The Season of Giving

Greetings friends,

We at Bags of Hope pray that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday.  As the Christmas Season starts to get into gear, let's all take a deep breath, say a prayer, and remember what the next few weeks are supposed to be all about!

It is called the Season of Giving, and that's where our focus should be.  And while it is a great time to give to those you love, it is also a great time to give to strangers in need.  In our home, we sponsor a child though Gospel for Asia.  Her name is Jaya, and she lives in south eastern India.  For the past few years, my siblings, my parents, and I have all regularly prayed for her and her family.  In addition to helping her out with daily needs, our support helps Jaya to go to school and be taught the Bible.  One of our great joys is when we get to exchange letters with our friend from across the world.  Gospel for Asia has a great program during the Christmas Season, they have a full catalog of gifts that you can buy for those in need.  Some gifts are for individuals, like livestock or farm animals, some gifts are for whole villages, like a water pump, and some are designed to equip missionaries in Asia.  We encourage you to look through thier catalog, and pray about setting some of your Christmas gift budget aside to help these people in need.  Here is a link to their catalog: GOSPEL FOR ASIA CHRISTMAS CATALOG.

My Uncle Kevin's Church, Shoreline Community Church, which is in Monterey, has adopted the concept of Bags of Hope.  After hearing about my website, he donated to Bags of Hope, and took many Bags back to the Central Coast of California.  He personalized the Bags that we gave him with some info about his church, then gave them out around town.  He was so pleased with the results that he shared it with his ministry staff; they loved it too!  Soon after that, the Jr. Hi Group was scheduled for a 'LOCK-IN' event.  One of the activities they did was to create and compile their own Bags of Hope!  Since then, the church has a table out every Sunday where people can stop buy to purchase Bags of Hope, and pass them out to those in need in the greater Monterey area.  Here is a picture of my Dad at the Bags of Hope table when he was in Monterey this fall for a Triathlon.

My Dad at the BoH table, Shoreline Church, Monterey, CA.

Maybe this could be a good project for the youth in your church as well!  Let us know if we can help to facilitate that on our end.

As December is about to begin, please place you orders for Bags of Hope now!!   It is a great time to get in the habit of keeping a stash in your car.  Don't get caught empty handed when 'the least of these' is standing before you in need!

Click here to see the Bags.

Click here to Order.

Blessings,

Clara Harney

(with help from Dad)

When You Count Your Blessings, Remember Your Family

Here I am with my sisters on a family cruise.

Happy Harvest Everyone!

The holidays are coming and I'm excited; I'm sure whoever reads this post is looking forward to them also.

Around this time is when we all start thinking about our millions of blessings...God is so good to us, and one of the main blessings we should be thankful for is our family.  Family is one of our most important blessings. In the picture seen here, you can see me with my two little sisters, Laura and Annie, having fun on a recent family cruise.  And below is my sweet little brother, Evan.  How different my life would be without them!  I love being a big sister, and am thrilled to announce that my Mom is expecting another little one next June! 

   

My little brother, Evan.

Although I am blessed with many siblings, and wonderful parents, I know that not everyone has family to lean on during the holidays.  Let's all remember a couple important things:
- God has adopted us all as His children, and He loves each of us more than we can understand

- We are all adopted brothers and sisters of our Heavenly Father.

You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family -- calling him "Father, dear Father."  Romans 8:15

As we make our way through this busy Thanksgiving Season, we are sure to encounter some of God's adopted children who are struggling to make it through their days here on Earth.  We need to be prepared to pray for them, and to share the blessings we have with those less fortunate.  What better way to honor our Father, than by helping His children who are in need?  Bags of Hope is an easy way to do that.  Email me here to order some bags to keep in your car, that way, when you see someone in need you will have something ready to give them; not just some change or a dollar, but the love of Jesus and some help as well. 

Email me here to order Bags of Hope:  clarahope24@gmail.com

Don't forget that we have three types of bags: Standard Bags, Snack Bags, and Deluxe Bags.

And look for our special Christmas Bags, coming soon!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Clara Harney 

(with some help from Dad)

What does your life point to?

Here I am with littlest sister, Annie.

Hello everybody! This is Clara to update you on Bags of Hope. 

Many months and holidays have passed since my last post.  Life gets so busy!  My and family and I have been well, and had a great summer together; I hope it has been the same with you !

Recently, in our family devotional, we learned about John the Baptist in John 3.  He was used by God to prepare the way for Jesus, and to point to Christ when He arrived.  This should be our goal as well.  In our own lives, we should preach the Gospel by our words and actions.

"He must increase, but I must decrease. "He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.  "What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  "He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.  "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.  "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand."  

John 3:30-35

So this fall season we should all devote ourselves to giving the good news of the gospel to our neighbors, friends, and family who may not know Christ as their Lord and Savior.  And, as always, we should be looking to help those less fortunate than ourselves.  Buying and handing out Bags of Hope is a great way to do this.  Not only are you giving aid to someone in need, but pointing the way to Christ at the same time.  Please check out our 'Order Your Bags' page to find out how to get your Bags of Hope today. 

Starting in November, we will keep you updated with a new post every month.

Blessings to all from,

Clara

The Season of Love

Hello friends!

Since I last wrote to you all here at Bags of Hope, many holidays have past by, and a New Year has begun.  I pray that you are all healthy and doing well.

With Valentine's Day last week, I have been thinking about LOVE.  I hope that you had a great Valentine's Day, full of LOVE!  Whether you celebrated with flowers, chocolates, or a nice dinner out, it is important for us to remember that not everyone has it so good.  Some went hungry on this Valentine's Day, and probably don't feel too loved.  In fact, as wonderful as the love we share can be, it is nothing compared to the way God loves us all!  He loves us more than we can imagine, that is an awesome thing, because we are such sinners and don't deserve it.

The Bible tells us what real love is:

1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge ; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous ; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly ; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth ; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails........

-1 Corinthians 13:1-8

God sent His only Son to die for us, because of love like this.  I think we should let the poor know of God's love for them.  Bags of Hope is a great way to do this.  When people in need seek us out, we should have something more than just a coin or dollar to give them.  Look through this site and place an order for a few Bags of Hope ( click here to Order Bags ).  Then you will have some aid to give those in need, but more importantly, they will be reminded that they are loved by God and being prayed for.

So again, Happy Valentine's Day, I pray that you feel the love of the Lord throughout this Spring season.

Love, Clara