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Today I turn the page on another year of my life…going from 45 to 46. I’m officially in my “late” forties! Amazing. On the one hand, that fact could send me into a pit of despair, but on the other hand, I’m staring a new phase of life in the face! I’m back in my home state, my children are a year or so away from finishing college, I just celebrated 26 years with a man I’m still crazy about, and I seem to have ministry opportunities coming at me from all sides. Life at 46 is looking pretty good!
It’s the ministry thing that really has my blood pumping these days. The brokenness in our world is staggering to say the least! While every generation has been able to truthfully say this, I join them in repeating, “Has it ever been worse than it is today?” I don’t think so.
There is an enormous need in the mission field today. I’m not just talking about the mission fields of faraway lands and third-world countries. I’m also talking about our own neighborhoods, our local non-profits that are working diligently in hard economic times to reach the world with the message of Christ…the message of hope and life. We can all affect these ministries through our voice and many of us can affect them with our time. However, while we all would like to be able to change things for the better with our financial resources, these times have hit many of us just as hard. We’d love to give, but we simply can’t right now.
I have a precious aunt who is a model of generosity. Aunt Mary Ellen is a giver, and not just a giver, but a joyful giver. She always blesses those in our family with a financial gift at birthdays, and this year was no different for me. However, in the memo line of the check this year, she wrote this:
I smiled when I opened it, as the Lord had been placing it on my heart to give a portion of any birthday money away. You see, I think I inherited this love for giving from my aunt. This is not meant as a “toot of my own horn” by any stretch! It’s tooting God’s horn, for that’s the way He wired me and nothing thrills my heart more (other than someone finding true freedom in Christ) than to give. So, I’m “on a mission” to give $500 to a mission organization through this blog.
Here’s how it will work:
- If you had $500 to give away, leave a comment telling me to what organization you would give it, and why. My only stipulation for an organization is that it is a non-profit, whose purpose it is to help those in need, spread hope, life and the love of Jesus Christ.
- I will leave the comments open until Wednesday, September 2nd, at which time they will close.
- I will have my Aunt Mary Ellen read all the comments and determine a winner.
- The winner will be announced on Friday, September 4th.
- A donation of $500 will be made in the winner’s honor to their mission organization of choice.
I’m privileged to celebrate another day of life and the blessing to be able to give. Let’s partner together to make a difference…consider it a birthday gift to me!
I would give an extra $500 to my Compassion child, Monserrat, for her mother.
Wow, what a giveaway! If I had $500 to give away to a mission, I'd honestly give it to Joyce Meyer Ministries Hand of Hope. They are doing amazing things for children across the world: providing food, shelter, schools, and books and packages to prisoners. I've been a partner with JMM for over 4 years now it would be wonderful to be able to help them make a difference even more!
Girl! I have met my match here. I LOVE to travel! I love planning the trips, taking them, and then writing about them. so nice to end up here!
You are invited to follow me at my blog: heavenlyhumor.blogspot.com
Laughter is good medicine!
What a great idea and blessing for some ministry. You have been blessing our lives for 46 years and you are so loved, birthday girl!!…Mom and Dad
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! How I miss you! So glad you are doing well. I'm dying to hear about all God has you doing!
You probably already know that I would give the $500 to AWPM. To work with these girls every week is an honor and I know that the money would be put to good use. To watch a woman change her mind and choose life is nothing short of miraculous. To see God's hand working in their lives through life coaching is simply amazing. To have the honor of walking with these girls, is humbling. That He would let me do such a thing still boggles my mind.
Love to you!!
My darling friend Happy Birthday! I am calling you right now!!
p
Happy Birthday to you. And many more.
I volunteer in a faith-based non-profit ministry that ministers to children of the incarcerated. It's called GRACE IN ACTION. I do their newsletters. Check out the website: http://www.gracenaction.org/.
The ministry is 100% volunteer run.
Grace In Action was able, with the Lord's help, to provide bookbags filled with school supplies for 60 children. The next project is the children's Christmas party where there could be 80+ children and their caregivers.
What a great way to celebrate your birthday, Melinda!
I would give $500 to Beautiful Feet Ministries — right there in Ft. Worth, TX. They do an amazing work among the homeless and inner city folks of Ft. Worth.
They are wanting to build a multipurpose building that will house a gymnasium to be used for sports evangelism. Members of our church and others from sister churches in our area have gone on mission trips to Beautiful Feet for many years now. They would be so blessed by this gift!
Happy 46!!! I turned 61 in February, and I had no idea how amazingly awesome these latter years could and would be. Sounds like you're on that path big time!
I know you'll find some worthy ministry to support with your generous gift. How sweet. To God be the glory!
Blessings, prayers and hugs,
Kathleen
Happy Birthday!!
I'm torn about which organization I would donate to. It would either be Compassion International because I sponsor a beautiful little girl in Tanzania
OR
Focus on the Family's Project Ultrasound which provides ultrasounds for Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
I have donated to both in the past and am equally partial. So, you decide.
Love ya,
Leah
I just happened upon your blog tonight and read your birthday giveaway mission. The organization I would choose to give my $500 to would be Voice of the Martyrs. My heart aches for the Christians around the world who are persecuted simply for believing in Jesus. I read their monthly magazine and they use donations for some very practical needs of those tortured for Christ. I can't think of a better way to "spend" $500 than to lift the spirit of our fellow Christ-followers who so diligently and fearlessly to spread the Gospel in their hostile countries!
I would give $500 to Mission Team Inc. It is an organization that helps individuals or groups to go on mission trips to construct building, aid medically, etc. and share the love of Christ with all.
I believe this organization would truly benefit from this gift.
Check out their website at http://www.missionteaminc.com
Sheryl
Well, happy birthday, Melinda! This is going to be a great year for you…
Your generous heart is one that comes without restraint, and I am so thankful to be sharing this season of my journey with you. My father is the most generous man I know; having is modeled for me for so many years has given me a similar passion for the "give". I only wish I had more of it to offer others.
I'll leave it to your heart to decide where the money would be best spent. As for me, my heart is connected to Voice of the Martyr Ministries and their efforts at spreading the Gospel in restricted nations.
peace~elaine
What a wonderful celebration of your birth Melinda!
If given the opportunity, 'Tampa' Mary and I would either give the money directly to Hands of Hope Ministry at http://hohm.org/ or to Fleece for the Flock http://fleecefortheflock.blogspot.com/ , a non-profit organization that would use these funds to assist Hands of Hope directly.
Hands of Hope ministers daily to a nearly forgotten community right in our backyard – the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia.
Fleece for the Flock has been contacted with a request to support an effort to provide 500 blankets, wraps or scarves for these mountain families and Hands of Hope will distribute these wraps beginning in the fall.
No matter your decision, we pray you and your readers will check out the Hands of Hope website and discover the many ways this group is continually reaching out within this desolate community; a region of our country where we KNOW without the help of others, children regularly go to bed cold and hungry.
God Bless you and Aunt Mary Ellen
Melinda, I could tell that when I got my valentines gift from you that you were indeed, a joyful giver! It is rare, and you are such a blessing. The first organization that came to my mind when I read this was Compassion International. I support a little boy, and he is darling! I know that Compassion is doing great things throughout the world and it would be a blessing indeed for them to receive such a gift. I'm not sure if it would just go to one child, or we could spread it out among different supporters, I don't know, but that would be my organization of choice!
Love you, lady! Happy Birthday! I hope this next year is the sweetest yet. And by the sounds of this blog, it sounds like it's only getting sweeter!
Lindsee