I’ll Have a Blue Christmas (‘cause I spent all my money on you!)
(A Discussion taken from “Advent Conspiracy” by Rick McKinley, Chris Seay and Greg Holder)
According to the latest information from the National Bureau of Economic Research says that the recession that so many people have been feeling the effects of for so long officially ended in June of 2009. That being said I realize that since the economy has picked up so greatly that there are many of you out there who know have plenty of extra money to spend on Christmas this year. If this is you, relax, this blog is probably not for you. For the rest of the US population though, those of us who are planting our pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters and yes even dollar bills in the hopes that a money tree will sprout, this blog is for you!!
How many of you have already determined your Christmas budget for this year and begun the shopping process? Are you apprehensive about the whole Christmas shopping? I personally go into apoplexy every time I hear the words Christmas and shopping used in the same sentence. What really concerns me about this more than anything is that if there is any time of the year when we should not be concerned with material things, shopping and money, it is during this time. This is the time of the year when we should be celebrating the joy and love and peace that came to earth in the form of Baby Jesus.
So what is the answer? How do we get past this and get to a place where instead of fear and dread, Christmas brings joy and peace? Here are two words that the industry (that is the shopping industry) does not want you to hear. Two small words that when placed together give us an idea so profound that it is downright difficult to comprehend. SPEND LESS. What? You heard me. SPEND LESS. But what about my friends and family and kids and aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews that have become accustomed to receiving extravagant gifts from me each year, what will they think of me…..
Well to be honest, some will think you are crazy, some may complain, some may be belligerent, but some, some may actually get it. Imagine, if by spending less and enjoying this time of the year actually worshiping the savior that died for you, you made an impact on someone’s life for the better. That through your example of spending less they actually saw that something means more than the materialistic culture that has pervaded our homes, schools and yes, even our churches.
How, you ask, how do I spend less? Here is the thing, there are many personal gifts that you can give someone that will cost much, much less but mean so much more. Most of the people that you know have their basic necessities cared for, most get what they want when they want it and unfortunately most cannot remember what they got as a gift for Christmas last year, even after you spent hours shopping your heart out to find that perfect gift.
If you will take time, be sure you know the person for whom you are getting a gift, and then look for a simple way to meet the person in their heart then you will give a gift that will be remembered for many years to come. For many examples of this you can go to a couple of websites that are designed for this kind of thing:
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