WHAT DID AMBER GIVE?

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GENESIS OF THE MOTHER LETTER PROJECT. Instead of purchasing Christmas this year, our family created it and donated the “difference” to a small African village. I collected a series of open letters-the Mother Letters-for my wife’s Christmas present. You may still submit a letter via email HERE, or COMMENT HERE. Please refer to the FAQs in the side bar for more details.

UPDATE
“DEAR SETH, WHAT DID AMBER GIVE YOU FOR CHRISTMAS?”

That, my friends, is the single most asked question of MLP readers. Directly following said question, many of you have asked me to explain the parameters for “creating Christmas.” In others words, if you want to attempt the task this year, how much are you allowed to spend?

I hope to answer those questions in a single post. Bear with me.

Explaining Amber’s gift to me will, I hope, clarify the later question. Amber gave me a book titled, What I want to do With You in 2009: a Year-Long to do List For Seth And Amber. The to-do list, normally a dreaded foe of husbands from here to the most remote reaches of Tristan da Cunha, has taken on new meaning. Each to-do item Amber listed coincides with some deeply rooted passion of mine. Some of the to-do items are as follows: January-start memorizing scripture from the New English Bible and journal the verses; March-get a sitter and go for a long Arkansas drive, looking for photo opportunities; June-fly fishing together; September-plant a fall garden together; November-accept a cooking challenge from one another; December-be working hard to bring our Abri (the Ethiopian child we hope to adopt) home.

I could not ask for a better gift! By her gift, she intentioned to make 2009 our year; she has purposed to engage in my love language. What a gift!

You will recognize that several of the items will require us to spend a bit of money. After all, gas for a multi-mile drive is not free. However, she came well within our parameters. First, she did not spend font-end money on my Christmas presents. In addition, if you added up the coming “to do list” expenditures, she still spent considerably less on this gift than in the previous years. And what of the money she would have blown on the once-a-year-buzzing-sparkly-totally-forgettable gadget purchase? It’s going to Mozambique.

So, what did Amber give me? She gave me intentionality in our marriage-a gift that will reap benefits for us and our children. She also gave the Yao another row to hoe and another seed to sow. That is a great Christmas, if you ask me. And you did.

This coming year, think about how you can spend less money (or none) and give more intentionally. Give more relationally. Isn’t that what Christmas is about?

Start thinking now. After all, is it ever too early to consider Advent?

I covet your thoughts on this one.