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He Knows the Plans…

Penned by | Wednesday, Jun 20th, 8:51 am | Filed under Devotions, Uncategorized

      I don’t know about you but I often appreciate a plan.  There is a peace that comes from knowing where things in life are going and having an idea of the end point.  Spontaneity has its place for me in decisions like where we are eating dinner but, overall,  I think we would all agree that there are more times than not when we would like a nice little map.  If we could get it highlighted with the route ahead and even cliff noted with any roadblocks and detours, that would be an added bonus!  Unfortunately, a clear route from Point A to Point B is not a luxury that life always offers us.

What a peace it brings in those moments that seem directionless to know that our Lord ALWAYS has a plan! He says:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
~ Jeremiah 29:11 ~ 

      He KNOWS the plans He has for us and they are OH SO GOOD!!! In just a short sentence the Lord soothes our frantic places by not only telling us that He indeed has a plan, but also what that plan is !  He plans to prosper us and to provide a hope and future! He plans to protect us and not bring harm to us!  What more could we want to add?? This verse and promise always brings to mind one of the names for the Lord - EL-ROI.

      EL-ROI means “The God Who Continually Sees”.  The title comes in Genesis from a hurting woman whose life has taken some rough turns into a crazy place…. As Hagar flees a horrible life situation (in what I can presume would be total panic and worry!) , she encounters the Lord.  More specifically, she encounters the Lord WHO SEES HER and gives her instruction on what to do.  He knows what to tell her because He is fully aware of her situation and know completely the plans for her life.  HE SEES HER and HE KNOWS THE PLANS HE HAS FOR HER.

      Our Father CONTINUALLY SEES US and , because His gaze never leaves His precious children, He knows and will see through the plans he has for us!

     We pray you can breathe easy today know that El-Roi continually sees you and  has a plan for you! The promise we find in Jeremiah 29:11 is better than any roadmap we could ever find as it comes straight from the mouth of an eternal God!

In HIs Love~
Your Philanthropy Family

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Why Franchise?!

Penned by | Saturday, Jun 16th, 10:55 am | Filed under cape girardeau, Uncategorized
 
Since announcing the opening of Philanthropy’s first franchise in Cape Girardeau, MO we’ve begun to notice a trend, which includes a look of sheer confusion and a one-word question – Why? Precisely, Why Franchise, Why Bridgett, Why Cape Girardeau, and Why now?
 
The philosophy of Philanthropy has never been just to sell clothing and it will never be about fitting into the typical business model –  we will always head in the direction we are most called and do God’s work wherever and whenever he sends us.  We have always believed a business built around charitable works and grounded in Christ could make a difference.  
 
 As we started looking at the process of franchising, we had to ask WHY?  Why would this be our next step?  Better yet, was this the next step God was calling us to do?  At every turn, we were being reminded how Christ came and impacted the masses by walking ‘city to city’. We knew if we truly wanted to make a difference, Philanthropy had to start walking ‘city to city’. 
 
 If you’ve had the opportunity to read Bridgett’s Story then you know that she is an extraordinary person who has been brought into our lives for a reason.  When we all met Bridgett we knew there was something special about her. Her willingness to walk in faith and drop everything she knew of a career to choose a path with Philanthropy spoke volumes.  When Christina began putting one foot in front of the other in alignment with Bridgett’s chosen path, amazing things started to happen.  Neither one of them knew what this was gonna look like, but they both had faith that God already had the details worked out.
 
  ‘Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail’…Ralph Emerson
 
On our first visit to Cape Girardeau we were completely embraced by what is a truly spectacular city with a rich, deep history and a TON of incredible people doing awe inspiring things. 
 
We knew the right home for Philanthropy would always be in historical towns with a wide outreach in the local community and found exactly this in Cape Girardeau. Our new Cape family introduced us to the Old Cape Historical Society, and Hope Children’s Home which they have chosen to be the first local causes in our Wearable Compassion campaign in Cape.
 
Within our first few moments in the city, we knew exactly why Cape is where we have been called, exactly why Bridgett was brought into our lives, and exactly why now is the right time – to discover a town we may not have been the most familiar with but which we know now will be a member of our extended family and a community we are perfectly fit (and very excited) to be a part of. 
 
Philanthropy will continue to ba a catalyst for teaching the joy of giving and will grow our vision to all small communities where customers throughout the nation can shop with generous hearts.
 
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future – Jeremiah 29:11
 
Thanks to everyone in Cape for your shared excitement in our upcoming Grand Opening!  We cant wait to meet every one of you – and hopefully see a few familiar faces!!!  You have a very special town and we can’t wait to watch it grow!!!
 
Together in Him,
~Your Philanthropy Family
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Meet Bridgett Part 2 – ‘God Led, I Followed’

Penned by | Friday, Jun 15th, 2:53 pm | Filed under Uncategorized

 

One thing that I learned during my faith-finding journey and discovery of God’s love was to pray and be patient.  We all want a quick fix to a prayer or question.  Unfortunately, we do not always receive direction, an answer or guidance immediately.  As much as God has a set plan and a set future for each one of us, He also has a timetable in which all of these plans will manifest in our lives.  By being patient and having complete faith in the Lord, He will provide clear direction for the Holy Spirit to guide us down the path set before us.  Sometimes we don’t even know He is leading us…
 
A few weeks after I quit my job, I hopped in my “old” friend’s mini van for a road trip to Nashville.  As much as I wanted to back out of the weekend getaway because I felt that I needed to be saving money (remember—I was almost jobless), I was not going to back out on her birthday celebration.  I am glad that I didn’t stay home and pig out on the couch as I waited for the Lord’s next whisper because His next nudge occurred while on a shopping detour to a store named Philanthropy in Franklin, TN.  Anyone that has visited Philanthropy knows that the moment that you enter the store, you feel God’s love.  Through the music, scripture and friendly faces, you feel at home.  If you have anything major happening in your life or one of life’s interruptions occurring, every emotion that you are feeling just seems to rise to the surface.  Honestly, I had to leave before my friends were finished shopping because the emotion I was feeling was overwhelming.  Thankfully, I did not leave before I was introduced to the “heart of Philanthropy” (Christina Martin).  At the time, I didn’t think much about the introduction.  I remember thinking that the store was inspirational and how AWESOME it would be to enter those walls everyday.  I kept thinking about the mission of Philanthropy after I returned home.  I really wanted to inspire, to give back and be part of something that could only be described as His mission.
 
 
With much hesitation, I e-mailed someone at Philanthropy and shared my two-year journey from cancer to Africa to accepting God’s love.  I say “someone” because I had no idea who was going to read it.  The email address that I had was the basic contact email.  As far as I knew, it would hit someone’s spam folder.  I hesitated because I am a very private person and to share my story with someone I didn’t know was scary.  I did it because I felt God leading me and what do you do when He is leading?  You follow!  A reply to my e-mail didn’t come quickly, so I waited and I prayed.  I waited and prayed some more!  I know that God will fully take care of me and will always answer my prayers, but sometimes it feels like I’m in the doctor’s office waiting room.  It feels like forever and as you sit and wait, you can’t help but wonder if your name was called or your prayer answered, and you didn’t hear it.   As I waited, I started thinking about all the possibilities God could have for me and kept listening for His guidance.  For someone that is a detail-oriented planner, following blindly is downright frightening. 
 
I did receive an answer from the “heart of Philanthropy” (Christina) and because of our complete and full surrender of our entire lives to God the Father, He has brought us together as sisters.  He does have a plan for us…“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11 
 
God is an amazing being that can help guide you through life to many joyous things.  He does have a plan for YOU and will GIVE you hope and a future.  However, you must have faith and trust in Him.  He will lead you; you only have to follow.  Let the journey begin…

 

Blessings in him,
 
~Bridgett (the newest member of the Philanthropy family)
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Meet Bridgett Part 1 – ‘Losing Control’

Penned by | Friday, Jun 15th, 10:55 am | Filed under Africa, cape girardeau


Have you ever been driving down the road with your significant other and hit the passenger side imaginary brake? So often, when I grasp the door handle and stomp on that imaginary brake, my husband chuckles and claims “I’ve got this. I am in complete control!” Funny! He thinks that HE can prevent or stop a car crash. As much as we think that WE are in control and can handle everything in our lives, sometimes we are reminded that the Lord is guiding our life and He is in control.
 
Hi! I’m Bridgett! And, much in the same way that my husband thinks that he is in control, I am also guilty of “control”. I used to think that I was in control of my life. Two years ago, my life was interrupted with a skin cancer diagnosis. I was 34 years old, a mother of two and happily married to my childhood sweetheart. I also had an amazing career where I spent more than ten years working hard and climbing the corporate ladder. I was so focused on my career that many times I shooed my son away so I could sit at my computer and get a few more hours into my already 10 hour workday. To say that my diagnosis scared me is an understatement. And what scared me the most is that I realized that I was NOT in control of whether I live or die? In a simple second, everything can change…my life could end. Was I ready for that? NO!
 
When I received my cancer diagnosis, I didn’t have a personal relationship with God. Sure, I read my kids bible stories and attended church on the important Sundays. You know what I’m talking about. Christmas, Easter and…I guess that’s about it. There’s nothing like the “C” word to scare you into evaluating your relationship with God. Upon realizing that I was not in control, I started searching for my faith and the One that truly is in control. I read books and researched the Internet. (Don’t laugh!) It was like writing a term paper. I would read and take notes. The research helped but I decided it was time to start speaking to people in my life that were obviously living their life for Christ. So, I continued my faith-finding journey and confided in some wonderful people. I shared my fears and my future hopes. It’s hard to admit that you don’t quite feel close to God and haven’t made a relationship with Jesus Christ a priority. Amazingly, they all told me the same thing. They told me that I had to let God love me and trust Him. What did they mean “Let God love me?” What did they mean, “Trust in God?” I was a headstrong, opinionated, highly ambitious woman. I didn’t “let” anyone do anything that I didn’t agree with and I didn’t “trust” easily.
 
My oldest friend (not old in age, but number of years of friendship) encouraged me to travel with her to Swaziland, Africa the year after my skin cancer diagnosis. I had undergone surgery on my face to remove the skin cancer and had received four benign biopsies. So, I really started to think hard about going to Swaziland. I had a lot to be thankful for and maybe I would find God there. That’s what a mission trip is for, right?
 
In July 2011, after a windstorm of the enemy’s obstacles (illnesses, passport issues, etc.), I continued on my faith-finding journey to a country 9,000 miles away. While serving in Africa, I met the happiest, most faith-filled people that I had ever met in my life. Their songs of praise and dances in His glory were contagious. I truly felt the love of Christ and completely surrendered myself to Him. After returning from that trip, I gave up control of my life because I trusted Him to have a better plan for me.
 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
 and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him 
and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

 
After Swaziland, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with the voice in my head. The voice of the Lord was whispering to me and He told me to quit my job. The job that had been #1 in my life was no longer important to me. All I wanted to do was to feel God’s love and work for Him everyday. I am a planner. I write to-do lists for everything from daily itineraries to cleaning tasks. I couldn’t imagine actually quitting my job with no plan for my future. What would I do? How could I quit without another job lined up? Did the Lord really have a better plan for me? How would I pay my bills? Without answers to these questions, I quit 12 hours after I heard the voice of the Lord. I quit my job of 12 years. I completely trusted in the Lord even though none of it made sense in my head.
 
 
Check back later today to see how I got involved with Philanthropy!!! Next up, Part 2 ‘God led, I followed’

 

Blessings in Him,

~Bridgett K.

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The Fledgling Philanthropist – Obedience

Penned by | Saturday, Jun 9th, 9:11 am | Filed under Uncategorized