Joyful Giving

The podcast is now live, with Episode 1 in the books. This month we discuss the blessing that God promises when we step out in obedience beyond the border of comfort and control. And we spotlight a God-honoring and life-affirming ministry out of Argyle, Texas called Blue Have Ranch, providing supportive community, gospel discipleship, and farm therapy for single pregnant mothers with children..

Take a listen and walk with us in the Joy of Giving! On Spotify now!

"Joyful Giving" is a new podcast from HowGiving discussing God's Word on Generosity

Partial Transcript:

Our lack of giving shows our heart. We are more worried about comfort and control than we are dying to self and carrying our sacrificial cross for the Kingdom of Heaven. Ouch, right? This podcast is designed to confront us with God's word on generosity. "God so loved the world that He ..." what? ... played it safe? Stored up enough for the future, you know, just in case? Oh do we have it so so wrong in the Western Christian world. 

Hey guys, I'm Greg Dean, author of "Giving: A Humble Plea to the Western Christian" and we're going to be discussing the different facets of Godly Giving, per God's Word, and provide ways to give together with recommendations as to WHO should be the Christ-honoring recipient of your joyful donations of time, talent and treasure.

Join me in unpacking this difficult topic, and let's grow together toward WALKING in the joy of giving.

Alright, in this episode (our first episode of Joyful Giving - yeah!) we'll touch on the heart of this podcast, the Spirit that literally inspired it, and one ministry that's dear to my heart, Blue Haven Ranch.

I'm going to warn you, just as Paul and Peter confronted their brothers and sisters with God's truth, in love, I'm going to be doing the same. And just know, that as I'm saying to you, I'm also saying it to my own heart. I miss the mark daily. Don't we all? But a heart that desires to obey, and repeatedly gets up, dusts itself off without shame or guilt, but repents and pushes forward to "sin no more" is a heart that is after God and His Way. 

Let's get started with the book that inspired this whole thing ...

Now, let's take a few minutes discussing Blue Haven Ranch. Wow, what these folks are doing in the Argyle, TX area is absolutely beautiful ...

How Giving is #Alligabler?

 
"It's Greg's birthday! Everybody give Greg a hug!" Gabler shouted out for the 4th time that night. Everybody hugged Greg, the author of this blog. But it was not Greg's birthday. This is just the Gabler way. He tells stories that have a basis in truth, but are mostly not. But man are they entertaining. Gabler is crazy and funny and smart and always in for a fun time. He exudes joy when in his element with friends and other loved ones.

Mike, Gabe, Yahoo and now #Alligabler ... however you know him, he's a special guy. Even his parents call him "Gabler", his last name. And Gabler has always been a giver.

So when he announced during the afterglow of winning #Survivor43 that he was giving the entire $1 million in winnings, while it may have shocked most, it did not fully surprise those who know him well. Mike Gabler is generous. He's generous with his time. He's generous with his talent. And - now the world knows - he is generous with his treasure. 

He did not have to give it all to VeteransInNeed (veteransinneedfoundation.org). He did not have to give even a portion of it. But he did. It was rightfully his. Does he have a daughter in college and another daughter who'll head to college soon? Yes. Could he have used that $1 million for a long list of things that his family and friends might need (or at least want)? Yes.

But Mike Gabler saw outside of himself. He saw Veterans, 44 of whom commit suicide every day. Every. Day. Veterans suffer from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), face financial hardship and homelessness, are disabled, and the list goes on. They've served us, and Mike saw the tremendous need.

Serving those who have put their lives on the line for our country, and in doing so have provided the very freedoms we often overlook, they deserve our attention and care. "Regardless of whether the situation is dire (such as requiring food or shelter) or the person just needs a helping hand (for example, a single mother trying to purchase a Christmas gift for her child when she is just trying to get by), [Veterans In Need Foundation does] everything in [their] power within reason to assist with these requests. Although a large bulk of what [VINF does] is oriented toward helping homeless and disabled Veterans, [they] do not believe that you need to be homeless in order to receive financial support. The Veterans in Need Foundation (VINF) is focused on the assistance AND prevention of Veteran homelessness in America."

Giving Like it's Not Yours

by Greg Dean, Founder HowGiving.org

I've heard said that the tithe represents the ultimate "heart test" for the believer.  When things are tight (or when we perceive things are tight - as "tight" is a matter of perspective when you take a step back), giving 10% seems a tall task.  I mean, there are bills to pay, kids to support, and ends never seem to exactly meet.  Sometimes there is far too much month at the end of the money.

But thinking of the tithe as just another "budget item" comes from a complete misunderstanding of who provides our time, our talent and our treasure in the first place.  And it reflects a gap in understanding of the concept of "first fruits".  I'll explain:

Let's say I hand you five $20 bills and say, "Would you mind holding this for me?"  Aside from looking at me strangely, you'd assume you were just holding that $100 for a short period of time and would expect to hand it back to me once I returned.  Following so far?  But, what if I came back and said, "Hey, tell you what ... why don't you keep four of those $20 bills and just give me one $20 bill back?"  You return 20% and get to keep 80%.  Pretty good deal, eh?  I mean, it was never yours in the first place, right?

This is how we are to view EVERYTHING we have:  our money, sure, but also our talents and our time.  That's because - in actuality - it is time, talent and treasure handed to us personally by God who says, "Would you mind holding this for a minute?"  It's ALL His ... not just some of it.  And when we really believe this to be true, it's only logical to not only give God some of it back, but to give THE BEST of it back.  This BEST is called our "first fruits".

This is worship.  This is acknowledgement of our blessings - knowing from whence they come and then showing it.  This is only right.

And God does not ask for much.  He asks for 10% ... to begin, at least.  But those who have taken that step of faith have seen God bless that act of obedience.  And this stirs them on to more obedience.  Many who have been on this path of obedience have converted to what they call a "reverse tithe":  they give 90% back and only keep 10%.  "How is that possible?", you say.  The answer is simple:  With God, all things are possible.  With faith and trust in Him, you can move mountains.

And it gets better.  With every additional step of obedience past 10% ... with every act of giving past 10%, God doubly blesses your life.  This is not "prosperity gospel" I'm preaching here.  This is reality - an unbeatable return on our investment of our time, talents and treasure that comes in the form of the same:  time, talents and - often times - treasure.  Now?  Sure, in this life, but more importantly in the life to come.

Where are you on this?  Do you have faith that moves mountains?  His Word does not return void, and He is faithful to deliver on His promises.  Do you believe Him?

As Founder of HowGiving.org, I'm hoping you step out in faith in 2016.  As for me and my family, we are far beyond the minimum tithe ... and HowGiving itself is - honestly - a Kingdom investment.  I know that placing my money in this - something that helps you and me to be His hands and feet while we're here - will pay back exponentially better returns compared to any investment here on earth.

May God bless you and keep you.  May His light shine upon you.

Merry Christmas from the entire HowGiving family.

Thoughts on Compassion

The Syrian refugee crisis has been heavy on my heart.  For a while, my worldly thinking said, "We need to protect ourselves!  What if this brings in more extremist terrorists?"  But further logic says, "News flash, Greg:  (a) They are already here and (b) they will get in regardless.  What's most important?  Protecting ourselves ... or compassion?"

The Lord is gracious and righteous;

our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the simplehearted;

when I was in great need, he saved me.

Psalm 116:5-6

I watched a video yesterday discussing how their own neighbors (Saudi Arabia, et al) would not take them.  European countries are refusing to take them, we are debating taking them ... all the while these real people, created in God's own image, are in flux.  They are starving, hurting, scared and unwanted.  I can't imagine the anguish and lack of hope they must feel.  These are people with real lives, real aspirations, real souls ... literally, at this point, the least of these.

If not us, then who will help them?  Who will have compassion despite the risks that some of them are undoubtedly terrorists?  

If we truly trust in God's promises, we know that love and compassion - even for our enemies (especially for our enemies) - is job #1.  Is God sovereign?  Is He in control? If we truly believe that, then we have no choice but to subscribe to His ways ... and that includes compassion, despite our fears.  This is a form of sacrifice on our part.

There is so much hurting in this world - from hunger, to sickness, to loneliness and depression, to simply feeling "unwanted".  It's time for us to do something.

If not us, then who? If not me and you ... right now.
It's time for us to do something.

-- Matthew West

Living and Leaving a Legacy

Legacy: anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.

As a father of two boys this word has been increasingly more present in my consciousness than at any other time in my life.  I find myself thinking more intentionally about every decision I make that has lasting value almost as much or more than those decisions that are knee-jerk, short-termed.  I have always thought about our ecology and how we impact it but the older I get, the more I think ahead about the damage we can do long-term with our chemicals, our single-use products and even our gross consumption of exhaustible natural goods such as fossil fuels or even water.  "Legacy" hits home these days.

In that same vein, legacy can refer to the emotional gifts we leave our family and friends.  I seldom hear this discussed but when I look at the word legacy I am ever conscious of how I teach my boys to care.  A simple expression of showing someone appreciation yields tremendous, lasting rewards. Hospitality in any form is impacting both for the receiver and for the giver.

When we started the development of the HowGiving app we purposefully wanted to create a tool that underscored our intentions of showing care for others.  More than just sharing a 'like' on our family and friends special day, we wanted to put easy-to-use tools in the hands of users that enabled them to express their care, their love, their concern and through this act of giving, create a legacy. What a remarkable gift to leave, not only for the recipient of these expressions but to those around us that witness an act of hospitality.  Knowing the act of searching for that special gift can be time consuming, we simplified and stream-lined the process by aggregating some of the best on-line gifting stores and automated reminders so users don't even have to enter data to pull together their list of most important people in their lives.  The act of giving has never been easier!

We hope that you'll look at the legacy you live and leave in using the HowGiving app!

Trust

Trust is something so valuable.  Within the personal relationships we share, trust is a foundational component on which the relationship is built. It shapes how we relate, explains why we relate, and fosters growth.

In contrast to how trust functions in personal relationships it is noteworthy how technology has eroded our ability to trust.  I recently learned that it would take an estimated 180 hours per year or roughly one month per year for a person to read all the usage agreements for the software and devices we use. Think about it, when was the last time (or first for that matter) when you read every single sentence in a usage agreement?  A vendor creates these to trust the consumer will use the product as specified and similarly, the consumer has to trust the vendor to safeguard their usage or personal information.  Now, the next question - how much spam do you deal with?  You see, it's all related.

Here's where HowGiving is different.

With HowGiving we intentionally created a software we wanted to use, something that would respect the user, protecting their information and not abusing the relationship in any way.  We painstakingly spent hundreds of hours ensuring the highest security was intact throughout the entire software design.  In our current form we've also gone the extra mile to not capture any user financial information, placing the burden of PCI compliance with each vendor or storefront. When you actually shop in one of our storefronts such as Amazon, Cardstore, or ProFlowers, you are shopping in their store using their ecommerce site. Similarly, when you donate to any of the charities links we provide, you are donating within the charity itself once again, using their ecommerce site.

A frequent question or concern has been the necessitation of Facebook credentials.  Here's what happens when we make this request; each user that fully engages in the HowGiving app likely has a circle of friends, contacts, co-workers already gathered within Facebook or LinkedIn.  Our usage of your Facebook credentials is to only aggregate these contacts within the HowGiving software format, saving you immeasurable amount of time and energy loading in your contacts one at a time. With one click all your friends are pulled into our app, allowing you to further sort by favorite and then providing you with a single click to start shopping for them.  The information we gather from your Facebook credentials is never shared with any 3rd party nor is it ever promoted on your Facebook page that you have even used the HowGiving app.  That was hard for us but we are committed to your privacy. You'll never get spammed by us.  These considerations are purposeful to further help underscore trust.  Any information you provide us is yours and despite what our mothers said when we were kids, we're not sharing. Ever.  

HowGiving is simple, easy to use, and safe. You can count on this. We're building our future on a foundation of trust with you, our friend and user, and hopefully inspiring the same care and concern within the software development community.

HowGiving...your automated thoughtfulness.

Immeasurable Rewards

It's pretty remarkable to see the development and integration of technology making our lives easier.  Nearly every aspect of our lives globally is impacted by technology in some capacity or another.  The revolution of the information age has transformed the world, opening up new ways to communicate, to relate, and to shape our future.  It brings awareness of ourselves and others, underscoring our values and interests, further defining who we are and who we want to be.

Think about the impact of technology in your own life.  Where do you get information, share information?  What tools do you use to on a daily basis to achieve your goals, your aspirations, your obligations?

Within the generations of my own family I've observed the radical transformation that has occurred as result of technology.  My parents and my wife's parents preceded these accessible tools.  I recall visiting with my mother-in-law to find out the birthdays of relatives and she pulled out this 2-inch thick, small booklet in which she tracked this information.  Pen and paper were the tools.  Fast-forward to my 17-year old son and his access to information is found entirely on his phone.  Stop and think in your own life how your family has progressed through the technology / information-age curve.  Pretty remarkable, isn't it?

When we developed the HowGiving app we were intentionally building a tool that would not only help the user track special events of the people in their life, but would help further develop a behavior of honoring these important people through giving.   HowGiving creates a positive vibe for both the user and the receiver. And the flexibility of this technology in both the client and mobile platforms makes it very accessible and easy to use in any environment.

We hope you'll enjoy all the benefits of giving.  It's a selfless act that yields immeasurable rewards in relationship and what better place to invest?  Let our technology work for you!

HowGiving...your automated thoughtfulness.