“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
I first noticed the above saying when it was added to a friend’s signature in their emails. It’s a great proverb, one of those sayings that makes you stop and think. What defines me? What shapes who I am? Certainly there are many ideas, experiences, thoughts, beliefs etc.… that all contribute to what kind of life we make for ourselves. These influences can be both positive and destructive. Maybe this is why God encourages us to cultivate attitudes of love, compassion, and generosity. These values can guard our hearts and minds and help to shape our lives into beautiful experiences. This can be further magnified when we pool our generosity together, as a community, so that we can have a greater impact than as individuals.
It is Christmas time, and I know it is a busy time of year. But this is also the season when we give thanks to God for all God has done for us this past year and throughout our lives. We do this as a way of cultivating generosity – the kind of generosity that shapes our lives into the beautiful experiences that we long for. It is also the end of the fiscal year here at Alpine. And once again we are running a deficit (we are behind $16,000). This happens every year because, as a church, we do not stop reaching out and bringing hope to the lives of people simply because giving is down. Instead we see this as an opportunity every year to invite our community to band together in being generous so that we and others can experience the beauty of life in wonderfully miraculous ways.
So I would like to invite you to give an extra gift to our ministry here at Alpine. This can be done in several ways.
- Give an extra week of tithe (53rd/54th week appeal).
- Pass on an unexpected blessing that you received this year to God’s ministry here at Alpine.
- Fill in a pledge card for next year (we have received about 25 less pledges then last year, or about $40,000 less in pledges).
- Or simply give an extra donation to your favorite charity.
Whatever you may do, please do not allow this season to go by without taking the time to cultivate generosity. By doing so you are shaping your life into something wonderful.
May God bless you and guide you as you celebrate the birth of our Savior.
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