Inspired by the sermon "Grace of Giving" at Rockpointe Church today, by Vanessa and her giving project, and to combat the materialism of Christmas in some little measure, I want to find meaningful ways to help others this season. I thought about this during my 2.5 hour drive home from Airdrie today and decided I want to find one cause to support each week from now until Christmas. I'd like to show you some of these special projects and invite you to tell me about yours.
The first project I love is Operation Christmas Child, sponsored by Samaritan's Purse. Each fall, I fill a few shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, clothes, candy, and personal hygiene items and send them to the office in Calgary. After being processed, they are shipped, along with thousands of other shoeboxes, to children around the world in more than 17 countries who may have never received a gift of any kind. This year many of the boxes are being shipped to Haiti. Last year, more than 640,000 boxes were collected and some day I hope I can volunteer to help deliver boxes. Our daughter Heather and her husband, Jonathan, were part of a team that delivered one year in Mexico and it impacted them in a huge way.
I want to share that I am not telling you about this giving project to brag but rather to joyfully share what we have decided to live out in our lives. By documenting in a public way, I hope you will be inspired and perhaps find a new project to support. My blog has always been a documentation of my life and this is an important part of Christmas for me. Thanks for listening :)
This is wonderful Crystal. We are also trying to 'combat the materialism of Christmas' this year and we've decided to buy animals through the world vision catalog (we sponsor a little boy through world vision). My mom and others who have asked what they can get for us--we tell them 'a goat or some chickens' and then show them the catalog. It feels so good to give. XO
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