Compassion Fundraiser and Giveaway

A couple weeks ago I wrote about Christmas as the season of repayment. It's a time when we give to those who give to us, and feel good about ourselves for doing it. 

Not this year.

Help a malnourished child - $13

This year I'm challenging myself and others to go beyond the norm and buy gifts (and ask for gifts) that benefit others. A bead bracelet that helps reach out to women in prison in Ecuador, a fabric and burlap bag that helps African widows know God and raise their standard of living--these are the kinds of gifts that go beyond "repayment" and enter into the realm of true sacrifice, helping those who cannot return the favor.

But I'll come out and say what I really, really want to you to do this Christmas: buy something from Compassion International's gift catalog.

Compassion is a ministry I'm passionate about (more about that here), and their catalog is full of amazing gifts that you can buy for people in poverty. Here's a sample:

• Provide Garden Seeds for a Family in Africa - $10
• Give a Christmas Gift to a Mom and Her Baby - $20
• Provide a First-Time HIV Test for a Child - $25
• Give Children Access to Safe and Sanitary Bathrooms - $30 
• Help Develop a Future Leader - $40

My goal is to raise $100 through this blog. That's just 10 readers giving $10 each. And here's the special part:

Care for a baby's medical needs for a year - $55

If all of you raise $100 for Compassion, one of you will win a $10 Amazon.com gift card or $10 worth of merchandise from the Compassion store.   

Giving and receiving. Giving grace, receiving mercy, giving treasures, receiving joy, giving our hearts, receiving Jesus. That is what Christmas should be about.

This works on the honor system, so please do not abuse it. Follow this link to the Compassion Catalog and buy one of the items. Then enter the contest by selecting the amount you have donated (the more you give, the more entries you get). Once we raise $100 I will randomly select a winner and you can choose your prize!

You must live within the continental United States and have a physical address to which your prize can be mailed in order to win the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you donate, please leave a comment mentioning what you purchased!

The Season of Repayment

What's wrong with that title? Oh yeah, Christmas is the season of giving. Right.

pretty parcels, a photo by shimelle on Flickr.

Tell that to me when I'm trying hard to remember what my friend gave me last year and tallying up how much it must have cost...
or when I'm combing through gifts.com looking for a present I haven't thought of yet...
or when I'm shoving receipts into my empty wallet....

Giving is sometimes the last thing I want to do at Christmastime.

I do love picking out presents for my friends and family, imagining their looks of surprise and excitement, making their day with something completely unexpected. Don't we all? But then there's that niggling concept of repayment.

Some of my friends have a bit of money, others don't. I give gifts to each accordingly and try to balance it out with creative ingenuity. For the last few years my brother has given me a present worth about $20, and I've given him a $20 present.  In essence, we end up spending $20 on ourselves. That's about how it goes with everyone.

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men." - Luke 6:35