a christmas moment

I have gotten to where I have very mixed emotions about Christmas. I love the holiday. I love the time with family and friends. I love the reason we celebrate but, I don't like what the holiday has become. I don't want to buy anything for anyone and I don't want anyone buying anything for me. If I want something or need something badly enough, I go buy it, and most people I know can do the same.  But, not everyone has the means to do that.

In my job as pastor I am also part of a local ministerial alliance which is very active and the pastors all work well together. We are able to pool the resources of several local churches in four communities and better help those in our communities who are in need and there are many needs. There is a lot of poverty in rural Oklahoma and the current state of the economy has made things worse for those who already didn't have enough.

For all of 2008 our ministerial alliance gave a little over $2,300 in aid, not counting canned and dry goods. We also passed out Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets to 30 families.  Through the first 10 months of 2009 we have given over $4,500 in aid and will surely go over $5,000.  Our Thanksgiving baskets were up to 45 families. Again, this doesn't count canned and dry goods out of the food pantry, which is all donated to the alliance.

In this moment, if we will get out of our comfortable easy chairs and our warm houses and look around a bit we will see that there are many who don't have comfortable easy chairs or warm houses. If you have been blessed then please be a blessing to someone else this Christmas.  The needs are great.