photo courtesy of Craft Hope

This year, thanks to the idea from Craft Hope, we are reaching out to YOU to help us make this year’s Help Portrait Tel Aviv Outreach even better than it’s ever been!  This can be an opportunity for YOU to give back during the Christmas Season to those who are less fortunate.  

Most of the children who we work with live in extreme poverty, and do not own toys or dolls of their own.  When I saw Craft Hope’s idea of making Sock Monkey’s for children in Texas, I immediately thought, “What a great idea for our kids this Christmas!”  

Sock Monkeys are so easy and cheap to make that ANYONE can do it! All you need is a pair of socks! This is a project the whole family can make together, a chance to give a gift to children who have nothing.

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP???

• It’s easy! Just make a monkey or two (or 3 or 4……)
• Get together with a group of friends and make a whole family of monkeys….
• Get your church involved and participate as an outreach…..
• Spread the word!! The more monkeys we receive, the more monkeys we can give!

COMPLETED MONKEYS:

This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference for a refugee child this year, and show God’s love in a practical way! Let’s SHINE this holiday season through some Sock Monkeys

And I would like to take this time to thank ALL of you who have supported Shine International, and me personally this year!  As I look back, I really am amazed with everything that happened, and super excited about what is to come!  May you have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and I pray that everyone is able to spend some time with loved ones and remember the REASON for this SEASON!

This year there were TONS of people there.  I think the fact that the weather was nicer this year, brought out more locals (and by locals, I mean Men.  Women were few and far between).  As I stood looking toward the crowd, I thought, “and what a contrast to the few animals that were there to witness his birth..”

I had other moments that took me back.  Moments of, “I can’t believe I’m seeing this here” like the infamous STARS and BUCKS coffee shop (close enough to attract Starbucks lovers, but not close enough to break any infringement rights).  Can you imagine if Mary was like, “Oh, Stars and Bucks!!!” We traveled all this way, I could really use a cup of Stars and Bucks coffee to get me through this…” hehehe. (ok, well even if Mary wouldn’t have been excited, I sure was)

And of course, we all have this nice little image of what it was like that night… in a cute little manger, surrounded by the shepherds, wise men, donkeys, sheep, and the shining star on top.  I’m sure our pop culture plays a big part in that; but as I stood, posing next to the famous “nativity scene” in front of the Arab Christian tourist shop I actually took a moment to imagine what it was really like that night.

More or less, likely in a small cave or some sort…cold…smelly…dark…birth-pains…

This is how our Savior was born.

And I was humbled.

For as I looked all around me, 2000 + years later, I saw an extreme of opposites surrounding me.  Now versus then.

But ONE thing remains the same: The REASON!  His LOVE remains the same both then and now.  He came for them; He came for us.  He died for you; He died for me. No matter how much our world changes, for better or worse, this one constant will remain the same….and I love HIM even more today than yesterday.

Bethlehem is a wonderful place to be on Christmas Eve, and I hope the tradition continues for years to come, but the location is just that…. a location.  What matters is what’s in our ❤!  That is the truth of Christmas!  Much love to all of you, from my beloved Bethlehem!

(and wouldn’t it be fun to join me next year!?!)