Carson’s Firetruck

Our five year old son, Carson, has a red wooden fire truck “piggy bank” that he made at a Home Depot craft day about two years ago.

Since he made the fire truck it has been proudly displayed on a shelf in his room and he has been diligent to stuff as many dollars as he can possibly fit into it. Now that the small space inside the truck is jammed full, he can only get coins in.

This morning when he came into our room he was holding the fire truck and he was in the process of trying to get yet another coin in the slot.

He looked up at me and said, “Mommy, is it okay if I give all the money in my truck to Africa?”

Now, in his little mind, he is not even sure how that money actually makes its way to Africa in the form of clean water, but he is not concerned with such things. He sees the need and wants to help. That’s a pretty amazing thing for a five year old to understand when he could be asking to use that money for more Legos.

Of course I have to admit that my proud mom flag goes up and I want everyone to know that he is a great kid. But this is bigger than that.

Our children live out their lives imitating ours.

Somehow, something our son has seen in our lives is reason enough for him to want to give his money to folks in Africa rather than spend it on himself.

That makes it all worth it to me. I know I’m not the perfect mom—far from it. But this little nugget is one that I can put in my proud mom moments and savor for a long time. It makes me all the more aware that how we live our lives is non-verbal communication to our kids!

Thank you Jesus for beautiful childlike faith!

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

If your child has expressed radical generosity, I’d love to hear about it. Let’s celebrate our children’s growth together!

Ringless in Christ,

Ali Eastburn

Grand Gestures that Seem Small

We’ve been talking about large grand gestures, but sometimes a grand gesture may seem very small. It could be saying, “I’m sorry” or “You’re forgiven.” It may be changing a habit that gets on your loved one’s nerves. It may even be shaving a goatee or beard or sending flowers to work. A small grand gesture will be different for everyone, but they can make a huge difference in our relationships.

Can you think of a small grand gesture you can make this Valentine’s Day? Comment on this post to let us know what you are thinking.

Need a gift for Valentine’s Day? Visit our online auction at http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=withthisring.

This auction, we are raising money to refurbish a well in Haiti. We are hoping to raise $3,000 for this cause.

Buying a Ring

Giving a ring from our online auction is a grand gesture of love to both your special loved one and to the people receiving clean water as a result. You can tell your loved one the story of the ring and about the people it has helped. What an amazing Valentine’s Day present! You can get started shopping at http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=withthisring.

Do you have a story of a grand gesture? Share it with us by commenting on this post.

Giving a Ring

To make a radical gift is to make a grand gesture of love…to God and to the people receiving clean water as a result. So many of our champions have given rings to the cause of radical giving. You can too. To see some of the gifts our champions have given visit http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=withthisring.  Each ring has a story. Take some time to read about them and learn how God is working in the lives of people who are learning to make grand gestures.

Aren’t they amazing? You can be a part of this exciting cause by giving something of your own to God. What could it be?

And through this auction, we are raising money to refurbish a well in Haiti. It takes $3,000 to do that.

Have any ideas for what could be given to God? Share them with us by commenting on this post.

Grand Ideas

We’ve been talking about grand gestures of love. We’ve mentioned buying a ring from our online auction and giving a ring to be used to bring clean water to people who need it. We’ve also talked about some of the grand gestures God has made throughout history. Now let’s talk about some ideas for other grand gestures. With Valentine’s Day coming, this is a good topic to get our ideas flowing for what we might do for the special people in our lives.

• Go for a surprise trip. It doesn’t have to be far, just find a nice hotel and get a room, pack up your special one’s things and put them in the trunk. When you get in the car, just drive off without them knowing where you’re going.
• Buy something extravagant. We’re always trying to save money, but sometimes you need to show your loved one that they matter. Keep your eyes open for something they really want and surprise them with it.
• Propose again. Think of how you proposed the first time, and recreate the moment, telling them you still want to spend the rest of your life with them.

Need a gift for Valentine’s Day? Visit our online auction at http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=withthisring.

Have any other ideas? Share them with us! Simply comment on this post.

God’s Grand Gesture to Us

God was into grand gestures. Whether it was creating Eve for Adam, making Esther queen, or blinding Paul on his way to Damascus, God is always at work making grand gestures of love to us. God’s greatest grand gesture was sending His only Son to earth to die for our sins. What an amazing gift!

You have a chance to make a grand gesture of love to God. Rings are special to us. Many times they symbolize something very important to us. That is why giving a ring is such a grand gesture of love. By giving your ring, you can help bring clean water to people who desperately need it, and that honors God. In this auction, we are hoping to raise $3,000 to refurbish a well in Haiti.

See what grand gestures other people have made at our online auction http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=withthisring.

Have you ever made a grand gesture? Comment on this post and leave your story. We’d love to hear it!

Grand Gestures

A grand gesture is something important; it is something that you wouldn’t think of doing normally; it is something radical. A grand gesture says “I love you” in a way that words cannot express, and Valentine’s Day is a wonderful time for grand gestures of love.

You have an opportunity to make a grand gesture to someone you love by buying a ring at the online auction going on now. Each ring in itself is a gesture of love to God because it was given to help people who need clean water. The money from your purchase will go to accomplish that goal of clean water in Haiti by refurbishing wells. It will also be a special gesture of love to your special someone.

You can go to the auction at http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=withthisring.

We’d love to hear your story of how you made a grand gesture of love to someone. Please leave a comment with your story!