Make Christmas Giving Meaningful

Everyone wants Christmas to be meaningful. Instead of making Christmas giving meaningful, we follow the marketers’ advice and Christmas given just becomes shop, shop shop.

Chrismas giving becomes Christmas stress with credit cards, traffic jams, to-do lists, and useless gifts. When we finally arrive at Christmas morning, we are just glad that we have survived it all.

Did you know Americans are expected to spend over 650 billion dollars this year for Christmas? Average family spending on Christmas gifts is estimated to be over 900 dollars this year.

What if you bought fewer gifts this year? What if you did not buy that sweater she will only wear once, or those additional toys your child does not need, or those random gift cards? What if instead of spending more on gifts you give something of greater value to those you love?

Meaningful Gifts

  1. Time – Give of your time, one on one and in your family. Schedule time alone to talk, sled, eat, cook together, bike, read, play games, create, walk, or dance.
  2. Personal Gift – Remember when you were in elementary school and you made a gift for your parents and they teared up when you gave it to them and put it in a place of importance in your home? Make their gift this year.
  3. Give – Use some of the money that you planned to spend on Christmas making a difference in the world by donating to a worthy cause. One of our favorite charities is Shield Bearer.
“Think very carefully about your choices. You have planted a large crop, but your harvest is small. You have food to eat, but it is never enough to satisfy. You have something to drink, but you are never filled. You have clothes to wear, but they are not enough to keep you warm. You earn a salary, but the money runs out quickly, as if there are holes in your pocket.” Haggai 1:5-6 (VOICE)

Meaningful Gifts For Your Spouse

Make Christmas giving meaningful for your spouse with a gift that will touch their heart!

  • Make a homemade card. Give them a very personal note of gratitude in a card you created yourself.
  • Write a love song. Put your creative skills to work in creatively writing a song about the love you have for your spouse.
  • Recreate your first date. Go back to the place where you first met, or your first date, or your most epic date.
  • Thank you jar. Write a list of all the things you love about your spouse, separate them by cutting and place them all in a jar for your spouse to read one at a time throughout the year.
  • Trip down memory lane. Make a slide show of pictures of the two of you from when you first met until most recently.
  • Create your love mix tape. Find all the songs that remind you of your spouse, like your first love song, and burn them all on one CD.

Whatever you decide to do, do it without any expectation of reciprocation. Do not do it to get something in return. Do it out of the love for your spouse. Make this Christmas giving season memorable.

What do you have to say?

We love to hear from readers.  How will you make your Christmas giving this year more meaningful? What other suggestions you would add to this article? Do you know someone you need to forward this article to?

This article was written by Roy and Devra Wooten, authors of “The Secret to a Lifetime Love”. Learn more at www.LifeTogetherForever.com © Roy and Devra Wooten 2016. All Rights Reserved. You may replicate this article as long as it is provided free to recipients and includes appropriate attribution. Written permission for other use may be obtained at [email protected].

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Category: Creating The Marriage You Want
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