It is about
18 days until Christmas! How are your preparations
coming along? I would like to take the
time to post my reflections on the magical season. God is touching my heart in a special way this
Christmas. I have a stronger tug on my
heart to serve the less fortunate this holiday season.
"For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed
me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in
prison and you came to me." ...'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one
of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"
Matthew 25: 35, 36 & 40 (ESV)
After
researching the opportunities how my family could make a difference this
holiday season; I decided to post it for all my readers in hope that you too
will be encouraged to make someones Christmas a little brighter! Short on cash, don't worry you can still make a difference! I linked the websites to each project, just
click on the bold title.
If you have a
little extra cash:
1.
Angel Tree: A Program of Prison Fellowship is a non-profit
that focuses on children whose parents are incarcerated. After imprisoned parent requests The Angel
Tree to be involved in their child's live, the Christmas gift is given to boys
and girls addressed from their parents.
But that's not all, the program also gives the best gift-the gift of the
Gospel. Children stay connected to their parents, even while incarcerated and often reunite with a born-again parent with the help of Prison Fellowship...giving everyone a second chance.
2. Be a Santa to a Senior: Home Instead Senior
Care. A non-profit program that
identifies local seniors who might not otherwise receive a gift this holiday
season and places their gift request on a paper ornament. You can find these "ornaments" at
participating locations such as grocery stores, banks, medical offices, and
other like businesses. Simply buy the
requested items (slip in a luxury item or two) and return to the participating
location. You can find participating
locations at the website: http://www.beasantatoasenior.com Shed a light into a senior's life...a
generation which gave so much to this country and generation!
3.
Angel Giving Tree: The Salvation
Army. Many of you probably are familiar
with this project. The Salvation Army
makes paper ornaments with children's request of gift. You can donate online, or find a
participating business. Simply fill the
request and return to the participating business or The Salvation Army
directly. This was the program that gave
my family gifts the first year after moving to the States from Kazakhstan. It was magical for us kids to receive so many
toys at once! Heartwarming and touching
for our parents who had so little at the time, who for sure couldn't afford
Christmas gifts.
4. Heifer Project: my husband and I first
learned about this project as newlyweds.
The non-profit-international program focuses on empowering families worldwide to be
self-reliant through providing live stock, bees, trees, seeds, basket kits, and
other items along with proper training how the struggling families can produce
food and sell/exchange excess. "If there is one thing I could
give to the struggling people of the world it would be self-reliance. Everyone
deserves the dignity of providing for themselves and their families. That's why
I support Heifer International." - Walter Cronkite, journalist and Heifer
supporter.
If you don't have the extra cash...you could still make a difference:
1. Adopting
someone for holiday dinner. Look at
your circle of acquaintances with new eyes.
Do you know a college student who can't travel home this Christmas? A co-worker with no relatives? Perhaps new neighbors in the house next door? A recently widowed church member? Think of them as extended family-and invite
them to share your holiday dinner.
2. Writing
a letter to a teacher/mentor. On
Thanksgiving day NPR hosted a story on teachers in American and how they make a
world of a difference to this country.
NPR's phone lines flooded with grateful listeners sharing their stories
on how real teachers made a difference in their lives. It made me realize that there were a few
teachers and religious mentors in my life that made a huge difference! Taking a greeting card, or just a plane piece
of paper and writing a simple letter of thanks will not cost you more than a
price of today's postage stamp, but it will warm the heart of a teacher/mentor this
holiday season.
3. Volunteer
your time at a local shelter, soup kitchen, non-profit organization like
The Salvation Army. Volunteering will
not cost you a penny, but it will make a world of a difference to the people in
need and your own heart.
I hope this
short list will get you thinking of how you could focus on others this holiday
season.
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as
for the Lord and not for men"
Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
