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:

  1. 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,

182 Comments

  1. We give monthly to Food for the Hungry, but at Christmas time, we always send extra to help out other children who may have not been sponsored yet. We also adopt a family, sometimes one we know and sometimes from the Salvation Army family drive.

  2. I sponsor a little girl, Kris Ann from the Philippines through Compassion International. The best money I have ever spent with the most rewards! I can have a stressful day at work and want to hide my head under the covers when I get home, and then that letter from that little girl will be in the mailbox. Makes all the stress go away and reminds me of all the wonderful things I have in life and how others are not near as fortunate. Thank you God for Kris Ann.

  3. Some of the standards – Christmas Shoebox for Samaritan’s Purse; little extra for those who serve our family (Sun School teachers – journals; poinsettas). But more importantly – PRAYER.

  4. Ali….I’m an identical twin, so we share something in common. We also share a heart for giving.

    This year, our family is opening our home to a dear new friend who spent last Christmas completely alone. When I was made aware of that early this year, I knew we were to open our hearts and home to her this Christmas. We didn’t have a spare bedroom, so we moved our “office” to the basement and I had the joy of decorating and planning a room just for her. It truly is the most beautiful room in our home. We are paying for her airline ticket and she arrives in Canada here this Wednesday, Dec 15th, and is staying until the 27th! I CAN’T WAIT!!!!! It is truly my best Christmas present this year!!!! Over the course of this year she truly has become my dearest of friends.

    In giving, we are the ones who truly receive,
    Joy

  5. Our extended family “sponsors” a Salvation Army family…each of my siblings and I take one of the children, and our parents buy gifts for their parents.

  6. I have visited the some slums in India. You are right, there is no material blessing that compares to the smiles that come from these precious people as they experience Christ. I was so blessed by them. They impacted my heart forever!!!

    Merry Christmas!

    Cheri

  7. I try to include those who will be on their own – not necessarily just on December 25th, when something special might be put on, but on other days after as well when folk on their own tend to be even lonelier.

  8. I like volunteering at a local food bank that gives out Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes. Also, I enjoy heading up my church’s Angel Tree ministry. We provide Christmas gifts to over 500 children each year at Christmas time.

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