Shopping Off the List

Day Two-Shopping Off the List

  This was one of my favorite parts of the book.  Not just because it is about shopping, but also it is about giving.  If you have ever had the opportunity to give to someone in need or to someone that wasn't expecting and act of kindness, then you know what it's like to see that look on their face.  That moment is when the old "it's better to give than to receive" rings true.  I have always said that God won't make me a millionaire because he knows I would just give it away.
  There is nothing wrong with buying gifts for our family and friends, but during the Christmas season if we think about Advent, focus on Christ we should be driven by what he would have us do.  Matthew 25:34-40 Tells how God will one day say "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.  I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me"  Then the righteous will answer and say "When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thristy and give  you something to drink?......God will reply "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."  I am afraid that in our society we have lost focus on buying to bring joy to others and instead just want more stuff.  Ask God to show you someone in need and do something for them.   It won't take long to find someone who you can help to make Christmas a little more special for.  Unfortunately, I feel that a lot of people are worn out from those who are doing nothing to help themselves or taking advantage of charity and are less in the giving spirit than ever before.  Look in a different direction.  Is there an elderly person nearby that won't be having family visit them?  Or who could benefit from a gift of a full grocery bag?  Think outside the box, and I know you will find someone  you will want to help this Christmas. 
  I have actually been on the other end of this idea.  When I was a single parent the cop in our town pulled up to the house one night.  A million thoughts went through my head.lol  Why is he here?  Did I not pay a bill?  Is he coming to tell me something is being shut off?  No, was the answer to all of the bad thoughts.  He came in and said "I would like to know a couple things your kids would like for Christmas, some others and I will be buying for them."  I explained that we didn't need help and that they were getting plenty for Christmas.  He grinned and stated the sentence again exactly.  "I would like to know a couple things your kids would like...."  In other words, he wasn't taking "No thank you" for an answer.  So I gave him some ideas and left it at that. .Christmas Eve they carried in the gifts along with a big box that said "To Mom" on it.  What in the world?  The next morning we opened the gifts and there was a brand new microwave for us!!  Ours had gone out weeks before and I was just going to deal with not having one until I had extra money to get one (haha..extra money?!?!)  To this day, I don't know who spilled the beans or how they found out about that need.  After swallowing my pride and feeling bad that someone had done something for me, I felt very grateful.  The kids were overjoyed with the extra things they got, too! 
  Now, that things are better for us, I am always looking for a way to help others.  I have said that I have been on the receiving end of generosity way too many times not to give it back if I can.
  So while you are out getting the latest, greatest toys and games for your children, or killing yourself to get that perfect gift for someone on your list, think about someone who isn't on your list.  I would love to hear your stories and how you chose to share with someone. 

~Shortcut to the Spirit of the Season~ Finding those in need is easy.  Local malls and churches have and Angel Tree.  The Marines always collect gifts for needy children through their Toys for Tots program.

One little purchase...

  A couple of months ago I was in Dollar Tree and picked up a little book titled "25 Days, 26 Ways To Make This Your Best Christmas Ever by author Ace Collins I thought it looked cute and was interested in the few pages I thumbed through in the store.  The more I have read of it the more I really want to share it with everyone.  I even emailed the author to make sure it was ok to reference the book.  I don't expect my blog to go viral, but still, don't need to end up in some plagiarism lawsuit.lol 
   I have always loved Christmas and being raised in a Christian home I always knew the "reason for the season".  However, there is a big difference in knowing and really grasping and even celebrating it. Christmas changed for me a couple of years ago after attending a Chris Tomlin concert and heard him sing carols to a slower tempo, making it easier to really understand the lyrics.  I will share more about that in a later post (it's one of the "days").
  This is not going to match up exactly with the day of the month, and I may have to squeeze a couple in together.  The important thing to me was to encourage myself and others to really rediscover Christmas and make it what it should be...a time to reflect and worship the One that it is all about.

 

Day One~Rediscovering Advent

  I have to say that Advent is something I had not heard much about until I started attending Second Baptist Church.  I had seen the cute calendars with pockets for treats and always thought that was just a really fun way to countdown to Christmas.  

  In the beginning Advent started on the Sunday closest to November 30th and ran through Christmas Eve.  The church was setting aside this time to reflect of the coming of Jesus and what it meant to them and to the individual.  It is a time of personal growth and reflection.  So how did we not only lose the meaning but fall away from teaching advent altogether?  The author explains that before 1940 most people didn't even think about Christmas until around December 20th, let alone start shopping for it.  During World War II President Roosevelt asked people to shop early and have their gifts mailed no later than the first week of December so that those overseas would be sure to receive their packages by Christmas.  So, it was in 1942 that the shopping and rushing began before Thanksgiving.  The author says that after the war ended four years later, the "mold had been cast". The Christmas shopping season was now several weeks early and the tradition of Advent was lost.
  I am so happy to attend a church now that recognizes Advent, but it won't do a lot of good for me to just think of it on Sundays as we light the pretty candles.  I need to be reflecting every day on what it means that God sent his son into the world, what it means to have Jesus in my world, and what hope I have in knowing he will return and make everything right.
 
  At the end of each chapter the author shares a "Shortcut to the Spirit of the Season".  On day one it is this:  The book of Luke has 24 chapters.  Read one chapter a day during December, using this book as a biblical Advent calendar that puts your focus on the birth, life, and promise of Christ.