Happy Tuesday!

So yesterday I sent off (more than three) little notes to friends who I haven't seen in a while and to others whom I wanted to encourage. It was fun! Once I started I just kept thinking about more people who I wanted to send notes to and I couldn't keep the smile off my face :)

Need a little bit of extra happy today? 

Do something nice for someone else!

Then enjoy the moment :)

I had an extra little skip in my step yesterday after mailing those notes (it's possible that listening to Christmas music while writing them had something to do with it too, I love Christmas music!) Plus I received such a nice message on FB from a friend who encouraged me in my writing/blogging.

THANK YOU!

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." 

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Does this put someone's name on your heart? Go write them a note, phone them, message them, send them flowers, do whatever it is you need to do to encourage them! We are called to encourage but so often get to busy in our own lives. Take a moment, trust me, you won't regret it :)

Today's challenge is to give a gift card to someone who's homeless. When I worked downtown I saw these people every day. It is so easy to walk on by and pretend they're not even there. Where my husband works, there are homeless people that sent up camp in the church dumpster on a regular basis. Claudio knows some of them on a first name basis!

I did not go out and get any giftcards today. I want to at a future date but today is not an option. So instead I went online to The Mustard Seed and donated $20.00. This is my allowance for the next two weeks. I'm not telling you this so you can say "oh, look at Heidi, look how good/spiritual she is!" Nope, please don't think that because it's not true. I'm giving because I've been convicted over the last couple of months. Thinking about Christmas and the real reason behind it. As believers we celebrate the fact that Jesus was born. Does buying tons of presents and spending time with family really honour Him?

"Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 

Luke 14:12-14

Did you know that $20 buys a Christmas dinner for over 6 people at the Mustard Seed? Seriously! The money that I spend on stuff/junk can really make a difference for six people experiencing homelessness. I'm not saying that I won't be buying presents for my boys or having Christmas dinner with my family. I will be doing those things this Christmas but I also want to do something more, something that really celebrates what Jesus came to earth for. Today it's giving my allowance to help someone less fortunate than me. I don't say this to make anyone feel guilty. I just think we need to stop and think sometimes about what we do and why we do it. Can you help someone less fortunate today?

Stepping off my soapbox now...

Want to see what the free printable was for today? Check it out here. Check out yesterday's printable here.

Spread the happy :)