My church has a world wide Christmas Initiative called Light the World. Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He spent His live in ministry and service to others. Through living as he lived and being intentional about ways to give light and love and support to others, the holiday focus shifts from our own wants to the man who’s life we celebrate.
We can Light the World in 25 ways over 25 days. Were are some of the ways our family got involved in the initiative.
“I was thirsty and ye gave me drink:”
hot cocoa give away on the square with some fine friends
“Suffer the little children to come into me”
Play date at the Amazeum with my little children
“I was an hungered and ye gave me meat”
Missionaries are just so easy to love. Michelle needed someone to take on the Missionary Luncheon and my mom and I were available, and happy to do it.
The best part is that this came to be because a friend of mine is chairperson of the local Down Syndrome Connection chapter and needed decorations for their holiday party. She asked around and I happened to have exactly everything she needed right at my fingertips, so I took it to her place, and then after her event, put it into my van, where it lived until the missionary luncheon, and then it lived in my van another week or two until our ward party, which also needed decorations. It just worked out perfectly and all three events enjoyed cute things to look at thanks to my mothers magical touch again. The cute sisters and elders were so thankful. I imagine it’s difficult to be away from the comforts of home during the holidays. They were so touched by our small effort to make a tiny high council room feel cozy and festive.
“Freely ye have received, freely give.”
Our friends are currently enduring an unimaginable trial as their youngest battles Leukemia. They give freely of their time and talents and contribute to building the kingdom here in NWA, and we were happy to contribute to a fund set up to relieve some of their travel expenses to Little Rock.
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
“I was in prison and ye came unto me”
Dinner for local men in the addiction recovery program at Soul’s Harbor
“Naked and ye clothed me”
We also took clothing donations from our neighbors to Souls Harbor and to the NWA Women’s Shelter
“Forgive men their trespasses”
This one was so for me. I feel like I can say have worked through most of the feelings about Wren’s family and some of the professionals who I feel failed a child in the system. I scheduled some time this day to journal and assess my feelings about the events of last year, and to develop a plan to fully forgive of anything I was still hanging onto.
And it turns out, I really feel ok about it. Not about what happened, but about accepting human error, my offering, and God’s will. A friend asked me if I ever wonder if I will run into them while around town. Oh I hope I do! Absolutely yes. I know where they live, work, like to eat, go to the doctor, etc. I have forbidden myself from even driving by their home or workplaces, out of respect (and in an exercise of self control). I don’t “worry” about running into them, but I think/hope I will sometime. It’s pretty likely. And when I do, I will wave and wish then well and love Wren from afar, because other than love and prayer, and finally, forgiveness, my work is done.
“I was a stranger and ye took me in”
This one lasted most of December and really touched our family in multiple ways, thanks to Reese’s service heart, and love for tradition. I had wanted to “cut back” on a few of the bigger service projects we took on in past years and give in other ways and places this year. Reese has a growth mindset and used this gift to help us opt to “add to” our service opportunities instead of “exchanging” them. She took on the Women’s Shelter Stocking project and really handled it all. She set up a signup genius and shared it on my Facebook page. She called local businesses and asked for donations of cookies, makeup, and food and dessert coupons. She called the shelter and got info about specific needs and arranged a drop off appointment. She collected goods and funds and shopped for gifts. She hosted a stocking stuffer service night where friends came together to fill the stockings and write a card to go in each one. She quality control checked each stocking to make sure each one was stuffed correctly. She put together New Year gift boxes with the surplus stockings (we over anticipated the shelter need this year) and took them to Saving Grace to bless young women who are facing homelessness or have aged out of the foster system. She got her siblings and friends involved in the work.
She made a difference in the lives of every resident in the NWA Women’s Shelter by offering hope from a stranger during a very difficult time. Reese bleeds compassion and big ideas and it’s beauty personified. This project is what Light the World is all about. She doesn’t know the residents and didn’t even see them face to face. She only knows she felt prompted to do this project again, even if it meant she would need to take initiative and be the one heading up the project. The donations coordinator, Antonella, said of Reese that she was so impressed that someone so young is driven to do something so selfless. My timid girl was so brave abc confident as she took that opportunity to tell her all about the Young Women Personal Progress Program and about the Light the World Initiative.
“Judge not that ye be not judged”Every time I get a call or text for a foster placement, I wonder, and many times learn what brings families to this place of brokenness. It can be easy to judge another parent when we learn of actions that led to their separation from their children. We do not know the whole story. In December we focused more on the children and less on the “why” and the “what’s next” if each case. This led to us said yes to 4 placements that were not the “typical” situation we had prepared ourselves to accept into our home. But each time, we felt prompted to just say YES and not worry about the rest. So we did. None of the placements we said yes to ended up even come to our home, but I see now that when I put judgements and expectations aside and just say yes, I am able to do SO MUCH MORE than when I am not bound by self inflicted limitations. Not judging could have potentially helped 4 more families in a huge way.
Blessed are they that mourn
On this day, we hosted a get a dress give a dress pop up shop event! My friend Elizabeth owns an in home boutique. She heard about Reese’s stocking project and wabted to help in a big way by contributing a dress for each stocking. Love it! But the more I pondered her generosity, the more I wondered if there would be a way to bless Liz for her goodness in return for her contribution. This buy one give one idea came into my head (thanks, Holy Ghost!) and a really fun event was born!
Each of these paper dresses represented a dress in need. After a purchase, the guest flipped the dress over and signed it. When all the dresses were flipped the party was winding down. We did it!well, YOU did it, actually. My amazing friends and neighbors that all came out to shop and donate! It was such a beautiful night of love and sisterhood and friendship and community support. The women in the shelter have lost everything. We mourn with them and want to empower and uplift them while they escape the horrors or domestic violence. A pretty new dress is a material thing, but it helps feel good on the inside when our outside is freshened up.
“Love thy neighbor”
Honour thy father and thy mother My mom and I picked some tags off the “adopt a grandma” tree outside an assisted living home health care center in Rogers. We thought of my sweet grandmother as we picked out soft slippers and put together a gift basket with reading glasses, chocolates, and snacks. Soren felt like Santa Claus carrying the loot inside. This is exactly the sort of thing my grandma would have done. She spent 35 years of her adult life in service as a ward or stake relief society president. And to honor my own mother, we of course wrapped the basket up all cute. My mom has taught me the joy of serving and gift giving, and that presentation is a simple way to put love and a personal touch on anything. Service is always better received when the person knows it was done with genuine love and intent and that someone was thinking specifically of them. My parents are excellent at this type of personal ministry and have touched many lives through their intentional love and specialized friendshipping skills.
“A man’s life consistently not of the things which he possesseth.”
On this day, the challenge was to think about something we could live without that could bless the life of another.
I met a new friend at Pokémon club at library with Corbin over the summer, and since our meet cute, we’ve crossed paths many times! It’s like I have known her 10 years, and I’m still not unconvinced that maybe we HAVE met before. Anyway, her sweet daughter sank her phone in the tub while bathing a younger sibling. She posted on fb she was looking for a certain phone make/model with a certain network to buy used to replace it and later that day I was putting laundry away and opened a lesser used drawer and bam! There was this exact phone! We bought it and used it for no more than 3 months before switching carriers and the phone no longer worked for our network. I forgot even had it...surely this little thing was something we could live without that could bless another. I messaged the friend and hooked her teen up with a free phone that was literally collecting dust in my drawer. God is so happy to give us opportunities to bless others when we ask Him to show us the way. It was no “sacrifice” to do this particular act, but focusing my will to be an eye for his work allowed me to hear the Spirit and connect the need to a resource. I’m so thankful for all the practice in recognizing the Spirit that Light the World gives me and my family.
Search the Scriptures
We rejoice in Christ exhibit
