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. Too true! I hate when I get busy and don’t take the time to think of others. Thanks for the reminder of how important it is!

  2. Karen,

    I have been imagining what it would be like to stand outside the new Target in town and wait for Jesus to tell me to whom I should gift the other gift card. I can imagine the joy I would feel and their disbelief turned to wonder as I gave them the card. All in the love of Jesus. That would be so much fun!!

    Thank you for your ministry.

  3. Karen,
    What a wonderful devotional and much needed. This is a great reminder for me that actions speak louder than words. As a Christian my actions should be telling the world that I am a Child of God. I need to remember that it’s so much easier to share the word with others when they see me living in His Light.

    God With Us Always

  4. I have heard much from my unbelieving friends about the judgementalism of Christians. It reminds me to pay attention to my actions and my words-to check what’s in my heart. Sadly I have recently experienced the non-positive side of Christians. Though I am a believer and have been for some time, I still have to deal with people who shun me, or give me cold looks, in the church, because I’m a single mom. I shudder to think what happens to a single mom who isn’t saved, and is looking for a place to help heal her heart, draw her to Jesus. I think we as Christians need to go back to that old slogan-“What would Jesus Do”.

  5. Karen, Thanks for your insights today on “those people”. I’m not only one of them, but I also can still remember a time that I wasn’t and how I felt about “us” way back then. It’s true, I despised working the Sunday afternoon shift as a waitress! Now, I struggle with my lifelong friend who see’s “those people” as harsh and judgmental. “They’re all a bunch of hateful hypocrites” she tells me, “Well, except for you” added quickly and sincerely. Of course I know countless loving Christians, but she doesn’t — or doesn’t realize she does — would she identify a nice stranger as Christian if they didn’t tell her the reason for their kindness?? Your post has me wondering if some might change their perceptions of “those people” if we, like you, shared our faith and reasons for our kind actions more openly. That you told your sweet lady that you love Jesus and He wanted you to help her surely caused her to recognize that your intentions were greater in purpose than just doing your good deed for the day. A purposeful light. I know that I am sometimes hesitant to announce my faith to strangers for fear of the chance of confrontation that sometimes comes. My hope is that today’s story will open up my mind too, that God can work through me with the love of Jesus if I am willing to be more courageous and step out in open faith.

  6. As a Christian who has just started that adult walk of faith, I am not always sure how to “witness” to a person. I’m not really sure that I have walked the walk long enough to do that and to do that without being “one of them”. This would give me the opportunity to not only witness to someone, but to do it in a beautiful, no pressure way. Thank you for what you do in helping people like me on our walk!

  7. I love being a Christian and sharing my faith with others. It is unfortunate that some people who claim to share our faith exclude others with their words and their actions. Christ ate dinner with the most retched sinners of his day. Why should we be any different?

  8. Loved your post today, because too often “you people” are grouped in ways that can be good or bad. Whether the “you people” are Christians or some other group, it points out that we need to remember that “more is caught than taught…And that people are watching.” My hope and prayer is that they see Christ reflected in all I say and do, giving him honor and glory each and every day, no matter what group I belong to.

  9. I have avoided calling myself a Christian too openly because of this very issue and, sadly, another reason. I don’t want to be seen as one of “those people,” because I want people to be open and receptive to the help/listening I am offering and I have had people shut down or walk away when I have offered up my being a Christian. I also fear not upholding the Christian values in public and helping to give Christians the bad reputation. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am secure in my faith in Jesus, as my Saviour. This is due to being around Christians who weren’t very Christian in their attitude and behavior. I do not expect perfection–as it does not exist on the human side of things–but I do expect things like grace, mercy, and love–and was shown none of that when I needed it most. It has been a long road and the journey is not over. And the real change started taking place after I had moved 2,000 miles away from everyone and everything I knew with my 4 yr old daughter. It was Mother’s Day and my daughter wanted to “take me out” to lunch. Of course, I was paying, but for her I wanted to show her that her desire to give me a gift was appreciated. So off we went to lunch. When I asked for the check, I was told someone else had paid after they had seen me and my daughter alone for Mother’s Day. I cried all the way home at the open generosity of that small action (i am crying now as I relive the memory). I work hard at remembering this small moment and pay it forward when I can.

  10. Thanks so much for this topic Karen. What a beautiful reminder to all Christians (especially us ladies) to be more like Jesus! You have a big heart and a special talent for teaching us how to make ours big, too. Many blessings. :)

  11. I have heard many times that Christians are the biggest hypocrites. They often use the bible as a weapon to point out wrongs in other people’s lives. I’m sure it does not give God joy when they (we) do that. We should always be His hands and feet and to show love to all at all times.

  12. Loved the devotional today (I’m reading it on Sat)!
    I believe the most heard comment is that “Those Christians are all hypocrites.” Which can be true. I profess that I am a Christian, but I showed myself to be impatient(& unloving) with a stranger while having to wait on him in traffic. I put my agenda & need to rush first instead of being patient.
    Thank you for being faithful & reminding me of how a Christian should be! : )

  13. Thank you, Karen for your devotion posted on Proverbs 31~ I have just returned from Florida to pick my mom up and bring her home with me! On the way, I listened to Forgotten God, by Francis Chan. Reading your devotion today, was like another gentle nudge from the Lord about some things He opened my eyes to while listening to that book! Thank You and Thank You, Lord for loving, nudging, reproving and encouraging your children to be more LIKE JESUS!! It made me think of the song, “Jesus be Jesus in me, no longer me, but Thee! Holy Spirit power, fill me this hour, Jesus be Jesus in me”… and through me!! Thanks for the Word! May we listen & obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit to BE who HE has called us to BE!!

  14. I have lumped Christians into 2 catagories, the giving I am proud to be a giver and the holier than thow. Last time I went to church a woman that I know quite well asked Oh the church walls didn’t come down? I haven’t been back since. I have fibromyalgia and it has been a struggle to get to church, now I feel that I’m getting well enough to go. I am hurting myself because I miss it. I wish the Pastor would preach this sermon.

  15. Hi,
    I have been in with different groups of “you people” and none of them felt as good and safe as me being in the family of God.I praise him every day for calling me to him. Did you know that 90% of born again people will never share the gospel with anyone. If we could all live as Christ called us and show his love that would be opportunity to share the gospel. Thank you for this reminder. Have a blessed day!-Jen

  16. I so agree that people see more than they here. I so am seeking to demonstrate who Christ is, in all that I do ( Have a long way to go; but everyday I make an improvement). Random acts of kindness are the best way to get a persons attention.

  17. Karen,
    Thank you for a wonderful devotion. It touched my heart to read your story. I love how you explained to the woman that your actions were prompted by your love of Jesus and his desire for you to help her. What a beautiful way to give him credit and open the door for her to ask questions or think more on his grace! I’ve stumbled with what to say when I’ve been thanked for helping someone – but now I know!
    Bless You, Michelle

  18. I have been consistently encouraged with your words to look outward especially when there are times that I have so much going on “inward”! Living consciously with words and actions!

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