I actually accomplished a lot yesterday.  You know those pieces of mail that ask for money--and always get doubled up around Christmas.  Normally I throw them out all year and pick the ones I help out in November.  They could save a lot of postage by mailing me their information once.  Once.  In November.

I got the ones I support taken care of and cleared half the paper on the floor.  The donations are in the mail.  That’s done for the year.  So many of them are fake.  They just rip people off and don’t help anyone.  You can find the % of your donation on line that actually goes to what they advertise.  It’s worth a look. 

We all want to help legitimate charities.  I make sure the ones I help don’t fund the founder!  Some of them are rip-offs. Some are true blessings.

And this time of year is when I try to help the Lottie Moon offering.  For missionaries who need special equipment or supplies.  Bicycles, tents, post-hole diggers and a million other things that aren’t normal supplies.  Our church sets aside a percentage for this once a year, but I like to give it independently so it is added to what the church does.  Having a brother who spent 37 years in China as a missionary let me know just what they go through to get what they need.

This time of year is when we think about these things.