Bethany is our first girl...born in a family of seven boys. Often, when I sit down to feed her, I think of those who do not have the abundance we have here in the US. My midwife shared with me how, in Haiti, some mamas have to choose which little one she could feed...which one would live and which one would die. Can you imagine being in that dilemma?  

We would like to share our joy with you in picture form for the next 50 days. We are proposing to you a 50/50 challenge...50 days of sharing our story with you to inspire you to join us in giving 50% of our normal Christmas spending. Our prayer is to support what really matters to Christ...the poor and needy.

We have been blessed to live in a land of plenty; some are not so fortunate. We are offering a direct link to one of our favorite missions organizations who give 100% of all the proceeds to poor and orphaned children. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

Would you join us in giving a Birthday present to Jesus...one He can appreciate? So little for Him represents how little  it takes to support life and bring comfort to those who suffer. It really takes so little.

50

Reasons to Celebrate: Est 9:22 ...as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. NKJV

Wow! Over $1,250 in 50 days for the poorest of the poor in Africa. That will provide over 125,000 meals for orphans and widows. Thank you all for your gifts to the poor and encouragement to us. Thank God for His gift of life to us all! If Jewish people had reason to celebrate in the days of Esther, when their lives were spared...How much more us who have been saved from the power of hell and translated into the kingdom of life. This is why we celebrate in the way of feasting and joy, sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.


Merry Christmas! May you all walk in the comfort and joy Christ came to bring us...now and eternally! We love you all.

Day 48

Reasons to Celebrate:
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." NKJV

Day 47

Reasons to Celebrate:
2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NKJV

Day 46

Reasons to Celebrate:
Col 2:2-3 ...that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. NKJV

Day 45

Reasons to Celebrate:
 Ps 41:1-3 Blessed is he who considers the poor;
The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 
The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.  NKJV

Day 44

Reasons to Celebrate:
1 Peter 1:22-24  Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,  NKJV

Day 43

 

Something huge happened on Thursday... Micah turned 16 and soloed (flew on his own for the first time.).    

Reasons to Celebrate:
2 Cor 8:5  And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. NKJV

Day 42

Reasons to Give:
Isaiah 58:6-8  "Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.  NKJV

Day 49

Day 41

Reasons to Celebrate:
Acts 2:44-45 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. NKJV

Day 40

Cousins gather from afar

Reasons to Celebrate:
Acts 10:31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. NKJV

Day 39

Reasons to Celebrate:
Luke 16:8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
NKJV

Day 38

Reasons to Celebrate:
2 Cor 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
NKJV

Day 37

Reasons to Give:
Proverbs 29:7 The righteous considers the cause of the poor,

But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

Day 36

It's a Grandma war!

Reasons to Give:

Prov 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,

And plead the cause of the poor and needy. NKJV

Day 35

 

Reasons to Give:

Prov 22:9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed,

For he gives of his bread to the poor. NKJV

Day 34

Reasons to Give:
Prov 28:27 He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses. NKJV

Day 33

Reasons to Give:
Prov 13:7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. NKJV

Day 32

Reasons to Give:

Prov 13:7  There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. 

NKJV

Day 31

Reasons to Give:

Luke 12:31  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. NKJV

Day 30

Day 29

Reasons to Give:

Ps 82:3-4 Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 

Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.
NKJV

Day 28

Day 27

Reasons to Give:
1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. NKJV

Day 26

Day 25

Reasons to Give:
Prov 14:21  He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. NKJV

Day 24



Day 23

Reasons to Give:
1 Peter 1:22-25 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because
"All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the LORD endures forever."
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Day 22

Reasons to Give:
Prov 22:9  He who has a generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.  NKJV

Day 21

Reasons to Give:
Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? NKJV

Day 20

Reasons to Give:

Isa 58:6-9  Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'  NKJV

Day 19

Reasons To Give:
Prov 11:25  The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself. NKJV

Day 18

Reasons to Give:
2 Cor 2:14-16  Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? NKJV

Day 17

Reasons to Give:

1 Cor 13:4-5  Love is...kind...does not seek its own; NKJV

Day 16

Bath Time

Reasons to Give:

Prov 31:20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. NKJV

Day 15

Reasons to Give:

Luke 6:36
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
NKJV

Day 14

Reason to Give:
1 John 5:2-5  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? NKJV

Day 13

Reasons to Give:

1 John 4:21  And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. NKJV

Day 12

Reasons to Give:

Prov 3:9-10  Honor the LORD with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine. NKJV

Day 11

Editor’s note: This is my Dad, Ed. God has brought us through such an amazing journey; I wanted to share it with you. This is my birth father I grew up visiting every other weekend. A Chiropractor for 30 years, he is talented (painted serene gardens to raging ocean scenes), he is witty, and mechanical (loves to work on classic cars). As a kid, he took us snow skiing and water skiing. We went to Disneyland, Mexico, and Hawaii together. I even got to nanny his second round of children and later work in his office. Yet our lives were vastly different.

                At home, it was homemade pizza and simple family games on Friday night. At Dad’s it was a pool party and rum and coke. I’ve always loved my Dad and knew us kids meant the world to him. My adult years with Dad always included the air show in the summer. And where else could you show up with the grandkids…get a chiropractic treatment for free, only to have the doctor treat you to lunch.

                Dad’s dedication to Scientology and our overt walk with Christ kept real depth at bay. There was so much we just couldn’t talk about. Until one cold December day Dad had a life threatening stroke. He spent a full month in ICU and care homes 2 more months, and then reluctantly came to live with us. He has always been hardworking and self sufficient. His humor and fight for survival blessed us all continually. He started going to church with us and after one year he wanted to meet with the pastor, and eventually got baptized. 

                In recent years, I remember Dad doing our dishes and telling me what he was learning in the bible, so excited and full of youthful inspiration.

“My Dad is telling me bible stories,” I teared up. Oh how God redeems and restores. It will be   11 years this February since he’s come to our home.  He has listened through the entire bible 14 times. He has listened to our children read for countless hours, corrected their math problems, washed 100s of loads of laundry, washed thousands of dishes, watched over our place when we’re gone (in spite of our dog that seems to bark excessively when we’re out.) He collects meaningful testimonies, lyrics, and poems on line as well as jokes to share with the family. He even tells my mom (his former wife) when it’s time for her to go home, in such a playful manner even she can appreciate it!

For all you add to our life, Dad, thank you!

And, God, thank You for this opportunity to live with my Dad, in the chance I didn’t have as a kid. You redeem and truly bring life more abundant.

Eph 3:21 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”


A recipient of Christ's Grace,


Bethany's Mommy

Day 10

This is my Grandpa Mel

Day 9

Day 8

Reasons to Give:

James 2:12-13  So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 

Day 7

Reasons to Give:
Matt 25:34-36  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' NKJV

Day 6

Reasons to Give: 
James 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. NKJV

Day 5

Reasons to Give:
2 Cor 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.  NKJV

Day 4

Reasons to Give:  
James 2:15-18  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. NKJV