How to be rich

For the past few years, our church, Browns Bridge Community Church, and the 2 other campuses in the area have teamed up with a few non-profits in the area during the holiday season as part of their BE RICH campaign.

What is BE RICH you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked.

It's based on 1 Timothy 6:18:

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Something that sounds SO easy often is SO hard to do. I mean, we lead very busy lives, don't we. Most of us would rather just cut a check than donate our time. BE RICH calls us to do one or the other - or both!

Last year, our small group decided to volunteer at 2 local non-profits. It was difficult to get all of the couples together (since we usually babysat each other's kids) so we decided to have a Women's Volunteer Day & a Men's Volunteer Day. I'll be honest, I wasn't too thrilled about having to do manual labor. I'd much rather donate my time behind a desk somewhere.

But once I got out there and started scraping & painting, I was SO glad I did. I was totally out of my comfort zone, but God showed me that sometimes the best way to help is not how I want to help, but how HE needs me to help. It was an amazing experience.

This year, our small group has decided to something a little different for our BE RICH project.

We had decided to help a single mom and stock her pantry for the upcoming Christmas season. Honestly, we weren't sure where this was going to go. Heck, we didn't even know how we would find a single mom who needed our help. Yet, as always, not only did God provide a single mom, He provided a family too!!! Our little 'project' has turned into something a little bigger.

We couldn't keep this to ourselves. I mean, we could keep this to ourselves & help these 2 families, but we want to show just how great our God is. We've opened it up to our families & friends.

What does that mean?

From now until December 1st, we will be collecting non-perishables, gift cards, money, clothing - any donated item - so that we can truly stock these families pantries. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could not only stock the pantries for December, but for January too!!! God's in control of just how big this is going to be. We're just blessed that we can be the catalysts for this project.

Want to help? You are more than welcome! Feel free to email me and let me know. My email address for this project is: sg.berich@gmail.com

How else can you help? We would LOVE your prayers most of all.

Many blessings,
Allison

Lucky 13

Where do I begin? It's a love story like no other. It doesn't involve a princess or a prince. It certainly isn't a fairy tale.

13 years ago, I walked down the aisle of my childhood church to marry the man that God chose for me. Little did I know what God had in store for us.

I'd love to say that it has been a blissful 13 years, but I'd be lying. We've had our problems; financial & relational. God hasn't always been at the center of our marriage. At one point, we would have become another marriage statistic.

I wish someone would have pulled me aside and told me that marriage takes work - hard work.

I've known this man since we were 15. He was my 1st boyfriend... He was the 1st boy I ever kissed. And now he will be the last boy I ever kiss.

I am SO proud to be his wife. His help meet. His partner in life. I am the mother of his 2 children. One day I will the grandmother of his grandchildren. There are nights where I just lie in bed, amazed that I am laying next to him. The boy that I kicked under that church pew 23 years ago. The young man that stole my heart on our 1st date back in 1993.