‘Tis The Season To Give Back

Happy Tuesday Readers!! 😃

I am mind-blown that Christmas weekend is almost here!! I know everyone is caught up on figuring out what gifts to give to their family and friends. Let me tell you, I haven’t even gone Christmas shopping yet. But it’s ok! I have some time right? 😆I usually end up handcrafting items for my family/friends to show my appreciation for them.

The older I become, the less fascinated I become with the world’s idea about Christmas. From tv commercials, ads, magazines, & online shopping; we constantly have advertisements from society telling us that Christmas isn’t great if you don’t have materialistic items to go along with it.

What I do want to focus on during this time of the year is the fact that our Lord and Savior was born into this world over 2,000 years ago. Leaving Heaven, leaving PARADISE and all the Grand things above… out of love. ❤️

Out.

Of.

LOVE.❤️

Can you imagine sacrificing your life when you did no wrong for those who curse you? Knowing that there will be people who will not accept you even after the fact?

Let that sink in.

December 25th reflects truth of how Jesus gave us the GREATEST gift of all. Providing a way for us to inherit eternal life. He already paid the price. He only wants us to simply accept Him for who He is. The only begotten son of God. Who died and rose again. The One who overcame & LIVES.

I’m dedicating this holiday season to give back to others. Whether that involves volunteering with local non-profit organizations or giving to strangers that I see on the street.

I used to pray before giving to those that I came across on the streets. Praying that I be led to the people who truly needed inspiration and encouragement that day. As the Holy Spirit directed, I followed.

During the Holidays, you may find more people panhandling more than usual. Yes, some of them can be scammers. At the end of the day, as long as your intentions are pure… what can you do?🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

If you don’t feel comfortable giving anyone money, feel free to create a care package that include necessities that all could use. Such as:

Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Water
Crackers
Socks
Gloves
Snacks
Ham/Cheese Sandwich
A personal written card of inspiration from you to them.

You’d be surprised how that could make someone’s day!

One of the ways I have chosen to give back to the community is by donating money to this Jamaican summer camp for children. One of my oldest and dearest friends is hosting this event next August.

Below is an excerpt from their donation website:

“We are launching a literacy and research summer camp program to empower community through education and self-care practices. Our goal is to serve 25 children and young adults ages (7-21). The literacy program will last four hours a day for two weeks in August. Our plan is to use technology to test, evaluate, and build children and adult literacy skills to help reach their full academic potential. Students will also be exposed to resource classes and mentoring sessions as a part of the summer camps rigorous curriculum.

This program gives students a safe environment to learn in small groups and gain support through team building and resource activities. Supporting this project helps students prepare for their upcoming school year, taking the burden off families who may not be able to afford summer enrichment. We are here to serve children and adults during the summer time when school is closed and many children are without programs for enrichment. Our plan is to keep our students focused and engage their minds in positive activities for positive growth. We want all of our students to reach their highest potential.

Jamaica is a beautiful country with rich resources all around but the people are underserved when it comes to educational and financial support which causes children to miss out on school and educational opportunities. Local authorities are greedy and they exploit the country to support themselves therefore leaving the youth in bad predicaments. Being in an impoverished environment can take away from the child succeeding due to the stresses of day to day survival. With globalization happening around the world and improvement of technology, we together can fight literacy and liberate our people. Literacy goes beyond the meaning of the ability to read and write. It opens the doors to many opportunities and empowers us with knowledge.”

When it comes to children in 3rd world countries, my heart ACHES for them. Literally aches. I pray for them daily (even for children who are going without in our own backyard). This campaign is going to help shape the lives of the children who attend the camp.

Knowing that my divine purpose here on earth is to be a full time missionary, I am planning to spend time in Jamaica next summer to participate in this program; as well as, kick off my very own event for children in Jamaica.