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” :-)
thank you Karen for this devotional today. so inspiring!
i love the idea of giving away a gift card (& chocolate =) to a perfect stranger! what a beautiful way to encourage someone! i would love to read your book ~ oh how i desire my life to be welcoming to others!
Please count me in for the giveaway. Thanks and God bless you. I have truly enjoyed Proverbs 31 ministries.
Wonderful devotion. Most of the time I do do the right thing and help someone who needs it, but there are times when I tell myself I’m too busy, or I don’t want to be bothered. This was a wonderful reminder to do the right thing – all of the time. I loved your line: “I just love Jesus and He wants me to help you.” That will stick with me! Thank you, Karen!
What a great post! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the opportunity to win. I’m in!
Wow! What an inspiring devotion. Thank you thank you!!!
Wow! Would love to be a blessing to someone through this giveaway! What I ask myself each morning is, “how can I be a blessing to someone else today?” I try to teach my three sons to be considerate of others and one of the greatest ways they learn this is through our actions.
“What instead are some ways we can live out the Bible’s command to be “considerate in all you do”?
I love this cause its a no brainer… I can always do with those! lol
I think the Lord puts all kinds of people in our lives every day (almost) that we can help in one way or another! Love is always the answer because Jesus is love!
Thanks for today’s devotional. I need to remember that others are looking at me to develop their ideas of Christians…and that my 2 young children are the ones who watch me the most!
I’m In.
I’m in. I cant wait to give the target gift card away to a perfect stranger…I think I’ll just give them both away and just keep the book, if I win. Thanks for the thought provoking devotional. We never realize the impact we have on others.
This is such a great topic and a great post Karen. I’m amazed at the number of ways people classify a Christian. As a Christian, I classify myself as someone who has a kind and open heart to both people I know and to strangers. I’ve always believed that you never know how a few simple kind words to a stranger can impact their day or their life. I’m in, your contest is a great idea!
[email protected]
I’m in!!!! Yeah!!!
VIA EMAIL: Some of the things I think people think is that many Christians are hypocrites. and they would rather not be associated with them. We need to live what we hear every week in Church and become real givers of what the Gospels says. Before I was saved my ex-mother in law was very mean to me and I always thought she was a Christian because of the Church they attended. So I wanted no part of it. I ended up divorced and my ex-husband said he never said that he married me for life. I was devestated. 5 years after my divorce I accepted Christ and am now married to a wonderful Christian man and now I know what it means after many years of studying the Bible what we are to do as Christians. We love helping others and we have tried time and again to help others. Due to my husbands age there are many things we cannot do, but we do what we can. Thanks for your devotions. Sherri
What a great topic! I believe we have all seen this type of lumping – both positive and negative. I know I walked away from church for a while because of the hypocrites that were there and I just couldn’t deal with it. I’m happy to say I found my way back to a different church and even though there are still some people there with a very negative attitude, I now believe that church is exactly where they belong! :)
Thanks for sharing, as I could truly relate. We must continue to give ourselves away for His glory; our time, our finances, our love… We are HIS people, and divine appointment are all around us. Abundant blessings to you and your ministry!
I wish every Christian could read this. We could change the
world if we would love our neighbors as ourselves.
Thanks for your wisdom.
I have had my share of being called “you people”. I tend to cringe everytime I have heard it. Being called “you people” and referring to my being a Christian would be welcomed. THanks for sharing.
I, too, have been lumped as a “you people” in both positive and negative ways. I think your message was great that we should watch our example and always look towards Christ.
Thanks for the opportunity to win.
-Stephanie
When i first started going to church i got a lot of negative comments about my tattoos (one of them is a skull) and i was told that it was my sin on my body and i had to get rid of it. Experiencing what i have, as a follower of Christ, i try to be aware that i am a testimonty and an example of Christ on earth so i have to be aware.
This is quite a topic! I lumped Christians for years.I knew too many as rude, judgemental, self righteous, I could go on…It took Christ persuing me, stripping things away, showing me my dependence on him and the importance of my relationship w/Him. Looking back, through all the loss he had at the same time moved my like-minded SIL to walk into a very special church and invite my husband and I to attend, saying…its not like the others. It wasn’t. Some lumps are good ones!
I’m sorry to say that most of the lumping I’ve heard about Christians in negative. Hypocrites, judgemental. It makes me very sad. But truthfully, I’ve experienced them as well. I just don’t let them influence my love for the Lord and striving to do his will. My son unfortunatly has. I pray and strive to show him the other side. Hopefully some day I will succeed. Thanks for showing us the “other side” Karen…lol. You lift me up. Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for sharing this, I spent years watching Christians, some nice/others not so nice. Some would tell me I was going to hell, others condemned my behavior, or pushed tracts into my hand. It took a loving pastor two years to help me come to the realization that I needed Christ, and he did not do that by tearing down. He listened, loved, and shared the Word. Did not balk when I went into his office and said, “But Pastor Don, I’m a good witch.” He listened, found the father wounds and the hurts and then helped me come to Christ for healing. I think what we do and our kindness speaks louder than any other behavior. I pray that others see the love of Christ in my actions as well. Heather
I Love the topic today! It always bothers me when christian are unkind. Some unkind christians leave reputations that are not fun for the rest of us. I have worked several jobs in customer service, I know others watch, workers and the people I have served. I pray I always have a smile ready, a kind word and a willing heart to serve, just as christ would have
Thanks Karen for addressing this topic. It is one of my “button issues” with my fellow Christians! For some reason, perhaps my spiritual gift of mercy, being considerate and helpful comes pretty naturally to me. I could give you a very long list of things that don’t! Anyway, I wanted to share this story with you. I was in line at a grocery store, and there was a women with a young daughter in front of me. I saw she was buying food, diapers, etc. When the cashier rang up her purchases, she was several dollars short and started to pick things to put back. The Holy Spirit worked quickly in me and I told her to keep the items, I could give her the money. She looked at me slightly and said “Are you sure?” I said yes, no problem. She thanked me and went on her way. But the cashier said “You knew her, right?” I said no. “You must be crazy!” was her reply.
I said not crazy, but extremely blessed. I left the store thanking God for the opportunity to serve Him. I believe when must be Jesus for an unbelieving world. And think that is what he would have done in the same situation.
Hi, Karen! What an inspiring story you tell. It made me remember an incident in Russia, when my husband and I were missionaries there. The mother of one of our translators was taking a walk with us, and she began to cry. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, “It took Americans coming over here to show us how to take care of our orphans.”
I replied, “It is not because we are Americans that we do this, although Americans are generous with their time, money and talent; it is because Christ Jesus sent us here with the admonition: ‘Religion that is pure and acceptable in His sight is to take care of the widows and orphans in their need.’ All the praise goes to Him!”