giving

mental activity

We can read, learn new skills or improve established ones, start or resume a hobby like photography, learn another language, maybe start a blog.

Bookshop.org is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. They believe bookstores are essential to a healthy culture and they are dedicated to the common good. Bookshop.org donates a portion of every sale to independent bookstores.

conversation

We need communication with other people often and authentically. Social media, phone calls, text and email messages substitute when necessary, but they shouldn’t replace face to face time with others. Book clubs, hobby groups, classes, church groups provide safe places to share ideas and learn from others.

2 women talking over coffee with open bibles — Conversation over coffee can be therapeutic. graphic from the Lightstock collection of stock photos, graphics, and other media, an affiliate link

Another physician blogger Vania Manipod, D.O. a psychiatrist believes “it’s stylish to talk about mental health.” A post she wrote in 2015 addressed these ideas and prompted me to explore them in a previous post here.

Please take time to read Dr. Manipod’s post and others on her blog-

exploring the HEART of healthy habits

Matthew 6:1-4, TLB-Giving to the Needy

“Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, for then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven

When you give a gift to a beggar, don’t shout about it as hypocrites do- to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you in all earnestness, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

But when you do a kindness to someone, do it secretly—don’t tell your left hand what your right hand is doing.

And your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.”

if you do one good deed your reward is to do another and harder and better one. C.S. LEWIS, — graphic from stock photo site Lightstock.com, an affiliate site

(These and other affiliate links in this post will pay a commission to fund this blog if you purchase through them, with our appreciation.)

C.S. Lewis, author

Author of the popular The Chronicles of Narnia fiction book/movie series,

C.S. Lewis was a writer, teacher, and lay theologian.

His books on Christian belief are read and quoted widely, years after his death.

Helping in Secret

Leslie Koh, writer/editor for Our Daily Bread reflected on this passage in a devotional from November 26, 2017.

He wrote about Denise, who mentored a hurting young woman in her church. She met with her frequently, counselling and praying.

But when a church staff member was assigned to work with the young woman, Denise felt overlooked and unappreciated.

Leslie reminded us that when we feel unappreciated (and all of us do at times) God recognizes what we do even when no one else does.

I think we might ask ourselves- What is my motive in helping others?

To serve myself by receiving praise and recognition from other people?
To serve God, to receive His reward?
To serve others, obeying God’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 19:19?

Helping the distressed

Recently Leslie reflected on the Christian response to the world wide refugee crisis. In this piece for The Christian Post, he encourages us to

not mistreat foreigners and migrants-embrace them.

“Some time back, people from abroad who work in my country started gathering on the church property for a picnic every Sunday.

This evoked a range of responses from fellow churchgoers. Some fretted about the mess the visitors would leave behind. But others saw this as a divine opportunity to extend hospitality to a wonderful group of strangers—without even leaving the church grounds! “(excerpt)

I hope we all find “divine opportunities” to extend hospitality and help to friends and strangers.