Christmas Challenge

Wow... Thanksgiving is done and over with and Christmas is approaching! Can you believe the year is almost over? I sure cannot. 2011 has been a difficult and challenging year for us, but it was redeemed by a few things; one being our trip to visit my sister, Ashley, in Liberia, West Africa. In the midst of one of the most impoverished, hopeless, cruel worlds I have ever seen with my eyes, I found love, joy, peace, and beauty. I have never seen anything more beautiful and heartbreaking on the face of this planet. After an amazing trip, I came home to the same dull, sleepless, depressing life - life on night shift. It was not a good welcome home gift. However, soon after we got home, I finally got a day shift job, and started to enjoy the pleasures of being a day person for the first time in two and a half years. What a joy it has been! I have been able to do more in the 4-5 months I have been on day shift then what I did in 2.5 years (or at least I feel like it)!

Anyways, now that Christmas is approaching (back to this again... sorry about the tangent) I am reminded of how much I love Christmas, and also, how much a hate Christmas. I love the lights, the songs, the atmosphere, the family time, the food, the hot beverages, etc. However, Black Friday reminded me of how much I hate Christmas. How it is a time when we just collect more stuff for no reason. We don't need anything, but we still get a pile of gifts on Christmas day. It is sad that our culture has given us a love and passion for stuff. We are materialistic. Plain and simple.

So for the challenge... I challenge you and myself to do something different this year. In light of the fact that most of us will have presents under the tree this year, let's make some room for it!

I challenge you to start cleaning out your house, apartment, room, etc. and find those things that you once loved and cherished, but haven't thought about in ages or haven't used in awhile. Start with a small project. This morning I opened up our coat closet and was sickened. Between TWO people we had EIGHTEEN coats in the closet! HOLY CRAP! How did this happen?! Easy... we collect stuff... it is a sickness! I cleaned it out so that I can give a bunch of coats to a place that gives people who probably don't have ONE coat a nice coat this winter.

What a difference we can make this Christmas season! Start with something small and work your way through the house. Christmas is the season of giving, right?! And plus, giving away something you already have means it's free! You don't even have to spend any money! When you are cheap like me, what could be better?

Make a difference in someone's life this Christmas.

Make some room for all the new stuff you will get under the tree.

Merry Christmas! :)

P.S. For those of you interested in seeing what my sister does in Liberia by making a difference in the lives of orphans, check out her blog loveinliberia.blogspot.com.