Christmas donations (non-TFF)

[Bobitis]

Many of you know I'm not overly religious, and I can live with that (my call).

I would just like ya'll to take a minute of pause and ponderance.

Why are you here? How did you get here?
I met Jack404 on another forum. When I found TFF, I sent him an invite. The rest is history. I'm a firm believer in karma.

Jack was kind enough to offer his cd's (postage paid) to anyone that made a donation to the Salvation Army. I figured 'what the heck'. When I got them (act of faith on his part), I doubled my donation. Since that time, my life has been very much enriched.

I guess my point is....

Give where ya can. There's a lot of hurting folks in our country that dearly need the help. Be it monetary (food banks are great at spending donations wisely), or some of yer time volunteering. No donation is too small.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here (witness the December giveaways). The mods here were truly overwhelmed. So to all that were willing to donate here, why not share that sentiment with yer local community instead?

Sorry fer rambling.

Merry Christmas to one and all.

[American Leader]

Good point Bob, I agree, and I try to follow Jesus Christ the best I can, I too give to our community groups, especially the Salvation Army. Your point is well made when discussing the quality work done by local groups as well as religous only groups. I give to as many deversified organizations as I can locally, our communities are just our extended families. We also give to others in the world who are less fortunate. Giving is good for those who give as well as those who receive. Thanks for the great reminder!

[jedwil]

Originally Posted by Bobitis

Many of you know I'm not overly religious, and I can live with that (my call).

I would just like ya'll to take a minute of pause and ponderance.

Why are you here? How did you get here?
I met Jack404 on another forum. When I found TFF, I sent him an invite. The rest is history. I'm a firm believer in karma.

Jack was kind enough to offer his cd's (postage paid) to anyone that made a donation to the Salvation Army. I figured 'what the heck'. When I got them (act of faith on his part), I doubled my donation. Since that time, my life has been very much enriched.

I guess my point is....

Give where ya can. There's a lot of hurting folks in our country that dearly need the help. Be it monetary (food banks are great at spending donations wisely), or some of yer time volunteering. No donation is too small.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here (witness the December giveaways). The mods here were truly overwhelmed. So to all that were willing to donate here, why not share that sentiment with yer local community instead?

Sorry fer rambling.

Merry Christmas to one and all.

I kinda ended up here as you and Jack did. I still frequent the other site and enjoy it, and spend time there; but this site is great and I find I spend more time here.
I have and will continue to give what I can to the Salvation Army and other charities. My wife is a Hospice nurse and the Hospice gives a lot to the community and we help as best we can.

[jack404]

Bob , cheers for the reminder , it is coming up To our Lords Birthday , as some of you know i read and study a lot , but i like the old ways and a thing i call Christian Financing , i did not invent it , it goes back to the Holy Lands and the time just after Christ's time here on earth , Christians where persecuted and denied the usual financial opportunities

but through their tithe they found a way to help each other.

Peter the farmer had a fire and lost his seed for next year , his friend Sebastian had 3 times what he needed

Both being tithing Christians makes it work ..

Seb send's Pete the seed, peter then from that harvest give that to the poor , widows etc Seb deducts this from his tithe, Pete is honour bound to do so and God is watching

tithes where never funds to the church soley , it may be to one or your congregation who been ill and couldnt work , it is not just money ( but cash is easier even for me)
its 10% of what you make , before translating it to cash or not

but it cost $4.50 for postage , disks and box's i forget , ( they are way cheaper recently thanks to the aussie dollar rising) so i ask for $5-10 buck donation to a charity , you let me know thats ok , your word is good .. and i was able to take it off my tithe .. it can be any decent group , i suggest soldiers angels , your VFW, Salvation Army all good folks who help others and dont support this leftist. troop hating, nation hating, decency hating , clap trap like the red cross ( sorry to those who like it ) supports

but it can be your church if it does good in your community , meals on wheels if you have that there , what does what i call God's work .. see with Christian financing there is no need for welfare , taxes and churches build the infrastructure , the people run it , and there is enough for everyone who is is need , and lot's of work ( job's ) along the way ...

its not a governments job to feed us , cloth us etc , we can do that ourselves .. if allowed , and if needed , we can help our brothers in need

but who wants 2nd century Christian financing ?

i mean they built the Byzantine empire on it ( then banks got into it ...)

the best Christianity built in the first few centuries where built on this principle , taxes where asked for, Tithes are owed

cheers

and Cheers Bob , A Happy and Holy Christmas to You and Yours

[mogunner]

I don't recall how I got here, probably followed someone in that didn't make sure the door was shut good...

Well, this year is about the worst year for me and mine that I can recall... but there's a light shining down about mid-February that I can at least see now, and thanks to good friends and neighbors our lights are still on and we manage to keep our bellies off our backbones, my neighbor across the street even gave me his password for his wireless service so I can get online and take care of things that need taking care of. My little business has trickled in enough money to kinda pay Peter back what I robbed from him to pay Paul and I can't complain much on that score. I know people who are worse off, with no income at all to speak of, so me and the missus do what we can for those. Next year things will smooth out a bit financially, so we can relax a bit and use some of our new "retired" time to help out in the community. My and mine are safe, sound and warm, the important things. I even live in a town that still puts up a manger scene without somebody taking offense at it, imagine that.

[jack404]

each to his own as to his ability , if i remember

i may be wrong but it rings a bell to me

cheers to ya mogunner

[howlnmad]

I agree with you guys. I give to the Salvation Army, our local food bank, St Judes Childrens Hospital and the Shriners (100 % of your donations are used for their causes). I'm not able to give much but I give what I can. My church gets my 10 % tithe and the the food bank gets at least a few jars of peanut butter, canned goods and some dried goods every week.

[BETH]

at work we have 3 people from an outside company that clean all night and make minimum wage so every year they go around and take up a collection for them so they have a little xmas bonus, makes u feel good to help someone.

[Juker]

Blessings on all of your houses.

Each Christmas we give envelopes of cash to our pastor, to distribute to families in the congregation that he knows are in dire straits. We do this strictly on conditions of anonymity, and just put a note inside that says, "Merry Christmas from a brother and sister in Christ." They don't know where it's coming from, and many anonymous thank you cards have been sent back to us through the pastor.

I believe this follows the teaching of Matthew 6:3.

[jack404]

good tip Juker

cheers ..

[Juker]

And here's the best giving story I've ever heard.

We have a friend who has a personal ministry of giving, even though she has very little herself. She has more treasures in heaven than any 50 TV preachers and evangelists. Many years ago she was in the post office in a pounding rainstorm, and watched a young couple pull their bikes up under the awning on the sidewalk. They had baby seats on the back of their bikes, and were unstrapping their drenched toddlers. She stepped outside and began chatting with them about getting caught out in the rain, and learned they had no car - they were really struggling and rode their bikes several miles to work each day, taking their children to and from daycare each way.

She went to her car in the rain, got the papers out of the glovebox, and signed her car over to them. Needless to say, they were dumbfounded. And standing there under that awning, she gave them Christ's message of salvation.

Five years later, she ran into them at the University of Illinois, at a Campus Crusade for Christ rally. Because of her, they had not only been saved, but entered fulltime Christian ministry and were preparing to go overseas as missionaries.

[jack404]

BINGO!!! everyones a winner!!! and folks think i'm "simple" for my simplistic Faith

personally i think i got the inside track on the best race .. and the super brains have been the ones missing out

Juker Cheers for that , made my day ..

[raven818]

I am a Shriner. If a person is as involved as I have been, it can be an expensive way to participate in helping those in need. All I contribute, in both time and money, has gone toward helping children who have suffered from serious burns, or have crippling bone diseases. In the last position I held, I had to be at the Temple 4-5 days a week after work, for hours. The position also meant my wife wife had to be there ( non member, but hard worker ). The Shrine could not exist w/o the males being fully supported by their wives ( if applicable ).

I have belonged since 1986, and the experience with the kids has made it all worth while. Giving when, and wherever you can, is good for the soul.

[Bobitis]

Lord bless you Raven.

[BETH]

many prayers go out to all that need it

[terryu1]

My wife firmly believes in "what goes around ..." and although I have also, that feeling has been strengthened in the past almost 25 yrs of marriage.

We always give to groups. I support Autism Speaks, Susan G Komen Breast Cancer, Wounded Warriors Project and Alzheimers research as a biweekly pay deduction. We also try, especially around the holidays, to give to make some family's Christmas a little brighter.

This year, here at work, I was moved to a different area and we have a young woman who has three boys and her husband up and left her with mounting debt and no support. He is now in jail. She works here full time and also at the mall part time to support the family. She recently was very sad and acknowledged to a friend that she did not know what she was going to do for the boys for Christmas as she just did not have the money to do anything. We took a donation among our little group of 7 workers here and gave her almost $500 to buy for the kids for Christmas.

I know I feel better that she does!!!

[Juker]

Well done, brother!

"I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

[Juker]

I thought I had posted this link here, but apparently I didn't.

If any of you are looking for ways to give, or want to expand your giving, or would like to help some people who truly need help -- We've been supporting this organization for a while now, and they are out there getting the work done. Just a few dollars can change a child's entire life, in places of the world where resources can be non-existent.

http://www.compassion.com/catalog.htm