Recently another neighbor of ours, not a relative, has been diagnosed with cancer and has started radiation therapy. She has become too weak to cook for herself, so my siblings and I have again talked and agreed to feed her on our nights as well. It is oftentimes a challenge to fix enough food for 8 people on a very limited budget, but it feels so wonderful to help someone in need. My children oftentimes will take turns delivering the meals. This keeps them involved in helping others as well. We have even gone grocery shopping for the lady with cancer, and I have made sure my children knew that we always try to help people who need our help, that that is what God wants us to do.

Also, my uncle has cancer, and he and his wife are in danger of losing their house due to the high cost of his chemotherapy and his not being able to work. Our family is giving less gifts to each other this year and gifting them with money to help in their struggles. We really don’t have any extra to give, but it will come from somewhere as this is so important.

God has richly blessed us with family and friends, and it is our responsbility to nuture them and help in any way we can. I love to know that my family is doing its part to help others and make the world a sweeter place and also in Jesus’ name.

Our family (of is busy but we take time to help others when we can. Last week we babysat so a frazzled set of parents could go Christmas shopping without the kids. We also just finished packaging up our Christmas Child shoeboxes. That is an annual traditions for our family.

We have brought meals to those who recently added a new blessing to their family, although not in the last two months. My husband decided a while back he wanted us to give everyone we know who has a baby a small gift of some kind. He wants more people to count children as the blessing they are! It has been fun to find small gifts and make craft projects to give to the new arrivals! My favorite so far is homemade flannel/terry cloth burp rags that we recently gave to one of my husband’s co-workers.

Marilyn, just a few suggestions for you… I am enjoying your new blog but I really don’t think it is a good idea or safe for us women to post home addresses out in a public area like a blog (I would love to win a book but not if I have to put my home address online for all to see)…also if you could take a minute to “announce” the winners (just first names maybe) when the contest is over that would be helpful (and fun!) too! Thanks!

MamaShelly (shellysstuff@sbcglobal.net)

Every year my dear friends and I celebrate Christmas by coming together and sharing in a Christmas brunch the first Saturday of December. I cannot but thank God for the blessings of these friends. I always set the table a few days early in preparation for the event. One of these dear friends called last night to say she wouldn’t be able to be there as she was flying back home the day of the brunch. Her mother was dying. So, I remove one of the plates from my table, a visual reminder that too soon each one of us one by one will also leave this world. This morning my own mother called to tell my a dear family friend of theirs and mine had died the day after Thanksgiving. My own sweet daughters and I turn to the Lord to pray for these families and in turn remember old friends and appreciate each other all the more.

God has been prompting me to share His good news with the lost and dying world. That there is hope, a hope for an eternal future. So how do I do that? I pray for my neighbors, take them cookies, invite them over for dinner and talk with them over the back fence. Sometimes my neighbor is my own lost father-in-law. Sharing with him the truths of the Word that he rejected so long ago as myth. Sometimes my neighbor is a complete stranger. On a family trip this spring we left Bible tracks in subways and coffee shops and prayed for those who picked them up.

And yes we also share with our brothers and sisters in Christ. One dear homeschool mom of three very active young boys has been battling debilitating naseau for over a year. Along with other moms we take groceries, meals and clean her house. Like Marilyn, sometimes the extra meals feel both financially overhwhelming and physically draining but our desire is to be like Dorcas, who was known for her good works and selfless acts of love.

We have been recipients of love from our church family and realize how important and thankful we are to belong to the family of God. We do have a hope when so many are uncared for and in despair. So when we are well we give and when we are sick we try to learn to be gracious receivers.

I was deeply touched by your sharing the stories of those around you, especially of the family at church who took in their nephews.
In the last 2 years my family has been foster parents to 20 different children. It has been at times difficult, frustrating, heartbreaking and yet at the same time so rewarding. I have watched compassion and mercy blossom in my children as they have helped care for these children. I have also watched their hearts break at the seeming indifference of others and the system.
There has been times when we have had as many as six children under six extra in our house and how I would have loved for someone to offer to prepare a meal for us, or watch the kids for a few hours so my husband and I could have a simple conversation. Our church is not the most supportive and even though we have tried to communicate our needs, I often think that others just don’t get how emotionally and physically trying being a foster parent can be.
We currently have one foster boy with us as we felt the need to take a break and reconnect with our own three children and recharge our spirits a little. It has been good for us, we have been able to look beyond our own family unit and see some of the needs of those around us. We recognize that there are some other families in our small church that have some needs that we can hopefully help meet now that we are not so focused inward.
I would encourage anyone to recognize that while some needs are obvious, there are a lot of others out there that may be afraid of asking for help, even if that help is a simple meal, someone to pray with them, or watch their kids for a few hours. Those simple things could be just the thing to recharge a family. And for those situations where nothing can bring back a parent and grief is so apparent, just surrounding those families with love can help the healing process begin.
Angel Sweezea

It is interesting that you post this as the Lord has laid heavily on my heart a desire to bless others this holiday season. I am at a season in my life where I am feeling so very richly blessed and have such a burden to “give away” some of that to others.

One thing that I did recently (this week) was prepare some meals for a friend who is having surgery Friday. She is a dear friend who is having to go in for hysterectomy. It has been very hard for her because she desires to have more children, but for various reasons has not been able to. Now this surgery is necessary because of some medical reasons. So, I felt the Lord leading me to prepare some meals for the freezer for her.

I had so much fun on Monday cooking up enchiladas, taco soup, chili mac, homemade rolls, and sloppy joe meat. I also gave her some things from my freezer…some homemade waffles and banana bread and granola.

She was so surprised and thankful yesterday when she stopped to pick up the meals. I feel funny sharing all this because my intent is not to bring glory to myself…but to Him who placed the desire in my heart in the first place.

May He be praised and glorified through all our efforts this Christmas season to bless others. Thank you, Marilyn, for all you do to bless others through your ministry at Urban Homemaker!

In Christ,
Sheri Graham
224 W. Pack/PO Box 826
Moundridge, KS 67107