(Here is Gabe, Sunday morning too excited to take his present to church) Here are some pictures of the kids putting together their shoebox gifts to send out to children who will have nothing for Christmas otherwise. It is always soo much fun! We have so much fun going to the store and watching the kids pick out things for another child. We have them make a shoebox for a child who is their gender and age. The only requirement that we have is that they need to include toothbrush,toothpaste,body soap and a wash clothe. The rest is whatever they fill would bless the kids and what would fit in the box! Then we have them fill the box and I wrap them all up and we rubber band them for delivery! This year we had them write a personal letter to the child who would be receiving the shoebox gift wishing them a Merry Christmas and sharing with them that they are loved. MAN!!!!! I cried my eyes out as I read over their letters! They were the sweetest things ever, and each one wrote in their letter that Jesus loved them soo much and was sending these boxes to them. (They included their names and addresses and now we wait and pray to get a letter back in the mail and the beginning of an awesome friendship that God predetermined)
ISN'T THIS WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT!
God sent His Son...His most precious gift! To come into this world to give the gift of HOPE, SALVATION, UNFAILING LOVE, ETERNITY to the LOST,BROKEN,EMPTY,DYING!
What a GIFT!!! How this holiday has gotten so far away from that!
This is Destinee putting together her box...she has loved this bear for weeks...every time we go into the dollar tree she wants one for herself! So her she is trying to make it fit along with the journal, pens, brush, hair accessories, candy,lip glosses, and a bunch of other girly things teenagers love! OH DON"T FORGET THE THINGS THEY NEED..like toothpaste, toothbrush, soap!!! hahahaha..she managed to get it all shoved in their..it took us 4 rubber bands to get the lid to close and stay on but she got that bear in :)
(Sorry Dest. for the picture but it was a sweet story I couldn't pass up sharing! God has given you an amazing heart! Oh...good time to say that we were making these boxes at midnight the night before they were due! You know me...MS. LAST MINUTE!!!)
Here are Junior and Spencer's boxes....stuffed and wrapped with love!!! They wrote the sweetest letters... and shared the love of Jesus! God is doing an amazing work in both of them! I know that when the boys who receive these boxes open them up, they will be more blessed by the love in those letters then the candy, toys, puzzles,etc. that they filled it with!
Great Job Guys....Continue to SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS...EVERYWHERE you go and in EVERYTHING you do!
I helped Gabriel with his box...I filled it with everything toy story and cars...Gabriel's 2 favorite things right now...I found toy story socks and toys and puzzles and a cars harmonica, and lollipops! I wrote a note for him that simply said that my dad and mom are writing this for me and if I could write it myself I would say " I Love you and Merry Christmas...I hope you enjoy these things as much as I do. Jesus loves you!"
Nathaniel was the cutest to watch in the store! He wanted to find the most perfect things!! Trouble was that his box was tooo small for all that he wanted to buy. We were only in the store barely 2 minutes and he came around the corner with arms full! It was sweet because he wanted to make sure not only did they have lots of fun things to play with but they had important things that would help them look clean and be able to do good at school. He also wrote a letter that for an 8 year old would make a grown man cry! I think we seriously under estimate what are kids know and are capable of and especially when it comes to their faith! Nathaniel is the kids who does not BELIEVE in gift bags! (seriously...he is so sad when he gets a gift in a bag...half the thought and heart to him is in the way you prepared it for him..lol) So man he was so excited when I whipped out the wrapping paper and bows....I had to stop him at the 2nd bow!! hahaha
I just love these kids to death! Thank YOU JESUS for sharing them with me!
As I sit and reflect on this memory...it brings me to tears! These are the moments God allows us to have to train up our children in the ways of the Lord. These are the things that matter more then how cute they are (all though they are pretty stinken cute!) or how smart they are, what their grade point average is, what they are great at, etc. How they love others, and put others first and remember that God loves way more then we can yet He should be the example we strive to be! Those are the things that are going to allow our kids to grow up and effect this Nation and do something worth wild with their lives!
Here are Junior and Spencer's boxes....stuffed and wrapped with love!!! They wrote the sweetest letters... and shared the love of Jesus! God is doing an amazing work in both of them! I know that when the boys who receive these boxes open them up, they will be more blessed by the love in those letters then the candy, toys, puzzles,etc. that they filled it with!Great Job Guys....Continue to SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS...EVERYWHERE you go and in EVERYTHING you do!
I helped Gabriel with his box...I filled it with everything toy story and cars...Gabriel's 2 favorite things right now...I found toy story socks and toys and puzzles and a cars harmonica, and lollipops! I wrote a note for him that simply said that my dad and mom are writing this for me and if I could write it myself I would say " I Love you and Merry Christmas...I hope you enjoy these things as much as I do. Jesus loves you!"
Nathaniel was the cutest to watch in the store! He wanted to find the most perfect things!! Trouble was that his box was tooo small for all that he wanted to buy. We were only in the store barely 2 minutes and he came around the corner with arms full! It was sweet because he wanted to make sure not only did they have lots of fun things to play with but they had important things that would help them look clean and be able to do good at school. He also wrote a letter that for an 8 year old would make a grown man cry! I think we seriously under estimate what are kids know and are capable of and especially when it comes to their faith! Nathaniel is the kids who does not BELIEVE in gift bags! (seriously...he is so sad when he gets a gift in a bag...half the thought and heart to him is in the way you prepared it for him..lol) So man he was so excited when I whipped out the wrapping paper and bows....I had to stop him at the 2nd bow!! hahahaI just love these kids to death! Thank YOU JESUS for sharing them with me!
As I sit and reflect on this memory...it brings me to tears! These are the moments God allows us to have to train up our children in the ways of the Lord. These are the things that matter more then how cute they are (all though they are pretty stinken cute!) or how smart they are, what their grade point average is, what they are great at, etc. How they love others, and put others first and remember that God loves way more then we can yet He should be the example we strive to be! Those are the things that are going to allow our kids to grow up and effect this Nation and do something worth wild with their lives!
1 comment:
You guys have sure been blessed with some amazing kids! I am truly blessed to be a part of their lives and to see the work God is doing in and with each and every one of them...I cried that night after going with you guys because I realized too that these are the moments that matter, teaching them how to give and seeing their hearts go into giving and not caring that they weren't getting. To see them wishing that they had more room in their boxes so that they could send even more! and especially to see them take the time to make sure they said just what was on their hearts and boldly share His love with other children...I think Jesus swelled with pride for them that night!
Thank YOU guys for sharing them with me! Love you all!
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