Think back!  Think back to when you were a young child and the excitement you felt in your tummy as you thought about Christmas.  Most of us tried to be good so Santa would come and leave us goodies in our stockings as well as presents under the tree.  Think about the big eyes and the wide grins on faces of children when they wake up to see things under the Christmas tree.  My mama always said on Christmas morning, “I bet there are a lot of excited kids this morning!”

Now think about some children whose lives have been disrupted by abuse or abandonment.  Families broken apart that do not have the funds to purchase fun things for deserving kids.  The Wise Hope Shelter and Crisis Center, Decatur, TX,  has an Angel Tree with the names of children of clients of the past year.  These are needy, one-parent households who are not eligible for other gift-giving charities.

Our little congregation took ten angels off their tree this year.  We had children from 3 to 15 and all of us had such a great time shopping for these kids.  I know we couldn’t take all the angels off the tree, but we tried to do what we could.

Don’t you wish you could peek in the children’s windows on Christmas morning and witness the precious looks on their faces as they take in everything Santa had brought them?  I would love to see their big eyes as the excitement of the day fills their hearts.

Thank you to all our members for giving to families who need a little extra help at Christmas time.  Below are pictures of the things we donated.

If you know of anyone who needs to leave a dangerous situation, below is the shelter’s information:

Wise Hope Shelter & Crisis Center

24 Hour Crisis Hotline – 940-626-4855

P.O. Box 569 • 608 North Business 81-287 • Decatur, TX 76234

Tel: 940-626-4855  • Fax: 940-626-4117

Because we have been blessed with more than we really need, we don’t always think about where our next meal will come from.   There are children in our schools who go home on Friday and don’t have much, if anything, to eat throughout the weekend.  And, if there is a long holiday, it is even harder.

Our outreach Mission to the Eagle Food Pantry at McCarroll Middle School in Decatur has been extremely successful and rewarding.  This program provides easy-to-fix foods that children can put in their backpacks and take home for the weekend or holidays.

As you can see we have collected numerous items for the children and it is our hope that we will be able to help them again.  Thanks everyone for your generosity.

I know that not all people have pets, but I believe that most people have had contact with a four-legged critter at some point in their lives.   A beagle was my first encounter with a dog and I fell in love instantly.  Bootsie lived to be a ripe old age and I was sad when she left.  There have been many of God’s creatures in our home–hamsters, rabbits, guinea pig, cats, dogs, and now we have mama cows on the farm.

Anyone who does own a pet knows that the love they give is so complete, so pure, that they will love you until it is time for them to leave.   We pet owners realize that our pets are 100% dependent on us and that our caring for them and giving them a good home is a privilege we offer for their unconditional love.

Not all of God’s creatures have the benefit of warm beds, good food, or clean water.  That is why our church members picked the Wise County Animal Shelter for our October Mission of the Month.  What little we can offer is so much more than these neglected and unwanted animals have.  We hope that more people will be willing to give to their local shelters and will look into adoption of these precious animals.

Here is a picture of the things we gathered this month.