Do I do this or not?

Do I do this or not? This is the question I ask of myself.

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.” Proverbs 3:9 NIV

Do I trust the Lord with this command? I keep looking for the addendum to this verse. Surely the Lord meant to add four more words onto this request. “If you want to.” I pulled out all my versions, NIV, NET, NLT, Amplified. Nope not in any of these versions. So do I obey or not? That is the question of the day.

Kevin and I have prayed. We have received our answer. Obey.

My first book will be released in October. My first fruits of my new crop will go to the Lord.

“Through Their Eyes – 40 days of celebrating the birth of Jesus through the eyes of the first Christmas People”

It’s a Christmas journey. It will take 40 days. I pray you will experience that first Christmas like it was yesterday. Over two thousand years ago, Jesus entered our world quietly. Many recognized this epic event. Others were totally oblivious to it all. Though the Son of God came to bring new life, eternal life to all, many missed that blessed Christmas season.

Simeon spoke over Jesus, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34-35 NIV.

This is my first book. It is a collection of my thoughts of the very first Christmas.

God gave us the greatest Christmas gift ever given. Jesus Christ His One and Only begotten Son.

I will give back to the Lord.

The first 300 books sold 100% of the book sales will go to IAMNOT4GOTTEN Ministries. Every book sold thereafter, Kevin and I will donate all my royalties back to the ministry. Every check written to buy this book will be made payable to IAMNOT4GOTTEN. Every credit card charged will go to IAMNOT4GOTTEN.

This ministry is very near and dear to my heart. Kevin and I sit on the board of this ministry. Kevin is vice-president. I am treasurer. My daughter Nikki serves on the board also. My brother-in-law, Blaise Campanella is President. His wife, Kevin’s sister, Dixi Campanella is also on the board. My brother and my sister-in-law, Todd and Jodi Guy also serve on the board. Our friends, Kim and Rick York sit on the board with us. Kim is the secretary. We serve in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Under our umbrella of ministry, we serve around 300 women and children throughout the Bole sub city of Addis. This group represents some of the poorest people in this city. The mothers are poverty stricken and barely able to provide for their children. Most are below poverty level of Ethiopia, meaning they can give their children a meal maybe once a day. The Ethiopian government has asked our assistance. We have a school lunch buddy program. We provide a hot meal to 35 school children. For most this is the only meal they will eat that day.

Many of the children we sponsor are HIV+, Some are blind, or lame, or deaf. They are like the ones that Jesus reached out and touched while He walked the face of this earth. We strive to become the hands and feet of Christ to those we serve, to those whom the world may have forgotten. When we go over, we are invited into their homes. We go with our family of believers who live in Ethiopia. Together we reach out and touch and pray with women and children who may be ostracized by their neighbors because of their status in life. These people offer us their best. They don’t have anything to share, but they make us coffee.

“Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44 NIV. These people are just like this woman. They give to us out of their poverty. I want to return their gift. “God I give this book back to you. Lord use it to provide for those You love in Ethiopia.”

We feed the hungry. We give them bread and then we teach them about The Bread of Life. We have a feeding center. We feed between 80 to 100 children who live on the streets of Addis. Most are boys. Most are the shoeshine boys of Addis Ababa. They scratch out a living washing shoes. They may make .25 cents a day, some days not. They may have money for a meal that day, some days not. Thanks to our staff in Addis, these children can walk into the green gates of IAMNOT4GOTTEN and they are served a hot lunch. Just like entering through the wardrobe of Narnia, these boys enter and are taught about the KING OF KINGS and the LORD OF LORDS. “God take this book. It is a meager offering. It is my five loaves of bread and two fish. Multiply it my King to feed the multitudes.”

We have two homes. We have provided 24 boys a place of safety where the Love of God is taught in tangible ways. We have two counsellors, Hemen and Samuel, they speak life into these boys. We have an administrator, Fisshea, he along with our house dads are leading the boys into a life of purpose. We have cooks that provide meals. Their needs are met. “God I pray each of these boys become Fisher of Men. Use them for higher purposes. Use them for Your purpose. Take this book and use it to help change their lives.”

I wrote this book during a time of crisis of belief. My faith was shaking. My house was built on sandy ground. The lessons the Lord taught me while writing strengthened my faith. This book changed me. The words the Lord gave me were the foundation to a new house of faith. It was a house built upon THE ROCK. Jesus is my sure foundation. The forty days it took me to write out my anthology on those first Christmas people proofed my faith. I saw my story written out in their stories.

I hope you enjoy

“THROUGH THEIR EYES”

Please message me to reserve your copy. These books sales will go to change lives.