Project: Collecting household items and New or gently used gifts for Foster Families

I just learned about this group and was deeply moved. We want to help them collect items and toys to help the Foster kids. With Christmas coming we also want to collect new or "gently" (like new) unwrapped gifts to help these families with Christmas.

This is an excerpt from an email I received that really brings home the "true situation" these foster families face. I will get a box soon, but for now you can drop off items on my front porch on the bench and I will make sure they get to Louisburg.

If you have any questions or want more information, comment below or email me.

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Helping Hands Forever was established by a Girl Scout troop to provide free items to children in foster care. The financial strain on top of the stress that caring for children that have been psychologically, physically abused, neglected, or are medically fragile causes 40% of foster parents to stop fostering children in the first year. Currently the state board rates (money paid monthly to foster families for children in their care) are: for 0 through 5 years of age $390.00 a month. That figures out to $12.58 a day to supply clothes, over the counter meds., school supplies, haircuts, diapers, furniture, coats, shoes, toys, the gas that is used to drive the children to doctors, family visits, evaluations and also to school for children that need to stay in their present schools because of special needs services that are already in place for them. The list goes on and those of you who have children know how fast children grow out of clothing along with weather changes. It can be budget breaking. For more information on state foster care and board rates go to www.dhhs.state.nc.us . We have recently extended our help to children who are 'aging out' of foster care and are in need of donated furniture and household items. If a foster child turns 18 and is not in school, foster care ends and these children are on their own. The typical 18 year old child finds it hard enough to become independent let alone a child who may have no family member to help them set up a home and get started. We are in urgent need of donations of gently used toys for children for Christmas. We continue to collect donations of furniture to supply foster families with needed beds (especially bunk beds), cribs, dressers, etc.

I want to help people, But...

Helping people is the noblest of missions, but it is also the mission with the most casualty and injury of its workers. People are messy and unpredictable, but so worth the hassel, at least, God and Christ thinks so. Christ put His life on the Cross for people that were not the nicest, most well behaved and certainly were not appreciative of His sacrafice. But, what a difference that Love made!

I had a conversation with someone I was trying to recruit and this comment kept coming up. I want to help people, but....; and I hold the record for yeah, but statements. At least I did until a good friend stopped me in the middle of a statement and said, commit to something! YES or NO! no but's, no conditions, no explanation (this started a panic attack like you would not believe), but it was absolutely a pivotal point in changing poor decision making skills and controlling the fear.

Commitment is good. Determination is the glue that keeps things together in the storm, and Faith is what keeps you breathing.

Another, silly misconception is "Some people just do not want to be helped". This is a wrong and destructive way to think. People want help, People want God, sometimes they just can't see the way there, and they are afraid of taking things, or assistance because things are bad enough, what if this doesn't work? "I have to give up stuff to get something." "I know where I am at now I will just stay here and suffer instead of changing to an unknown situation and take a chance." They are saying to themselves.

People who are hurting, do not know what they want, they do not really care about the next five minutes or anything for that matter. They just want the pain to stop. All pain is not physical, but it can all cause the same reactions, poor judgement and bad choices, which leads to the bad behavior that is seen or experienced. But, like a small child having a temper tantrum, loosing our cool and abandoning them is not the way to help. The "Truth" is the best medicine, it goes down hard and leaves a sting and a bad taste for a while, but once it is digested, it makes everything better!

Behavior is like a volcano, what you see is the eruption, but the problems and thought processes that caused it have been working under the surface for awhile. Heat rises and rock flies. (modified slightly, but the main idea is borrowed heavily from a sunday school lesson, citation provided on request.)

This why the Combination of Mind, Body and Spirit is so important. It is the way God designed us, and is the main emphasis of the "whole person treatment" which is proving to be the most effect across the disciplines of medicine. Hence, our design for this group, it not only makes us a complete service resource but also allows members to contribute their strengths and develop those things that they are not as strong in, but what makes us different from other groups is our Inner strength, which comes from our Lord and Savior. "When we are weakest, He is strong" "Our strength comes from Him" that is why we can serve, even in difficult personal times, to difficult people, during crisis events. He is our Strength, we do it because He did it for us, and the ones we are serving are His too.

Think back to a time when you were not the most lovable, most cooperative, most godly behaving person (Be Honest, it has happened, you are human!). Did everyone bail on you? (If they did, sorry, but that does not mean they were working with God and acting appropriately.) We are called to a higher way of thinking, loving and doing, we are CHRISTians, our model is Christ, He never stopped teaching, loving, praying for His people. Even on the cross, bearing our sins, He prayed for us and interceded for us to the Father asking for him to forgive us. Can we bear alittle bad attitude, ungreatfulness, greed, anger? Can we take alittle mistreating, unfair accusations, and mistreatment for their souls sake. Are we willing to minister to their hearts, are we strong enough and determined to assist people back to their relationship with Christ?

When times get tough, troubles, illness, relationships crumble who do we drop first? Christ, who do we stop talking to? What is the first place we stay away from? In problem solving alot of times you reverse the order, trace your steps back to where things were wrong, and do the opposite. When things are tough, we need to talk to God more, Pray more, He needs to have our attention, our Hearts need to be opened, our Minds need to focus and we need to HEAR him so He can comfort us like no one else can. He can heal us like nothing else can. Faith in Him brings the results. Where their is no faith, there is fear, where the is fear, there is pain. To give them faith, show them Love.

We want to help people get the best answers, and the best assistance, we need to take the to Jesus, but that requires patience, love, longsuffering, and PRAYER, lots of heart felt, down on your knees, tear felt prayer for God to move in us, through us, around us, under us, and over us. Light us up like CHRISTmas lights!!! Christ is here, we just need to LIGHT the way so that others can see Him and recognize it is Him. They need it, but may not realize what they are looking at.

SHINE ON! Light the way, LOVE, ENCOURAGE, PRAY!!! Be willing to be used, (for His glory).
A life could be eternally impacted...by the actions you take and choices you make.

Financial Wisdom and What God says about Finances

One of the many things people disagree on is God's purpose for our financial prosperity and How God says we are to handle finances. There are many theories, and theologies and opinions of which I will let you research and discern for yourself. Here is a reliable Christian Resource and what they have interpreted from Scripture.

Read, discern, learn, understand, apply. Acts 17:11 tells us to Study to show ourselves approved. or in the American Standard it is worded "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.

Check out this resource and relatedother articles
(click on "God's financial purpose" from this link)
http://www.makingmoneywork.us/mmwfreedownloadsamples.htm

What are we going to do??? "Love them Like Jesus"

I was returning some emails and received this question after explaining the vision and purpose of the group, website and blog. "So, what are you all trying to do with all of this"???? I thought about it and tried to explain again.. and then I thought I need a simple few word explaination and I was listing to my playlist player on my personal blog (www.fromtheheart.blogspot.com ) and thought, well I will explain it with a song.

The first song playing is the answer. "Love Them Like Jesus". Listen to the words.
and the second song "IF we are the body" says the reason why we need one more group, to do this instead of just joining others (which we did try to do) but, feel there is something missing and that the access and "feel" of our group can enhance others but yet reach those that are too hurt, too embarassed, too .... to reach out. We will see them and love them where they are. We will be partnering with other groups and helping to utilize services, and resources that are already operational. Encouragement during the hardtimes and during times of low spirit or anger, disobedience is very much needed. Sharing the Truth and witnessing about Christ can still be done during these times but, care for the person needs to take place first. This is usually the perfect time for sharing the "Testimony" on why God is important to your life, What God has done for you, how you KNOW!!! God can help the situation, that there is hope even in the face of the tragedy, terrible legal trouble, family breakup, whatever the storm, God Can and Will guide them through it.

The other songs on the playlist player are very encouraging and inspiring and have special messages too.

Keep the questions and information coming...