“The only way you can truly get more out of life is to give part of yourself away.”  This could be your time, talent, or treasure.  It has been said that you aren’t truly living unless you are giving. 

May 2019

Dear Friends,

This month’s Gift letter topic is the Gift of Giving. We know of people who model the phrase, "he would give you the shirt off of his back." There are some people with whom you cannot express admiration for anything they have because if you do, you will find it sent to you in a box.  Some people just have the innate Gift of Giving. Ultimately, however, we can think of no better example for that of Giving than our most precious Savior.  Jesus left an example for us that we should follow.

We know how fully and completely Jesus gave Himself for us. He is our standard and model for giving. Christ gave Himself as a ransom for our sins. We hope you are able to implement a few of these ideas for Giving in May and pray you are all having a wonderful start to your summer!

Blessings,

The Team at Legacy Planning Advisors, LLC.

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The Gift of Giving

There are very few acts of goodness in our lives that compare to the act of giving.  That’s because true giving is completely selfless, no strings attached.  Giving is about focusing on the needs of another and leaving your own goals and desires behind.  Giving reminds us of how rich our lives are and how easily we can enrich another life by giving and sharing our time, talents, and material possessions. 

Giving feels good because we can clearly imagine how the recipient of the gift will feel and how he/she will benefit.  Giving satisfies us knowing that we have contributed in a positive way to the world around us.  Giving also gives you the blessing of experiencing God’s goodness as he provides in ways perhaps not previously considered. 

This month focus on how the gift of giving can bring you closer to your loved ones as you spread your time, talents and treasures all around.

 

Experience The Gift of Giving

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

30 Days of Giving

Make giving a family project for the entire month.  Start by brainstorming and making a list of all the different ways you can give.  Not money or canned goods in the kitchen that you wouldn’t use anyway, but things you can give of yourself that have value; your time, your talent or your treasures.  Buy groceries for an elderly neighbor, mow the lawn for a single mom down the street, or leave a basket of goodies on a neighbor’s doorstep. 

It’s even better if these gifts are anonymous, for those are the true gifts of the heart, when you expect nothing in return, not even recognition for a good deed.  Once you have a list, divide it up amongst family members, and mark the gifts and givers’ names on your family calendar.

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35

 

The Birthday Charity Tradition

Start a birthday tradition for every member of the family whereby gifts of money are included with the birthday presents to donate to the birthday person’s charity of choice.  This is a wonderful way to introduce children, at a young age, to the idea of giving. 

It means a lot to them if they can choose the charity themselves.  Perhaps they love reading and they use the money to buy books for their school library.  Or, they love sports and the money helps purchase soccer equipment for children in countries where all they have is an empty coke bottle to kick around.  Older children could even get involved in collecting the thousands of jerseys and shorts at the end of each season (that everyone has outgrown) and send them off to a place where they will be considered treasures.