Who's on our gift list this Christmas?

Years ago, before Hallmark and Best Buy got ahold of it, Christmas was all about generosity. As followers of Christ, we make it our practice to reclaim this meaning in our celebration of God's Gift.

The average American will spend over $800 this year for Christmas. With as many iPods and Playstations that will be bought in the next month, I wonder if could we be as generous to those in need as we are to those that have no material need at all?

There are so many great charities out there, one of my personal favorites is Samaritan's Purse. You might know them for their Operation Christmas Child program that delivers gifts to millions of children all over the world each year. Another very cool thing to check out on their website is their gift catalog. These aren't just any normal kind of gifts though, these are gifts that could save somebody's life. For $35, you can feed a family for two months or give an orphan food/shelter/education/healthcare for a month. For $9 you can feed a baby for a week.

In the midst of this year's holiday spending binge, lets take an opportunity to bless people as if their lives depended on us doing so. Because, truthfully, they do.

Gift Ideas

Last night we talked about what it means to give like God gave, of himself. Here are a few gift ideas that may be fun to make for your friends and family. Start with what you enjoy doing and go from there!

• Hand-made Christmas card
• Baked goods
• Framed picture
• Collage of pictures
• "Free change of strings on guitar" gift certificate
• Knitted pair of gloves or hat
• Hand-made wreath
• Help with home improvement
• Hand-written eCard webpage
• Craft

Grand Illumination

For your viewing pleasure, here was the view at our recent "Grand Illumination" party. Next time you're at Core, take a second to look over the city and be inspired by the view that God's given us. This is the city we have been called to bless and serve. God tells his people in Jeremiah 29 to seek the blessing and peace of the city he has sent them. Because we will prosper only as the city prospers. Our lives, fate, and faith are beautifully tied up in the places we find ourselves sent to by God. As we honor God with our lives in this city, we not only pray for God's kingdom to come to Richmond but we actually bring it here.

One day, the glow that illuminates Richmond won’t come from bulbs of glass and wire. The day that God is glorified and honored in every corner of Richmond is the day we’ll truly see a Grand Illumination.