God of love, He is also a God of flesh. Jesus reached out his very hand and healed sick, dying, disease-ridden, outcast people. Somehow we've come to believe that we can heal the same people today by judging and avoiding them or saying we aren't "called". Oh, we are more than called. We are to be obedient.

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 

The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.

This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

1 John 2:3-6

Homeless people fit the poor and helpless bill. Orphans fit it. So do widows. So do many other people. So when I write about this, I don't want to come across as finger wagging "If you don't help the homeless people specifically then you are disobeying God." This is what God is giving me words to share with you. This is my life lived out. Where I've seen the Living Word become life.

Blessing Bags

A blessing bag? What is it? What do you put in it?

This is not my idea. I got it doing last year's Happy Day Project and Julie got it from Leslie. Phew! (But I wanted to make sure I gave credit where it was due.)

It is a ziploc bag, usually gallon sized filled with small useful items that you can stash in your car to give when you come upon a homeless person. Or a person holding a cardboard sign. Or a person in need. (Who gets to decide this? Read tomorrow.)

I started with the ideas given by Julie and Leslie and have over time added more things. So much more that I need to get wide-bottom bags to put everything in! 

Just give less.

Oh, I'm sorry. But I dare you to look into a man's eyes. A man who could be your father's age. A man, if your father's age, might have been married once. Might have had children. He could have a child your age. Was definitely somebody's son. Then tell me, could you give less. Wait, I'm getting into tomorrow's post.

Get a bigger bag if you need to.


Ideas of what to put in a blessing bag

• applesauce or fruit cup
• raisins
• granola bar
• bag of nuts
• bottled water
• tic tacs
• washcloth
• soap
• toothpaste
• toothbrush
• mouthwash
• kleenexes
• hand sanitizer
• comb
• deodorant
• shampoo
• chapstick
• hat 
• gloves
• socks
• first aid kit
• small stationary
• postage stamps

If it were summer, I would leave out the hat and gloves but then I read somewhere to put in sunglasses. I haven't done that yet. 
My friend, Lisa, has also given a magazine our church put together of God stories. Stories of people who were lost, in despair, going down the wrong path and how God intersected their lives and changed them forever. How awesome is that?

There are times when I have seen someone and not had a bag in the vehicle I was in. And I wished I was more prepared. There is a way. It's called GIFT CARDS!! Gift cards to Wal-Mart, a favorable grocery store, McDonalds or other restaurant. Why Wal-Mart? Why McDonalds? Because that's where homeless people go.

This is how I know. I love, Love, LOVE shopping at Target! If you are Target fanatic, you understand me. But when I started looking out for needy people- physically needy people- to help, I didn't find them at Target. I saw them in Wal-Mart. (Though plenty of other types of needy people shop at Target.) It might be a different place in your town. I urge you to pick up a gift card or two and stash them in your wallet. It will make a difference.

Isaiah 58. So, so much is wrapped up in this one chapter that it's hard for me to not just put the whole thing on here! Go ahead and read the whole thing on your own. But here is just a snippet. 

Isaiah 58: 9b, 10

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.

I didn't put these in to Bible beat you; to guilt you into doing this. I want it to be encouraging to you. These five action commands can be worked out in so many ways. Filling and giving blessing bags or gift cards is just one way. A very doable way.  

So, what are you thinking of this whole idea? Have you done this before? What other items would you add?     

Getting Ready

Yesterday's post started way earlier than that afternoon's trip to town. It started with a prayer earlier that day. 

The summary of that prayer was this "Help me get ready".

And that prayer came out of desperation. Not desperation to hear from the Lord (which one might naturally assume), but to be content with the charge he has given me for the time.

To get ready.

That's it! That's what I know God wants me to be doing right now. Getting ready.

Ready for what?

I HAVE NO IDEA!! 

But I do know the things that are on my "Get Ready" list. It seems forever long. And somehow, no, not somehow, in my very sin-natured, self-reliant way, I've forgotten the very Person who can help me get ready. I've taken it upon myself to get my checklist done and then think that God will be waiting for me at the end with the "what" part.

I'm finishing up the last few chapters of Psalms from my summer reading and at the same time, diving back in at the beginning for women's Bible study. I read a big chunk, about nine chapters, in one sitting. I took them in whole. As I read them, both now and in the past, I am continually in awe of David's boldness in his prayers.

Psalm 17: 6,7 says, "I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love..."

I realized right in the middle of my struggle to be content, I needed to ask for help being content. So I just flat out asked him. Show me. Help me get ready.

How does that relate to a homeless person? Well, in a round-about-ish way. Because I don't know what is around the next corner for me and my family. Bill doesn't know either. But I do know what I can do even if it just a very little thing. And until Bill and I know what the next "thing" is (which we sort of don't believe in- we believe God wants our "Yes", our obedience), this is just a step in that obedience. 
And because I want to make more of Him. Just plain and simple. More.
Finally, (if you've been able to hang on this far) I want to put the very words of life into something understandable. I've been searching a long time for a way to break down the Christian vernacular and put it into something graspable. But that is a very risky proposition and not easily done. (Hopefully I'll get to write soon about that, too.)

I'm thankful for that woman with the cardboard sign- she gave me words to share with you.

Psalm 138

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;

before the "gods" I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for you love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord, when they hear the words of your mouth.

May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.

Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life;

you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, 

with your right hand you save me.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;

your love, O Lord, endures forever-

do not abandon the works of your hands.

Stuff for Blessing

Soon I'm going to share the details of a super fun getaway Bill and I had. It was full of good stuff! (If you follow me on Instagram- Mindy W- you already know.)

But today's post hijacks that one.

A trip with two girls to Target. We pulled onto the road between Target and Wal-Mart and there stands a woman with a cardboard sign.
I know what that means and so do you.

Of all seven things I did for The Happy Day Project , the blessing bag one has resonated with me the most. In fact, I could more honestly say, it haunts me. Not in a scary ghost way, but in a "I can do something for that person" kind of way.

I didn't stop this time because I couldn't remember if I had a blessing bag to give her. I pulled into the Target parking lot and sure enough, I had one stashed under the seat. I took a quick assessment of what was in it and made a mental list of things to look for while shopping to add to it.

Here's what it looks like...

I had a bit of time to cruise around Target and wandered into sock section. Oh, looky here! Red tag clearance stickers! and these were super cute!! And Operation Christmas Child is coming up, too!!! AND they had 6-packs of regular white socks on sale, also!!!! 

I also hit the clearance section in the beauty department. Often they will have useful things marked down. Score- small bottles of hand sanitizer.

Today I also picked up a hat and some knit gloves because the overnight temperatures have been dipping down below 40 lately. Brrr!

The real bummer is that by the time we drove past the corner again, she was gone. But now I know I've got a bag ready to go.

Please keep reading the rest of this week here. I'm excited to share more about these blessing bags and how they are not just for the homeless!

Taken Over

Hey, there. How's your Psalm a day reading going? Do you know we're down to the last 10 or so days? I sort of fell quiet on encouraging you and then Psalm 119 came and went and nothing for me. Truth is? Truth is, I've had to play catch up several times. It's ok. It's ok for you too. 

I've been struck by a few Psalm in particular and hope to share them with you. Here's the first one. 

Psalm 117

Praise God, everybody!

Applaud God, all people!

His love has taken over our lives;

God's faithful ways are eternal.

Hallelujah!

I'm not sure how I came to read it in the Message version but I did. And I love it! It's not Him, dictating our lives; no dictating allowed. But his LOVE? It woos us, charms us, flows over us, steps in for us, saves us. That is something to rejoice in! 

His LOVE has taken over our lives!! 

What a Star!

Our family verse is Philippians 2:12-18. Part of it says "in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life". We love the picture it gives us of something seemingly not very big, yet it pierces through darkness. 

If you've been reading for a while here, you will remember me referring you to my friend, Janel's blog. The Word is readily on her tongue, ready to give life. Her and her husband's hearts are in Ghana, reaching to the lost, lonely and the least. 

She has been nominated for the 'Yahoo! Women Who Shine' contest. The prize is $10,000!! Wowzers!

To vote for my dear friend follow this link to vote directly for Janel. You will have to sign into Yahoo! but if you have a Facebook or Google account, you can do so through that. It's very easy.

http://shine.yahoo.com/photos/activist-1344925328-slideshow/janel-sullivan-photo-1347595352.html

Read here about how she feels about being nominated. It is humbling and inspiring.

But if you don't do anything else today from reading my blog, please VOTE for Janel.