Holiday Regrets Survey

My friend Matt Bell, (check out his website http://www.moneypurposejoy.com/), recently published results of a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults that showed results from two main questions about Christmas time 2007:

1. In response to the question, "Thinking back on this past holiday season what did you wish you'd done more of?"

• Spent time with family and friends. 54%
• Spent time reflecting on the religious/spiritual significance of the holiday season. 40%
• Gave money to charity during the holiday season. 31%

2. In response to the question, "Thinking back on this past holiday season, do you wish you had done less of?"

• Spent money on gifts. 30%
• Spent time shopping for gifts in stores. 28%
• Spent money on myself while holiday shopping. 23%

So, in general, many of us desire to focus on the true meaning of Christmas but simply are unable to do what we really would like to, for whatever reason. (hmmm...the pull of the culture perhaps?)

And, along with the regret people may have, comes a significant amount of consumer debt from spending money on gifts and spending money on themselves while holiday shopping! Doesn't seem right does it?

Giving makes you happy...I'm not kidding!

So what would you rather try:

a) spending your way to happiness & greater fulfillment in life?
or
b) giving your way to happiness & greater fulfillment in life?

If you said b), you're correct, at least according to a recent study.

Highligted in this article in Forbes magazine, http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/2008/03/20/money-buys-love-tech-science-cx_ec_0320love.html researchers showed we really get more enjoyment and satisfaction from giving money away rather than spending it. Hey, that's an encouragement for many people (like me) who want to grow in this whole area of generosity. It's great to see some scientific data that proves giving makes you happier than spending! And from Forbes magazine, of all places.

And, if we use the Bible as a guide to live our lives, this secular study reinforces the truth that it's more (fun) blessed to give than to receive. As my daughter would say, "sweet"!

Do you feel rich?

Part of our problem with understanding generosity is appreciating our wealth in terms of the world. Most of us here in the US don't think we are. But we are. Even with a household income of $50,000 a year that would put you in the top .98% richest person in the world. The average household income in the Twin Cities is $70,000 which would make put you in the top .85% richest person in the world. Or how about this: Three billion people in this world live on less than $2 per day while 1.3 billion get by on less than $1 per day. Seventy percent of those living on less than $1 per day are women. Just something to think about. If you're interested, the website to determine where your household income ranks you in the world is, www.globalrichlist.com Also, for those of us who are Christians, Jesus said our wealth will make it that much harder to live in God's Kingdom. "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" - Mark 10:23

Christmas time is upon us...

We miss the joy and peace of Christmas as the flood of shopping and frantic activity overtakes us. Consumerism and materialism win the day for most of us, and this time of year gets filled with a hyper-busyness unmatched by any other time of year. What happened to doing more resting than doing during late November and December? What happened to spontaneous time with friends and family this time of year, as contrasted with the bulging calendars that allow absolutely no time for any of us simply to be and think deeply about the meaning of the season. And on top of that, spending goes largely unchecked, with many of us never stopping to think of those VISA, Mastercard, Discover or store credit card bills we'll get in January and February and March... Charging Christmas gifts, the real gift that keeps giving and giving and giving, well into the new year. Try something new this Christmas and give someone a gift from Heifer International http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.204586/or Compassion International http://www.compassion.com/default.htm or the ELCA Gift Catalog http://elca.org/scriptlib/DS/Giving/express.html We all don't really NEED anything this Christmas, it's just stuff we want because, well, we've been taught to want stuff ever since we were little. It's been wired into us and it's hard to let us go. So, for the person who has everything, give them a gift that will benefit others. And for your Christmas list, ask for gift-givers to make a contribution that will make a world of difference. I think it fits more of the reason we celebrate the season after all. Peace.

only the beginning...

This is just a start or 'only a beginning' to take a line from a song by Chicago from a long time ago! One of the biggest challenges in the world, in my humble opinion, is how we handle and manage the resources God has given all of us. Mother Teresa said, "God didn't create poverty, people did when they decided not to share." Or, better yet, when Jesus said, "it's more blessed to give than to receive." None of us are owners...of anything. It's all His, and He retains ownership. That's a great place to start!