You know my new favorite saying is, "Make Today Count.". So many of us have warm beds, food on the table, and family to love. There are 1000's of kids orphaned and they need just the basic necessities. Maybe you haven't been called to adopt a child but you do have to ability to make a difference by supporting a ministry that is impacting kids lives every day...for the better. Check them out and pray. You'll know if this is how you can Make Today Count.From Tom Davis, CEO of Hopechest
Our goal to reach 5,000 more orphans in 2010.
While I love Christmas more than any other time of year, I’m already thinking about 2010 and I want to share that vision with you.
And, I want you to share it with everyone you know.
Our team set the goal of raising $500,000 to reach another 5,000 orphaned children in 2010. We’re raising these funds so that…
> Fewer young girls are forced to trade sex for food
> More orphans will have food to eat, and the protection and love of Christian mentors
> No girl will end up in the commercial sex trade
The enemy preys upon orphans like this day after day after day. I’ve seen our enemy; he goes by names like AIDS, extreme poverty, and sexual trafficking. He robs children of their parents, their dreams, and their dignity.
Who will stop this? It must be us!
Today I am on a mission to raise $500,000 and I can’t do it without you.
Will you help by visiting http://www.HopeChestPartners.org and sign up as a $25/month partner today?
Your donation will feed orphans in Africa and rescue them from extreme poverty. Your gifts will support lifechanging programs for girls in Russia that help prevent sex trafficking and forced prostitution.
These are CRITICAL gifts that form the foundation of our programs. Without that foundation, we could never have grown to reach 10,000, and sit poised to reach another 5,000 next year.
It is those gifts, your gifts, that make the difference.
picture by Tom Davis
Could you be at the local tree farm? After walking around in 11 degree weather on the few small acres and seeing Charlie Brown's Big Brother way too many times we said... ehhh... 
Not much here to look at.
But then the decision of who was gonna tell the Tree Farm owners we thought their trees were well, ugly. T suggested the girls Ro-Sham-Bo!
Boo lost. Off she went to return the saw and run like crazy to the truck. She was very polite and never said anything. Saved.
Quickly we run in to find the perfect tree. Ahhh. Home Depot.
What? They're almost gone! Ok, so I'm freezing. Let just get a tree already.
Becca and Boo were please but obviously Lina wasn't so excited. No trudging through the snow, No Hot Cocoa, just the Home Depot Guy. We wanted to see the tree so we kindly asked him to open the tree. He took off the twine as well as cut many of the branches as he made his way up the tree and that tree wasn't budging. FROZEN solid! Ok then. So I turned to the only tree next to it and said,"We'll take this one." Home we went with our mystery tree. NEVER have we bought a tree sight unseen. We were cold and ready to get home. Hey... the Broncos were on.
We brought the tree in and carefully took off the twine. Yep. Frozen solid.
We started feeling somewhat optimistic a few hours later. It was thawing out. Taking shape.
What do you know??? It's a pretty tree! Almost thawed and pleasantly shaped. Yeah.. the mystery tree is a winner! Tomorrow we will put on the beautiful NON-twinkly lights (They make me nervous following them twinkle) and all the ornaments. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
