Gratittude is more than saying thank you....

Have you been blessed this year?

Have you had enough to eat?  A home?  School for your children?

Have you enjoyed the freedom to worship God?

Have you expressed your gratitude for the blessings in your life this Thanksgiving?


I honestly feel that expressing our gratitude to the Lord is wonderful, but DOING something is even better.   I'm big on self sufficiency and with that in mind, last year I decided to start giving out microloans through Kiva.

Kiva (www.kiva.org) is a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur across the globe. 

You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back.  It's a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.



If we want to help people, then I think that giving them an opportunity to strive for something more is a good way to do something without resorting to simply handing out money.  The people who recieve the micro-loans are working to improve their lives.  They aren't asking for a handout.  They are asking for a loan, money that they will pay back as they become more successful.

I have been doing this for a year and I have no debts that are not being repaid.  The people simply want to be treated with respect and they take these loans seriously.

So it doesn't matter what you choose to do (although I would love to see you join me on Kiva), but I encourage you to demonstrate your gratitude by helping at least one other person this holiday season...