Do you have any experiences with the Generosity chapter to share? What action steps have you tried? What stories do you have about the need for generosity in your life? What encouragement can you offer to other readers on the generosity portion of their journey?
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Katie Brazelton & Shelley Leith
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11 comments:
On page 260, the book talked about a couple deciding to give based on Jesus' priorities. Where in the Bible does it prioritize the causes "closest to Christ's heart"?
My constant prayer is asking God to "know You better, love You more, be more like You." How appropriate to read that "if you want to pick up a characteristic to work on that will make you most like God, generosity is your ticket." Yes, I'll say he knows a thing or two about generous giving. He didn't spare His only Son and gave us light and life, green grass and purple flowers, redemption, forgiveness and peace, love, joy, mercy and more. He doesn't hold anything back. I'd like to do the same and give myself away completely with all that I am and have.
Day 37 - Being like God
The topic of today’s lesson is Generosity. Do you consider yourself to be a generous person? If so, what are you generous with? Is it your time? What about money? Food? Possessions?
For me personally, I am generous with all of the above. I will help you any time I can with anything I can. I, much like the author am generous to a fault. At times, my motives are selfish. Look at me. Like me. Love Me. Most of the time however, I just instinctively do, without thought or question.
Upon reading today, I found that there are still areas in which I am not so generous. I am not one to freely give encouragement, compliments or solutions. I am also not one to freely give hugs, kisses, or my FULL attention. I give freely, but not always what is the most important. Here’s an example.
Let’s say I come over to help you do some yard work. You would be grateful of the help. It made the yard work get done faster. Maybe I was able to do something physically that you could not do. My help possibly made the job a little easier. In the end, your yard looked beautiful.
Now, let’s say a loved one passes away. I hold your hand as you walk up to the casket to say your final goodbye. I put my arms around you and hold you close while you mourn. I whisper into your ear, I love you and I am here for you. I sit by your side patiently while you struggle with your grief.
Now, which of the two scenarios would mean more to you? Which would be the more generous act?
In scenario one, I am very generous but not so much in scenario two. It seems when it comes to having heart exposure, I am not the most generous person in the world. I guard my heart like Buckingham Palace.
It seems to me, I need to be a little more heart generous.
What about you?
Nellie ;~)
Correction to day 37 error in editing....
Day 37 - Being like God
The topic of today’s lesson is Generosity. Do you consider yourself to be a generous person? If so, what are you generous with? Is it your time? What about money? Food? Possessions?
For me personally, I am generous with all of the above. I will help you any time I can with anything I can. I, much like the author am generous to a fault. At times, my motives are selfish. Look at me. Like me. Love Me. Most of the time however, I just instinctively do, without thought or question.
Upon reading today, I found that there are still areas in which I am not so generous. I am not one to freely give encouragement, compliments or solutions. I am also not one to freely give hugs, kisses, or my FULL attention. I give freely, but not always what is the most important. Here’s an example.
Let’s say I come over to help you do some yard work. You would be grateful of the help. It made the yard work get done faster. Maybe I was able to do something physically that you could not do. My help possibly made the job a little easier. In the end, your yard looked beautiful.
Now, let’s say a loved one passes away. I hold your hand as you walk up to the casket to say your final goodbye. I put my arms around you and hold you close while you mourn. I whisper into your ear, I love you and I am here for you. I sit by your side patiently while you struggle with your grief.
Now, which of the two scenarios would mean more to you? Which would be the more generous act?
In scenario one, I am very generous with my time, but in senerio two, I am more generous with my heart. The fact of the matter is I would more then likely help you with your yard work then help you in a time of sorrow. Not that I don't want to help, I do. I just tend to shy away from anything that can reveal raw emotion. It seems when it comes to having heart exposure, I am not the most generous person in the world. I guard my heart like Buckingham Palace.
It seems to me, I need to be a little more heart generous.
What about you?
Nellie ;~)
Day 38 Greed - Exposing your inner Scrooge
If you are like me when you think of being greedy, you think of money and possessions. When I saw that today’s chapter was on greed, I took a sigh of relief. One lesson whooped I thought. I even went as far as to ask a few people if they thought I was greedy. I beamed from ear to ear when they said no. (Seems I have a pride issue as well!)
When I sat down and delved deeper into the lesson, I discovered I am greedy, just in a different way.
I will give you money if I have it to give. I donate items to the church and Goodwill all the time. I help out and volunteer in any way I can. Sounds like a non-greedy person right? That is until, I get it in my mind I have to have something or, more often, want to do something.
For example, every other week I treat myself to a pedicure. I look forward to them. I found a place that for 45 minutes makes me feel heavenly. It is so clean and the people are so friendly. I sit back in my chair and relax. Ahhhh, just thinking about it makes me smile. A small slice of heaven on earth!
If my schedule becomes so busy I cannot get one in, or if something comes up that keeps me from going, I become very ill. In fact, better not talk to me.
Surprisingly, it is not a vanity thing. It’s a relaxation, me time, thing. Most people will tell you I spend very little time on me but when I decide to and something stops me…..just thinking about that is making me hammer down on the keys as I type!!!!
99.9% of the time, the thing that stops me is way more important then a pedicure. It is usually something that needs to be handled and cannot wait. Each time this has happened (thankfully, not too often) God shows me why it was more important to do what I did rather then get the pedicure. However the lesson is quickly forgotten when it happens again.
Does this qualify as greed? I think it does. Something comes up far more important, yet I am thinking only of myself.
I guess my husband doesn’t call me princess for nothing huh???? I guess God and I are going to have to have a chat about this and see how I need to correct this situation.
Nellie ;~)
Day 39 - How to be a generous giver
Today’s lesson focused on giving not to others but to God. The giving of our money and our time and GIVING GLADLY.
Time is something I give and I give freely as I have already established. I love being at church and helping out. To me, being at church is like going to visit your favorite grandma. It just feels like home and when I leave, I cannot wait to go back and visit again.
I spend a lot of time on my ministry. I work on reading and writing as well as trying to get the site out there and noticed. I am not sure why God placed this desire on my heart, but I have to believe it is making a difference to someone out there somewhere.
I even tithe, ah yes, the model Christian that I am. Let’s see me, the model Christian in action shall we???
Picture it, it’s Sunday morning, and there is Nellie and her family sitting in the fourth row. (How about that I am not even a back row Baptist!) Nellie is smiling and looking forward to the upcoming sermon. The whole family is reading over the bulletin and looking at the announcements on the overhead projector. They even discuss what events they might attend while they wait for the sermon to begin.
Look closely, you see the dawn of recognition on Nellie’s face as she remembers she needs to write the tithe check out. She bends down, reaches into her pocketbook and pulls out a pen and checkbook. Can’t you just hear the harp music as the angels beam with pride?
What a minute what’s that you see. Nellie looks a little confused. She doesn’t seem to know how much to make the check for. She pauses, pondering all that needs to be paid. Gas is high, food is high and work is low. Should it be $100.00, $50.00, $20.00, $10.00, a dollar perhaps?
The sermon starts and you quickly see Nellie write out her check and hand it to her husband to hold in his pocket until offering. Look closely. You will see the look of conviction and dismay all over Nellie’s face.
Sadly, that is a Sunday morning ritual for me. I am so worried about bills and my husbands job, which is always feast or famine that I am often concerned about giving and although I do, not generously as I would like and not gladly. Well, maybe a little glad, just not glad enough.
Many years ago, I learned what it was like to be without. I wondered about my next meal and where I was going to live. I deep down fear that I may experience that again. I trust God, yet I don’t. I know He will take care of me, just maybe not in the way I WOULD LIKE to be taken care of.
Just one more thing to put on the list of things to work on.
Nellie ;~)
Day 40 - Your generosity Coach
I some of you are thinking this is the last day of my 40 day makeover, however, it is not. If you remember in the beginning I was taking Saturday and Sunday off for “prayer and meditation” when in fact it was just an excuse to take two days off and not look at myself with clear eyes. Therefore my darlings, you have me for six more days! I also want to take a moment to remind you all that on the 26th of September, I am starting a new study called “He Choose the Nails, by Max Lucado. Again I will be reading a chapter a day and writing on it and you are more then welcome to follow along and comment on all that you see.
Now on with today’s lesson!
I really love this book. Each day, it reveals something to me about myself that I was not aware of. Oh I am sure on some basic level I have always known, but with each chapter the realizations seem to jump from the page and scream in my face, “I’m here, now you have to look at me!”
Today we dove a little deeper into generosity. As I was reading I discovered this about myself.
I give, but not as freely as I should. I touched on this yesterday with stating that at one time I had wondered where my next meal would come from or where I was going to live, however, I also realized that along the way I have felt a little “burned” from time to time. For example, I have lent people money and have never been repaid. I know you are thinking “Nellie, you know what the bible says…” and I would be the first to tell you, yes I do, however, it still stings a little when you let someone borrow money, you know you really don’t have with promises of repayment and then…nothing. Then there is the added sting of when hard times fall upon you, there always seems to be no one around. No human anyway.
When I do give, I give freely and I love how it feels, and there are some things I find I cannot resist giving to. Children’s homes and hospitals. Programs for the elderly and sick.
I have mentioned in previous posts that I can be generous to a fault. This is where this applies. There was a quote mentioned in the book that really spoke to my soul:
You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.
This is where my generosity to a fault comes into play. If you are someone I know and love, I will give to you until I can give no more. I will give you my time, my money, my heart and soul. I will admit, there has been a time or two that this has not been a good thing and I have fallen on my hinny. However, I cannot help it. Love compels me to do it! I know some of you may be thinking, that that kind of love is unhealthy, but I don’t think so. If we all loved one person that way, just think how great this world would be.
There was a question asked at the end of the chapter:
Who will be lining up in heaven to say thank you for your generosity?
My answer?
I don’t know, but I pray when that day comes, I can’t see the end of the line!
Nellie ;~)
Day 41 - Steps to Generosity
Once again I am behind on writing and posting. I have a wonderful excuse this time. God opened a sudden opportunity to go to a women’s conference all about missions and prayer, but I will write about that later!
Today is a day where I was to pick action steps towards generosity. Here is what I chose to do:
I will donate.
First to my church and then towards ministries. Now I know some of you are thinking that I already do that from previous posts. This is true. However I am going to refine what I do. I am going to focus on my passions, and become less scattered, in where I donate my time and money.
I will simplify my lifestyle.
I have started this one as well. I took my home down to the basics. Now I am going to start looking at the various aspects of my life and see where I can begin to simplify those areas as well.
One thing I have been doing for the past few days that has helped tremendously is every morning as I get ready for work, I talk to God and turn my day over to him. I tell Him to show me where to focus my attention and what is unimportant. Every day I have done this He has blessed me with more done in less time AND much more time to spend with my family.
I will evaluate.
This actually refers to the purchases in my life. There are times that I have “had to have it” when really I didn’t and it was not the wisest thing to spend my money on. Each time I purchase something I am going to ask myself: Do I need it? Can I afford it? And to take it a step further, Can I get a better price? I am guilty of not really being concerned with the price of things.
I will encourage someone.
I am going to start looking through eyes of clarity, and seeing where God wants me to encourage and act upon it. There are many times the opportunity has been presented to me and I have not acted upon them. One of the things I have started is sending cards of encouragement to those in my Sunday School class.
Once I am finished with the book, it will not be the end of my action steps. I fully intend to update you upon occasion where I am taking the action steps in my life as I plan to continue working them for quite some time!
Nellie ;~)
Response to Stacey's question, March 31, 2008: The source for Chris & Tiffani's conviction to prioritize their giving based on Jesus' priorities came from a message delivered at a Generous Giving conference by Joe Stowell, former president of Moody Bible Institute.
Character Makeover Week Seven Action Steps Update…
During week seven I chose the following action steps:
1. I will donate.
2. I will simplify my lifestyle.
3. I will evaluate.
4. I will encourage someone.
I am proud to say I have not done too badly on these challenges.
Donating is something I have always done. I believe it is important to help out and help others. I have challenged myself to donate more in time and more in money. I have been doing both.
As I have mentioned before, I have went through my entire house and brought it back to the basics. I am fortunately in a position at work where I have been able to do the same there as well. My new motto is the simple life is the best life!
Evaluation is often something mental and not physical, at least that is the case for me. I have been spending time evaluating my life and my role in relation to the world around me. I hope to soon be able to focus all my thoughts together and journal them down and share with you!
Encouraging others has been a little difficult these days. With the state of our nation and all the political arguments and debates, it just seems that everyone is full of doom and gloom. I have been trying to be encouraging and telling people to stay positive but it becomes increasingly difficult when you look around and see loss of 401k’s, jobs, homes, and dreams. I keep trying though.
Until next time…
Nellie
This one is a challenge, not because I find it difficult, more because I'm trying not to say 'I've got this nailed in my heart'...But if I'm honest, this is probably an area I don't struggle with as much as some of the previous ones.
My husband and I made a policy when we got married that we wouldn't spend more than £10 without consulting the other, this helps nip greedy purchases in the bud, because I know I'll have to own up when I get home and do I really need it that much?
At the start of each academic year (we work at a school) we look at our giving and adjust where it goes, and how much and to what. We love to support people we know who are passionate about reaching others, and we don't make a big song and dance about giving-- it's just who we are.
We've been so so so so blessed and so how could we not share that blessing with others. I've had to start shopping at a cheaper grocery store to reign in my food bills-because we feed lots of other mouths in a week! What a great problem to have!
All in all its nice to have a week where I can say to myself, 'good on ya, you are doing well here.'
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