Maybe you have seen the Advent Conspiracy stuff. I highly recommend it! I don’t think they hit on the full picture of what Advent is really about but they hit on a very important part of it and a part that is specifically countering what our culture has made Advent into. I love it! 

Todays reading really challenges me and gets me thinking, how can I REALLY cut the strings that are attached to gift giving and receiving. It’s very difficult and if I were honest i don’t want to.

Maybe this year I write a note to my family saying, “This Christmas I will be be giving each of you a goat through Heifer International. Actually I will be giving a goat to a person in need in your name / on your behalf. I also ask that any money you would have spent on me for Christmas would go toward digging this well in Africa." 

So maybe you don’t write that note or go to that extreme. But what are you going to do? 

Maybe…

You choose NOT to have the conversations of how much are we going to spend on each other. Great start! 

You choose to give away half (in value or product) of what you get at Christmas to people in need in your town or through your favorite charity like World Vision or The Mocha Club. 

You choose to have a couple different Christmas parties where you charge at the door and all the proceeds go to a ministry like Project 25:40, or Blood Water Mission.

You choose to buy all your Christmas gifts from a company like Red Earth Trading Company that uses their products to employ and empower local African artisans. 

There are a TON of ways you could take some baby steps toward cutting the strings of giving giving and receiving or you could just dive into the deep waters of generosity and sacrifice. But the bottom line is that we who are on a authentic Advent journey must do something! 

Share some stories on Facebook and twitter using the hashtag #AdventJourney

I can't wait to see what your sanctified imaginations come up with! 
Grace and peace