Free printables and 11 ideas to help you light the world this Christmas. #LightTheWorld
I’ve been thinking . . . thinking about Christmas. Usually at this point, I’m fully into all the magic this holiday provides. It’s my favorite time of the ENTIRE year. But this year I have been BUSY. Just busy with good, normal life things and I knew I needed to start feeling something about Christmas. I needed to feel the desire to help others and being a part of the #LightTheWorld campaign and to find ways to serve and give. So I decided to actually sit down and read Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol this year as the rush of the holidays are upon us. I actually took a whole course on Charles Dickens in college and read many of his works, including the difficult Hard Times novel . . . but I never ended up reading A Christmas Carol. Instead every year I end up watching it in some cartoon form or another (which I still love) but this year I wanted to really think about it and soak it in hope it would help me look outside of myself and think more about how I can serve others.
So I started reading, and right away I was sucked into the story and Marley being dead as a door nail. And before long I was underlining awesome lines, words, and lessons. One of those that really stuck out to me was good ‘ol Fred’s mini speech to his cranky uncle about why Christmas matters. He says,
“I have always thought of Christmas time . . . as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that is has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”
I love it. It is the time when we open our “shut-up” hearts freely. (You really should go read it and underline this part in your own copy)
And then later when the cute little men come looking for donations from Scrooge, they say of Christmas, “We choose this time because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.”
Want and need are so strong at Christmas. And so is joy and abundance. Two opposites that desperately need each other at Christmas. (Seriously, get underlining!)
Anyway, enough nerding about English Lit. I want you to know that I felt something as I read this book. And so I wanted to share some ways (11 ways to be exact) that you can help others this holiday season and #LightTheWorld in hopes that we will all feel a little bit more this Christmas. A little more hope. A little more goodness. A little more love. Merry Christmas!
11 Ways to Help Others at Christmas and #LightTheWorld
1. Learn about the Light The World Campaign
If you are unfamiliar with the #LightTheWorld movement by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it’s time to check it out. Basically, it’s about encouraging us all to do a little something for someone else–visit a lonely friend, make a card to bring cheer, give some time and serve in any way you can. It’s about giving and sharing of yourself. I encourage you to watch this video and share it. The more people that know about about it, the more help and love will be given this holiday season. Also, GET IDEAS HERE.
2. Download and print the FREE service calendar:
Get your own FREE SERVICE CALENDAR to post in your home or cut it up and put it in your Christmas advent calendar. You can also TEXT 71234 to get daily reminders and texts with service ideas. Each day has a different theme and can help you think of ways to serve in your own family, community, and neighborhood. There are no rules, just do what feels right to you. Also there are videos and other service ideas {HERE}
UPDATE: There is also a NEW kind of calendar for 2018. This one is a week by week calendar instead of day by day. I’ll post the link as soon as it’s available.
3. Make a fun treat a friend or teacher with the Free Printable Gingerbread House Service Kit:
Thanks to Designed by Maria, this darling FREE PRINTABLE GINGERBREAD KIT is available for all. Use it to create a fun treat or send loving messages to someone far away, or for a child in the hospital.
4. Donate Items to a Children’s Hospital
Hospitals are always in need of supplies. Contact your local hospital and see what they are in need of this year. Check out this post if you need some ideas for FUN ITEMS TO DONATE.
5. Make dinner for someone who is sick or just stressed out:
Wouldn’t it be awesome to surprise your stressed-out neighbor or friend with a delicious warm dinner? You gotta make dinner for your own family anyway, why not double it and share the goodness? Use these FREE DINNER PRINTABLES to make it extra special.
6. Say sorry to someone you have hurt or offended:
This one may not be as hard as we often make it out to be. Apologizing has a powerful effect on your relationships and for yourself. If you need help to get started, visit this post for 10 ways to say you are sorry and some FREE PRINTABLE APOLOGY CARDS.
7. Show forgiveness to someone who has hurt you:
Why stop at just saying sorry . . . take a moment to really forgive someone who has hurt you, offended you, or just plain bugs you. Use these ideas on ways to show forgiveness and FREE PRINTABLE FORGIVENESS CARDS.
8. Play a game or visit someone who is lonely or elderly:
This idea will probably be one of the most memorable for those you serve. Take a night off and visit someone who is lonely. Or may visit an elderly home. Go with your family and play games with them, have your kids color them a picture, bring a gift basket of goodies to share. Use the FREE PRINTABLE VISITING KIT to help you.
9. Make blankets for a local charity:
Nothing is more comforting than a warm blanket on a cold night. This is something you can get kids to help with, especially if you make the simple fleece blankets. Tie quilts are another good idea. Read about how these 10 little girls taught me the joy of serving when they wanted to make these blankets.
10. Teach your children about serving others and give them opportunities:
One of the best things we can do as parents is to teach our children to help others and to look outside of themselves. We can show them by example, which is the best way, but also we need to talk about it and provide opportunities for them to serve. It can just be small things within the family like sharing toys or doing dishes. It can be bigger like working at a soup kitchen together. Whatever you do talk about the service afterwards to and help them see the good it did and how it made them feel. Use this FREE SERVICE ACTIVITY PRINTABLES.
11. Tell someone you love them:
This one can be the most simple of all. Tell someone you love them. Share a hug. Say kind words. Give a compliment. You could leave a surprise for them or do the 12 days of Christmas. Use these YOU ARE LOVED FREE PRINTABLES to help you get ideas.
Merry Christmas! Please share this post and the #LightTheWorld videos and hashtag. Let’s make someone happy.
