People Helping People Blog Love Edition

As I briefly explained in my last post, I have recently found myself in a position where I needed to ask for help; I've been trying to sell ad space on my blogs and installed "tip jar" donation buttons to them. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has reached out to help me with donations, prayers and encouragement. Thank you all so much, may the good Lord richly bless you for your kindness.

Most bloggers do what they do for free and will host ads or install donation buttons on their blogs to help cover internet or other costs in order to enable them to keep doing it, and many are motivated by love; they do it because they love to write or want to help people by sharing messages and important information that needs to be conveyed. Like everyone else, and especially in our current economic climate, sometimes they fall on hard times and find themselves in need of assistance. I'm going to tell you about two of them who have terrific blogs and could use a a helping hand.

Jimmie is known for his Sundries Shack blog which he has run since 2004. Here's a little information about the Shack, in Jimmie's own words:

My name is Jimmie Bise, Jr., and this is my blog. I’ve been here since April, 2004 which makes me one of the old guard among bloggers. I write about the things that interest me, inside politics and out. The Sundries Shack really isn’t a blog, in the way you think of blogs (you know what I mean, yes?). It’s easier if you think of this site as a place where I share all the things I find interesting, strange, and wonderful with anyone who wants to come by. The world is a pretty awesome place and I like sharing the most awesome things with you.

Jimmie provides a steady stream of information which many other bloggers find useful in their own work, including me. Jimmie is a musician who founded a community orchestra and has done other things to help fellow musicians. He's a good man who now finds himself in need of assistance:

 I’ve never asked for anything like this before, but I know the internet is capable of quite a lot, and I have some pretty darned amazing readers and friends here so here goes.

My faithful Ford broke down yesterday on the way home from work. The hope at the time was that repairing it would be a relatively simple affair that wouldn’t cost very much. This morning, that’s not at all the case. The problem is inside the motor, which means a few days of repair and at least a thousand dollar bill. At least. The worst case is that I’m looking at a new engine which will clock in somewhere around two grand plus the cost of renting a car for up to ten days.

I simply don’t have that much money, even if I drain my bank account and run my emergency credit card to the max. I am, still, a pretty low-level public employee, one who hasn’t quite seen the great benefits that most of the rest of the public sector have seen lately. I have built up reserves, but not enough to cover this.

So I’m turning to you guys, the great Army of Davids, for a hand. There’s a donation button at the bottom of this post and in the right hand sidebar you can use to send me what you like. Send what you can. If you can’t donate, then I ask you to spread the word to people who you think can, by blog, Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail. Shake the trees. You can do a pretty awesome thing here and with your help (and that of the Almighty who I believe is still very much in the miracle business) this will only be a blip instead of a financial catastrophe.

Thanks to all of you for the mighty thing you are going to do on my behalf.

You can help Jimmie by visiting his blog & using the donate button at his blog post HERE and/or spreading the word of his plight to others and holding him in your prayers.

Meagan, aka PonchoMeg, has a kind and loving soul and is a true "free spirit". She recently stopped by in one of my blog posts to offer me some very kind words of encouragement and directed me to a wealth of resources to help me continue to pursue my freelance writing and earn some money for my efforts. She has several blogs and a really great website, Meagan is also a writer and uses her talent to help others. She has been unemployed for a while but retains her optimistic spirit and is treating her hardship as a learning experience. You can help her by checking out her website HERE which has a lot of wonderful information and by visiting her blog and telling people about her if you like what you see (there is also a donate button there). She's got a lot of projects, so I'm sure there is something there for everyone.

R.K. Finnell is a writer whose big break is just around the corner. She is the author of Kickshaw Candies, a wonderful novel which is a unique blend of Celtic folklore, fantasy and horror. She is also a very dear friend of mine. She is currently working on a sequel to Kickshaw which will be published soon. You can help her by becoming a fan of her page on facebook, checking out her blog (which also has a donation button) and of course, buying her book. Click on the picture below to learn more about her book:

If you enjoy the book (I think you will), be sure to tell your friends and watch for the sequel.

Thank you all for your kindness, encouragement, assistance and support.  It is your generosity which inspires me to keep striving for improvement. God bless you.

Here is one of my favorite prayers, from Saint Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

Cross-posted to my non-political blog, MJ Stevenson Blog