Are you spoiled? I like to think that I’m not, but in reality I am. Have you ever heard yourself spouting that your house wasn’t big enough, you want new carpet, you need a new car, and you don’t have enough money? Some of these things have been classified by our American lifestyle as a need instead of just something desired. That’s spoiled. For most of us the basic needs of shelter, clothing, food, and clean water, has expanded to the best and biggest house, designer clothing, gourmet food, and the best brand name bottled water.

In contrast, the Honduran people have struggles to just have the basic needs. They have to be concerned whether their little shack of a home will withstand the next tropical storm, or flash flood. Sanitation isn’t always easy when your floor is dirt. The color or designer of clothing are given no thought. What to have for dinner is a basic need question, rather than “I don’t know what I feel like eating.” Which bottled water to choose isn’t a question. Any clean water is a luxury.

A mission team of ordinary people are going to San Pedro Sula, Honduras,on July 11 – 18, 2009. This group is made up of people of all ages from Kennesaw First Baptist Church, in Kennesaw, Georgia. Why do they want to go? It is the desire to help people. It is the desire to give to the Honduran people the extra help they need to just have a comfortable, healthy life. It is the desire to show them and teach them of God’s love. A general list of things the group will be doing, follows:

• Working with local feeding centers
• Ministering in daycare centers
• Working with our partnering church, Jerusalem Baptist
• Crusades in local schools and at the new church site
• Construction project with Jerusalem Baptist and their daughter church (possible)
• VBS at day care centers and churches (possible)

Will this mission experience be entirely a one way sharing? Absolutely not! We will have some very important life lessons to learn. The Honduran people are known for their happy, friendly disposition. Is this because they have so much? No. They have so little in material blessings. Yet many have discovered the real source of peace and satisfaction in life. They have discovered Jesus Christ.

You may not be able to go to Honduras on a mission trip, but you can support the mission team, and help the Honduran people. In this time of a tough economy, you may be thinking you don’t have any extra to give. We have set up a web site in support of this mission project to explain more about the needs of the Honduran people, and the needs of the mission team to be able to make this trip a reality. Through this site you will be able to do your Christmas shopping, not paying any more than the retailer normally charges, but have a percentage given back to the group for the Honduras mission project. Using the information below, click through to “My Heart For Honduras.”

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About Author

Kathleen Couch has set up the website, http://www.My Heart For Honduras. org, to support the efforts of a mission team going to Honduras in July 11-18,2009. You can support the mission in Honduras by going to the site, and doing your shopping through the advertisers on the site. They will donate a percentage to the project.

Donating to Honduras Missions by Christmas Shopping! is a post from: Coupons Catalog

Favoritism is a serious issue which all bosses should carefully consider when Christmas shopping for their employees. Bosses should assume the gifts they give to their employees will be discussed and compared so it is wise to not purchase any gifts which will be viewed as favoritism. One way to avoid this problem is to purchase the same item for each of the employees. This may seem impersonal but office politics often takes precedence over sentiment and in this case it is wise to give each employee the same item to avoid any potential problems. The boss may opt to give more expensive items to hiring ranking employees. This is an acceptable practice as long as each employee on the same tier is given the same gift and employees on higher tiers are given more expensive gifts than employees on lower tiers.

Bosses also have to consider finances when Christmas shopping for gifts for their employees. This is a particularly important concern especially in cases where the boss has a large number of employees working for him. In this case the boss may have to consider giving only small token gifts due to the large number of employees. If he is paying for these gifts out of his own pocket, it is not reasonable to expect him to purchase extravagant gifts for many employees. If the boss is receiving a bonus for his hard work during the year, he may make a decision to allot a percentage of his bonus to the purpose of purchasing Christmas gifts for his employees as a way to show his appreciation for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. In some cases, the company may even allow their high ranking employees to expense the purchase of Christmas gifts for employees because it is viewed as a method of keeping morale high and retaining employees. In this case the boss should review the company policy and determine how much it is acceptable to spend on each employee before doing his Christmas shopping to ensure he will not be violating any company policies in making his purchases.

Another difficulty bosses often face when Christmas shopping for their employees is selecting a gift which will be appropriate for all of the employees. This can be a difficult task because the boss may have a wide range of employees working for him with varying interests. As previously discussed, it is considered a good idea to purchase the same gift for each employee instead of choosing a distinct gift for everyone. While this makes shopping easier in one capacity by ensuring the boss only has to select one gift, it complicates the Christmas shopping process by tasking the boss to select one gift which will be universally appreciated by all of the employees in the office. Examples of some gifts which are generally appreciated by all may include items with the company logo such as sweatshirts, mugs or other office items. These gifts are not only practical but also help to promote a sense of pride in the company. Gift certificates are also always appreciated. Gift certificates to local restaurants or business or online retailers are gifts which are likely to be appreciated and valued by all.

Christmas Shopping For Your Employees is a post from: Coupons Catalog

While Christmas shopping for kids is a great deal of fun there are some factors to consider when Christmas shopping for kids. A few of the specific concerns include selecting age appropriate toys, selecting toys which are not too noisy or too big for the child’s living situation, selecting toys the child does not already have, selecting toys which the parents consider to be acceptable and finally selecting toys the child will enjoy. This can make Christmas shopping for kids a little more difficult but does not make the shopping any less fun.

Selecting age appropriate toys is very important when Christmas shopping for kids. This is so important for a couple of reasons. First of all it is important because toys which are designed for older children might be potentially dangerous for the child. For example toys which are designed for children over the age of three may contain small pieces which pose a choking hazard. Children under the age of three still often put toys and other objects in their mouths so they must receive toys which contain only pieces large enough to not be a choking hazard. Also, toys which are designed for an older child or even a younger child may not be as much fun for the child as they would be for children of the appropriate age. If the child is too young for the toy, they may be come easily frustrated because they can not use the toy appropriately. Conversely a child who is too old for a particular toy may become bored with the toy quickly.

When shopping for Christmas gifts for a child, it is also important to consider the child’s parents and the living situation. This includes the size of the living area and the proximity to neighbors. Specifically toys which are particularly noisy may not be appropriate for a child who lives in an apartment building with other apartment units nearby. Also, large toys such as a trampoline may not be appropriate for a child who does not have a yard large enough to accommodate such a gift. Similarly large indoor items such as a foosball table would not be appropriate for a child who does not have a dedicated toy room to accommodate such a large item. As a general rule it is best to stick with small items which do not make a great deal of noise when Christmas shopping for kids.

It is also important to consider the personal beliefs of the parents when shopping for Christmas gifts for their children. Specifically you should not purchase an item for a child if you know their parents are ethically opposed to such as item. Guns and violent video games are a couple of obvious example of Christmas gifts which may offend the parents. There are many parents who do not allow their children to play with these items because they believe they promote violence. If you are not sure about the feelings of the parents, it is best not to select these items.

Finally, when Christmas shopping for a child, it is wise to consult the parents beforehand. This can be helpful for a couple of different reasons. First the parents can give some insight into the child’s hobbies and interests which may make selecting a gift easier. They may even suggest a specific item from the child’s Christmas list ensuring you are giving the child something he really wants for Christmas. Consulting the parents can also prevent you from giving the child a gift he already has. Try calling the parents before you make a purchase to suggest a particular item. They can let you know if they think the child will enjoy the item or if the child already has the item.

Christmas Shopping for Kids is a post from: Coupons Catalog