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Shelly.Cox
Posts: 39
Location: Frederick, USA
Joined: 7/8/2008
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Christmas Spirit? |
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Jeff Salmon's article "No right to complain" on the home page of this site brings up a conflict for me every Xmas. I get grumpy and down this season and know I should be grateful for what I have, but those emails going around about how lucky we are compared to all the undernourished children and people caught in war etc. just bring me down more.
Why aren't we doing more for people in need this time of year instead of passing around emails about them? Or are we? Please post something about a successful charitable action you've been a part of or even just witnessed to remind me of the spirit of the season.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 8:36:24 AM |
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squint
Posts: 10
Joined: 12/10/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Well Shelly, The first thing that comes to my mind is that we need to be actively concerned for folks in need all year long. The Christ, whose birth the Holiday commemorates, is active 24-7. People doing this have no need of remorse at Christmas.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 8:45:04 AM |
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Shelly.Cox
Posts: 39
Location: Frederick, USA
Joined: 7/8/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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Maybe you're right that remorse is at the heart of what I feel instead of what I call grumpiness. But I do a variety of volunteering and charitable giving ... just never enough it seems to me. Seems like it's impossible to do enough.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 8:48:03 AM |
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squint
Posts: 10
Joined: 12/10/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Well, if you are a Bible-reader, you will notice that Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not service everyone. He did not heal everyone. He did not feed everyone. In fact, at one point He said "The poor you will always have...." not an exact quote. So, do what you can as well as you can.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 8:53:08 AM |
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Thomas LaCorte
Posts: 62
Joined: 10/17/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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It seems that this year even though we have had less we found a way to do more.
My wife did the Christmas shoe box thing for boys and girls to a certain age. And I got to tell
you that looking into one of those filled shoe boxes of gifts............well you could just feel
the love and joy from the person who filled it and you could sense the excitement of the receiver. It truly makes a empty shoe box come to life.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 9:30:01 AM |
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Shelly.Cox
Posts: 39
Location: Frederick, USA
Joined: 7/8/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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What's the Christmas shoebox thing?
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 9:36:02 AM |
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squint
Posts: 10
Joined: 12/10/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| www.samaritanspurse.org
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 9:50:37 AM |
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Thomas LaCorte
Posts: 62
Joined: 10/17/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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That's right squint samaritanspurse.org go there and you can see the kids opening
some shoe boxes. After you fill them with items per boy or girl and certain age groups then you wrap the box with nice paper and the whole thing becomes a wonderful gift of things they need and toys as well.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 10:05:16 AM |
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squint
Posts: 10
Joined: 12/10/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Don't forget the $7 cash in the box for shipping and handling.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 10:24:47 AM |
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CW
Posts: 4
Joined: 11/17/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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You are involved Shelly. Thank You for your volunteering, and your donations to those you help support.
This is the season for giving year round:
Many organizations such as the Salvation Army raise funds during this time of year that fund good works through out the year. People read, hear, or see the actions of groups and become involved. They do what they can do, and tend to do it in a very quiet way.
I was waiting to get my hair cut at the barber shop Friday evening. The Barber was discussing his schedule with some other patrons who were obviously long time acquaintences and friends. It's a small midwestern town. The conversation wandered as they tend to do in Barber shops in small towns. It wandered into the delivery of food to the 3 local families in need the Barber has 'adopted'. He delivers every week, and the families change as the need is no longer needed by some. One of the families is a single Mom with 2 boys. She initially refused the basket, and told him there are so many others out there who need it more, and he had to persuade her to accept the offer. The next one up into the Barbers chair discussed how they, their kids, and their grandkids grocery shopped. One can of green beans for me, one for the families, and so on. Now that the grandkids are involved too, I'm going to have to bring items over to you once a week instead of twice a month, we just don't have the storage room. The next patron asked, Isn't the Fire Chief a neighbor of yours? The answer was yes... Are they still collecting bicycles?... I don't know... the Barber calls the Fire Chief and finds out that of course they are, but they would have to be in pretty good shape to be delivered this Christmas. Patron says... you know, I've got 6 bikes sitting in the garage. They were used by his 3 daughters growing up. They need new inner-tubes and tires, but they are still in good shape. Yes, he went home, loaded them, and delivered them to the Fire Station. I left a hefty tip, knowing how it would be used, and he has another loyal patron.
I'm not saying all the worlds problems can be solved at the Barber Shop. The problems are to great for one person, one organization, one country. It's more of an example of not trying to fix all the problems and needs. It's an example of doing what is within your means and ability to do, and making a difference.
These people and groups fly under the radar. Calling attention to what they are doing would publicly humiliate the people they are trying to help, some would say they are boasting about their accomplishments, and it is really against their nature. They just quietly make a difference. It's not just here.
I think it's amazing.
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Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 10:17:12 AM |
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squint
Posts: 10
Joined: 12/10/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Let's conspire to keep the Christmas Spirit alive all year.
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Monday, December 22, 2008 at 10:19:10 AM |
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Shelly.Cox
Posts: 39
Location: Frederick, USA
Joined: 7/8/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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Happy Holidays everyone, even the bah-humbugs!
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at 12:05:32 PM |
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Will
Posts: 14
Location: Allentown, PA USA
Joined: 10/21/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Lets separate the Christmas spirit from what is usually called pro bono work. If by Chritmas spirit we mean the predispositon to give someone a present, the recipient is generally a relative or someone in need, and the gift is personal in nature. But there are also people we encounter in the course of our work - all year long, as an earlier respondent said - that can't quite afford it. We can at least give them a break. During my years in the business, I usually did work for churches and charitable organizations, even for individuals, either for free or at cost. The only problem with doing this kind of work is that one assumes the same liability as one does for good paying work. None of it - thank the Lord - ever came back to haunt me.
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Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 4:12:41 PM |
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squint
Posts: 10
Joined: 12/10/2008
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Ah, yes, lawyers....Bah Humbug! Spirit is attitude, that inner quality that expresses our belief system through our actions, both professional and non.... One's paid profession is valid and should highly valued, enjoyable, and executed as skillfully as possible. One's "profession" is inescapable. It comes through in all forms of communication, both active and passive. It is our worldview. And Christmas Spirit throughout the year...wow...that would be refreshing!
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Monday, December 29, 2008 at 9:50:28 AM |
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Amberftw
Posts: 11
Joined: 1/2/2009
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Re: Christmas Spirit? |
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| Welll I have to say that this christmas I was overwelmed with joy from my school. I am a single mother, I work part time, and go to school full time. I was not prepared for xmas this year. I have been getting by on like150 bucks on food for a month. i make just enough to pay the bills. Before school was let out my finacial director got my girl like 5 presents for xmas and the survey dept. of my school all pitched in and gave me some money to buy her some gifts. Thanx to my school my little girl had a visit from santa this year! I know I am not as needy as some people in the world but it made a big difference in my life and I plan to do the same for others when I am in a position to do so.
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Friday, January 02, 2009 at 11:22:53 PM |