Dream & Do

What were you doing in the 4th grade? You were probably playing with your friends, riding your bike, watching your favorite tv show, or reading...just to name a few things. Or maybe you were dreaming big dreams, thinking about how you could help others in a big way.

That's how it started for Keith & Kim Wise and their family. "We have always talked to our kids about putting others first," says Kim. "Even saying something kind and lifting up someone else. We've also felt it was really important for our kids to be involved at church." They've attended Pathway Church throughout their 16 year marriage; Kim has attended here since 8th grade. "I still remember Todd Carter as my youth pastor," she says. Each Christmas since they started their family, they've allowed their three kids, Luke (8th grade), Isaac (5th grade), and Lauren (4th grade), to pick names at church for shoebox gifts. They always shop together for the items.

This year, Lauren had a big dream she shared with her parents at the end of the Summer. She wanted to start a business but wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Kim recommended that she decide what she wanted to do with the money generated from the business. Lauren came back to her with the idea that she wanted to buy gifts at Christmas for kids who wouldn't otherwise receive any.

It was shortly after this that Kim was running one day and saw a pallet painted like an American flag. She took a picture on her phone and showed it to Lauren, and that's all it took! They put the word out and soon started receiving orders for the paintings. Lauren did most of the work on her own, with Kim helping with the painting of the stars on the flag.

Lauren raised over $900 through the sales of her painted pallets! She picked out names and gifts from the Heart2Heart table then shopped with her family using her flag project funds.

What a perfect reminder that we are never too young or too old to dream and do! The desire to serve like Jesus has no age limit.