More Life Wisdom from the Wizard of Ads...

My Holiday Gift to You... For Real

Tom Hennen has a line in his poem, The Life of a Day, that says, “We examine each day before us with barely a glance and say, ‘no, this isn’t one I’ve been looking for,’ and wait in a bored sort of way for the next, when we are convinced, our lives will start for real.”

That line is a little bit frightening because you read it and realize you’re guilty. You’ve been waiting for that day when your life will start “for real.” The trouble with life is that it’s just so daily. I share this with you because I’ve been thinking about my two grandfathers who are dead and my father who is likewise and I’ve come to the obvious conclusion: Live while you have the chance.

“Papa was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home…” - The Temptations, 1971. In the final moments of his life, my father scribbled a note for me to find. In barely legible pencil he scrawled, “All the little things in life add up to your life. If you don't get it right then nothing else matters. It gets lonely in the promised land by yourself.” My Dad died lonely, I think, because he never made deep commitments. My father’s confession of his loneliness makes me sad, but his scribbled note tells me he wanted me to learn from his mistake. I meet a lot of people who sigh deeply and say they’re looking for their passion, something to set their souls on fire and send beams of light shining out through their eyes. But the people with light shining from their eyes know this: Passion does not produce commitment. Commitment produces passion. Solomon, that wise king, spent years of his life searching for passion. In chapter 9 of the chronicle of that search, the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

People read that and think Solomon is saying, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die," but that's not it at all. He's saying, "Throw your whole heart into whatever you do. Live while you have the chance."

This is my Holiday gift to you, I hope you will receive it: Find something that needs to be done and throw yourself headlong into it. Let today be the day your life begins for real.

Roy H. Williams

"May you live all the days of your life."- Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels

12 Ways to Serve Others this Season

I've been working on "The 12 Days of Christmas" for Point of Grace and yesterday we started presenting it to our congregation. We've chosen 12 opportunities for people to serve others this holiday season. I challenge everyone to make this Christmas season their family's best ever by experiencing the joy of giving to other people. What may seem like a small gesture to you, may make all the difference in the world to someone else.

Here are the 12 Days of Christmas opportunities...

1. Waukee Adopt a Family - Point of Grace is adopting 40 families from the Waukee School District and our congregation, along with friends and families, will be providing what the children in these families need and want this Christmas.

2. Festival of Trees and Lights - This is an annual fundraiser for Blank Children's Hospital. It takes place Sat 11/25 through Sunday 11/29 and they are always in need of volunteers to work 3-4 hour shifts.

3. Gift Wrapping for the Heart Connection - The Heart Connection is an organization that provides support for children with cancer and their families. One of their biggest fundraisers each year is a gift wrapping station at Valley West Mall. They are in need of lots of volunteers who like to wrap gifts!

4. Hope Ministries/Token for the Broken - Donate bus tokens (10 for $15) for those who are in emergency shelters, so that they can get to appointments, jobs, ect.

5. Christmas Gifts for Friendship Center - One Saturday each month, the Friendship Center (located at MLK and Meek) hosts a dinner for families in their area who are in need. In December, along with dinner, parents will be provided with a $20 gift card to Walmart so they can purchase gifts or food for their family.

6. Miracle of the Bell - Find out when and where you can ring the bell for the Salvation Army at http://www.ringbells.org/

7. Waukee Food Pantry - Monday nights from 6p-8p you can help sort food at the Waukee Food Pantry.

8. Deliver Christmas Dinner with Hope Ministries - From 9am-12noon on Christmas Day, volunteers will be delivering hot meals to those who are unable to leave their homes or afford Christmas Dinner.

9. Des Moines Dream Center Food Distribution - Saturday 11/21, 12/5, and 12/19 from 8:30am to 12:30pm, volunteers pack up bags of groceries at Eastwood church and distribute them at Evelyn Davis Park and Bates Park to people who need the assistance.

10. Christmas Party and Cookie Decorating - This is a great opportunity to show your children a special serving opportunity. The residents of Walden Point Assisted Living Center are hosting a cookie decorating party on Sat, Dec 12th at 1:30. Many of the residents don't get to see their own grandchildren very often and they look forward to sharing this special activity with your families.

11. Teen Challenge Wives Weekend - Teen Challenge is a Christ-based program that helps men who have fallen into addiction and lost their way to find hope again and get their lives moving in the right direction. In January they will have a Wives Weekend where they work on restoring their marriages and their families. We will provide each wife with a gift bag full of items such as lotions, soaps, Christian books and music, and more.

12. Christmas Caroling - Sat 12/12 and Sat 12/19 from 4:30p-8:30p, join us as we set out to visit those who are ill or homebound to brighten their day with Christmas Carols and goodie bags filled with Christmas treats.

If you are interested in being a part of any of these opportunities, let me know! I can give you more information or point you in the right direction.

Blessings for a wonderful holiday season! And may each of us never forget what has been given for us during this season when Christ first came.