CHRISTmas...

I absolutely love Christmas. And I am so thankful for it. Don't get me wrong, I can't stand the commercial aspect of it. I loathe the shopping and the craziness that it brings out in people. What I love is the spirit that comes along with the true meaning of it all. There is something magical that happens to a lot of people between Thanksgiving and December...they begin to look outside of themselves in a way that don't tend to throughout the rest of the year. The needs of others are noticed, and taken care of. It is tender and special. It's the way that God intended it to be all the time. We are meant to care for and take care of one another. And there was no better example of that than Jesus.

I am so thankful for the gift of Jesus...

I am thankful that two thousand years ago God sent His Son into this world for us...

He lived for us, He died for us, and He continues to care for us...

I can't imagine what that night in Bethlehem was like. The star. The stable. Mary. Joseph. Seeing Him in the manger. The Wisemen. It's all incomprehensible...

And I can't imagine what it will be like when He comes again. The greatness. The glory. The Majesty. The joy. The peace. It too is incomprehensible...

But I look forward to that day as they did the day of His birth. He came, and He will surely come again...

Tis The Season with World Vision

 It's December 1st, and everyone is now thinking about Christmas and shopping and gift giving. I just wanted to toss the following out there as a possible option for people this year...

So many of us have so much and want for nothing, while there are so many out in the world who have so little and want for the simplest of necessities. World Vision is an incredible organization that helps offer these necessities to needy families and individuals. It is the group that I sponsored a little boy named Festus through. (click here to see the blog post on him...)

As I have talked with some of my friends, we have decided that instead of exchanging gifts for Christmas this year, we are going to make donations to World Vision and give a gift that will really matter.

Below are just a few of the many options and ways that you can give and make a difference for a fairly small cost...

2 Chickens...$25 (Chickens are used as food and fresh eggs. They can be eaten to sustain the family, or sold so that they might purchase clothes, medicine, or other needs. Chickens are easy to breed, so this gift will multiply and can benefit an entire village.)

3 Ducks...$18 (Ducks are also used for providing food. They are especially beneficial to those living in Bangladesh as many times their chickens are killed because of the torrential rains.)

1 Rabbit...$16 (Rabbits reproduce rapidly and offer a great way to feed hungry children.)

5 Fruit Trees...$30

Fast Growing (drought resistant) Seeds for 1 Family... $17

$385 Worth of Medicine...$35

Bed Nets For 1 Family...$18 (Mosquitoes kill nearly 800,000 people a year. These nets are one of the best ways to help protect children from Malaria.)

$385 Worth of New Clothing...$35

2 Soccer Balls...$16

Though the above are for children in other countries, you can also help children here within the United States...

(Due to corporate sponsorships, the gift you give will be multiplied...)

$150 worth of Urgently needed clothing and other necessities...$25

$150 worth of School Supplies...$25

To check out their online livestock and gift giving catalog click here...

To learn more about sponsoring a child click here...http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/pages/sponsorship-redirect?Open