At the Frontier

A smile really does make the greatest gift.

It's something Eleen Cobb-Adams knows well.

When her five children open a gift just for them on Christmas morning, those smiles make memories.

Yet millions of American parents cannot afford to buy their kids Christmas presents—and the holidays can add additional financial and emotional stress.

Five years ago, Eleen was in this group and signed up for The Salvation Army Angel Tree program.

You could say The Salvation Army's mission shines brightest at Christmastime—a time when the organization celebrates the birth of Christ by spreading his hope, love and joy to those who need it most.

From grocery, utility and gift assistance, to holiday events or worship services that provide healing and hope, The Salvation Army works across the country to assist people through gifts that serve the body, mind and soul.

And the Angel Tree program is one of the ways we do it.

It's for families in crisis as a result of medical issues, unemployment, homelessness or other difficult circumstances and who otherwise wouldn't have the resources to celebrate Christmas. Names of these children are added to tags and placed on Christmas trees as ornaments. Anonymous donors can then take a tag and adopt an angel, shopping for that child and purchasing a gift to help make Christmas merry for that boy or girl.

And each year, through generous Angel Tree donors, The Salvation Army helps to put new clothes and toys under the tree for a million children.

Eleen's kids received gifts just for them that Christmas and the family learned more about The Salvation Army in their community of Kaneohe, Hawaii. They started attending worship services, became members of the congregation and now—five years later—Eleen is instrumental in running the community food pantry as a volunteer.

In this episode, she shares about her family's experience and how those simple Christmas gifts led to incredible and lasting change.

So whether you adopt an angel this year or give to a Salvation Army Red Kettle, know that you are providing gifts of healing and hope for those who need it most this Christmas.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Perhaps more than any other story, the story of the first Christmas has connected with people for millennia.

Every year, we tell of the baby born in a manger, with angels announcing his birth to shepherds and men traveling long distances to see him. Why has it connected so profoundly with millions of people?

What was society like at the time?

And what is the significance of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Messiah being born alongside livestock?

Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, who leads The Salvation Army in the Western U.S. as Territorial Commander, is back on the podcast today to share more about this story of peace and goodwill—a story ultimately of love.

You will remember Commissioner Hodder from episode 6, when he shared more about The Salvation Army's work to double its efforts on homelessness. Today, he explores what the gift of Jesus Christ means in our lives, why this story still matters, and how we can best mark this Christmas in appreciation for all the story has to offer.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Of course, you know the story of the baby Jesus born in the manger. But what about the others involved?

According to Dan Darling, author of the new book, The Characters of Christmas, there are a number of misfits, outcasts and ordinary people who play a pivotal role in the birth of Christ.

What can we learn from Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and the shepherds?

What important thread in God's grand plan of redemption does the story's villain play?

What is significant about the role of the angels?

Dan is the Vice President for Communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and serves as Pastor of Teaching and Discipleship at Green Hill Church in Tennessee. He's the author of several books and frequently contributes to publications from Christianity Today to USA Today.

As Dan says, the Christmas story is one of reordering—of a new kingdom and a new king. And there's much we can discover from the ordinary people who are swept up in the plan of God.

Dan is on the show today to share more about these individuals in the Christmas story and the central figure they point to at the center of it all. Jesus—the one, as Dan says, whose birth, life, death and resurrection change everything.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

How did you spend your last $20?

Did it make you happy?

You might be interested to know that science shows money really can buy happiness.

And it's not about amassing greater wealth.

Dr. Michael Norton, a member of Harvard University's Behavioral Insights Group, says money can bring us increased happiness if we shift our focus from earning more to spending differently.

His research shows we find happiness when we spend money on others.

He and co-author Elizabeth Dunn wrote "Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending" with five principles to spend differently that lead to happier people.

In this episode, Dr. Norton shares those principles and how we can apply them in our own lives.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Each year from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, you'll spot The Salvation Army's red kettles outside of grocery stores and shopping malls just about everywhere you go.

The kettle debuted in San Francisco in 1891 in the midst of a depression that had thrown many out of work. A Salvation Army officer put out a crab pot on the ferry landing to collect donations to feed those who were hungry on Christmas Day. Passerby dropped in coins and the campaign was born.

Now every year, about 25,000 bell ringers, young and old, brave the elements to help The Salvation Army raise money for local community programs. And yes, money given in your community stays in your community. Those gifts allow The Salvation Army to serve 23 million Americans a year.

And in Redding, California, Captain Timothy Danielson runs the local Salvation Army kettle campaign with 100 percent volunteer bell ringers.

Last year, those volunteers gave 2,300 hours ringing the bell. Collectively, they raised more than $136,000—a 7 percent increase from 2017.

But as Danielson says, though critical for raising money to keep Salvation Army ministry going—the red kettle serves as a reminder to busy, Christmas passerby that hope exists.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

So each of the 25,000 individuals who stand by a red kettle each year and ring a silver bell have an important role to play. But what exactly does it take—and who can ring the bell? Listen in this week to hear from four bell ringers. #DoGoodersPodcast

Did you know one of the two songwriters of the classic carol, "Silver Bells," said they were inspired by none other than The Salvation Army bell ringers standing on street corners in New York City?

True to the song, The Salvation Army does take to street corners, grocery stores and shopping malls across the country each year from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Eve to ring the bell at the red kettle.

When you drop a dollar (or more) into a Salvation Army kettle, that money helps to fund programs in your community—from the food pantry, to emergency utility assistance, to after school programs and so much more. That money helps The Salvation Army serve some 23 million Americans a year.

So each of the 25,000 individuals who stand by a red kettle each year and ring a silver bell have an important role to play. But what exactly does it take—and who can ring the bell?

This episode will introduce you to four Salvation Army bell ringers to share more about what they do and why they do it.

From Riverside, California, Paula Mazey—a soldier, or member, of The Salvation Army, who rings in Salvation Army uniform.

From Donnelley, Idaho, Terrence Keeley—a volunteer, who is known to dress up as Santa to ring the bell.

From Sheridan, Wyoming, Greg Busche—a paid bell ringer, who last year rang the bell nearly every day before going to his full-time job.

And from Spokane, Washington, Major Ken Perine—a Salvation Army officer, who rings the bell with his family every year.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

We've long extolled the virtue of gratitude. Some have even called it the "social glue" that fortifies relationships and serves as the backbone of human society.

But what is gratitude? Where does it come from? And how can we foster it?

Dr. Robert Emmons is perhaps the world's leading scientific expert on gratitude. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at UC Davis, the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, and director of the Emmons Lab, a long-term research project designed to create and disseminate a large body of scientific data on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for human health and well-being.

His research has been featured in dozens of outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR.

He's also written five books on the subject, including the most recent: "Gratitude Works! A Twenty-One Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity."

As he shares on today's show, there's no downside to being grateful. Yet it goes beyond a feeling. As he says, rather than feeling gratitude based on our circumstances, we must take it on as an orientation, a lens to life.

We can use gratitude as a way of framing our experiences and thus enjoy an upward spiral of goodness.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

What is it about music that connects to something deep within us? And how does someone who writes songs set out to share work that is so personal?

That's what Lt. Erin Wikle is sharing on this episode of the Do Gooders Podcast. As a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, currently serving in Santa Monica, California, her ministry faces the effects of addiction, the reality of homelessness and more.

Yet she also gets to lead people in worship.

As someone who first sang in a worship group at age 6, Wikle explores what draws her to music, shares her favorite piece of music—which might surprise you—and walks us through her own creative process to writing a song.

Her new song, "Wait For You Here," is available wherever you download or stream music and all proceeds go directly to The Salvation Army.

As she will tell you—music can be used to help uplift, encourage, and articulate the human experience—if any songwriter or musician can compose to that end, ministry is taking place.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

It's human nature to believe in something other than one's self, and doing so can give life meaning.

That according to Dr. Diane Winston, who has made understanding, analyzing and writing about religion in America her career.

Now as the Knight Chair in Media and Religion at the University of Southern California, Diane is a national authority on religion and the media as both a journalist and scholar. Her courses examine religion, spirituality and ethics in relationship to journalism, entertainment media, American history and foreign policy.

She holds a doctorate in religion from Princeton University along with master's degrees from Harvard Divinity School, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Brandeis University.

As she explains on today's show, Religion—like politics, economics, race, ethnicity and gender—is a cultural factor and social force that motivates, explains and inspires. It is key to understanding the world we live in.

And you can't have religion without spirituality, and vice versa.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Right now across the U.S. there are 442,000 children living in the U.S. foster care system. Nearly a third of them are eligible for adoption.

As Proverbs 24:12 reads: "Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."

And that's exactly what led Brandlayn Musial from a career in marine biology to one of advocacy for vulnerable children.

She works with The Salvation Army and beyond to understand the factors that result in family breakdown, the needs of hurting kids and families and how the Church can effectively live out the Scriptural call to look after orphans as found in James 1:27.

As a trained practitioner in helping communities better understand and navigate the impacts of childhood trauma, she works with churches on becoming agents of change and places of healing for children and foster and adoptive families.

Based in British Columbia, Brandalyn also serves as the OrphanSunday and Stand Sunday Coordinator for Canada, helping connect churches with the resources to bring awareness and education to their own church family.

In this episode, she shares more about our responsibility to care for vulnerable children and what exactly we can do.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.