Each year at Christmas our church does many different things to help people. One of them is adopting families for Christmas to provide them with gifts, food, clothes, etc. This year we had waaay more families that needed help than last year. 40 to be exact. And that was just from our normal source. We also had 4 from another ministry and 1 that called here personally. And the church adopted them all. 45 families in total. That’s in addition to helping with the Christmas Store at BMC, Seafarers boxes,  our own personal Santa here in the church, and all the other stuff people do elsewhere (like with your book club or work).

Forty-five families, wow. That’s amazing, but it took a good bit of effort. The last 10 or so really took a while. I wasn’t sure it was going to happen, but people responded with love and it did.

Then this morning a woman called asking if we could help with Christmas. She’s sick, been in the hospital, doesn’t have the $$ and hasn’t had the ability to do any shopping, etc. It’s three days before Christmas, people are on vacation, and the church is fairly maxed out so to speak. So I told her - I’ll try, but you should probably keep calling other churches.

So I get off the phone and sit here thinking - who can I send an email too or call that might be able to help. I’m still sitting here, still thinking, and nothing has come up yet.

BAM

My phone rings.

Phone - “Chris”
Cliff - “uh - Cliff”
Phone - “Cliff…or Chris…or…which one?”
Cliff - “Cliff - C-L-I-F-F”
Phone - “Cliff, ok, hi, my name is CHURCH MEMBER and I heard you were having a problem adopting out some families….”

Isn’t God great. Doesn’t that make you happy. I hadn’t even typed out my email or thought of a person to call yet and God had someone call me instead. Not even 3 minutes after I had gotten off the phone with the family that needed help!

Anyways, I just wanted to share that with you. Merry Christmas

FlickrMail

I was contacted today via email by the Schmap Washington DC Guide. Apparently they liked some of my pictures that I took in Washington D.C.. Two of my photos have been short-listed for inclusion in the sixth edition of the Schmap Washington DC Guide, to be published mid-December 2008.

This one and this one.

Short-listed means that they go to whatever committee/group makes the final decision on the pictures. Mine could get chosen.

Am I famous yet? I think I might be. If you recognize me in the street you should probably yell and scream, get all giddy, and come over to get my autograph…just to be safe.

Or if you prefer HEX - 49 20 6c 6f 76 65 20 54 65 72 65 73 61 2e.