Gift Giving

We have just celebrated Thanksgiving, a special day set aside to especially be thankful for all that God has given us, to count our blessings, to recognize afresh the many ways that we are blessed each and every day. And then there was Black Friday...the day that many seem to have forgotten about the blessings they were so thankful for just a few hours ago as they push and claw to get the best deal on "stuff". A cashier at our local department store commented that Black Friday in their store was actually "nasty" a few times when they were first opening.

So what's my point? How do we teach our children that Thanksgiving is a lifestyle? How do we teach them not to get caught up in the trappings of this culture that says we're entitled to what we want, when we want it?  I think the best and most effective answer is to make sure that WE are modeling that behavior ourselves. The old saying goes, "More is caught than taught."  As the Christmas holiday approaches, how do you help bring balance in your family between gift giving and gift receiving? How do you teach your children that it's important to think of others during a season that encourages kids to think mostly of themselves and their own desires? 

Give the gift of a warm blanket!

If you're interested in making some changes this Christmas, consider checking out the Samaritan's Purse website. They give you loads of options of ways that you and your family can give gifts to people in impoverished countries. For example, there is currently an urgent need for blankets to keep people warm. For $6, your family can help make that happen. For $70, you can provide a family with a dairy animal. There are also many opportunities locally...the Salvation Army "bell ringers", Angel Trees, Adopt-A-Block, church ministries, etc. 

I'd love your feedback to some of the questions I've posed above! What does this time of year look like in your home?