Responsibility

How much more talk of this bad economy can we endure? It seems like all we hear is negative, and the word "economy" has been used more this year than I can ever recall hearing in my lifetime. There is A LOT of focus on the negative. My personal focus has been being drawn to the positive.

If you live in the United States in a homeless shelter you are still better of than countless people in less fortunate areas of the world. Even at our worst we still have it better than many. The question is, though, do we even realize it? Or, are we just too spoiled?

When it boils down to it our minimal requirements to survive are food and clothing, and doesn't God promise to provide them for us? Would we know how to be happy if those basic needs were met, and we had nothing else? How would we spend our time? Has it ever dawned on you that Jesus was a homeless man when he walked the earth? His disciples and those he ministered to cared for him. He did not have a home. Others provided him food and shelter as he spread the gospel and served his fellow man.

I have found myself thinking on these things a lot lately, as I feel so very blessed. The conclusion I have come to is that with blessing comes responsibility. If God has blessed us above and beyond what we need, food and clothing, it is our responsibility to share what we have with others. We should not hoard our surplus for the future. God promises to provide. We should share what we have.

Here in Michigan our economy and jobless rate is worse off than anywhere else in the country. We are surrounded with those that need. It seems like thousands lose their jobs ever day, and the prospects for those that are unemployed are very bleak. The playing ground has changed, and old ways of dealing with things are ineffective. One must really be aggressive in order to make anything happen, and even then the situation is not promising.

I have found myself conversing with God in regard to how he has blessed me and my family. My husband is a transmission mechanic. Praise God, his business is not suffering with the economy. It is staying steady due to the economy. People are fixing their cars and driving them longer. This is a blessing to us. He will be going back into business for himself, Lord willing, this September. Our decisions, prayers, and focus all point in this direction, and we are quite confident that this is where we are being led. However, we are open to His guidance should this not be His will. There is peace here, and I am finding that responsibility comes with that. My prayer has become, "What would you have me do to serve others, Lord?" I find myself looking for opportunities to give back to my community. There is so much we can do. Here is a list of ideas:

Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
Plant a garden, and donate the surplus to a local food bank.
Volunteer at a local food bank sorting food.
Mentor a young person.
Adopt a grandparent at a local nursing home or senior center.
Prepare resumes for free to those that are out of work.
Donate food and clothing to local charities.
Instead of a yard sale, donate your items to Purple Heart or another local charity.
Volunteer for Meals on Wheels.
Host a Bible study in your home for young people.
Provide transportation to and from church for those that have no way to get there otherwise.

The above is just a very short list of possible ideas to make a difference. It is my hope that it has gotten your creative juices flowing, and you can come up with something that works with your skills and the special needs of your community. If you have food and clothing, praise the Lord, and bless those that you can around you.

Angel Food Ministries

With the focus being on penny pinching so much lately I thought it would be prudent for me to share a wonderful resource that is available in 35 states across the nation. This is an amazing food program that is open to anyone regardless of income. Angel Food Ministries was started in 1994 by Pastors Joe and Linda Wingo in Monroe, GA, and serves over 500,000 families monthly through their food distribution program.



Each month Angel Food Ministries offers a new menu to choose from. Orders are placed and paid for ahead of time and picked up at a local host site; usually a church, school, outreach center, or organization. Once you've determined your local host site, you simply contact them to place your order. They even accept Food Stamps (EBT).

With each order you will receive a copy of Servant Magazine. This magazine gives you up to date information about Angel Food Ministries, inspirational articles, the next month's menu, and reports from various host sites across the nation. You will also find useful recipes on their website for inspiration while using the food you purchase. For those of you that enjoy cooking and creating in the kitchen, you can even submit your favorite recipes to share with fellow participants or those simply visiting the website.

This is a wonderful resource for those on a fixed income, including senior citizens. There is a special menu designed especially for seniors which is comprised of complete meal choices. The menu includes 10 fully cooked meals that are nutritionally balanced, complete, and ready to heat and serve.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, this may not work for you since the main package always has meat in it. However, if you have a carnivorous friend you can benefit as well. Supplemental packages are available with the purchase of a main package. So, your friend could benefit from purchasing the main package, and you could pay for the addition of the produce package. You cannot beat the pricing!

Special holiday packages are available as well. They special design supplemental packages for the holidays. Traditional food items are included at a tremendously discounted price compared to local grocery store prices.

Just as Angel Food Ministries helps meet the needs of the general public, they have needs of their own. Volunteer opportunities abound. Maybe your church or organization would like to be a host site, or maybe your group is looking for a worth while cause to support via donations, fundraising, or actual volunteer time. Angel Food Ministries can benefit from your skills and talents. This is a wonderful organization and well worth exploring as a customer or a volunteer. You may even find a job opening!

It's Amazing

It's amazing to me how we are designed to progress throughout life continuously adapting to our situation. I am finding true that certain things just change with age and time. My youngest child is 14.5 years old, and I now find myself working on five grandchildren. With the early introduction of grandkids to our lives, it is forcing me to adapt to a new phase before my time.

Being a wife, mom, and Nana, along with the other hats I wear, is overwhelming at times. How do I effectively contribute to every aspect of my life? How do I meet the needs of everyone that depends on me and still take proper care of myself? I need feeding too, you know? What about my walk with God? What about my health? What about my interests? What about the care and keeping of me? How does one construct a healthy balance in one's life?

This dilemma seems to be the plight of women everywhere. I know my husband's job is demanding and stressful at times. I know he gets discouraged, angry, fearful, exhausted. But, somehow, I cannot help but look at him on occasion and think I wish that was all I had to deal with. I wish my life was that simple. I wish I could just go to work and come home. I wish I had a wife...figuratively speaking, of course! I know that the grass merely appears greener, but what a picture it sometimes paints.

With my youngest three headed for 19, 17, and 15 years of age, I find myself looking to the future with a renewed sense of anticipation. Although, sometimes it can be a twinge of fear that gets me. What will I do when it's just my man and me? How can I possibly spend "forever" with this man and no one else around? Then I quickly focus on the "no one else" part. How cool is that? This mom loves her children, but she looks longingly to the day when she is in total control of her time. There will be no educational planning, no organized teaching of children, no one to entertain, no one else's needs to be met. I will be free to command my time.

Oh, sure, the husband will still have his talons in my minutes, but he is but one person. There will be sleepovers with grands, gift making, volunteering at church and homeless shelters, mentoring, and whatever I choose to fill my time with. The ironic thing is that I am looking forward to serving others. I guess I just desire the freedom to be myself and choose where to put my efforts.

Wonderful Opportunity to Volunteer

For those of you that know me, you know that volunteering is an important part of my life. As home schoolers we have even grown to coordinate a local group of teens that plan and participate in volunteer activities in and around our community. Volunteering gives you a sense of pride and purpose that can be achieved through no other means.

What about you? Have you thought about volunteering your time for a worthy cause? Are you looking for an opportunity to make a difference? Has someone you know and love been touched by Alzheimer's? I just learned about this opportunity to make a difference. Why not learn more about how you can participate in the Alzheimer's Memory Walk that is being held this fall?



Every 71 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I was shocked to learn that it is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. By joining Memory Walk and more than 200,000 individuals you can contribute to making the dream of creating a world without Alzheimer's disease a reality.

What better opportunity to model the importance of community involvement and the value of our elderly society members. We are all connected, and taking the time to think of others is a great example for our youth. With today's individual mindset it is beneficial to everyone for us to step outside ourselves and put the needs of others at the center of our attention.

There are so many ways to get involved. You need not actually participate in the walk to contribute to this worth while organization. Please visit the link above to learn how you can join in the effort, contribute your time and talent, and make a difference in the lives of those afflicted by Alzheimer's disease, their families, and even yours. Who knows, you may create a valued family tradition of service and community involvement. Don't be shy! Visit the above link to get started today.