it's beginning to look a lot like...

....a NEW Christmas

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/hope/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

(this whole post was taken from my xanga post...REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!)

for me, and hopefully many of you, this Christmas will be very different.
after a life changing summer doing ministry at jane and finch, and just having a new perspective and mindset with the months up till now, life is just totally different, like a great 'awakening' (book by Jim Wallis, which i have yet to read)

anyway, here are some challenges that you and I can do this Christmas
(and hopefully the subsequent ones to follow...)

1. don't buy Christmas presents, and ask for no Christmas presents!
it may sound crazy, and counter-cultural... but you save money, and you dont fuel the ever growing culture of materialism, consumerism, and commercialism** :) PLUS you get to be more creative and give gifts of your own time and presence, or make gifts... im gonna try cooking for my family as one of my gifts to them.

2. don't shop on boxing day!
same reason as the first one**.... the money you're spending could be given to people in need, whether locally, such as the homeless who could always use a jacket, or gloves, or socks, or a hat, or more globally, towards the poor, the starving, and the millions without clean water!

3. spend time (with those usually neglected of it)
whether that is your parents, your siblings, or even the homeless downtown, spend time with them, talk, love, hang out, build relationships, hear stories, exchange stories, share hot chocolate, share music, share the awesome story of the miraculous baby born of a virgin who grows up to be the most revolutionary, the most radical and a sweet king and saviour!

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**i also highly recommend watching the Story of Stuff which is a really eye-opening video to show the bigger picture and a lot of what we DON'T SEE when it comes to spending and the products we use, and even the garbage we throw away or bottles we think we're recycling.

it brings up an important point in how our planet is NOT getting any better, and how North America just keeps getting unnecessarily bigger through consumption and wealth, whereas the rest of the world is suffering because of it, and getting poorer and poorer, with terrible living conditions


if you don't think you have anything to give, or if you think you're poor, check this out


Story of Stuff also offers 10 suggestions of what you can do, to make a difference on this planet


what are your thoughts?
how will this Christmas be different for you?