lucille in the sky
Head in the clouds, dreaming. Feet on the earth, dancing.
Have you heard of the Advent Conspiracy? It’s a movement encouraging Americans to stop spending so much on Christmas, and start giving. Whether you celebrate Christmas for the cookies or for Christ, you can harness the energy of the season and use it to make a difference in the world for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the thirsty.
A recap:
Americans spend $450,000,000,000 on Christmas every year. That’s 450 BILLION DOLLARS.
Meanwhile, lack of clean water kills more people everyday than almost anything. The estimated cost to make clean water available to everyone is $20 billion per year. (Less than 5% of our national Christmas “budget.”)
What if we gave some of that money away instead of buying more toys he doesn’t need and clothes she won’t wear? What if we made gifts instead of buying them? What if we gifted experiences instead of stuff? Consumerism does not equal happiness, memories, or meaning.
Do you see what could happen?
This year, spend less on gifts, more on relationships.
If you like this, you'll love:
6 Responses to the advent conspiracy
Leave a Reply
My name is Lucy Miller Robinson. I live for mothering, writing, reading and dancing. I love nature, art, yoga, design and slow food. I make artisanal and medicinal teas for my business, Herbal Philosophy. I write short fiction and poetry and as-yet-unpublished novels. I strive for wellness, balance, mindfulness and gratitude. My blog is a love letter to the bohemian spirit.
Want to get in touch? Email me at lucy {at} lucilleinthesky.
By PDGACO payday loans
- Followed by: 530 people, Likes: 251
Love my blog on Bloglovin
Through My Instagram Lens
Teas to soothe body and soul.
My creative writing blog.
"
Love this. Agree. and I will.
Veronica recently posted..Day off. I want to stalk your blogs.
Thank you, Veronica!
I agree! I remember a while back being on the bus with a woman who, in her phone conversation, said that she was working three jobs and not paying some bills in order to “give her children Christmas.” It was sad. I think so many get caught up in the consumerism of it all that they forget about what matters most. I love this message and that movement for what it could mean for many Americans, like that woman I overheard working to “give her children Christmas.”
Jessica recently posted..Memories Captured
Yikes. That is very sad. And sadly, the consumerism culture is being perpetuated in our children. That’s why its so important to stop it before it starts. I got frustrated the other day when my husband asked our 5 year old “what he wants for Christmas.” Emile doesn’t even know what he “wants” because he doesn’t need anything! They start out pure, before we teach them to “want,” and then we work 3 jobs to support the habit. It’s time to break the cycle….
I applaud you for this post – YOU SPEAK TRUTH! In a time when excess is the norm, imagine what a different place this would be if we rebelled against consumerism! There are so many places we can choose to send money to that will impact the health and well being of our fellow man….world vision is a fantastic resource! even for as little as $25 you can send money that will go to something meaningful. People would be amazed at how little it costs to send cattle, or farming supplies and seeds, clothing, supplies that will educate or clothe or feed people, to dig wells or build communities back up.
mangiabella recently posted..ever. so. grateful.
Tell me about it! It costs only $100 to send a child to school in Uganda for the entire year, which I know is a fact because my best friend is living in Uganda right now. We’re lucky because we can give money to her that goes directly to those in need. But if we didn’t have her, I would go to World Vision or a similar organization. Right now I’m just thankful these NGO’s exist.