Samaritan's Purse

We have this change jar by the front door. My huband and I put change in it whenever we have to much or don't want to carry it. Then I got a magazine in the mail from the group Samaritan's Purse. There is a section in the middle that are less expensive and say that they are gifts that kids can give.
Then I had an idea.
I took the kids and our change jar to one of those coin machines that you put the change in, it counts it for you, and then you get cash for it.
It came up to 33.00 and some change. I asked the store cashier for small bills.
Then we came home with our money and sat down with the magazine and I let my son pick out what he wanted to buy with the money we had.
He picked a dozen chicks, milk,a warm meal for a week,a little lamb that plays Jesus loves you. At the point we were out of money but then he saw the one that says "Help a child learn to read and write" He was so sure he wanted to do that one. I think the fact that he loves to read made this one really stick out to him. So I told him I would see how much cash I had in my purse. When we counted it we were still six dollars short. So he decided to get out his wallet. In there was a five dollar bill that he had found in the grass at the park and he had told me that he wanted to give it to someone who needed it. So this seemed very appopriate to him. Then we were still one dollar short. He pulled out another dollar and put it in the pile. He was so proud and happy that we were able to buy so much with the money we pulled together and we were really celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
We put the change that was left over in the jar to start all over again. We will save our change for the year and next year we will look through the magazine and bless more people because God has blessed us so greatly.
I encourage you to look up there web site if you do not get this magazine in the mail and check it out. It is so tangable for kids and the amounts are something that they can really pay for. Ten dollars for a dozen chicks, four dollars for milk for a week, seven dollars for a warm meal for a week.... And in meeting the real needs of these people it opens the doors for them to meet their spiritual needs as well.
It is never to early to start celebrating the true and real message of Christmas.