Offering financial opportunity to homeless and economically disadvantaged individuals. STREETZine is a program of The Stewpot and a member of International Network of Street Papers
Suggested donation to a vendor with a badge: $1.00 or more - La donación sugerida a un vendedor con insignia: $1.00 or more
By Wendy Rojo
Being able to give in any capacity is truly a treasure. Giving kindness, acceptance, love, or a present is an honor. But as the “giving season” approaches, we must remember that this is a time to reflect on the year we are now completing.
Being able to give in any capacity is truly a treasure.
The holiday season can be especially difficult with the emphasis on consumerism, which can make us lose track of the meaning of the holidays. The material focus can make us feel like we need to buy the latest devices or toys, while this season should be a time to reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones.
Of course, we can give each other gifts but we do not need the latest gadgets or toys. Sometimes the best gifts are the intangible or small ones that we put thought and care into. For example, last year my friends who live in San Antonio sent me a handwritten Christmas card with a sticker inside. Now to many, this may not seem like the most monetarily valuable gift, but it meant the world to me. The sticker they put inside the card was about one of my favorite places in San Antonio. I have it hanging up in my room and every day the sticker reminds me of them. We remember small, meaningful gifts that bring comfort.
The best thing we can have is people we confide in and who make us feel accepted.
The best intangible gift I have received is a friend. Technically yes, a person is tangible but the friendship that people offer is intangible. The best thing we can have is people we confide in and who make us feel accepted. The best present I have received is friends who make you feel safe and comfortable. Each year I thank every single one of those people in my life.
I am grateful for the Writers’ Workshop because I have met people from all walks of life and create bonds that will last a lifetime.
Contrary to many beliefs, the people who make us feel safe and welcome are not always our family members. Most of the time it is the people we pick, the ones we ask to be in our lives. We choose people by continuing to make time to see each other. For example, many participants in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop express their gratitude for the sessions because the gatherings have become a community. Every Friday we get to see each other and catch up on the past week. I am grateful for the Writers’ Workshop because I have meet people from all walks of life and create bonds that will last a lifetime.
Most of the time it is the people we pick, the ones we ask to be in our lives. We choose people by continuing to make time to see each other.
This holiday season, let’s remember to first give kindness, acceptance, love, and understanding. You never know what someone is dealing with, and the holiday time can be tougher for some facing medical issues, financial challenges, or family matters. Whether you celebrate around this time of year or not, remember that the “giving season” is not exclusively in December. It is year-round.
Wendy Rojo is managing editor of STREETZine.
STREETZine is an enrichment program of the
The STREETZine is a monthly newspaper published by The Stewpot, a ministry of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. The Stewpot provides services and resources for people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of being homeless. The organization also offers opportunities for a new life.
As part of this ministry, the STREETZine seeks to raise awareness about the issues surrounding homelessness and poverty. The monthly publication also offers financial opportunity for Stewpot clients who sell the paper to Dallas residents. Vendors are able to move towards economic self-sufficiency by using the money they receive from selling copies to purchase bus passes, food, and necessary living expenses. Clients also receive stipends for contributing articles to STREETZine.
The content in STREETZine does not necessarily reflect the views or endorsement of its publisher, editors, contributors, sponsors or advertisers. To learn more about this publication, contact Betty Heckman, Director of Enrichment, 1835 Young Street, Dallas, Texas 75201 or BettyH@thestewpot.org. To read more about STREETZine, a member of the International Network of Street Papers, go to www.thestewpot. org/streetzine
Managing Editor: Wendy Rojo
Editorial Advisory Board: The Rev. Amos Disasa
Brenda Snitzer
Suzanne Erickson
Russell Coleman
Poppy Sundeen
Sarah Disasa
William McKenzie
Betty Heckman
Dee Leone
Photo Editor: Jesse Hornbuckle
By Reverend Amos Disasa
Editor’s Note: This essay is excerpted from a sermon that Rev. Disasa delivered at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas on November 24, 2024.
Revelation 21: 10, 22-27
10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
25 Its gates will never be shut by day— and there will be no night there.
26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 22: 1-5
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3 Nothing accursed will be found there anymore. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
In his book “Homeland Elegies,” the novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar recalls a trick he learned to capture his dreams. It was a practice introduced to him by one of his literature professors during the weekly study hour they kept. One day,
the two of them had a short discussion about the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, in which his professor encouraged Akhtar to read more Freud and pay attention to his dreams if he wanted to become a better writer.
Akhtar wasn’t convinced. To her instructions about learning from his unconscious thoughts, Akhtar responded, “I used to dream a lot as a kid. Intense stuff. But then I stopped. I haven’t had a dream in years.” His professor disagreed. She said, “You are still dreaming. You’re just not remembering them.”
That’s when she taught him the trick. That night Akhtar did as she instructed. He broke a brand-new pencil in half, sharpened the jagged side and secured the shortened pencil to his index finger with scotch tape. To complete the maneuver he placed a note pad on the bedside table. Just as his professor promised, the trick worked immediately.
That first night, he woke three times with images in his head, and each time he was prodded by the physical sensation provided by the pencil to reach for the note pad and write down what he remembered from his dream. Akhtar recalls that “the scrawl [was] hard to read the next morning, but it didn’t matter, simply writing the dreams out had somehow fixed them in [his] mind.” Writing a bit down revealed a forgotten chunk from a dream that he didn’t even remember having til he was actively noting it. Akhtar called the unfolding revelations “Nightwork.”
The next week at their study session, Akhtar tells his professor about the nightwork, and says, “It felt like there was more space inside me, more space than I ever realized.”
And so it is for us, maybe. We used to dream a lot as a kid. Intense stuff. But we stopped. No good reason given, no explanation was demanded. Do we need one? It’s hard enough getting a good night’s sleep. Who can be bothered with an added burden of remembering when resting is the point?
John the Revelator didn’t stop dreaming. Hear his account of how the dream came
Continued on page 4
By Brenda Snitzer
Editor’s Note: STREETZine asked Stewpot Executive Director Brenda Snitzer questions about giving. Her answers are below: What does giving mean to you?
I grew up in a very giving family. Helping and caring about others wasn’t really talked about, it was just done.
My parents were generous with their time and their resources, not just to others but to me and my sisters. I didn’t feel like we were rich growing up, but I always felt we had everything we needed. I watched my folks give their time and money to several nonprofits, especially when I was a teenager. I learned to give of myself from them.
Giving, for me, also means finding special gifts for those you care about. My dad and mom loved finding just the right gifts for us or each other. I still find myself at the holidays enjoying giving gifts more than receiving them. I do enjoy it, though, when someone picks something out that they think reminds them of me.
What do you like to give to others?
A beautiful flower arrangement makes me happy when I give to someone to thank them for something or for their birthday or anniversary or holiday. I also love giving special or unique items to others. I enjoy searching for something I know would delight the other person.
As I’ve gotten older, I find myself looking for special experiences someone can enjoy rather than “stuff.” I think as I’ve aged and found myself with more “stuff” than I need, I like to have the memories of a shared experience or providing someone a special outing.
My sister loves doing artistic things so several times I have given her special art lessons – like learning how to do stained glass. Last year, I gave my brother-in-law a special Christmas-lights tour. He loves putting up Christmas lights so I knew that would be enjoyable.
For my adult children, we’ve done several cultural performances so that we had a fun evening out. Even for my colleagues or friends I like to try and provide something I know they enjoy doing or that is related to a hobby or collection of theirs. One year for a staff member’s birthday, I gave the person several special edition books about baseball and the Texas
Rangers. I felt like that was very meaningful because of their love of the Rangers.
How and where do you see clients giving of themselves?
I have seen our neighbors who are unsheltered or formerly unhoused be so giving. Many of them care for others and give food, funds, or other items to those they see in need. I’ve also seen folks go out of their way to make sure others are getting care or services by advocating for them.
At The Bridge, where we do meal service, I regularly see guests helping each other. For example, I see them helping those who face mobility challenges, such as being in a wheelchair or using a walker. They get them their food, wheel them to a spot, or carry their things. Then, after eating, they return the person’s tray to the drop-off and help them go to their next location. It’s obvious they are looking out for each other.
Acts 20:35 says this: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Brenda Snitzer is the executive director of The Stewpot.
Continued from page 2
to be. Alone on an island, exiled, either as a punishment or a preemptive measure, we find him with a pencil attached to his finger. On the Lord’s day, a day of rest, a day intended to excuse us from the burden of cutting the grass, or returning the call or strive for anything more than creation offers on the day God created for rest and called it good.
On the Lord’s day, John the Revelator might as well be asleep, like Akhtar after he taped a pencil to his index finger. John was separated from his people on the island of Patmos. The island was a home, but it was not his home. He lived way out yonder, circumscribed to the perimeter of the known world. The stars kept him company. The waves kept his time.
He was alone and was exiled from his people, cut off from his future, estranged from any material evidence or eyewitness testimony that things were trending in the right direction. If there was news the Romans were easing up on their demands that Christians stop referring to Jesus as the Son of God, he wouldn’t hear it. If there was news the Christians had capitulated to the empire’s demands to publicly pledge allegiance to the emperor as the son of God, he wouldn’t hear it.
He was alone. It’s hard to imagine, until we remember that so are we in our sleep and with our dreams. Depending on your social disposition, whether you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert, it is either exhilarating or terrifying to realize that for approximately one-third of each day, we’ve been programmed by God to be entirely alone. You can share a bed with someone, but your dreams are your own. You can share a room with someone, but your dreams are your own. You can share a life with someone, but your dreams are your own. That is, until you remember them and tell us what you see. And then, a wide space, more than we ever realized, opens inside us.
Which is how John came to write at the beginning of his dream, these words: “I, John, your brother who shares with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, write in a book what you see…”
We arrive at the end of what he wrote while he was “in the spirit.” To say he was in the spirit, is a reference to his physiological condition. John was a mystic. He practiced putting himself in an altered, or heightened, state of consciousness. Once in this state of ecstatic awareness, he was able to hear and see, and feel things that were always present but concealed by the hum-drum drone of the status-quo present.
There is a long tradition of mystic spirituality in the church that started way back with the Jewish mystics of the Hebrew Bible like Zechariah and Isaiah, and continued through Jesus and John, Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, Thomas Merton, Howard Thurman, and many others that recorded their dreams of a world that was set right. With a stubby pencil scotch-taped to their fingers, mystics have always prophetically announced to the church God’s preference for wideopen spaces.
Yet now, like Ayad Akhtar said to his professor, so might the Christian church confess to God: We used to dream a lot as a kid. Intense stuff. But then we stopped.
In the absence of our own dreams, one question remains: Should we believe the ones with pencils scotch-taped to their index finger? I think we should, but only if when they tell us what they saw, a wide space, more than we ever realized, opens inside us.
That is the difference between a sacred dream and self-serving idea: Sacred dreams clean out the present clutter of conventional wisdom to make room for God’s future. Bible scholar Amos Yong notes that God’s new Jerusalem as in Revelation 22 is not a rural, small-town anchored by a quaint church and a cute town square. The new Jerusalem is a city full of people from all over the world. The cosmopolitan metropolis pulsing with life is massive — big enough to host the whole family of God. To make room for the dream, John says in verse 27 that nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone that practices abomination or falsehood. We need wide open space. I have a whole list of stuff that must go to make room for the new Jerusalem.
Despotic dictators from the first heaven and earth. Taking up too much space.
Tribal conflicts between innocent people that make them want to kill each other in wars. Taking up too much space. Corrupt kings and queens of capital that count their profits in billions on the backs of poor farmers, migrant workers, and unskilled laborers that must remain poor, migrant, and unskilled for us to afford next-day delivery of whatever we want, whenever we want it, at our front door. Taking up too much space.
Economic systems that leech off the degradation of the planet. Taking up too much space. Nativism, xenophobia, jingoism, classism, and all the attitudes that exist to divide God’s people. Taking up too much space. The weapons of war nations use to kill people. Taking up too much space. Corrupt government officials that abuse their power that comes with their position. Taking up too much space. Hunger, contaminated water, malaria, illiteracy, and all the other preventable afflictions of life common to the most vulnerable of God’s children. Taking up too much space.
Death. Taking up too much space.
The German mystic and theologian Dorothy Sölle includes in her book “The Silent Cry” a story about John Woolman, an 18th century Quaker mystic himself. Woolman never stopped dreaming, but the most consequential dream he had was a vision at six years old. He says, “I remember, while my companions went to play by the way, I went forward out of sight; and sitting down, I read the twenty second chapter of the Revelation. He showed me river of water, clear as crystal, proceeding from the Throne of GOD and the lamb, etc. And in reading it my mind was drawn to seek after that pure habitation which I then believed God had prepared for his servants. The place where I sat and the sweetness that attended my remains fresh in my memory.”
Like Solle goes on to note, I too am captured by the place where Woolman sat and the sweetness of that memory.
His dream as a young boy of six made room for one more. A wide-open space, more than I ever imagined realized, opened inside me as I read it.
Reverend Amos Disasa is senior pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas.
Editor’s Note: Each Friday morning at 10 a.m., The Stewpot hosts a Writers’ Workshop. During the sessions, participants address selected topics through prose or poetry. In this edition of STREETZine, we feature the essays of writers that discuss the best intangible gift they have received.
By Mike McCall
The art of giving comes in many different forms and methods. Some give their time to a worthy cause while others donate money or goods to help support those in need. I have been blessed with the opportunity to impart my experiences with overcoming addiction to individuals trying to find the light and another way to live.
One reason I can “pay it forward” is due to the multiple individuals who freely gave their experience, strength, and hope to me while I was trying to get sober. They gave the gift of life and self-esteem when all I saw in the mirror was the broken form of a man.
The beauty of giving altruistically is the cloak of compassion that surrounds it. For many this act of kindness is the only nonjudgmental relief they receive all year. When it comes to addicts, it could mean
By Floyd Taylor
the difference between life and death. This is why I refer to myself as a survivor of addiction. I’m saved by the ones who won the fight and who were willing to give of themselves to save another.
There is nothing more valuable in this world than the ability to live a life free of the cage that addiction puts you in. The survivors hold the key and all you need to do is allow them to show the way.
This act of giving is one of purity and purpose; the giving of one’s knowledge and experience to help others break free. Like a soldier pulling the wounded off the battlefield, this act of giving takes courage in the face of danger. You face the enemy you struggled to defeat in hopes of giving someone you don’t know a fighting chance. You allow the wounded to use your strength and hope until they are strong enough to walk on their own. This is a battle we are losing but like many others I chose to stay in the fight.
As a child growing up without any brothers or sisters, I could not fully understand why every summer my mother would gather up my school clothes from the previous year and donate them all to the Salvation Army and/or the Goodwill Foundation.
However, as I began to get older, I came to realize the true meaning of giving. I love to give because I enjoy seeing others happy. Plus, according to the Bible, it is better to give than to receive. God gave His only begotten Son in order for you and me to reach the afterlife.
Now, as an adult, I tend to show gentleness, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion through helping others by giving, even if that is only dedicating my time to my community with fellowship and encouragement. Most of all, giving seems another form of a blessing because God keeps allowing my eyes to open up at the start of each new day. Therefore, I will always continue to give in every way possible.
Remember to give your best advice, give honest love, and please give your all whenever you’re able to do so. Every hug and each softball game you showed up to may uplift the spirit of someone who needs that smile, that hello, that handshake. All because of the time you gave them.
Today, I am a much older individual and my desire to give and spirit of giving will never change. That’s because I’ve been able to figure out the true meaning of giving.
I choose to give my time and efforts to those in need. And to give my strength and hope to those willing to try so they can dream of a future they can’t yet see. While they learn the way, I give them a shoulder to lean on. This is a gift that can’t be bought or sold. It is usually given by those who have also suffered but are willing to go back into the trenches to help the fallen.
It is in the giving that I too am saved. In giving, I am reminded of where I have been and what it took to break free of the cage. I owe my life to those before me that were willing to give. Now it is my chance to do the same and help pull the wounded out of harm’s way. A chance to give the gift of life to those that have lost their way.
Mike McCall is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
By Jason Turner
Giving is a fulfilling exercise that takes thoughtfulness and caring. According to 365give.ca, “Giving to others encompasses and uses all parts of ourselves including our head, our heart and hands to make a positive difference in our world. The key secret to the true spirit of giving – no expectation of anything in return.”
I rarely have been in a financial position to give what I wanted but I sometimes find that dollar-store treats and handcrafted letters work just as well. I’m always thinking of things other people could use that I may have lying around and that I could spare.
The look on people’s faces when they unwrap a present is priceless. The best gifts are usually the ones people didn’t realize they needed until well after they have unwrapped it. For me, it was always a video game, computer game, or roller blades.
The best gifts are usually the ones people didn’t realize they needed until well after they have unwrapped it.
I can spend hours on the Hallmark aisle of the store looking for cards that I can elaborate on for specific people. And waiting for a loved one or close friend to pick out your gift is intense as well. “Pick that one, or, how about that one?”
As I grow up, though, family time is better than the presents. I don’t get to visit my family as often as I want so I pick up mail and things that have been saved for almost a year when I show up. Christmas gifts are common but the gifts outside of the holidays are the best in my opinion. Gifts where someone says they just thought you would like it are the most surprising.
I remember a church youth event that involved traveling to different church members houses for different courses of Christmas dinner. At the last house we would have a dramatic white elephant gift exchange. I always would bring something good even though the white elephant was supposed to be gag gifts. I took joy in the fact everyone would fight over my gift first even if I ended up with a baby doll or candle or something. The exchange was really fun, and I looked forward to that event every year.
Now, I visit my family on Christmas and wear my sweater and smile. “Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others,” motivational speaker Brian Tracy says. The power of giving can keep people alive with purpose and it is good to practice.
Sometimes I can get ahead of myself when giving but it never hurts me to the point that I regret giving anything. When I was in school, I’d always have some ultimate gift I had prepared for a girl I liked. It seemed like a good idea every year until I showed up and it became really embarrassing to give in front of everyone. Still, I kept doing it.
Giving is better than receiving and can help heal your soul, bring you closer to people, and create peace in your life when the giving is well thought out.
I associate football season with giving as well, whether I was playing or just watching. Since the prime part of the regular season starts around Black Friday, it always seems like all the wild Christmas
shopping and decorations go out around then.
Service work is important in my life these days. Volunteering or just bringing some snacks to a meeting feels great and lightens the mood for others. I believe that through service work one can really find the true nature of themselves and help others. I always looked up to teachers since I have a couple in my family. The gift of knowledge that they give, like preachers do, is the greatest. Teaching me how to do something or how to live is the greatest gift I could ever receive. I can take it with me the rest of my life.
Giving is better than receiving and can help heal your soul, bring you closer to people, and create peace in your life when the giving is well thought out. Even if it’s just a ride somewhere or an invitation to a function, Christmas is a great time to surprise people who think that you are not thinking about them.
Jason Turner is a STREETZine vendor and a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
By Vicki Gies
For as long as I can remember, all of my family shared holiday traditions — people and guests, all the food you could possibly eat, and, of course, watching parades and football. Those were the most fulfilling times!
Family always came first. Sometimes Thanksgiving was spent in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I was born and lived the first eight years of my life. My mom and dad and I had a very close relationship. My mom worked at the Baptist Hospital, and my dad was in gospel music. He traveled with various gospel quartets. All of my family was either from Mississippi or Alabama. We usually spent Thanksgiving in my mom’s hometown, Tupelo, Mississippi. Occasionally we went to my dad’s hometown in Hayden, Alabama. But wherever we were, we always had traditional holiday fun and food with all my mom’s sisters, their families, and Lillian, our beloved maid.
For Thanksgiving dinner, there were at least 10 adults around the table. We grandkids ate on TV trays in the living room, and Lillian ate in the kitchen for a total of 17 people. And now for the food — huge turkey, cornbread stuffing, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, various greens, cranberry sauce,
By Savita Vega
Giving, in my view, is related to a willingness to share. If one is unwilling to share what they have, it is unlikely that they will give to others in any meaningful manner. As well, one who has the will to share will find a way to give, even when their tangible resources are few or none. If nothing else, they will give of their time or their talents and skills.
But why give? “Why share what I have?” one might ask. “I’ve worked really hard for what I have. Why should I feel compelled to share it with others?”
The best answer to this that I’ve ever heard comes from Shi Heng Yi, headmaster of the Buddhist Shaolin Temple Europe located in Germany. He offers the analogy of a group of people — maybe five to seven — locked in a room together with a limited amount of food and other resources.
and iced tea. And don’t forget the desserts — pecan pie, fruitcake, ambrosia, and sometimes homemade banana pudding.
When we got back home, I would go with my dad to the radio station, where he and his quartet had a live gospel show, “Give the World A Smile.”
After my childhood, we moved to Dallas. It was exciting because I’d never lived in a big city. I found my first career working in Dallas County government departments (27 years) and had an overlapping 27-year second career in the food and beverage industry. My family’s holiday traditions were similar to before, but my grandparents and some aunts and uncles had died, so it was just me and my parents. Still, we had fun. We put up Christmas trees, lights on the house, and bought each other presents. This tradition has lasted for many years, even after my parents died.
When my dad died in 1990, I inherited our house in Oak Cliff, but after five years, I couldn’t afford the property taxes, utilities, and general maintenance — even with a job — so I ended up having to sell it. Then I stayed with friends off and on, which led to some bad choices and eventually a bad outcome.
After 20-plus years, I straightened out
If one takes the individualist path and begins to amass all the resources for himself, says Shi, strife will be inevitable. Eventually, the others will get fed up with his greed and an uprising will ensue. This is because we are all always interconnected. The individual can never exist in a vacuum, alone. When the individual seeks only what is good for the self, ignoring what is good for the whole, an imbalance results that will invariably result in violence.
So, if the individual seeks to live in peace, if he wants to live in harmony, he must learn to share. Giving is the price that we pay for the peace and harmony that we all seek.
Savita Vega is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
my life through rehab and turning my life over to God. I became a born-again Christian, started volunteering at church, and talking with other people to let them know about my new life. I tell the truth about anything and everything they ask me.
I’m homeless again, not because of what happened to me in the past, but because of finances. There’s not enough money for housing these days. As for traditional holiday gatherings, neither my husband nor I have any human family anymore, but we have a lot of animal family. This past Thanksgiving, we cooked a roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots, and a stranger gave us a pumpkin pie. We really pigged out!!
For our Christmas dinner, we plan to have a honey glazed ham, Bush’s baked beans, a green salad, and my version of ambrosia with coconut shreds (an old family recipe). It’s making me hungry already! Another tradition, we’ve had for several years now is going to look at Christmas lights in Highland Park/ University Park. They are awesome!
Time for me to close out this story. May you have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Vicki Gies is a STREETZine vendor and frequent contributor.
By Larry Jackson
Giving is a big part of my life. The Bible has shown through scripture the importance of giving. Mankind was never expected to be a lone ranger. Giving happens between two or more people. From the very beginning, giving had a part in God’s plan. In the book of Genesis, we find a working Creator saying, “Let there be,” preparing a place for his children. Early from the rising of the sun, in seven days, the Creator’s work was finished. Yes, giving His children the Earth and control.
The Bible records in Acts 20:35, “It’s better to give than to receive.” I found myself believing in a freely giving Creator’s giving plan. In Second Corinthians, the Bible says that God “loves a cheerful giver.” This scripture alone is worth its weight in pure gold. Yes, being a cheerful giver qualifies me for the promises and blessing of the Creator.
Giving and receiving is a twofold bless-
By Darin Thomas
ing. I have been on both sides of this and I’m truly a cheerful giver. There are many forms of giving. Today, my caring and sharing is unmeasurable. Both to giver and receiver, the giving gift is full. To some a simple pair of shoes, or a shirt will bring a smile. A hot plate of food will bring joy to an empty stomach. Or just a few dollars will lift a burden in a time of need. In Luke 18:28–30, the Bible records that the more you give, the more God will give you. Yes, giving is a part of my life story.
At holiday festivities where friends came together to give thanks, my mom’s household would be filled with the sounds of thanks throughout the celebration for everyone present. From eating holiday dinner to gifts for the needy, the giving season was on full display. Even nature in this season puts on a colorful show. The leaves on the tree change their colors. The evergreen seems to sparkle in the sun. The green leaves change to brown, white, red, and orange. What a beautiful gift. The atmosphere sings a song of love, joy, peace, and happiness forevermore.
I like being a good giver and giving to people in need. I like to tell other people my life story because it helps them get through hard times. Knowing that I learned to forgive my father for murdering my mother helps them forgive those who hurt them.
God our Father loves when we give from the heart and soul. He wants us to give from our hearts. I’ve given when I have had little to give and the act has come back to me in many ways. My grandmother always told me to have a giving heart and God will bless me.
I like helping others and being a blessing to people. If someone wants to talk to me about anything, I’m open for discussion. I can be a peacemaker. I’m a peaceful, loving, God-fearing man!
I’m incarcerated now, but I love giving people knowledge on how to do time. I help them learn how to mind their own business and stay focused in prison. I also love giving people here the word of God and talking to them about my Lord and Savior. I’m a big giver when it comes to being a giver of God.
Giving means being loving, caring, and thankful. And it means being there for people you care about. Know that God will bless you for being a good giver. Believe and you will receive.
Darin Thomas is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
My truth of this season comes through the church, with teaching and preaching on the reason for the season. The truth enhances the meaning of giving as young and old seek knowledge about life and the Creator. Supplication opens another door that goes along with giving. This season is like asking for and receiving a refreshing drink.
I walk hand in hand with God and His method on my side. This simple truth is all I need for life: Cheerful giving is the way. It’s a free gift I partake in. Yes, I am willing to share my measure of giving with others and to joyfully accept gifts in return. Mankind was never expected to be a lone ranger. Giving was designed by the Creator.
Larry Jackson is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
By Eric Oliver
Della was Jim’s treasure. He’d known so right from the start. In their ten years of marriage, he’d often let slip his disbelief that Della hadn’t noticed his unworthiness of her. While occasionally sweet, more often this left her bewildered.
Whatever caused Jim to feel unworthy also drove him to better himself and their life. This Della never questioned, as it made her quite proud. In truth, this was what Jim wanted, to have someone proud to be with him. Thus spurred, Jim became a tailor’s apprentice and later joined an uptown atelier, stepping toward a life and livelihood.
Fashioning gifts for Della was a talent he’d nurtured. He would listen closely the whole year through, catalog her wants, and assemble perfect creations. For several years, Jim envisioned making the perfect dress for Della. He knew the styles that quickened her pulse; he knew that he could build a dream dress. Then everyone would see how he treasured her.
Despite having his treasure, the urge to make himself worthy of her, and the perfect dress in his mind, he seemed doomed to fall short. It started with the layoff — and with it, access to materials and trends. Creating a dress that would make her proud would be much harder, and Jim began to despair of doing anything at all. Despair devolved into drinking, making the hard things impossible. With Della, he had made such beautiful things, so this new inability to do anything was all the more bitter.
To keep the lights on, Della took a parttime job. This shook Jim from his pity party. He found a survival job, plus a second one. He had less time with Della, but he was still focused on making a life for them both, however different it was from his dreams. As Christmas approached that year, he’d even resumed buying trappings for the long-imagined dress from earnings he managed to squirrel away.
Running himself ragged took its toll, and Jim fell ill. His jobs didn’t pay much; if you couldn’t show up, you wouldn’t be paid at all. He struggled mightily, but one day at work he collapsed. He was let go. Nothing remained but to beg Della’s forgiveness, which was itself a breakdown. He
was ashamed that he could not make her proud; he could barely move around. He needed her help, and scarce knew how to ask for it.
Della laughed — a strange laugh, full of grace. However, the laughter of up-close love only highlighted his failure. But, she insisted, she was already proud of him. After all, he hadn’t taken a drink since he took the second job. He’d held back their ruin without complaint, and together they were fighting for the life they wanted. Now, Jim offered a strange laugh, too.
He had the urge to show her his hidden work; he had pooled every spare penny to buy fabric and trim to work on her dress. Out of the closet he pulled a dress form. If you kept a good distance away, it was exquisite. Della’s heart warmed, but this began to fade as she listened to him describe his progress. For he pointed out a litany of flaws and imperfections, each with an excuse masquerading as an apology.
As she often did, Della saw much more than she let on. Jim wasn’t seeing the fruit of his labor, but rather a dream choked by mistakes and compromises. Both the dress and the shame shrouding it were love, riven by his sense of unworthiness and inadequacy.
She stopped him, begging his help on the lone project that could make her proud this year. While he’d been dressing down his creation, she had been gathering the leftover bits of fabric and trim for each imperfection he rattled off. Her project? To burn the pile of odds and ends; she allowed no protest.
Then with new eyes, they inspected the dress. Some stitches were perfect, she allowed him that. Others were more like awkward hiccups or burps. It wasn’t so much unraveled as in progress. As they prodded and jostled the dress, they laughed. And as it fell apart, they found themselves sitting entwined as they once had, making plans for future dresses.
Sitting there, entwined, Della explained something to him in a way that required no excuses, or solutions, or words at all. For in seeing the dress as it was, he saw that his perfectionism was a mirage. Yes, he wanted to do something to make her proud, but he was really trying to be the man she would be proud of.
Della had been prouder of him lately than ever before in their marriage, for entirely her own reasons. This in-progress dress concealed a lesson, to wade through life’s clutter and let go of unraveling bits and odd ends. By letting go of threads that no longer mattered, they could regather the threads that do.
The Magi, as you know, were wonderfully wise, though what sort of wisdom is seldom examined. They brought gifts to a babe in a stable, inventing the art of giving Christmas presents. Their gifts were no doubt wise. When times are in deep need of wisdom, wise gifts beg to be shared. I have related to you the chronicle of two foolish children who nonetheless discovered they both had wonderful wisdom to share. Though these two were not, the gifts they gave certainly were — the wisest.
God’s Gift
By James Varas
I was asked to write about giving and the only topic that I could think about was Jesus Christ. I think about our Almighty God giving His only begotten Son as a sacrifice for all.
Talk about love and the great love of God! When He does something, He does it big. Can you imagine an Almighty God giving His Son to all creation as a sacrifice to show His love for us? It doesn’t get any greater than that.
Jesus Christ healed the lame, the sick, and the broken. The blind could see again. Those who had never walked were miraculously healed. Even the dead were brought back to life. How majestic is that?
Nothing is impossible with God. He fed thousands with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. He walked on the water and calmed the raging seas. He evened turned water into wine.
Jesus is the greatest gift of all.
James Varas is a STREETZine vendor and is a writer in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
The Stewpot is constantly needing volunteers for various programming. You can volunteer with food distribution, youth programming, or Streetside showers to name a few. Find out more at https://www.thestewpot. org/volunteer
Catholic Charities has a yearly giving event in which they provide hundreds of presents to families. You can donate online at https://www.ccdallas.org/christmas-giving/
The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program allows you to buy gifts for a child, which the Salvation Army will distribute. Find out more at https://salvationarmyntx.org/north-texas/angel-tree/
Brother Bill’s is looking for donations to reach its goal of helping 3,500 children and families. Find out more at https://bbhh.org/christmasvolunteer
The Bridge welcomes volunteers to serve meals to our neighbors. Meals are provided three times a day, and volunteers are always needed for each timeslot. To sign-up visit https://www.bridgehrc.org/volunteer
Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) is looking for toy donations. You can also contact DCAC if you are interested in sponsoring a toy drive. You can also donate online at https://dcac.org/getinvolved/holiday-ofhope/
Toys for Tots likewise is seeking toy donations that can be dropped off at any Toys for Tots tote or you can donate online. Find out more at https://www.toysfortots.org/find-your-local-chapter/
Check out our blog that captures stories, events, and moments in the lives of participants in The Stewpot Writers’ Workshop.
Here is a preview of our latest blog post by Savita Vega: It was my second year in undergrad as a creative writing major that a professor, whom I would later learn taught several classes on Faulkner, accused me of trying to imitate Faulkner’s style. “Good story,” he wrote at the top of my paper, “Excellent depiction of character. But stop trying to write like Faulkner!”
Read more at www.thestewpot.org/street-level/
Used Books: Many bookstores and online book sellers have great selections of used books. For a very few dollars, you can find the perfect read for everyone on your list.
Custom Art: Give someone a custom drawing or painting by an important artist — you! The fact that you made it yourself is more important than whether your art is museum-worthy!
Homemade Cookies: Use your favorite recipe to whip up some holiday cookies. Little gift bags make a batch go a long way toward covering everyone on your list.
Holiday Light Tour: Take friends on a free outing to see the holiday lights at Klyde Warren Park, City Hall Plaza and in nearby neighborhoods such as Swiss Avenue, Highland Park, and Kessler Park.
Spiced Tea Mix: Lemon iced-tea powder plus Tang plus ground cinnamon makes a fragrant spiced tea mix. Divvy it up into little jars or pouches and tie them with ribbon.
Poetry: Write a poem for someone on your list. Your words alone are special, but you can add stickers and illustrations to adorn the work.
A Museum Outing: Take a friend or a group to the Dallas Museum of Art. Admission is free (except for special exhibitions), and there are beautiful, thought-provoking works everywhere you look.
A Special Promise: Give handwritten promissory notes redeemable for special favors, such as cooking dinner or babysitting or helping with household chores.
A Gift for the Birds: Make bird-feeding kits by dividing a large bag of wild bird seed or dried corn into small burlap bags. Tie with ribbon or twine and attach a For the Birds gift label.
Time: The holidays can be lonely, which makes them a perfect occasion for giving the gift of your time. Visit friends or invite them to visit you. Being there is the best gift of all.
Distributing STREETZine is protected by the First Amendment.
STREETZine vendors are self-employed and set their own hours. They are required to wear a vendor badge at all times when distributing the paper. In order to distribute STREETZine, vendors agree to comply with Dallas City Ordinances.
If at any time you feel a vendor is in violation of any Dallas City Ordinance please contact us immediately with the vendor name or number at streetzine@thestewpot.org
CHAPTER 31, SECTION 31-35 of the Dallas City Code PANHANDLING OFFENSES
Solicitation by coercion; solicitation near designated locations and facilities; solicitation anywhere in the city after sunset and before sunrise any day of the week. Exception can be made on private property with advance written permission of the owner, manager, or other person in control of the property.
A person commits an offense if he conducts a solicitation to any person placing or preparing to place money in a parking meter.
The ordinance specifically applies to solicitations at anytime within 25 feet of:
Automatic teller machines; exterior public payphones; public transportation stops; self-service car washes; self-service gas pumps; an entrance or exit of a bank, credit union, or similar financial institution; outdoor dining areas of fixed food establishments.
