Volunteering!

On Sunday we went to a Youth For Christ banquet and we were given the heads up ahead of time that my dad would be getting an unsung hero's award for his volunteer work for them. My dad does the lawn and yard work at the YFChrist building and that allows them to spend the lawn maintenance money on more youth events etc! We love to click photos like this because my dad does NOT like to be "up front" so these surprised looks and red faces and tear filled eyes are priceless to us....(and it gives us a good laugh too!) In the picture you'll see my dad pointing towards the audience, he was saying "Jordan helped me all season too!" so Dirk Case, the director of YFC had Jordan come up too! Last year we were proud to watch Jordan receive the student of the year award!

As I was driving home after the banquet it really hit me that both of my parents really shine behind the scenes and........THAT'S MY PASSION....to be behind the scenes, getting things done and helping out others without needing any recognition! I love to take someone a meal, send an encouraging note, let someone know I'm praying for them.......and all of this came together for me on the ride home on Sunday and tears just poured down my face as I thanked the Lord for a wonderful Christian heritage. I'm watching both of my parents "behind the scenes" praying for people, my mom is a wonderful prayer warrior. If someone asks her to pray you can be sure she will, and my dad is over on the riding lawn mower far after the season, without pay at church mowing so the leaves will be chopped up and show a beautiful clean lawn for Sunday morning! My dad loves the old hymns, and what they represent and we've been sure to make sure our kids know them too....although we do get my dad into some of the newer chorus (he plays piano/keyboard) haha and just give my mom some good Ole Gaithers to listen to.....ha These are all the ways they've instilled in me that good OLD FASHIONED helping others and not needing recognition is what being a Christian is all about! That bible verse that says: (Matthew 6:1-4) - "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3"But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." This is my heritage and I'm so proud!