Hang on to Your Mustard Seeds

So remember when we started "Pockets of Hope" for the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund?  In short, my goal was to use this blog to help raise $1000 for the May tornado victims in Oklahoma.  On a broader note, I was hoping and praying that, somehow, this blog would inspire us and push us all, maybe even beyond our normal comfort zones, to give generously in faith. It was about seeing a need and being an active part of doing something about it.

 

 

Like every well-intentioned big idea I set out to put in action, "Pockets of Hope" was a learning experience, a journey with some bumps in the road, and more of a process than I anticipated.  I guess I should have known it would be predictably unpredictable.  Counting all that change and getting it to the United Way of Central Oklahoma's OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund was not as simple as it sounded.  I guess I was expecting the change fairy to come and take all our money and turn it into usable dollars.  Did you know banks actually require you to roll ALL your change before they will take it?  And would you believe those really convenient change machines you see in banks and grocery stores wanted a commission on our money?!  Change machines are wonderful and free to use if your charitable organization is an active listed partner.  Unfortunately, our specific and recent cause, the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund, has not yet made the list.  Needless to say, my kids got some valuable and unexpected practice counting and sorting money. 

In the end, we did not make our $1000 goal.  Thankfully, with help from several of you, we did managed to give $315 to the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund.  That is a lot of change, folks, and a lot of pennies full of purpose!  I cannot thank you enough for helping me bless others.

So, how did we do?  How do we look at this experience?  Isn't that what most of us do in our heads, talk about it?

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20 

My initial thought on the outcome of our "Pockets of Hope" effort was "FAILURE."  As always, I am just being completely honest.  That's where my mind went first.  I wanted to reach our $1000 goal to help tornado victims in Oklahoma.  Even more than helping the tornado victims in Oklahoma, I really wanted to inspire people to share in a strong, everyday, real, faith.  We didn't just miss our monetary goal, we weren't even half way there.  The numbers did not work in our favor.  Like I said, "FAILURE" quickly came to mind, and it stayed there for a while.  I kept thinking, "Here I am writing my heart out, trying to show people how real God is and how His words come to life through prayer and acting in faith, but I FAILED on this one.  Now, what do I write?"  I am okay with falling short of the $1000 goal, but I certainly don't want people to doubt God's power, goodness, and presence just because things didn't turn out in my own expected and hopeful fashion.  That, in all honesty, is why it's taken me so long to write another post.  I have struggled with what to say next. 

Immediately following thoughts of failure, came the all too familiar cliché.  We didn't meet the $1000 goal because "it just wasn't meant to be.  My hopes and prayers for this "Pockets of Hope" project just weren't God's will, so the numbers just didn't happen."  While that may be true in part, it's a cop-out, and I think it's an easy crutch to lean on when things we pray about don't go our way.  I could sweep this whole thing under the rug, pretend like no one is looking, and move on, but I know we would miss God's point for all us right now.  See, this whole scenario is a reflection of how faith really works, and I think faith is as much about the journey as it is about the outcome.

Let's look at this situation from another perspective.  Let's just suppose for a second that more people than I could count were inspired to give change and donations to OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund because of reading this blog.  My writing made a difference and people, even strangers, emailed me their donation amounts, and we blew our $1000 goal out of the water.  We counted money for weeks, and I got to tell you the good and amazing news.  We used our faith to move mountains for the tornado victims in Oklahoma!  Nothing is impossible and our acts of faith proved it just like I prayed it would.

That all sounds good, and it would make my words look really good, but I wouldn't have very much to talk about now except to say a quick, "See, I told you so."  That is NOT reality in this situation or in everyday life and, more importantly, that is NOT faith.  God is a whole lot of awesomeness, but He is not a genie in a bottle whose job is to grant our wishes and follow our commands.  Because despite our best ideas, that wouldn't be very awesome at all.  To think that God should do things to match my definition of success trivializes and minimizes His power as our loving Savior, His sovereignty, His divine ability, and His perfect know-how.  It's easy to live in faith when God is doing what we think He should, when His will is in line with what we think we need and want for ourselves and others.  And sometimes, we get to celebrate that sweet reality.  That's when we can't imagine having faith only as small as a mustard seed.  But many times, don't you know, we find ourselves in places and situations we wouldn't necessarily choose for ourselves.  Things don't go as expected.  We lose and are lost.  We disappoint and are disappointed.  We fall short.  We mess up.  We hurt.  We struggle.  We are afraid. I think that's where God makes His biggest points in our lives.

Our plans, our hopes and dreams, our prayers can seem impossible and beyond reach from where we are in life at the current moment.  All those negative feelings just love to creep in, panic, doubt, shame, anger, and failure, just to name a few.  That's when the mustard seed of faith Jesus was talking about in Galatians is so important.  We just have to hold on to it, so we don't lose it.  Everyday faith means we have to trust that God is there with us and at work even when our mountains aren't moving.  God doesn't break promises.  God tests us, shapes us, strengthens our character, teaches us, and deepens our faith, loving us unconditionally- all for His glory!  It's okay when things don't go our way because that just means God has a better idea at the moment.  God made the mountains.  He is the Holy One who can see beyond them, and He is the Holy One who can move them.  So, let's keep praying friends, and let's keep our hearts open to ways God can use us to serve others humbly in love for our Lord and Savior.    
 



¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13 

 

A prayer for today-

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

I thank you for all the ways you bless my life.  Thank you for all the work you are doing through this blog and "Pockets of Hope".  I know that you are with me always as my loving, saving Father.  You are my Lord and Savior, my ultimate teacher, and my guiding light.  Forgive me for letting my selfish and impatient ways get in the way of Your will for me moment to moment.  Help me, Lord, to keep growing in faith in all that I do.

 

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

 

 

Praying God will be with you and bless you today and always,

 



 

Pockets of Hope Update

The deadline for our "Pockets of Hope" fundraiser has been extended to June 30.   Time is ticking, but we can still reach our $1000 goal with just a little faith and some creativity.  Change drawers, collection bottles, lemonade stands, bake sales, and car washes are just a few ideas to spark your mind.  We need your help!  Let's keep circling God's promise and help the tornado victims in Oklahoma.

 

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20 

 

 

No worries, this is a do-it-your-way fundraiser!  If you have raised money or made a personal donation to the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund on your own, don't forget to email me at amindmakerupper@comcast.net so I can add your efforts to our total.  Every little bit helps.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have already given so graciously.  You are amazing.

 

A prayer for today-

 

Dear Almighty God,

 

Thank you for the miracles you are working in our efforts to give generously to the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund.  Please, Lord, use our pennies for Your good and perfect purposes.  May we glorify You and praise your Holy name today and always. 

 

In the name of Christ we pray,

Amen



Lemonade, Popsicles, and Pockets of Hope

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

 

 

For all the details on our "Pockets of Hope" Fundraiser please visit my post from May 28th.  It's not too late to take part in our efforts to raise $1000 for the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund in Oklahoma.  The deadline for meeting our big $1000 goal is June 28th.  You can raise money in whatever way works best for you and turn all money into The United Way of Central Oklahoma at http://www.unitedwayokc.org/news-media/governors-disaster-relief-fund. 

 

As I have mentioned, our "Pockets of Hope" bottles have turned into a competition to see who can collect the most money in our house.  My middle son decided that this cause was a perfect excuse for a lemonade and popsicle stand.  What kid doesn't love a lemonade stand?  In about an hour, he raised $10.31 last Sunday, and he had a blast doing it!  I'm a proud mom.

 

 

 

 

 I really hope you'll join us in our fundraising efforts!  We can't do it alone.  It would take an awful lot of lemonade and popsicles at our house. 

 

A prayer for today-

 

Dear Lord and Savior,

 

Inspire my heart through your Holy Spirit.  Bless me with Your joy and peace so that I can bless others.  I continue to pray especially for the comfort and healing of all those affected by the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma.  Be with us in our "Pockets of Hope" efforts to raise money for our neighbors in Oklahoma. 

 

In the name of Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen

 

Blessings,





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

Small Steps

Just Do it OK: Pockets of Hope for Oklahoma

Deadline extended to June 30th!!

 

OK.  So here's another dose of honesty from me.  You know, I posted last time encouraging everyone to jump in and give a little to the people in Oklahoma following the devastating weather they experienced last week.  I was moved by the stories I saw unfold on the news, and my heart was aching just thinking about the destruction and loss they now face.  As a former teacher, I was especially drawn to the images of the two elementary schools that were completely torn apart.  I thought I had a pretty decent idea going.  Create an online fundraiser for the United Way of Central Oklahoma and their OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund.  It seemed so simple, a no brainer really.  I just knew that as soon as I wrote some inspirational words and posted direct links to the fundraiser, it was a win-win.  Help others and act in faith.  The money would go straight to the source that could make a difference in people's lives.  Show what God can do when we are willing, right?  With Facebook and lots of people sharing my post, word should travel fast for sure.  A thousand dollars wouldn't be that hard to raise this way.  Man...was I wrong!

This is another case where my intentions are good but things just didn't happen like I thought they would.  Lots of people looked at my blog post and shared it, but only two people, donated to the cause.  It turns out, that was a good thing, just one of the ways God was telling me something about my approach to the fundraiser, full of heart and faith, wasn't complete.  Come to find out (and I should have known), CrowdRise, takes 5% of all donations to keep their website running.  That's understandable, but not what I am going for here.  Time to rethink things and make sure ALL money from this point forward gets where it needs to go, the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund established by the governor of Oklahoma.  And so, I have kept talking to God about the situation.  "God, help me help the people of Oklahoma." 

I listened and listened, and God kept talking back in several ways.  He has a bigger story to tell here.  He does that a lot with me; I am learning.  After all, isn't that the whole point of my blog, to share about a faith that is real, honest, doable and usable, possible on a daily basis no matter who you are, where you live, or how much money you have?  Jesus' words kept coming into my head,

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20 

Something tells me I am supposed to keep circling these words.  So far A Mind Maker Upper's fundraiser has donated $75 to the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund for Oklahoma tornado victims.  I will personally make a donation to make up for the 5% CrowdRise commission, so to speak, on these donations, and I apologize for not realizing the 5% deduction sooner.  Regardless, I am so thankful for this $75 because that is a great start, but I really don't think we are supposed to stop here.  My goal is, still, to raise $1000 through the influence of this blog.  That seems a little overwhelming and scary right now, though.  Thoughts of this thing being a flop have crossed my mind, but I know nothing with God is a flop.  So, I am not going to give up on this cause, and I pray you won't either.

 

I am thinking we need to get more everyday about this thing.  I realized in the course of trying to orchestrate a fundraiser, I have not given to my own cause.  And it wasn't because I didn't want to give.  To be perfectly frank, I was waiting to see how it would go, AND I was thinking we are broke right now in our family budget, so I am not sure how much money I can give at this very moment.  Well, if I am feeling this way as the originator of the fundraiser, how many other people are feeling this way too? 

 

So back to Jesus' words about the mustard seed.  These words make me think about pennies and our pockets of loose change.  I don't have the means to give a huge monetary donation right now, but money is not the point of the fundraiser.  God's point is that if we act in faith with just a few small steps, He moves the mountains.  All of us who are able to get on a computer and read a blog, have a pocket or purse of change.  If you don't have pockets or purses of change, maybe you have a drawer, a piggy bank, a pile of loose change somewhere.  Even if it's pennies, we can ask God to use our pennies for His purposes. 

 

I invite you to join me in using our pockets of change (mustard seeds of money) for "Pockets of Hope" for the tornado victims in Oklahoma.  I am going to make this a family affair in my house, and I will let you know how it goes.  I think the ideas are limitless, and I would love to hear other ideas and experiences from your own families.  What better lesson can we teach our children than finding our own ways to help others in need?  Our kids can make a connection to other kids, kids who have lost their schools and homes in a terrible storm. 

It doesn't matter to me how we decide to help, I just think we need to come together and see what God can do.  "Pockets of Hope" is what we came up with in our house.  If our idea works for you, we'd love for you to join us.  It's simple and stress free.  It can be done anywhere by people big and small, in schools and classrooms, at work, in our neighborhoods, Sunday school classes, sporting events...  Everyone has pockets of change somewhere! 

 

{Pockets of Hope for Oklahoma}

1.  Grab some empty plastic bottles or containers.
Gatorade bottles are great because they have a large enough opening for change.  Water bottles will work, too.  Just cut a slit in the side since the opening at the top is too small for change.  So for my family of five, I am rounding up 5 bottles.

2.  Put a label on each bottle so people will know where the money is going.
We are turning each bottle into our own personal change collectors.  We will tape a "Pockets of Hope" label on it and start taking it with us wherever we go (pictured below).  Email me at amindmakerupper@comcast.net, and I am happy to send you the labels we are using, or you can make your own if you want to join us in collecting "Pockets of Hope."

3.  Spread the word and invite others to join you in collecting change.
I am going to email a few friends to do the same thing and attach the bottle labels to my email so they can easily get started if they want to participate.  I am happy to send you a copy of the email I am going to use.  Again, you can email me at amindmakerupper@comcast.net.  For people who don't want to collect money but still want to give, we are going to leave a container on our front porch in addition to the bottles we carry around.

4.  Set a deadline for collecting all money and turn it in to the right place.
I think it's important for people to know that all money is going to the United Way of Central Oklahoma's OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund.  We will collect money from any friends who collect money with us, total our collections, write down how much we collected (see step 5), and turn it in to the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund.  Their website lists 3 easy ways to get the donations where they need to go (below).  The  direct link is http://www.unitedwayokc.org/.

5.  Tell me about your contributions.
I feel we are empowered and strengthen in our faith when we share our stories and give generously.  If this blog in some way helps you put one foot in front of the other to help the Oklahoma tornado victims, I encourage you to share it.  You can do that by emailing me privately at amindmakerupper@comcast.net or by posting a comment below.  If you raise money, please comment or email your grand total when it's all said and done so we can see God's wonderful works! 

The deadline for A Mind Maker Upper to count donations in our grand total is going to be June 28th.  Let's raise $1000! 

I am reading Mark Batterson's book on prayer, Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.  His words hit me at just the right time.  No coincidence, I am sure. 

Pray about everything.  Then pray some more.  But at some point, we have to quit praying and start acting.  One of the greatest mistakes we make is asking God to do for us what God wants us to do for Him.

A prayer for today-

 

Dear Lord and Savior,

 

Forgive me when my works fall short of the good works You design for me.  Use me to help others.  Use me to share Your unconditional love.  Use me to comfort those in need.  Use me to make a difference in people's hearts.  Use me to inspire faith in You.  Use me to glorify You in all that I do.

 

In the name of Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen

 

Blessings,