Happy New Year!

 I read this in an online devotion yesterday and could relate, and thought maybe you could too.

We stand on the threshold of a new year – a new beginning! If you are like me, you face 2012 with mixed emotions. Personally, I am thrilled that I survived 2011! There were certainly moments when I wondered if I would. I am so excited about a fresh start, a brand new set of days overflowing with new dreams and unmarked possibilities, but I also know this year is crammed full of the unknown as well as a giant or two. If I am brutally honest, I have to admit the unknown fashions a pocket of fear in my heart where questions and doubts thrive

The good news is what lies ahead is no surprise to God. In fact, He has already been where we are going. That reason alone empowers us to face every tomorrow with hope, knowing whatever touches us passes through His hands, with His permission. It is not God’s plan for us to dwell in fear or for fear to rule our lives. He has already set in motion the defeat and fall of every giant we will ever face. Our responsibility is to step through our fear, facing every giant in God’s power and with His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide the path of His truth to its destined mark, taking down the giants lurking in each tomorrow.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever! The days ahead are saturated with the memory of Goliath’s fall and trust in Almighty God, the Giant Killer. So then, girlfriend, I ask you, what is there to fear? Happy New Year!

May 2012 be fillled with Health, Happiness and Blessings!
Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Superstore Pencil Crayon Blowout!

Superstore is clearing out the PC Green brand on pencil crayons.  24 for .50 cents!!  The lowest I've ever seen.  And if you divide them between 2 boxes that's .25 cents per box.  Last week when I checked they were $2.50 per box!  What a nice surprise.

If you missed the deadline to pack a box. You still have time to pack a box online:)
You can pick age and gender and add a personal note and upload a picture!
Why not bless a child today.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Boxing Day Sales

There are a few good Boxing Day Sales.

Canadian Tire
5 pack of KIS plastic shoe boxes for $5.99.
I've bought these before and they are good and strong.

And if you spend $60 you receive a $15 gift card.

Wal-mart
30 piece Rubbermaid Easy find Lids Set.
Containers are always a great addition to a box, and something which is greatly appreciated.
Barbie Princess or Fab life $5.00 each.

Superstore
1/2 price off selected toys.

I'm hoping there will be more unadvertised deals instore.

It's not too late..

Packing Party 2011

This post is long over due!  Sorry for the delay.

This was our Sunday School's second year packing boxes.

And my first year heading it up.

Last year we packed 75 boxes.  And this year our goal was 150.

Each Sunday we put an announcement in the bulletin about specific needs.

One week it was soap and wash cloths, the next week toys.

This seemed to work better than just asking for general donations.

Heading it up was an act of faith.

When we started in Sept we had no money to spend. I had been buying all year and had donated everything left over from packing my boxes at home.  But it was not nearly enough to fill 150 worth. So we trusted that God would provide.  And provide he did! Every week we would recieve donations in our donation box and also monetary donations.  And amazing deals were also placed in our path.

But how much do you need for filling 150 boxes?

Somethings were easy.  150 boxes= 150 toothbrushes, wash cloths, soap, school supplies,bags of candy etc.  But fillers were the challenge.  But we wanted to make sure all the boxes were full.  As each child will only recieve one box in their life time.

We set up the night before.  And thanks to the help of someone wonderful friends, a great husband and our kids, 2 1/2 hours later we were done.  All that was left to do was to pray.  Pray we had enough, pray that the kids would have a great morning filling boxes, that our kids would see it is better to give than to receive and pray for the precious children who will be receiving the boxes.

Sunday morning came.  And everyone was excited to see our fellowship hall filled with goodies to pack.

(Sorry the pictures are so yellow.  I edited them and now that I uploaded them they're yellow again.)

One of the best things we did was to give each child a shopping bag, to put their items in.  This was easier than carrying around their box, and they didn't have to go back to their box right away.  Which made things go a bit faster.

We had specific items that they had to include in their boxes.  And then the toys, jewlery, clothing, they could pick whatever they wanted.

And we ended up with boxes that we overflowing! 

Someone donated these wonderful pairs of shoes.  We had each child put their name into the draw for which ever pr of shoes they'd like to win for their box.  The kids thought this was fun.  They didn't know it when they were putting their name into the draw, but they won a small prize as well.

We had them fill out About Me Papers which you can find on the OCC Canada website.  They are great papers which the kids had fun filling out.  Next year we will have the kids fill these out at home, because we were really tight for time.  And with the younger ones, which was probably at least 1/3, couldn't do it on their own.

Once the boxes were filled, About me pages added, with pictures.  We closed them up.  Note to self, bring more rubber bands next year:)

Then we had the kids carry as many as they were able.

And the parents/volunteers carried the rest up to the front of the church, at the end of the worship service.

Where

Pictured below is our Sunday School superententant announing that the kids had just packed 196 boxes.

(We were quickly trying to count them, as they walked up.)

Everyone was extremly excited!

He also said that each box required a $7.00 donation. And we had spent all our money on filling the boxes. Believing that God would provide the donation money.  And he asked the congregation to help ship the boxes.

Then our pastor prayed over the boxes.

What a wonderful time of prayer it was!

Here is a group shot of our team!

We couldn't have done it without the church support,

the volunteers and the kids packing! 

A huge thank you to everyone!

And here are all the boxes after my mom and I went thru every box to make sure they all contained the "essential" items, and nothing unsuitable. 

In the end we packed 199 boxes!

And within 15 minutes of our church service being over, we had enough money, to ship them all!

To God Be The Glory!

I'd love to hear your shoe box stories!

Story After The Box

Collection week is over.

But this is a just the beginning of their journey!

I saw this video and loved it!  And had to share it with you.

Please continue to pray for each shoe box that it will arrive at the processing center safely.
That the shoe boxes will get to the right hands of the child.  And they will be accept Jesus as their savior.

Collection Week is over.  But the work continues. 
Check out these pictures that Theresa Brereton posted of the OCC warehouse in Cambridge, Ontario.