This Is Paying It Forward

#90 i gave my car away after my neighbor got in a car crash. it was a ford convertable it was only about $3,200

#89 I was driving home one night around midnight and I saw a homeless man asleep on a bench. I knew he was homeless because his bike was full of plastic bags with all of his belongs attached to the handle bars. I immediately felt a tug at my heart and wanted to bless him. I was a little scared because it was the middle of the night and I was alone. I said a quick prayer and did a U-turn. I parked my car in the middle of the road and put my emergency lights on. I grabbed all the money I had in my purse and ran up to him. I said "excuse me sir, will you please take this?" He told me he couldn't, but was eyeing the money like a starving child. I told him that it wasn't from me, it was from God. God just wanted to bless him and he needed to know that God is bigger than anything we will ever face. "will you please take it?" I asked again. He said, "well, I guess I'll hold on to it for you." and I smiled and ran back to my car and left. I had a few people tell me it was dumb, saying he would probably just go get another high. But that's not what matters. What matters is that that man knows that God is still out there. That God still loves him.

#88 God is great! Although I live in California, I am a long distance home study student of a teacher who is a committed Christian and happens to attend Shoreline. He posted a link to Shoreline Church on his website, which ultimately led me to the "paying it forward" pages. When I read the suggestion to fill up someone's gas tank, the idea hit me like a ton of bricks. I informed my wife that this we must do. She seemed rather lukewarm to the idea and I did not know whether anything would come of it. To my surprise, when I arrived home from work the very next day, my wife had quite a story to tell me. She went to fill up her car with gas, and going inside the station to pay, she remembered what I had said about helping someone. She noticed the woman parked at the pump behind her wasn't getting out of her car. My wife immediately felt that this was the person to help. Walking up to the woman, my wife noticed her counting out some money: a $5 bill and some singles. Then my wife noticed that also in the car was a very old woman, so bent over that my wife did not initially see her. "Excuse me," said my wife. "You're going to think this is crazy, but my husband said I have to buy gas for someone and, if you don't mind, I'd like to buy some for you." The woman just stared in incredulity and said "I guess, if you really want to." My wife loaded $20 into the machine and told the woman she could go ahead and pump. Starting to cry, the woman got out of her car and asked my wife "Can I give you hug?" Thank you, Shoreline, for bringing God into our hearts this week, 3000 miles away in California. Praise the Lord!

#87 My wallet was stolen while out shopping. Someone took/found it and took all the money out of it and just dumped it. My wallet was returned today through the mail without postage required. So they got the $25 from my Pay It Forward envelope that I had been carrying around and plus the rest of last months grocery money. At least I didn't pay it forward so much that they took my credit cards and checks :) So this is my story of paying it forward to someone who must have really needed it.

#86 I donated $10 to the Ronald McDonald home through the local McDonalds. I know from personal experience what a great charity this is.

#85 I gave a donation to the families and friends of the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy. I graduated from VT in 2006 and still had several friends attending when the tragedy happened. Even though I graduated a few months before the terrible event, I was still affected. I can’t imagine the sadness and the emotional strain it has putting on the families and friends of the victims. My prayers go out to all.

#84 An acquaintance was recently in the hospital and several co-workers were collecting money to make her return home easier by buying groceries and paying for a housekeeper. I left the money for her anonymously and think everyone was confused where that much money came from. I hope that both the people collecting the money and the woman it was for felt God's blessing.

#83 I regularly grocery shop at our local Walmart Supercenter. I have been carrying my "Pay it Forward" $20 bill in my purse since the end of Feb. when I received the $ while visiting my "snowbird" parents in Destin. Usually when I shop it's in and out...get it done!!! This past Monday 4/7/08 I was finished shopping and was on my way out when I passed this elderly couple walk in. He was using a walker and his wife was walking along side of him. Both of them had the sweetest smiles on their faces. Holy Spirit prompted me that I was to bless this couple with my "pay it forward" $. I went back in the store, parked my full cart of groceries, and bought a $20 gift card. I wandered all over the store looking for this couple and finally found them near the pharmacy. I told them I wanted to bless them today with a $20 gift card because of their nice smiles and wished them a happy Monday. It was very simple, but felt very good. Thank you Lord for using me to brighten that couples' smiles a bit more on Monday!!!

#82 I missed that day at Shoreline Church because I was feeling sorry for myself because of our financial situation, things have been tight. I did not get an envelope and I did not receive money. I did trade a one night's stay in one of my rental condos for a 1 year old refrigerator with an ice maker. I picked up the Refrigerator and an extra 26 inch TV I had and delivered it to someone who did not have a refrigerator. Cost of trading the condo $0, the person who received the Refrigerator Priceless, my reward unlimited!

#81 Adding up the four envelopes we received as a family totaled $165. We paid that forward already and posted the story, but we were given another opportunity to help someone out. There is a mother of four children who struggles to make ends meet. Her water heater was leaking horribly and she had to replace it. She had to use money which normally pays bills to pay for the replacement. To top it off the leaking water heater caused her normal $120 power bill to soar to $230. We paid it forward with $400 to help her get back on track. Thirty minutes after paying it forward, I was presented with a possible promotion at work, which was completely unexpected! I should get the official offer in the next couple of weeks.

#80 Wowzaaaaa! God is truly amazing and working in such awesome ways! I drove over to Pensacola last Sunday to visit a friend. It was like any other trip, I grabbed my keys, GPS, bottle of water, and for some reason I scooped up my "Pay It Forward" money and hit the road. I had kept it on my bookshelf for several weeks and I was undecided on what I could do with the money, which was $50. When I reached P-cola I was chilling out in a parking lot with my friend (we were waiting for a third friend to show up) when a lady walked up to my truck. She looked pretty haggard, hair all grungy, clothes faded, body all wiry, like she had had been taking drugs. She came up to us and told us her story in a shaky voice. She was just released from the hospital, she still had the medical ID bands on her and she said she was terminal. The night before she slept in a ditch on the side of the road and she woke up to find leeches on her body. She was cold because she didn't even have a jacket or any other possessions. Her parents were both deceased and the closest people she could call family lived in New Orleans. She said this was the first time she had ever begged for anything and that although she was ashamed she was at the end of her rope. She said all she needed was $45 to spend the night in a motel so she could get at least one night of restful sleep. I couldn't stop smiling when I heard her say $50 (I think she thought I was laughing at her at first, but I was smiling because I knew God had sent her, at this specific place, and specific time for us to meet). I gave her the envelope with the money and the church bulletin. She had actually seen the movie "Pay It Forward" so she understood what I explained to her about the purpose and vision behind the money. I won't forget the look on her face when she received the money. Her tired face twisted with agony and pure joy as she started crying again. It was perfect, she had $45 for the motel and $5 leftover for a meal. She was truly touched and before she left I gave her a beach towel from the back of my truck, so she had at least something, and a hug as she told me the rest of her story. My friend, and the other one that eventually showed up were also touched by what had happened, after I explained what happened. God continues to amaze us in times when we least expect Him to work. But the thing is God is always at work and His infinite ways cannot be comprehended by our finite minds, but at least from time to time we can see, appreciate, and praise Him in the ways He reveals his unconditional love, mercy, and grace for us.

#79 A friend has recently had their spouse experience their second heart attack. Shortly after the heart attack, my friend's father died. They were struggling with paying bills. We had received $25 in our envelopes from Shoreline and decided to add $100. After we paid it forward with the money from Shoreline, we decided to take a portion of our tax return and "Pay it Forward" to a few more people.

#78 Last summer Brandon and I started doing icecream parties for a group called Lighthouse Family Retreat. This is a foundation that brings families that have children with cancer on vacation on the Emerald Coast. My financial situation has changed and I was very concerned that I would not be able to do this for these families- Brandon recieved $50, I recieved $100. By putting our money together we will have the ice cream party at the first retreat. This will be for about 80-120 people. The Lighthouse Family Retreat is a faith based organization that was started by one amazing woman-It is a joy and a privelege to work with her and these families that are suffering through their child's illness. I am working on raising money for the other ice cream parties. Thank you for sharing-

#77 I received $5 in my envelope to pay it forward. Since that Sunday I have been looking forward to the opportunity to give. This past Sunday, I was given my chance. I was planning an event on 30-A which I hired a Gospel group from Panama City Beach to come perform. The Director of this group and his wife started this choir in 1997 as a way to help "at risk" youth with today's challenges. They now have 30 some youth, ages 7 and up. They offer assistance to these kids with education, social adaptation, performing arts and community service. Their stories are absolutely incredible and after meeting them, hearing their stories, their message and their voices I was so excited to give. I decided to add $15 to my $5 and gave $20 to the Director’s Wife as a personal donation. On the check, I simply wrote: Paying it Forward.

#76 I had started to get a little discouraged because I had not been presented with an opportunity to pay it forward yet. It had been close to three weeks since getting $5 in my pay it forward envelope. About a week after receiving the money, I found another $5 on the street, so I added that and now had $10. Well, on Saturday, I was leaving work (I work at a restaurant) and when I got to my car, there were two homeless men sitting near my car. One of the men was weeping. Immediately, I knew this was my opportunity. I asked the two men if they were hungry and they both leaped up and said "yes." I took them back inside the restaurant and got them something to eat. They explained to me they had gotten a ride from Tallahassee from someone who promised them work in the area. The man abandoned them and they had no money and no means of transportation to get back home. I told them I could not help them get back to Tallahassee, but I gave them the $10 to use for dinner that night. I prayed with them and explained the whole pay it forward deal. I told them whenever they get back on there feet, whether it be 10 years down the road, please remember to pay it forward what God had provided for them today. They were very appreciative and promised to do so. God is Good!!

#75 i was at slick micks in fwb with a friend of mine we split the jalapeño poppers which are awesome and a cheesesteak pizza which was very good he had tea and i had water he told me about the latest in a long series of car troubles he was having but it never entered my head to pay it forward in regard to that when i got back to my office i was thinking of something church related when it hit me that i needed to pay forward his car fix it wasn't that i remembered that i could or decided to it was an absolute knowledge that i needed to i got twenty dollars clams bills bucks beans from shoreline but that was not going to be enough wampum dough green cabbage coin lucre loot jack to pay the bill so i added two hundred eighty to that for a total of four hundred somolians i don't know why all the other posting here have funny little dots and dashes throughout them are they infested by ants or something there are twenty six letters in the alphabet and ants isnt one of them check it out some time you should get on it its a good train fyi if you do not recognize that line i took it from the movie the italian job the part where lyle yells yeah really loud i mean loudly in the train station and when he realizes people are staring at him he says i got the holy spirit you should get on it its a good train

#74 While I was in the Walmart grocery section, I noticed an obviously underpriviliged young mother with a cart about half full of groceries. Just then her young husband appeared with their 2 to 3 year old daughter. The child had a big smile on her face and was carrying a large bright pink toy. The mom told the dad he'd have to put the toy back, and he said, "It only cost a couple bucks." She quietly said, "We can't afford it, so put it back." I then walked by the mom, put $5.00 in her hand and said,"Keep the toy, God Bless You." As I continued walking, she smiled a big smile and softly said, "Thank You."

#73 I gave the money to the Disabled American Veterans Foundation.

#72 There is this family we have started to get to know. They had just bought a house and we had gone over to check on things and see if we could lend a hand. The next day we got a call from them saying that their 2 year old son was very sick. We decided that this was the perfect thing to use our pay it forward money for. We went to Target and bought a Veggie Tales movie and a stuffed animal and took it over to their son. When we told them about Pay it Forward they started to cry.

#71 I have a friend who is involved with Angel Food Ministries through her church in FWB. We were recently discussing how that church's soup kitchen was getting ready to close until next year and that there were some families who had been depending on it. I decided I was going to add some to it and provide a box of food to a family the church chose. As it turned out I did donate a box of food but to a friend of mine instead who is going through a very tough time right now.

#70 It took us a little while to find the perfect person to "pay it forward" so after praying about one night the very next day the perfect person appeared to us. It is a woman we have known for about a year. She has 6 children (4 still at home) and is a single Mom really having a hard time making ends meet. I handed her a card with a nice note inside reminding her God loves her and she is a great person. I hope it touched her and put a smile on her face at least for a little while. Thank you Shoreline for this awesome oppurtunity!! Our kids really took it to heart as well which was a great lesson for them too!

#69 I love the idea of "Pay it Forward" and also love that Eric and his team have the guts to send back that much money out of the church budget into the community...have NEVER heard of another church doing that. I've been asking God what I should do and finally got a clear answer...here it is... I took an envelope and put a label on the front that reads... The movie “Pay it Forward” shows someone doing good for someone else and instead of paying them back…they pay it forward to another person. So, inside the envelope you will find $20. If you need the money, please take it & use it anyway you see fit. If you don’t need it, please pass this envelope to someone who might need it. If you have the ability to add money to the envelope, GREAT…if not, that’s ok too. The idea is to keep it going until someone needs the money. So…please use it or pass it on. We hope this money & this experience will bless your life. God bless you. This was all started when Eric Partin, pastor at Shoreline Church (the church that meets at the Rave Theatre in Destin, FL) did a sermon on “Pay it Forward.” He took the offering from an average Sunday (over $7000) and gave it back to the congregation in envelopes. Some people got $5 and some got $100+. The idea was to take that money back out to the community and do good with it. If you would like to let us know what you did with the envelope, go to www.thisispayingitforward.com (scroll to the bottom and post). Please start your post with the word “Envelope #10” so we will know you got this envelope. Thank you. Ok...that's what the envelope says and my husband and I plan to put out 1 envelope to someone we see for each of the next few weeks...so watch the website for envelope #10 and 11 and 12 and so on. WE LOVE SHORELINE!!!

#68 Shoreline gave us $40 to pay it forward and this went to a lady with cancer who needs to drive to Birmingham monthly to help her pay for gas on at least one of the trips. God soon after blessed our finances and laid on our hearts the need of a family that we know. We are fortunate enough to have been the arm of the church to meet that family's need. I know for sure this family knows the gift came from God and not us because God gives all of our blessings. Our prayers will that God continues to bless this campaign through our church to continue to be as successful and meaningful for our community as it has been for us and leave blessings through our comminuty for many years to come.

#67 A high school girl lost her wallet and it was turned in to our establishment.When she arrived to pick the wallet up she saw that all the money ($50.00) was missing along with all of her gift cards that she had received as gifts. It was at this time that I gave her the $10.00 that I had received from Shoreline. She was very thankful and I told her to thank the Lord.

#66 While visiting Shoreline Church we were pleasantly surprised to receive $10.00. After returning home we added $100.00 to that and donated it to Peniel Christian School For Teenagers in our area. Thank you so much to Pastor Eric for the great incentive to give!

#65 My husband and I received a total of $15 for Paying It Forward. We were recently at a restaurant and could tell our waitress was from Eastern Europe. The restaurant was slow and knew that she probably is here on a work visa. We felt led to give her a tip that was bigger than our bill. So we left her $20.00 with a note that said "Have a great day!"

#64 My family and I put our money together to equal to 25 dollars. We bought stuff for a new mom and dad and their baby.

#63 I had a customer who came in with car troubles. The problem was within her car's computer which means she has to take it to Audi in Mobile and it will be a major repair. This is frustrating for anyone, but she is going through health struggles that few people could imagine. I decided to send what was given to me by Shoreline to my customer. I researched poems, prayers, and quotes to send with it and found this: Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and everyday. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then. Put aside anxious thoughts and imagionations, and say continually: "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in Him and I am helped. He is not only with me but in me, and I in Him." This was not only a blessing to my customer, but truly a blessing to me with the struggles that I have been facing personally. Too, during the process of putting the money and letter together, God provided very pointed answers to prayers and concerns that I have had for some time. Within 10 minutes, I was guided and blessed with answers and direction and it was all because of a simple act of doing God's work.

#62 A friend of ours, a single mom with two daughters has been having a very hard time making ends meet. Now her daughter who works two jobs just found out she needs car repairs totaling over $2,000. We took our $155 and added $50 more.

#61 While driving home from Destin to Mary Esther, I passed a homeless man and immediately felt God laying it on my heart to stop and give this man a ride. I circled back around and picked up Rob. I asked him where he was going and he told me, "Oregon." he further informed me that he was trying to get a hold of some of his friends, but lost his wallet when a cop pulled him over which had his friends phone numbers in it. He was hitchhiking back to Oregon just to get the phone numbers back to contact his friends! Talk about amazing dedication. We ended up driving around for an hour and twenty minutes talking about everything. We had both been in the Air Force and he had some cool stories. I took him to the store to get something to eat and drink, and he told me to just drop him off in Fort Walton beach, because he had heard it was a pretty cool place. When I dropped Rob off, I gave him $60 and told him about pay if forward. That it isn't about what you can do with money, it's about what you can do out of love. I told him how much God loves him, and he started crying and told me, "although it may not look like it, God blesses me so much." We hugged and he got out of the car, stood at attention and gave me a huge (teary eyed) salute. To see how God can use just a little bit of time and money completely overwhelmed me. God is so Good.

#60 We have been attending Shoreline Church since October and we are amazed and touched each and every Sunday as we listen to Pastor Eric and Assoc Pastor Sam! Amazing at the timing of the Pay It Forward message as only the previous Friday at work, we had been speaking about how we could best help a co-worker who was going through a difficult time financially. She and her husband had tried for years to have children of their own with no success. Two years ago, the self-lessly adopted three siblings. As any of us parents know, children are expensive! As they struggled with doctor bills, groceries, etc, they have never failed to show these three children the meaning of LOVE. Recently, her husband's employer had laid off every employee except for him, since he did the bookkeeping for the company. After now six plus weeks working without a paycheck, he was finally able to file for unemployment compensation. Needless to say, they are in a financial bind. My family received a total of $25 in our Pay It Forward envelopes, we added another $75 to it and gave her a card with $100 inside. I know she truly appreciates the help and hopefully one day can pay it forward to sonmeone else who might need help. Thanks Shoreline for helping us to remember how fortunate we truly all are.

#59 I received $5 in my envelope on Sunday. Unfortunatly, I didn't use it locally, since I left town for business right after church let out. The day before I returned home, I left it on the housekeepers cart, with the card on top of the money. I left it there because I didn't want them to think that I was "tipping" them to get more shampoo. Hopefully, she needed it or knew someone who did!

#58 We have been using this concept for over 50 years from my family to my children. My mother would always feed any person that came to our door no matter what they looked like to anyone else. We have taught and demonstrated to our children never to pass up a homeless person or someone in need without giving them what you have; and never ask anything from them except to Pay it Forward or do some thing nice for someone else. We are entrepreneurs and inventors and business is difficult at this time; our son was a soccer player in a Christian college and now is in the arena football league as a place kicker; our daughter is on a tennis scholarship at Liberty University in Virginia. Andrew's first professional game of his career was to be in Dallas and we had no financial means to go there. We got two five dollar bills and added another 10 dollars and gave it to a man that has had leg surgery and has been out of work. We did not tell him any thing not even pay it forward. Some friends that we have not seen in awhile came over and handed my wife an envelope with a check inside that gave us enough money to drive to Dallas and surprise Andrew for his first game; he was overwhelmed that we would drive that distance and return. His mother told me that she has never had a hug like that in 23 years from him. He had a great game and now we are going to try and visit our daughter. These people who gave us the money own an incredible restaurant and is has been slow for them with the influx of new restaurants in the area but recently business has picked up. There restaurant is Basmati's in Blue Mountain Beach and it payed forward.

#57 Our family recieved a total of $17.25. We held on to it for a couple of weeks, waiting to see what God had planned for it. A very dear friend of ours, who is home from a missions trip in Bulgaria called this weekend and wanted to hang. After I hung up the phone, I knew the money was for her. I asked my hubby what he thought of it and he agreed. She came over and we had such an awesome day. EAting, talking, hanging out with the kids...it was great. It was late and she was getting ready to leave, so I my husband went to get the "Pay it Forward" envelope. We never discussed how much, but he added some to it. I know she was praising God when she made it home and opened the envelope. I know that it will be used to further her mission that God has called her to do. We love Shoreline.

#56 I received $20.00. I was approached the next day by one of my coworkers to support the local drive for the Children's Miracle Network. I added $80.00 to what I had received and contributed $100.00 to a very worthy cause.

#55 Received $20.00 added $20.00 to it Today when I came into work I was looking through my stack and pile of paperwork on my desk while sipping my coffee. I happend to notice a note left from yesterday it was concerning a couple who lost $300 and they were inquiring about some video data. A few minutes later I received a call from the couple who lost the money; she stated that she just cashed her check and had come in my store to buy some groceries. As she came through the front doors she stopped at a fast food joint to grab a burger, she paid for the burger with the cash she had and then went to shop. When she got to the register the couple realized the money was missing from her purse. I then told the lady I would give her a call back after reviewing some video, and after some more research. I reviewed the video and found that the couple did not loose the money in the store. I called the couple and spoke with the husband he was very upset and they were on a budget and to let them know if anyone found the money. After hanging up with the husband I felt in my heart this was my opportunity to "Pay it Forward" so during my lunch hour I went and visited the wife's workplace. I identified myself as the individual doing research on her lost money at my store, and that I wasn't a Jesus Freak and I wasn't a stalker, I asked her if she ever heard of the movie Pay it Forward and she responded with Yes. I explained to her that Shoreline was basically doing the same thing, I told her I didn't want anything back and the church didn't either. I told her that I felt she needed the money. She then gave me a hug and told me thank you. She stated how her and her husband were looking for a church in the area and I told her about Shoreline.

#54 After receiving the money, we decided we were going to combine our money and add money to it. We took a few days to decide what we wanted to do with the money. A coworker discussed how him and his wife were low on funds and they have a baby on the way. So, we decided to give them a gift card to walmart as a baby gift. They were very thankful for the gift!

#53 I wasn't really sure what to do to pay it forward for some time. During church last Sunday I felt the Lord nudging me to drive to Fort Walton Beach and look for a homeless person and buy him lunch. So I headed that way after church and prayed that the Lord would bring me to someone who needed lunch and some company. At the second gas station I drove by, I met a nice man named Doc who asked me for a dollar. I told him I'd do him one better and take him to lunch wherever. So we went and picked up some fried chicken and chatted during the drive. Doc was stoked and so was I! God is good!

#52 A friend was telling us about a bill they couldn't pay. We both felt we were to give them the money, so we wrote a check for the amount to bless them.

#51 We are new to Shoreline and in the three weeks that we have been going we have loved it more each time. On the second Sunday we were there we got $30 to pay it forward. Our three year old gave her $5 to her teacher to buy something that was needed for her classroom. She goes to a Christian school in Destin so when I explained the story to her teacher she thought that it was such a cool idea. It is my hope that the idea is copied within the school in some way or maybe even copied by the church that is connected to the school. My husband and I then started wondering what to do with the other $25. We thought about a man that was layed off at the business where my husband works. He was actually my husband's manager and he also had another job to suppliment his position at my husband's work. Due to cutbacks in January he along with my husband and several others were let go. Because of my husband's position he was able to keep working with the company as an independent contractor and God has blessed us with more openings in different areas that have more than made up for the job that he had. His manager however was not in the same position and could not come back as an independent contractor. We had heard a few stories about the fact that he was not doing well and his family was also in a bind because of the lay off. We thought that it would be a great idea to send him the money and to add some to it. In all we sent him $400 to help him and his wife and son with whatever it is they may need. We didn't tell him anything about it other than it was just on our hearts to send it to him. It is our hope that he will be touched by the gift and also asks us more about why we did it. This is the best idea we have ever heard of and count it as such a blessing to have been a part of it. God has blessed us so much in life. Thank you Shoreline for thinking out of the box!!

#50 As a new mom, I know how stressful and taxing, not to mention expensive, having a new baby can be. I bought some supersoft onesies, booties, and a hat, diapers, wipes and hand sanitizer and made a little care package for a "less fortunate" new Mom. The nurses at the hospital are going to pass it along for me! Thank you so much for this awesome opportunity.

#49 Our family was out of town and unable to attend the Pay it Forward service when the envelopes were distributed, but watched it online when we returned. We decided that we did not want to be denied the opportunity to bless others by paying it forward, so decided to use our own money to do so. We had plans to attend the Supper on Saturday lifegroup where we partner with other local churches to distribute approximately 500 meals to families in Niceville. That morning, God prompted us to purchase 500 roses and give one to each person that received a meal. Although it was a small and simple gift, it communicated love and care to so many that day. It was such a blessing to watch peoples' faces light up when they received their rose. Many of them stated that they never receive flowers and that it was such a treat. It was fun to watch them smell the rose and appreciate all of its beauty. In addition, it ended up blessing all of the volunteers who distributed them as well, enabling them to experience the joy of paying it forward. The man who was driving our van asked if I could save a pink one for him because he wanted to take it to his 80+ year old dance partner that evening. At the end of the day there were several dozen roses left over and the volunteers came up with the great idea to take them to a local nursing home and hand them out to the female residents there. We weren't able to go with them, but we can only imagine the joy that this must have brought to these ladies. This was such a blessing to our family and we are so grateful to Shoreline for having the courage to think and act outside of the box. This is the best church on the planet!

#48 Several weeks ago, after hearing from a friend that his two close friends were kidnapped in Afghanistan, our life group, Koinonia, immediately began praying for those taken, for their families, and for their abductors. We were saddened to learn this week that the two, Cyd Mizell, and Muhammed Hadi, have likely been murdered by the gunmen who grabbed them off a rural street in Kandahar. Cyd, a Christian woman from California, was committed to reaching out to Afghan women. CNN reported that, "At the time of her abduction, Mizell had been working on projects designed to help women and families generate income. She also taught English at a high school and embroidery lessons at a girl's school, (her) organization said." Muhammed Hadi, a native Afghan, was employed by Cyd's organization as a driver. He was the father of five young children, all under the age of 15. Our life group has combined much of our pay it forward money, and added some of our own. We are sending a letter and the money to Hadi's family and children who live in Kandahar. In Afghanistan, the average annual income is $280, so hopefully this will help relieve some of their immediate financial needs. We know that God takes tragic circumstances and brings good out of them. We hope that His love for Muhammed's family is made more tangible to them when they receive a gift from a bunch of strangers in a far away land. Thanks Shoreline for helping us realize this opportunity! You can read more about Cyd and Muhammed at: "Kidnapped American Aid Worker Feared Dead" and "Afghan Women Protest American Kidnapping"

#47 Checking out for a small item in K-Mart, there was a gentleman that was very unhealthy, and obviously very poor. He was counting his pennies with a shaking hand to buy a small quart of oil for his car. We waited for him to come out of the store and he shuffled along, and we gave him the envelope. He muttered thanks, but we know he was very happy when he opened it to find 30 bucks. We recieved $5 each, and added $5 of our own. Thank you Shoreline for being so awesome. We love to come to be a part of Shoreline!!!!

#46 Every Wednesday morning I go to Chic-Fil-A for a Life Group and every Wednesday at 8 am this guy comes in to eat breakfast. I have seen him in the paper before. He has a mixed martial arts business on Mountain Drive and is really trying to reach the youth of Destin and keep them out of trouble. I also know that he is a Christian. So, when I was getting my breakfast at 7, I asked the girl behind the counter if she knew what he got for breakfast and how much it was. She said he gets the same thing every time and how much it was. I told her that I wanted to buy it for him. I decided to do this even though I had already paid it Forward with the money I received in my envelop. So, I paid for it and she asked did I want her to tell him who this was from. So I said tell him that Eric was Paying it Forward. Well then, she wanted to know what that meant. So, I told here what our church did, without letting her know that I was the pastor. She thought that was a pretty good idea. I did too.

#45 I have a daughter that goes to Destin Middle School and she is in the 7th grade. Every year the 7th Grade has their annual cardboard boat race and every year they have a fund raiser to raise money for the T-shirts to give every student something to remember the occasion by. Well this year the fundraising dance was not very successful and the kids were probably not going to get a T-shirt if anything. I have put my $20.00 that I received, along with a dollar from one of our young people, and a couple of my fellow lifegroup members, and along with $500.00 that I will donate from my business, and the $500.00 I will get three other local businesse to donate, will cover and exceed the $ 2000.00 minimum that they need to have the T-shirts made up and delivered. I still have the T-shirt from my first daughters cardboard boat race 7 years ago and I treasure the shirt and the memories that it brings back. I look forward to seeing all the children that I have watched grow up with my younger daughter enjoy the fun and fellowship, and the spirited competition of the race, and know that years from now they may look at that T-shirt and it will inspire some fond memories of their own, of the day and the year they raced cardboard boats in the bay!

#44 I've been thinking of how to use the $5 I got ever since we were given the envelopes. This afternoon, as I was going in Publix, there was a girl, probably 11 years old, who asked if I wanted to donate to the American Heart Association. I was touched that a girl her age is doing something like that so I donated the money I got and added $15 more.

#43 We are snow birds from Minnesota and have been attending Shoreline Church while we are here for the winter. We thought the "pay it forward" was a wonderful idea and did see the movie when it was first out in theater. Both the movie and the church service had an impact on us! We decided to give our money to a cleaning lady at our condo. She is a single mom working two jobs to make a living. It happended to be her birthday this week so we gave her the money in a card and wished her well. I'm sure she will be able use the money. Thanks for all you do!!!

#42 Someone bought roses for Niceville's Supper On Saturday ministry and many Shoreline members came to help deliver the flowers along with the meals. The responses are overwhelming- older women who had tears in their eyes; younger ones who had never received such a kind gift. Many said the most wonderful gift of all was the smile from the person who delivered the rose. Shoreline continues to be a blessing to hundreds of people.

#41 We gave the $l05.00 to the maintenance person at our condo. He has been in bad health for a few years and has had a hard time making ends meet. He was very excited to receive the money and could not figure out why we were giving it to him. What a wonderful concept this is. You're doing a wonderful job at Shoreline. We enjoy being a part of this fellowship when we're in Destin.

#40 I have an Irish friend who is always helping people down on their luck. get back on their feet. A couple of weeks ago my friend gave a guy a job, found him a place to live and gave him a washer & dryer. The man still needed furniture and household stuff. We decided to pay it forward by helping my friend help "his guy" out. We pooled our pay it forward money of $7, added $3 and got him a Walmart gift card. We also gave him stuff we had around the house - desks, chairs, plates, & kitchen stuff. It was contagious and my sister pitched in a tv and my niece gave a stereo. My mom & dad threw in seating and an end table. I admire my friend who lives a life of continuously paying it forward and it was an honor to help him help someone else.

#39 We have been attending Shoreline Church since the summer of 2006 and it has been such a blessing to see what this church family can do and has done. Last Sunday, we received a total of $120 dollars in our "Pay It Forward" envelopes. We did not have to spend a lot of time thinking of a way to bless someone with this money and decided to add another $100 to it in the form of a WalMart gift card. We have a family of 5 living down the street from us that are having some financial difficulties, so we gave them the $120 in cash to pay their bills with and the $100 WalMart gift card to buy groceries for their family of 5 (3 of them are boys). We were grateful to have the opportunity to show God's care and generosity. They were truly grateful as well!

#38 When we opened our envelopes we were surprised to find $200.00 in one envelope and $5.00 in the other one. We were thrilled to receive $205.00 from the church to give away. We decided to give it to a person we know who is in need of funds for an exam. we gave it to a friend that has a upcoming state licensing exam that she does not have the money to pay for. She works two jobs and is trying to move forward to a better career to help others. We added money to it so that she would have $400.00 to put towards her licensing fees. Our daughter and her friend each had $5.00. They decided to buy a webkinz for two little girls from there school (we found them for $6.00 each at the crab trap on the island). One little girl had an accident last week and broke her arm and knocked out two teeth so they thought it would cheer her up, and the other little girl is a friend who they know does not have a webkinz and would really like to have one.

#37 My spouse and I combined our money (and added some) to buy a gift for a neighbor who is going through a rough time.

#36 My mom added some more cash to the money I got in church. We were waiting on a chance to give it to someone. As we were leaving church today, one of the girls who helps out with the children's ministry at Shoreline asked for a dollar to play video games after church. I got to give her $5. Well technically mom did, because I don't quite understand the concept of "paying it forward." Anyway, the girl was really happy and said thank you like 5 times! :)

#35 We pooled our funds as a family and received $167.00. We gave $27.00 to a scholarship fund at OWC in honor of two young nursing students who lost their father last weekend. We gave $40.00 to a young girl standing on the street corner in Pensacola this evening. We had to change lanes and do a U turn to get back to her and nearly caused an accident in the process, but something told us it was worth it. We pulled into the parking lot and she had made eye contact with us and ran up to take the money. She looked and smelled like she had not showered in days. We also had a granola bar and a bottle of water on us. She asked us if she could have a ride just around the corner. I have never given anyone a ride before that I did not know, but God told me that it would be safe. She gave us directions as she inhaled the granola bar. She told us her name, M******, and thanked us a number of times. We told her we were happy to help her. We dropped her off at a trailer a couple of blocks away with a brand new Land Cruiser in the side yard. I am pretty sure it was her drug dealer, and that the money we gave her bought her one more high. My husband and I knew this is what the money would probably be used for and decided to do it anyway. We hoped that she would remember that someone did something nice for her and that just maybe she would take steps toward making herself a better person. Hopefully I am wrong about the drugs and she is going to use the money to better herself, but that is in God's hands. We just happily handed it over and said a prayer for her. It also provided a great opportunity for us to talk with the kids about why you should never do drugs. The poor girl was starving to death and looked and smelled horrible. We plan on spending the other $100.00 on paying for someones prescription medications. We tried hanging out at CVS on Friday night, but just felt like we were stalking old people. God will provide us with the opportunity to pay it forward and we will gladly take it. This is so awesome. Thanks for giving us this opportunity.

#34 My husband and I were praying for some direction in where we would "pay it forward". As I prayed the name of a boy that is a student at a local elementary school came to mind. My sister had recently told me a story of this young boy in her daughters class that was being raised by his elderly grandmother. My sister told me that many times he does without because his granmother is unable to provide for all of his needs. My sister told me that recently this young boy had gone through the lunch line and picked up a lunch. After he returned to the lunch table one of the lunch attendants took back his lunch and replaced it with two slices of bread and a slice of cheese to make a sandwich. She told me how this boy just sat quietly finishing his lunch. My sister also said that all his classmates at his table took things off their own plates to donate to their friend. I was pleased to hear how compassionate these young children were but disturbed by the story. When my sister asked the young boy why they had taken his lunch he told her that his grandmother is not always able to pay on his lunch account. My husband and I decided that we would combine our money and pay for this boys lunch for the rest of the school year-anything left over will roll over to his account for next year. Thank you Shoreline for the opportunity to "pay it forward" and for reminding us all how easy it can be and how good it feels to think of others!!!!!!!!!

#33 I gave the money to the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society to help out our four-legged friends.

#32 I was sitting on my couch with the $20 that I got to "pay it forward" I was praying that God would show me the person who needed most in my life even if i may not know it. Then my brother walked in the door and something just kept urging me to give him the money. so I stood up and told my brother, "this is for you" as I handed him the money! I immediatly had to leave so i didnt get to talk to him about it or anything. A couple of hours later, my mom and I were driving down the road and she said, you made the right choice by giving your brother that money, I asked her why and she said, because he said that he hadn't told anybody this but when he walked in the door and sat down on the computer, he was wondering how he was going to have the gas money to get to work, or how to pay for lunch if he does make it to work! I was so happy to hear that I had made good use with my money!

#31 We have been attending Shoreline since the summer of 2005 and it has been such a blessing to see what this church family can do. Last Sunday, we received a total of $15 dollars in our "Pay It Forward" envelope. We spent awhile thinking of ways to bless somebody with this money and decided to add another $35 to it. The Vista Murrieta High School Band (Murrieta, CA) is going to Grand Nationals in Indianapolis later this year. Students are working hard to raise over $1300 each for the trip. We chose to send VMHS a check for $50 to sponsor a student who has a financial need, yet deserves to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity.

#30 Together our family had $80.00 to PAY IT FORWARD we decided to give it to someone we know who is really having a hard time right now. This family already lives pay check to pay check but within the last 3 weeks the sole income maker for this family found out that he had a tumor on his vocal cord and had to have surgery right away. It's been about 2 weeks since the surgery and this person had to go back into the hospital due to some complications. In the meantime, there is little to no income and the bills are piling up. We gave our money to this family and told them that GOD loves them and will see them through this hard time. They were very, very thankful.

#29 My whole family came to church with me last sunday. As service was ending, my dad handed me his envelope. So all together I had $10. I had been planning on going to a gas station and paying it forward there. $3.19 a gallon!! Are you serious?! Anyway, We were at the grocery store today and this sweet little old lady was behind us. Right before we left, I grabbed a $10 and handed it to the cashier and said "Can you use this to pay for $10 of her groceries?" I was going to explain, but she grunted, rolled her eyes, and let out an annoyed sigh. This was no teeny bopper cashier either. Mid- 50's or so. I was suddenly embarrassed! I blushed nervously, grabbed my daughters, and left. I hope that the old woman who recieved the money was tickled pink, and maybe it would brighten the cashiers day a little knowing that she took part in something like this. I waited in the car, and I watched the woman walk to her car, and she seemed to have a smile on her face. I could be wrong though, sometimes old people look like they're smiling when they really aren't. Like when their dentures don't fit right.

#28 Well, this is just weird...or maybe a God thing. I was sitting in our coffee shop this morning and a young man was in the store working on his computer. He hadn't ordered anything, which was fine, but my $5 "pay it forward" was still in my wallet and I hadn't found a chance to use it. On an impulse I went up to the young man and told him that I wanted to buy him some breakfast. He looked surprised and I told him that I was the owner (though I don't work behind the counter so it wasn't obvious that I was connected to the store). He gratefully accepted my offer and I got him a breakfast sandwich and gave the $5 to our manager to pay for the meal. I then left the store before the sandwich was delivered. When I got to my office later today, I received this email...
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Thank you so much! After you offered me breakfast I went to the car to get my wallet so I could at least give a tip. Then I had a better idea and went back to the car to get you a "give" t-shirt. There didn't seem to be a better person to give one to!

A friend and I are starting a non-profit business selling 100% organic pre-shrunk 6.1 oz. high quality cotton black t-shirts with the word "give" screen printed in white across (the center of!) the chest. We even purchase the shirts from and get them printed by fair-trade companies, charitable organizations, etc. The purpose is merely to promote the concept of giving! Any proceeds are given to various charities. Margaret explained that you are involved in similar activities, including a church that promotes giving. If you are possibly interested in ordering any, or know anyone who might be, please let me know! I wish I could have given you the "real thing", but that's all I had with me. It's one of the first samples and I apologize that it is imperfect (the word is not centered, and it's embroidered, not organic, and not as good of quality). Nonetheless, I hope you find occasions to wear it and further promote the concept of "giving"!
On a related note, the website link in my automated signature below is to my web page which explains my efforts to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training! I feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with you today. We seem to have similar visions followed through with similar actions, and I am encouraged every time I meet such people.
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Talk about feeling humbled...

#27 I know we aren't supposed to put up posts about receiving money but i wanted to leave a testimony anyway. So, after church on Sunday I decided to try a little paying it forward by working on someone's house for them. I did this knowing that my wife didn't have enough cash on hand to come pick me up and take me home afterwards but felt assured that it was the right thing to do. when I got home the lovely young lady that took me home gave me her envelope and said she felt like God told her to do it. Cool, i thought, i might use it to add to what we already had for someone else but after seeing my wife tear up as we entered the house i was compelled to ask what was wrong and she said that both vehicles were on 5 or less dte and without that i wouldn't have been able to go to work. God says He knows our needs even before we ask. pretty hot if you ask me.

#26 This morning I left work to run an errand, and since I work in a school it is a big deal to leave during the workday. Excited about having twenty whole minutes of freedom, I celebrated by driving through Starbucks. After I paid for my coffee I briefly explained to the lady in the window that I wanted to pay for the order of the person behind me. She seemed pleasantly surprised, so instead of just paying with the cash I handed her the whole envelope so that she and the person behind me could see the website and the logo, too. The vehicle behind me was a jeep that I've noticed in my area of town more than once, so now I'll keep an eye out for that person!

#25 I'm still waiting to award my full amount, but when I was crossing the bridge the other day I went ahead and went through the cash line and paid for the person behind me. Every little bit counts, right? Still deciding what to do with the rest!

#24 My mom, my cousin and I had several discussions on what we could do with our Pay it Forward money. We decided to combine our funds (and added to it) to make it an even $100.00 and go to Walmart to find the perfect candidate. We walked up and down the aisles, under the pretense of shopping, observing anybody we felt might be the one God wanted to bless. One of us would think we found that person and then one of us would veto it - not feeling God's urging. We were there quite awhile and finally gave up since we all couldn't agree on the same person. We checked out, paid for our groceries and as we were leaving, there was a woman filling out a job application at the kiosk where people apply for jobs at Walmart. We all knew immediately that this was our person! We handed her the envelope with the money in it and left before she even had a chance to see what it contained. It was great! Thank you Shoreline for reminding us we need to be aware of our brothers and sisters in Christ and their needs.

#23 There's this family at shoreline who have been my friends ever sense I first came up here. I just really waited to bless them because there just a super CRAZY cool Family

#22 I'm a teacher in Ft. Walton Beach and was so touched by the seervice that I wanted to expand it beyond the realm of the money. I decided to pass along the pay it forward story, and challenge my students to find someone who may be in need of a hug, a smile, or a compliment. If they receive a thank you for the kind act, I asked them to tell that person "Don't thank me. Please pass on the kindness to someone you see needs it." It's amazing what one positive act can trigger! As far as my money.....I have a 16 year old student who lost her mother in November to cancer. Her aunt and uncle took she and her little brother in because they were the only surviving relatives. Three weeks later, her aunt was diagnosed with very aggressive lung cancer and the family is faced with the possibility of yet another death. I bought a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant and passed it along to her with the $5 to be used for the tip.

#21 My fiance had been out of town on Sunday and I went to church by myself. I was really excited about the message that day, but did not share it with him until he was back in town that evening and came over to visit. I explained how excited I was and we started to discuss how we planned to pay it forward. Well, just as I told him that I had $5.00 in my envelope, he said...that's strange....when I was at the gas station on the way home this young man came up to me and asked if I could help me with some gas money. My fiance looked over at the car that was full of children, his wife, and all of their belongings. They clearly were living out of their car. All my fiance had in his wallet was $5.00, but he gave it all to the man and his family.

#20 My children and I put our money together and sent it to a friend in jail so he could have money for food.

#19 I told a friend of mine, who has 2 children at a local school, what Shoreline was doing and asked if there were any children at her daughter's school in need of anything. She told me that actually the school was having a book fair this week and that there were a couple of kids in her daughter's classes that didn't have a lot and probably wouldn't be able to purchase any books. My husband and I thought what a great way to pay it forward! We added $15.00 more and purchased books for 2 children. I wasn't able to personally take the kids to the book fair since I'm not a volunteer at the school, but my friend said that their eyes widened and they broke out in wide grins when they realized they not only got to purchase 1 book but 2 more each! Also, my friend was so inspired by the idea that she spent $20.00 on another child the next day!

#18 Last year I tried to start my own company to help bring in some extra money for my husband and me. I was going to make scrapbooks for people with all the pictures they had laying around the house. One of my friends asked me to make one for her with pictures of her childs first birthday and we agreed on a price. At the time she was married and had the money so I made it. I spent $200 on it and at least 2 weeks putting it together. Shortly after her husband left her and she was left living with her parents raising a toddler on her own. When she started going through chemo for cervical cancer this year I decided to just give it to her and eat the cost. The look on her face made it all worth while. I can't wait to help someone else!

#17 I attended a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity in Walton County. I made the suggested donationand then added the $5.00 in my Pay It Forward envelope plus another $5.00 of my own. This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen a church do in all my years of going to church. What an incredible step of faith to trust our congregation with a week's offering! I have been attending Shoreline since January and now I know it is the place for me to be. Thank you Shoreline!

#16 Ok so I received $10 in my pay it forward envelope and was quite excited. I said a prayer that God would let me know who I needed to pay it forward to, well that night a ladies name from work dropped in my head. I wanted to be sure it was God so I continued to pray about it and felt absolutely. Well today I took that young lady to lunch and felt like I need to buy lunch plus add $90 to the envelope. I didn't really understand why because from the outside looking in she seemed to be doing ok, well at lunch I began to talk about the changes at work and eventually felt as if I should talk about paying it forward. Well I explained about the concept and then pulled out an envelope and said "I'm paying it forward to you" she immediately because to get emotional and explain that her and her family had been going through extreme financial difficulty and she had been praying to God and it was as if I heard all of her prayers without knowing. It was a double shot because this young lady has been hurt by people in the church and she felt as if God really did love her so WOW WOW WOW I am blown away God is GREAT!

#15 I WAS QUITE MOVED BY SHORELINE'S PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FOR SO MANY BY "PAYING IT FORWARD". I PROVIDE PEDIATRIC CARE TO CHILDREN IN OUR MARIANNA, FLORIDA CLINIC. I KNEW I WANTED TO PROVIDE THE MONEY IN MY ENVELOPE TO ONE OF OUR MANY FAMILIES IN NEDD. BUT WHICJ FAMILY? YESTERDAY,A MOTHER ARRIVED TO OUR CLINIC WITH HER THREE CHILDREN. SHE WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF OUR FAMILIES IN GREAT NEED AND I PROVIDED HER WITH THE FIFTY DOLLARS TO BUY THE CHILDREN GROCERIES OR A FEW CLOTHING ITEMS. SHE WAS OVERWHELMED TO SAY THE LEAST.

#14 I kept the envelope in my truck in hopes that a way to help someone would present itself… Wednesday night I was talking to friend of mine who sounded worried. When I asked what was wrong, she explained to me how she got herself into a financial bind, causing her electric bill to not get paid. She was worried because the electricity was going to get shut off the next day without a payment of around $100. I told her to “hold tight, be there in a sec…” When I arrived, I told her about Shoreline’s Pay It Forward series. As I was talking, I handed her the envelope and noticed that she was glassy eyed as if she was recognizing the gifts for her faithfulness. When she went to thank me, I explained to her that it was God’s gift to her and that I was thankful he used me. She is probably one of the most devoted Christians I know. I couldn’t help but to think of Romans 8:28 when I was on my way there… Thank you Shoreline. Great idea!

#13 My class at school is buying a goat for a family in a third world country so i gave twenty dollars to buy the rest of the goat!!

#12 "Paid it sideways" to a forward-paying charity who provides a "special" week in Destin to terminally ill children who will likely never have a chance to pay it any further: www.condosforkids.org or The Condos for Kids Foundation, Inc., 755 Grand Blvd., Suite B105, PMB # 280, Destin, FL 32550.

#11 I was going to Chick-fil-a for lunch and had decided that I would buy lunch for the person behind me. When I pulled up, noone was in the drive-thru queue (!!!) so I took an extra long time ordering. Right as I began speaking, a red sedan pulled up behind me. I pulled up to pay and stumbled through the explanation I had rehearsed for the cynical, highschool-aged cashier - "We're, umm, doing this great thing, umm, at my church... paying it forward, umm, unconditional acts of kindness... umm... I'm going to pay for the lunch of the person behind me... if that's okay.?" I totally expected her to be surprised and humbled, but she just proceeded on as if it was the most natural thing in the world, that some stranger was buying another stranger's lunch! She informed me that my total for the red car would be $6.75, so I paid and asked the cashier if she would tell the recipient to do something nice for someone else... So that's $6.75 down, $13.25 to go. How many more lives can I touch?!

#10 I saw a friend of mine pulled over at the gas station one day so I stopped in to say hi. I went into the store to get some water while she drove away, and when I approached the counter the clerk asked me if I was paying for my friend's gas. She had forgotten to pay! I literally had $10 on me. I had to put the water away but I paid for her $10 she'd pumped in gas. :)

#9 A family was brought to my attention that had two sons that wanted to take Karate but the family was unable to afford it. I had paid the first two months for them . I received $50 in my envelope so I decided to add $200.00 and pay it forward for the whole year for them. I remember when my son was their age he had the opportunity to take Karate. I firmly believe with God's help and the Karate training it gave him the ability to become the man he is today. I hope and pray that this small gift helps these little boys the same way. Thank you Shoreline for giving us the opportunity to "pay it forward"

#8 I know that my least favourite part of driving to Niceville is paying the bridge toll. My friend Tina and I decided to use the ten dollars she got from Shoreline to bless the next four people to pass through the toll booth. We don't know the people we paid it forward to, but we hope that whoever received our blessing smiled knowing they had an extra $2.50 in their pockets. :) posted via iPhone

#7 A young man we know had been unexpectedly laid off at work for the part the "off-season." We purchased him a $75 giftcard so he could buy some groceries. We were grateful to have the opportunity to show God's care and generosity. He was grateful, too!

#6 I know a single working mom who works at sam's club. She is working two jobs to make ends meet. Despite her problems she is always upbeat and happy. I joked with her that the big guy knows her struggles and that she could use a small break. I gave her a card with the money in it. She didn't open it while i was there, but she knew what was in it. She asked God to bless me then hugged me! What a wonderful feeling!!

#5 One of my co-workers is having some serious medical problems right now. He has insurance, but his income doesn't cover all the co-pays, etc. Our employer has agreed that they will match all donations for his guy dollar-for-dollar. My wife and I had agreed that whatever money we received in the envelopes would go to help him. Well, he's about to be blown away, because (thanks to the dollar-for-dollar match), he's now getting $820!!!

#4 Went to Cheeseburgers in Paradise. Had amazing food. Wife, myself, and sister-in-law ate the best burgers on the east side of McGuire's. I prayed about it on the way there and decided to pay-it-forward to the waitress. Our bill was $56.21, and gift card was only $50. Was going to help pay for sister-in-law's portion, but my wife pointed out how cool it would be to give her the whole $100. She brought the check early, before we were done with milkshakes, so it was a little awkward when she came back to give us change, and I said please take it, it's a blessing that God had wanted me to pass to her. She just started crying and ran to the kitchen. I think we startled her, because she ran to the kitchen, told everybody, brought us an extra to-go box (free Styrofoam???) and said she couldn't take it. I explained to her we were just paying it forward, and asked her to please receive it as a free gift, and explained that I usually don't tip that high, or I'd be broke, told her the money belonged to her. She was amazed and thrilled, and teary eyed, and said praise God. I think that after all of that happened, it was the greatest tasting burger I have ever had, and I can't wait to read some of the more exciting stories on here...

#3 After church my friend and I had decided that we would meet for lunch with our kids, she has 4 and I have 3. While driving to the restaurant I decided that I would use the money to bless whoever was our server, I should have known that God uses everything to test us and this was going to be one of them. From the first second that we walked into the restaurant the hostess was rolling her eyes at us, my friend said to her surely we were not that intimidating and she replied no they are, and points to our kids. Once they finally seated us we had to watch two servers fight right in front of us about who would have to be our server. I have seriously never been treated so badly in my life. Once the servers finally decided who would have to serve us we got greeted with not a hello, but what do you want to drink. After waiting forever for our drinks and many countless stares and rolls of the eyes not only from the other servers but from the manager; we were able to order our food. Now let me just clarify our kids were sitting perfectly still and talking quietly; they were not acting like animals by any means. We ordered less food than 5 adult would have ordered but somehow we waited over 40 minutes for it. After we were finally done with our meal and got the bill the server walked by and saw me putting a zero on the receipt where the tip would go, she made some sort of nasty mumbling under her breath and I thought it was kind of funny since I knew I was leaving her a $30 dollar tip. Anyways long story short; if I hadn't been reminded earlier at church to bless our enemies then this server probably wouldn't have even gotten a $5 dollar tip, but I payed it forward and blessed her. Maybe the next time someone walks in with a few kids she won't be so judgmental.

#2 I bought my friend Ashton a bouncy ball.

#1 We recently received a significant sum of money. After tithing, we wanted to bless someone with an additional amount. We knew of a family that has worked hard and sacrificed to get out of credit card debt, and are now totally debt free. The husband has plans to start a business, but has struggled with the idea of going back into credit card debt to buy the equipment he needs. We were happy to bless his family with nearly half of the money he needs to get started. This family has been such a blessing to us by their serving at Shoreline. If they are ever in a comfortable financial position, I know they will "pay it forward" to someone else.