I can practically smell the Christmas goodies and have visions of the lights and sounds of the Holidays. It is quite possible that Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. It is also quite possible that the Christmas season is what routinely ruins my weight loss efforts. Of course, as a Christian, the spiritual significance of the season does not go unnoticed. Our family makes intentional efforts to expose our children to the true meaning of Christmas in word and deed.
One intentional effort that we make is our family participation in a yearly missions project through Samaritans Purse called, Operation Christmas Child. Established by Franklin Graham, Samaritans Purse involves itself in missional efforts around the world, helping to show the love of Christ. The Operation Christmas Child efforts are one of their many projects and for our family it just happens to be the most exciting.
Operation Christmas Child has a mission to "To demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ" (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/index/). Through the simple gift of a shoebox we have the opportunity to reach around the world, offering love and joy to a child that may have never received a gift in their lives.
My four children are spoiled rotten. Their playroom cannot contain the daily mess that is their toys. Their rooms are full of clothes and shoes. They are blessed beyond measure and are blissfully unaware of their advantages. But once a year we remind them how lucky they are and through the joy of filling a box for another child, our kids experience the joy of giving love, the joy of giving Christ.
This week is the due date for all Operation Christmas Child boxes.
If you haven't made one already, you still have time. Run to Target, hit up the "dollar spot", fill a box, and take it to a local church. You can gain more information by clicking the link to Samaritans Purse. And if you're local, you can drop off your box with me, and I'll make sure it gets to the appropriate place!
Take advantage of the opportunity to impact a child's life with a simple shoebox.
That's some Holiday cheer... time to get yourself in the Christmas mood.
A little food, a little music, a little shoebox.
It truly IS the MOST wonderful time of the year!
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