Getting the Recognition We Need

Matthew 6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

This verse always makes me think of how I have in the past "bragged" about my giving. I would not admit that it was really bragging but justifying it by thinking of it as sharing to inspire others. The truth is when we are speaking to others about our giving we are in need of recognition for doing something good, however, our recognition should come only from God. We have to remember that when we give as God wants us to he will be saying to us "well done, my child". Lord I am sorry for taking my bragging to those around me when it is only you that I should seek recognition from. Help me to hold my tongue and speak my proud of myself for giving moments to you. Amen.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 325

It’s Stewardship season and with that comes the sermons on giving. I am not the best at tithing but have improved over the last couple of years but I have tried giving in other ways like being a Sunday school teacher, bringing food donations to church on the first Saturday of every month and getting the family to raid their closets to weed out clothes for the clothing drives. I am in a season of life where doing anything with my time is tough because my kids and family is where my time is spent. The sermon yesterday was about you guessed it, time. I really liked how our pastor said that we can start with giving our time in prayer and worship. In thinking about this, I realize that what I do everyday with the 365 Days of Praise Challenge has been a form of worship. I have managed to give of myself everyday to write up a praise for the day and hopefully have passed some blessings on to others who read it. In giving my time this way, it has been one of the greatest blessings to me. So, if you are in a season of life like me where spare time is hard to come by, think about starting with just 5 minutes everyday to pray and/or worship the Lord. Time is our greatest gift to God and each other. Find a way to give some everyday.

Eccelesiates 3:1-10 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ...

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 318

Our sermon yesterday was the beginning of our Stewardship Season. It is the time of year when the church focuses on giving. It can be a challenging topic considering the state of our economy but it is a part of our church and living as the body of Christ that we do need to be reminded of. Rather than focus on money, the sermon was about all the various ways we can be giving back based on our gifts. I was especially tickled by our pastor’s challenge to give for 365 days. Hmmm….. sounds familiar. The truth is that when we focus on one aspect of giving each day it can be a huge blessing to not only yourself but countless others. So, our challenge in the days ahead before commitment Sunday is to figure out what our challenge will focus on. What will I give each day for the next year? It could be just doing a kindness for someone everyday, an encouraging word shared everyday or forgiving others everyday. Take a look at your gifts and decide how you can be giving using your gifts everyday in the year to come.

Romans 12:6-8 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it s contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy let him do it cheerfully.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 243

Easily one of the best parts of my job is knowing that I have helped an alarm company get off on the right foot when it comes to how they need to proceed to be in compliance with the law. It is especially delightful for me getting emails back from alarm companys with an excited thank you in it. Appreciation is a funny thing. The more you receive it the better you feel and the more you give it the better you feel too. Being thankful is more than a one day thing which is why I started this whole challenge on Thanksgiving last year. It is amazing how some appreciation can make you feel both in giving and receiving it. I am so thankful to God for the gift of appreciation people can give to each other and am thankful for the reminder that it goes both ways. Take the time to say the words, send an email, make a phone call, make a card and send it. In whatever form you choose, challenge yourself to share your appreciation for others everyday. It really does make you shine and will make the one who receives it shine too. Check out this mini study on appreciation that I found at http://www.discipleshiptools.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=37155&columnid=4166

Ephesians 5:20 Sing and make music inyour heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 231

For some of us, being giving and generous just comes natuarally. It is your gift but for others, like myself, it is something that I have to work at. The ladies at my work that I sit next to are very good examples of the kind of person who is just natuarally giving and generous. Judy always has a snack drawer filled and welcomes all to come and take whatever they want. The other Judy brought in the makings for a salad the other day for everyone for lunch. Yesterday, I ended up sharing my lunch with a young lady in my office. I had planned to eat the rest of it today but I really enjoyed offering to share with her. Turns out she has never tried avocado ever. Wow! That was cool to be able to give something that she had never tried. Because I am not giving and generous naturally I will have to be more intentional about it.  I am going to start with a list of ways I can give and be generous that I can refer to.  Help me out with my list!  1. Baking something and giving it to a neighbor. 2. Bring donuts or bagels into work, just because! 3.....?  Thank you Lord for the examples of giving you have placed around me that help me strive to be a better giver.

Acts 20:35
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”