What I want for Christmas

Paul and I have been working on our Christmas lists. Our family usually asks us what we want, so we have been thinking about this for a few weeks. My first thought is typically, "What do I need?" As I asked myself this question, I really couldn't think of anything I NEED. Sure, I'd like some new CD's, or books, or that new sweater at the GAP. But these are things I want, not need. My needs are covered and thankfully, they have always been covered.

Then, I read an unbelievable statistic. Americans spend $450 billion dollars a year on Christmas gifts. It would take one third of that amount to provide clean drinking water for the whole world.

Now I know that many of us have had to watch our budgets more closely this year, with the current economy in our country. But I have been challenged personally to look at my money and where I spend it. I think how we spend our money shows where our priorities are.

Here are a few examples of how we are doing this. We are buying Kenyon ONE Christmas gift this year. This is his first Christmas and we want it to be special for him, but he doesn't need a lot of gifts for it to be special. The Christmas story in and of itself, the people he celebrates with, the songs we sing, the traditions we celebrate as a family- these are the things that will make Christmas special for him. Sure, there are lots of toys I'm sure he would enjoy, but he doesn't need a lot of toys. In fact, he already has a lot. So we are buying him one gift.

Here's another example. I usually grocery shop every week. I'm not great at planning meals or my shopping list, so I usually go to the store each week to get things to eat for the week. Instead of buying a lot of groceries this week, I bought milk, juice, and bananas. For the rest of our meals this week, we are eating things we already have in our refrigerator or pantry. So far, so good, but by the end of the week we may be having Cheerios for dinner. We are setting the money aside that we would have used on groceries this week to donate to charity. (I got this idea from Jody's blog. She is an adoptive mother, and a great advocate for Africa).

I'd like to encourage you to find ways to spend less and give more, whatever that may look like for you and your family. Here are some ideas of alternative gifts- gifts that give back- that you could ask for or give to someone this Christmas:

-Kiva- this organization gives business loans to people around the world. Paul and I have talked about doing this for a while, and last month, we gave our first small loan to a fisherman in Uganda.

-World Vision-World Vision has a gift catalog. You can buy lifestock, food, or school and recreational supplies for people around the world. Paul and I bought each other gifts from World Vision last Christmas.

-AHOPE- Paul and I visited this orphanage in Ethiopia, which is home to children with HIV. They have an online store where you can purchase clothing, jewelry, coffee, and art.

-Water 4 Christmas- this amazing Adoption Network and Orphan Ministry at a church in Iowa came up with this idea and have partnered with charity: water. 4,500 children die a day from drinking contaminated water. They are taking financial donations to help provide clean drinking water to people around the world, starting with building wells in Liberia. They have water bottles and t-shirts you can buy, with all profits going to charity: water, or you can just make a donation. $20 will provide clean drinking water for one person for 20years.