The reason behind what I do......

There is always someone that believes everyone is always out after something or has a hidden agenda, that no one just does something for the good of their fellow man and I understand this. This weekend Jordon Hensley came home from the hospital after receiving a new heart and what a great Christmas gift for her family. But, at the same time, Ashley Paine's family will have Christmas this year without their daughter who was killed in fatal bus crash a few weeks back. There are stories that touch us from time to time...where someone did something that makes you go...WOW, now that is great....

As most of you know, and from first hand, that it's not unusually for our family to do things for others, sometimes for a reason and mostly likely for no reason. We help raise babies and pre-schoolers so they mom's can finish college and make a better life for themselves and their kids, of course, that one is for a reason, it's planned. The Oktoberfest for the United Way, the Boys and Girls Club, ASPCA are among a few things that are all planned very carefully.

When I decided to finally do the educational workshop and trade=a=long here at the house, it was decided not to lay the cost onto the attendees, most of whom are friends of mine and have listened for over 4 years about my dream, but just have them come and hangout. Then I thought, what if they gave something to my local charites...and the rest is history.....over 89k went directly to those charities.

Last Thursday, while at the Mountain Hope Clinic yard sale, from the fire that the Jim Gray Gallery had a week earlier. I bought this very nice handmade plant holder thingie by giving a donation to the clinic, it was a little burnt around the edges, and had a chip or two in it.....but like me, life had tested it and it survived. Yes, most of you think I am on the top of the pile so to speak, but it hasn't always been that way......there was a time when a good hot 3 course meal would have been the highlight of my week. So I can relate to this little plant holder when I picked it up and checked it out.......

Why do I do what I do now, because I learned at that yard sale, that donations are still coming in from out of state.....600 from Georgia, 350 from Florida and then my email box, will ever so often receive an email like this one. Someone has turned their boat around, someone is now being a good steward, someone now believes in themselves, someone is now giving to others, which is what Christmas is all about, HE gave his only Son to us, so that we might live.

It's not what you get in life that matters, it's what you give....what have you done today???????