because it bears repeating...

maybe it's because our budget is tight. maybe it's because our house is small. maybe it's because we've seen what having lots of stuff and getting lots more stuff can do in our kid's hearts (not to mention our own). or, maybe it's because we think our friends brian and amy are really cool and we want to do whatever they do. whatever the case, we've really been re-thinking Christmas this year and how we desire to go forward from this point as a family in the ways we celebrate it.

there have been several times throughout this Christmas season that i have been struck by just how rich we really are, and by how silly it really is that Christmastime has become in many ways the time in which we think about and hope to get even MORE. if i'm honest with myself, i know how easy it is to be consumed by thoughts of my (and the kids') wishlist this time of year. and just why do i think we need more stuff when i'm already daily stepping over more toys and books that we know what to do with?? i finally am understanding why my brother-in-laws keep asking for goats and chickens (for third world country families/communities) for Christmas instead of gifts for themselves. :)

last night drove it home once more -- i was at a homeschool meeting, and at the end one of the women shared a video she had created after a trip to africa. she had visited a community of women there, mostly widows and single mothers, who had hopes of raising enough money through the selling of their handicrafts to be able to afford some beans and spices to go with their rice for Christmas dinner. BEANS and SPICES. Dave Ramsey, our "getting out of debt" coach (see my sidebar link), always advises people to live on "beans and rice" while getting out of debt, and obviously he is referring to a very meager lifestyle. yet beans are what these women hope for for their special dinner. we are SO rich, even when we think we are poor.

there are other reasons besides this that motivate our desire to be more clear about our intentions when it comes to celebrating Christmas, but this is the one that sticks out to me at the moment. a few small things that we have tried to change this year are: doing a Jesse Tree instead of a Christmas tree (see previous post), being involved in less gift exchanges, purchasing and delivering gifts to a needy family (with my entire family), being less busy (that's a tough one this time of year!), and doing less shopping!