Day 6 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (with Ruth Chou Simons)
*Give Away has Ended*
I don’t have six geese a-laying for you today but I am sure our giveaway guest could paint a lovely water-color picture of them if I did! It is Day Six of my 12th annual 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways and the talented artist and author Ruth Chou Simons is joining us with a fabulous prize. If you’re just joining in, be sure to start at Day 1 here.
But first, here is another Christmastime idea for you!
Day 6: No More Christmas Without Christ
Christmas without CHrist? It happens all the time.
How odd it must seem to God to see a world “celebrating” the birth of His son, even going so far as to put his name in the title, when in reality, he is absent from much of the hoopla. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love me some hoopla! I would never want Christmas to be serious and stuffy; more funeral-like than fun. But isn’t much of the hoopla all about the trivial? It results in nothing more than a glorified celebration of winter. Or retail shopping. Or a few guilt-easing coins tossed into the red metal bucket with a clink.
Then it is back to “Me, me, ME!!!!!”
What’s a gal to do?
In the midst of the “me-ism” (that even we moms can get caught up in—” Hint, hint dear family: I sure would love that new piece of jewelry!”) I try to remember two goals of Christmas:
Make it about Christ.
Do it for Christ.
Make it about Christ.
If you look carefully, He is all around.
And secondly, do it for Christ.
Are there lonely, left-out, sick or sad people that cross your path? Do something for them.
- Shovel a driveway after a heavy snowfall.
- Go help decorate or address Christmas cards for a shut-in.
- Serve in a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or house for battered women.
- Make snowmen outside the windows of nursing home patients or on the lawn of a children’s hospital.
- Scrape random windshields at the grocery store on a snowy and busy shopping day.
- Take a child whose parents have recently divorced to buy a gift for his mom or dad if you fear the ex-spouse will not do so this year.
Our family has done all of the above, and more. We’ve made it such an aim of our holidays to “do” rather than to “get”, that now our kids know no different.
Now, lest you think we are wonder family, let me assure you right now that the above activities haven’t always been done with a cheerful and cooperative attitude (parents included!) but when you are consistent, something happens.
Your kids will miss it terribly if you stop.
So as this season rolls on, remember…
Make it about Christ.
Do it for Christ.
And don’t forget to throw in a boatload of fun. Jesus’ birthday party should be a blast!
Day 6 Giveaway
My guest today is Ruth Chou Simons of Gracelaced. She’s giving away her beautiful Practicing Praise: A Year in the Psalms 2020 Calendar. Each month is adorned with a watercolor painting + a portion of a verse of truth that is worthy of rehearsing over and over again. As each month ends you can cut out the print + scripture memory card.
Giveaway rules are listed below. Enjoy!
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Ruth Chou Simons is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and speaker. She shares her journey of God’s grace intersecting daily life with word and paintbrush through an online shoppe at GraceLaced.com, an art and lifestyle brand that adorns the gospel through collectible, meaningful, and truth-filled products. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are grateful parents to six boys—their greatest adventure. Ruth’s first book, GraceLaced, won a 2018 Christian Book Award. Connect with Ruth here on Instagram.
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12 Days of Christmas Giveaways Rules
- U.S. Addresses only please.
- You can comment on all 12 days (once per person) up until midnight Pacific time, Sunday, December 22. Each day will be linked below for easy reference.
- One daily winner will be chosen from each day’s comments.
- To enter to win the Grand Prize (worth over $150 and includes a $75 Amazon gift card, and two admission tickets (with meet-and-greet) to a concert with award-winning country music artist, Granger Smith, comment on, and share all 12 posts. You can use the share buttons below or repost and share on Instagram (my fave!) and tag me @karenehman.
- All winners (including Grand Prize) will be announced here on the blog on Monday, December 23, and contacted via email. Please allow 4-6 weeks to receive your prizes.
- If you’re not already subscribed, click HERE and you’ll receive an email notification each day of our series, plus my Bless Don’t Stress devotional.
DAY 6 GIVEAWAY QUESTION:
What is one act of kindness you’d like to try at this time of year?
Let us know in the comments and you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway. Remember, if you want to enter to win the grand prize, you must comment on and share all twelve days.
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We took our Elementary school FCA to sort toys for Toys for Tots. They (we) loved helping out and it was such an easy job for 3rd graders!
Would love to serve at a soup kitchen or help with a meal at a homeless shelter.
Help someone in such a way that the only explanation is God
I’d like to invite one or more single neighbors over for coffee before Cbristmas.
I do my best to perform small acts of kindness every day. I don’t come up with then ahead of time. I just pray for God to guide me and He always shows me who can use a word of kindness or a little help.
I try to think more things for others (outside my family and friends). We buy for families who can’t afford gifts for their kids and let our kids pick the gifts for the kids. One year we gave a suitcase to an adoption agency filled with items we take for granted. It’s these moments I realize how blessed I am in life and see where I have taken a simple gift/item for granted.
Sent a gift to a recently widowed friend and her daughter.
Donating books to children in need for holiday gifts! Or running a fundraiser for an organization to help raise money!
Buying gifts for children from the angel tree.
I want to leave a basket of bottled water and snacks for delivery persons to help themselves to when they deliver packages.
Continue reaching out to a neighbor and her brother by taking over a plate of homemade cookies and a gift.
Being there for my neighbor. Her husband passed suddenly in Oct.
I cleared my neighbor’s drainage ditch to keep their yard from flooding.
I love this idea! Too often we forget to do for others and get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas! How awesome to make it more simple and about giving instead of getting.
Just showing patience and kindness to those around me in lines, the employees in the stores I shop, and the delivery people who come to my door. Many are stressed and have hardships we can’t see. A smile, patience, and kindness can go a long way.
I want to pay it forward at the drive thru! I’ve never done that before, then again we don’t do take out that often lol.
Reaching out to the mentally handicapped participants that my husband works with .
I try to get a small gift for all the people that help us out during the year..our paper carrier, the bus drivers, etc. Sometimes these individuals are overlooked in the hustle and bustle.
Taking my neighbor lady two hours to the airport so she can visit family for a couple days and then picking her up again.
I’ve tried specifically to be patient waiting in lines and speak to others. Simply even just Smile! Amazing how differently people respond to you just went you’re patient.
I would like to make a meal and take it to my elderly neighbor.
Paying for someones meal behind me in the drive through.
I belong to a crochet group at the senior center. We have crocheted baby afghans for pregnancy resource center mothers. Our talent has been used to make premie caps and regular baby caps for the hospital. We made caps and scarves for the homeless shelter , lab afghans for the nursing home and shawls for hospice patients. These were all delivered last month to the agencies for Christmas gifts to clients
My act of kindness that I would like to try this year is to deliver my sugar cookies for those forgotten at Christmas time. I read today “The Beautiful Magic of Showing UP” by Robin Dance today. What a blessing to remind us to just be there for people always, not just Christmas. Praise God for these Women Ministries!
I have helped people checking out at the grocery store when they don’t have enough money for their purchases. The relief on their faces makes my heart sing.