A Little Servant Heart

Teaching my kids about serving is so important to me. I want them to teach them about how different people have to live and the things that we can do to help others! I want my kids to be familiar with sacrificing their time and resources so that once they are grown, these won't be new concepts. 

Last month, we adopted a family to purchase groceries for their Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of doing the shopping myself, Jackson and I ventured out on a special trip to get the items from the list. It was a wonderful experience. Jackson even picked up a giant bag of M&Ms and said, "I think this family doesn't have M&Ms! We should buy them!" I told him we needed to stick to the list, but I wish we would have gotten them. I was proud of his thoughtfulness! He did get to pick out the cake mix and icing.

S

He helped pack the sack and he helped me carry it in to Bible Study the next day. He was so eager to help!

Tuesday night, our family ventured out to ring bells for the Salvation Army in front of our local Walmart. It was super easy to sign up online (www.ringkc.com) and I picked a date as soon as possible to take advantage of the nicer weather we've been having. 

As cute as she is, Belle wasn't very eager about staying nearby or cooperating much at all. Derek took her home after an hour and I stayed with Jackson.

Jackson did an excellent job. His 4 year old attention span got bored, but he toughed it out. The bucket collector was thirty minutes late, but he was patient. His little feet got tired after standing around for 2 1/2 hours, but he didn't complain. He said Merry Christmas to hundreds of patrons. And aside from a few awkward comments {"Oh, Man! How did you get so OLD!?"} and the times when Jackson made his bell a gun and was "shooting" at people... the night went on without a hitch. I'm so proud.

This was such a good opportunity to teach Jackson about people who live on very little money, who might not have a house or winter coat. But it was also so good for Jackson to get outside of his little comfort zone and to do an activity that wasn't focused on him. I'm so proud of this little guy.

I think it's pretty safe to say that he blessed many people that night too. So many customers came back from their cars or drove up and handed him money through their car window because they wanted to support him. Jackson carried on conversations with many of the passer-byers and most left with great big smiles. I love that my kids can bring joy to others, especially during the holiday season!

I'm hoping we can make this an annual experience!

Helping Hungry Families—a birthday celebration

The other day I told you about volunteering at Harvester’s with my Sunday School class. Today I’m going to share how we celebrated my mom’s birthday this year.
Mom turned 27-again {and again} this year on December 23rd. It’s hard when people have birthdays so close to Christmas because their celebrations often get thrown into the existing holiday festivities. This year, we made sure to give Mom her very own party—a volunteer party at Harvester’s!

Did you know you could have a volunteer party?!? How cool is that. You can have it for children as young as six {with lots of adult supervisors} up until age 56 27 or even older. You can book a party during any of Harvester’s normal volunteer hours with a minimum of two-hour blocks. Harvester’s provides a party room and even a cake!

Mom and Ruth’s Mom
{kinda embarrassing, but that’s the only way I know her by!}

Hanging out—waiting for cake! This is only about half of the people who came. Several people brought their families!

When having your party at Harvester’s, you invite the guests to bring 10 cans {10 pounds} of food as their gift! I was stocking up like crazy getting items to ensure that Mom was able to receive her special party shirt that is reserved for birthday honorees whose guest collect an average of 10 pounds per person. Of course, Mom’s friends are awesome and brought a lot of food—330 pounds {which equates to 260 meals!} from 23 people!

Mom got her special shirt! “My party made a difference at Harvesters!”

And then we volunteered! Can I say that our task for the evening sounds incredibly weird and boring, but everyone had a great time! Lots of sorting, lots of bagging, but mostly lots of conversation and laughter!
Before I explain our actual task I will explain a little information to put it into perspective. Harvester’s gets donations in a variety of ways including monetary and food donations. Some money is received from government agencies and others through individual giving. Food is collected through food drives, restaurant donations, and by companies {and don’t forget birthday parties!}.
We spent the evening sorting carrots that were donated from a grocery store chain in Canada. I hesitate to call what we worked with carrots as they did not look like any carrot I had *ever* seen. They were more like tiny orange logs.

See—I’m totally not kidding. Can you imagine the size a snowman
would have to be to support this as a nose!?

But the ginormous size and sometimes awkward shape were the exact reason the carrots were donated. If a grocery store would put these carrots in their produce section, people would pick all around them and they would eventually go bad. Basically, no one will buy these {not when the pretty, thin carrots are available} and these bulky carrots would waste shelf space and potentially cost the store money to have these displayed. Donating them offers a special tax break and also helps feed others who desperately need it!

The carrots were shipped to Harvester’s in 50 pound bags stacked high on several palates.

It was our job to divide the carrots into smaller {5 pound-ish} bags that could be distributed to a family or even local soup kitchens. Because really, what single person has a need for 50 pounds of carrots!?

We had three tables {work stations}.

And we were able tackle about two full palates between us all {I don’t want to brag or anything, but our table cleared our entire palate} and we were able to fill three large containers of carrots to be distributed.

See, if I didn’t explain a little at the beginning, it would have sounded weird to say we un-bagged ugly carrots to bag them into smaller bags. And really, when dealing with fresh produce it is critical to get the work done quickly so that it doesn’t spoil by the time it gets distributed!

We make carrots look good!!

Laura—she’s the weird one. I’m telling you, these carrots could be used
as a deadly weapon—Death by carrot {haven’t seen that on CSI yet!}

After our volunteer shift, we had a nice tour through Harvester’s huge facility! I had even been on a tour before and I was still fascinated. The operation is huge and it helps so many people through several programs. Our guide was super sweet and answered all of our many questions.

One person asked about one of the greatest needs of Harvester’s Food Network. The one thing that our super-sweet guide mentioned was that donations and volunteers are abundant in the holiday and winter months. However, once the nice weather and summer/spring seasons come around, the donations dwindle and the need for volunteers goes down as well. Yet people go hungry all year round. This is true for food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters across the country. I just wanted to plant that in your head and maybe you can brainstorm a way to make a different and find some ways to donate this spring and summer!
Be sure to check out Harvester’s volunteer page and plan a time to come spend a few hours making a difference. Regardless of the season, your work will impact the community in a positive way!!

For real this time...

Earlier in the week I mentioned losing a friend merely because she was out of town for several weeks. Unfortunately, I'm here to write about a real loss this time.

His name was Andre Bess. I won't claim that I was BFF's with the guy, but I served along side him, along with my Sunday School class, at Hope Faith Ministries earlier this year. He was such a friendly guy and hugged us all like we had all known each other forever. Before we began to serve, he took us on a tour of the facility and chatted with us about the great things happening in the ministry. He was so excited to for the ministry to move to a larger facility to reach more people.

This past week, Andre was murdered in his home. A friend called and left a voicemail that she'd seen this story on the news and it's taken a bit for me to process. Really, he is the first person that I have ever known to be murdered. It's just tough to understand why someone would want to hurt someone who worked so hard to bring himself out of homelessness and with such a dream to make a difference in the lives of others.

On a positive note, Andre did love the Lord and is surely in a better place now. I guess it means that we all need to do a little bit more of serving others to make up for the loss our world has experienced this week.

Thankless Jobs

Though I have no experience as being either, I have concluded that being a soldier is a little bit like being a parent of a teenager. I am a civilian and I was once a teenager- and as both, I have taken my privileges and rights for granted.

As a teen, do you really realize how much effort goes into raising you? And did you ever, EVER thank your parents for their hard work during your teen years? My parents were always there to support me, to encourage me, and to cheer me on despite the fight that happened the night before, or the inconveniences of taking me to the places I needed to go, or the simple fact that I, at times, was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. Needless to say, I hear it is a pretty thankless job.

While soldiers today aren't treated with such disrespect as they were in the Vietnam era, I am still fairly certain that it is also a thankless job. Some may get some praise and support when they leave for deployment and possibly receive a grand welcome home party upon return. What about all of that hard work and dedication to serve (even in pink boxers) in the hundreds of days in between? What about the soldiers who don't have support from loved ones at home?

This picture made the cover of The New York Times earlier this year.

The reason this is on my mind today is because a friend is leaving today for his training to be deployed to Africa next month. Here is a picture of Rich with his kiddos home from leave during his last deployment in 2008 (Emma was a student in our Sunday school class at the time. Connor will be in the class next fall.)

Rich is so fortunate to have such a great family that supports him along with friends and his church. Not everyone is so lucky. So, how can we be grateful, thankful citizens and let all soldiers know that we stand behind them?

• We should pray for them daily.
• Go out of your way to say "thanks" when you see a soldier in uniform.
• Send an encouraging note or a package of goodies to a soldier (don't know one personally- check out www.AnySoldier.com. You can browse through hundreds of Unit Leaders who have registered and requested specific requests for their groups. The leader will deliver the packages to soldiers who do not receive packages from friends and family at home.
• Say something encouraging to the families of soldiers. They will find comfort knowing you are praying too.
• Do something special for the families of the soldiers. It's hard to be a soldier living in the desert. It's also hard to be a wife of a soldier with a 2 year old and a newborn to take care of all by yourself. (You did a great job, Jessica!) Offer to cook a meal, watch the kids, take the kids to karate lessons.
• Donate time or money to an organization that sponsor's soldiers and their families. http://troopssupport.com/ is a great place to look for opportunities- they have several organizations listed, so click on one that interests you. From being a greeter for soldiers coming home to working with the kids of deployed soldiers- there's something for everyone!

Just like we all can't be doctors and we all can't be President- we can't all participate in every single one of these activities. But if we could all do a thing or two, once or twice a year imagine what it could mean to our servicemen and their families. It may not make their deployment shorter or the conditions less harsh, but feeling appreciated can make a world of difference in anyone's job- especially a soldier.

This past fall, our Sunday school class partnered up with the Women's Bible study class to send a package to several soldiers. The kids painted signs for each package- a simple gesture, and the moment our friend Josh received the package, he hung up the poster and posted a picture- and it remains his profile picture even 6 months later.

To all of our soldiers and veterans: Thank you SO much for your service. Thank you for sacrificing your standard of living, time with your families, and most of all your lives to protect our freedoms and to uphold our Constitution.

Attitude Adjustment

Today I woke up with a bad attitude. The alarm clock went off at 6:30 on a Saturday. Our Sunday School class was headed out to serve breakfast for the homeless in downtown Kansas City and things just weren't going as planned- most of the kids had to cancel due to last minute game schedules, my original plans for my mom to watch Jackson weren't going to work out, and then to top it off Derek and Jackson were sick.

But I got out of bed, loaded up the hundreds of socks our church donated, and headed out to meet the crew. With a little help from a nutritious QT breakfast (a taquito and Coke) I perked up. And I had a great time and had so much fun. Isn't it amazing how that happens? I almost think I was blessed more than those getting food to fill their hungry tummies. Who am I to be so selfish as to wish to say in my comfy bed instead of reaching out to those in my very own community who have to comfy bed to crawl into each night?!?

Each and every time our Sunday school class goes out to serve, I am so proud. And in fact, I think these kids have a lot to teach me at times too. Ever since we got this activity put on the calendar, these kids were so excited about serving-- even when they had to get up earlier than on a school day! The kids all worked with good attitude at their stations and better yet, they had fun and are anxious to go back! The heart of a child is something to strive for and I am so grateful that I am able to be involved with these 4-5th graders to constantly remind me of this!

We served with Hope Faith Ministries this morning. There are some amazing things happening through this ministry for sure. Not only do they feed hundreds of people daily, their programs help equip their clients to move passed the rough patch they've encountered- offering jobs and a place to live for the few that they can so that they will become self sufficient, while a new person will have to chance to do the same. The ministry is privately funded through area churches and individuals and received no federal funding, which allows them the freedom to proclaim the gospel often. We only spent a few short hours and it was so easy to do. We were met with great appreciation, respect, and many smiles. Check it out to see what you can do!

On the drive up, the kids folded socks and tucked a little note in each pair:

May the food that we've served fill your belly and the socks warm your feet. More importantly, we pray that you know the Lord Jesus loves and cares for you very deeply. Heartland Baptist Church- Belton, MO. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Look at these smiles- 7am on a Saturday!

Kaitlyn slices bagels donated from Panera

Katie, Alyssa, Carla, Skylar, and Michelle
serving juice, milk, oatmeal, and bagels respectively

Dalton and Daniel prepare small cups of pineapple

Jorden, Kaylinn, and Ashley with the
coffee and dounuts

Yvonne and I are making pancakes
(hers were way better than mine!)

Katie and Andrea on the assembly line
getting plates ready

2009: A year in review

Our 2009 was a great year. There were many fun times of meeting friends for dinner, going to the movies, and playing board games- and the one awesome game of Canasta when Brad and I creamed Forrest and Mary. We enjoyed a picnic at the park over the summer and dinner on the Plaza just last month. I have made several new friendships and I've reconnected with old friends on Facebook. We took a couple trips down to Springfield to visit old friends and we traveled up to Trenton and Richmond to visit grandparents and families. But more important that all of the actual things we have gotten to do, we've been blessed to have been able to spend so much time together as a family and with our closest friends.

• We took a nice vacation to Sacramento/San Francisco, California

Derek and Jackson at the Golden Gate Bridge

• I went with my sisters to a Britney concert in April.
  

Ashley, Laura and me

We all enjoyed the concert

• We became an Aunt and Uncle on third wedding anniversary.

Holding Gabe when he was only a few days old

• We became homeowners and undertook the the challenge to flip it into an updated, livable home for our family.

The house in disarray -

after replacing the foundation, new windows were installed

• At church, Derek began playing guitar in the worship band and I began singing with the ladies ensemble.

Derek practicing with the band before the service

• We attended a Royals game, a pre-season Chiefs game, and I attended every show at Starlight theater this summer (Legally Blonde was my favorite, by far!)
  

On the way into the game with Forrest and Linda

Derek with the guys on the field before the game.

• With our Sunday School class, we participated in several service projects

We bagged and boxed over 300 pounds
of cereal at Harvester's!

We raised money and walked to support a friend in the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure.

• We watched Jackson grow from a teeny baby just learning how to smile to a very busy toddler smiling and laughing all throughout the day.

Jackson at three months old-
January 28th, 2009

Jackson at DeAnna Rose Farmstead
10 months old

• I enjoyed a few 'firsts' last year- eating KC BBQ, planning a baby birthday party, and parking in my very own garage parking space!

Jackson enjoying some of Arthur Bryant's BBQ

We stand now, looking ahead to what 2010 will bring us and we are a little overwhelmed with some of the big things the Lord has placed on our hearts to do. But, I stand here today to say that when we make it through this year and we reflect on what has taken place I will know that it was the Lord carrying us through because there is no way we could do it on our own. We are so excited for this coming year and I pray that we will live each day to its fullest and to know our true blessings.