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You are here: Home / christmas / The King’s Christmas List

The King’s Christmas List

charity gifts

Last night the four of us snuggled on the couch with hot chocolate (chocolate milk in a sippy cup for Asa) and some catalogs. We were looking for Christmas gifts. Were the kids making their Christmas lists with Toys R Us catalogs? Nope. We had the Samaritan’s Purse and World Vision gift catalogs. We were picking out gifts for Jesus.

Asa picked out a goat. Only $75 from World Vision and it can give milk, cheese, yogurt, meat and even fertilizer for a family in an impoverished country. Asa couldn’t live without his “milkie” so we knew he’d like this gift best!

Lydia had me read every single entry. She was interested in every single one. She couldn’t decide what to pick so I asked her “If you were a little girl in another country who didn’t have a lot of food or clothes, what would you want?” I was trying to steer towards fruit trees or uniforms for school. But she chose bunnies! For just $80 you can send 5 bunnies that will produce over 100 babies in a year! Just think of the food and profit that will result from those 5 rabbits.

I chose blue plastic. Yup. 1000 square feet of blue plastic is $130 and it is enough to build a temporary shelter in Haiti. The first time I saw these “blue villages” I knew I had to help buy one. I could just imagine a mom like me who had no place to lay her kids down at night. What would that be like? Giving a house to a mom on Christmas? I can’t think of anything better.

My husband is deciding between farming help and stocking a pond with fish. Typical man gift, don’t ya’ think?

We prayed over our gifts and asked Jesus to accept them as gifts to him. And that he would make them miracles in someone’s life. I think this will be my most favorite activity this year!

chistmas book

We got the idea from a book called The King’s Christmas List by Eldon Johnson. It’s a sweet story of a little girl and her dog who are invited to The King’s Birthday party. On the way to the party, the little girl encounters several people who need help. She gives her own possessions to them and arrives empty handed to the King’s party. But just when she feels uncomfortable about it, she sees that all the guests start giving gifts to each other and not to the King.

The girl approaches the King and asks him why the guests are giving each other gifts. The King explains that the gifts He truly wants are the ones she had already given to those in need…

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

But the best part of the whole book is the end–the author encourages kids to redefine Christmas and start giving gifts to Jesus! He’s partnered with World Vision and blood:water to give to kids around the world—which really means giving to Jesus! You can even go to the King’s Christmas List website and click a big map to pick gifts for kids in those countries.

I wish I could explain how excited I am about this. We’ve always done only 3 gifts to the kids (in honor of the 3 Wise Men) but I would honestly love to do NO gifts on Christmas and just give gifts to Jesus instead. My kids don’t need another toy, book or shirt. But there are kids around the globe who need bunnies and goats and blue plastic to survive. I pray this small act will instill a love for others in my children—and most importantly a love for Jesus!

So, what would you give Jesus?

 

Category: christmas

❮ ❮ Advent: Week 2
Cheeseball, Cookies & Recipes! (*giveaway*) ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Sandra says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:41 am

    $35 dollars to help sexual exploited girls! What a small gift that could make a huge difference!

  2. Sandra says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:41 am

    Tweeted about the giveaway!

  3. LAURIE says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:49 am

    I’ve liked the FB page for Kings Christmas list

  4. LAURIE says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:50 am

    I’ve liked this page on FB 🙂

  5. LAURIE says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:51 am

    And I’ve had this blog “liked” on FB for quite a while!

  6. [email protected] eagle books says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:51 am

    How great! I love how you included the kids in that. Compassion also has a gift catalog that we’ll be looking through:
    http://gifts.compassion.com/?utm_source=compassion&utm_medium=slideshow&utm_campaign=compassion_slideshow

    I like the beauty training option.

    • ohamanda says

      December 9, 2010 at 10:28 am

      Thanks for the link, Vanessa! We had that one, too and then lost it…

  7. [email protected] eagle books says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:52 am

    I liked this post on facebook.

  8. [email protected] eagle books says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:52 am

    I like Impress your kids on facebook….and I like YOU. So there.

    • ohamanda says

      December 9, 2010 at 10:28 am

      Woot! That might be double points…

  9. alison says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:10 am

    What a great idea! And as a mommy of a newborn (my second), I would choose several of the $9 donations to help feed hungry babies.

    can’t wait to check out the book and read it with my 3-year-old!

  10. Myra says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:19 am

    I would choose to give clean water. I am always grateful when the rain comes and provides water for my garden and animals. Water seems so basic, but it is so necessary.

  11. Lindsey says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:35 am

    after watching “depraved innocence” by eric ludy (it’s on my blog) my husband & I decided that we would send our money to help an exploited child…

    excited to check out the book — that’s exactly what we have been trying to teach our 3 year old twins this year!

    thanks 🙂

  12. Tricia says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:49 am

    I like this post on FB!

  13. Tricia says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:49 am

    I always “like” impress your kids on FB!

  14. Tricia says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:50 am

    I like “The King’s Christmas List” on FB! also, cool website

  15. Tricia says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:51 am

    Love this book suggestion….I am still short 5 books for my 25 days of Christmas books!! got some on hold at the library too!

  16. Charisma says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    I liked the post on facebook 🙂

  17. Charisma says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    I joined the kings list on facebook

  18. Charisma says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:11 pm

    I liked your facebook page 🙂

  19. Charisma says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    this year we also did samaritans purse and world vision for gifts for our family- we did 4 shoeboxes, bought chickens, gave money for a missionary doctor, and for supplies to needy in the US! I love this idea 🙂

  20. Cupcake says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:38 pm

    I also think bunnies would be a good gift. Just think how quickly they multiply!!!

  21. Cupcake says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:40 pm

    I like The King’s Christmas List on Facebook

  22. Cupcake says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    I LIKE this site on Facebook

  23. Sharalee Roberts says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    The gift I would give would be $35 dollars for $385 worth of medicine for Children! What an amazing post and wonderful project!
    I liked the post, joined “The Kings Christmas List” on Facebook and posted on Twitter. I already liked Impress your kids on Facebook! =)

  24. Ashley says

    December 9, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    I would give the gift of $385 worth of medicine.

  25. Ashley says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    I joined the King’s Christmas List on Facebook.

  26. Ashley says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:00 pm

    I joined Impress Your Kids on Facebook.

  27. Ashley says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    I shared this link on Facebook.

  28. Jessica Lynette says

    December 9, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    What an incredible sounding book! I will have to look for it.

    I totally hear you on wanting to stop buying gifts for the kids and making it about giving gifts to Him… my boys {2 and 3yrs} and I just returned from a 5 week trip to West Africa… we got back this past Saturday and OH MY -the contrast between that country and this could not be any greater then at this season with all the commercialism going on here. So sad. And yet it is perfect timing for my kids – they GET that other kids don’t have much because we were just living amongst them. My kids played with old bicycle tires and grapefruits and empty bottles… just like the African kids did.

    • ohamanda says

      December 10, 2010 at 9:45 am

      Oh my goodness!! Why were you in Africa? I’d love to hear the story! We’ve already purposed to take our kids to Africa when they are older–to visit our Compassion kids. I can’t wait!

  29. Rachel R. says

    December 9, 2010 at 7:46 pm

    Honestly, it’s hard to choose, and I wish I had LOTS of money to give! But if I could send *one* of the things in one of these catalogs, I would probably choose chickens.

  30. The Diaper Diaries says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:19 pm

    I am a big fan of the gift of goats. Love me some goats 🙂

  31. The Diaper Diaries says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Like your post

  32. The Diaper Diaries says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Like Impress Your Kids

  33. The Diaper Diaries says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    LIke Kings Christmas List

  34. The Diaper Diaries says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    Pledged my undying love to all things AManda

    • ohamanda says

      December 10, 2010 at 9:44 am

      Oooh. Good one.

  35. lwm says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    I have always liked the gift of farm animals because it is a gift that keeps on giving. I think my favorite would be a goat. They are fairly easy to care for & give much back in return.

  36. Kathy @ House of Hills says

    December 10, 2010 at 9:01 am

    I would like to give bees. Because I like honey.

    • ohamanda says

      December 10, 2010 at 9:41 am

      GIrlfriend. I almost did the same one! My maiden name has “honey” in it and I feel like I belong to bees. *snicker*

  37. Krissa says

    December 10, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    I would give the hope for sexually exploited girls gift from World Vision.

  38. Jane says

    December 10, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    Chickens – love eggs!

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I like to think of fun ways to lead my kids to Jesus and I like to share them with you. If you're new here, start here for some fun family-time ideas!

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