Passing it on

cheryl m, 47, longs, US

I was driving thru a local eating establishment, felt the familiar "nudge". I arrived at the window to pay, told the cashier I was paying for the gentleman behind me and no, I didn't know him. She was confused, asked several times, "you sure?". "Yes," I replied, "and please give him this card" (our wonderful TGR cards) and I drove up to the next window. Looking back in the mirror, watching the gentleman, I was so pleased to see that he didn't just toss the card. He looked at it, turning it over several times in his hand. I pray that he is now being blessed by coming to this website and reading these stories and continuing to share the journey.

2009-11-30 21:10:56

Warm Coates

Shannon Josephs, 32, Barefoot Church, US

It is cold this year. So, my Kids and I were able to give some huddies, and coats away to the homeless at both the McClain Park,MB Park, & georgetown park. Granted it was not comfortable, but my son & daughter, felt the need to warm up to the homeless. I pray it warms their hearts to Jesus....

2009-11-30 20:29:34

Lunch for Ladys

Jackie & Tom, 52, Castalian Springs, US

Jackie and I went to lunch after church with our daughter and soninlaw to a place called the lunchbox when we saw 3 ladies saying grace before their lunch We felt blessed by the LORD to help these ladies. When I told the waitress to give me their tickets she told me that they needed them to turn them into hats (an organization to help people with some type of handicap).I told her we wrer going to pay for their lunch and fot her to give them a card. the waitress asked about the card and i explained it to her to BLESS PEOPLE and giving back. a huge smile came on her face and said its good to see the lord work in ways like that. As we were walking out the door you could see the joy in their faces. Thank You LORD for BLESSING US.

2009-11-30 16:48:12

A Poem of Giving

Patricia Robinson, 61, N. Myrtle Beach, US

I was surprised by a new car a couple of months ago. I try to bless others all year round and I do this because I love the feeling of giving, I love the smiles on a childs face everyday of the year. So I wrote this piece The Gift Revolution. By: Patricia Robinson

2009-11-30 14:52:37

a "2-fer"

Julie, 39, Carolina shores, US

My daughter and i went out for breakfast on Saturday before heading down to Barefoot Church. We were discussing on the way over whether we should do a big tip for the waitress or pay for someone else's meal - she said we should wait and see. We were finishing our meal, and went up to pay. I asked the girl at the checkout to get the bill of the single diner down the aisle. Then we left a tip for the waitress that would make her smile. Cards for both... the cashier was giggling as we left - so were we! It was so much fun. Can't wait to do it again. TGR - it's on baby!

2009-11-29 23:36:56

Free Meal at Cracker Barrell

J.Williams, 24, Jacksonville, US

So my wife and I ate Cracker Barrel today for dinner. I'm not much of a Cracker Barrel fan but my Wife loves it, ha. So I figured sure why not head out to Cracker Barrel and get some food. I'm a breakfast at night type of guy so that made it easy. Anyhow as soon as we sat down and got our drink/meal order our waitress comes back and tells us that our meal was already taken care of. I was a bit confused at first but then she explained that a couple had seen us walk in and wanted to do a good deed and pay for our meal. I was speechless at first and then smiled. I've never had anybody do such a nice thing like that honestly. My wife and I started talking about it and wondered who these nice people were so we can atleast say "Thank You" but they left. Our waitress gave us a card that referenced The Gift Revolution, so here I am. Only thing I felt bad for was our waitress. I had planned to pay with my check card so I wasn't able to leave a tip because I didn't have cash on me. I'll make a special trip to the ATM and pay her.

2009-11-29 23:32:26

Dollar Store Recipient

Dan, Bonita & Louise, 62, Myrtle Beach, US

I was walking with some friends of mine this afternoon who are here visiting from Connecticut. She shared that after leaving the 9:45 service at Barefoot Church this morning she went to the Dollar store and received a blessing from a woman who paid for the purchase and handed her a Gift Revolution card. They didn't have time to talk with her to say they had just left Barefoot Church but, "Thank you Vicky" from Dan & Bonita from Ct. We were blessed by the purchase and received great joy at what God had just done! Only in God's timing. He is an awesome God!

2009-11-29 22:34:41

Disney Trip

Louise, 62, Myrtle Beach, US

My neighbor's daughter was leaving for a trip to Disney World with her high school chorus the day after Thanksgiving. I visited her the day before Thanksgiving and gave her some money for the trip. These are fairly new neighbors and we're still getting to know them. It was great!!!

2009-11-29 21:49:35

Thanksgiving 2009

Jim Danford, 44, North Myrtle Beach, US

Thanksgiving for our family has always been a special time for us - in 2006, our mother passed away during the holiday - of course a sad time, but in many ways a special time since we were all together to see her move from this earth to heaven. Unfortunately Thanksgiving 2009 had more sadness in store for us as we lost a very close family friend on Thanksgiving day to cancer. To make things worse, on Friday after Thanksgiving, my niece's father took his own life due to depression and other medical reasons. As a devout Christian, my niece is about to embark on another chapter of her life: marriage in May 2010. Between saving for the wedding and completing her Master's degree in education, finances are tight to support the costs to travel to Florida to handle this unexpected circumstance. As part of the Gift Revolution, we provided funds and hotel points to help cover transportation costs and associated hotel expenses for her, her fiance and my sisters to make the trip this week - a small gift, but one that means a lot to an only child who loses her father just months before her wedding...

2009-11-29 21:18:11

The angels and the park

vicky lynch, 32, north myrtle beach, US

The kids and I were so pumped about earlier today that we decided to take 8 handmade strings that I had left over and take them to the park to pass out to random people. Caleb gave the angels and Bella helped pass out the cards. There were two ladies that stuck in my mind. Caleb went up to them and asked them if they wanted a angel the lady said yes and tried to pay him for one. I came over and explained that we were not selling in but giving them away. I explained to them about the gift revolution and asked them to please pass the cards along. They said that they would. God is Great!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-29 17:30:00

Merry Christmas !!!

Dave Koch, 49, N. Myrtle Beach, US

I took my two boys into Wendy's for lunch. We were behind an elderly woman in line. I know the manager and signaled that I would be paying for the woman and slipped the manager a card to give her. When she placed her order, the manager said, "thank you, have a nice day." The woman looked puzzled and told the manager she hadn't paid yet. The manager just smiled and handed her a Gift Revolution card and said it was taken care of. She again looked puzzled, looked at the card and smiled and said, "Well, Merry Christmas!" It was classic. We sat in a spot so I could keep my eye on her and when she was getting ready to get up, my youngest son and I went over to her, picked up her tray and told her we'd get that for her. Another classic look from her with a big smile and thank you. What a great feeling to see her smile that big smile and for my son's reaction to the whole deal!!! The manager later told me that this is happening all the time in the store, she thinks it's great!!! I can't wait for God to show me what else to do!!!

2009-11-29 15:46:27

the dollar store

vicky, 32, north myrtle beach, US

The kids and I went to the 9:45am service this morning at barefoot church. We picked up some more gift revolution cards. We had to go to the dollar store today to pick up a few things after church. I thought about what paster clay talked about during service this morning and about blessings. I have been given so many and I wanted to pass some on. We dont have alot of money and every few weeks the kids get to pick out a toy from the dollar store. Today instead of getting one for themselves they each picked out a stuffed animal and put it in the gift box for needy children for christmas. We put a card on each stuffed animal. While we were in the line the couple in front of us were getting ready to pay for their purchase. The spirit moved and I told the cashier that we would be paying their bill and I handed them a card. The children and I were so blessed today.

2009-11-29 15:35:14

Right Place , Right Time

Eric Wimberly, 36, Portland, US

My wife and I were in the Gallatin Wal-mart serving with our church family(Freedom), as I went into the store there were a sea of heads with more stuff than quaker got oats..I was in lane 7 getting a drink and there was a lady there who was 10 dollars short of getting her stuff , she couldn't get her husband on the phone and she started crying they were gonna make her go to the end of the line or to customer service until she could get this took care of...It hit me , this is mine and Amy's first year , I remembered the gift revolution...I got a card out and asked the lady if I could bless her with 10 dollars , she started to cry with tremendous joy , she started telling me that when they told her she was gonna have to move to the side , and she couldn't get a hold of her husband , so the only thing she knew to do was pray ...she said right after she said that little prayer she was asked if she could be blessed...GOD IS AWESOME!!!!After that moment I had about 5 or 6 people wanting a gift revolution card ...LOVE IS POWERFUL!!!!

2009-11-29 13:44:03

Big Tip

Price Family, 33, Portland, US

After our tradional THanksgiving lunch we met with my future father-in-law for a late supper at Cracker Barrel. Our waitress worked very hard to meet all of our needs. Feeling kind of bad that she had to work on Thanksgiving to serve us, we left her a twenty dollar bill and a T.G.R card on top of her normal tip. We tried to leave before she found it but she caught us going out the door. She had only been working there a short time and was very appreciative.

2009-11-29 12:22:58

A gift from the Pastor

Maribeth, 46, Myrtle Beach, US

Last week at Barefoot Church, Pastor Clay and his wife Kim gave us each a gift for no reason at all. It wasnt a large gift or an answer to prayer. It was an unexpected token of their appreciation of their congregation. I have been in the church my entire life. That is the FIRST time a Pastor has given me a gift for no reason with no strings attached. It blessed me in a HUGE way. Becuase what I realized with that gift was that the Pastor and his wife were modeling the love of God. His son was a gift to the world that was sent with no strings attached. The entire experience was so awesome. My husband and I give all the time with no strings attached. But, I am rarely on the other end of the giving. What a blessing, what a blessing.

2009-11-29 11:42:28

Stranded

Pat Crowder, 49, Bethpage, US

When I asked my wife what she wanted for lunch she said Ihop. So off we went for pancakes.As we sat i noticed a man speaking to an elderly couple that had been on the side of the road with bags.the couple had been stranded in ga and made it to rivergate by the help of others,this man brought them in and bought them lunch.I was touched by this and talked with them shortly and then handed them money to get back on the road to Iowa,thinking the whole time what if that was someone in my family.We do not know where they are now but with hopes and the grace of god they made it home.

2009-11-29 11:14:22

An Ice Cream Cone

Rod Gray, 39, North Myrtle Beach,S, US

Tonight while at Chic fil A I had the opportunity to buy a 4 year old boy a vailla ice cream cone. Once I paid the .87 I gave him a Gift Revolution Card and wished him a Merry Christmas. The gentleman with whom the boy was with came up to me with the card and told me that was so kind. He then went on to explain to me that he was the boys grandfather and that the lttle boys father had just died a few months ago and that "he needed some kindess and attention as things have been so hard for him." How awesome is it that something as a vanilla ice cream cone can bring people together and make a difference in a childs life.

2009-11-29 00:12:33

Helping out

Terry & Wanda White, 60, North Myrtle Beach s, US

Wanda and I know a couple that are having a baby and cannot afford the baby things they need, so we gave them some money to help them buy some things they need.

2009-11-28 22:49:52

Pecan Pie

Mark Josephs, 37, Barefoot Church, Nor, US

We gave out some (healthy) pecan pies yesterday. It felt good to get our kids involved in giving to others. Thanks for the opportunity via TGR.

2009-11-28 09:48:37

1st Gift Revolution experience

Chad, 30, Portland, US

Today I started my Gift Revolution. I was at the gas station I normally go to in town and filled my tank up for myself and decided it was the perfect time to start my gift revolution. There was not anyone else getting gas at the time. So, after paying for my gas, I gave the cashier an extra $10 and an gift revolution card and told her to put the $10 towards the next gas purchase and asked her to give the card to the next customer. The cashier acted totally confused but said she would do it. Even though I didnt get to see the reaction of the customer who benefited from the gift, it felt good to take part in the gift revolution.

2009-11-28 01:10:01