Goodbye toybox.........hello GoodWill

This week I will be cleaning out my children's toy boxes. I will have 2 boxes........one for trash and one for Good Will.

So all those Happy Meal toys.......will find a new home.

Broken toys with missing limbs or wheels will find the trash box.

Puzzles and games with missing pieces and parts....will be meeting Mr Trash man.

Outgrown dolls, duplicate teddy bears and unused, unloved critters will go to Goodwill to find some other little child who will give that doll, bear or critter the love it so richly deserves.

Those cars and trucks my darling son has so outgrown and never plays with any more will find parking in someone else's home.

I find each Christmas that through no help from us my children get blessed. Because of others, my children received a huge Christmas, blessings beyond belief and will be passing on their gently used things or things they do not need. I want to teach them that there are others out there with far less than they have.

However, in the choosing I will not allow them to only give away things that no one else would want. I want them to choose things that are in good condition but unused by them any more. I want them to realize they are blessed. While they do not have the things some of their other friends do they are far more blessed than they realize.

I hope this will curb the tendency of all children to get the "gimmee" disease. My children were very precious this year. They show thankfulness and gratitude for everything they received from socks and underwear to the surprise gift Mike's great Aunt and his cousin gave them.........BIKES! What a shocker when we found out they had purchased all 3 children a new bike. So yes, my children were blessed. My husband and I only bought them 1 toy each and spent all of 30 dollars on the 3 of them because that is all that was in the budget. But family and friends overwhelmingly came through for our kids. They were blessed beyond all that we could ever have imagined. I am overwhelmed and grateful. My husband and I did not exchange presents this year but watching my children be grateful and sweet over everything was a wonderful present.

God is good all the time. I am overwhelmed by the goodness of God down to the fact He gave my kids Christmas. Not a NEED but a blessing and even their most secret wishes for bikes were fulfilled. We told NO ONE they wanted bikes......but God......He knew......and He is better than any santa claus could ever be........because He is real and when He moves on the hearts of people to give it blesses the person that receives. I am in awe.