Do you thank God everyday for being so good to you? Do you thank Him that you are healthy, have enough to eat and a home that is warm and dry? How about thanking Him for allowing you to use His property? He created it and He owns it. Shouldn’t we be anxious to share the gifts He has given?

I have found that when I am worrying about my problems, what I should be doing is looking around to see who is in more need than I am. There are illnesses worse than any I have experienced and money problems worse than mine and lives harder than mine. It may be impossible to help every one of them, but it is possible to help one person or one family.

You may remember that I reviewed a book entitled Hugs, Hope and Peanut Butter by Marsha Mott Jordan. Ms. Jordan is the founder of the Hugs and Hope Foundation for Critically Ill Children. The foundation addresses the emotional needs of sick children and their families. Hugs and Hope Foundation provides an easy avenue for you and I to bring a little more joy to the world. Our contribution can be as little as an encouraging card sent to a child in the hospital. You can donate birthday party boxes, send a balloon bouquet or make a financial donation to the foundation to help them with their work.

Get personally involved this Christmas by volunteering to be an ELF and adopting (sponsoring) a child in need. You'll receive his or her wish list, name, age, and mailing address. Then you shop for, wrap, and mail gifts in early December.

On a more urgent note. Marsha Mott Jordan wrote me recently about an immediate need of a girl named Bethany. Her web page is here. Bethany has JRA, Lupus & Epilepsy. Besides Bethany’s illnesses, her parents are also sick. Her mother is disabled and her father has had to miss work. The family is in desperate need. If you find it in your heart to help Bethany and her family, suggested gifts include Wal-Mart or Food City gift cards that can be used for food and medicine. If you can help with hospital bills (sent directly to the hospital) Email Marsha.

I encourage you to visit the Hugs and Hope website to see what you can do to help one child. The biggest ‘thank you’ we can give back to God is sharing His love with someone else.