The 12 Days of Christmas & Lil Light O’Mine Giveaway
Five years ago I had a little idea. What if for 12 days in December I let 12 of my fellow ministry partners at Proverbs 31 take over my blog. We could get to know them and what they do at Proverbs. But best of all?
We could make it all Christmas-y with a holiday recipe, decorating or gift idea, or a way to make memories with your loved ones.
Oh, and offer a great giveaway each day? Ta-da! The annual 12 Days of Christmas was born.
This year’s series starts Monday December 3rd and runs until the 14th, although you will have time to comment on all of the posts until Sunday night the 16th.
There will be one giveaway each day and a grand prize for someone who comments on all 12 days!!
Be sure to come back and join us.
Or, better yet, sign up for to get my posts delivered automatically to your in-box by clicking on the envelope icon in the top sidebar. I CAN’T WAIT!!
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Well, it is not the 12 days of Christmas yet, but I do have a festive treat for you today!
First of all, the LET. IT. GO. blog tour continues over at two friends’ sites: Alina Joy and Courtney . And click here for the dozens of others on the tour. You could win the book or a Kindle Fire!
And secondly, while my friend Courtney is featuring me on her site, I am featuring her here!
I met Courtney last year at our Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference.
She is a way cool chick…
With a way cool website ( I LOVE the look and feel of it!)……..
and she sells these way cool ABC scripture cards for kids. (Pssst….stay tuned. She is giving away a set valued at $25!!)
But what I love most about her site at this time of year is her Light ‘Em Up series of ideas.
This series includes several cool printables with awesome ideas for your family to reach out during the holidays.
I could try to describe it to you, but I want you to see it for yourself so click here.
I love her Light “Em Up ideas so much because our family has learned over the years to be very intentional in doing for others (often anonymously) at the holidays.
Some of the things we like to do are take hot cocoa around to the Salvation Army bell ringers in town, scrap windshields in the mall parking lot on a snowy day or bake cookies for the police of fire station.
One year, we organized an anonymous 12 Days of Christmas for a recently divorced dad whose wife left him (and his 5 kids). Each morning when they awoke, a new basket of goodies was awaiting them on their porch full of food, gift cards, board games, dvds, Christmas decorations (they had none). It was the most wonderful thing I’ve ever organized!!!
So, as promised, here are Courtney’s cool ABC scripture cards.
Leave a comment with a clever idea you have done (or one you’d like to do this year) and one winner will be chosen at random to recive a set of ABC Scripture cards!
Don’t forget to come back for the 12 Days of Christmas on Monday!
We usually make homemade goodies wrapped up in cellophane bags and festive tags and ribbons for each of our church family…last year my hubby and I made about 80 edible snowmen…haha..that’s love from my Mister-baking is not his thing!!
This year I want to simply take the time to think of others and let them know that they matter! Whether that be with a candy cane, a homemade card, or a Starbucks giftcard I want to stop and recognize our neighbors and strangers alike.
We currently live in Japan. We love to take traditional American treats with a card to our Japanese neighbors. We also take cookies to those who work night shifts on the Air Force base we are assigned too. One of our favorite things to do as a family is to purchase a nativity and deliver one piece a night/week to families who have a mom or dad deployed. We include a note letting them know they know us and we aren’t stalkers…and that we just want them to know we are praying for their family each day through the deployment.
One year our office did a collection for a family that was going through tough times due to illness. The best part… they never knew
It was us!
I don’t have anything specific yet … we’re making all our presents for family members with the kids. Some food gifts, some picture frames … some undecided and looking for inspiration. ;)
We’ve always talked about doing something but never have. I can’t wait to try some of these great ideas with my girls-the joy really is in the giving!!!
We don’t see any of our neighbors much, seems to be common in this area, so we try to do little things to get to know them – once again this year we will be leaving a little candy treat on their doorstep to wish them a merry Christmas.
Several years ago, I knew a friend of mine had hit hard times. I found out that she has put all of her Christmas purchases on Lay-a-way at our local Wal-Mart. I went in to this Wal-Mart and with the help of an associate, I paid all but 1 penny of this lay away off. You must leave a penny or take the items with you. That would have ruined the whole thing. I requested that noone tell this person who had done this. All persons involved complied and too this day, she has no idea it was me. She still talks about “her secert giver” and a smile crosses her face. I hope to be able to do this in future again.
I love this time of year!
I so want to get my son involved in blessing others–he is 3 years old, and I want him to see both how blessed he is, and that we can help others who may not be so blessed. I am thinking the cookies to the police and fire stations might be a great idea–my son LOVES police officers and fire fighters. I may just make a couple calls to see if we can do that. And, maybe the good nurses on the maternity ward where he was born…those ladies were heroes for us!
Thanks for the COOl idea–I can’t wait for more!!
Carissa in eastern Iowa
When I was single my sister began a tradition of entering my apartment each holiday season to leave gifts for me to open before I would arrive at our parent’s home for our family Christmas breakfast and gift-giving. The first year, she put up a tree complete with lights, star, and ornaments; she left a note signed by The Christmas Elf. For 10 Christmases she continued to visit my home while I was at work, leaving behind a handful of gifts and always a poem from The Christmas Elf. For 10 Christmases she denied she was my Elf. It reached a point where even the office staff I worked with would begin inquiring whether the Elf had visited my home. She continued her visits through the Christmas that I was engaged, leaving her last handful of gifts and her last poem; her mission was completed. I have been happily married for 18 years now but fondly remember my sister’s selfless act and giving heart that would take time from her busy schedule to make sure I wasn’t without gifts on Christmas morning. Currently, myself, my husband, and children enjoy making cookie deliveries to the recycle truck driver, the garbage truck driver, the greeter at Walmart, our pastor’s 87-year-old Dad, the gas station attendants who work Christmas Day. Looking forward to possibly expanding our outreach with Light Em Up.
Love, love this…our family goes by the local nursing home and we sing Christmas carols with the residents. They often have no family and oh how the faces light up when we come…We also try to adopt a familywho is struggling. However this year we may not be able to as we are the ones struggling. I am letting it go and letting God take over.
Smiles and Merry Christmas!
Robin :)
Our Grandchildren do not live close by so I’m printing some of the “coloring pages” off to send them and ask to have them back so I can display them on my frig…..love all these ideas……
Been a while since I have done something like this. Going to print out the Light Em Up and see what I can come up with .
I had printed out the Light Em Up ideas (from last year) a few weeks ago…thanks for reminding me to hop back over to check out the post for this year! This year we had our first Shoebox Packing Party for Operation Christmas Child and had SO much fun (our friends did, too)! I’m hoping to use some of the Light Em Up ideas, too, but we are less than 2 weeks away from welcoming Baby #6 into our family. I’m trying to give myself grace in the planning of activities and Let. It. Go. a bit this Christmas season…taking it one day at a time :) Thanks for all the great posts!!!
Love today’s blog post!! We want to start doing Random Acts of Kindness with our kids. And I love the idea of taking hot chocolate around to the Salvation Army bell ringers. I also heard an idea on the radio today. Buy 3 gift cards, put them inside 3 cards with a little saying and Merry Christmas. Then, just pray that God brings the right person across your path that would need those gift cards. He will provide!! Love this time of year – and love to give to others what God has blessed us with!!
Many years ago we knew a family who had some serious health problems going on. We threw them a Christmas party in our home. Dinner and gifts for all of them…our son was about 6 at the time and he dressed as an elf and handed out the presents. I still remember how special that Christmas was for all of us.
This year I ordered wrapped small candy canes with the story of the candy cane printed on the side. My husband and I are giving them to people we see as we run errands-the bank, fast food, grocery store, cleaners, etc. No one has said no yet-what fun it has been for us.
I like to do an extra for someone everyday. If you take the time to look and listen there will be an opportunity everyday. Even if it is a complement or holding the door for someone.
Told a couple Id watch their kids while they Christmas shopped, then surprised them with a gift card to use!
How inspiring! This year, I let my 2 year old DD pick out gifts for our Christmas Shoebox. It was all for “another little girl” and we had no greed issues whatsoever!
I like to give the “Gift if Time”. I make a coupon for things I can do for others and give it to them in a homemade card Example: 2 hrs housecleaning, shovel snow, have a tea party for someone with their friends, clean refrigerator or oven, drive someone on earns and have lunch out…….., you get the idea
This year I am going to share encouraging words with at least one person a day.
Love all the wonderful ideas. You have inspired me to do something ot of the box. Our Bible Study class is providing for a family this year, gifts and food for their Christmas meal. would love the scripture cards
This year when my extended family celebrates Christmas, in the celebration of Jesus Birthday, we are bringing items for babies and will be donating those items to Voice of Hope, a ministry that helps moms. Love the idea of your ABC cards
We do a Christmas shoebox and angel tree.