When the Adelphia Empire collapsed in Potter County, they took employment opportunities from our residents and zero’s from our property values. But maybe what the experience taught us in return is of more significance: lasting economic change needs to come from those of us who live and love this area.

At Nanipops, located in Shinglehouse, PA, we work with neighbors for the good of the whole community. We began in 2007 by providing hand-painted chocolates to local schools and non-profits to aid in their need for raising funds. A Fundraising Fair is in the works for the summer of 2011 to find ways for locally made products to bring some much-needed variety to organizations using fundraisers.

Summer of 2010 we added an ice cream shop in the middle of Shinglehouse, PA; an ice cream shop that is about a whole lot more than just ice cream! A small gift shop of locally made products made ice cream patrons aware of the variety of products available right here at home. In the process of looking for ways to help in the community, we discovered the ice cream shop had become a community center where people met and talked with friends and neighbors. People from surrounding towns traveled to be a part of the “enter as strangers, leave as friends” atmosphere. Summer of 2011 the menu is expanding to include homemade pies and fresh ground coffee, in hopes that people will “sit long and talk much.”

We are the “little guys” dreaming big and working hard to help bring growth to our community. Our bottom line is far from impressive and we are not even sure yet if this is faith or foolishness. But we believe there are a lot of other “little guys” like us who will not only identify with our goals but also discover ways that they too can make a difference.

How many times do you lay out the Christmas gifts you bought for the kids—side by side, calculator in hand—re-checking again to make sure they all got the same. And that it looks about the same. It’s that time of year again and about now I’m thinking it’s a good thing Christmas comes on a set date and not necessarily when I feel satisfied that everything is absolutely fair.

I just keep asking myself—how much is enough??? And the question goes way beyond presents for the kids. How much is enough money in my paycheck, or food in my belly, or free time for relaxing? The definition of “enough” seems to fluctuate even more than the stock market! For instance, when we were first married we crowded into our tiny “dog house” apartment a card table with two folding chairs and a foam mattress (we put on the floor) that the nearby jail had disposed of because it didn’t meet regulations for the prisoners. It wasn’t enough for them, but we slept just fine on it! Did we have enough? Today we budget for car repairs and no longer have to use grocery money when the exhaust has to be replaced. Yet we worry more about enough now than we ever did then. How much do we really need?

The term “financial security” is thrown around today like it’s a constitutional right when actually it is an oxymoron. The more money I have the less secure I feel. Bottom line--if security is defined by the amount of money in the checking account, there will never be enough.

When is the last time you heard somebody say, “I have enough”? How radical is that! It changes everything. It’s not waiting for a particular dollar goal to be met. It’s now. With whatever I have, I have enough. It is contentment. It is living responsibly while trusting God to make up the difference.

I never send forwards. Never. But I just had to share the above youtube with you—or bust. Nanipops is all about communicating—male or female. And this little girl has an awful lot to say. She’s a master at being heard. A child prodigy communicator. And yes, I hope her parents have been blessed with exceptional listening skills!

Google effective communication and you will get 61,900,000 hits. That’s a LOT of people thinking about how to connect with others in a meaningful way! Why so many? Could it be we are connecting globally 24/7, yet remain untouched, unsatisfied, internally disconnected?

I do not believe this need for verbal connection is a gender thing—though my husband is rolling his eyes as we speak. Words are absolutely amazing whether used by guy or girl. With them we can take a thought in our heads, or a feeling in our hearts, and create this same thought or feeling in another human being. We can touch them without using our hands. Because of WORDS! Is that not astounding? Communicating effectively is a part of being validated as a person—and validating others.

I am driven to communicate—which is not the same as yakking. I enjoy interactive conversations with all kinds of people, helping them find a way to say it with chocolate!