My Day 11 of 500 Words: CNN Heroes and Legacy Sunday

 http://www.cnn.com/specials/cnn-heroes/

If you have not watched this amazing tribute to ordinary people doing extraordinary things please stop reading and watch now.

Hands down, I look forward to CNN HEROES more than any show each year.

To me, it embodies the spirit of Christmas.   The first Christmas is when boots hit the ground on a rescue mission that had already been won.  Christ humbled himself and met us where we are, loving us well.  Each CNN Hero represents a humble heart, that sets out to met people, to meet a need, where they, the hurting, lost and lonely, are and love them well.

This year we met:

an undercover doctor for the homeless,

a lady who saves sloths,

a pastor who starts a community garden,

a young lady who used her babysitting money to transform an entire community in Nepal,

a veteran who started warrior hikes, giving other veterans a chance to connect with nature and work through their issues together,

a 70-year-old man in India, who is helping to bring water to a drought-stricken people,

a former homeless woman, who is now helping hundreds of women in similar situations reclaim their lives,

a Native American fulfilling a promise to her grandmother by going home and helping their people, through food banks, heath services, home renovations and education opportunities,

a friend helping single parents with cancer,

and

another doctor vowing to treat patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

**I am including the link to make donations to each heroes’ non-profit, if you feel the Christmas spirit of generosity coming on.  I pray you watch and read all of the details of these remarkable lives being lived for the lives of others!

http://www.cnn.com/heroes-donations/

This group of ordinary heroes each took the stage with the utmost humility and God-honoring posture.  They radiated joy and hope; they exuded a peace that passed all understanding.

Did you know that generosity, generosity with our time, talent, and treasure, actually does something to your brain?

U.S. News and World Report: What Generosity does to Your Brain and Life Expectancy

Generosity and compassion cause a “feel-good” effect in the brain, which leads to “giver’s glow.”  You can not help but see the “giver’s glow” on each CNN Hero.  Our brains actually produce dopamine, which gives people a feeling of euphoria, and oxytocin, which is associated with peace.

I just thought that was the coolest piece of scientific trivia.  We are hardwired to give and we find the greatest sense of contentment when we are making a difference in the lives of others.

It is sad to say, but many never even give “generosity” a try, thus they live a life full of disappointment, chasing anything to try to fill themselves up.  They never truly live, because they are holding on so tightly to all they think they have. The true secret to fulfillment is living open-handed and open-hearted, putting self aside for the life of another.

I go to Church of the Highlands and yesterday was

Legacy Sunday 2015.

(click the link to see the service! It Rocks!)

This is what Legacy Sunday means:

“Because I have set my heart on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house…Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?”

1 CHRONICLES 29:3-6

“Once a year we bring a special offering—one that requires sacrifice and one that builds a legacy for future generations. This offering enables us to take a giant leap forward in fulfilling the big opportunities God has placed before us.”

CNN Heroes and Legacy Sunday represent the true meaning of Christmas to me.

“For god so loved the world that, He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” john 3:16

God is a giver and we are created in His image.  When we give, we are most like God.

(see Gen. 1:27)

We are called to be imitators of Christ.  When we meet people where they are and lay our lives down for them, we are most like Christ.

(see Eph. 5:1)

God gave us Himself, in the visible body of Christ, the firstborn over all creation.

(see Col. 1:15)

The heroes on CNN are givers and their lives are catalysts for change and a call to action.  Christ is a giver and HIS LIFE is a catalyst for change and a call to action.

What ordinary heroes can we celebrate in our communities this Christmas?

What breaks our heart so much that it makes us say:

“Not on my watch!”?

What will we do with this call?

Have the best day ever and

Merry Christmas!