'Tis the Season to Go Shopping

So, from what I'm told, I can gather that today is the unofficial kickoff to the Christmas season.

Americans get to kick off everything. {Insert grumpy Canadian face here. Wait. Canadians are never grumpy.}

And, from what I'm told, I can gather that people actually trample each other to get to sales?

Huh? {Eh?}

{Insert I'm-happy-to-be-Canadian face here.}

Anyways, before you jump off into the abyss of a mall, let me give you an easy [and really awesome] alternative.

You're about to love me forever.

Introducing (or re-introducing) the GIFTS OF COMPASSION catalogue. :)

She's as excited as I am. ;)

So basically, do all your Christmas shopping here [or here, if you're American]. Because it's awesome. [Really.]

Here's how it works: You buy your dad a library ($100). But, he doesn't actually get the library. A community in the third world does, and Compassion will send you a card that you can give to your dad, with a picture of a library and some background stuff on where his Christmas gift went.

Or, buy your teacher some chickens ($16) and they'll be given to a family in the third world, and Compassion will send you a card for your teacher.

Or, you know that 15/16-year-old in your life that's going for Driver's Ed soon? Buy them Driver's Ed lessons ($142). No, not for them. For a Compassion child's daddy, so that he can have a great source of income as a driver. And yup, Compassion will send you a card! :)

And, you don't have to give your dad/teacher/teenager just a card. Get creative!

Partner the library with a book for dad. Or the chickens with those egg holders or a mug with a funny chicken cartoon on it for your teacher. Partner the Driver's Ed classes with a contribution to 16-year-old's car/insurance/gas/lessons fund [or just get them a key chain. ;)].

And, one last thing, on a different note. If you sponsor a child in the next couple days, maaaaybee your child will know by Christmas. It will be the most amazing Christmas gift ever - a sponsor. :)

And even if they don't find out by Christmas - it can be the best Christmas gift ever, for YOU. :)

Through The Eyes Of A Child

Maybe it's just all too complicated.

The way we over-think things. Everything. From essays to events to what to have for lunch... It's just all too complicated.

Because you know what? That lunch - the taste, the calories, the price, the whole grain vs. white... It's not that big a deal.

And that essay - the therefores, the arguments, the quotes, the grade, the MLA format... It's not that big a deal.

And that event - the organization, the when and where, the who's-coming-with-who, the who's-coming-at-all... It's not that big a deal.

You know what is a big deal, though?

Injustice. Poverty. Discrimination. The fact that loving God has somehow lost it's counterpart of loving neighbours.

So why are we so worried about the this and that, when eternity is on the line?

I recently read Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird in English class.

Sometimes, it's good to be reminded why Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to children.

Because six-year-old Scout Finch can see injustice faster than any adult or any Christian in that book, and I pray I never ever become a Christian like the ones of Maycomb County, Alabama.

Because the Women's Bible Study in the book... It's not so far fetched. They're too comfortable to be bothered with injustice, and isn't that all of us?

Because when a man's life is taken because of the colour of his skin, only children weep. The grown-ups have become indifferent and that part - the part about grown-ups being indifferent - that part isn't fiction. That is all of us.

The Kingdom belongs to the children because their spirits are the ones that fight for it. They're the ones that cry because of injustice, but shouldn't we all be crying?

Sometimes, we over-think it all. We over-think God. We try to fit Him in a box called theology and we try to comprehend Him and I think that's kinda a waste of time. Sometimes, it's better to look at God through the simple eyes of a child.

Here's what I know. Jesus said to love. Love Him and love others with a child-like love, and yours is the kingdom of heaven.

"[Jesus] said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'" Matthew 10:14-15

Crazy

Sometimes, everything's a little crazy, isn't it?

Life just likes to be crazy.

And in all the crazy, it's this struggle to find grace. peace. love.

The fruits. The fruits that we're supposed to be living this life to grow, it's a struggle to find them in all the crazy.

And sometimes, when you're feeling a little crazy, it's time to cling to God's crazy.

The crazy where, you don't have to do everything. You don't have to impress everyone.

You just let him love you like crazy. And you love others like crazy.

You just let his crazy grace pour out on you. And you share that crazy grace with others.

The crazy joy that comes from Him, you let that spill in and out of you.

You just live a crazy life... Not the Uggh-life-is-so-crazy-right-now life, the life that others look at and call crazy.

Crazy because of the way you love. The way you give. The way you serve.

Wanna know why this is my first blog post in 14 days? Because my life, it's been a little crazy.

And I just have to remember, God's version of crazy? It's much better than mine.

---

PS My life is not really that crazy in comparison to those surviving a hurricane this week... Prayers!

PPS If you'd like to live God's version of crazy, HERE or HERE is a good place to start. :)