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The last few years, our church has taken part in a bigger effort to make a difference in the world with our Christmas spending through Advent Conspiracy.  No, we don't forgo gift-giving, or become stingy in our present-giving to our friends or relatives.  Lack of generosity is not the heart of it--it's not spend less/don't be a consumer so that you can pocket the money for yourself.  Rather, spend less on the things that don't really matter (my kids have HUNDREDS of items of clothes.  We won't talk about my closet.) and more on things that DO matter . . .

 . . . Like clean water.  The idea was conceived by a few pastors who calculated that Americans spend $450,000,000,000 on Christmas every year.  That's 450 BILLION.  What if we took just a FRACTION of that money, looked outside of our little "friends and family" box to the world that GOD loves, and we were generous with those in his creation that desperately need hope?  Need life-giving water?  Jesus gave Himself generously and brought hope to the hopeless.  As much as I love Christmas and love giving gifts (truly I LOVE it!), I'm convicted that my generosity must extend past those I know personally.

(Watch this VIDEO to learn more about Advent Conspiracy)

Clean water.  So simple, yet taken for granted by most of us in the U.S.  Even when it's not Christmastime, people still need this life-giving substance, which is why I have decided to continue making skirts out of t-shirts for this cause. 

"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death.  Don't excuse yourself by saying, 'Look, we didn't know.'  For God understands all hearts and he sees you.  He who guards your soul knows you knew."  -Proverbs 24:11-12

I cannot stand watching others stagger to their death when there is something that I can do.