The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett

The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett is about "Finding The One Great Thing You Were Created To Do" just as the title suggests.  It's about following God and fulfilling His call on your life and letting His will become your own. It's about putting the desire God has placed in your heart into action... living it out.

This book had me from the beginning. It was inspiring and encouraging. It made me think and it was even a bit convicting when I thought about what I could be doing to help others. Not that it was written in a condemning way. On the contrary. It was written from a heart of wanting to help people and please God with no expectation of a reward other than knowing you were obedient to God and that He used you to make a difference in the lives of others.

Matthew Barnett and others at the Dream Center, both volunteers and those who have received help from the program and now volunteer themselves, share many of their stories throughout the book.

Matthew's story of purposely living on the streets to see first hand the problems the homeless face, so he could better serve them, was a real eye-opener for me. And others like an ex-marine who after serving over seas become heavily involved with the gangs in L.A. ... and now has a ministry to serve those very gang members. And there is Matthew's wife, Caroline, who had a ministry to deliver food to single moms, and while serving them, saw a need and filled it. She now helps to keep families together by providing the basic necessities required for these women to keep their children. Without her help, many families would be torn apart by the state agencies removing children from their homes.

These stories and many more. I could go on and on, but I think you'd get more out of it if you read it yourself. I know it will encourage and inspire you to find your cause and start putting others first. Worked for me!


*Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review. -Thanks Tyndale House!  :)



Thanks for reading and God bless!
Mary Ann :)

Holiday Mail For Heroes

Have you started addressing those Christmas cards yet? Wait right there...

I have someone to add to your list!

Here's your chance to share a little Christmas Cheer with our Heroes who are serving our country. Many of them can't be home to celebrate with their families. Wouldn't it be wonderful to let them know that we support them and are thinking about them during this Christmas Season by sending them a Christmas card?

The Red Cross has a great program called "Holiday Mail For Heroes" that allows us to do just that. Follow the links on the top or at the bottom of this post and it will take you directly to their site. There you will find all the information you need to make a difference. And believe me... it is the little things that make a difference.

And while you're there, please read the guidelines carefully. They give the address to send the cards to, as well as information on how to address your card(s), what to include, what not to include, and whatever else you may need to know.

Have the little ones help! My kids love doing things like this and it teaches them early on that we should always think of others. It only takes a few minutes of your time... but the feeling that someone cares could last a lifetime. Won't you please send that gift to a soldier?

Oh... did I mention that your cards need to be postmarked by December 10th? We better get started!  :)

Thanks for reading and God bless!

Mary Ann :)

Hope For A Child

A couple of weeks ago we had a 'Ladies Tea' at our church. It was a great time of fellowship with lots of great food. The picture below is just a portion of what was available and it was all delicious.

See the little mini tart in the upper right-hand corner? That was my absolute favorite! Everyones favorite! It was a pastry shell filled with the best chicken salad EVER. I am going to hunt down the recipe and hopefully share it here. You will love it!

The 'Tea' was actually a kick-off for the annual Operation Christmas Child event through Samaritans Purse. Those who wish to participate fill a shoebox with items for a young boy or girl. Choose an age group, follow a list of recommend and restricted items, write a note or enclose a picture if you'd like, label it and send it off. After we finished with our meal, it was time for the guest speaker. A beautiful young lady named Oksana Nelson.

Oksana was an orphan in Russia until the age of ten. She spoke of her life there... She told how all of the kids in the orphanage had to share the same toothbrush. They didn't have one of their own. She told how they could only take a bath every other week and when they did... they had to boil and carry water from next door that would most often be frozen on top before they got it into the tub. A place so dark and void of love that none of them had any hope for their future.

That is until some missionaries came and delivered shoeboxes filled with gifts for each of them. For the first time, Oksana had something that was her own. She had her own toothbrush. Doesn't seem like a big thing to us... but to a child who has nothing, it means the world to them. For once in her life, Oksana felt that she was loved and that she had a future.

And God gave her a future. She was soon adopted by a couple in Texas, has been living with them for almost 10 years, and now she is involved in blessing other children with Christmas shoeboxes the same way she had been blessed herself. Below is a short video of her story. Please watch...

If you would like to get involved and send a Christmas shoebox of your own, please visit Operation Christmas Child for more information. This is a great way to give hope to a child. I encourage you to get involved today.
 
If you'd like to learn more... please watch this promotional video from Operation Christmas Child from Samaritan's Purse. It's just a few minutes... but it can make a lifetime of a difference.

Thanks for reading and God bless!
Mary Ann :)