YELLOW BIRD BOUTIQUE

When is the last time you thought about the ripple of your actions?

Grace and her husband Ashley both have full time jobs,

and 8 year old and a 10 month old....

she is also in charge of Bountiful Baskets in our community

when they decided to have a store front on Main Street for their hobby of re-purposing area auction finds...

THE YELLOW BIRD BOUTIQUE

I must admit I was left a little baffled of them taking on another thing

and by the way did I mention they are in the midst of a full scale renovation of their home?

nice to be young and full of vigor right?

They worked all summer to prepare to open YBB and the very first thing they did...before they had even really made any money at all...was set up a $1000 give away...you can read the story at the bottom of this post

If there is one thing our community does and does well...it is to take care of our needy

they wanted the give-away to be different...perhaps to take care of someone who diligently takes care of the needy...a servant

so she launched her campaign on her Facebook page, taking nominations from the public, throughout the month of December.

the appeal and response was incredible

it was touching, surprising, wonderful and heartfelt..and created a ripple in our pond that was so great

her single action of one idea caused 

others to name and compliment and praise and lift up others

most of the nominations brought tears

it was a gift to be nominated

and in the end, they chose one

what a wonderful example to one of her most important souls on this earth

Betty watches as her mother tells the story from the beginning

of course little Henry is part of it too...I always wonder where his socks are going to end up

gathering to honor the winner

if these folks alone were the ripple this kind deed caused...it would be good enough..

but in fact...this was a tiny portion of who became involved

the winner...a true servant...she would never dream of asking for more than what she has

but don't we all need a little bit of love and faith and uplifting 

to continue to be the good things we are?

what a great way to begin a business!!!

a kiss for luck

kisses cause ripples in ponds too!

First and foremost, this give away has been the biggest gift we could have received this Christmas. The genuine love and compassion in our community’s core has been presented to us in a magnitude beyond our imagination. We are still baffled by the selflessness showcased by each and every nomination we received. In a world blasted with bad news and negativity, this community always finds a way to shine a light, to place their needs behind others and to lift one another up with... generosity and gratitude.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says. This is what each of you have done through nominating your friends and peers. As we read all of your emails and letters, our hearts have been transformed and Christmas has found a new meaning within us. Such positivity. Such kindness. Such examples of love.

When we set out to give a Christmas Wish away, we weren’t exactly sure what that meant. We just knew we wanted to give someone special a little extra something at Christmas. Our first thought was finding a family in need. If we have learned anything through this experience, it is how much our community surrounds those in need. There is a sense of nurturing here like none other and people RALLY around those searching for a helping hand. The more we thought about who the most deserving candidate might be, the more we realized we were looking for a servant. And that’s exactly what we found.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

The winner of our Christmas Wish Give Away this year constantly puts her own needs on the back burner. She serves her family, her church, her friends, her community and her God. She always has a smile on her face and a skip in her step and repeatedly gives her time and her heart to anyone in need. She is kind and humble and genuine and works very hard at everything she does. She never slows down long enough to complain or question or pity. She is a teacher and a blessing and certainly an example of what we believe Christ is all about. Giving without ever asking for anything in return. Serving with a joyful heart and having a kind and gentle spirit.

The winner of this year’s Christmas Wish Give Away nominated by Rosi Martinez is Esther Lozano.
Please use this gift to do something for yourself as you are always doing for others.

Thank You and Merry Christmas,
Yellow Bird Boutique