Yay! Welcome to the “Blessed To Be A Blessing” Campaign Kickoff!
I was listening to a sermon and a word picture was given that CONVICTS me deeply.
Thinking on the Bible lesson of Jesus feeding the multitudes, fast forward to the scene where the disciples receive the baskets full of food to distribute. Okay, we know the end of the story, the disciples gave out the food and when everyone had their fill, there were still 12 baskets left!
Now, let’s change the story a bit for illustrative purposes. Imagine how the ending would have changed had the disciples witnessed the miracle of Christ and His divine multiplication and then each picked up a basket, thankful, “Jesus, wow, you have blessed us so much! Look at this awesome miracle You have done. Wow, You must be the Son of God…” and then they walked away from the hungry multitudes each with their full basket, exclaiming to themselves, “Wow, God has blessed me so much! I probably won’t even be able to eat this all before it rots! God, thanks for all your blessings!” Somehow the miracle would have been a little anti-climatic, huh?
Do you see yourself in that story? I am there! I have a basket overflowing with blessings and I have kept it to myself, thankful, but have failed to recognize that I am blessed to be a blessing to others! Resources as well as the Gospel.
In Genesis 12:1-3, God started this whole campaign, notice His blessing and His reason for it.
Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
So, here we go, the GIVEAWAY part.
By God’s grace, this week, I am going to be a blessing. Intentionally for the next 7 days. Everyday I will pray and act to be a blessing. ( I was gonna say a month, but don’t want to scare anyone off! We’ll build up to it)
Will you join me?
This doesn’t have to be huge stuff. It can be as big or little as the Lord lays on your heart. I am going to write a few examples to start you down the brainstorming track. ~bless your husband by writing him a note of how much he means to you ~bless a child by becoming a child sponsor ~bless an elderly person with a visit ~bless someone with a snail mail letter ~bless a people group by interceding for them in prayer ~bless a neighbor by telling them the Good News of Jesus Christ
For every 20 comments (1 person can have 4 entries), another Vilas June of the winner’s choice will be given away.
(50% of all orders will be given to orphan care on any orders placed by Friday, 30% after that).
Enter the GIVEAWAY by:
***Comment and tell me that for the next seven days after you enter, you are intentionally going to “be a blessing”.***
you can earn additional entries by:
1) Leave a separate comment with an idea you have to be a blessing (No idea is too big or too small!).
2) Facebook this campaign and tell me you did in a separate comment
3) Blog about the “Blessed to Be a Blessing” Campaign and leave a comment and let me know.
Open entry until Tuesday, May 31st.
OKAY, there you have it! Let’s go and BE A BLESSING!!!
48 comments:
Hi Amy,
This is awesome! You have convicted me this morning! Thank you! I will work to be a blessing to someone for the next 7 days.
Blessings
Peggy
P.S. FB'd this one too :)
It is so easy to tell someone "I'll be praying for you" and then forget to do so. I have learned that it is good for me to write things down so that I don't forget AND to send them a note or a small gift a few days, a week or even a few weeks later to let them know that I haven't forgotten. I have had the opportunity to do this already today and will be doing it again soon. This also allows me to get a little closer view of the magnificent ways that God works in the lives of people.
Thanks Amy for the challenge and encouragment! I will strive for the next 7 days (hopefully it becomes habit) to be a blessing to those around me!
-alyssa
got it on FB too :)
I can tend to be so selfish with my time. There is always something that either needs done or something that I would really like to get done. That won't ever change, but I have found that giving up an afternoon or morning here or there to go and help someone else out is a few hours of very well spent time.
Amy, I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this!!! This exact burden has been on my AND Michael's heart for quite a while! I will definitely join this challenge!
Also posted on my blog!
One way I enjoy blessing people is to take them a meal or mail them a gift card to go out to eat. As a Mom I really enjoy the nights I don't have to cook, so I like to bless other Moms so they can have a little break too.
Another way I like to bless people is when I know someone is having a rough day I will surprise them with a Starbucks or some treat that I know they love like a magazine or a Polar Pop.
Can you tell how much I LOVE food?! :)
count me in on this one!
nichole
i posted on FB, too :)
great challenge. i'm in.
What a great idea!!! I'm in! Saw the post on Nicole's FB page!!! I have been helping a few elderly couples with yard work these past few weeks. It's such a great opportunity to help and such a blessing!!
I shared on Facebook!!
definitely in on this one!!
I have been recently doing some research on this story actually....I get to teach this story to 4 and 5 year olds during vbs week and Im trying to make it fun and very real for them. I really like that thought you had here on this post...how different it would be if they took the basket for themselves....might use that and explain how we need to go out and show love and be a blessing to others and not keep GOd's blessings all to ourselves!! Thanks!!
i recently signed up to volunteer at the nursing home during lunch hour and serve drinks to the elderly....they are always telling me how glad they are to see me, yet every time I do it, I walk away feeling much more blessed than I could have imagined.
Offer to help those who can't reach things in the grocery store (as they are on top shelves and perhaps the person is on one of those scooters...and cna't walk well). I find I do this VERY often and perhaps it is because I know how much my mother appreciates it when someone offers to help her get something thats to high to reach with being handycapped and all.
Amy,
I have been convicted of this lately. Thanks for giving me a little push. I will be a blessing for the next 7 days!! So sad we missed you this past weekend! Love you lots.
I have been passing people that I know driving lately and have started to say a prayer for them. I should also do this for people I don't know. I am also going to send snail mail to people who have been a blessing to me and let them know how they have blessed me.
I posted this on facebook:)
I will certainly try to be a blessing to others the next 7 days and hopefully beyond.
My ideas that we can all do very simply are:
Make eye contact with those you pass in the grocery store, smile at them and then speak kindly to them.
Welcome your husband home warmly every day.
I want to be a blessing for the next 7 days! Really everyday... :)
Love this idea, Amy! It is such a good reminder to find ways to be the hands and feet of Christ, and I'm trying along with you this week. (Blogger wasn't letting me post during the last two days for some reason.)
A couple of ideas:
Offer some help to a single Mom in your community: babysitting, laundry, a meal. They need a break every now and then too.
Visit a widow for an evening. Take her some flowers or some cookies. She needs to feel special, loved and remembered.
I'm loving all of the ideas from everyone!
Larisa
I'm trying once more to comment on the blog. I think I worked out the problem! I posted this on FB.
Another idea to be a blessing I was recently made aware of is to write letters of encouragement to homeless teens in Indy who are graduating high school. You don't have to be from Indy to write a letter to support these kids at such a critical time in their lives! Here is a link for info on the ministry and where to send letters.
http://www.moodyradioindiana.fm/rdo_promoDetail.aspx?id=70595
Make and effort to go out of your way to visit with someone your wouldn't normally talk to...a friend a church who maybe needs a listening ear or even the cashier at Walmart!...
Hey Amy- You are awesome! What a great idea! I am in!!... next seven days...
I left a comment yesterday without saying I would be a blessing! =) I hope changing diapers counts ;) I'll try to write down in my planner what I did to "be a blessing to someone for the next 7 days.
Andria S
I tried commenting yesterday, but it didn't work, so I'll try again....Thanks for this great opportunity to "be a blessing" for the next 7 days and beyond!!
Love this challenge! Thanks for the encouragement to share our "blessings." So, now I'm off to be a blessing.......
I'm in too :) I think we can make it three prizes people!!
I facebooked it babe.
An idea to be a blessing is to do yardwork for a neighbor who can't do it herself. And to give my wife a backrub tonight. ;)
Pretty! I plan on being a blessing this week and thinks this is a great idea!
I am going try to be a blessing to a child in Ethiopia as I have already been in contact with an organization to sponsor one!
I posted on facebook!!
I am so in!! I will be a blessing for the next week...and beyond!
Posted to my FB
facebook.com/sarahvr
I plan to bless others with prayers this next week. I will be on vacation and hope to get many chances to walk and pray.
Posted to my blog!
randombysarah.blogspot.com
Thanks for the reminder. Count me in ( : Mandy
Amy, I am with you this week praying (and looking for ways) to be a blessing! Love from Mx!
I think visiting a shut-in, widow, or widower would be a blessing!!
amy-- a great reminder to be intentional about our love! We are blessed to bless others! Love the flowers and would love to receive one!
and for my additional comment--I am sending some stuff from my pantry to the tornado victims in joplin and I am excited to get creative to think of other ways to be a blessing!
Amy! I love this thought process! Your story of walking away from the hungry with my basket full has plagued me this week. Thanks for the picture story that got stuck in my mind. I need daily conviction to get into the habit and routine of being a blessing.
Opps. Forgot my ways of being a blessing!
I can be SO selfish with my time... so I made a list of things I can take time out of my day to do for others. I wrote down specific things for specific people. A letter to the person in prison that probably thinks I've forgotton about him, a thoughtful gift to the widow, a meaningful conversation with the man who is often alone, a surprise visit and hug to the lonely widow, etc.
THANK YOU FOR THE CHALLENGE!
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