The great big wish finder. My heart reels.
This creates a problem for me my friends. I don't mean to be grinchy. I just can't be ok with the above "things" being the desire of my children's hearts.wish (wsh)
1. A desire, longing, or strong inclination for a specific thing.2. An expression of a desire, longing, or strong inclination; a petition.3. Something desired or longed for.
I have to wonder what "The Great Big Wish Finder" would look like from the perspective of the children in the Congo. What would the pages contain?
That is just page one. As you flipped through I am sure you would see the opportunity to go to school or the desire to have a pair of shoes to protect them from the excruciating pain of sand fleas. That is just in the Congo. I know there is many needs in your neighborhood as well. But, this is the place where I have seen the poorest of poor, innocent children of God dying of preventable causes and it rends my heart. With this reality how can I celebrate Christmas with things?
Desire is a very hefty word my friends. I believe as a Christ-follower He has asked me to have different desires of the world.
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18It also my duty to teach my children this. The spirit of "giving" instead of "receiving". It is a hard lesson to teach in this consumer driven culture. I have to fight to teach them that sometimes giving to others means you have to give up something yourself. I have to show them the true meaning of Christmas with actions.
Yes, my children will be getting a few presents under the tree, but it will not be our focus. We have made a decision as a family that our giving will exceed our receiving. We made a pledge to give at least as much as we spend. This keeps us in check to what is really important.
What is my biggest wish/desire this Christmas? To do some major spending indeed! Just a different kind.
"If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday." Isaiah 58:10Will you join with me to let God's light shine this Christmas season? From right in your own community to the continent of Africa. Let us love with our action to give. Will you rally with me to make a difference for the oppressed? Will you give up a cup of coffee, a meal out, or a wish list gift so you can give to someone else?
Here is your first few chances to put "Love in Action" and if this isn't your heartbeat, then find out what is and give to that. These are the causes of my heart, and I will spend my time/resources advocating to bring some light to their darkness. I hope you might consider rallying with me. In the spirit of giving, I'll be giving away a few things as well.
PROJECT #1 - SHOES for the Pygmy Children - GOAL MET!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Winner of "Kings & Queens" CD - Russ McCoy
PROJECT #2 - Goma, DRC Christmas Project
This project is near and dear to my heart as well. The first child we sponsored for school was through Rudi International. They work in the Goma area which is one of the most poorest and war torn areas of the DRC. Rebel fighting and bombings have continued to plague this area through the past year. Yet Rudi International will not give up hope for the people in this community. They are determined to share the love of God and make a difference. They will be hosting a community meal for the children and host special activities on Christmas day. Last year they fed over 300 kids who would not of had anything to eat on Christmas if they had not put together this outreach. $10 will help feed a child this Christmas and provide a fun art activity for them to participate in. You can make your donation at this secure link: Christmas Project - If you are local or do not want to make an online donation you can contact me for details or send me your pledge.
Goal: $500
And because the emphasis of this post is about Giving...
It is the perfect time to launch another giveaway!
**GIVEAWAY**
I am so excited to do this giveaway! I have been waiting for this cookbook to come out for quite some time. I am so excited to be giving a copy away. I know they are really close to being printed and I have already pre-ordered mine.
The Congolese
Keepsake Cookbook
Available for purchase at Creations for Congo
- beautiful hardcover photobook quality printed by Shutterfly
- over 75 authentic recipes - both traditional and modern
- over 100 glorious color photos from all over Congo
- 40 pages packed full of details, tips, information and history
- each page contains a "Memories" section for recording heart-warming moments, favorite meals, or special occasions and dates - memories to be passed down for following generations to enjoy
Available for purchase at Creations for Congo
- beautiful hardcover photobook quality printed by Shutterfly
- over 75 authentic recipes - both traditional and modern
- over 100 glorious color photos from all over Congo
- 40 pages packed full of details, tips, information and history
- each page contains a "Memories" section for recording heart-warming moments, favorite meals, or special occasions and dates - memories to be passed down for following generations to enjoy
To enter, all you have to do is be a "Divine Moments" facebook fan.
However, you can earn additional entries. Just check out the rafflecopter below
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It's a struggle (and frankly, I'd like to blame the grandparents for a good deal of the struggle ;-) ), but we are able to help tame the "give-me"s at Christmas the same way we work to tame them the rest of the year. We try show our boys how we handle finances AND we try to show them the discrepancy between how we live versus how much of the world lives. Our boys see that we have a limited budget. Mom and Dad can not have whatever we want. Daddy's paycheck goes to God, taxes, bills, groceries and gas, and whatever is left over must be saved or spent wisely. Now that we are in the midst of an adoption it is easier than it ever has been to show our sons how much they already have. There are two little girls in central Africa who have our hearts and who have little else. The boys are old enough to understand the general yuckiness of whining for an iPod when dear ones have so little.
ReplyDeleteThis year my little sis decided our family should skip giving gifts to each other that we really don't need and instead give to a charity. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYou are so inspiring, Tessy. We also try to put the emphasis on giving (we only give the girls 1-2 gifts) however our struggle has been getting the grandparents on board, as P and J mentioned above. Have you struggled with this?
ReplyDelete