Stay tuned!
So instead, today, I'm going to throw out a quick question/suggestion.
Do you and/or your family help others during the holiday? For example, choosing a child from an "Angel Tree" or something along those lines?
This is something that my family has done for several years and I feel very strongly about it. I feel that it teaches my children an important lesson about what Christmas AND Christianity are truly all about.
One year, one of the children we chose only asked for a blanket. That was all. That really got to all of us.
Usually, we choose a child from the Salvation Army tree. But this year, our church has a tree, and we chose two children from that tree.
I know that times are hard this year, but that makes it even more important to give what we can. It's not too late!
So....tell me what you do, or what you will be doing, this Christmas Season! =)
7 comments:
our family chose three "angels" this year. and you're right, the things that the angels ask for are so simple that its almost sad. one of our angels asked for just a shirt. it really gets to me that a kid has to ask a stranger for a shirt. financially, my year has been a tough one, but i can always afford a shirt, ya know?!
(and i just have to point out, that my family is a bunch of heathen atheists, but true kindness isn't exclusive to one particular faith.:)
We also do angels, as well as sometimes a ride for Toys for Tots, canned food drive and I help a friend of mine who always chooses something different. One year it was clothes for a domestic violence shelter, once was stuff to the humane society and this year is jackets for underprivileged kids. Love to give any way we can!
I usually donate to the food and clothing drives at work. They donate to local families. It never feels like enough though.
We do exactly that....our church has a "giving tree" and I am trying to hard to teach both boys that it's more important to give than receive, especially to those less fortunate. Which Thomas calls "Fornate" and we chose two from the tree, one for a boy and one for a girl, and this year Thomas picked out the gifts! It's such a great way to bring out the true meaning of Christmas!
Nineteen years ago, the first Christmas after our daughter died, it felt really wrong not to buy gifts for Amber. So, we chose to buy Angel Tree gifts in her name. That was how we honored her at Christmas and gave back. It helped a little Christmas spirit creep back in. Years and years later, we adopted twice...Hannah at birth domestically and Alex from a Ukrainian orphanage. Since then, we have sent packages to my son's half-sisters there and his grandmother. We have so much and so many have so little. We don't miss it at all but to them, it is huge.
We are helping out an entire family through John's work this year. It's kinda sad for me that I'm not doing the shopping for them...other wives are this year.
Can't wait to see photos!~!
You know the situation with my parents and siblings that live with them Cyndy. I'm trying to help them out more. I can't afford their medications but I try to buy a little bit too much of something or make a casserole too big and then share it with them. It's hard to sneak anything into the house without them seeing it so I sometimes have to get creative and just say I don't need something. My Mom's pride is still too strong right now to pull one over on her.
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