Hope-NWA

After accecpting the challenge I found out that there was a boy in my violin class at school couldnt afford a book that the whole class needed.After school, later that day i was telling my mom and dad about the boy and I decided to use the money to buy him the book. He has the book now just like the other kids and I know it was what God wanted me to do. It was the right thing.

"I have a close friend who is on disability. Several health issues (surgery, etc.) have prevented her from getting a part-time job to help her with living expenses. In conversation, she mentioned to me that she wasn't going to be able to go to her Bible study that week because she didn't have money for gas. Just a few days following that conversation, we had the $10 gift day at Grace Point Church. God put her on my heart immediately and I knew to whom my $10 would go. She was so excited when I took the money to her and told her the story. She rejoiced that God had provided her way to Bible study.

"Last week she shared with me that she wasn't going to be able to fill all of her prescriptions this month because she didn't have the money. Her electric bill had been higher than she had anticipated. I didn't know for sure if we could help her, but she was heavy on my heart. That evening, I had gone somewhere and upon returning, found my husband cleaning out a "catch-all" cabinet in the kitchen. It was the holding spot for all school papers and other items that we didn't want to throw away. Not only was his cleaning the cabinet unexpected, but it was also not like him to be performing the task! I walked up and started sorting some piles while I shared my heart about helping my friend. In a few minutes I heard my husband say, "Well, well, it looks like I've found the prescription money!" At some time in the past, Grace Point Church had placed $10 bills attached to a blue sheet giving suggestions for blessing someone else with the money in the Sunday bulletin. Somehow, all three of our $10 bills/sheets had been safely put away in the cabinet "for such a time as this". I remembered receiving a $10 rebate check in the mail from Lowe's just days before and it was sitting on the counter. We were excited to have $40 to give my friend to enable her to get her prescriptions. She would also be able to reserve some of it for future prescriptions.

"A very deserving and appreciative woman is joining us in giving God the glory for His perfect timing and provision!"

"Today, Nathan and I went to breakfast together and we were sitting towards the back side of the restaurant. I still had my $10 and GPC info card and was waiting until I felt lead to find someone to give them to. I had pulled the envelope out and had it on the table, I felt that this was where I was to use it. I spotted an older gentleman sitting alone at a corner table at the very back of the restaurant. I looked at Nathan and put my hand on the envelope and nodded my head, he carefully looked behind him and he said "him?" I said yes! So I was trying to find our waiter to give him the money and card so he could give it to the gentleman anonymously. The man finished his meal and got up and went to the restroom. His waiter went over to his table and cleaned it off all but his drink. I thought "this is my chance", I made eye contact with his waiter and asked him to please give that man in the corner the money and info card, but please do it anonymously. He smiled and shook his head and said OK.

"I will tell you that I was nervous and excited at the same time waiting for him to come back to his table. He returned and sat down, picked up the money and looked confused. His waiter came over and explained to him why it was there. The look on his face was sheer amazement and wonder. He smiled with disbelief. He told his waiter that he has been a teacher of the gospel before, but that no one has ever done something like this for him before. I tried hard to be very cool and continue about my business, but I looked over and it looked as though his eyes welled up with tears as he drank the last of his water before leaving. I had to turn my head in the opposite direction because I began to tear up too.

"He got up from his table smiling and his waiter came back over to him and he was talking about the GPC info card and said that he hadn't been there before but that he was going to call or come by. He did tell the waiter, " there are still good people out there". The waiter came over to me after and told me what was said. I think the waiter my have even been touched by it. Our waiter was told about it and he made a comment about how nice it is to see that. By showing one person God's love in a practical way, may have affected two others as well.

"Mike, Thank you for challenging me to step out of my comfort zone! I have come along way in sharing the Word, but this was truly amazing!"

"I haven't opened my envelope but want to share how today's sermon helped me to be an encourager. I teach kindergarten and some of my peers got some very challenging kiddos this year. While at the store, I bought my team of teachers each a Snickers bar. I made little notes that say 'Hoping today brings you something to SNICKER about!' I plan to hand them out first thing in the morning to give everyone something to smile about before the challenges start. I can't wait to be shown what I need to do with the money in the envelope!"

"I just wanted to say that [my husband] and I left church yesterday and decided to go to Sonic in Bentonville, not with the $10 but because we were hungry. We put in our order and then a car pulled up two slots down from us. The car had no hubcaps as well as bald tires. There was an older gentleman inside and his back seat was filled with boxes taped up and an old suitcase. He really looked as though he could use some words of encouragement. My husband got out and went over with the $10 and our Church card and told him his lunch was on us today. He said he was moving down to Fayetteville and he seemed as though he had some health issues as well. We asked if there was something else we could do and he said he could use some gas. My husband came back to the car and got a $20 and gave the gentleman. I feel so blessed to be a part of this church and your leadership."

"I just happened to see an article on my face book page from the lady who owns Susie-Q saying that one of her employees' baby had just died Monday night and that the parents had no money to pay for the funeral and that
they were in need i had the envelope from Sunday in my purse and i just felt that god wanted me to give it to them i wrote in the envelope that god is with them at this so so sad time. i also would like to ask you to pray for the baby's parents. Idont know this young couple and i had been praying about what to do with the $10.00 I know that this is not a happy encouragement but it is still very encouraging to know that God is with us know matter what our time of need is and that all of us as a Grace Point Family do care."

"This morning on facebook I received a message from the Susie-Q Malt Shop that their day cook, Nathan, lost his 3 month old baby yesterday. They were asking that customers help Nathan and Becky with the funeral expenses, as they have no savings to pay for it. God nudged us to give our $10 bills to them and match it with funds of our own. I enclosed it in a Christian sympathy card, along with the Gracepoint invitation card. We could not think of a better way to extend God's love at this time of crushing hurt in their lives."

"After church on Sunday, we both were discussing to whom we would give our $10.00. My husband chose a woman whom he works with. She is a single mom of two lovely girls. She grew up as a Muslim in a very stong Muslim family. After leaving her husband, she became a Christian and has little contact with her family because of that. My husband spent 10 years with his mother being a single mom. He knows the hardships and sacrifices that a single mom makes and goes through. This sweet lady was so appreciative of the $10.00 gesture. She said that she and her girls were going to go together for dinner that night! Although she is not currently attending church, she has visited Grace Point and her heart is open to learning more about Christ."

"I was wondering what could I do to encourage someone. As a friend and I drove through Sonic today, it was lunch time. The clouds were building, and rush hour to pick up something quick in a drive through was written on each vehicle in the drive through. As we picked up our drinks, my friend gave the cashier the money and card from GPC. She explained that this was to help someone behind us. I do not know who was behind us. However a Sonic near Walmart and lunch time, the fury of rushed customers was an opportunity to share the Love of God and lift someone up today."

"I have a friend who struggles with same-sex attraction. He has been married since the age of 18, but returned to the gay lifestyle when his marriage fell apart. Shortly thereafter, he lost two grandchildren to the state when his daughter was incarcerated for drug abuse. Today I took him to lunch, and listened to more of his story. I heard about his sexual abuse as a child, his domineering mother, his emotionally absent father, as well as the porn he was exposed to at a very early age. He is beginning to realize that his story is a recipe that has been used countless times by Satan to trap men into thinking they were "born" homosexual, but now he wants to break free from the stronghold that has bound him for as long as he can remember. We have agreed to meet at least once a week for discipleship, sharing and prayer. His lunch cost about $8, but I also plan to purchase and give him a book by John Eldridge called, "Wild at Heart." One of the major themes of this book is that men must ultimately find true masculinity and identity from God the Father, because our earthly fathers--no matter how good or bad they were--were imperfect."

"My husband took some flowers to the local nursing home and spent some time visiting. He has had a heart for this for awhile. He is going to be volunteering there in the coming weeks. I sent a card with the money to a coworker/friend who is struggling financially and in other areas of life. I wrote a loving message with a verse. I did not sign it but just let her know someone was thinking of her."

"I was able to provide a meal for a homeless man today. I was on my way to Starbucks for a latte when I saw a man on the side of the road with a sign that said "homeless anything will help". I asked him if he was hungry and he shook his head yes so I told him to meet me at Braums about a hundred yards away. He walked over and I asked him the pleasantries - hello, how he was and his name. I asked if I could buy him a burger. He said sure and thanked me. When we got into Braums he told me he was living in the woods with his wife, that she had seizures and that she needed medicine. He asked me if I knew of any place that could help and I referred him to the Samaritan house b/c they can provide food/necessities and perhaps tell him somewhere that could help with medicine. I then gave him the Connection Card and told him that we would love to have him come to our church, where it was and told him that I would be praying for him and his wife. He thanked me and then I left. I wanted to stay to talk to him but it was so crowded and he seemed to be uncomfortable and I didn't want him to feel any more uncomfortable than he already was. I think to myself if I were in that position how hard it would be, the humiliation, the awkwardness, the feeling of no control of when I eat or a place to sleep, hopelessness. I just didn't want to make him feel even more humiliated, I wanted him to feel like there is someone out there that truly cares for him; if only for a minute I could share Christ's love with someone. When I got in my car I felt for him, I prayed for him and his wife and that venti latte I was going for didn't sound so appetizing. There I was in my car with money in hand to get an outrageously priced coffee (a want not a need) when there are people out there who can't even buy food. God sure does use others and circumstances to humble us, convict us to do more for others and to be able to see just a glimmer of what He sees all the time. All He wants is for us to do His will, to love and help others the way He does. If we think about it, that could be any one of us at some time in our lives; we never know why people are in the position they are in. I praise Him for all He is and does. I thank Him for providing just $10 through Grace Point so that I could buy a homeless man a meal to fill his hungry stomach."

"Today I used the encouragement money to send a candy bouquet to a lady I met at "She Anticipates". She is only 28 years old and is fighting breast cancer. She told me that she is "searching" and had been invited to Grace Point to hopefully find the answers she is looking for. I pray that this simple act brings some hope to her heart today. Thank you Grace Point for thinking outside the religious box and mobilizing us to share God's heart!"

"I have been holding on to my envelope... I know you might say "why". Even though I know there are people all around I did not feel a strong leading to let it go. Also God has been working on me to not dismiss others because their appearance is that they got it more together than myself. But that is a differant story."

"My sons go to speech therapy at Mercy Clinic twice a week and this week I prayed and felt let to watch those coming and going from the clinic to see if God showed me someone who was in need. My thoughts where that we all get sick at time's of financial inconvenience but we still have to go to the doctor or take our child in. Most days this week I did not see many people. Today I noticed a Mother and Her daughter sitting in the grass outside as I pulled in the parking lot. I stoped and asked her, the mother, if they needed anything. She replied that they where just waiting for her sister who had dropped her off so her daughter could see a doctor, but her sister had to run her parents to the hospital for an EKG and whould be right back. I said okay and pulled on. As I waited on my oldest to finish I could not stop thinking about her and her daughter out there. After I picked up my son I drove and parked in the parking space beside where they where sitting. I got out and walked over to her with the envelope in my hand. I told her that I go to Grace Point Church and asked if she goes to church, she said yes and stuttered out a name. I can only imagine what she was thinking, that I might be getting ready to preach to her. I simply said that our church is in the middle of a encouragement program to help encourage the people of North West Arkansas and that I have been greatly encouraged, enriched and blessed by the Lord and wanted to share that blessing with her and gave her the envelope. I said that I hoped her daughter was better soon and asked if it was her mom or dad that was getting the EKG, She opened up and told me that a lot was happening at once to her, Her Mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer two weeks ago and that is why she was having a EKG done today, that yesterday her car broke down and she thinks it is just the distributor cap as it quites running every time it rains. The transmission on her sisters car went out and that is why between her, her sister and her parents they only have one car right now. Because her daughter was sick she had to take her to work with her this morning and was able to get off just in time to bring her to the clinic at the same time her mother had her EKG scheduled. As we where talking her sister called and said she was almost there. I told her I would pray for her and she replied "please do we need all the pray we can get right now."

"So I know that my friends know, my BLG at GPC knows, my prayerful warrior ladies I trust know, that my husband lost his job suddenly after years of service. My husband gave his to a homeless man who needed work, and even offered him a job, the man never came in, but that is just who my husband is, he would give anyone who needed it a job, he'd make room in his labor budget. I gave my 10$ to a young man at Panera who had one time early this year when I was hungry and embarrassed that my last 5$ wasn't enough to get a sandwhich gave me the 26cents out of his own pocket to feed me and he gave me a drink too when I hadn't even paid for it, he paid for that too. I have wanted to pay him back since but just hadn't been able to, I went up to him in front of his boss and co-workers and gave him the 10$ telling him that God had seen what he did for me, and he fed me when I was hungry and that my thankfulness was even bigger than the 10$, he was floored, it made my day and I felt so happy that God had let me and helped me repay my debt.

"Then, here we are at today, I was doing my bible study, sitting outside soaking in God's goodness, writting down a list of what I am thankful for, right now it is easy to get mired down in what there is to be NOT thankful for. I was reading in Romans how Paul restated the story Lory had told on Tuesday night about Sara and Abraham's physical proof that hope was not alive yet they hoped anyway. I started to feel like a dummy for doubting God and being an isreallite, I prayed for his super natural intervention in my and my husband's life and our 5 kids too. That my son who was/is willing to give up his saved money for Mali to help us pay rent, buy groceries and live until we are back on our feet, that my daughter who is willing to baby sit for free her siblings to let us work at night, and my three little ones who are happy and undisturbed by our reality, that we would see God in this, that we would have a moment to be joyful that we didn't have to make up. That someone would hear our crys for help that we wouldn't have to beg for help, that we have favor in our job search and interviews that have been held this week.

"I closed my bible, stood up and an envelope fell to the floor, "from a friend...." $20, two brand new 10$ bills and a GPC mini card/tent. It has been several weeks since the 10$ give away. I lost it, tears of relief, you got me. I wasn't supposed to be on the other end of such thoughfulness. I appreciate it more than you can know or I can write."

"My husband has been building a friendship with a guy that is a patient and the therapy clinic that he works at. This guy used to be involved in the KKK, in gangs and has been in prison. About a month ago his brother died and he has had a hard time dealing with it. The other day my husband had the opportunity to lead this man to Christ. The other day he said that he couldn’t read his Bible because the print was too small. We put our money together and bought him a large print Bible."

"Laurel and I both had a hard time in the first week, trying to find someone to encourage. However, during the second week, I joined a group from work and went to YouthBridge in Centerton to paint one of their buildings. I
didn't even know what YouthBridge did, but as we were finishing that day, I felt like I needed to find out more. I spoke with one of the directors and found out that they serve 12 to 17 year old kids for a variety of reasons,
like abuse, neglect, or drug abuse. I still did not get to meet any of the kids and left a little disappointed that I did not connect with anyone other than my coworkers. As I was leaving, I notice that the basketball goals had
nets that were pretty torn up and that gave me an idea on how I could use my 10 dollars for encouragement. I told Laurel about this and she thought it was a good idea too, and added her $10. We bought two new nets and two
basketballs and headed to Youthbridge on Saturday. We had Jake, our 15 year old son, with us but did not tell him where we were going. When we arrived, I went to the boys dorm and knocked on the door, which was locked. The
counselor answered the door and I explained how I had been there on Wednesday painting and noticed the basketball nets and how I had brought replacements. I asked if some of the kids could come out and help install
the nets, but she said they have not been behaving and were in "time out". She did volunteer to see if some of the girls could come out, so we walked over to the girls dorm. Three girls came out with one of their counselors and helped get the nets installed. Pretty soon, a few boys were also able to come out and install the net on the opposite goal. As we worked, we introduced ourselves and got their names, and soon we were playing horse.
Jake joined in with me and we played ball with these kids for about an hour. It was a simple thing, shooting hoops with these teenagers, but it was a connection point. A few times, the counselors reminded the kids to say thank you, which generally got a response of shrugging and eye rolling. However, as we were leaving, several of them looked us in the eyes and said thank you and I know they meant it. I could really sense that they appreciated the time we spent hanging out with them. I think about these kids a lot and pray for them as often. Laurel made a connection with one of the girls and noticed she had 'cutting' scars running about 6 inches down one arm. She has thought about that girl and prayed for her everyday since. It was only $20 and about an hour and a half of our Saturday, but Wow! It was a very impactful experience for the three of us! Our eyes and hearts are open a little wider than they were before."

"I had my envelope in my purse for about two weeks and just wasn't sure who to bless with it. Well, last Friday my family went to an event for families who have children with Autism. It was a BBQ at the Autumn's ReRide Youth Ranch in Bentonville. It is a place where children can take horse riding lessons. The ranch does not charge a fee, but instead is strictly run by donations. There was about fifty people who showed up that night for the event. The owners, Mr. and Mrs Christians, dedicated all of their time taking children with special needs on horse rides. It was a wonderful, stress free environment. I felt led to give them my envelope, I had been saving for the right time. They have had this ministry for just one year, but felt it was a call from God to have this ministry for families who deal with children and youth in need of a blessing.....She said that these horses were rescued and that everyone in life deserves a reride, including these horses, and children who may be struggling emotionally or physically.
Rebecca Christians also told me the ranch was named after her daughter, Autumn, who committed suicide about 10 years ago. She likes to have troubled youth come to the ranch and besides hanging out with the horses, Mrs. Rebecca has an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. I was blessed to have this opportunity to meet her and her husband and continue to lift them and the ministry of Autumn's ReRide Youth Ranch up to the Lord. If anyone is interested in donating to this nonprofit group she said that the winter is the hardest time to care for the 5 horses. They are in need of 250 bales of hay for the winter at a cost of $4.00 each. I know that my $10 might not have been too much, but it was able to make a difference to two people who have dedicated their lives to the Lord and to His calling. Thanks GPC for the opportunity to be a witness in our community. You can find this group on facebook, Autumn's Reride Youth Ranch. Check them out and see if you can bless them,too!"

"I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE $10.00 AND YOUR CARD THAT WAS PUT ON MY TABLE AT IHOP BENTONVILLE, ARK. WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE AND A GREAT BLESSING. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANYONE DO THAT FOR ME BUT IT GIVE ME AN ANSWER I HAD BEEN WAITING ON. MAY GOD GREATLY BOTH YOU AND YOUR CHURCH EVEN MORE THAN HE ALREADY HAS. AS IT HAPPENS, I AM THE PASTOR OF THE SHEPHERD'S HOUSE IN JOPLIN, MO. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND MY THANKS TO YOU.

"I wanted to let you know what I did with then $10 dollars - I bought some stamps, and put six one dollar bills into six envelopes. I then put a short hand written message in each one letting the recepients know what our church had done by giving out $10 dollars. Then I told them about the challenge. Then I let them know how much I loved them and their families and how much GOD loves them and their family. I closed by asking to take the dollar and do the same thing. Reach out to a couple of people that might need encouragement. I fished by saying look what only $10 dollars can do, it can encourage over 18 families."

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