Christmas Giving with a Purpose

Christmas looks a little different for us this year - to be honest it has looked a little different for the last few years!  We never went out of control and overboard - but we were content in our materialism and were awfully close to being consumed with presents and stuff and all the hub-bub of keeping up with the Jones'.  A few years ago - as we walked through our adoption story - God opened our hearts and eyes to SO very much!  He showed us that there are SO many important things to be done in the world and that it can start right here - in our family.  We want to teach our children to focus on others and that Christmas is about LOVE.  That God LOVED us enough - when we didn't earn it or deserve it - HE became flesh and dwelt among us!  Christmas is about GIVING - God GAVE His only SON that we might LIVE!  It isn't about Santa and Stockings and Presents.  All of these are fun and exciting things and still bring joy to our family - but our focus and our purpose is to GIVE LOVE!

Teaching to Give with Love Can Start Close to Home - - For the last few years our kids have gotten to shop for each other for Christmas.  They love to pick things out for each other and they also love the one on one time with Mom or Dad that comes along with the shopping part of it.  On Christmas morning the kids are so much more invested in watching what everyone else gets because they can't wait to see them open the present from them.  When our family was smaller - they got to shop for both of their siblings.....now that our family is bigger - we draw names between the kids!  They have truly enjoyed the joy of giving and the surprise and anticipation of the season.

Teaching to Give with Love Can Reach the WORLD - - This year we are implementing a new way of giving.  On top of getting to spend a certain amount on each other, the kids get to spend the same amount gifting to someone in need.  We gave them a whole bunch of ideas of how they wanted to spend their money but in the end they got to choose how to give it.  I LOVED the conversation that circulated through the kids.  I heard things like...."It is so hard to choose - I want to help them all!"  "Which one do you think is the most important, mom??"  "I want to help as many people as I can - which one will help me do that?"  "I want to give Bibles, because without Jesus they would have nothing!"  "I want to give chickens because I want another little boy to be able to eat eggs too!!!(Any guesses on who that was!?)".....I was BLOWN away by the depth of love that the kids were showing.  They took it very seriously and had awesome reasons for the choices that they ended up choosing.  We also teamed up with our parents and my brother's family to make a difference in the world this Christmas!

Here is how our family is choosing to Give Love this Christmas:
~ We are providing 1500 meals for needy people in Burundi!
~ We are providing Bibles and Song Books to Kids!
~ We are providing 3 families with baby chicks!
~ We are providing a little girl with a Musical Lamb that sings Jesus Loves Me!
~ We are helping sponsor a missions team to travel and spread the Good News!
~ We are providing 5 chickens to families in need so they can have eggs to eat!
~ We are sponsoring a teacher in Haiti!
~ We are providing 650 vaccinations for children in rural villages!

Here are the organizations that helped us give love this year!
~ Child Care Ministries http://www.childcareministries.org/
~ Mission Aviation Fellowship https://maf.org/donate/giving-catalog/2013/all#.UqNxD_RDsuc
~ Samaritan's Purse http://www.samaritanspurse.org/gift-catalog/give/
* There are SO many great organizations out there - - these are just a few that we used!

Our family is learning to love through giving!  I hope you take time this Christmas season to think about what Christmas is all about and how you can make a difference this Christmas!