| Just why is the Christmas season so expensive? | | | | your relatives presents ('a little something to remind |
| You know you want to be a caring husband and | | | | you how important you are to me' kind of gifts) |
| father. You want to show your love. Tradition seems | | | | send them a note (could be by email) and tell them |
| to demand that you spend liberally during this holiday | | | | about your project and how they can be a part of |
| season on presents for everyone, lots of extra food, | | | | the service you have decided to do as your |
| and visits to relatives, extra on liquor, lavish parties | | | | Christmas Season giving this year. Let them know |
| and decorations, and trips to foreign lands to avoid | | | | that although you love and respect them you are |
| the Christmas rush. | | | | focusing your effort s this year on the people who |
| But really, how do you keep your wife and family | | | | really need your help: the poor in your community or |
| happy, have fun, and have a meaningful Christmas? | | | | on another continent or wherever your project takes |
| How do you do it without incurring an unreasonable | | | | you. |
| debt load? This is the difficult question when | | | | Instead of attending parties and shopping at the mall, |
| Christmas tradition demands so much from you. | | | | involve your family in collecting needed items, in |
| Let's rethink! | | | | creating campaign materials to let others know you |
| Christmas is not about going into debt or spending | | | | need their help. Focus wholly on what you need to |
| money you don't have. | | | | do to reach your goals. Christmas frivolity will seem |
| Christmas is about giving to others, with love, what | | | | shallow and cheap to you as you have greater goals |
| you could afford to share. | | | | and ambitions! |
| Let's look at some ideas that can help you | | | | You can choose any number of projects. As you are |
| revolutionize your Christmas. I don't want to just give | | | | reading this something may leap to mind, if it doesn't, |
| you a few tips like turn down the heat a few | | | | check out your local newspapers and find |
| notches and wear your sweater - although that is a | | | | organizations that are in need of help. If you live in a |
| good one and one I try to employ. I want to give | | | | city that has a directory of non-profit organizations |
| you a bigger idea. I want to give you a revolutionary | | | | you can go through the listings and contact these |
| idea to get you to think outside the box. | | | | agencies to see what kind of help they need at this |
| The Hendersons were a typical family who always | | | | time of year. |
| spent several months paying off their credit cards | | | | Brainstorming is a great way to come up with things |
| from the bills they amassed at Christmas. One year, | | | | that are important to you and your family. Call the |
| Rick was hurt in a skiing accident and couldn't work | | | | family together for this session. Put up large pieces |
| for the month of November. Although his wife, Jani, | | | | of paper on the wall to write on or hand out sticky |
| was still working, Rick's time off seriously impacted | | | | notes and have the family write their ideas on the |
| the amount of money they had in the bank and that | | | | sticky notes and then place on the wall for review. |
| they had available to them for Christmas spending. | | | | Invite everyone to think of some things that they |
| As Rick lay in bed, his leg in traction, he started | | | | would like to work with. Some ideas that might start |
| thinking about the things that were important in his | | | | coming could be: work with the homeless, work with |
| life. That is when he began to rethink how he | | | | the elderly in a local old folks home, find adoption |
| wanted to spend Christmas with his wife and 15 year | | | | families for abused pets, help build a well in Africa, |
| old son, Thomas. | | | | gather warm winter coats for poor children. |
| Rick contacted the food bank in the small town | | | | Choose one or two ideas that you would like to |
| where they lived. It was a time of financial | | | | explore further. Contact the organizations to find out |
| uncertainty due to layoffs in the local industry. He | | | | what their needs are. This will help you determine if |
| thought that perhaps his family could help out. It | | | | there is work you can do for them and what |
| turned out to be a grand project and one that | | | | specifically is needed. You can then narrow your |
| brought his family closer together, garnered the | | | | choices down to the one you are going to work with. |
| family new friends and gave them a Christmas that | | | | Once you have established the project, you can then |
| even years later, they report was the 'best | | | | create a plan to accomplish your task. How much |
| Christmas ever!' Best of all, it gave them an | | | | time to you have to give to the project? Who is |
| enormous feeling of personal well being and | | | | going to be involved? Who else can you bring in to |
| accomplishment. | | | | be a part of the project? |
| Using the model that they undertook, I want to | | | | Once Rick, Jani and Thomas had defined what the |
| suggest a way to go about creating a plan for your | | | | food bank needed them to do, they sat down and |
| revolutionary meaningful Christmas that won't kill your | | | | devised their own plan about how to bring that |
| bank account. Yes, it is ok to have several | | | | about. They set up a timeline and goals to reach by |
| motivations to do such a project. Saving money for | | | | certain dates. They listed all the duties that had to be |
| yourself and helping others is a very wonderful thing | | | | done and the person who would be responsible for |
| to do. I would commend you. | | | | that duty. They also had a place to add other names |
| So let us look at this idea. Let us start to think | | | | of those who could help out with some of the tasks. |
| outside the box: To be brave and to forge new | | | | They were pretty sure that they could get some of |
| territories. And what a great time to start - at | | | | their friends to help. And they did! |
| Christmas time! | | | | They wrote a letter to all of their friends and family |
| The very first thing that I suggest that you do is to | | | | members, both in town and out of town, to tell them |
| turn your mind off to all the television ads, all the | | | | about their Christmas project. They explained that |
| radio advertising, all the newspaper and magazine ads | | | | they wanted to make a difference to people that |
| that are urging you to spend money and buy, buy, | | | | were less fortunate than themselves this year and |
| buy. Put that thinking to bed. Adjust your thinking to | | | | so they were focusing on that task. There would be |
| what is really important in life, to the relationships, to | | | | no Christmas Cards, there would be no Christmas |
| the people and the planet that is your home. Tell | | | | gifts and there would be no fancy parties at their |
| yourself and announce to your family you have a | | | | home. They assured everyone in their letter of how |
| bigger plan for the Christmas season. Enlist their help. | | | | important they were to them and also they invited |
| Think about a project that you and your family could | | | | them to get involved in some way with their project. |
| undertake to make a difference in the world. Think | | | | At the end of each week, the family gathered (and |
| about putting away the 'what's in it for me' Christmas | | | | sometimes others were present) to discuss what |
| and creating a season of truly helping others. Use | | | | they had accomplished and what still had to be done. |
| your creativity and your caring for humanity to focus | | | | They used these meetings not just to discuss how |
| on a Christmas Season project that takes the | | | | things were going, but to talk about any problems |
| emphasis from presents for everyone to service that | | | | that they were having, to share stories and to |
| can help the poor or underprivileged. | | | | celebrate the work they were doing. Rick said "It |
| Working with your wife and family, think of | | | | wasn't just a meeting, it was a party! We had a |
| something you all want and could accomplish this | | | | weekly party to pat ourselves on the back." |
| holiday season. In this plan, give time, not money. Do | | | | Sometimes going to parties was required and they |
| service rather than buy presents. For instance, you | | | | made arrangements with the hosts to include an |
| and your wife and other family members may decide | | | | invitation to all the guests to bring certain items that |
| that the food bank needs your help. I've heard | | | | would be their "admittance to the party" and that |
| reports recently that the food banks are concerned | | | | the Henderson's could then take to the food bank. |
| that they won't reach their usual goals this year in | | | | No opportunity was missed. |
| light of the dramatic financial downturn. So, you may | | | | Many doors were knocked upon, new friends made, |
| choose to help them out for the whole month of | | | | many memories were added to their memory banks |
| December. | | | | and the food bank made their quota. |
| Instead of giving all your friends and associates and | | | | |