How to Be Refreshed

XL and TJ show off the gifts we chose for Geno.

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

-Proverbs 11:25

Our church home here in Menomonie sponsors several families every year, providing each family with a Christmas meal and gifts of both toys and clothing for the children.  A large bulletin board is covored in index cards - each card has the name of a child, their age, their clothing size and their toy preferences.  My hubby and I have typically given back by sponsoring kids over the years during Christmas, but we really enjoy sharing this tradition with our boys now that they're old enough to be involved.

This year our church sponsored 9 families; last year, it sponsored 8.  However, last year, I recall that we'd decided to choose a child from the board - and the boys (well, actually just Tobey - Xander didn't really get it yet ...) were so excited to choose an index card, but by the time we got to the board, every single card had been claimed!  Now, this is an incredible joy - of course - in that everyone was cared for so quickly - but was an incredible disappointment for my 7-year old, eager with anticipation.  :-(  So, this year - we ran (yes, RAN) to the board to choose a card. 

Tobey chose a boy named Geno who is 9 and likes Legos and Transformers.  The whole Riedmann family headed off to good old K-Mart (we've not so many choices here in Menomonie) and had the best time selecting clothes and toys, wrapping them up, and returning them to the church where Geno's family have (by now) picked them up and brought them home for Christmas.

Tonight, we'll open our gifts to one another here at home after enjoying our Christmas meal and listening to the Story from Luke, chapter 2 - AND we'll also be thinking about a little boy named Geno, who we may never meet, opening the gifts that we got to choose for him.  What a blessing to have been given enough to give to others.  Thank you God from Whom ALL blessings flow!!!

And ... like the verse above ... nothing is so refreshing as refreshing others!  Nothing!  Don't believe me?  Try it!  ;-)

FEED Projects' Great Green Gifts that Give back

Check out this super-dee-duper-dee cute teddy bear from the Feed Foundation.  "Nut" (that's his name) has "FEED the children of the world" stamped on his belly, and number "3" on his foot to represent the 3 children that your purchase will feed.  Cool, huh?  This $35 organic cotton darling is backordered until January, but you can also purchase the larger "Plumpy", the Feed 5 bear, for $60.

When it comes to indulging myself - or picking a gift to indulge someone ELSE - I'm a sucker for anything environmentally friendly, anything that gives back to a worthy cause, and anything that is just plain adorable. And guess what?! This bear is ALL three!!!  Check out the other great green-chic gifts like the Feed 1 bag, Feed 2 bag, and Feed 5 bracelet (all shown below) at http://www.feedprojects.com/ .

 

This is the FEED Projects story taken from its website:

"FEED Projects was started in 2006 when acclaimed model and activist Lauren Bush designed a bag to benefit the United Nations World Food Program's (WFP) School Feeding operations. Lauren, a WFP Honorary Spokesperson who has visited eight WFP food aid operations around the world, was inspired by the plight of the people she met on her travels. She took a special interest in WFP's School Feeding program, which feeds and educates hungry children.

Inspired by the aesthetic of the bags of food distributed by WFP, she created the FEED 1 bag, a reversible burlap and cotton bag stamped with "FEED the children of the world" and the number "1" to signify that each bag feeds one child in school for one year.


At the UN, Lauren met then-WFP Communications Officer Ellen Gustafson and they hatched a plan to use FEED bags to FEED the world. In 2007, Lauren and Ellen founded FEED Projects, LLC and started selling FEED 1 bags in April of 2007. By the end of 2007, they raised donations for WFP to feed over 37,500 hungry children in school for one year. In 2008, FEED Projects various partnerships will lead to over $4 million for WFP school feeding.

Sew Captivating

I dare you to look at this picture and tell me it is not one of the most beautiful you've ever seen!  I saw this photo in my September/October issue of Children's Ministry magazine and was completely smitten!  Smitten, I tell you!!!  Aren't these girls in their little dresses the epitome of GORGEOUS?

So, because I was so captivated by this pic, I had to read the little blurb that accompanied it.  I learned that these are young girls in Uganda who "rarely get new items to wear."  These girls are all glowing because they are wearing their brand new bea-u-tiful pillowcase dresses delivered by Hope 4 Kids International (hope4kidsinternational.org).

I know next to nothing about sewing.  I did make a sweatshirt one year in home economics - and then a blouse the next year, but it was NEVER my thang.  However, the blurb I read suggests that kids - KIDS, people - can be taught to sew these simple dresses from pillowcases and donate to girls just like these lovely little ladies in Uganda.  I might be mistaken, but there is a good chance that I'll never sew one of these sweet confections, but I can type a few lines - share my enthusiasm - and maybe some of YOU (I KNOW you're out there) will be inspired!

I remember being a girl about the age of those shown above - and a new dress was akin to a dream.  I'd wear it & inspect it down to the tag sewn on the inside.  I'd spin to see whether it swirled around my knees.  I'd run to feel whether it floated or clung (I prefer the floaters).  I'd memorize it with my fingers - and I'd never - never - want to take it off.

So, if you're inspired to sew ... click here for a tutorial.  Dress a girl ... a girl just waiting to twirl.

His Hands and Feet

I am rather ashamed to confess that I have not been involved in any service projects since ... ummmmmmmm ... I don't really remember when. However, I have been longing to do a missions/service trip for quite some time. As I see folks around me traveling to New Orleans to assist with rebuilding the city - or to Jamaica to build a school - or to Africa to build a clinic ... you get the picture, I think - how cool is that?! To impact others with good, old-fashioned hard work?

Imagine my excitement when I received a cry for help from professional organizer, Nancy Rothwell of Eau Claire, to be the hands and feet of Christ for the Bergemans, a family in need of help with their backyard - practically in my backyard! Nancy directed me to the youtube video posted above featuring WWIB radio personality, Matt Selvig. Matt described how this young family had a little girl (4 months) with brittle bone disease - and a little boy (22 months) who'd suffered a heart attack which led to brain damage. These two precious children required that their home be adapted to suit their unique needs - an undertaking which had been underway - but unfortunately led to a great need for assistance with their yard which had been neglected as home renovations, doctor visits, and real life (Dad is gone all week for work)kept these folks too busy to do anything. (Check out the above video for the details.)

The project was initiated by Ron and Michelle Lovelien of The Living Room coffee house in Eau Claire. These warm-hearted folks rallied their friends, provided free coffee for volunteers, and then closed shop for the day so that the Bergeman family would receive the help they needed.

I had SO much fun helping with this project. I was one of about 100 present to help and it was so heartwarming to witness the outpouring of love. I was given the "job" of shopping for landscaping plants - I couldn't have gotten a better "job"!!! Seriously - it never occurred to me that shopping might be a part of serving others, but COOL!!! My friend, Shelly, and my new pal, Sara, took a complete stranger's truck and headed to Down to Earth garden center (which was mighty heavenly for a place calling itself "down to earth"). The center blessed us with a free truckload of mulch - and discounts and freebies all over the place!

We returned to the Bergemans feeling like victorious warriors, grabbed free lunch on the lawn, and put our plant treasures in the ground. Shelly's littlest girl - I think she's two? - even helped pack dirt around the plants.

The home's external transformation was magnificent! New landscaping brick, mulch, plants - new driveway - new swing set - newly placed garage (it was lifted right up and relocated in order to provide more play space for the little ones). Inside, the home was getting a hand, too - I don't know what all was done there, but Nancy was in the basement organizing - and others were inside doing carpentry stuff. WWIB provided music in the yard.

It was awesome!! So good to be part of a whole! I LIKED being the hands and feet of the Body - or even just a toenail - or toe hair - or whatever!!! It was awesome. I think I may become a "Service Junkie"! I highly recommend it.

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The backyard at "The Living Room" coffee house in Eau Claire. WWIB's Matt Selvig emcees.

The scene when we arrived on May 9.

A volunteer cleans beneath the new handicap accessible deck.

Sara with our haul from Down to Earth garden center.

Me, Shelly, and Sara.

Shelly shares her sit in the cab with a fuschia to hang in the front of the house.

Sara shares her seat with a hanging plant I bought for ME!



BEFORE: Street side of the house.


AFTER: Street side of the house.


BEFORE: Shady side of the house.





AFTER: Shady side of the house.


When we left, the home was a startling contrast to the first view I had of it on youtube!

Click the link below for news coverage of the event (you can see me on the sidewalk to the left of the frame at about the 1 minute mark on the video - I'm teeny and wearing a bright yellow jacket, but there I am!!).
http://www.wqow.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3743209&h1=Community%20Cleanup&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=121100&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=89595458

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