The Red Gloves Collection (48 page)
Some soldiers will not have time off during Christmas. This will be an emotional burden on their families, but it can also be a financial strain. Talk to the local Armed Services office again, and ask if there are soldiers whose families could benefit from donated gifts. If so, get a group together and purchase those gifts. Deliver them with letters to the families, thanking them for sacrificing time with their loved ones so that we can remain a free country. Using the method in the first idea, locate a soldier who has family in your area. Next, contact the soldier and express an interest in letting his or her entire unit know how grateful you are for their service. In our area, third-grade teacher Kathy Santschi arranged a campaign called “Jelly Bellies for Jonathan.” Jonathan Vansandt is a friend of ours, and he had expressed a general wish in his unit for Jelly Bellies. All told, Kathy Santschi’s third graders collected well over a hundred pounds of Jelly Bellies. Jonathan was the recipient, but he shared Jelly Bellies with dozens of soldiers serving alongside him in Iraq. The candy came with letters from the children, and Jonathan says it lifted the spirits of the entire unit for weeks. You could do this sort of thing with chewing gum or inspirational novels or whatever you think might change the course of a few weeks for an entire unit of soldiers. Of course, the one thing we can all do for our men and women serving overseas is pray. Make a prayer calendar with your family or group, and choose to deliberately pray for those serving in all branches of the Armed Forces. Pray for our president and the decisions he must make in the fight for freedom. And pray that God’s mighty hand of protection be over everyone fighting for freedom across the world.
You may not have twenty dollars for every soldier you see in an airport or at a supermarket this Christmas. But make a point of going up and shaking his or her hand. Look that soldier in the eyes and be clear about how thankful you are. You never know. Your words of thanks might make all the difference.
I
pray you have a wonderful, joyous Christmas season, finding time with friends and family, and making special note of the moments together. The years fly quickly, and what we celebrate today will tomorrow be but a memory. Please contact me at my E-mail address, [email protected], and tell me about your Red Gloves Projects. They are happening around the world now. If we all do our part to experience the joy of giving, together we truly can put Christ back into our Christmas celebration.
Until next time, in His light and love,
Karen Kingsbury
P.S. I’d love to hear from you, as always.
Other books by Karen Kingsbury
Like Dandelion Dust
Hannah’s Hope
Gideon’s Gift
Maggie’s Miracle
Sarah’s Song
A Thousand Tomorrows
The Treasury of Miracles Series by Karen Kingsbury
A Treasury of Christmas Miracles
A Treasury of Miracles for Women
A Treasury of Miracles for Teens
A Treasury of Miracles for Friends
NOW AVAILABLE IN ONE VOLUME, KAREN KINGSBURY’S
T
HE
R
ED
G
LOVES
C
OLLECTION
This exclusive edition brings together
Gideon’s Gift, Sarah’s Song, Maggie’s Miracle,
and
Hannah’s Hope.
Karen Kingsbury’s popular novels share these inspirational holiday tales:
G
IDEON
, an eight-year-old with leukemia, spreads enduring hope and initiates an unforgettable series of Christmas miracles.
M
AGGIE
, a mother seeking help for her son, finds joy that extends beyond her family to fill the life of a lonely stranger.
S
ARAH
, an elderly woman, sends the holiday message of love beyond the walls of her nursing home through her song.
H
ANNAH
, a fifteen-year-old girl, searches for her father and renews the faith of her community in the promise of Christmas.
Readers worldwide have been touched by these heartwarming tales of hope, inspiration, and joyous miracles in The Red Gloves Series. This deluxe gift edition is a collection to treasure and share. Celebrate the joy of the season with characters you will never forget.
“Karen has an extraordinary ability to take her readers deeper than they expected to go when they first pick up one of her books. With clarity and tenderness, she shines light into the corners of the heart. And there her readers find something they thought they’d lost long ago–hope.”
– ROBIN JONES GUNN. BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GLENBROOKE SERIES