Christmas 2016

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas! Mine was absolutely spectacular! My family and I opened presents and stockings, watched some shows together (Mission Impossible and Star Trek...yes, very non-traditional things to watch on Christmas day. 😉), played Twister, tried out all our new gifts, put together Christmas supper, and in all, spent a great day with each other. It wasn't a white Christmas unfortunately...but it did rain, so I guess that was okay. Better than nothing at all (and you ought to know how much I love rain). 🙂

Aside from telling y'all about my Christmas, I wanted to share a little something. On Christmas Eve, my family and I went to a Christmas Eve service at the Church. The place was all decorated up with wreaths and garlands, and everyone received a candle which was lit at the end of the service. Towards the end of the service, the pastor showed a short video - rather, a commercial - about an event during World War I where the British and Germans stopped the fighting to celebrate Christmas together. The video was quite awe-inspiring, and so I want to share it with you. You can watch it below. December 25 may be over this year, but I hope the joy and love and peace that comes with the Christmas season never ends.

Christmas Truce of 1914, World War I

May your days be merry and bright, everyone!

à la prochaine,

Time

Wow. It's a bit hard to believe my last post was over a month ago. A lot of things have happened since then, and now Christmas is coming and so is New Years and...all I can say is wow. I wish time went slower than it does. Moments seem to be here one minute and gone the next.

Life is calming down somewhat here after a busy month in our household. We've geared up for the Christmas season. We have our Christmas tree by the front window - something I've wanted for ages! I love seeing Christmas trees in the windows of people's houses as we drive by to look at the lights. :)

I've been making presents for my family too. Mostly sewing projects - toys and such. I'm hoping to crochet a teddy bear for some family friends who are expecting a baby really soon. I'm also crocheting little baskets for a Tea Party my Grandma is having this Spring. They're so cute! We chose Spring colors, so the baskets are yellow, pink, green and blue.

My family and I have been watching a lot of Studio C since a friend introduced us to it a while ago. My younger sister loves it so much - she gets to laughing so hard! :D

Not too long ago, my best friend, Paprika, and her family came to visit for a day. It was awesome. Paprika and I went to the coffee shop three times (I live so close to it - why not?). At one point, we tried some of each other's drinks, and the "friend" part of me was all for it, but the sensory part of me was like "no, don't do it!" Paprika could tell part of me wasn't very willing (I'll bet it wasn't too hard to notice), and remarked, "This is killing you, isn't it?" But we shared anyway, which is something I wouldn't do with many people. Guess that's why she's my best friend though. ;)

While she was here, we spoke with British accents for quite a while - although I did eventually switch to Scottish because I like it slightly better. We pretended to be cousins during the 1400s too. She actually taught me how to play pretend. I didn't really pretend with anyone before I met her. And now whenever we get together, we're in a Nancy Drew mystery or making up our own adventure. :)

A very special event is coming up for me soon. I'm super excited and a little bit sad. There is an ornament on our tree that my Mom made for me before I was born. It is a clear glass ball filled with heart-shaped confetti and one note rolled up into a scroll. All my life I have waited to read that small note (and I've come pretty close to it...but that was when I was an impatient little six-year-old who tried to open it in secret. ;) ), and now this December I will finally read it. I am counting down the days. The reason why I'm sad is because I can't help but think, Wow, I've waited all this time and now the waiting is almost over. It's a bit hard to believe I will get to open the ornament and read the note inside. Believe me, I am super curious to know what it says!

My special ornament

On another note, my newest sibling was born! And now we have an equal ratio of boys to girls! It's kind of been we girls' "competition" to finally "catch up" with the boys again. And, well, we finally did. ;) So, yes, that is very exciting. After some waiting and doctor visits, Baby Ten is doing very well.

Well, this is as good a place as any to sign off. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

à la prochaine,

Phase 10 And Sour Apples

My Grandma came to visit recently. Whenever she comes, we play at least one card game - usually Phase 10 or Uno. This week, we played tons of Uno games, a few games of Phase 10 (one of which, she and I sort of tied...though, in reality, she and I were both on Phase 10, and she went out of cards first, so she won.), and a couple games of Apples To Apples. We like to switch Apples To Apples around and use the green cards as our hands, and the red cards as the ones we have to describe. We call this version "Sour Apples." I guess you can't possibly lose when you describe a choose-your-own card that says "Mark Twain" with a card that says "Mark Twain." :-D

I love spending time with my Grandma because she is just an amazing person. She always has a plan, and she makes sure everyone sticks to it (that's one reason why we lovingly call her "Sergeant Grandma."). And she cuts sandwiches lengthwise. And she makes hot cocoa and cinnamon toast for breakfast. And she has a cute Shi-Tzu named Bailey, who is so soft! He's a shy little puppy dog too.

She took me on a bus tour to Branson a couple years ago, and I had a blast. It was nearly Christmastime, and we got to see Jonah at the Sight And Sound Theatre, the Dixie Stampede (I love horses, so that was an awesome experience), Daniel O'Donnell, and quite a few other shows. By the time the tour was over, we were both tired! The week was full of things to do, places to see. I got to eat Sprite and ice cream for supper one night. ;-) It was a super fun trip.

A photo I took of the reflection in the ceiling of a truck stop we got off at during our Branson trip.

Sometimes my Grandma will call us or send small letters to each of us kids. She calls me Princess, and I love that nickname. I used to want to be Cinderella when I grew up (that dream was imagined recently when I got to dress up in a lovely, Baroque-period dress, and, as I half-ran up the stairs of the building, a lady referred to me in these words: "She looks like Cinderella!"). I guess I still want to be Cinderella - I just need a Fairy Godmother and a pumpkin coach.

A long time ago, she would take us girls (my Mom, Sunshine and me) to Victorian tea parties. We would dress up the part and attend the tea. The sugar cubes had icing flowers on them, and the tea was always delicious. There was a harpist one year, and I thought she looked like an angel. I always had fun at those parties, even though I was super shy all the time. I liked dressing up in pretty clothes for the parties. One year, the tea party was Scotland-themed, and my Mom dressed me up in a plaid skirt, white socks, dress shoes, a blouse and a beret. I looked so cute. One of the dishes they served was haggis. Try it first, then ask what it is. It was pretty good, as far as I can remember.

She taught me how to play Sudoku. I remember watching her write a 5, and since then I've written my 5 like that because I thought it was the prettiest 5 I'd ever seen. She makes the bottom half, then adds a long, sweeping line on top. I have a thing with numbers, so I love how she writes a 5.

At times, she'll accidentally leave one of her books at our house, and I'll find it. They're usually Amish novels and short stories, sometimes a really good mystery. I think that's what got me started with liking novels - her forgetting a book on the end table, and me picking it up.

She bought one of those record-your-voice books where you speak the words on each page and it plays back to you whenever you turn the page. We have that book in a special place, and sometimes I take it down and turn the pages and listen to her read the storybook. I love the last page of the book, "I love you round and round the world. I love you through and through. And when it seems impossible to love you more, I do." That's her. That's my Grandma.

When we had to move to a house that didn't allow pets, she said she would take care of my guinea pig, Inca, at her house. We were so close to having to move, and I'd have to leave my little baby, and who stepped in to keep that from happening? My little Inca was very happy there, I know.

My Grandma tells stories about Peter Rabbit and baby squirrels, makes imaginary sandwiches on our backs, makes sure you wake up at a good time, acts like a kid when the opportunity presents itself, and is always ready to do something with you.

I love my Grandma. She's too amazing for words, but I hope you can see just how much I love her.

Sergeant Grandma, you're the best.

Love,

July 4th!

Happy 4th of July!!!

I love fireworks so much, and today is really, really special. We bake a cake and put lots of frosting on it. And we watch the fireworks go off outside. And we smile because everything is so beautiful.

Emmy, this is for you. ♥

Emmy, you will always be my little strawberry. I love you so, so much and so, so beyond words. I'm sure you would love the fireworks here. They are just for you.

I love you, little sis. ♥♥

Baby's Shoes

The weather is finally warming up, so we've been outdoors quite a bit lately.  Mama put baby's shoes on (he's gotten into the habit of getting his shoes and plopping down on the floor, saying "Out" until someone comes and puts them on!), and I helped him onto the sidewalk in our backyard.  Playing with baby outside is a cross between a chore and lots of fun.  He likes to run around and swing with someone on our playset.  He's a sweetie. :)

Saturdays Selections

You can turn an enemy into a friend with love.  Why not love?

Faith, Hope and Love Abide

This is my Mom and Dad's wedding candle and Willow Tree figurine.  If they hadn't met each other, I wouldn't be here.  This photo is for them.

Remembering 9/11

FOR THE HEROES WHO RISKED AND LOST THEIR LIVES ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

AMERICA IS DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SELFLESS SACRIFICE

Still My Childhood Self

I'm a two-year-old. Or maybe I'm three. Anyway, Mama is grasping my hand so I won't get lost in the crowd of busy shoppers. I'm terribly nervous. Too many strangers.

A woman remarks how cute I am with my short ponytail and chubby face and smiles at me. I frown back. I don't want anyone talking to me.

I'm a shy toddler and I despise strangers. But I have a wonderful trick. It's called a frown. I perform this trick and everyone leaves me alone. It doesn't always work, but most of the time it does. And that is the power of a frown.

But why can't I be friendly? Why is it so hard for me?

Fast-Forward.

OK, now I'm a seven-year-old. My whole family is at a banquet. It's loud and I'm quiet. It seems like everyone has their own friends and I don't. Oh, two girls walk past me. They're chatting and laughing. Maybe they'll let me join in.

I follow from a safe distance. I pass some adults and older kids and continue my walking. Oops, I got too close. One of the girls turns around and looks at me for a moment. I'm so embarrassed! Should I move on and act like I wasn't doing anything? The girl says, "Do you want to play with us?" I slowly nod my head. I don't smile, but I don't frown either.

Hey, I made a new friend.

Years pass. I'm still shy. I can still count the number of friends I've made on one hand. And if I could go back and tell my two-year-old self one thing, I'd say, "Don't be shy. Go out on a limb and make some friends."

And over a decade later, I'm following my own advice.

(Note: This post is for the first Compassion Blog Month Assignment. Please join in the fight against poverty.)

Blessings In Disguise

     You've probably noticed the Compassion Banners I put on this blog that say "Sponsor A Child."
Those banners make me smile because I feel that I'm showing my thankfulness for Compassion International. I never would have had the wonderful experience of getting to know Priscyla, my wonderful, loving girl from Peru. I want others to have that experience.

Last year, 3,159 children were sponsored because of Blog Month. Currently, over 1 million children have been sponsored. That's a whole lot of kids!
So, why not make that number bigger? Find more sponsors for more impoverished boys and girls?
We need to love the least of our brothers and sisters and do more for Jesus.

If one person sponsors a child, that is hope for more children to be sponsored. We need to go above and beyond just speaking, saying we need to act for Jesus. We need to do. That's how so many good things have been started: Someone comes up with an idea and puts it into action and when people see all the good change, it causes something big.

That's what Christians need to do.

Priscyla is a blessing. I want others to see those hidden blessings, those children in poverty. If one boy or girl is sponsored, he or she can grow in Jesus and change the world through Him.

The least of people can change everything. We need to start giving these kids hope, giving them the care and love and life they need to put them on a path for Jesus.
 

And you can help by sponsoring a child, whether in an AIDS-affected area or waiting over 100 days for a sponsor. You can show that you care. They aren't destitute when they know Jesus loves them.

These impoverished children are blessings in disguise.

(This is a post for Compassion Blog Month. Please join in the fight against poverty.)

Compassion Blog Month is Back!

If you read my earlier Compassion Blog Month Post, you probably know what I'm talking about...If not, let me refresh you...

Beginning Tuesday, September 3, Compassion International will email a weekly writing assignment to members of the Compassion Bloggers Network and will publish each assignment on compassionbloggers.com.

The goal is to find sponsors for at least 3,160 waiting children. If you help, that will make a huge difference.

And there's prizes if you get children sponsored.

The grand prize is a spot on a 2014 Blog Trip.
The first prize winner and second prize winner has the option to attend the 2014 New Media Expo presented by BlogWorld or the 2014 Blissdom conference.

To be eligible for the above prizes you must get at least five children sponsored during Blog Month.

Also, Compassion has five prize packages to give away!  To be eligible for these, you must get at least one child sponsored.
Each prize package includes the following and more:
~$25 iTunes gift card
~16 oz. Compassion stainless steel mug
~12 oz. bag of fair trade organic whole bean coffee

All you need for entering is a blog and signing up to the Compassion Blog Network. Compassion Blog Month starts September 1st, so get ready if you're interested! Oh, and one last thing: 

Each blog post you write will earn you 10 contest entries after you enter the URL to your post in the Rafflecopter widget on Compassion Website. Submitting more than one blog post for each assignment is allowed, but each post must be unique and different...no copying! :)

For more info, click the link here

Let's help save children from poverty.

Little Baby Feet

LISTEN!

I dare you to stop whatever you are doing right here, right now...and listen.

Just Listen

What do you hear?  

OK, before you start hearing imaginary crickets and get terribly bored, keep reading.

Can you hear the sound of help? Of assistance? Of life?

Can you hear the sound of sound itself? Calling you to do something?

Now look.

Just Look 

Look around you. What do you see?

Can you see the sight of someone in need? 

If you are inside, are the beds needing to be made? Are the dishes needing a good washing? How about the clothes in the enormous, never-ending pile of laundry?

Now get up, stop reading, and help out.

Just Help

 

Go on! If you are reading this before you get up and start helping, you aren't going to read much in this post that will benefit you yet.

On the other hand, maybe you're thinking you shouldn't obey the blog post of a complete stranger!  ;)

So, (hopefully) you listened, looked, and helped. 

If you obeyed this blog post (written by a complete stranger)...

You deserve a thumbs-up...

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  Galatians 5:13

Forever my Brother

It's been a long time since I accepted Jesus into my heart. My big brother helped me along with a drawing of what would happen if I didn't accept Him. My brother convinced me that if I did not give my life for Jesus, I would go to the "other place". He drew a smiley face when he wrote about heaven, and a sad face when he wrote about hell.

My brother is helpful to be around, even when he stalks me when I'm trying hard to skype -alone- with my best friend, or when I want to sit in my little corner writing a story, or when we play Apples To Apples and he doesn't want me to get the card for "smart". 

He listens in to my best friend's phone calls (especially when we get talking real fast and excited-like), chases me around the whole perimeter of our wooded backyard,waving his airsoft gun, trying to aim at his escaping sister: a.k.a. me. He doesn't listen to stories of what my favorite music artists did, and anything like that. But he's a special friend to me.

He's been my friend since I was a tiny baby. He'd cover my car seat with a blanket and stick his head in, saying, "Boo!" He once asked my mom to take a video of his foot. His foot, are you kidding?!
If he needs help with spelling a word, he usually comes to me. I like that. It makes me feel like I know something he doesn't. And I sometimes do.

What a brother I have! He is awesome. He's seriously my friend forever. I have a deep passion in being around him. Unless, of course, he wants an airsoft battle when I don't. He loads up the high-powered things, and begs me to "play". How can one play when they're getting pelleted with airsoft BBs? Anyone who has ever 'played' airsoft probably knows they hurt!

 He's a repeater. If I sing something a lot, he'll randomly burst into the parts he's heard most...badly out of tune.:) He knows what makes me excited.
One minute, he's talking with me. The other minute, he's in his room! What a boy! What a great family member! He's the first-born, and an awesome one at that.

And he is forever my friend...

Memorization

This past week I've been watching some Christian movies with some great Scripture verses in them.

I've read them in my Bible for myself and they've really stuck in my memory.
Here are the verses and others I have read:

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Ephesians 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), proving what is acceptable to the Lord.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to the salvation for everyone who believes.

Ecclesiastes 8:1  Who is like a wise man? And who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the sternness of his face is changed.

2 Timothy 2;11-14  This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

1 John 4:17-19 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

~Adoption (Part II)~

On many days, I click over to adoption websites, hoping to find resources and requirements. I am always on the search for the ability to convince my parents to adopt at least one little orphan! But I realize these current laws may be obsolete by the time I myself reach the required age to adopt.
I've been looking into Haitian adoption, but I  never knew the established law is that one must be at least 35 years of age and 19 years older than the requested child. I was thinking, "35 years!"
Everything seems satisfactory, but I don't want to sit around, waiting to adopt from Haiti until I 'm 35!
I'm sort of the "jump-right-in, let's-do-it" kind of girl. When it's something I'm inspired to do, I immensely dislike waiting.

I would gladly read fine print, or learn the order of adoption, but the cost of bringing an orphan into one's care always throws me off....$20,000-$40,000?! I would do good to start saving! :)
Not just the money, either! Adoption is more than having cash.

And then I think of the orphans with siblings. They want to stay together, and I love the idea...even though it would usually mean spending twice the amount of money to do so! The thought of only adopting one sibling and leaving the other behind is a thought I hope to never go through with.

I have a board on Pinterest titled "My Dream House." Currently, it has 30 pins on it, compiled of decorations, rooms, furniture. But the many other pins I feel I am missing on the board are children! A house is not complete without kids, with only a few exceptions.
My house will be absolutely filled with children: Biological, adopted, teenaged, babies, multiple different descents. But as long as I am unmarried (and will hopefully continue living with my family until I am), I will keep on praying, loving, searching...and saving.

~Adoption (Part I)~

It's something I've said so many times. I've already made plans for putting aside money for adopting a child.

No matter where I have to travel, or what age I need to be to meet the adoption requirements, I have insisted that I will adopt at least one boy or girl.
I have even designed my own house to fit my adoptive and biological family. I research countries and their adoption laws; I think about what I need to meet their requirements; and all the while I am putting aside money for it all! Either that is persistence or I'm a big dreamer.

I like basing my inspiration for adoption on James 1:27-"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: To look after orphans and widows in their distress..." Not only do I feel the need to help the fatherless, I feel the inspiring call of eventually bringing home one of these orphans.

I believe the adoption of a parentless child is something beautiful. It is an act of love, of hope, of care.
*Love: You are bringing someone into your home to care for him or her, to love the child God has chosen for you.
*Hope: Imagine the joy of the orphan when he hears he has finally been received into a real home, and now has a loving family. He has hope for a wonderful new life in his forever family.
*Care: An adoptive parent has been so impacted to adopt. The parent cares to give time, money, love...almost anything to give an orphan a home.

I see photos of orphans and destitute children practically every day.  They are not always the sad, half-starved impoverished...the image most people imagine to be. These kids know how to smile and laugh and be glad. But most of the time, they lack one thing that is very important in their lives. And that one thing is love.
Love can be pictured in many different ways: Hugs, prayers, memories. I've read the phrase "in loving memory" dozens of times. In fact, our family watched WALL-E last night and watched the end credits. One sentence way down near the bottom read "In loving memory of....1981-2003." I had never noticed that until last night.

People care to love. It is a selfless act of kindness to love someone or something. And "love," I think, is one of the words that define the reason of the persistence to bring an orphan into one's family for life.

Hearing the story of love from the fatherless' perspective is special. In some instances, you can feel what they have felt...just be listening to their stories. The emotions are what bring people together.

*Note: since this post would have had over 750 words in it, I have decided to create another part to this post! Check later for more!

Sisters together

I helped my little sister with her reading (I picked up a journal from Walmart a while back, and she wants one, but she needs to write better and spelling is a bit off.) and one sentence I created for her went like this: "Cat pets the green moose. Cat is tall. She is good." Unusual, yes.
Only after she read it did I see how weird it really sounded: The moose must be sick or something!

I really enjoy my little sis. She's so special. At my Grandma's house last year, I bought a sister picture for her for Christmas. She is the sweetest thing, too.
I would copy a Precious Moments coloring page from here and open them with Photoshop. She and I would color them in with the Paint Bucket tool. Here are some of the ones we colored in together.

The girl on the left is me and on the right is my little sister. I love to bake cakes, too.

She called this one "Goodie Dog".  I colored in the 'hard-to-reach' places in this one, like the flower and heart.

If you have a sibling, ask yourself this question: When was the last time I played with him/her?
Brothers and Sisters are one of the most precious things in the whole world. We should all know that.

Carrying a Stranger

I had a dream a few nights ago. I dreamed I was carrying a child in my arms through unfamiliar streets. Past stoplights and cars, and children playing, I carried this small one. Where I was going, I did not know.
 But all the while, I heard a voice saying, "Jesus. This is Jesus..." over and over again. 

I could not see the child's face; it was blurred in my dream. But I could see what he or she was wearing: Filthy, musty rags, and bare feet. While I continued walking, I remembered a quote by Mother Teresa: "I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus...I must wash him and tend him. I serve because I love Jesus."

I proceeded on my slow, steady walk to somewhere. I noticed how light and easy it was to carry the small child. Whoever I was holding was very thin, dark, and very dirty. And I carried this one child all the way to a large home.

Nothing looked familiar about this place, a very unusual thing to happen with me: Practically everything in my dreams look familiar.
I walked up the steps to the door with the child still in my arms, and the door was opened by a woman. Still nothing familiar, but she welcomed me in. However, she looked quite uncertain about the child I was holding.

I told her that this child would be staying with us for a while. We needed a nice bath for the little one, new clothes, and good hygiene lessons.
She smiled, took the child from my arms, and headed up the staircase, while I proceeded into the dining room. A large family was sitting at the table, and they all smiled. They invited me to sit down and eat with them. They were very friendly. Though I did not know them, they seemed to be a kind of family to me.

A short while later, the child and woman came downstairs to the dining room. The child was no longer in rags, but had a cute, flowered dress on, and clean white socks. I still could not see the face, but assumed, by the clothes, that I was looking at a little girl.

She ran up to me and gave me a big hug. A sweet, adorable, big hug. No one said a word. But words were not needed; she expressed her love all in that one hug.

Right after that, I woke up. It took me a second to figure out I was no longer dreaming. Then I decided what to do with this amazing dream: Put it on my blog.

Exactly what this dream means, I do not know. But I do know how that dream might have come.
I requested K.P. Yohannan's book No Longer a Slumdog and received it in the mail with great enthusiasm. This book is a real eye-opener, and the gripping facts may have moved from my mind, into my subconsciousness. And other reasons, such as my love for helping those in need.

I don't know how this dream occurred or why, but I will keep it in mind. Do you have a thought about this dream? Leave me a comment below. I'd love to see your input!

What does Giving mean?

When I really think about giving, I think of many different things. Happiness, love, charity, peace, joy, emotions.
There are so many ways to give.
Soup kitchens, volunteering your time, money, love and friendship to do something for someone, schooling, giving the Good News to someone in need. But, as James 1:15-16 says, we should not just say what we should do, we should do what we say.
And, every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17), from God.

I collected a "survey" of what my friends and family think the phrase "It's About Giving" means:
My Dad- Willingness to give: When you want or own something, but you give it to another person who needs or wants it.
Little Brother-"When you give somebody something."
Little Sister-"You give somebody something."
Big Brother-There are lots of ways to give, not just gifts.
My Mom- Give with a cheerful heart.
A Family Friend- Christ crucified is the epitome of giving for all ages. An honest account of giving is...“Ouch!” It is painful, BUT God has directed His creation of us such that the joy in giving exceeds the suffering, and ultimately refined through Him, the joy dissolves any remnants of suffering.
The gift from our eternal Father of his only begotten Son is again the model for an answer: The pouring out of oneself is the Grace of the gift, of love. There is disappointment in a gift refused, but no diminishing in the love itself. Love is giving of self.
A Friend- It looks like someone cares, it sounds like something nice, it tastes like something sweet, and it feels good. Babies love their mom but they can not give her anything but love. It is the feeling of knowing you helped someone, give the word of Jesus to others and share about Him.

And this gift can be given to people whom you do not even know! Give a gift of love, care and assistance to someone in need with Compassion's Christmas Gift Catalog! Give a family livestock, safe drinking water, food for malnourished children, and more. 
 
And, some quotes for Giving (Before Saturday's Selections!):

Here are a list of Bible Passages for thought:
Deuteronomy 15:11  Open your hands wide to the poor and give.
Proverbs 21:13 Listen to the poor.
2 Corinthians 9:6-12   God loves a cheerful giver.
Romans 11:29 The gifts of God are unchangeable.
Matthew 2:11 The wise men gave gifts.
Romans 12:6 We all have different gifts, use them.
1 Corinthians 12:4 Many differing gifts, same in Spirit.