Day 16

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Job 13:15

Today was the final day for the Operation Shake the Hunger project.  We originally prayed for at least 35 packs for December 24.  We received 4 packs.  I'm thankful for the four packs.  I'm thankful to the people and to God. 

In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about a blessing indeed of God.  I wrote that those kinds of blessings are not to be confused with anything that man (or woman) can do on their own.  4 packs seems like something that we could have done on our own without prayer...

I also said that if this wasn't God's will all would be revealed.  Maybe this was His way of showing that it wasn't His will.  Maybe it wasn't.  I don't really know.  I don't really understand.  But maybe it's not for me to know or to understand it right now.  Or maybe I'm looking at it totally wrong...

In Isaiah 55:8 God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

There's no reason for me to be discouraged or feel like this project was a failure because as God said in Isaiah 55:8, His ways aren't my ways, nor are His thoughts my thoughts.  He sees things differently than I see them because He's able to see the bigger picture.

And when I look at it from a different angle, it's really not all that bad.  I mean, we wanted at least 35 packs purchased because that would have provided 35 homeless individuals with 10 days worth of meals.  We have a total of 120 packs.  That will provide four days worth of meals for 30 homeless individuals.  That's a definite win. 

Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10 reads, 7 "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:  8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.  10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest  unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto."

I'm to give to those that have a need whatever need it is they have.  I'm not to be grieved in my heart about giving either.  Nor am I supposed to hold on to what I have.  I'm to open up my hand (my purse or my wallet) and give.  And in my giving, my heart should be filled with joy, not grief.  There is no "but" or "unless" or "except" in the verses.  It just says to give and be joyful about giving.

My husband said to me earlier that anything we do for God is a blessing.  He's right.  I want to share some lines from a Smokie Norful song called Don't Quit.  These lines have been blaring in my head since yesterday:

Even when the enemy says this is it
I want to encourage you whatever you do (Whatever you do)
Just dont (just dont quit)

Ive got my own set of challenges yeah yeah yeah
And my friendships sometimes they wear a little thin
I even began to wonder if my own family is (out on me)
I'm tryin to make sense of my life
I'm tryin to over come all that's not right yeah
But sometime you know it seem so helpless hopeless (Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh)

Even when things dont go your way
You gotta hold on to your faith (Oh
Just remember that you're not made to be defeated

Even when the enemy says this is it (Oh Oh)
What ever you do (Hey)
Just dont quit (Oh Oh Oh Oh)
Don't quit (the race is not given to the swift neither is it given to the strong)
Don't give in (Cause its already written yeah)
We win in the end (we win in the end)
So hold on (even when the devil says to give up and just through in the towel I came to encourage you)
Whatever you do (just don't)
Just dont quit (Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh)

My Prayer:  Heavenly Father, forgive me for my negative attitude, that keeps me from staying focused on You and from truly trusting You.  Lord, I, like the boy's father in Mark 9:24, say to you with much humility that I do believe; please help my unbelief.  I thank You so much that even though I'm not always faithful to You, You are ALWAYS faithful to me.  Thank You, Lord for each and every one of Your promises.  But most especially I thank You for the ones that say I wasn't made to be defeated, that I have victory in Jesus, that I'm on the winning side.  Thank You also, Lord for reminding me in this song, to not quit, even when it seems hopeless.  And thank You, Father for the 120 Formula 1 nutrition packs we have to put in the homeless packs this Christmas Eve. 

I pray, Lord, that whoever may be reading my blogs will not confuse my moments of discouragement with how awesome You are.  Although I don't always understand why things turn out the way they do, I do trust You.  Therefore, I will continue to praise and worship You each and every day.  Thank You, Lord for Your love, mercy and grace.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

PAR

Day 10

Well I just want to take a moment to give glory and honor and praise to my Almighty Father. King of Kings, Lord of Lords.  Abba Father!  God is so amazing! 

Day 10 was definitely full of blessings.  God is really working in our lives and expanding our territories.  We went to sing Christmas carols tonight.  I was really nervous at first.  I don't know what I expected.  I guess a bunch of closed doors and people turning lights off when they heard us singing.  Instead, we were met with tons of smiling faces, "Thank you!"s and "You guys just made my season (my night)." 

Praise the Lord!  What a blessing to be able to bring a smile to someones' face by singing Christmas music.  I never expected Christmas Caroling to be a way of ministering to people, but it totally is.  If you're not singing secular songs like Jingle Bells (not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with that song), you can really touch someone with God's love.  Songs such as, Go Tell it on the Mountain, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, O Come O Come Emmanuel are truly blessings. 

Even though our voices didn't compare to the Mississippi Mass Choir (that would have totally rocked!!), we were really just singing and worshiping Jesus, and I think it came through the music.  It was also truly an honor to be able to pray with people on their doorsteps. 

Finally, when Marcus and I got home from caroling, we discovered someone had made the first purchase for Operation Shake the Hunger!!!!!!  I don't know about Marcus, but I was so excited I wanted to just jump up and down shouting praises to God.  "Thank you, Jesus!"  How exciting is that?!  I'm so excited about seeing God work in this project.  We have no idea who it is that did it, but God bless that person abundantly. 

Talk about expanding our territories.  I'd never ever gone out caroling before.  I don't even think I ever would have done it.  But I'm so glad that God presented the opportunity.  I'm so thankful for being able to go out into the community tonight and be a blessing to the different individuals. 

What can I say about Operation Shake the Hunger?  God is definitely expanding our territories with this.  Neither one of us has ever started anything this big.  To know that we're doing something this big for God gives my heart such an overwhelming feeling of joy.  I can't do anything but thank Him for giving us the courage to move forward with it.  I'm so thankful for the first purchase and I'm so thankful for future purchases for Operation Shake the Hunger.

God is so good.  I'm just in awe and amazed by His faithfulness.  And I'm so thankful that God's faithfulness has nothing to do with how faithful we are to Him.  I look forward to God's hand continuing to work in and through our lives and to His continued blessings indeed.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:  To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night...For thou, Lord hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands."  Psalm 92:1-2, 4

PAR

Operation Shake the Hunger!

Hey, guys! Our church is putting together homeless packs to give out to homeless individuals at our Christmas Eve dinner/service. Marcus and I want to get some nutrition shake mix for the packs and are asking friends and family members to help us by purchasing them for donations. Our goal is to get at least 35 nutrition shake mix packs to donate. Each pack contains 30 packets of shake mix, which equals about 10 days worth of healthy meal shakes.

We are asking that you go to http://www.shopherbalife.com/magpar . Click on shop, under the Weight Management column click on Formula 1, the products we're asking people to purchase is the Formula 1 Healthy Meal Nutrition Shake Mix Packets. There are 7 different flavors to choose from. I'd prefer you pick either vanilla or chocolate, but it's your choice.

Also, we're asking that you make your purchase between 12/13-12/21 and that you'll have the products delivered to:

Attn: Marcus & Patricia Griggs
5525 Oakdale Ave.
#240
Woodland Hills, CA 91364


Furthermore, in the spirit of Christmas, we'll be donating 60% of what we earn to our church. Please email us at magpar02@gmail.com , if you have any questions or want more details. Also, feel free to share this with your friends.  PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE help us be a blessing to homeless individuals in our community this season.  Thanks for your support!  God Bless!

Marcus and Patricia


Luke 6:38 "Give, and it be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.  For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."