Just one week until Christmas! Here is my final post in this series.
May there be great joy in our hearts as we anticipate the coming of Emmanuel.
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Don’t waste Jesus. This might be the only time of year some folks even thinks about Jesus or going to church. This is the only time of year you can hear songs about Jesus on the radio — on the same stations that are usually blasting on about broken relationships and hookups. I hope we don’t waste this brief season on to-do lists, over-spending, and over-eating. I hope we find a way of capitalizing on our culture’s Christmas obsessions and turning them into opportunities for sharing Jesus.
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I’m so grateful that these lyrics can be heard throughout this season on a number of area radio stations. I’ve added emphasis to the lyrics that have especially touched my heart this year.
We pray those without hope find hope in Jesus this Christmas.
O Holy Night
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees!
Oh, hear the angels voices!
O night divine,
O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, o night, o night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wisemen from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need,
Our weakness no stranger,
Behold your King!
Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord!
Oh praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory,
Ever more proclaim!
His pow’r and glory ever more proclaim!
I want to take a minute to plug a few awesome charities. Whether you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea for the person that has everything, or you’re trying to get in a year-end donation for 2009, these charities are pretty great.
- Children’s Shelter of Cebu: This ministry provides medical care, housing, and education to orphaned children in the Philippines with the ultimate goal of placing them with a permanent family. It would be impossible to pass along the love we have for CSC through my blog. Let me just say that the impact of this small organization is global… and eternal.
- Heifer International: Oh-s0 cool. Give a family a hive of bees, a llama, or a flock of geese to help them become self-reliant. For almost 60 years, Heifer has been “helping people obtain a sustainable source of food and income.” With a goat or heifer, it becomes possible for children to attend school, families to build homes or start a business, and best of all, support their own community through their new-found resources.
- Berean Missional Church Cookbook: This small church here on the east side of St. Paul is reaching into the lives of youth through discipleship programs and an alternative school for high schoolers, Harvest Academy. Berean’s cookbook is available for $21.95. That’s a small investment with big returns.
- Donors Choose: This website links you to the classroom needs of teachers across the country. Buy a printer for a classroom in St. Paul. Donate to a low-income school in desperate need of better instruments and sports equipment. Teachers post their needs, and donors help meet them.
- Global Giving: Another site that lets you choose how to help. Pick a country. Or pick a project type. Then narrow your search until you find just the right gift. You can give a pig to a family in Haiti. Or help provide books and literacy education to girls in Guatemala. Or feed malnourished kids in Kenya. Or give a village clean water. Each project offers you three (or more) giving levels and gives you tons of info about the project. Also great because you can see how much they have raised and how much is left to raise for each project. Oh, I just love this site.
Any organizations you’d like to add to the list?
Don’t waste money. Okay, there might not be much of it to waste in this economy. But how many Ho Ho Mochas does a girl really need (ahem.)? Pool that “holiday goodies” money and see what you can do with it! Pick a new charity. Ask your pastor to pass it on to a family who needs it. Put it on a grocery card for your friend who just lost their job. (And remember, it’s not too late to return an extra gift and donate the funds.)
(Dec. 4, 2009)
Don’t waste time. Share yourself with others instead of with a mall. Shopping consumes a lot of time for some people. The hunt for the perfect gift at the perfect price has a way of sucking out our brains and our time. And it usually means we buy more gifts than we intended. Instead of buying into the hype, pick out one meaningful gift that could bless others. (One of the best gifts is the gift of y0ur time.)
(Nov. 4, 2009)
Don’t waste your abilities. Donate yourself to someone this season. Shovel out your neighbor. Help someone design their online Christmas card or take down their Christmas tree. Take a family photo for someone who can’t afford a photographer. Babysit. Cook. Clean. Love. And do it for someone who really needs you.
Don’t waste another year. Have you always wanted to help out at a local soup kitchen over the holidays? Have you always felt like you should invite your new neighbors or that older couple over for dinner? Always thought you should ring the bell outside Walgreens? This is your year!
Don’t waste giving. There are families who are really hurting this time of year. Could you buy a gift for them instead of buying multiple gifts for those on your list? Or maybe you could donate a gift to Toys for Tots (big kids toys are always needed the most). Or make a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. How about supporiting Angel Tree with gifts for children of an inmates? Hey, it’s not too late to return an extra gift for someone on your list and give a toy in their name.
