Bear Necessities: Blessed and this week's needs

Prasie God our shelves are nearly full! I have to admit that I'm a bigger worrier than I'd like to be. Every single week, through members of our community, God provides what we need to fill the bags for our kids. Not every person who gives actually has a kid at John Weldon or has ever even walked into the building. Somehow... somewhere they heard someone talking about how we provide food for the weekend for kids who may not have enough food at home and they are moved to do what one donor said they "felt was the right thing to do." Some faithfully go to the store every single week to get items from the list. Some only buy a few items each week. Some make one time financial donations. Some are more high-tech and have a monthly donation set up through Alice and never have to get out of their jammies to still give. (Seriously, how cool is it to be productive while still in your jammies!) So, there's always enough... but I still worry.

I learned long ago that the most effective response to my worry is prayer and so that's what I do each week. I worry and then I pray and let it go. I worry and then I pray and let it go. With Thanksgiving coming up and my hoping to be able to bless our families like we did last year, I have worried more. What if no one donates? What if there's not enough?   What if everyone stops giving and we have to stop Bear Necessities all together?! (Sadly, yes, my mind is a very scary place.)

This weekend the most awesome thing happened and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you because YOU are Bear Necessities and this was for you to see too! I received a phone call from Danielle letting me know that some members of the St. Charles Elks Lodge had heard about Bear Necessities and wanted to donate. This wasn't a Lodge donation but just something that a few members had felt they needed to do. I was told that it was enough to "cover a table." Mark brought his truck on Saturday morning and I told Danielle that it was like God opened the storehouses of Heaven! It covered a table all right, a six foot long table! Shelves went from totally empty to nearly full and for some items, I had to get a bigger shelf!

This is how Bear Necessities works! Everyone gives what they can when they can and somehow, God makes it enough!

There are still a few items that we need for this week just to keep some variety for the kids:

25 chili
~~5 beefaroni~~
3 peas

Yep, that's it! I expect the next couple of weeks to have similar lists. After looking at the full shelves and praying, what I would ask each of you to do is this:

Whatever you would normally give for the weekly donation, please donate toward blessing our families with Thanksgiving dinner. What we are going to do is give them gift cards for Honey Baked Ham on Mid Rivers Mall Drive. (185 Mid Rivers Mall Dr, St. Peters, MO 63376) They have a yummy menu of items with everything from turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and southern pecan pie!

You can drop off cash or if you're in the area, just grab a gift card at Honey Baked Ham yourself and drop it off. (drop off address: 118 Wimbledon Ct., O'Fallon, MO 63368) I do ask that you not put cash in the box on the porch for obvious reasons. I am home most days and do not feel that you're disturbing me so please call 314-540-4718, text or be old fashioned and just knock.

To the people who give every week or every time they can, THANK YOU!

To the people who cannot give but pray faithfully for there to be enough, THANK YOU!

To Mark and his friends at the Elk's Lodge, you guys made Saturday morning for my family and we are so thankful to you!