Make a difference with your Christmas spending

I'm not of the camp that says you can't spend money at Christmas. There are some who would say (or maybe not say, but imply) that you don't love Jesus if you decided to shop on Black Friday. That's not me.

I would say you don't love Jesus if you didn't buy me something amazing on Black Friday.

Just kidding.

I love giving gifts, and I love getting a great deal even more. I think getting a great deal on something I've thoughtfully chosen is one way to honor God. I'm loving doing the Advent Conspiracy with our friends and students because I think it helps us focus on God, but I certainly don't think it should become a "I love Jesus more than you" marker.....

I just don't think that not buying anything at Christmastime is realistic. But I DO think we can be more thoughtful about the kinds of gifts we give and where our money goes.

that's one reason we hosted an Ethiopian Tea on Tuesday for the African Widows and Orphans Project. AWOP sent us a huge box of African (mostly Ethiopian) items like scarves, carvings, books, jewelry, ornaments, and baskets to shop while we sipped Ethiopian tea or coffee, and ate this non-Ethiopian dessert.

All proceeds from these items will be used to enable African widows to keep and provide for their children and to support a hospice program for women who are HIV positive. So, not only did we get to do some Christmas shopping for our friends and family, and eat Peanut Butter Brownie Torte, but we also got to send over $500 to the African Widows and Orphans project!

So all I'm sayin is, let's think about how our Christmas spending can do double-duty.....

...like buying Bolga Baskets to benefit the Ethiopian adoption of my friend Katie

...or Coffee to benefit The Weeks adoption or the

...or just being more thoughtful about how your spending affects people all over the world


It isn't about feeling guilty....or sticking it to "the man".....but it IS exciting to think about how our Christmases might be transformed from empty gift-giving to a thoughtful exchange of gifts for not only our friends and family, but our brothers around the world!

** The Bolga Baskets link is working now - - check them out!!