Feet

This came to me through a blog that I subscribe to. This kinda thing should come naturally to us as Christians. I don't know what Zappos' motivation may have been, but as Christians we need to love and care about others cuz we are called to do so. I am challenged by this. Am I too busy to love others the way I should????? Debbie

PS: Aren't those taupe pumps amazing? :)

"This is my command: Love each other." John 15:16-18

"and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds." 1 Timothy 5:9-11

Donor Power Blog
Shoe seller shows the power of humanity
Posted: 30 Oct 2007 10:49 AM CDT
You may have read about this one, reported here at the Get Elastic blog: Good Customer Service Still The Best Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Strategy.
It's about a woman who bought some shoes from Zappos, then wasn't able to return them because her mother died. She emailed Zappos. Rather than stick to their policy, they arranged to have UPS pick up the shoes she wanted to return. Here's what she wrote in her personal blog about what happened next:
Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos. I burst into tears. I'm a sucker for kindness, and if that isn't one of the nicest things I've ever had happen to me, I don't know what is. So...
IF YOU BUY SHOES ONLINE, GET THEM FROM ZAPPOS.
Admit it: This story makes you want to buy shoes from Zappos, doesn't it? A company that can be that real with a customer deserves your business.
Here's what this means to nonprofits: Really getting it right with your donors sometimes isn't about telling them about your cause. Sometimes it's just being human. Sometimes it means breaking out of the box of brand and policy.
Here's a case where a customer had a personal blog, and the story has spread in a big way. But even if she'd only told her immediate circle about her experience, that would have been a lot of people wanting to buy from Zappos. The power of treating people right is enormous.
I don't have any inside knowledge on Zappos, but I'll bet almost anything that their focus on treating customers right also affects their marketing: They want to mold themselves to their customers' needs, not bend and shape and "teach" customers to be better customers.

Believers Need Encouagement Too

Sharon is our speaker for our banquet. We are truly blessed! If you are interested in attending the banquet and have not RSVPed yet please contact Dawn at (704)376-8550 or via email at dg_loislodge@bellsouth.net

Believers Need Encouraging Too!
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth

"So then, as occasion and opportunity open to us, let us do good to all people, (not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good advantage). Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith, those who belong to God's family with you, the believers" (Galatians 6:10 AMP emphasis added).

Friend to Friend

When I think of Paul, I tend to think of a stoic stern rock of a man that is neither swayed nor deterred from the course at hand. I see him needing no one other than Christ Himself. But that was not true! Paul needed the encouragement of other believers. He longed for the words of fellow Christians to cheer him on while spreading the gospel.
Ponder these words he penned to the Corinthian church:

"For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn -- conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever" (2 Corinthians 7:5-7 emphasis added).
What was Paul feeling at this time? Conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside. Yes, that mighty man of God who said, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" also struggled with fear, discouragement and inner turmoil.

Paul was a spiritually confident man! He wrote: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8). "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). Paul believed these words with all of his heart, and yet, he still needed the words of fellow believers to encourage him to press on.

Even as I write these words, I am struck with just how much fellow Christians need encouraging words to continue in the faith. It is easy to say, "Well, God should be enough. People should find their strength in Christ." Yes, Christ is enough for salvation. However, God has placed us in a Body. He called us the Body of Christ because we are dependent on each other to function well, to love well, and to struggle well.

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, show me a Christian that needs encouragement today. May I never, never withhold praise and appreciation for any fellow believer when it is within my power to give them the boost they need. May I be like Elizabeth who encouraged her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus, the very moment she walked in the door of her home.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Now it's Your Turn
When is the last time someone in the church thanked you for a job well done? How did it make you feel?

When is the last time you thanked someone in your church for all their hard work in leading worship, teaching children, sharpening the pencils in the pews, etc.?

What does God want you to do in response to this devotion?

More from the Girlfriends
Sometimes we forget just how much people need encouragement. It is easy to think that spiritually mature people don't need it....we're wrong. They do! If you would like to learn how to become known as an encourager in your church, see Sharon's book, The Power of a Woman's Words. Also, consider The Power of a Woman's Words Bible Study for your next Bible study group!

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Bella

LifeNews.com 10/29

Bella Sees Strong Sales on Opening Weekend, 2nd Highest Per TheaterHollywood, CA (LifeNews.com)

Bella, the pro-life themed movie that has the potential to change hearts and minds on abortion, opened solidly with $1.3 million over the weekend in a limited release in just 31 cities. Though other movies achieved higher gross sales, they needed significantly more theaters to do so. The film stars Eduardo Verastegui as a former soccer player who learns the value of human life and helps a pregnant waitress, played by Tammy Blanchard, appreciate the value of the baby she's carrying. The number one movie this weekend, according to initial figures, was "Saw IV," a Holloween horror flick that took in $32.1 million. The movie had the highest per theater average of any in the top ten with $10,087 per theater over 3,183 theaters across the nation. Bella firmly established itself in second place with $7,784 on average at each of the 167 theaters where it opened this weekend. That's well ahead of the projections for any of the other movies in the top ten that played at 10-20 times more theaters such as Disney’s romantic comedy “Dan in Real Life," the horror movie “30 Days of Night” or Disney’s other top movie “The Game Plan."

National Blackout Day

LifeNews.com 10/29

Black Pro-Life Leader Calls for Day of Prayer on National Blackout Day

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) --

Dr. Alveda King, the niece of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a representative of Priests for Life, last week endorsed the National Black Out Day scheduled for November 2. But she took a different direction as she urged participants use the day to repent and pray about abortion. "National Black Out Day is a call to African Americans to refrain from spending any money on November 2, but if it's to make any difference, it needs to include much more," she told LifeNews.com. "Any action any of us takes will be in vain if we don't humble ourselves, repent, and pray to God for His will to be done. We need to do more than refrain from buying and selling. For starters, we need to stop killing each other, and that includes paying abortionists to kill our children." Dr. King added: "Injustice is a blight on our land and we are right to protest it whenever and wherever it appears. The greatest injustice we face, though, is the denial of the right to life. Without life, no other rights exist. We need to spend National Black Out Day asking God to rid our nation of the evil of abortion."

Fox News Airs Abortion Documentary

Life News.com 10/24

Fox News Airs Abortion Documentary Saturday,

Will Show an Abortion

New York, NY (LifeNews.com) --

The Fox News Channel is set to focus on the abortion choices of three women this weekend in a new documentary covering the sensitive issue. "Facing Reality, Choice" is set to air on Saturday evening and the show will focus on three pregnant women and their abortion choices, but it may not present the full facts of abortion. "The show explores the abortion issue through the eyes of three women confronting what is undoubtedly the hardest decision they've ever made," Fox News says in a preview about the program. It will feature Kayla, a 20-year-old pregnant student deciding whether to have an abortion; Jeanne, a 30-year-old mother of five who is struggling with drug addiction; and 26-year-old Brooke who has tried desperately to conceive. Fox News also says the program "also shows an abortion procedure." The news channel interviewed Dr. William Harrison, who gave an indication of the kind of morally mixed program viewers can probably expect. "It is a moral crisis for them ... this is not a black and white issue," he said. "It's not something that you can say, you know, 'This is good and this is bad.' It's a mix ... The woman who's making that decision is the only person that can make that moral choice for herself."