I LOVE, LOVE Christmas! It’s my favorite holiday ever – the decorations, the smells, the lights, the parties. But I will be the first to admit that I can quickly get caught up and end up in tears because I’m stressed out. I put way too much pressure on myself to make the season magical and memorable and perfect.
The reality of it is I rarely remember Christmas decorations of year’s past or the way that complicated appetizer tasted in 2014. I want THIS year to be different. I try to live my life all yearlong with a sense of generosity towards others, but my greatest struggle is with TIME. I’m so selfish with my time. You need money for your mission trip? No problem. Oh, you want to hang out with me after a long work day? Um…can we raincheck? ;p
This Christmas, my goal is to intentionally give time to others. I’m nervous, honestly. I know it is not going to be super easy, but I want to experience Christmas this year for the reason this holiday even exists. If you’re looking for some ways to give this Christmas, check out these ideas and read below to see how you can get on the #12DaysofGiving band wagon.
These are just a few ideas, outside of the “volunteer at your local shelter/soup kitchen.” And here are some links of how to do some of them –
- Sponsor an orphan at SERV International’s House of Hope orphanage (see my story about visiting House of Hope & meet the kids here)
- CharityMiles.org – sign up and raise money for charities each time you exercise
- Send a note or care package to a soldier overseas – A Million Thanks or Operation Gratitude
- Donate blood – LifeSouth or Red Cross
If you want to join me this Christmas with #12DaysofGiving, here are the details:
I’ll be sharing my experiences on social media, so if you want to follow along you can find me @HeidiRew (FB, Twitter, IG, Snapchat).
Merry Merry Christmas! Hope your holiday is full and magical!
Heidi