Isn’t there a better way to spend Christmas?

This year Stephen and I are starting some new traditions in how we celebrate the holiday. I feel like I’ve had a big heart change in the last year and a part of that has been learning to step away from seeing things the way I’ve always been taught to and training myself to look at things in the bigger picture.

Why do we celebrate Christmas the way we do? Every year it seems like we go into debt buying loads of gifts for people who already have more than enough. Doesn’t it seem like we’re really teaching our kids that happiness is dependent on how much stuff we have for them under the tree? In a few months from now most of the gifts will be lost or broken anyway. And it seems like the only gifts we really remember are the ones that had sentimental value more than the money it cost. It’s the truth.

I heard these statistics and they just blew me away.

leading cause of death globally =

lack of access to clean, safe drinking water.

cost to solve the global water problem permanently =

$10 billion.

amount Americans spent on Christmas last year =

$450 billion.

450 billion dollars.

Yesterday I heard a speaker ask whose birthday is it. If it was Jesus’ birthday then who should get the gifts? If you want to give to Jesus who do you give to- the least of these. There are so many hurting people and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to demonstrate His love and grace to them. We’re not dependent on happiness on what we buy or own. Last Sunday our pastor talked about how Jesus came to give us freedom from bondage. Wouldn’t it make sense to celebrate his birthday by helping others, by being life giving at Christmas also?

This year the people at our church are each giving $40 dollars this Christmas. 40 dollars ends hunger for an orphan for a whole year. After you give you get a magnet for your fridge and every time you open it to feed yourself you can be reminded that you fed a kid for a whole year. Now that’s a gift you won’t forget about.

So our new tradition this year is to spend less. Give more. "Give them our presence not our presents."

 What new traditions are you going to make this year?

If you want to feed an orphan for a year you can do so here.

simple pleasures are life's treasures

Time goes by without a thought of appreciation for these "simple" things we have each day. But take one away and how desparate we become to get it back.

Take a moment today to be thankful, and think of a way to be a servant and help someone who doesn't have one of these things. While we worry about our weekend plans, there are people who are wondering if they will just survive the end of the week.

Who will help, if not us?

become an abolitionist

via

A long post, but so important.
And a gift for you at the end.

Living in America it’s very easy to become desensitized to the suffering going on in the world. We get so caught up in everyday life that we hardly notice that people are being enslaved right in our backyards. It wasn’t until last year that I first heard about children being sex trafficked not only in third world countries but in my state capitol too.

Slavery is more widespread today than ever before. More than 1 million children are exploited in the commercial sex trade every year, some younger than 5 years old. This dirty little secret is affecting countries on every continent and the way to stop it is to use your voice and speak for those who can’t speak for themselves. Bring awareness to this horrific tragedy that is going on.

There are few organizations fighting this battle. These are the 3 close to my heart, please take the time to check out these amazing organizations and if you find it in your heart, get involved, give a gift, or use your voice to bring awareness. It’s our responsibility to do justice and defend those being wronged.

Mission: Rescuing girls in Fiji who have been sold by their families into slavery and giving them a safe haven at Homes of Hope Village. The women find new lives for themselves and their children and no longer have to be victims.

 Mission: A safe house for victims in the Phoenix area to come and find the healing they need to rebuild their futures.

Mission: abolition and restoration! Preventing children from sex slavery and restoring the survivors with aftercare solutions.

Love146 Overview from LOVE146 on Vimeo.
For Arizona friends-My friend Stacey is offering a $50 gift certificate to use towards a photo session for those who donate to StreetLight this week. It could be $10, $20 dollars, whatever you can afford to give. And if you link this post to your facebook or blog you will receive a $60 gift certificate. Once you donate please email her your contact information and tell her how you donated, and if you linked this post and the link so that she can see it and then she will send you your gift certificate.

Email Stacey at stacey[at]staceypoterson[dot]com.

For my friends that don’t live in Arizona, if you decide that you want to get involved, comment me below letting me know that you gave a gift or posted something about this to bring awareness and I will enter you in a drawing to receive a gift made by one of the girls rescued from the sex slave industry in Fiji.

Click on the names of the organizations above to go to the donation pages.

You have until Friday to get involved & speak out.

100!

Wow! I wasn’t expecting responses like this. You guys are incredible. Even though only one person can win the necklace I feel like we are all winners because so many lives were touched this week by you all. I feel so inspired.  Thankyou everyone for giving.

Congratulations to Joyeful! Your story really touched my heart. You took in that woman and showed her so much compassion. You didn’t hesitate to comfort a person who just needed to know that someone cared. It reminded me of this quote-
"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." I hope that when the day comes when someone comes to me in need of compassion that I won’t hesitate to give of myself in the same way that you did.

It was so fun to do this give-away that I think I may do a few more in the future. So keep your eyes open. I guess to end this here are some of my favorite quotes from the most self-less, beautiful, giving woman who ever lived.

"Intense love does not measure, it just gives."

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

-Mother Teresa

On a more serious note

Sadly  here in Arizona I've heard very little about the disaster going on in TN. I just came across this blog post and am really shocked. I didn't realize just how serious the situation is right now. The people there are crying for help and I know there's not a whole I can do but hope that posting this helps to spread the word even a little. Take a look.

If you are in TN my prayers are with you right now.

it’s getting really close

We're only a few away from the big 100. So I thought in order to celebrate that I want to do something really cool. I decided to do a giveaway but not just an ordinary giveaway. Details in a bit but first the reason why I want to do this is to thank all of the wonderful people who read my stories and leave me such encouraging messages. You guys make my day.

I’m a big believer in “you reap what you sow” and “you get what you give, so give good.” So this giveaway is going to be a tad different because in order to get the chance to receive something that I think is pretty cool, I’m going to ask that you give something first.

What is the gift? About a month ago I blogged about a purse I bought that was made by girls rescued from the sex slave industry in Fiji. Read the details here. I had so many responses on that so for the giveaway you will have the chance to win this necklace made by these same girls. It is so much cuter in person, I feel like this photo doesn’t do it justice. Plus it's really nice when you buy and wear something that is supporting such a great cause. Guys can enter too. This would make a lovely gift.

So what do you have to do? All I ask is that this week you give. Leave me a comment telling me what you have done to make a difference in the life of someone who is suffering or someone less fortunate. It could be anything. You could donate to charity water; sponsor a child through world vision, give to someone who is in need of clothes a bag of some that you don't wear anymore. The possibilities are endless.

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. Anne Frank
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. Edward Everett Hale

It’s time to give, whether it’s your money or your time. We show tangible love in how we care for those who are hurting and suffering. I’m really excited about this. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen.

I’ll post the winner of this gift on my 100th post so keep an eye out for it.

(photo from here)

Something new

My new thing is this awesome new purse. I have to admit I'm not a normal girl. My husband found a pretty much brand new louis vuitton purse for dirt cheap and brought it home to surprise me but I'm not a designer purse kind of gal. Madness I know! So we gave it to my cousin who I know will love it. But this one I had to have for two reasons. 1 because I think it's adorable, and 2 it was made by women rescued from the sex slave industry. My church is teamed up with Homes of Hope in Fiji where they help to rescue and restore girls who have been trafficked into sex slavery. They bring them to this village and provide a safe haven for them and tell them about Jesus and teach them a work skill like making these purses. There is so much more that they do there too, it's an amazing non-profit organization. Check out more about Homes of Hope and Vision Abolition here. I would love to go help out there someday.

Loving the least of these

Hi friends. I posted a link on my sidebar that I hope you will all check out. It will connect you to an amazing organization that I recently heard about and think is just wonderful. So please take a look.

I've been studying a lot about what it really means to walk as Jesus did and I have to tell you, these have been some convicting days for me. As I've been diving into this I'm realizing that this is not what I've seen in today's christianity (for the most part) and it's something that I'm really hungry for. I want something much deeper than what I've seen and experienced thus far. How about you?

One of the things that has really stuck out to me has been in Matthew 25 when Jesus says "I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink..." and the condemned protest asking when and Jesus responds, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

We show Him love in how we care for people all around us who are suffering. If you really love Him, then you won't be hesitant to show Him. And you show Him by being compassionate to others. He didn't just give a little, He gave everything for us. "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."  I know I already said this a few posts back but I'm going to say it again. It's more than just believing, its about following.  I want to start following and be more compassionate. I want to empty myself so that I can be filled.

"The crazy invitation of Jesus is to die to self so that you may live, give your life away so that you may find it, humble yourself so that you will be exalted."-Mark Connelly

(photo from here)