Giving Grace by Laura

Hello Scribble Pad readers! I'm Laura, from Twirl, and I'm honored to be here sharing my little mission with you today! This is me, standing on African ground where my heart was opened and stretched, and changed forever. Visiting a third world country will do that to you. Heck, not having chocolate for two weeks does that to me, but it was the people there, with their joy and their trust, and their unfaltering hope, that moved me to act long after I returned home.

I want to tell you about my dear friend named Grace, a lady who befriended me in a Tanzanian market six years ago and has been a part of my life ever since. Meeting Grace and experiencing her kindness and generosity when I was just a homesick 22 year old volunteer was just the beginning of the impact she had on my life. My family began funding her two kids' schooling shortly after my return, and over the years we yearned to empower her, and "teach her to fish" on her own. Grace supports her family through her shop in Arusha and recently joined me in bringing her beautiful handmade scarves to our friends in America through an online shop, Giving Grace.

We just restocked the shelves and are looking forward to raising the money she needs for 2013. We are drenched with the spirit of giving this Christmas, and I would love it if you would like to join the Giving Grace family in the new year. Read more about the launch of the store (September 2012). As you take a moment to browse, remember 100% of the proceeds go back to Grace so she can put it towards school fees. Thank you so much for taking the time to meet my friend, Grace, and thank you Shannon for the opportunity to introduce her! You can find her full story here, and see what happened the first time I asked friends like you to join our family in supporting her here. I still haven't picked my jaw up off the ground...

Guys, this is what I am talking about. 

These are the types of projects that I want 2013 to be all about. 

Serving one another in community. 

Honoring God.

I am so thankful to have "met" Grace, through Laura, through blogging, years 

after their paths first crossed.  I hope you get a chance to dive deeper into their 

remarkable story and as Laura says, join the Giving Grace family this year!

xoxo, 

Shannon

A resolution to serve.

As 2012 draws to a close, there are still plenty of things on my to do list. Areas of life I want to spend time reflecting on. And looking ahead to 2013, I doubt anything will be slowing down. I would love to thoughtfully plan out resolutions for the year. But the more I think about what I want to "accomplish" the less important those things seems. Instead of everything I hope to gain or lose or change for 2013, I am going to shift my focus towards two simple life concepts that have gotten lost in my life:

Serve + Connect

In 2013 I want to continue to refocus month after month on serving...my family, my friends, my community, and this online community that has become so real. Let'e be honest, I might be refocusing day to day, not just once a month! Knowing how and when and why to serve others is challenging for me. It means also knowing when to say no, even to good opportunities. At the end of the day, I want to go to bed knowing that I spent my time serving my family well. This doesn't necessarily mean with a clean house and delicious home cooked meal, but instead I want to seek service that is God honoring. Thoughtfully considering whether the demands on my time bring me and my family closer to Christ, or simply fill up hours of the day.

The second goal of mine is to be more connected and present with the people who are sitting right in front of me. To put my phone aside, to leave the computer untouched. To seek out deep and meaningful time spent with the people around me. One of our church elders prayed about this last night and it rocked me a bit. Does Behr ever see me not on my phone? I haven't thought through this one very much, though I am certain I will continue to wrestle over it. However, I wanted to be honest with you here and share my heart, not just my well through out ideas.

One of the most immediate ways I will working to "serve" is occasionally sharing with you the ways other bloggers and friends are serving God in their own lives. This frees me from blogging a bit, allowing me to spend more time playing on the floor with Behr, and it also allows me to share things that are dear to my heart. So today, I want to share with you Lena's Plunge Project.

My dear, sweet friend Lena is seeking to raise $400 to pull one woman out of prostitution and off the streets of Ethiopia. When she meets her goal, she will be stepping way outside of her own comfort zone and plunging into the ice cold waters this Saturday, January 5th. 

Will you take a moment and read about her heart and goals here and here.

And consider donating?

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What has God placed on your heart leading into 2013? 

Have you found a balance of serving your family and others?

How do you decide when it is time to say no?