Christmas and a challenge!

It's Christmas! The first of December I think it's officially Christmas and our decorations and tree are up!

I love Christmas. I have two friends, Helen and Janine, who love Christmas more than anyone else I have ever met. I don't need much encouragement but they both are so enthusiastic it is contagious!

This year Janine had an idea. It is the best idea I've heard of in a long time and I've asked her if I can steal it. As she likes spreading Christmas joy she advised me to go for it.

So... you know advent calendars where you get a little gift each day as you approach Christmas? The idea is to basically reverse it and to give a gift of some kind, be it an act of kindness, help, a gift, a surprise... something, to someone else, everyday leading up to Christmas. Janine called it Christmas random acts of kindness and thought up all kinds of things to do for strangers, people we know are in need, people we know who work hard all year in our schools, community, workplace and to watch for opportunities to just go the extra mile to do something surprising and unexpected for someone every day.

This is guaranteed to give you the best Christmas ever.

I told Andy about it. He loved it. And we began plotting what to do. He is always doing kind things to help people. But this was like permission to go over the top. So we are both going to do this and at the end of each day compare notes. Last year Andy gave blessing bags to homeless people as part of his Christmas effort.
As an advent calendar we are going to write little reminders of what happened each day and peg them to the Christmas tree. I made little bird pegs last Christmas... We know it will warm our hearts as we see this collection grow.

This would be beautiful the more of you the better. Imagine at the dinner table everyone sharing what their random act of Christmas kindness was. I think kids would love it!

Sometimes I hear someone say they don't like Christmas. I get that Christmas is a very hard time sometimes. But the feeling of joy, the joy that brings a tear to your eye, memories that are beautiful, the happiness of little children.... I love all of it.  Besides all of that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus and honouring Him. Christmas carols and lights do it for me, they bring in the emotional feelings... and planning gifts and surprises. That "I am going to cry" feeling of welling up and emotions taking over... that is the Christmas feeling to me. I am extra aware of things to be grateful for and of miracles at Christmas. Well, for anyone who has never felt these emotions or perhaps not in a long time... this challenge is sure to produce those kind of results. Old Christmas movies are wonderful and help you set that feeling too.

I am going to include one post a week until Christmas about the challenge and I would love you to join me. We are already having fun plotting and planning. And both of us need to come up with something each today! I can't wait to hear what Andy did today. I am helping him out this week by baking batches of biscuits, rocky road, lemon slice and fudge. I will make a batch of something each week and package them up.  I have many possibilities as I am going to the supermarket this afternoon and will be out and about.

It seems to take surprisingly little to totally make someones day. There are plenty of people that no one has said hello to, been kind to, thanked, or given a gift in quite some time. People who haven't had a pretty card or letter, flowers. People who can't afford a Christmas roast or presents under the tree. Those with thankless jobs, unsung heros who work hard and do good everyday. It doesn't take much...

I love the quote "don't wait for a miracle. BE someones miracle"I think Joel Osteen said this. How true. We can be someones miracle. Sometimes it's easier than we think.

So I am heading off to the shops and looking for a chance to bless someone. But I know I did one thing so far today as last night Chloe was here for dinner. I made her up a lunch box of leftovers to take to work today just like I always made her school lunch. She thought it was a lovely treat so that is a little thing for her today.

Have the most wonderful and blessed December. It really is a wonderful time of year. xxx