a little love and joy

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Acts 20:35

In some ways we are different, but in so many ways, we are the same.

-Daniel Tiger

This year for Christmas we did something a little different that actually ended up being the highlight of our year. We decided to not purchase presents FOR our family and friends, but instead purchase gift for the children at Mesa Child Crisis Center FROM our family and friends.

We wrote a list of the family and friends that we would have bought for and it ended up being 16 presents. We went to MCCC website and got a list of the items that they were requesting for donations. We decided upon Coping Skills Bags for the kids in two different age groups. Each bag included: a puzzle, bubbles, shampoo/bubble bath, coloring book, colored pencils/crayons and play-doh. So off to the dollar store we went! It was a great time to share a little of God's love with H and tell him that we were helping little ones who need some extra love and joy this year. He did amazing picking out each and every item. Thinking back on it, I get a little emotional thinking of how sweet he was to be so willing to give and honestly, not ask for anything for himself while we were there. For being 3 (almost 4), that really showed me his heart and warmed mine.

 When we got to the center, H wanted to do EVERYTHING all by himself. (Sounds like a little preschooler, right?!) He got the bin from the office...

  

                       

He unloaded the bags and loaded them into the bin, rolled it to the front door...

and delivered them to Ms.Pamela Godfrey. She is the Community Relations Manager at the center. She was sooo sweet. We all sat in the lobby and chatted for awhile just about different things. It felt like I had known her for years. She gave H a stick that said "I made a difference at the Child Crisis Center today" He thought that was pretty cool. 

We then sent out christmas cards to all our friends and family members saying that a Coping Skills Bag had been donated to the center in their family's name along with a list of what their bag included.

Everyday we thank Jesus for all the blessings that he has given to our lives and to our friends and family. We are truly thankful for where he has taken us through life and where he has brought us individually and as a family. 

I remember as a kid, my mother being a single mom and doing her absolute best at proving for all 5 of us kidos. One Christmas I remember some people coming by with 2 garbage bags and by the time they left our Christmas tree was FULL of presents underneath. I still have no idea who these angels were, but as an adult I believe them to be from a local church or some place that knew that there were some kidos that needed a little extra love and joy during the holidays. This story has been one that has honestly been the driving force for everything that I do for all the kids I meet. Just knowing that someone did that for us and as an adult with a little boy and another on the way, knowing that I can possibly give that kindness, love and joy back is what Jesus means for us to do. I hope this post inspires you to make a change in someone else's life. I know it gets crazy in our very own lives, but I'm telling you... Just to see the happiness on another persons face is such a beautiful thing that you want to keep trying to accomplish day after day.

"God is Love."

1 John 4:16

If you live in the PHX area and want to donate to the center here is the website: www.childcrisis.org