originally published at Walking Therein
I put the Gleaning the Harvest families’ ChipIn widgets on my sidebar several weeks ago. The LORD is so gracious and is taking care of these single-parent families, but I just wish I could do more for them. Creating a site, putting them on there and blogging, contacting companies for support and spreading the word about GTH is about all I can really do right now. And, yet, here it is the end of the month, and I hate seeing those low numbers on their donation widgets. They really need our support, and they have 30% of what they need for the month.
Doom and Gloom and Famine
A month or so ago, I was talking to mom about women staying home, families supporting widows and singles, and our economy. At that time, I told her that I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that between my brother and sister and our family, we could support her to stay home. We CAN. I understand about the economy. I understand many have been affected by the economy. But if we are still buying Dr. Pepper, going out to eat, and buying frivolous things, then we have money to spare and are not in a depression. Even families who have lost their jobs have not fully cut back as they did during the depression.
Mark 13
4Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
5And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 9But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
I know that Washington keeps preaching doom and despair, and I know that some are in real despair, hoping to find a job to support their family, but many are not. It is at this time that the Body should come together and aid each other. It is just what we founded Gleaning the Harvest on – the people of God serving and providing for each other who are in need.
The Body Caring for Itself
I know there is enough out there in the Body to provide for these four families. I have about four or five more in need who we just have not gotten all the details worked out yet to put on GTH. I know God blesses his people. He is providing for these families, but we are a blessed people. We have SO MUCH!
If you come to our home, you will not find a large entertainment center, gaming equipment, new cars, fine furniture, fine clothes, the latest toys, the latest in home decor, expensive tools, and the like. We do not really buy much like that anymore. We buy the basics, the necessities.
We are sure looking forward to getting windows replaced in our home to save on heating and cooling, fencing in our field and putting some of our tax check towards some other things, but I would never consider those things to supercede the needs of God’s people. We have heat. We are getting our addition finished, we would love another laptop for Jocelyn to work on, but we are well-provided for and have very little need of much. Our refrigerator is full as is our pantry. We are in want of very little.
Acts 4
32And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
I read a blog post a year ago, entitled, “A Dangerous Immune Disorder by Mrs. E. It is about the disorder we as humans, and dare I say as Americans? have. It is a disorder we have with having stuff. We have been trained, programmed, and indoctrinated by our culture with the need for stuff, more stuff, and even more stuff after that. It is appalling. It has likely always been this way on the earth, but the apostles and Believers in Acts 4 found out how to be of one heart and of one soul and overcome their delirious need for STUFF. As a matter of fact, even though I already have done this many times, I think we will be making a project this week of making lists to see exactly else we can cut out to give more to the families on GTH. After all, they really need it.
Giving to Widows, Fatherless, Strangers
On this point, we are commanded to do so in Scripture, so this is not about whether we want to or not. We are commanded to leave some of our income to the widows, fatherless and strangers in Deuteronomy 24. James points out also, that if you want to practice pure religion, you must do two things:
James 1:27
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
Lizzie made an observation and let me know that she does not mind receiving even a dollar or a couple of dollars as a donation. We have no idea of the need these moms have. We really don’t. We take things for granted that they just don’t have. I have a husband who provides for our family. They do not. I think a lot of times we feel as if giving a dollar or “just $10″ is a piddly amount and then just don’t give it. But it means so much to them, even a small amount.
So, I am asking you, with all we buy that is a want and not a need, Brother, Can you spare a dime, and I literally mean a dime, and help these families on Gleaning the Harvest?
About Gleaning the Harvest
To find ways to help single-parent families on GTH or in your own community, see How To Help A Single Mom Part 1, and also How To Help A Single Mom Part 2 by Lizzie Norris.
If you are interested in why we began Gleaning the Harvest, read about Our Mission.
To refer a family to Gleaning the Harvest, please see our Referring Families page.
For your convenience, there is a Site Map located on the ~:Welcome:~ page.
Subscribe to Gleaning The Harvest by Email
May you be blessed and have peace~
Psalm 9:10
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
There are so many things to praise the LORD for. Even in the midst of a world that is pro-murder, anti-child, anti-family, and anti-God. It may seem as though sin and evil are winning, but the final tally is always what counts.
Here are some things we as Believers need to be aware of and constantly in prayer to the LORD for:
The CRC (Convention on the Rights of a Child): An Affront to Parental Rights
Does Your Tongue Contain Lies?
Demographic Winter: Children ARE A Blessing
Aborted Baby Born Alive and Murdered
VOTM Pray Day Friday
This is the sign of our times. America is not a free, Christian nation. We have our hands soaked in blood, humanism, and mysticism, just like any other godless society. We have left out the importance, influence and providence of God, the family, and Bible instruction.
We, as a Body of Believers, fall far too short!
When God laid Gleaning the Harvest on our hearts, I did not really realize the impact it would have on our understanding of God’s plan for our own good and on our own faith. We are not taught in churches in this country – or the world, I suppose, that it is not just an honorable thing, but an honoring thing to support the widows and fatherless and widows. God has instructed us to do. It was not a suggestion. Obviously, the NT church was also having issues with this command from Deuteronomy also, because James felt it necessary to write to “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” about this very thing. It was being left out in ALL of the tribes teaching and living, all over.
James 1:27
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
He equated “To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction” with “keeping ourselves unspotted from the world”. Perhaps this is because, the widows and fatherless will always need us.
John 12:8
” 4Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.”
Perhaps because we do have the means. Are you really worried about the economy? Are Americans *really* spending less? Are we really poor? I mean, are you suffering? Or is cutting back not getting a latte a day? Or staying home to save gas?
Acts 4:34-37
” 34Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
Acts shows us that the Church, the Body, were selling all they had that was not an essential to aid the poorer in the Body. they did it out of a spirit of love and unity for the Body.
Acts 4:32 “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”
Do we do that today? This command in Deuteronomy and James has changed our family even more. We always have given. We feel it is our responsibility to do so. We have been given to- Many, many times. But, this discovery of supporting the fatherless and widows in their affliction has changed even my view of giving and need.
I made a short list of “things” – indulgences, such as candy bars, coffees, cokes, nights out with the guys – or girlfriends, conferences that are not of importance to our spirituality or family, eating out 2, 3, 4 times a week or more, and the like – in Please Join Me In Prayer that we normally believe are necessities in our lives. Why? And what else is there that we have or do or need that is not a necessity?
As I read about gleanings and leaving them for the fatherless, widows, and strangers, I see that it is a part of our harvest. It is a part of our income. It is a part that we could always use, because, after all, who can’t use more money? But, and this is a big but, do we do that now?
Praise Him by Honoring Him
My point here today, in praising the LORD in spite of our failings as a “christian nation” is that He has set up all the provisions we need for our people to be cared for and for our own provision of security, purity and a holy life.I praise Him for that!! I praise Him because He is a just God. He has provided for us and made a way for those who need our giving.
We just have to choose to walk in it.
God’s provision of these families is a provision for all of us. See how that works? Single moms serving the LORD are a part of our Body. We are hurting our own Body by leaving them to or *sending* them to the world and its programs. How dare we tell them to go get a job?! God has a plan for women. He wrote it all out. It is in the same Bible that tells us that “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son….” We must choose to honor that.
This is not about supporting Gleaning the Harvest. This is about honoring God. This is about a world of Believers who have forgotten our First Love. This is about seeking the flesh and our own desires above God’s. We have got to honor God. We *must* choose Christ. We must give up our own indulgences and management of our own time apart from God’s plan and seek Him in His WORD.
God commanded us to do this as a provision to these fatherless and widowed families and for us to remember that we were once in bondage, and God has delivered us. Have you been delivered? Are you in bondage? God has made a way for all things. “therefore I command thee to do this thing.” He even said it twice.
Deuteronomy 24:17-22
17Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:18But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
19When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. 20When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.
May God be praised!! May we serve Him as we are instructed to in the WORD and not through pop culture Christianity! I am thankful that we finally left the world of pop culture Christianity and God opened our eyes to Him, and we can search the WORD to hear Him. We, as Believers need to rely on God and the WORD, not man.
God be praised, and God help us!
blessings,
This was originally posted as a Saturday Psalm & Praise
When we were looking into setting up a site for the widows and fatherless, one thing we ran into was ensuring the credibility of the families we would support. After all, couldn’t anyone refer anyone and scam us into supporting them? Well, of course they could. That is one of the major flaws on the internet: that we really can’t know who we are talking to, can we? So, we set out to include families we know are real people and genuinely widowed and/or fatherless and also in need.
Knowing the Families
We are happy to let you know that we personally have made contact with these moms and know them well. We take your support of these families very seriously and will not recommend a family we cannot bring to you in earnest. God has blessed us in the past three years by allowing us to be in many different circles of friends, bloggers and home school moms. Not only have we met several families we have met online, but we also have gotten to know them through blogging and other groups and social networking.
God gave our family the opportunity over the past couple of years to get to know these particular families. We met Mrs. Lirette and her daughters live and in person when we went on vacation last year. We made it a point to stop in AL where they live and meet them. They are very real and hospitable people who love the HIM. Mrs. L is so concerned about keeping her daughters home and has been praying and seeking what home business to start with her girls in order to make that happen. If you go to her blog, you can get to know her better. She even posted the aprons that they have decided to make for their home business. Her daughters have blogged with mine for a couple of years, and we hope they can visit here soon so we can meet with them again!
We also personally know Miss Vicki. We have not met her, but have emailed, chatted and known her for over a year. We were introduced to her when she left a comment on my blog and then emailed me some questions about raising her aughters and how to get them to be happy home schooling. We tried to meet up with her in KS when we traveled last summer, but it did not work out. She is a great mom and a very kind and sweet friend. I have also spoken to her on the phone and know her sister via email and blogs too.
We have not yet gotten to meet Miss C, but she is a very close friend of my dear friend, Lisa. We write with Lisa’s family and publish the magazine monthly and blog daily with her. We have spoken on the phone to Sisterlisa several times and email daily. I have gotten to know Miss C personally through her blog and also through email.
She is mom to two sweet little boys, and you can even view a video of her on her blog, as she was selected to win a mini-van by a local ministry.
Approving Referrals
Each time there is a family referred to us, we will take into consideration the family referred and also the family who is referring them when considering promotion for them. Many times, we can find out much about the family online. If not, we may need to verify their situation through a church or other organization. We have been encouraged by people we already know online and their support of GTH. There are many single moms out there, and we have found that many people we already know do know someone they can refer to you through GTH.
We have had a several other families referred to GTH. One mom declined our promotion, but I know her through the home school community and the books she has authored, so she was approved to be promoted on our site. Another family has been mentioned to me that I do not know quite so well, but has not been formally referred to us. I did read about her and her family last year when her husband died unexpectedly. At that time, I read up on her and followed what they went through when he first passed away. This is one way we know the family is real and is a widowed family.
Our presenting families to your is something we take seriously. We very much want the Body to be good stewards of the money God has blessed them with, because, after all, it is His money. We are, at this time, promoting families we know of personally or are known by someone we know personally and trust. Rest assured that we do know the families we are presenting on GTH. That being said, we did have to write a Legal page with the usual disclaimers, but don’t be fooled by them: We are very serious about who we are supporting. We want to bless those who are really in need. We do not want money that could be given to those in need to be given to someone else.
Thank you for your support of GTH. We are so excited to see what God will do with our small offering of five loaves and two fishes!
Jacque Dixon
Welcome to Gleaning the Harvest! We know you are going to be encouraged by what you find here. Gleaning the Harvest is a ministry founded by Matt & Jacque Dixon, but truly a ministry of the Body of Christ. Here you have the opportunity to fulfill what James calls “pure religion”.
James 1:27
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
Through different events over the past several years, we have felt a burden for our dear friends who are living without a husband or father for their children, either through divorce, bad choices or widowhood and still keeping to the Titus 2 admonition to remain a Keeper at Home and home school mom. We also have felt a burden for single moms who wish they could stay home and home school but see no way to do so. We understand that sometimes the burden is so great that moms must go out and get a job, but, as a wife and mom who is staying home, following what we believe to be the LORD’s plan for women, we asked ourselves why it should be different for a single mom. Why can’t we lessen the burden?
In searching Scripture, we find that it is the Body’s responsibility as much as we are able to help these moms remain in the home, being a Keeper at Home and home school mom. The WORD tells us that God’s people are to take up for the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger. (Deuteronomy 24) Though there are several classifications for widow, we do believe we are to help these moms – these children- and save them from a life without mom at home and them in the public school system. Many times, that is the only option these moms see. Through this searching and finding came Gleaning the Harvest as a means to reach out to the community for support.
Please take some time to familiarize yourself with our site. We invite you to catch the vision that we have here at Gleaning the Harvest. Please take time to Meet The Families and see what the LORD would have you do to partner with us.
To read more about why we began Gleaning the Harvest, read about Our Mission.
To refer a family to Gathering the Harvest, please see our Referring Families page.
If you are interested in the family behind Gleaning the Harvest, you can read About Us.
We hope to be a resource for our families and for all home school families, so we have a couple of pages for you with links of free resources and websites. We also have a page where you can donate any extra curriculum or resources you may have to give away to our families. You will find information about that on our Homeschool Swap page and on Homeschooling for Free.
Perhaps you are interested in placing an ad on our site. Ad Policies
We hope we have answered all your questions, but in case we didn’t, you can look at our Legal Page and our FAQ.
If you would like to receive our posts into your email, you may subscribe to the Gleaning the Harvest feed:
Sincerely,
Matt and Jacque Dixon and Family
Gleaning the Harvest
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