How many love stories could we tell this month? I can't hardly begin to remember them all -- to see all the connections that God has brought together has been truly remarkable and you'd think we'd be used to it by now!

A woman at Corvallis Evangelical for the 2nd or 3rd time hears the pastor say there are leftover toys from the giveaway on December 22 (a joint project with Life Seeds Ministry, Corvallis Evangelical and Love INC). She goes home and her caregiver mentions that her son cannot afford gifts for his four children the woman vaguely recalls hearing Pastor Ron saying something and calls him. A few hours later a tearful grandmother goes home with a box of gifts for her grandchildren. She also hears how it's God who has made all these arrangements.

A working mom calls our office on Christmas Eve day to ask if we know where she could go to church that night. As an afterthought she asks if we'd happen to have a few gifts left - she wasn't able to get much for her three children -- her income only goes so far. We were able to get some things from Corvallis Evangelical and then a phone call from a woman at Knollbrook Church -- she had extra gifts, could we use them? We tell her the story and by evening there are gifts for all three children and the mom under the tree in Knollbrook's lobby. The mom comes to church and is overwhelmed at the piles of toys.

I was on the phone with a mom the week before Christmas. She called to ask if there was any way that we could get a pair of blue jeans for her son for Christmas since that's what he really needed. I started to tell her that we didn't have the money available for that when a woman walked in the door, stuffed $200.00 in my hand, said someone had given it to her to get herself something but she didn't need anything, so buy someone else something. I was able to tell the mom on the phone that God had sent someone in to give me the money to get her son his jeans. We got her a gift card that day and a volunteer delivered it. She agreed God had taken care of her.

On Thursday evening I was speaking with someone and told them the above story he pulled out a checkbook, gave me $500.00 and said to use it for people for Christmas -- he did not want us to say we couldn't help. The next day we were able to pay a utility bill for a disabled man so that his power was not turned off on the 24th; we bought three new very warm coats for some people; we paid for one night at a motel for an OSU student who lives in the dorms (they are closed); got a gift for a 19 year old girl. God is so very good. He cares about the details of people's lives. He cares about people and wants us to as well.