Oh the Holidays!

Ohhhh the holidays! Where time moves at WARPED speed and there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Add some crazy jetlag and a wicked cold and each day gets that much shorter. It gets harder to find the quiet time you need: Peaceful time with your Heavenly Father and slowing down to "smell the roses." It's easy for this season to be corrupted into something it was never meant to be. A time of closeness, love, joy, and thankfulness can easily be skewed into greed, discontentment, anger, and dissatisfaction. 

Think about it: This season is all about thanking God for sending his only Son, Jesus, to this earth to save us. What's even more fantastic is that God knew all along what he was doing when He sent His son as a baby born into poverty, laid in a mucky manger, and greeted by barn animals and shepards (who, in those days were crazy loners). He was wrapped in dirty clothes and was completely defenceless. Our glorious savior was placed in the most unlikely of situations so that no one could say, "God just couldn't understand what I'm going through." He knows. He lived it. That is the reason for the season: God so loved us that he gave us his only Son to be the savior of the whole world.

This is the kind of wonder I've been in constantly while in Thailand. Each child in the slums, each prostitute in the bar, each orphan, every human being there (and everywhere) is brilliantly and wonderfully loved by the great Creator of the universe.  There, it seems that the love is so much more tangible because so many have never felt real love before. As soon as you tell them how Jesus loves them, you can see it in their eyes that they have never known that kind of love and care.

I challenge everyone to try to imagine how tangible the Father's love is for His children this season. The same love is available and abundant all year round, but I challenge you to recognize it in THIS season where it's so easy to be distracted by basically everything else.

Here is the online Christmas service from my church (Overlake Christian Church). It's super short and talks a lot on what I have just discussed. Enjoy!


Home for Christmas from Overlake Christian Church on Vimeo.

Punch Consumerism in the Throat (thanks Mike H!)

Merry Christmas to all!

As you probably are aware, the holiday season is upon us. It’s the season where you feel pressured to buy your family and friends something awesome, sip hot coco, and get all cozy by the fire. My biggest concern for this holiday season is the shift from a season of grace, peace, and goodwill toward all to a season of frantic consumerism. The malls are hectic, traffic is considerably worse (and that’s BAD in Seattle), and instead of smiling at your fellow man you pass right by emotionless like a consumerism-infected zombie. I would like to invite you all to take a new perspective on Christmas present purchases: purchase with a purpose. Make every gift you give benefit not just the recipient, but someone else as well!

I would like to highlight my favorite socially conscious businesses in this post in hopes that others will learn about new and awesome gifts to buy their loved ones.

1) Freewaters

My friends Dalene and Phil Hammer are currently in Africa right now to help build a well for Freewaters. They are a new company and will be open starting in February, so while they might not make a good Christmas present, they may be a great Valentine’s day present.

2) TOMS Shoes

I love TOMS shoes… really… love! They are cute (my personal favorites: Morroco Glitters and the Wedge). I love their social entrepreneurial business model and the way they give back to the world. Everyone should own at least one pair of TOMS.

3) Freedom Stones

Freedom Stones is an organization that is close to my heart. They operate out of Thailand (through the Pattaya Slum Ministries), Ghana, and Cambodia. They are supported by the Eastside Women of Purpose and are doing their part to help end human trafficking and poverty by creating beautiful pieces of jewelry.

These are my personal favorite because they go with everything.

4) Krochet Kids International

I just learned about Krochet Kids Intl. over the weekend and I love their ideas! The goods are reasonably priced and can really help make a difference in women’s lives in Uganda.

5) Kiva

Oh Kiva, how I love thee! This is a great organization that connects those in need with those who can give. Find an entrepreneur you want to support and choose the amount you would like to support them with. Once they have paid back their loan, you can re-invest that money to another entrepreneur.

6) Vittana

Vittana is great and I’ve been personally involved with the organization for about a year now. They are operating under a Kiva-type model but specialize in giving the gift of education. Here in the US, we can go to school regardless of our earning power through student loans. In the rest of the world where many aren’t bankable, this isn’t possible. Vittana creates a bridge between those who are poor and want to get an education and a brighter future. It’s a known statistic that the more educated an individual is, the more likely they will be to stay healthy, not have unplanned pregnancies, and give back to their communities.

7) Heifer

In many rural villages, a families wealth is directly linked to their livestock. A gift of a goat, cow, pig, llama, rabbit, etc. can change a family’s life! Plus they are pretty darn cute! Help support those in need by giving a Camel for Christmas. It’s pretty Biblical I think… Didn’t those three wise men ride Camels to welcome baby Jesus into this fallen world?

8) Foundation for Women Micro Loan Blend Coffee

This organization is run by the strongest and brightest women in San Diego. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting the founder of Foundation for Women and Elan Coffee two years ago and was blown away by their commitment to improving the lives of women all around the world through business.  Together they have worked to create the Micro Loan Blend Coffee. I can personally attest to how delicious it is because I drink it every morning. Also, it’s sold at a comparable price. It’s so important to make sure the coffee you drink is fair trade and organic because if it isn’t, its probably made by the hands of slaves, indentured servants, or children. The same goes for chocolate. Please support this wonderful organization by buying a bag now so you can enjoy your little cup of freedom and empowerment on Christmas morning!

9) Not for Sale

Not for Sale is an AMAZING organization that is pioneering the gift of freedom around the world. I had the honor of hearing Dave Batstone speak at an Anti-Human Trafficking conference in Seattle. He inspired me to keep trekking along in my journey of hope to end modern day slavery.

They are at the forefront of raising up modern day abolitionist around the world. They are wonderful at educating people about slavery, actions they can take, and how to educate others about slavery. Also, my favorite part of Not for Sale is how they are pressuring big corporations to be transparent about their supply chain so we can be certain they don’t use slavery to make their goods. This is much more common than you might think. Please check out Free to Work campaign for more information on this.

My goodness this has been a LONG post! Thank you for reading it and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! Merry Christmas to all!!

In Peace,

Collyn