http://www.servingbread.net/2007/11/02/finance-friday-11-holiday-shopping Thoughts, Musings, Reflections, and Ramblings of a campus minister, father, husband, and a Jesus-follower Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:21:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://www.servingbread.net/2007/11/02/finance-friday-11-holiday-shopping#comment-8773 Tyler Watson Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:14:32 +0000 http://www.servingbread.net/2007/11/02/finance-friday-11-holiday-shopping/#comment-8773 In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, they celebrate a another <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_Fast" rel="nofollow">season of fasting</a> (think Lent) to prepare for Nativity instead of Advent. That would be an interesting stand against the mass consumption of this season. I like Advent a lot, so I don't think I'll be replacing that observation. In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, they celebrate a another season of fasting (think Lent) to prepare for Nativity instead of Advent. That would be an interesting stand against the mass consumption of this season. I like Advent a lot, so I don’t think I’ll be replacing that observation.

]]> http://www.servingbread.net/2007/11/02/finance-friday-11-holiday-shopping#comment-8765 Larissa Sat, 03 Nov 2007 03:21:40 +0000 http://www.servingbread.net/2007/11/02/finance-friday-11-holiday-shopping/#comment-8765 When I was younger my immediate family and our extended family made the decision to forgo exchanging Christmas gifts with each other, and instead used that "gift money" to purchase gifts and food for a family in need. It was a Christmas morning tradition for us to visit and serve that family - a great lesson for me in being grateful for God's provision, having compassion on others, and enjoying Christmas apart from all the stuff. When I was younger my immediate family and our extended family made the decision to forgo exchanging Christmas gifts with each other, and instead used that “gift money” to purchase gifts and food for a family in need. It was a Christmas morning tradition for us to visit and serve that family - a great lesson for me in being grateful for God’s provision, having compassion on others, and enjoying Christmas apart from all the stuff.

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