Category: Twelve Months Of Giving

12 Months of Giving – Dec., Week 3

12/17/2018

"For Your word’s sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things, to make Your servant know them. Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears."
~2 Samuel 7:21-22

God does what He does because of who He is. He is Love. He is fair. He is kind. He is patient. He is generous. He desires more for us than what we want for ourselves. These attributes and more are what set our God apart from all others. He is intimately and intricately involved in our existence and well-being. And He does so in spite of our past, our weaknesses, our failings, and our wanderings. Isn’t it wonderful to know that we don’t even have to have a “plan” for our lives, and He can turn that jumbled confusion into purpose? Isn’t it great to know that we can completely undo all the “progress” WE have made in life, and He can make that mess into a message for millions to read and grow from? Isn’t He amazing?!?

For all these things and more, He deserves our praise! In all your giving this Christmas season, give Him thanks!

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving – Dec., Week 1

12/3/2018

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“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
~Isaiah 40:2

Have you ever felt that you’ve suffered twice as much for your sins and wrongdoings? That maybe you’ve reaped more than you’ve sown? That God’s Word burned longer against your failings than your obediences? Well take heart! Our verse does not promise no more consequences, but it does give us the balm, salve, comfort for them. In the face of our faults, we have an advocate Who can, if we allow Him, turn our sorrow into joy, tears into laughter, and pain into purpose! The Lord Jesus is the revealed “He” woven throughout the verses of Isaiah 40. It is to Him you can turn in the darkest of hours!

In all your giving, give Him thanks!

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving - Nov.

11/12/2018

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"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." ~Luke 6:38

Relocating is never easy. And it’s rarely fun. But when you make appropriate prayers and preparations, you don’t exactly expect the transition to be almost traumatic. And yet that is how I could describe my family’s relocation this Summer…almost traumatic. There were a lot of factors that played into this scenario, most of which were completely out of my control, but one thing that has and still continues to work in my favor is the fact that the Bible has been true in our lives.

When I felt led to do this year-long series on giving, I wanted to write from the perspective of a giver. And I have. But what I did not plan on was being on the receiving end of exactly what I was teaching about giving. You can literally Give Your Way to More Than Enough. In the past few years, God has blessed my family to be able to give so abundantly, that we literally did not know where the money was coming from, and almost as soon as we would give it away, it would come back into our hands multiplied 10, 50, 100 times more than what we had given. So, I know what it means to be able to give abundantly, even out of meager means.

But what happens when you go from the above to losing almost everything? What can we expect from God, His word, and His promises? Well throughout this extremely difficult time of endurance and lack, I can humbly say that in spite of our true lack and great need, God has provided more than enough. Every. Single. Time.

EVERY. TIME. HE. Has provided more than enough…

finances enough to keep the roof over our head
food to enjoy and keep our bellies full
friendship for fellowship and support
family who loves us and whom we love
faith to, as my pastor urged yesterday, “pray one more time” every time we felt like giving up

This is what it means to have abundance. Over the next couple of weeks we all will be hearing a lot about abundance and giving thanks. Never forget that what you give in great measure always comes back to you…and if you have received abundantly, don’t hesitate to give back and forward in the same manner. Both seasons are from The Lord!

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving - Sept.

9/3/2018

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"If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
~James 2:15-17

As I mentioned in last month’s blog, this past “Summer of Adversity” was transformative in my life. I learned how to quickly identify the things, people, and places that need to be let go, and to actually do it. There’s never too much that can be said for being able to “Keep It Moving” in the face of adversity! But I also learned first-hand about some realities that come with living in a college town.

After spending thousands of dollars just living and eating, I was desperate to find any form of work when I landed on a job that was run by and 95% of the workforce was 20 something year olds. Many of them were college students. Talking to them and over hearing their stories, I found that something as basic as a good meal, or even a basic lunch, was often an enviable commodity for these lively young people. And I could relate! Having to live in a hotel for a month with the closest thing to a home-cooked meal being the hot and filling breakfast being served daily (Shout out to the Country Inn and Suites Coralville, IA who took amazing care of us!), you quickly realize the value of a real, sit down, home-cooked meal.

How is the subject of giving related to these experiences? Our focus passage from the Book of James in the Bible hits the nail on the head. The last sentence in the passage can also be interpreted as, “If your faith does not move you to act when a situation calls for action, then your faith is not real.” Giving is an action, and so is cooking. My challenge to us all is to be on the lookout, or better yet, make an opportunity to provide a home-cooked meal for someone this month. 20 somethings are the easiest targets because they often don’t make a lot of money or have any savings, and they usually don’t know how to budget the little bit of money they make. Single parents are another easy target, just because money is often always tight, and they are always tired. Cooking can be a chore with little (or big) ones running around your feet. Can you think of any other groups who could always use a good home-cooked meal?

Let’s not neglect the needs we see right in front of us. Food is not a luxury, so let’s not allow anyone in our sphere of influence feel like it is one. Make sharing a meal with someone regularly one of your #GivingGoals today!

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving - May

5/6/2018

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"Love Never Fails"
1 Corinthians 13:8(a) NKJV

Last month we read about how much God gave…His own Son; and how His Son gave the best He could: His own life. This month let’s recall what motivated God’s gift: Love. My main contribution to this month’s blog is to say this, giving is rooted in Love, so seek God for a heart of Love BEFORE seeking a hand to give. To make it clearer, why don’t we let the Apostle Paul say it,

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” ~1 Corinthians 13:1-8(a), 13 (NKJV)

If love is pulsing through our hearts, and flowing through our veins and fueling everything we say and do, eventually there won’t be a need for lessons on giving.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving - April

4/1/2018

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"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16 (NKJV)

So let’s review what we’ve discussed about giving so far…1. Giving is a matter of trusting God with what we have and what we give; 2. Giving is not just about money; 3. What we do for/to those with less (of whatever we have), we do for/to Christ; 4. Anonymous giving is a lesson in humility, and allows God Himself to reward us openly.

Now...let’s be honest…Jesus spent much of his earthly ministry giving, in some form or fashion: words of life and wisdom, encouragement and inspiration, food and provision, healing and humility, and greatest of all, Salvation. Based on what we know about this Man who changed the world, and based on this month’s focus verse, would you agree that there aren't many other occasions in life when we are most like Christ than when we are givers? Some, probably. Many, probably not. And what better occasion to focus on the greatest Gift He gave us, than the month we celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection?

God gave the best He had to give: His Son. The Son gave all: His life. Not just his living on earth, where He sacrificed all the comforts and conveniences of heaven, and a life of luxury on earth where He could have easily claimed His rightful position as the True King of all kings. But He humbled Himself to a criminal’s sentence, and endured execution and death, although He was innocent. Then God supernaturally raised Him from the dead after three days in the tomb. All this took place so that He could destroy the power of sin, death, and the grave; and, so that we could live free from the fear and condemnation of all three. The greatest thing God gave us is the gift of Salvation, and the greatest gift we can give others is the message of Salvation.

So get you some #GivingGoals, and make sure to include the message of the Gospel at the top of your list of things to give! I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

**Do you want to know about this gift of Salvation? Email me, and I will be happy to share the Gospel message and pray with you personally.

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12 Months of Giving – March

3/5/2018

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“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Matthew 6:3-4

This month’s #givingpoint is one that created a major shift in my giving life: Anonymous giving. Like last month, this month’s verse has two applications that are vital in the life of a giver.

#Givingpoint Number One – What we do in secret, God reveals and rewards openly. This is a two-edged word. Luke 8:17 in the New Living Translation says this, “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” If we perform evil deeds in secret, they eventually come to light. Why would doing good deeds be any different? There is no difference except that when God rewards, He does more than anything man can do, and He does what ONLY GOD can do. When we give anonymously, we remove human power of repayment and give that power to God. After all, how can man repay what he knows nothing about? Which brings me to…

#Givingpoint Number Two – Giving anonymously whenever possible touches a heart condition that we all have: Pride. When I give anonymously, the ability to take credit or create indebtedness goes away. Not only do I as the giver, and the other person as the receiver, learn to look to God’s Goodwill, we learn to depend on His timing and His method of reward/provision. This level of deep dependence and meekness is extremely humbling. And humility is always good, but especially where giving and receiving are concerned.

A side note about God’s timing and methods: God cannot be manipulated. Remember that giving is about the condition of our heart, more than anything else. And He rewards according to our motives. But even when our motives are pure, only God gets to determine when to send rain and what crops we will harvest. Sometimes He rains on our businesses, finances, or ministry. But sometimes He rains on our good health, safety, home and family, or other cares of this life. But other times still, He may take our charity in this life and store it up in heaven where it can never be lost, stolen, or destroyed.

Do we trust Him enough to give? Give without recognition? Give even if we never see reward in this life? That’s the ultimate form of anonymous giving. And those kinds of givers will find that they always have more than enough to give…miraculously!

Father help us to be the kind of givers who always give, and are willing to wait until eternity for you to openly say before all, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving – Feb.

2/11/2018

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“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” ~Matthew 25:40(b) (NIV)

The #givingpoint for February is going to be two-fold. Since this blog will only focus on the last two weeks of February, I will try to Tweet each weekday until the end of the month, with each week focusing on one of the two truths being taught below.

#Givingpoint Number One – Giving is not just about money. If you were to read the entire parable Jesus shares in Matthew 25 (verses 31-46), you will read that Christ rewards multiple ways of giving and serving. Giving is more about what we do with what we DO have, not about what we don’t have. Some of us may not have a lot of money to give, but we may be able to serve in the form of cooking meals, cleaning homes of those who are sick or invalid, or writing letters to those who are lonely, shut-in, in prison, etc. Some of us may not have a lot of time, but we can send money to missions, invest in a small church start-up or Christian business, pay rent for one or more months for a single parent. But having a “little bit” of money, or a certain “disadvantaged” status, still does not have to be a reason not to give of our finances. I knew a single parent who would give gas money each week to a young single teacher so they could get to church and work. This first point is about meeting the needs in front of us in whatever way we are able. Don’t ignore needs, meet them with what God has gifted you with/lent to you.

#Givingpoint Number Two – Whatever we do with what God has gifted us with/lent to us, we do for Christ. Let this sink in for a moment: “[W]hatever you did for one of the least of these…you did for me.” ~Jesus

This is not complicated. It’s so simple it needs almost no explanation. If you’re wondering who “the least of these” is, just think about anyone you know who has less than you. Less freedom, less joy, less love, less food, less ability, the list can go on forever. If you have it, give it. If you can’t give it, share it! If you have come to the point of resolving the trust issue, then you know that it is impossible to give and not have God take care of you…especially if you are giving TO HIM! He will not be indebted to anyone, and He is not lacking of anything. He WILL repay! So GIVE! And get some #GivingGoals*!

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

*What are #GivingGoals? #GivingGoals are goals we set for ourselves, family, business, church, etc., that stretch us to meet or exceed previous acts of giving and/or service. This concept was first dropped in my spirit a few years ago when my pastor challenged the congregation to give more in the coming year than we had the previous calendar year. I took that challenge to heart and watched God help me exceed my goal. Pastor asked us to challenge ourselves to give 11% of our income instead of 10. That year I gave 12%...while making less money than I had the year before! I caught on to something I have never looked back! So get you some #GivingGoals along with all your other goals, and watch God make it possible for you to do more than enough.

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12 Months of Giving – Jan.

1/15/2018

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“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

Happy 2018 Friends!

I pray that your Christmas and New Year holidays were better than you hoped! I’ve heard some really great stories, and I pray that each of you have similar ones. I also pray that those who may have suffered loss or are still grieving any type of loss this season will be surrounded by love and comfort for the pain you are suffering. May the peace of God that passes ALL understanding fill and enfold and mold and restore your hearts. I love you dearly.

Well, today we begin a year-long topical study on giving. Just as things changed a bit last year, the 2018 blog series will once again be a little different to accommodate many changes taking place in my life and family. My oldest daughter is getting married in just a few weeks, my youngest son will be graduating from high school in May, I am: finishing a degree program, working, and raising a 13-year-old. We also have some other family transitions coming up that will need more of my time and attention. Therefore, our 2018 blogs will only be once a month, unless we have guest writers. So, let’s get started!

About giving: God has dealt with me a great deal in the area of giving over the last two years or so. He’s also placed a huge, burning, desire in my heart to be a giver in the true sense of the word. But what does that mean or look like? I have some answers; and, the rest I seek to discover as I pray, study, and share over the next year. What are your thoughts? Feel free to chime in and share at any time! To begin though, I want to confess that I commandeered this month’s focus verse from my pastor as he was praying over the congregational offering one Sunday. The Spirit of The Lord took me in a direction I had never looked at this verse before, so let me share.

Philippians 4:19 is a promise…to givers. Let me make that very clear. In the verses that come before this one, Paul is giving thanks to God for the Philippian church’s generosity in helping his missionary pursuits. So, to those who give, God WILL supply all they need. But this truth creates a loop that is impossible to escape from. Why? Because those who trust God, His character, His love, His faithfulness, the truth of His word, and yes…His riches, will give. Period. Giving is first and foremost an act of trust. I know MANY people will say giving is an act of obedience first, but you can’t obey what you don’t trust. So here is my point: When you trust God, you give; when you give you receive. It’s a simple cycle that no one but you and God can break, and, pardon my grammar, HE ain’t into breakin’ promises.

So how about we start with resolving the trust issues? Over the next month until I share again, let’s dig through scripture, bring to recollection, listen to testimony and teaching, all about how loving and true God truly is. Let’s leave no stone unturned, and no doubt un-challenged. When you hear from me again, let’s make certain that we know that God sees and cares about every need we have, from least to greatest, and He takes care of His own. Before we go any further, we MUST first believe that we can give with the confidence that He will take care of us. You can do this! Let’s go!

I’m praying for you…

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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12 Months of Giving – Dec., Week 3

12 Months of Giving – Dec., Week 1

12 Months of Giving - Nov.

12 Months of Giving - Sept.

12 Months of Giving - May

12 Months of Giving - April

12 Months of Giving – March

12 Months of Giving – Feb.

12 Months of Giving – Jan.

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