Lumping & Loving Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by today! Many of you have found your way here via the Encouragement for Today devotion I have running at Proverbs 31 and on Crosswalk.com. If you haven’t read it yet, you’ll be lost here today. So, to take a look at it, click here. Don’t forget to come back for the giveaway!

Also: I am currently gathering a group of women who will be my cyber circle of friends who will help my ministry by praying for requests I send them and by being gals off of whom I can bounce ideas  or perhaps  ask for feedback on book titles, stories or examples that go with my content. It will be done by email.

If you are interested, please send an email to [email protected] with the words “Cyber Sisters” in the subject line. The actual email can be blank if you are in a hurry. Thanks!

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Well, what ways do you see believers being “lumped”?

Besides the examples I gave of the waitress, the college student and the teenaged girl, can you think of specific times where someone has held a belief about Christians in general? Was there truth to the view?

What instead are some ways we can live out the Bible’s command to be “considerate in all you do”?

Well, to enable one of you to be considerate and scatter some kindness to a stranger, I’m offering a giveaway today. One commenter will receive the following:

~Two $10 Target gift cards, each bundled with a pretty ribbon and a dark chocolate bar. One is for you and one is to give to a complete stranger.

~A signed copy of my book A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home To Others.

Now, it is simple to enter. Just leave a comment on any aspect of the topic of this devotion. Or, if time is tight, just say, “I’m in!” You’ll be entered in the random drawing.

There is just one slight hitch, you must be willing to give one Target gift card bundle to a complete stranger and then email me a report. Who did you give it to? What was their reaction?

Good enough?

Comment away! Winner announced Monday–on Labor Day–when I’ll have the last giveaway of the summer!

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NOTE: Congrats to the winner of Rachel Olsen’s book It’s No Secret. Here is what she had to say when I asked her who the lucky gal was:

“Karen, Let me first say that it was such a delight for me to hear which chapters interested each of them, and what they would order. I seriously do want to meet each of them at Starbucks – just so I can sip and try all those yummy sounding drinks! I normally do the random number generator to pick winners so it’s totally fair.  But tonight I did something different on a prayerful whim. I asked my husband to choose a winner.  And he chose Norene Bartkowski.

Please, all the rest of you sweet ladies, don’t’ hate him – he’s a good man!”

Okay Norene, send your mailing address to me at [email protected] so we can get you you prize!

Okay ladies….leave your comment and you too could be a winner!

NOTE: If you would like to receive my posts via email, enter your email address in that little box on the right above where it says “subscribe” :-)

345 Comments

  1. Our 19 year old daughter recently ended a relationship with a young man that she had dated for 3 years. We tried to make him feel welcome in our home and tried to take every chance we could to reach out to him in christian love. He wasn’t easy to love and had a less than desirable personality. (They say love is blind.) Needless to say, we feel that we maybe should have done more as christians to love him. We will continue to pray for him that someday he will come to know Christ.

  2. I came over here via P31 devos! Just love the encouragment on that site. Thanks for all you do!

    2 winters ago, rigt before Christmas the kids and i were driving around running errands and saw a man and woman stnading on the street corner with one of those card board signs “will work for $$”. My heart really went out to themas we went about our next errand at the book store i could not stop thinking of them, so I told myself if they are still there when we are done I should do something for them … well they were indeed there so I stopped to wonder what I could do… I went over to a nearby grocery store and picked up a $30 gift card, two cups of warm coffee and a few doghnuts. I wrote a brief note just telling them God told me to bring these things out to them. We never saw them again … but stopping to give in that way left a very good impact on my kids.

    I’d love opportunity to give another stranger a Target card!

  3. Thanks for providing someone the resources to share with another. Let’s all use your gift giveaway as an incentive to do something similiar.

  4. this was the topic of our sermon last week. That how we act is how people see Jesus, and for some people we maybe the only way they get to see him. We want to shine for him.

  5. I find myself sometimes being self-righteous when I am hearing someone cursing up a blue streak as if I have not used a few choice words in my past and present. In order to bring in the harvest I must see people the way God’s see’s them and not the way I want them to be. I know that in order to bring the harvest I must be open to being kind when I don’t want to be because my attitude is not reflecting the love of Jesus Christ. So self-righteous is a lumping word applied to Christian’s because sometimes we act so spiritual that we are no earthly good, I know that’s not biblical but it is true of us at times. But we shouldn’t be lumped but if we’re not imitators of Jesus Christ, then the lumping will continue.

  6. I catch myself being very judgemental, and I know that word is one that is used to “lump” Christ followers. Heaven help us to make that accusation untrue…because so often it is exactly correct.
    I would totally give the Target bundle to a total stranger! I have a great story about a ride that the Lord prompted me to offer to a total stranger that I saw walking to the bank on a freezing day last winter. I was graciously allowed to be used by God to bless one of His own that cold day! Amazing!

  7. It is wise to always remember that we will some day be “that coffee -shop” lady. It is my prayer that all those I encounter each and every day will see the love of God shine through me – not only my words but by my actions.

  8. Been lumped too! I’m married to the pastor. What a difficult but awsome job God has given me. I will always trust in Him.
    I will not just be one of the nicest, dependable and hospitable persons friends/family even some Church members say that God put on the planet, but will always be a child of the King no matter what is said to me or behind me. Just one of the faithful few

    Thanks , Ann

  9. Been lumped too! I’m married to the pastor. What a difficult but awsome job God has given me. I will always trust in Him.
    I will not just be one of the nicest, dependable and hospitable persons friends/family even some Church members say that God put on the planet, but will always be a child of the King no matter what is said to me or behind me. Just one of the faithful few.

    Lumping and Loving, Ann

  10. This is such a great reminder to all to read. It is easy to label certain groups of people and Christians always get the most criticism. Our actions speak louder than words. I am very thankful for P31 devotional!

  11. Having been a pastor’s wife for almost 40 years, I often didn’t tell anyone because I knew I’d be ‘lumped’ into that strange group – ha!

    Our daughters were both waitresses and had some horrible stories of ‘Christians’ they waited on. It made us more kind and much better tippers. We try to be be especially kind to all people in retail and service positions. I’m amazed how rude people can be, even Christians! People appreciate kindness, and it’s a great witness for Christ.

  12. Always love reading P31 devo’s. I’ve been working on my spiritual gifts for several years now… mostly kindness & compassion. If people see these characteristic first then when they get to know me maybe they will associate these qualities with a Christ follower.

  13. Been lumped! Even among coworkers/friends. People think if you’re married to a minister….you’re some sort of goody two shoes!
    I’ve heard just about everything. It makes me want to cringe. But it reminds me….they’re not rejecting me, but my Lord. I just pray for them..

    Last night I was chatting with my son’s ex-gfriend on FB. She just recently moved to a new college with new roommates. I asked how that new-ness was going. She discouragingly told me that the girls (3 other roomies) are party girls and that when she invited them to church, one of them asked…”Is it a Baptist church? If so, NO THANKS!!”.
    She was saddened!

    Me too!
    More lumping! Bummer!

    Thanks for the post!

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