The blessings of Giving

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

I love love love Operation Christmas Child... and it is SUCH a blessing to be able to give to these precious children... items that are for their practical needs, to bring them joy, and most of all to show the love of Christ and share the Gospel! 

Operation Christmas Child in South Africa

One of the best part about writing this blog is that I spend time watching videos of the distributions and reading stories from Operation Christmas Child to find ones to share with you all. I never tire of seeing what God is doing through the shoeboxes!

I found this one and just couldn't wait to share it. I hope it blesses you as it did me.

29 cent Toothbrushes at Safeway

Last week with the Catalina deal they were better than free, but this week you can still get a great deal on Reach toothbrushes at Safeway if you need them for your shoeboxes. At the Klamath downtown Safeway (and possibly the 6th Street one as well) Reach toothbrushes are 79 cents each if you buy 2 through Sept 11. You can print off a coupon for Reach toothbrushes at http://www.reachbrand.com/special-offer which is for $1 off of 2 toothbrushes. (Or you can use coupons from previous newspapers.) This makes the final price just 29 cents per toothbrush.. which regularly sell for over $2 each! A great deal for quality toothbrushes!

Perusing Clearance Aisles

I love to blog about savings for Operation Christmas Child! Some of the sales I post are nationwide or area wide. Some are coupon deals. Seasonal Clearance. But so many savings can be had just by doing one simple thing: Check for clearance! Some stores have clearance aisles. Some have clearance throughout their store. But almost every store HAS clearance.

Today, while at Walmart I checked the clearance aisle, and bought some more 50 cent jumpropes... but the real find was a bunch of Hello Kitty puzzles at 10 cents each!! I scooped up what they had. Those kinds of deals happen more often than you might think and they make that few minute detour past the clearance aisles totally worth it!

Throughout the year I have found so many items at rock bottom prices just through that quick check of clearance sections. I have found 50 cent toothpastes. 10 cent washcloths. Magnifying glasses for 20 cents. And SO much more! You never KNOW what you will find.

Toy Caddies for Girls and Boys

I have seen many versions of the car caddies online, as well as bigger car mats, but never anything for girls, so when I found both tutorials.. one for boys and one for girls, I just HAD to SHARE. The possibilities are endless with these.... so take the idea and run with it!

The full instructions for this car cozy are at http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2009/12/cozy-car-caddy-tutorial.html

As I said I have seen various versions of this idea... as well as more full play mats. But check out this AWESOME one for girls:

http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2010/04/fold-n-go-pony-farm.html

Wouldn't this be SO adorable for a girl box???

Worth noting.. for all of us non-sewers there are other non-caddy options such as this painted play mat with instructions from JoAnns:

You could make one for the ponies as well. Or safari animals. Or a racetrack. The possibilities are endless. http://www.joann.com/our-town-play-mat/prod520026/

Returning the Blessing

Returning the Blessing

Students at a college in Missouri who received shoe boxes as children work to pack boxes for others

The students at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, know what it means to have someone give you the kind of gift that changes your life.

All the students work jobs along with taking full course loads to graduate debt-free—an opportunity no one takes for granted.

Giving back to the community only seems natural, and one of the highlights of the year is participating in Operation Christmas Child. Last year, a trailer was parked outside the campus chapel during National Collection Week in November, and students worked diligently to fill it with shoe box gifts for children all over the world.

“It’s a good opportunity for all of us to involve ourselves in helping others,” sociology major Daniel Tirle said.

Tirle experienced firsthand the good Operation Christmas Child can do when he was a boy growing up in Romania. While in second grade, amid hard times for his family, he received a shoe box.

“Operation Christmas Child is very important because it not only brings joy in the lives of many people, but it also brings the Gospel to many families and to the lives of many children,” he said.

Tirle is not the only College of the Ozarks student who received a shoe box as a child. Keren Banegas from Honduras and Lyrona Rexhepi from Kosovo also experienced God’s love through Operation Christmas Child.

“I remember the feeling when I got it,” Banegas said. “It was so unique.”

To Banegas, the best part of Operation Christmas Child is providing the opportunity for children to come to know Jesus as their Savior.

For Rexhepi, it was her shoe box that led her to Christ. “The Greatest Gift of All,” the colorful booklet offered with the gifts, helped introduce her to the love and grace of Jesus. Now a young adult and international business major, her life has changed drastically since the war-torn days in Kosovo when she first opened her box.

“It really means a lot to kids because a small shoe box can make big differences in their lives and change their lives forever,” she said.

You don’t need to attend College of the Ozarks to pack or collect boxes. Click here to learn more about the mission of Operation Christmas Child, to order materials, and for more information on how you can get involved in changing the lives of children all over the world.

Summer Clearance

I have not checked the local stores but reports are that Big Lots has all their summer toys at 75% off! And Rite Aid has their summer toys at 50% off!

Our Walmart still has some jumpropes in the clearance aisle at 50 cents each as well.

New Yahoo Group

Ever since I have had this blog I have referred people to a fabulous website, clipwithpurpose.com but now the author of the blog is retiring. We will certainly miss her posts, her inspiration, and the sales she posted. But!!! She is also starting a yahoo group!! Where she will continue to post deals she finds but where others can post their finds or ideas as well! I encourage you all to check it out. You can find it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCCLOVER/ So if YOU find a deal or a craft idea or an inspiring OCC story, I encourage you to SHARE it with others at the yahoo group! And please keep coming here as I will be sharing what I find here as usual. God bless and Happy OCCing!

Operation Christmas Child ~ An International Effort

Operation Christmas Child reaches children all over the world.... and the boxes are packed around the world as well.

Boxes are packed in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, and Switzerland. SO many people doing something simple, packing a shoebox for a child in need... packed in love, and sent forth with prayer.

I saw this video from a distribution in Thailand, by a team from Australia, and desired to share it with you all.

This year the 100 millionth box will be packed and sent forth. Operation Christmas Child touches lives one child at a time..... 100 million of them!!

Nearing the End of School Supplies Season

If you have not bought the school supplies you want for your shoeboxes, NOW is the time!!

BiMart has Crayola for 25cents
Walmart has notebooks for 17cents
The deals are still everywhere but the prices won't last long.

We may see some further clearancing but if you miss these sale prices, the full price is WAY higher! Often more than 10 TIMES higher! In just a couple of weeks that 25 cent box of crayons WILL be $2. Don't delay!

Summer Clearance is also winding down. So keep your eyes peeled. Walmart has marked down their flip flops, summer toys, and the selection is dwindling fast.