Tuesday's Tip-The gift that gives

I know it's Wednesday, but I still wanted to post my Tuesday's Tip because it's such an important one. What I'm going to tell you about today can help thousands of people around the world that desperately need our help. We do this every year as a family and it's always a highlight for us and the girls.

As you know, I love World Vision. When my sisters and I were in Christian Music, we used to be World Vision Artists. At our concerts, we would give an appeal to those that came, to sponsor a child. Brian and I sponsor 2 children, a girl in Mexico, a boy in Ghana, and a mom and son in Romania.

World Vision also offers a gift catalog for Christmas. This is so much fun. It's such a great way to show your kids the importance of giving. My girls love picking out the gifts they want to give. In the past we have given goats, chickens, medicine for babies, clean water, and the list goes on. It will be neat to see what the girls will pick this year.

So this is how it works. We have the catalog at home, but if you don't have one, you can go online and see the catalog there. We make a list of all the people we want to give a gift to in their name. This year we will also give in memory of 4 special loved ones. Here's what we picked out so far:

PeePaw-Goat (Brian's dad used to have a goat on his farm)
My Grandma-2 Bibles
Zoe-Rabbit (Brooklyn picked this out for her sister)
Jonathan-2 Chicks (Sydney picked this out for her baby brother)

You get the picture. World Vision will give your loved one a card for Christmas with the donation in their name. (Order must be placed by December 19th). You can also choose to have an email card sent or print one out on your computer to hand deliver.

Don't think it has to be a huge donation either. They have gifts for under $20. Here are some things you can provide to a needy family all under $20. Of course, if you could give more, that would be great. Your donation is tax-deductible.
Seeds for 1 Family for $17 Give seeds. Your gift offers life-changing help for farmers struggling to raise enough food for their hungry children: fast-growing hybrid or drought-resistant seeds for an agricultural bounty of crops.

You can help prevent famine before hunger takes hold. Your donation will help provide seeds for crops like maize, rice, cassava, carrots, cabbage, green beans, peas, potatoes, and onions. Surplus crops can be sold to bring in much-needed family income that can pay for life-saving medicine or help send a child to school.

1 Rabbit for $16 Rabbits multiply and multiply their blessings! God created rabbits to be among the most prolific animals on earth, making them a terrific gift for an impoverished family. With a gestation period of just 31 days, a pair of rabbits can easily become 50 rabbits within a single year. These offspring can provide food or be sold at market, producing a steady source of extra income.
3 ducks for $18 Give three ducks to a hungry family today and they'll benefit from hundreds of large, protein-rich eggs throughout the year. Extra eggs and hatched ducklings can be sold to buy medicine or help pay for children’s school tuition.

For those of you who are so inclined, you can actually do even more. Some years ago, we decided to get the whole family together, saved up for a whole year, and funded half a health clinic. Now we did have several households saving together and clinics were a bit cheaper then, but I will have to say it was one of the most rewarding things our family has ever done. We really felt like we were able to make a difference in that community, and that lives will be changed forever because of it.

How can you give to a needy child or family this Christmas?