It's the most wonderful time of the year....

Or so they say.

Why is it that Christmas has become this huge swirling vortex of money-spending-line-jumping-pushing-demanding-frenzied-consumption that is sucking out all the goodness and fun from what was supposedly the most wonderful time of the year?

I recently joined a Facebook event to celebrate 'Buy Nothing Day', and have been really enjoying some of the conversations that have come out of this. Sure it could be yet another band wagon to jump on, but if I'm going to be on a wagon this is a pretty good one. And I'm totally guilty of randomly buying stuff just because it's 'cute' or 'fun' or 'perfect!' or 'just what i NEED!' But here's to change and broadening horizons right??

There is a section of the page where people have contributed art work, illustrating their feelings about the cause. My favourite is this one:

There are some other really interesting ones on there too, check it out.

And see, now I'm waiting for everyone to say one of two things:
1) you're just a grouchy missionary who doesn't want to give people stuff and has no money so of course you're whinging about buy Christmas presents
or
2) you're just a hippy grinch of a missionary who is using Jesus to back up whatever cause you feel strongly about today.

Now I am the first to say that everything on this blog is just 'in my humble opinion' and I'm totally open to discussion, so please if you want to talk leave a comment and we'll get something going here. And you know what, it's strange to be here, feeling this strongly about something, especially when I LOVE gifts.
Yup you read right. The anti Christmas Grinchy missionary LOVES gifts!!! Now how does that work?
Well check out this other piece of art work from the same site:

Gifts are great. gifts are fun. I've been planning Mark's Christmas gift for 5 weeks now, I'm desperately trying to put together little things for family, friends and supporters, all across the world, and while I have the added financial considerations to make given my choice of occupation right now, what better catalyst for really getting off my butt and doing some of that creative stuff I keep talking about.

And don't tell me you can't be creative. Don't tell me you can't make or bake or sew or draw or sing or build, or even hug for the people that you love. You have something to give.
Before you swipe, take a deep breath and count to 20 and see if there could just be a way around buying that one more thing.....