A Special Trip to Toys R Us

Last week, we made a special trip to Toys R Us. Kate is a member of Geoffrey's Birthday Club, so she was ready to spend the $3 gift card Geoffrey sent for her birthday. (If your child isn't a member, I highly recommend signing up--just click the link above.)

I know Kate isn't old enough to fully grasp the concept, but it is important to me that she understand the importance of giving. And Operation Christmas Child is such a wonderful project for teaching that. I thought it would be nice if we used her gift card to buy something for our OCC shoe boxes this year. And so off we went to shop.

We looked around the whole store and saw several cute things. I found a few things that were marked down to around $3--but I thought buying three little cars would be perfect. Kate LOVES cars, so it is something she would enjoy giving to another child (I think, anyway). Plus, we could buy three with Kate's gift card. Perfect.

I picked up a few other things to buy, but I wanted the cars to be a separate transaction--an all-Kate transaction, so to speak. However, it turns out that our pre-tax purchase was a few cents shy of $3--so I had to run and get something else to buy because the purchase had to be at least $3 before tax to use the gift card. (Had I realized that in advance, then I would have combined our orders ... but our other stuff already had been rung up.) Anyway ... sorry that explanation was so long, but just FYI. :o) I picked out a little package of smiley-face mini flying discs because Kate also likes smiley faces these days.

In just a few months, we'll be packing our shoe boxes for children in need in another country. I hope they like the little cars--but, more important, I hope they know the love with which they are sent. Likewise, I hope Kate knows the joy that giving brings--and that she always will be generous in her giving, even when it hurts.

And may all children know the love of Christ, which is free to us all.

"Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " --Acts 20:35


Shopping with her birthday card and gift card from Geoffrey


Picking out some toy cars


Time to check out!


Paying for the cars ... all by herself! :o) (Well, kind of--LOL!)