Gospel of Mark, Chapter 12, 41) "Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42) Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43) So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44) for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." New King James Version, (NKJV)

Good morning where today many will be participating in something called Giving Tuesday, here on this November 27, 2018. Following Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, where purchasing was championed, today is a day emphasizing the giving to causes to support the less fortunate. I mention this only to say that technology has ushered in a whole new world in terms of giving opportunities. One cannot open any of the social media platforms without being offered an opportunity to help fund every cause under the sun. The same goes for email, the bell ringers at the front doors of businesses, and a plethora of other folks with their hands out for what often appears to be legitimate needs. Of course, these are all in addition to giving through local congregations and religious institutions. A firm that tracks giving, Charity Navigator, reported that over $410 billion was given to charities in America last year. A whopping 70% of this came from individuals and it represented more than a 5% increase over the previous year. America leads the world in giving as a percentage of our GDP, (Gross Domestic Product). This comes from a study by the Charities Aid Foundation. Following the US was New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom. One thing is clear from The Scriptures, those who identify as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called to be givers. Not just money. In the life of a believer, everything should flow from a giving heart. I do have one caveat to share. I would advise anyone responding to these appeals to check out those collecting the funds. Some add a surcharge. In fact, sadly, there are some operating where very little of the monies collected end up going to the cause being promoted. As always, it pays to check things out.

I am running a little late today because of that creepy thing that slips up on me from time to time: Writers Block. It's not from me not having stuff to share, but, even though it may not be evident, I do try to choose things that will have a modicum of interest. I typically sit in the same pew in the local fellowship where we attend. There's a fairly large circle in that area that I have come to recognize and know, to a surface degree. I usually wear a suit and tie. Some of them know that I am Santa but many do not. It's interesting to see their reaction when they find out. The other day a lady said to me, "Here I am sitting a couple of rows from you all the time and I didn't know you were Santa." She continued, "But, when my daughter sent me a photo of my granddaughter in your lap, well, I told her, I know those people, they go to my Church, and I sit near them every Sunday!" Grandkids. Instant recognition. They will do it every time. The photo above is one taken by a professional photographer in an outdoor shoot we did a few weeks ago. (Her name is Amy Osborne and that little logo thingie on the photo means it is her proprietary work.) The little girl is whispering what she wants for Christmas. This is the first one she has put up on her Facebook page but I look forward to seeing the others she took that day.

Yep. You got it right on the first guess. I am still searching for something good to share but at the same time, I am sharing on my way to getting there. It's not as if I haven't been in this place before. I've read quite a lot about what one should do when faced with a blank page. I think one of the common threads is to keep on keeping on, keep on writing. Write through it. I do hate to drag my readers along for the ride, but, once again, it is a daily blog, therefore, not every one of them are going to be winners. But, you knew that already. My grandfather always had a cure for whatever he thought was ailing me. If I wasn't running a temperature, he suggested accompanying him to the garden or to assist in whatever project he was working on. His answer for nearly anything and everything was to get up off your backside and get to work. If nothing else that would provide a distraction. I think I've distracted us all enough for one day. One thing I can feel good about is how that God knows everything about each and every one. The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. In a recent lesson in our Bible study group, I'm not sure why but this verse stuck out to me, "When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless." (Genesis 29:31) Was God paying attention? Was He aware of exactly what was going on? Some of us live as if He only cares about the monumental. Nope. He cares about it all even when we might be unloved. Like I say, I'm not completely sure why that verse hit me, but, it did, therefore, I thought it worth sharing. Take care. Now. You hear? May God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.