Tag: love

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DOES IT HAVE TO BE DIRTY SANTA?

Does it have to be Dirty Santa
Does it have to be Dirty Santa?

The day had come for the Christmas gathering for a group of women who I cherish deeply. I was to be their hostess. The one responsible for setting a vibe of love and fellowship. I awoke seeking something creative and different that would allow them to go home that evening with a refreshed desire to influence the world around them with the good in their hearts. The question was swirling in my head “Does it have to be “dirty Santa”?

I am that person that has to intentionally be creative in certain areas or I will stay in a traditional ditch of what I already know. Every year we play one of the most popular go-to Christmas party games ever played! Most of us have had at least one opportunity to play the radical gift exchange during an office party, family gathering, or church celebration.

Each person is called by the number they draw from a hat to pick a beautifully wrapped present which was brought in by each guest. IF it’s a cool gift that catches your eye – – no worries – it can be STOLEN from your fellow game participant up to 3 times before its fate to remain with its final owner. That is UNTIL the end of the game when participant number 1 has the right to look over the entire flock and TAKE WHAT THEY WANT leaving you no other option than to TAKE WHAT YOU WANT from someone else. The game can go on and on until everyone is satisfied or “stuck” with what they opened. It’s a difficult game for some simply because not everyone is wired to take from others even when it is intended to be fun-loving. And what if you are the one that brings the gift that isn’t “cool” and no one really wants it! That’s a whole other emotion that may surface unexpectedly.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had a lot of fun over the years congregating with my friends and co-workers AND came home with some pretty good stuff. I admit I have even bought gifts that I secretly wanted for myself which conveniently allowed me to enter the game with the mindset of creating a strategic plan on the fly to take my own purchase home with me instead of creating a spirit of giving!

It’s comical and a bit sad to actually put the play by play into words. In a season of traditional giving we somehow create just the opposite in an effort to entertain each other. Human nature is pretty good on it’s own being selfish and greedy without purposely giving it an arena to run. Furthermore, it seems to me that 2020 has proposed enough challenges to invoke selfishness and greed.

Anyway, while getting myself ready for the day I hear these words “flip dirty Santa on its head”! I thought, WHAT A FABULOUS IDEA! Which immediately brought up the next question – Just how does one turn a dirty Santa upside down ? I knew the answer by the time the guests arrived. Instead of creating an atmosphere of coveting and stealing, we were going to GIVE, RECEIVE, COMPLIMENT, and BLESS each other! Those practices should be woven in the fabric of our character and visible every day in each of our lives. However, the world doesn’t offer much influence on the matter. Outside of our homes we have to make a conscious effort to stay in such a positive mindset because more often than not someone or some circumstance will present the opportunity to bring out the ugly in us. (and none of us are exempt from a little bit of ugly) .

We drew our numbers to pick a gift BUT the rule was you had to give that gift away. Both the giver and the receiver stood in front of the group while the receiver unwrapped her new gift. The giver then filled in blanks on these three simple statements as she released the giving spirit into the room:

  1. I am giving you this gift because _________________.
  2. My favorite thing about you is ___________________.
  3. I bless you with_______________________________.

OH MY GOSH! There were tears, there was laughter, and there were hugs. We had successfully explored territory outside of our own comfort zones. DIRTY SANTA HAD BEEN FLIPPED ON ITS HEAD!

I could write a very lengthy piece on what all happened that day but I think you get my point.

I leave you with this encouragement:

Take those three statements into the highways and byways. Speak blessings into a world of hurt and greed. Give the gift of the kindness and good that is already cultivating in your heart. Watch it grow as you exercise it with intentional effort. Lets massively come together and flip dirty Santa on its head.

Merry Christmas my friends. Embrace the love around you and by all means

ENJOY THE JOURNEY – VB

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Where’s the Love?

I write this morning with a somewhat heavy heart. You know when you have one of those weeks when your eyes have been turned toward the hurt and sorrows of this world. It seems every person you come into contact with has a crisis. Not just a petty crisis but real troubles. You have to wonder, “Where’s the Love”?

2020 has proved to be full of surprises. Folks are enduring trials from the weather to a pandemic and everything that could pack itself in between. We are being forced to navigate the emotional impact these oppositions have on us. We are put into a corner of self-introspection and reevaluation of how we continue to make a living and do life at the same time. Fear remains a foothold in many lives. Fear of sickness, fear of lack, fear of _____________ (you can fill in the blank). Fear has no boundaries and it has no limits if given the reigns to rule.

Even before the pandemic, technology and garage doors placed major barriers between relationships. What used to be a phone call is now a text and what once was an opportunity to say hello to your neighbor is now driving your car into a part of your house and shutting the door behind you before anyone has a chance to see you. There is seldom a get together with friends or even family because of busy schedules and new rules of social distancing.

We find faith when we flip fear on its head. Faith and courage to overcome the obstacle that seems to block the road in front of us. Faith makes the way to intentionally remove the load from our own shoulders and become available to lend a helping hand to another who is in need. After all, true prosperity is being able to provide for a need when it presents itself. This is what makes the world go around. People helping people. We were not designed to be in this world alone. It was intended to be a community effort.

Whether it be financial, relational, family, health, or simple circumstances – challenging times can wear us out if we let them. It is difficult because it requires such conscious effort to draw a boundary of peace around daily life.

I leave you with this encouragement. Challenge yourself by making time on your calendar to reflect on how YOU can make a difference. Put your thoughts into action. Keep in mind you cannot save the world but collectively we can sure make some changes. It seems the more we give the more the opportunities to give will pop up. It is a spiritual principle that once we’re focused on our participation in the needs around us, our own needs are miraculously provided.

It’s easy to recognize the deep pain of another when you have been there yourself in a different season of life. Troubles are real and so is the exhaustion of dealing with them. I am forever grateful to those who extended their resources, love, and friendship in my personal times of challenge.

Today I share a video released this year by a very good friend of mine. We share the burden of the sorrows we see around us. We made a decision to simply make a difference with our musical talent. Her song will prick your heart of compassion. Let it be the spark on your flame of decision to rise up in your current season and release LOVE to a hurting world. I promise the rewards are great!

Enjoy the Journey – VB