Advent Conspiracy

This is something that friends from my church have brought to my attention - but whether or not you you have any religious leanings or not, it's still a good cause and a good perspective.

The first year that Noland and I were married we spent Christmas in New Zealand as part of our honeymoon. It was funny, sitting in a cafe in Wellington a few days before Christmas hearing the locals talk about how ridiculously commercial the city had become. When the night before as we walked the streets of this city of just under a half million people, that we commented how little it 'looked like Christmas' compared to back home.

No matter how much we love Christmas, we know that it has in many ways become ridiculous. The amount of money spent. The stress. The pressure. And if you do believe in the Christmas story - it's supposed to be a day of simple celebration.

So that's what the Advent Conspiracy is - take back Christmas - regardless of your spiritual views - to be a day of simple celebration with your family. Make it a day where you demonstrate your love not with piles of expensive gifts, but with something heartfelt. Then do something to help others.

For example - Americans spend more than $450B on Christmas gifts, decorations, etc. each year. It would take about $10B to solve... not temporarily help but SOLVE... the world's water crises.

Wow.
What we could do if we tried.