4th Day of Christmas Giveaway with Ali Smith
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Welcome to the 4th Day of Christmas Giveaway!!
Each day, December 1-12th, I am featuring a fellow Proverbs 31 sister and an aspect of Christmas. You’ll get to know her and she, in turn, will offer a fabulous giveaway! Simply leave a comment on her post to be entered in the drawing.
And, one soon-to-be-very-giddy gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the GRAND PRIZE! You may comment on all posts until Monday, December 13th when the winners will be announced. (to see the grand prize and get caught up on the posts click here)
Now, here’s our fourth P31 gal……Ali Smith!!
Ali spent the last four years living and working as a broadcast journalist in Asia. She worked for ABS-CBN in the Philippines and for Channel NewsAsia in Singapore, reaching millions of viewers around the globe through news and current affairs programs each day.
Ali has now taken her TV presence and her communication skills to live audiences, stepping into the calling God has over her life: to communicate God’s Words in fresh and relevant ways, igniting souls to live lives worthy of their calling in Christ. She will spend the next several months traveling around Asia and the U.S. speaking on topics related to her new book called “Entrusting the Key: From Serial Dating to Joyful Waiting.”
Ali also contributes to Proverbs 31’s “twenty-somethings” ministry called She Seeks (http://sheseeks.org/home/). As part of the six-member team, she writes devotional articles and records video blogs on topics relevant to her age group to encourage other young women in their faith.
Ali grew up in Bozeman, Montana with three sisters -one of them her twin- and her parents. A fitness buff, Ali loves anything to do with sports and the outdoors – especially hitting the ski slopes in the Rocky Mountains. She is also an avid runner and has completed two marathons so far.
For regular updates on Ali’s whereabouts and latest products out, check out her blog: http://alinsmith.wordpress.com/ or visit her Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Entrusting-the-Key.
Some ways Ali has included the less fortunate, hurting or lonely at the holidays:
When I was living in Manila, Philippines from 2006-08, I got involved with a street children’s feeding program in one of the poorest slum areas of the city. Each week, nearly 100 street children and their families would come on Saturday mornings for a hot meal and a time of singing and fellowship. I taught the children Bible lessons through games, arts and crafts.
For Christmas, these families had no money for gifts, or even a nice meal. Most of them were barely scraping by to get food on the table each day. The thought of seeing these children with nothing special for Christmas made my heart ache. So I decided to gather donations from friends and family to buy gifts and food to bless each family. Here is a picture with some of the children that first Christmas…
I am no longer living in the Philippines, but have continued the tradition of blessing this same slum community each year in Manila. After 5 years, I must say, it has become the highlight of my Christmas each year! No material thing compares to the joy and smiles that come from these precious children and their families, as they experience the light and love of Christ through this blessing each year.
This holiday season, may we all take Proverbs 3:27 to heart, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Someone around you might be hurting or in need of something. Jesus has given you the love, power and grace to act. Will you?
Now for the giveaway!!! Ali is giving one of you who leaves a comment:
A copy of her book, “Entrusting the Key: From Serial Dating to Joyful Waiting:”
And she is also including:
- A 2010-11 calendar about the Philippines Education Fund that gives college scholarships to the street children Ali knows in Manila (http://ningningpef.wordpress.com/).
Okay gals, leave us a comment on how YOU reach out to and include others at Christmas. Or, as always, simply say “I’m in!”
Have a blessed Saturday and we’ll see you tomorrow for our 5th day giveaway!
Blessings,
I really try to keep my eyes open for opportunities to minister to others.
My dad’s side of the family has always included those who might not have a place to spend the holidays. They always say, the more, the merrier!
Our family fills shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (one per child in our family). We also make donations to World Vision or Samaritan’s Purse in honor of other families, rather that exchanging gifts. The kids choose what they want to “give” for that family (soccer balls, Bibles, a sheep or chickens).
We usually try to pick a child or elderly person to buy for each Christmas!
Each of the small groups we attend at church selects a family to bless at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our Women’s Ministry also blesses 3 or 4 ladies for the 12 days of Christmas-they each receive an anonymous gift for each of the 12 days before Christmas.
We usually do the Samaritan’s purse gift boxes, donate to the Salvation Army, provide baking for our church gift boxes for the elderly, help out with hampers and donate food to the food bank. God has blessed us with so much it feels good to be able to hopefully brighten someones Christmas and let them know people really do care.
My son mentioned that one of his classmates didn’t have snowpants or boots at recess last week. Knowing that we had some that didn’t fit our kids anymore, I asked my son’s teacher if we could bring the extra’s to school. They fit the child that had none and I am very proud that my son noticed someone else’s need. This kind of thing doesn’t happen every Christmas but it was pretty fun to help someone out! We also do a cool thing at our church called the giving tree where people take a paper ornament with an item that someone is wishing for and they purchase it and it is given anonamously to the person. I enjoy having my kids pick who they want to buy a gift for and letting them choose the item. Even though we don’t know who is receiving the gifts, it’s nice to know we helped someone have a brighter Christmas.
Rebecca Ann
We make a ton of Christmas cookies and drive around on Chistmas Eve right before church begins and give them to folks who are alone on Christmas (most are senior citizens). Been doing this since our little boy was an infant. So much fun!
We typically adopt a family that needs a little help at this time of year. Last year, my little ones helped with the shopping, wrapping and delivering.
We try to find several folks who will be alone at Christmas to join us at our huge family dinner and spend Christmas with our family!!
We participated in the Samaritan’s Purse shoebox program as volunteers and as givers and we’re looking for ways to volunteer in our community
I am going to visit a “young” 93 year old lady from our church who still lives on her own. I am bringing he some cookies and a plant and I aa
m looking forward to visiting her!!
I’m in!
In years past I helped coordinate my company’s adopt-a-family program. This year I am proud to pass on the mantle to another caring woman at the office!
My husband and I invite the members from our church who have no family close by to come spend the holidays with us. We love sharing the Christmas love and joy with others who would most otherwise spend the holidays alone. thank you for the giveaway. God bless and Merry Christmas.
[email protected]
We donate items to local families in need through our church. This year our church is donating a different item for every Sunday in Advent and including these items with our giving tree gifts.
We usually help with our giving tree at church and toys for tots. The kids like picking out a toy for someone else.
Our praise team leader at our church picks 2 families that go to our church that has been struggling or is in the mist of a struggle and we “gift” them. We have our spys that find out things about their family (what their kids like, where they shop, what size clothes, etc..). Then everyone that are involved in the praise team ministry goes out and buys items, gift cards, toys, food, ect… and our ministry lead collects all the items and has them wrapped. We then pick a specific day (close to Christmas) and we all load up in cars, vans and trucks to get ready for the “gifting”. We decorate up that person’s front porch/yard w/fake decorations and then place all of the real gifts on the porch, ring the door bell & RUN! It’s AWESOME to see everyone’s face light up w/the Joy of spreading the Christmas Joy!
We participate in an angel tree gift ministry, buying for a nursing home resident who doesn’t get gifts at Christmas. It’s one of our daughter’s favorite Christmas activities!
I’m in!
I’m in!
I’m in!
I’m in!
Our family always fills shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. We also send a gift to our sponsered Compassion Child in Peru. The other areas of giving vary from year to year as the Lord directs. :-)
I help with a local radio station and their annual fund raiser. All the money raised supports several organizations in my community.