Thinking Globally this Christmas Season

I cannot believe that it is December already! How did that even happen? I swear that just yesterday I was planning and anxiously waiting for my wedding day! Now, 10 months after our wedding here we are with Christmas sneaking up on us again!

 I just got done typing up our year end letters, and our Christmas card should (hopefully) be in the mail this weekend! Its so exciting to have our very first Christmas tree up in our apartment and to come home to a red and green apartment everyday. I'm sure most of you will agree that Christmas really IS the best time of the year!

While this is the time of year that so many of us worry about what to buy, what we've having for Christmas dinner, who's stocking we're going to stuff and what we are going to wear to that Christmas party, there are millions of people around the world who don't have any clean water, food, Christmas presents, or reason to celebrate.

My dad worked for World Concern for 10 years. "World Concern provides life, opportunity and hope to suffering people around the world through disaster response and development programs. Motivated by our love of Christ, we bring hope and reconciliation to those we serve, so they may in turn share with others." During the Christmas season, World Concern puts out a Global Gift Guide. These gifts includes chickens, goats, sponsorship of a child to go to school, clean water, ect. You can purchase these gifts through World Concern and they will be given to a family in a third world country! These gifts can literally change a family's life.

I encourage you to check out their website for gift ideas!

Last year, my family decided to purchase gifts out of this catalog, rather than buy each other presents. I got a "goat" from my dad! It is so rewarding to know you are helping some one in such a life changing way.

Another non-profit organzation that I fully support is Charity:Water. Charity:water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects. Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. Unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all disease and kill more people than all forms of violence, including war. We're working to change that.

They have gifts you can purchase as stocking stuffers, or you can donate. What a great way to spread the love of the Lord to the world.

Do you have any charities that you support? I'd love to hear about them!