Giving It All Away

 Marker & Mud recently made two donations to worthy causes.  One to the American Red Cross chapter in Vicenza, Italy and one to a family seeking to adopt a child from the foster system.  I don't put that on here to receive any kind of pats on the back for either of us, but to let our clients know that profit is not our first priority.  In the early days of a new business there is no such thing as profit.  Every penny that comes in right now goes right back into our business as we get on our feet.  Why, you ask, would we then spend money we aren't making to make donations?  Simple, it's not ours to start with.  As women of faith, we firmly believe that nothing we have is our own.  We can't take it with us.  While we hope to some day help support our families with income from Markers & Mud, that time is still far off in the future.  But Jesus doesn't call us to wait until we are financially profitable to make donations.  Instead he asks us to give generously, to care for widows and orphans and those around us in need.  So that's what we're doing.  The American Red Cross has chapters at military installations across the world.  They offer support services for our men and women in uniform and their families.  This is, of course, close to our hearts.  Adoption is an expensive undertaking, and this family is willing to take in a child who needs a forever family.  This is how we can help to take care of the orphans.  So today's post may not seem like much of a tip, but in all of this I hope you'll walk away with this tip:  Do What You Can, even if it doesn't seem to make sense.  Be a blessing to someone else, through a phone call, a card, a financial donation or your time.  Much like marker scribbles on walls that our kids sometimes leave behind, THIS is how we can leave a mark on the world.

Blessings,