Comments on: The ReGift Offering http://servecartersville.wordpress.com What if we got serious about serving? Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:27:37 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Adam http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-66 Adam Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:48:48 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-66 I received $10 in my envelope, and decided to use that money to help out the kids in my friend's mom's class. She is a special education teacher, and these kids were having a Christmas party. I went to wal-mart and bought the boys some hot wheels and a my pink pony for the little girl who is in there. we got to stay to see them open the presents, and it was one of the most touching experiences of my life. the kids faces lit up, and they were all really excited about what they were getting. Thank you Oak Leaf for this amazing opportunity. God Bless!!! I received $10 in my envelope, and decided to use that money to help out the kids in my friend’s mom’s class. She is a special education teacher, and these kids were having a Christmas party. I went to wal-mart and bought the boys some hot wheels and a my pink pony for the little girl who is in there. we got to stay to see them open the presents, and it was one of the most touching experiences of my life. the kids faces lit up, and they were all really excited about what they were getting. Thank you Oak Leaf for this amazing opportunity. God Bless!!!

]]> By: Daisy http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-65 Daisy Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:00:20 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-65 We have carried this idea over to include some of our income tax money. We had a big bill to be paid, that we'd had for a couple of years, and the Lord provided us with the money to take care of it. Also, we've given bigger tips and tried to share with others what the Lord has given us. It doesn't have to be a lot, a little here, a little there, for God to use it. I thank the Lord for what He's given us and is allowing us to share with others. We have carried this idea over to include some of our income tax money. We had a big bill to be paid, that we’d had for a couple of years, and the Lord provided us with the money to take care of it. Also, we’ve given bigger tips and tried to share with others what the Lord has given us. It doesn’t have to be a lot, a little here, a little there, for God to use it. I thank the Lord for what He’s given us and is allowing us to share with others.

]]> By: J http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-64 J Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:05:19 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-64 wow, this is awesome. One of your beloved members mentioned this site during a phone conversation. I was discussing my need to find a new church home. What an awesome idea and I am so impressed at how the church handled this. I plan to visit really soon! wow, this is awesome. One of your beloved members mentioned this site during a phone conversation. I was discussing my need to find a new church home. What an awesome idea and I am so impressed at how the church handled this.

I plan to visit really soon!

]]> By: Cindy Walraven http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-63 Cindy Walraven Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:46:35 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-63 I just love reading what each family has done with the money that Oak Leaf gave them. I am so touched by what God is doing in our church. I have been in chuch all my life and Oak Leaf is by far the best one. My husband and I had been praying about who to give our money to for a while now. No one person came to our mind. With my money, my husbands, and my daughters we had $25. We decided to give our money to Jump Rope for Heart. We wrote down our name and our donation from our family and then we wrote down Oak Leaf Chruch and the $25 they gave. We may never meet the person that we helped, but we know that this program helps people in our community fight heart disease and stroke. The girl that we helped with her fundraiser was also very excited. Thanks Oak Leaf for giving our family this opportunity. Joe and Cindy Walraven I just love reading what each family has done with the money that Oak Leaf gave them. I am so touched by what God is doing in our church. I have been in chuch all my life and Oak Leaf is by far the best one. My husband and I had been praying about who to give our money to for a while now. No one person came to our mind. With my money, my husbands, and my daughters we had $25. We decided to give our money to Jump Rope for Heart. We wrote down our name and our donation from our family and then we wrote down Oak Leaf Chruch and the $25 they gave. We may never meet the person that we helped, but we know that this program helps people in our community fight heart disease and stroke. The girl that we helped with her fundraiser was also very excited. Thanks Oak Leaf for giving our family this opportunity.

Joe and Cindy Walraven

]]> By: John & Rebecca Rhodes http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-62 John & Rebecca Rhodes Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:12:07 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-62 Our family received a total of $360 and needless to say, we were blown away! We sat down with our kids to brainstorm about the best way to use the money and decided to pray about it and wait for an answer. Later that week I ran into a friend from high school that also attends Oak Leaf. We talked about the re-gifting and she told me about a neighbor whose well had dried up and had no source of fresh water. The family had resorted to bringing water by the jug into their home and showering at their church. We had another family meeting and decided that this was who needed the money. We pooled our offering money with my friend's and delivered the money to the neighbor. The wife was visibly moved by the gesture and I still get chills thinking about it. I am so proud to be a part of this church! Our family received a total of $360 and needless to say, we were blown away! We sat down with our kids to brainstorm about the best way to use the money and decided to pray about it and wait for an answer. Later that week I ran into a friend from high school that also attends Oak Leaf. We talked about the re-gifting and she told me about a neighbor whose well had dried up and had no source of fresh water. The family had resorted to bringing water by the jug into their home and showering at their church. We had another family meeting and decided that this was who needed the money. We pooled our offering money with my friend’s and delivered the money to the neighbor. The wife was visibly moved by the gesture and I still get chills thinking about it. I am so proud to be a part of this church!

]]> By: Aunt Kitty http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-61 Aunt Kitty Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:00:26 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-61 Michael, I have just read all these comments about re-gifting and my kleenex is wet . How did you do this? Did you just put different amounts of money in each envelope? and did everyone who attended church receive an envelope? It is easy to see how God is at work in these stories. Love, AK Michael, I have just read all these comments about re-gifting and my kleenex is wet . How did you do this? Did you just put different amounts of money in each envelope? and did everyone who attended church receive an envelope? It is easy to see how God is at work in these stories. Love, AK

]]> By: Tiffany http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-60 Tiffany Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:28:22 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-60 When I got my envelope ($10) back in December, I wanted to give it to the next homeless person I saw. No one ever gives homeless people money ("They'll just buy alcohol with it," people say, and they might be right) so I wanted to take the opportunity to do that. But, wouldn't know, for over a month now I haven't seen a single homeless person. So obviously, that might have been my own idea rather than what I really needed to do with the money. In line at Starbucks on Saturday, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the guy in the car behind me and I immediately felt compelled to pull a Michael and pay for his order. I know, I know, I'm a copycat - but it was such a good idea and I really felt like I needed to do it. When I asked the cashier if I could pay for the car behind me, she was shocked. "Do you know them?" she asked. No, I told her, I didn't. "Oh, do you just want to do something nice?" she asked. "That's so cool!" I told her that was more like it and since I didn't have an invite card , I gave her the Oak Leaf CD that we got at the end of a service recently. I asked her to give that to them and tell them that OLC already paid their tab. The cashier was just shocked - as I drove away, she said, "Wow...have a blessed day!" I wonder if she was more touched by the idea than the people whose order I paid for...hmmm....killed two birds with one stone there, I think, I don't know what the people behind me ordered but I only had about $2.50 left over (haha!), so I'll probably try this again and put some of my own money with it. It was a pretty cool experience so I might make it a habit every now and then. When I got my envelope ($10) back in December, I wanted to give it to the next homeless person I saw. No one ever gives homeless people money (“They’ll just buy alcohol with it,” people say, and they might be right) so I wanted to take the opportunity to do that. But, wouldn’t know, for over a month now I haven’t seen a single homeless person. So obviously, that might have been my own idea rather than what I really needed to do with the money.

In line at Starbucks on Saturday, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw the guy in the car behind me and I immediately felt compelled to pull a Michael and pay for his order. I know, I know, I’m a copycat – but it was such a good idea and I really felt like I needed to do it.

When I asked the cashier if I could pay for the car behind me, she was shocked. “Do you know them?” she asked. No, I told her, I didn’t. “Oh, do you just want to do something nice?” she asked. “That’s so cool!” I told her that was more like it and since I didn’t have an invite card , I gave her the Oak Leaf CD that we got at the end of a service recently. I asked her to give that to them and tell them that OLC already paid their tab. The cashier was just shocked – as I drove away, she said, “Wow…have a blessed day!” I wonder if she was more touched by the idea than the people whose order I paid for…hmmm….killed two birds with one stone there, I think,

I don’t know what the people behind me ordered but I only had about $2.50 left over (haha!), so I’ll probably try this again and put some of my own money with it. It was a pretty cool experience so I might make it a habit every now and then.

]]> By: Nathan http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-59 Nathan Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:59:51 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-59 I got an envelope with $10. After praying about it for a long time, I finally found the opportunity to use it. I was eating at IHOP after church on Sunday and waiting for our food when I noticed the table next to us was chewing out their waitress (it wasn't too hard to notice). I could tell she was very discouraged about the whole thing and I saw the chance to show her Christ's love. I quickly took out my $10 and gave it to a manager to give to her with the message that "Jesus loves her and I want her to know that." Unfortunately, none of had an invite card and I wish we had...but, this isn't about making Oak Leaf look great, but about making God more famous and real in people's lives. I got an envelope with $10. After praying about it for a long time, I finally found the opportunity to use it. I was eating at IHOP after church on Sunday and waiting for our food when I noticed the table next to us was chewing out their waitress (it wasn’t too hard to notice). I could tell she was very discouraged about the whole thing and I saw the chance to show her Christ’s love. I quickly took out my $10 and gave it to a manager to give to her with the message that “Jesus loves her and I want her to know that.” Unfortunately, none of had an invite card and I wish we had…but, this isn’t about making Oak Leaf look great, but about making God more famous and real in people’s lives.

]]> By: Lisa Matthews http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-57 Lisa Matthews Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:47:51 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-57 I had $10 in my envelope. My friend also recieved $10. I now had twenty dollars but what to buy? I really stressed over it . I just wanted to do "The right Thing" with the money. I work at an apartment complex and a long time resident came in and handed ME an envelope! It had $20 inside (his usual christmas gift) but what a blessing! I took that money as well & pooled it all together. My coworker also works at Starbucks he told me about a girl who had been struggling and living basically check to check. I know who he was speaking of and no matter how bad things got she always kept a smile on her face. I put the letter and money in an envelope and put a note on it telling her "you are my blessing" I hand delivered it to her at work and told her Oakleaf cares about you and God cares about you! She could not wipe the smile off of her face. She is still the talk of Starbucks. Fellow employees are still amazed at how she was blessed and are stll waiting on their blessing. I hope I planted a seed with my money. I had $10 in my envelope. My friend also recieved $10. I now had twenty dollars but what to buy? I really stressed over it . I just wanted to do “The right Thing” with the money.
I work at an apartment complex and a long time resident came in and handed ME an envelope! It had $20 inside (his usual christmas gift) but what a blessing! I took that money as well & pooled it all together. My coworker also works at Starbucks he told me about a girl who had been struggling and living basically check to check. I know who he was speaking of and no matter how bad things got she always kept a smile on her face. I put the letter and money in an envelope and put a note on it telling her “you are my blessing” I hand delivered it to her at work and told her Oakleaf cares about you and God cares about you! She could not wipe the smile off of her face. She is still the talk of Starbucks. Fellow employees are still amazed at how she was blessed and are stll waiting on their blessing. I hope I planted a seed with my money.

]]> By: Bobby & Jodi Todd http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-56 Bobby & Jodi Todd Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:44:08 +0000 http://servecartersville.wordpress.com/the-10000-project/#comment-56 My husband and I pooled our money ($20) and prayed about what to do about it. We've been learning a lot lately about how our neighborhoods and work places are our mission fields and struggling with what that looks like in reality. How do you touch the people you work with every day when you aren't in the position to really do the typical "witnessing"? I re-read the letter and was stopped in my tracks when I read the part about using it to cook for someone. If there's one thing I can do, its cook. We took the money from God, plus our own, and bought the ingredients to make cookies. Together, we made cookies for everyone that we both work with, over 30 dozen of them, and prayed over all of them. I kept thinking of how we were doing this for God, and planting a seed that God would grow. Every person we gave them to was told about why and where the money came from. So many of them were touched and said that no one had ever baked them cookies before. It was a really personal and beautiful way to touch people. Who knows what God will do with just that little seed? My husband and I pooled our money ($20) and prayed about what to do about it. We’ve been learning a lot lately about how our neighborhoods and work places are our mission fields and struggling with what that looks like in reality. How do you touch the people you work with every day when you aren’t in the position to really do the typical “witnessing”? I re-read the letter and was stopped in my tracks when I read the part about using it to cook for someone. If there’s one thing I can do, its cook. We took the money from God, plus our own, and bought the ingredients to make cookies. Together, we made cookies for everyone that we both work with, over 30 dozen of them, and prayed over all of them. I kept thinking of how we were doing this for God, and planting a seed that God would grow.

Every person we gave them to was told about why and where the money came from. So many of them were touched and said that no one had ever baked them cookies before. It was a really personal and beautiful way to touch people. Who knows what God will do with just that little seed?

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