2018 SHARE THE BLESSING SHORT STORIES

March 13, 2019   |   Impact

For the fifth year in a row, LifeGuide’s “Share the Blessing” campaign was a great success! We would like to thank those who participated and shared their stories with us; we were very encouraged by them.

As a reminder, at Christmas (2018) we sent $75 to 120 of our clients and asked that they give the money to an individual or family who needed an unexpected blessing. We would like to share some of the stories with everyone.

Stay tuned to hear more of the great stories of how God has worked through this blessing for many individuals and families…

It was hard to decide; we know at least two people that would benefit from this idea. After much thought, we decided to give the money to “Barbara.” She is a young girl that has many difficult situations to deal with, including her job. She works as a waitress at a local restaurant; she is married with two young children. At her job, she goes beyond her job requirements. The couple she works for is elderly and Barb helps by doing extra things (i.e., working overtime, putting up decorations, sometimes sharing her tip with her employer). She always has a smile and makes people laugh, especially those she knows that are feeling lonely or discouraged. She loves to help people and it shows with her caring ways and helpful attitude. She herself is a blessing to others without expecting anything in return. This was a blessing for us to help her have a more joyous Christmas. She started to cry when we gave her the envelope and was so appreciative of the thought behind it. It was great to give her something that made her day brighter as she tries to do this to everyone she waits on in the restaurant.

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help “Betsy,” who was my mother’s caregiver at the assisted living home on the day my mother passed away. I learned later that her family had experienced some financial trials and although they are not permitted to receive gifts from those they cared for, my brothers found a way to work around that “rule” and managed to help the family. Since we lived out of state for the past several years that my mother lived at this facility, we couldn’t visit as often as my brothers who lived locally so I never got to know the staff there on a personal level. But the morning that my mother died, Betsy was there. By including me in your “Share the Blessing,” I have been able to open a whole new relationship with this Puerto Rican family with whom my mother had shared the Good News and who is now asking my wife and me to come to visit and even do some Bible study with their family. The blessing keeps on giving on and on.

I shared the blessing with a former flute student of mine, who just went to study flute at one of the best universities for flute in the country, but she has had such a rough life leading up to this. Her home-life was and still is very unstable emotionally and financially, and at one point, she was working at Taco Bell to pay the finances for her mother’s apartment. They have always been very short on money and getting to college was “iffy” at best. Luckily, she took out some loans to attend college and had many scholarships. Still, I know that she still has no spending money and her parents still are not providing much at all for her. In high school, she worked so hard at the flute because that is all she had, and I always gave her very reduced lessons prices because she had so much promise. She rose to the top in the state two years in a row and was a winner and finalist of several big music competitions (National and local). She is so hard working but has had such a hard life. I already heard back from her about her getting the money and she was so happy.

Thank you for including me in this year’s Share the Blessing campaign. I immediately knew who would receive the gift. A young woman I met recently is a hard-working college student who lost both of her parents. She now resides with her aunt and uncle. She never complains and takes every shift at work that she can to make ends meet. The gift of this money made a more plentiful Christmas possible for her and hopefully, it will free her of a few hours of work to spend with those she loves and who love and support her. Thank you for making her holidays measurably better.

I shared the blessing after praying, who would God want to bless. Her name is “Lizzie.” Lizzie lives in the city of Lancaster City. At one time her house was condemned, and she was living with a niece while her husband fixed up their house. Lizzie has so many health problems with very little money. She must ride the bus to doctor appointments. She uses a cane to keep her balance and her eyesight is so bad. She never complains, but it is getting that she can’t afford the bus. This money will bless her. When she opened the envelope, she was so grateful, and it was so real! It blessed my heart. I met her when she started coming to my church.

When our Share the Blessing envelope arrived, we decided to give the $75 gift to the daughter of friends who is leaving in January 2019 on an 11-month mission trip called the “World Race”. She appreciated this unexpected donation. Thank you for the opportunity to help this young lady.

Thank you for involving me in the “Share the Blessing” campaign. The person I had selected to issue the $75 was my church organist/pianist. She is going through a divorce from an abusive relationship. I had loaned her money last month to help her get re-established. I may or may not see that money again but after prayer and reflection, it was worth the decision. She was nearly in tears when I had privately presented her your financial blessing prior to yesterday’s service. She just had some car repairs and this amount would help pay the bill. She had requested our pastor and a few of us who knew her situation would keep it low key. This young lady is a long-term dedicated servant to God who is focused more on the season than her personal life transition. I couldn’t think of someone more deserving of this gift.

Thank you for allowing me to be part of the Christmas giveaway. I choose to give it to a family at church. The husband recently had to leave employment because of major heart issues and is waiting to go on disability. His wife is a caretaker for the elderly. Together they raised her sister’s children and are now raising their three children who are pre-teen. When I gave it to him he said, “Wow! This came a tough time and I can really use it.” I appreciated the opportunity to bring some joy to a family who could use an extra lift.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help a young mother, “Nikkie”, with three small children. Nikkie is raising her family alone after her husband returned home from a deployment in the Middle East war zone. He was unable to adjust to life at home and left his wife and young family. Nikkie runs a daycare out of her home so she can be with her children. Nikkie has suffered the loss of her husband, and her children their father, to the effects of war. She remains faithful as a Christian. Nikkie helps many people quietly even though she struggles to make ends meet. While Nikkie was trying to help another mother who needed help, we found out she was unable to provide Christmas for her children. Her selflessness made her see the needs of others above her own. With the help of her friends, we are providing Christmas for her family and making sure she gets a new coat. The extra money will be used wisely as she is a great manager.

I was able to help a mother of three who recently moved to my town. She suffered a stroke and is unable to work, and her husband left her and the children. Due to her circumstances, money is tight. I knew she needed an unexpected blessing. It was special for me since I was able to reach out with Christ’s love, in deed as well as in word. As we hugged and shed tears together, God met with both of us.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help: a single mother with a young child (son) who suffered from physical abuse from her husband. She has two jobs and with help from our church, has barely managed to provide a safe place to live for herself and her son. The Blessing was helpful for her because she will be able to pay an outstanding medical bill. This special for us because I remember a time in our early life when a $75 gift would have greatly helped to relieve us of personal financial needs. We will continue, because of LifeGuide’s gift to this young woman, to help her through our church.

We were able to help “Clark”, a man who attends our church, and who seems to have a difficult time holding a full-time job and paying bills. He has a temp position (I think). He is a man of God and cares about others and prays for anyone and everyone. Clark is always going out of his way to see how others are doing and to make sure they know he is praying for them. We were very excited to bless him monetarily because there’s no one we could think of that needed it more & he’s such a humble and thankful man. What an awesome campaign! Thank you very much!

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help one of my younger brother’s college friends, “Thomas.” While I was stumped on who to give this blessing to, my brother had informed me that Thomas was from Ferguson, Missouri, a town that lately has had a lot of dangerous riots, and comes from a low-income family, as they were unable to get him home from Pittsburgh for the holiday season. When hearing this for the first time, my brother and his friends had raised enough money for a round trip ticket to get Thomas home and back for Christmas. A great and polite young man, Thomas was very honored by this gift from his friends but getting another unexpected blessing from a stranger like myself who had heard about his family’s struggles, he was very thankful and appreciative. This blessing is going to help Thomas and his family out this season with their expenses as well as transportation, and food on his travels back to Missouri. Though the town he is from has gone through drastic events, Thomas is on his way to becoming a successful individual. This was special for me because I had not gotten the chance to really do something like this before. A huge smile on his face beamed happiness and thankfulness which is the reaction I had hoped for. Thomas is an outstanding student who does not put forth his struggles but overcomes them. I am very honored that I was selected for this campaign. This is an awesome opportunity to give back to those who are struggling or are even less fortunate.

My usual scope of activity these days didn’t bring anyone to mind as a beneficiary for Share the Blessing this year, so I immediately contacted my church family, whose various ministries in the community touch so many lives that I was sure they would have a suggestion for me. Indeed, they did! A mother named “Ruby” has been using the food pantry for the past several months. She has three sons, at least two of whom have special needs and require frequent care at Hershey Medical Center, often on an emergency basis. The food pantry volunteers brightened immediately when they mentioned her, saying that she always has a “glow” about her and always seems upbeat, even when she’s exhausted from tending to her sons’ needs. As one of the volunteers put it, they have “fallen in love” with her and her boys. I didn’t want to know any further details about her, trusting fully what I was seeing and hearing from the church members. They were glowing as they told me about her! The blessing for me in this was in reconnecting with my church family and participating in one of their ministries. Faith is never more alive than when it expresses itself through service. Thank you for allowing me to participate in sharing this blessing again!

Thank you for choosing me to take part in the “Share the Blessing” campaign. Here’s how I chose to give it…or should I say how the Lord guided me to do so… I carried the envelope in my purse for a week or so and at times totally forgot I had it in my purse. Each morning I prayed for the person(s) that the Lord would lead me to; however, the places I went and the people I saw just didn’t seem to produce any results. On the Sunday before Christmas, I went to buy some last-minute food items at the Giant in Mechanicsburg. In the store I saw who I perceived might be a veteran and I prayed whether I should give him the gift. He left the store before me, so I asked the Lord if he was the one that I would see him in the parking lot. Unfortunately, I didn’t see him. So, I continued to the far end of the lot where I had parked my car. I emptied my groceries into the car and proceeded to take the cart back to the rack. Nearby, there was a woman standing outside her vehicle holding a rabbit. I noticed there were two small animal crates on the ground and the back seat of the car was filled with what looked like her belongings. As I approached her and inquired about the rabbit, a dog appeared in the back seat and tried to leave the car. She asked me to walk away so the dog would settle down. Before I complied, I handed her the envelope and said I felt God was leading me to give it to her. I said, “God bless you” and then walked away. I prayed for her as I headed home that the Lord would guide and protect her and draw her to himself. She seemed to have a tender heart as evidenced by the love she was showering on the rabbit. Even though I don’t know anything about this woman, it brings me comfort that our great and loving God does, and that He has a plan for her life. I pray she was blessed by the gift she received. I so appreciate the kindness and generosity that LifeGuide shows to charities and those in difficult times of life.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help a mom of seven children dealing with different health issues purchase Christmas gifts for her children. The Blessing was helpful for her because she had no money to put towards gifts and is transitioning into healthier employment. This gift allowed her to continue in that transition! God orchestrated this. A previous woman that was on my heart was not getting back to me. When I went into work and shared with this mom that I had $75 to share, she was astonished because she didn’t know what money she was going to use to purchase Christmas gifts.

Thank you for allowing me to spread some Christmas Giving. Most Mondays, I meet with men from the church at a diner for lunch. We have had the same waitress for a couple of years and try to tip her well as she is a single mom with five kids, who works hard to keep things afloat and who always has a cheerful demeanor. As I prayed about who to give this money to, I felt God brought her to my mind. I haven’t been there since I gave it to her and she couldn’t open it during working hours, but I know she was blessed by just the fact of someone thinking of her. It inspired a couple of other guys to get her a card with some cash in it.

Through Share the Blessing I was able to help the neighbors across the street. I’ve known them for over ten years and know how hard it is for him to keep a job. He is trying to further educate himself, but it’s hard with three kids. I took the $75, more than doubled it, and gave it to them just before Christmas. What a joy it was to see how happy he and she were! They said it really made their Christmas this year.

We chose to ‘Share the blessing’ gift with a couple we know who has had a very tough year. In January their teenaged grandson committed suicide and they have struggled with the painful loss. The husband has some dementia along with many health problems and has been in and out of the hospital several times. The wife works to keep them afloat financially and carries a lot of responsibility as a caregiver. We added our own gift to yours and were so blessed to share with them. In addition, as we were praying and deciding who to bless, we thought of three people/couples. We really wanted to share with them all, so we did! Thanks for inspiring us to give.

We chose to share the $75 blessing money with a family that our small group from church had the opportunity to help at Thanksgiving (food) and Christmas (food and some gifts). They are a family of five — father, mother, and three young girls, ages 9, 5, and 4. The family immigrated to our area from Ghana. The parents are working, but still find it difficult to provide for their family. I appreciated being able to give the blessing money to the mother so that she could have the freedom to use it as she needs, whether for food or gifts or rent, etc. Her face lit up when I gave her the money and she gave me a huge hug. She shared with me that she had told her girls that there would be no Christmas gifts this year, that they would focus on being thankful for what they already have. Our 13-year old daughter was with me to hear her share how she was leading her daughters through a lean season with thankful hearts, which was a wonderful learning opportunity for my daughter and me, as well. Thank you for selecting us to participate in Share the Blessing this year. I enjoy knowing that we were able to help this family have some means to celebrate Christmas with food, gifts, and money–especially now knowing their attitude going into this lean season.

Thank you for allowing us to take part in “Share the Blessing” this year! We chose to give the money to a friend who works 60 hours per week to make ends meet. He is one of the hardest working people I know and would be the first to say that money should be earned through hard work. It was such a privilege to give him the $75 just to let him know he is loved and appreciated. This man works long hours to provide for his wife and his two grandsons whom he has a significant part in raising. The money will go a long way in blessing him as he provides for his family.

Through Share the Blessing we were able to help my cousin, “Mary”, and her family. Mary was diagnosed with ALS this past year after going through months seeking a diagnosis. She was a beautician with a business run out of her home. Due to her loss of hand strength and mobility and the ability to stand for extended periods of time, Mary had to give up working which meant a loss of income on which her family depended. She and her husband have a daughter who is a sophomore at Kutztown and a son who is a senior at Lower Dauphin. Everyone has pulled together to make the best of the situation, but finances have been strained. This was special to me because Mary is such a sweet person and would never ask for help. She is so appreciative and humble in receiving the help that friends and family provide. ALS is such a horrible condition and Mary likely will not have many years left with her family. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this gift during the holiday season. My prayers for the family are that they are open to receiving the best gift of all, Jesus Christ, in the coming year.

“Abigail” is my husband’s youngest sister in family of twelve. Abigail is 57 years old and raised two daughters alone. In 2011 she was in an auto accident and had a severely injured leg and foot causing difficulty at her [on her feet] job at the Sears/K Mart distribution center. She has been employed there for 17 years and the Sunday we had signed a Christmas card with the $75 enclosed, she announced at church that all employees were informed Friday that the company was going bankrupt and they would no longer have employment as of April 2019. She was devastated not only with job loss but that of an excellent insurance through these years. She grieves the loss of not being with her work friends and the company that hired her three days after the new facility opened in the area. Abigail has struggled to support herself and her now grown daughters almost all her life, but she would do for others and share as she could. Our niece, Hannah, died of a brain tumor at age of 19; when Hannah had trouble sleeping, Aunt Abigail would take her to Wal-Mart where Hannah would shop and fill her cart full of gifts/books/crafts, divide her purchases into gift bags and take them to the children/youth floor at Hershey Med Center to share with other terminally ill friends there. She was known on the children’s wing, because Hannah had numerous surgeries & admittances, being diagnosed with the tumor at the age of 11. After her death, Aunt Abigail developed a ministry called “Hannah’s Hands” following Hannah’s example by filling backpacks and gift bags and giving them to sick children and teens. She has filled 50-100 gifts in the last three years, which go to Hershey Med and Children’s Hospital in DC, since one of our church family members works there. She also has shared with local children, with her fellow employee’s family and friends who are going through hard times by giving them a bag of groceries or coats/clothes that she would purchase at yard sales or the Goodwill Store. Abigail has only been a believer for five years and her witness in sharing and caring has inspired many, including her pastor- brother and wife. She cried when we handed her the “share a blessing” gift and told her that both my husband and I wanted her to have it. Coming at this time of extra stress of losing her job, confirmed to her of God’s faithfulness; He knows her needs and will take care of her even as she has shared so generously to so many around her. Thank you for this opportunity to participate in this wonderful program.

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help a lady who I knew through work. She used to work in the Subway that was in my office building. She left because she needed a job with more hours. We stayed in touch through Facebook and I was able to see through her posts that she was having a rough time. Both her and her one son have several health issues. The son is having to go to John Hopkins soon for more tests. I think it gave her hope that people care and want to help! She was very grateful and appreciated us thinking of her. It was nice to be able to help someone that we might not have thought about helping before. But because of this Share the Blessing we were on the lookout for someone who needed a little help both in hope and in funds! Thanks so much for this opportunity to help others.

I shared this blessing with a very good friend of mine, “Joy”. We were coworkers at one time. She has been retired for several years. She is a kind and gentle soul. She really has financial needs. It is really a shame. She worked so hard all her life and has very little to show for it. She took care of her mother for years before she passed several years ago. She also has health issues. She has been hospitalized several times this year. This means additional expenses on top of her every day expenses. She is on many medications and they are costly. I feel that she is someone who really needs a break in life. She gets down at times, but always seems to pull herself up. She is a good and faithful Christian. I pray that she gets some financial relief and that her health stabilizes. I think that her financial problems are piling up. When I gave her this “blessing” she was really surprised and grateful. I just told her to do whatever she wanted with the money. It truly was a “blessing” to her. Thanks for letting me be a part of this.

A 14-year-old girl in my community has a heart for displaced children and children entering foster care. This young girl saw a need at age 8 and began a ministry to provide children entering foster care with basic needs such as pajamas, blankets, stuffed animals, socks, and toiletries, all placed in their own backpack. Sadly, many children enter foster care with no clothing or possessions. Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help Backpacks of Hope continue to provide children entering foster care in Central PA with basic needs that most of us take for granted. Thank you for the privilege of giving, and the blessing of sharing God’s love.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help our neighbor lady and her children. This was helpful for her because she is a single mom raising two children, living in a trailer house. It was special to visit them and share a Christmas blessing with her and the children.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help “Erin.” She is a young lady in her early 20’s – battling cancer and type-2 diabetes. She has an older car needing repairs and needed to purchase a new phone that would work with her diabetes Apps for monitoring her blood levels. Erin is on a fixed income and she was very surprised to receive this gift to help with her purchasing a new phone. It brought tears to her that someone would think of helping her. I also gave her cash to help toward her purchase. Thank you for including us in this special offering.

We were able to help “Robert and Sharon.” The Blessing was helpful for them because Robert is looking for a job and Sharon has been very sick for a few years. She has heart and kidney problems. She is now on dialysis. I worked with Robert; he was always very helpful when I needed help. Sharon worked part-time for a little for me.

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help “Mai,” a college student from Vietnam. She could not find a job last semester and therefore was in need. It helps her to meet her expenses, while here in this country. I was so blessed to share this gift with her. Thank you for letting me participate.

We prayerfully chose to share the money with a friend who has given their life to helping the impoverished in our community. This individual has fallen on tough times and will benefit from the gift. Thank you for the opportunity to share with someone in need in your behalf this Christmas.

We were able to help a young newly married couple and their children from a blended family. The Blessing was helpful for them because the young man works very hard and is devoted to his family. This gift will help them celebrate Christmas focusing on Jesus. We interact with the young man on a regular basis. He is always kind and thankful no matter what the circumstance, a truly humble person. Presenting this gift to him and his family was special because every time we are blessed to be around him will remind us of sharing the special gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ. Thank you for allowing us to participate in “Share the Blessing.” It forced us to think of all those in need in our immediate circle. We are so thankful for LifeGuide’s wonderful generosity and Christ-centered focus.

I was tearful when my husband read to me what LifeGuide had sent us. What an awesome opportunity. He doesn’t pray but was open to having me pray over the money. It sat on our dresser for weeks with no family in sight. Then my girlfriend texted a group of us about a family with little kids…their apartment burned down. They lost everything just days before Christmas. I was overcome with emotion knowing just what we could give thanks to LifeGuide. We hope they buy whatever they need…food, supplies, home goods. I feel we are a family always looking for a chance to give back. What I enjoyed about this was allowing God to place it in front of us. I love watching Him work. I hope this allows the family not only to get what they need but also to know God even closer through this journey. Thank you for doing this! Inspired by LifeGuide, we also found another couple and gave them $75 from us. Thanks for the motivation.

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help a single mother of two boys. One son graduated from HS, the other has intellectual disabilities. This mother had to deal with emotional issues recently – a death in her family as well as issues with the boys’ father. The father was in & out of prison, involved in drug use, extra affairs. She’s also having some medical issues. Her older son wanted to go to college but was unable to do so. It will help with financial needs. It was such a blessing to be a part of this. Such a neat experience. Thank you for letting me be a part of this blessing. Twofold blessing!

We contacted our church, who contacted their daycare. They were able to identify a family who could use some help at Christmas in providing for their family. The Blessing was helpful because they had a financial need. This is a great idea. We added $25 to the $75 to make it an even $100. It felt good to give a family a much needed and unexpected gift at Christmas. We are considering doing it on our own next year.

We shared this special blessing with a single mother raising three teenage boys on her own. This wonderful lady was extremely grateful because they are now able to have a Christmas dinner for her children. It was such a blessing to give to someone that would not have had money to provide dinner for her family. It was very touching how this blessed this family. This was very touching because it was an example of the true meaning of Christmas. This giving made such an impact for this family.

With Share the Blessing, we were able to help a family in our church. I don’t know exactly what their needs are…but I know they could use & appreciate a blessing! This family comes to church every Sunday with their two children – one of them has Downs & is delightful but very curious, which keeps the family distracted and sometimes stressed. The boy’s sister is so sweet, patient, friendly, but sometimes must take the “back seat” to her brother. I handed her the envelope and said it was a gift for their family! Thanks for giving us this opportunity!

We were able to help “John and Jill.” John is turning 76 next week. His last five years haven’t been good. He developed dementia. As it progressed, he had to give up his part-time job, could no longer drive, needs help getting dressed and has trouble with his mobility. Yet he smiles through it all! Thanks for reminding us what Christmas – and every day – is all about.

Recently our church partnered with a local Christian business owner to move a single mom with four children who were living in a hotel into a house by paying their security deposit and first month’s rent. The $75 gift was helpful to be able to provide them some food for Christmas. I cannot imagine not being able to provide meals for your children. With school being out, they will not be getting breakfast and lunch through our school system. There are many layers to us helping this family. Not only were they able to get into a home, but also one of the small groups in our church provided gifts for the children, and then we were able to make sure they had food for Christmas. I pray they see the Lord through the many acts of kindness and provision they received. Thanks for using some of your resources to bless people with the hope of Jesus!

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help “Don,” who has been battling cancer, and while his insurance covers a lot of his treatments, his medications/treatments far exceed what the company will pay for. He works part-time to help support his family, but it is still not enough. It is overwhelming to see the bills come in for his life-saving treatment. He and his wife have never been ones to ask for help or a hand-out, but they greatly need and deserve it. I was thankful that by “sharing the blessing,” he and his family knew that there were people who cared about them and their well-being. Thank you for choosing me to help “share the blessing”! I prayed for God to bring someone to my mind who truly needed it, and I felt like Don was the right choice.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help our dear friends, K & M. Several years ago, K lost his job. His current job pays significantly less than his previous job. K & M live simply in a small one-bedroom apartment and are careful about their spending. Shortly after Christmas, M was in an accident that totaled her aging car. The Blessing was helpful for the recipients because it will help them with the purchase of a used car. After a prayerful conversation, we decided to use some of our emergency savings and add it to LifeGuide’s Blessing to help K & M purchase a dependable used car. These gifts will be added to the modest amount they expect to receive from their insurance company. When I presented this monetary gift to our friends, they were overwhelmed and expressed sincere gratitude. They also viewed this gift as a provision from the Lord. I explained that $75 of the gift was provided by a local financial advisory company that has been helpful to us and who desires to do good in our community. K & M come from a cultural background different than our own. Their worship traditions are much different than those to which we are accustomed. However, a mutual love for Christ has drawn our hearts together. Our lives have been enriched by our friendship with them.

First, I want to sincerely thank you for allowing us the opportunity to do some good. The holidays are always so frantic, that I had completely lost sight of how important it is to make someone’s day. I took the opportunity to help one of the Home Health Aides that works for a home care agency. It would break your heart to know the hardship that these individuals go through to scratch out a life earning what the government pays them to take care of our elderly and fragile family members. Most can’t live on what they earn and must work multiple jobs. “Odette” is an aide who has worked for us for a while. She is currently homeless (she’s currently staying in a shelter) and that impacts our ability to reach her to give her more work. With all of that weighing on her, she is always professional and courteous to the people she supports. How will the money help? It gives her train fare to get to her assignments and helps with cell phone bills which is the only way we have now to reach her for additional assignments. She could not stop saying thank you.

After prayerful consideration and the timing of events, I was able to assist an older couple, in their late 60’s. The wife works a modest secretarial job and her husband was recently laid off from work. This week their only working vehicle broke down. This gift will help cover the unexpected cost for the repairs. This was special for me because of how I understood the providence of God to work. My wife and I continually prayed about a family we could help. We selected a family, but we were unable to give the gift to them due to schedule conflicts. Then we became aware of this need and it seemed more urgent, so we decided to assist this couple instead. I want to express my gratitude for allowing my wife and me to have a chance to bless others. This has been a deeply rewarding experience. It was a joy to see the great gratitude this couple felt and share when they were given the card and envelope.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help an older couple – he is blind & has Parkinson’s. In his late 50’s he went to LBC to be a pastor; he is 65 now. The debt from school & low income leave them on edge. They are very frugal and responsible. When I gave the $75 and some extra that we added, the wife was in tears. Thanks for allowing us to join in your generosity.

Through Share the Blessing, I was able to help “Cole,”, age 11, and his parents. Cole was just diagnosed with Lymphoma and has begun chemo. He is one of seven children. His mom teaches at a small Christian school, and his dad teaches through cyber school. This boy and his family were recommended to me by a girlfriend who knows them. They are going through a very difficult time and they greatly appreciated the extra blessings. I added to the blessings of LifeGuide, and my friend did as well.

I was able to help a family (mom and three kids) from our local high school. The Blessing was helpful for them because the mother had reached out, stating that the family had recently gone through some tough times that really changed their financial situation. I’ve known the high school student since she was an elementary student. Then her family moved to a neighboring district. This year they moved back. The high school student commented that the people in her other district did not seem to care as much as the people in our do. Thanks for encouraging a spirit of giving during the holiday season!

As we prayed about this opportunity, no one seemed to come to mind, so we decided to practice something our kids’ youth group does from time to time. We went to Walmart, prayed together as a family and asked the Lord to guide us to the person He wanted to be blessed. As we were “shopping” we noticed a pair of ladies who were shopping together for some children. They were obviously being purposeful, all the while spreading love & cheer by being very kind to all those around them. It was clear that their shopping was meant to give someone a special Christmas blessing. We talk a lot to our kids about how the Lord meets our needs & blesses us, even when we least expect it. This was a special opportunity for our kids to partner with the Lord in blessing someone who wasn’t expecting it. The ladies were shocked & humbled when we explained about the blessing you had allowed us to share. With teary eyes, the one lady gave us hugs and thanked us before they were on their way. We pray that the blessing we gave (from you) will be multiplied to bless many more by these ladies.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help a young couple with three young children: a 13-year old boy, a 6-year old boy, and a 16-month old girl. It was helpful for them because the father lost his job with a landscaping company. They had many additional expenses this year. It was heartwarming to know that the family will be having Christmas dinner and the children will have Christmas gifts. We were blessed to share this gift. Thank you, LifeGuide.

We were able to help a young family whose newborn child entered the world with an unexpected genetic disorder. This disorder will be lifelong and require daily attention. The family was a recent participant in our Financial Peace class. Since the child’s birth, the family is required to make weekly trips to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. These are the emergencies that we discuss in Financial Peace that we pray no family must realize in life. They also have a special formula cost monthly that isn’t covered by insurance. This gave us an opportunity to experience the feeling of living and giving like no one else. It also meant a lot walking away from their home that evening knowing that God was at work. I would like to thank LifeGuide for such an awesome idea.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help “Dean,” an adult college student who has struggled for years to get his degree due to ongoing medical and social issues. The Blessing was helpful for him because he has not worked for several years and has been living off dwindling savings that are now gone. He is in his last semester and will graduate in May 2019. The “Blessing” helped him purchase books he needed to finish his classes. The Lord placed on our hearts to match the Share the Blessing amount, so the blessing was double. The recipient was surprised and felt very special that someone reached out to help him. Thank you for including us this year to be a part of God’s blessing on a life that needed not only the money but also just a touch of encouragement and caring.

I was able to deposit the money into a new savings account for a sister-in-law & niece who are having financial difficulties. This was a step of encouragement as they begin (hopefully) to make positive changes in managing money. The Blessing was helpful because it gave them an initial boost / getting off on the right foot. Hopefully momentum (along with other changes) will continue and prove to other family members that they are trying. Relationships have become strained over time. I’ve taken it upon myself to act as a coach and intermediator to keep family united (communicating) and holding sister-in-law and niece accountable to the plans to correct and improve their way of life. A rocky road, a lot of poor habits/thought processing, and some degree of denial make this a real challenge. Thank you for this opportunity to help this family with so many needs.

Thank you for operating the “Share the Blessing” program, and for including my wife and me in it. I wanted to share that we chose to match the LifeGuide gift and give the total to a cousin of mine for whom 2018 was a terrible year. After being falsely accused of sexually molesting a child, he was imprisoned from March until December when he was eventually acquitted. In the meantime, he lost his job, his home, his dignity, and his reputation. His photo was published by newspapers and websites, together with the crimes of which he was accused. When he was acquitted, there were no articles published about that. It’s a sobering real-life story about what can happen in the “me too” age where false accusers can destroy another person’s life. We received a gracious thank-you note from my cousin. In it, he noted the importance of family during difficult times, and he said he will continue to try to clear his name and “move forward positively.” We extend his thanks to you, and your interest in blessing those who really need someone to reach out to them with a caring gift.

Through Share the Blessing, we were able to help a family whose child had to undergo emergency surgery. This gift will hopefully help with some of the medical bills that they will have in the next several months. It made it easier to give because of the challenge to give to someone else – otherwise we would’ve hesitated to give money to another family. It’s great your office is so generous!

We were able to help a young mother with two small boys our church has been praying for recently. She left her husband and a relationship that was abusive and kept her from her own family. He was of another nationality and he used his beliefs to keep her away from others. Our church was able to help her give her children their first Christmas, and I’m hoping this money will help this family pick up and move into a better life. She needs furniture and household items as well as food & clothing for the children. She has been overwhelmed by all the blessings God has bestowed on them! This was special for the fact that we could match your gift and be able to help someone who was in such need and didn’t have to ask for this! It was just something we could do with no strings attached. It makes you sit back and look at what you have and to be thankful for all that you have! This idea is such a great one and it was a pleasure to be involved in making someone feel awesome and know that there are still good people in the world. Our God is an awesome God! We may make this a tradition in our home!

Share the Blessing…I have failed miserably in executing this program. Unfortunately, my wife and I weren’t able to get fully engaged prior to Christmas and then all of our kids were home for a period. But, the main cause of my failure is that I have a very closeted group of friends and acquaintances. I don’t know anyone, nor interact with anyone, who is really in need. It has been very convicting to recognize this. It goes hand in hand with some of the issues we are working through in the CS Lewis Institute. We did an Urban Plunge in January where we spent an evening with the mobile van dispensing food and other items to the homeless in Harrisburg. I’m committed to doing better and spending time helping with several of the organizations that we have been supporting financially for many years. But alas, I couldn’t dispense LifeGuide’s Share the Blessing. It is a great initiative and I applaud your company for its generosity. I will be returning the funds, and if you should choose to involve us next year hopefully I will be successful.

All included names have been changed to maintain anonymity.

“Share the Blessing” is not part of LifeGuide Financial Advisors’ advisory services but a campaign where participation and sharing of stories is voluntary. For information about LifeGuide’s advisory services, please refer to our ADV-Disclosure Brochure.