Christmas can be a challenging time to keep the focus on sharing Christ and not just sharing stuff'.
I know many moms are on the look out for things to do that will make a difference this time of year instead of just gorging our families on our own self-indulgences.
Here are some ideas of things our family has brainstormed to do that might help your creating juices flow:
1. Give clothes to the needy. (Salvation Army)
2. Share our toys with the poor. (Goodwill)
3. Send free Christmas cards to Soldiers. You can do this too, takes only a minute.
4. Children will all go to the store and buy a toy to donate to "Toys for Tots'.
5. Bake bread for neighbors and attach the gospel.
6. Make cookies for a homeless shelter attach the gospel---donate needed items. (Volunteering is good in a soup kitchen too, we did this one year and it was wonderful!!! The volunteer is more blessed than the receiver.)
7. Donate to fallen soldiers familes.
8. Christmas Caroling inside Wal-Mart with our church--we are passing out candy canes with info on how to keep Christ in Christmas with our church information on it. Children are dressing up as Nativity characters.
9. Create a Christmas Shoebox
10. Bless Samaritans Purse. (only $9 feeds a hungry baby for a week)
11. Remember a widow or shut in. Send a card or visit--do something special for them.
12. Visit a nursing home, sing songs bring gifts or make sweets.
So if you are a mom on the go, and need some ideas quick---print this out and stick it on your fridge. Put more meaning into your Christmas and share the joy of Christ with others. Here is the verse I have hanging in my dining room with our list:
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." -----1 Timothy 6:17-8
And most importantly, remember to integrate ministry like this through the whole year through---not just once a year!
7 comments:
June,
Upon each visit to your lovely page, I experience a feeling of calm and wellbeing. Today's post particularly spoke to something that has been on my heart and laced conversations throughout the last few days.
Thank you for offering these wonderful opportunities to make love visible. Your writing and ideas are a "real life" provision of encouragement.
My spirit is renewed!
Jean Patricia
Good thoughts! I enjoyed this post. :)
I have been enjoying your blog for several weeks now. Thank you for this list of great ideas of serving others this season. I like the idea of caroling in Walmart. Will they let you you do that? Can you share what was on your candy cane handout about keeping Christ in Christmas?
Hi Lisa,
We are going to do this next week and yes, they already gave us permission to do this inside the woman's department. From what I understand about the handout it will contain some info on how to keep Christ in Christmas and an invitation to our church Christmas program. Hope that helps.
Many blessings...
Mrs. Fuentes,
I enjoy your site so much and understand that you are (or were?) a military family. May I add one more idea for things to do to help others this Christmas?
Daddy Dolls, Inc. has a wonderful program that allows people to donate funds to provide "daddy dolls" for the children of deployed soldiers, airmen, marines, and sailors, who can't afford them, and to the children of fallen heros. Military chaplains help oversee the distribution of the dolls to those who need them the most.
This is a very worthwhile cause. My little girl has a daddy doll, and it does make a difference to small children. Having something to cuddle with daddy (or mommy's) picture on it really provides a lot of comfort.
If you would like to help this wonderful and worthwhile cause, visit the link below.
http://daddydolls.com/donation.php
Dear Mrs. F.
Just discovered your lovely site and am browsing...Thanks for this nice post!
As a long-time volunteer with our local emergency assistance center, may I share a few suggestions?
If you want to volunteer for a program, please sign up early! Service spots get filled very quickly at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Please respect the guidelines of the organization you're working with. Your 13 year old really may be very mature, but if their rules say "16 or over", please don't ask them to bend them for you.
"New" means "new", not "barely played with", please.
Don't have time to volunteer? No charitable organization ever thinks cash is cold or hard. Sometimes, we have ways to work a 'loaves and fishes' with your donation and can make it go even farther than you thought. Please never fell that giving money isn't really 'giving'.
And, please do remember these groups during the rest of the year. Thanks!
I love all these lovely ideas.
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