When your heart aches for the persecuted Church, for orphaned children, for lost souls, and the severely impoverished you can become overwhelmed with a sense that there is not enough money in the entire world to "fix" these things, but there is something you can do starting right now that can make a difference, a big difference.

     Start by thinking about money as a currency that you want to get the most out of.  When you purchase something you want to also be giving a donation at the same time.  It is really easy.  Many organizations now have stores on their web sites.  When you purchase an item you are actually getting an item and making a donation at the same time.  You can even triple the impact of that purchase if the item you have purchased will encourage the receiver of the item in their faith in the Lord.  The idea is to be creative and to think outside the box.

     I am going to talk about several of these ministries and what they offer and how you can utilize their offerings.

     Homebound Missions is an organization with a WORK Haiti program.  This program allows individuals in Haiti to work and earn money.  They mostly make jewelry, but the store offers other items sold by venders in Haiti and items that have been donated to raise money.  Items are very inexpensive  and very appealing to teens.

     Christian Freedom International is an organization that works with the persecuted Church all over Asia.  They have a self help work program and their items are all handcrafted.  CFI has gorgeous items that you will want for personal use and for those special occasion gifts, like weddings, showers, anniversaries, birthdays and such.  They have clothing, purses, basketry, toys and so much more.  Think ahead so you can order items ahead of when they are needed.

     Gospel For Asia offers a wealth of material that will inspire anyone in their Christian walk to care about the least of these and the unsaved.  These books are great friendship gifts to give to someone who is serving the Lord and would be encouraged by hearing about others in the faith.

     Mercy Ships is a fleet of hospitals that sail to different ports around the world offering medical care to thousands.  They have a 2008 Gift Catalogue on their site and it has a very unique selection of gift ideas for the person who has everything.  For $45.00 you can provide agricultural training to 1 person in a village community, $25.00 will pay for a man, woman, or child to receive an eye exam, $25.00 will provide 5 Bibles for recovering patients, and there is so much more.  To give this gift you simply make a donation and then create a lovely card that says, For your Birthday a donation was made in your name to Mercy Ships to provide...  I love getting these types of gifts because I truly want for nothing and I hate when people waste their hard earned money on something I don't need just beacuse they wanted to bless me.  Donate money to something I care about and bless me. 

Voice of the Martyrs has a bookstore complete with videos and DVDs.  They have a great selection of movies for children that will inspire them to care about the persecuted Church and to learn more about it.  They also have a great selection of books for adults who want to understand more about persecution, Islam, and the underground Church.

Now add these sites to your favorites list with a title like: Shopping with a Mission, so that you can quickly go to the sites whenever you have the occasion.

I could go on forever because there are so many ministries that offer this type of opportunity.  Please do not hesitate to share about other Christian organizations that do this as well.  E-mail them to me if you would like me to post them in the blog, or simply use the comments feature to share them.

     The other day I received a telephone call.  It isn't the kind that you want to get.  A friend called to tell me that his 13 year old son had died.  His son, whose name is Justin had lost his battle with cancer.

     We were just finishing up devotions when the call came in and when I returned to the table I couldn't help but cry for the family and their loss.  Justin is surely in heaven I have no doubt about that.  He didn't leave without first leaving his faith as a testimony of the Savior he loved.  But I knew that his mom and dad and sisters and brother were going to miss their oldest brother terribly and I was very sad for them.  We prayed for the family and went about our nightly routine.

     The next day, I called my freinds to see how they were doing and asked if there was anything I could do.  My friends asked if I could make them dinner and I responded that I would do it right away and bring it over. 

     I then gathered my nephew, Shaunan and my daughter Magnalie together.  I told them that we had some ministry to do.  They were both very eager to help.  I explained to them that although we cannot make their pain go away or bring their son back to them, that we could bring them love and care.  "Tonight we are going to bring them love and care" I declared.  Magnalie started right away on making her favorite, corn bread.  Shaunan got out the tools for peeling carrots and potatoes, and I started cutting the keilbasa and began to cook.  With joy and care the children helped me to create a wonderful meal for our friends.  Within a half hour we had a meal made and ready to deliver.

     The next time you find a moment where you need to help the neighbor, a widow, or greiving family.  Bring your children together and make them a part of what you are doing.  Talk to them and tell them what you are doing and why.  This will become a part of who they are as they get older and they will benefit so much from the satisfaction that comes from helping others.

     While talking to a friend of mine, I learned that her dad, Bob was in the hospital and not receiving any visitors.  This didn't seem right because if you know anything about Bob, you know that he is known by everyone, and loved by them as well.  So, Tyler and I decided that we were going to visit him. 

     When we got to Bob's room however, he had other plans for us.  You see, Bob's plan was to minister to anyone who came to his room.  He was already witnessing to all the nurses, doctors, aids, and cleaning personel.

     Within minutes of entering his room, his Bible was on his lap.  This was not just any Bible, this was the biggest Bible I had seen in a long time.  There in his hospital bed he began to read scripture to Tyler and I and to share from his heart.

     He then began to tell us about his trips for coffee. 

     Every morning Bob gets ready for work and heads out to get a coffee. He is self employed and this offers him the luxury of going at his own pace. It doesn't matter if it is Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, or any other coffee place, because "it isn't about the coffee".  His sole purpose for being there is to say hello to the person behind the counter, to smile at them and to build a relationship from which he can then share the love  of Christ.  He knows all the workers names, he knows about their families and children, and the struggles they have shared, but most importantly they know he cares about them. 

     This is Bob's currency: a smile, a warm moment of caring and talking and with it he leads the lost to Christ.

     What a versitile currency this is.  We can use it at the grocery store, the pharmacy, the gas station, just about any place where we regularly come in contact with another person.  After all it isn't or shouldn't be about the groceries, the perscriptions, gas, or anything else.  It should be about reaching the lost person we meet when we set out for those things.

     I have a free book to recommend, Revolution in World Missions, by KP Yohannan.  It will set your heart on fire for missions.  I know it did mine.

I read a quote in Guidepost Magazine, April 2008. I thought it was worth sharing.

"Real heroes don't save the world, they serve the world." -submitted by Linda Bird

     This is absolutely the most important concept I could blog about.  I am about to completely change your ideas about ministry, missions, & money.

     I want to show you how you can dramatically increase your ability to give by changing the way you think. It is really simple.  The next time you have a burden to give, help, or reach out I want you to ask yourself, "What currency do I have to meet this need?"  I want you to even pretend that you need to meet this challenge without money. 

     Many years ago, I faced a dilemma.  I had a deep burden for the persecuted church and missions, but absolutely zero money. What could I do? 

     Christian Freedom International was one of the organizations that I wanted to help. I was impressed by their self help store and decided the way I could help is through the store.  I called and talked to CFI.  They were thrilled I wanted to help and were willing to send me some samples.  I then planned a home party; invited freinds and family.  The day of the party I served refreshments, showed a short video about CFI, and passed around catalogs and samples of the items that were for sale.  That event raised $2500.  in sales and donations for CFI.  I could not have written that check, but because I was able to think creatively I was able to create an event that did.  My friends and family joined together to make a difference.

     I realize that this example was really an example that raised money, so lets talk about how we can discover more currency in our lives.  Money is currency, so what are other forms of currency?  Currency can be our resources, talents, time, creativity,and our excesses.

     Resources can be who we know, what we know, and what we can learn, see How It All Began, to see how I used resources as currency.

    Talents are unlimited in the ways they can be used as currency.  Sewing can be a way to dress entire orphanages, crafts can be used to raise funds, other talents such as medical, secreterial and more can be donated to organizations.

    Time is probably the least valued, but most valueable of all, and it can fix things that money cannot help at all.  Time to visit the elderly, or a child who has lost a parent, or wife who has lost a husband.  Time to pray.

    Creativity is what will keep you thinking and responding with currency.   The ideas will become endless and you will find yourself giving like never before.

    Lastly, our excess.  Who would of thought that what we don't need could be used as currency.  Salvation Army has used this currency to build a major part of its ministry.

    So go ahead and start thinking in currency.  I challenge you to something that is so much fun that it will open up opportunities you never knew existed.

    And please, share your ideas about currency with us.  The Church working with currency could be a very powerful force.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:21