31 days of simple organization:: Day 17: Organized to encourage

One of my spiritual gift is the gift of encouragement and I typically exercise it through sending cards in the mail, which seems like a foreign concept now, which makes it even more encouraging to find something pleasant in the mail box.

I keep organized with a card organizer from Hallmark.

I've had it for about 15 years and I think it was free with purchase of cards. I probably have 15 cards or so in the box at all times for various reasons, birthdays, sympathy, general encouragement.

How I keep it well stocked (or how I keep myself ready to send some encouragement and avoid running to Walmart to find a card at the very last minute):

• Find a card you like and buy three
• Stock up at the Dollar store
• Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Ross sometimes have cards (near the registers)
• Hallmark has sales and clearances  especially at the end of the seasons
• Walmart has a section of $.49 and $.99 cards
• Buy a card or two each trip to the grocery store and put away for later
• The Christian book store has a good selection and a lot of sales
• Boxed cards are always cheaper than buying cards separately. Stock up when the box cards go on sale (I see buy one box and get one free a lot)
• Yard sales

How I make sure the card actually gets in the mail:

• I put a card or two in my address book  and keep it at my desk at work
• I always have stamps on me
• I buy $5 gift cards from wherever I happen to be at (Subway, Starbucks) and keep in my wallet to include in cards
• When someone pops in my mind, I  immediately put it on my to do list to send a card

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (1 Pet. 4:10)