Hillbilly Bill & his Doosey 5000

So many are anticipating the return of "Hillbilly Bill" and his "Doosey 5000". The unveiling of his latest invention will take place at Shared Blessings Messenger of Hope Banquet & Auction on Thursday, November 10th at the SE Expo Center. Tickets are $20 which includes a great meal, inspiration and some entertainment.

Last year, he wowed the crowd with his "silent auctioneer" skills as well as the infamous Doosey 5000 which was inadvertently named by his wife when she saw the fishing contraption and said ... "wow honey, that's a Doosey!". The invention included a fishing chair, attached minnow bucket with aeration hose, rod holder, stereo, blinds for secrecy, and more. It also came with "fish finder" which happened to be his son in goggles, snorkel and fins. The invention was auctioned off for well over $100!

What will be in store for this year's banquet? Only those who attend will get to see. So make plans now to attend this memorable night. Not only will you be entertained but you will also learn about the many things happening at Shared Blessings and what the future holds.

You can register here on the website or by calling 918-421-0444. Tickets are going fast. Hope to see you there!

Seasons change

This past weekend, the hottest summer on record came to an end. As Saturday night turned into Sunday morning, the air changed rapidly. Relentless heat was replaced with a cool, northerly breeze. Saturday afternoon was around 100 degrees ... Tuesday morning it was 49! The season had changed and it certainly didn't come a day early.

Seasons change in life as well. We witness that here at Shared Blessings a lot. Families come in that have found themselves in a new season in their life. Sometimes, we think of poverty as something that never changes. Many times, people just hit a tough spot. The Fall turns into the Winter in their lives and they find themselves in need. They come to us confused, embarrassed and scared. Our job is to reassure them that "they can make it" ... that "their life can change" and "people care". Sometimes we just see them that one time and we never know what becomes of their situation. But, it's such a joy at when we get to walk with people through that whole season of their life.

Have you experienced Winter seasons in your life? I would assume that we all have and we probably did not survive those seasons without some kind of help from people around us.

Think of Shared Blessings as a place to help make the season change in someone's life. I thought this summer would last forever. But, it didn't ... things changed. There are many who need to hear that message today. Get involved in Shared Blessings through financial support or volunteerism and help the season change for someone else.

Back to School (with some new shoes)

We are only one week away from the 2011-2012 school year and you can tell that by the activity around Shared Blessings. I remember nearly 14 years ago to why Shared Blessings began ... it started in the garage of a wonderful woman named Devonna Edwards who wanted to make sure that children had enough clothes. She didn't want them to go without and face ridicule for wearing the same clothes day after day.

That vision carries on today as we continually seek to meet the needs of students of every age. Thousands of children come through Shared Blessings every year finding something better to wear. They come and find a new shirt that they can be proud of at school. They find shoes (picture above) that make them run faster (didn't we all believe that when we got a new pair). They find socks without holes. They receive backpacks and school supplies that would have never been possible.

Smiles abound here at Shared Blessings. We are grateful for your partnership.

Beat The Bill

Our 2nd Annual Benefit Golf Tournament is coming up on June 25th at Arrowhead Golf Course. Looking back over last year's event, it is hard not to think about our own Bill Dowell's appearance in the tournament. As many of you know, Bill has quite the personality and he certainly did not disappoint. Bill challenged each group on Hole #2 to a game called "Beat the Bill". Dressed in his finest golf shirt & hat, athletic shorts & gardening gloves, he set out to show his golfing skills.

By the end of the day, only 1 group had been beaten by Bill (I won't name names). Everyone had a good chuckle over some of his antics ... baseball swing warmups, "plumb-bobbing" from 150 yards, and so on.

Bill brings great joy to everything at Shared Blessings, whether it be the day to day ministry, golf tournament or banquet and his auctioning of the "Doosey 5000".

Get involved in this year's golf tournament and see what's next for "Beat the Bill". Sign-up on the website's homepage.

Students Helping Other Students

Yesterday, approx 20 students from Lakewood Christian School's 4th grade spent 2 hours volunteering at Shared Blessings. They sorted and hung clothes, straightened and cleaned, help check out shoppers and packed Nutrition Club bags. There is something very special about students packing up bags of food for other students in the community. The students were eager to work and help make a difference in other people's lives. They learned about how easy it is to take the necessities of life for granted and the struggles that others face.

We are grateful that teachers like Kristie Daniel realize that education comes from more than just a textbook. We are grateful for each student and their efforts. It is in serving one another that we learn humility, compassion and gratefulness.

Our Favorite Volunteer!

I know that we're not supposed to have "favorites" but sometimes its just not possible. Recently we had a volunteer from Tulsa named "Clifton". He was really just passing through and needed a bus ticket back Tulsa. He agreed to volunteer at Shared Blessings a couple of days and we would take care of his bus ticket. Clifton was staying at The Good Samaritan Outreach, which is McAlester's newly opened men's shelter.

For the next two mornings, Clifton would get up early and walk to Shared Blessings from downtown and go to work. He was a hard worker as he brought in donations off our dock. Clifton didn't complain. He didn't spend the day trying to manipulate us for anything. He just worked. At lunch time, we would all go out to eat and Clifton was grateful. I won't quickly forget that first day at lunch as we arrived at the local restaurant. There was 3 of us and Clifton. As we got our food and began to sit down, Clifton walked over to a separate table and sat down by himself. It broke my heart as I realized that Clifton felt so "beat down" by the world that he didn't think he could even sit with us.

I hope he learned by the end of the 2nd day that he had someone he could turn to who cared about him. We showered him with encouragement and got him packed up with a backpack full of snacks and a Bible for his journey to Tulsa. Clifton told me that he had some distant relatives in Tulsa but I had a hunch that he had nowhere to stay in Tulsa either. My bet was when he arrived in Tulsa, his first stop was probably John 3:16 (Homeless Shelter).

Clifton was just a good guy. I don't really know his story. I could probably guess that his life is full of abandonment, loneliness & guilt. He has undoubtedly made some poor choices ... which of us haven't? But I can tell you this, Clifton's life has just as much value to God as mine and yours. It is easy sometimes to see the "down and out" as different. It's even easier to see them as completely responsible for their predicament, which lets us off the hook.

Yes, we are all responsible for our own actions in life. But understanding that truth should make me less concerned about judging Clifton's predicament (and those like him) and more concerned about my response to those in need. I will be held responsible for my action or lack thereof just as much.

I hope I don't forget Clifton. God taught me something in those two days. That's why he was one of my favorite volunteers.

Sum it Up!

Simplify, simplify, simplify! Who doesn't need that in their life? Life gets very complicated very quickly! We are scattered with activities and responsibilities and before long, our ability to see other people's needs can be non-existent. We are simply trying to survive everything we already have "on our plate". The needs of others, as much as we might want to help, are many times necessarily left off our priority list.

Following Jesus calls for each of us to have a different outlook in life. Jesus says "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you for this sums up the Law and the Prophets". This is one of the great "summary" statements throughout the Bible. That which we think is complicated is not really so complicated! We are called to interact in every situation with a very simple principle in mind ... do what you would want done to you. If I was broke, would I want compassion or judgment? If I was hungry, would I want to be fed or to be ignored? If I failed, would I want forgiveness or criticism? And so on ...

No matter where you are today and who you might interact with, put this principle in practice and you will find the simplicity of following Jesus. You will also find the life is much better when we are not absorbed with ourselves.