In the midst of the holiday season – many thing can push, pull and overwhelm.
Possibilities fill up our inboxes, mailboxes, calendars from friends and family, organizations and work.
For many years, at Seeds of Exchange, we have been keen to create ways to give to and receive from one another with celebration, compassion, joy and wisdom. In the midst of the fullness of this season, we have a few ideas to share with and from you, our kula {community}. We hope that these fill YOU up with the gift of connection, service and love.
We’d love to hear your gratitude and giving stories – comment below or email us. If you’ve not read it yet, check out the Seeds story, Operation Gratitude, written by our incredible soul sista, Amy Brady, founder of StandUP.
A fun + *simple* idea from the heart of a remarkable little one.
Alex’s gratitude tree
These little people in our life surprise and delight with their…LIFE. Seven-year-old, Alex, created a gratitude tree celebration for her family during Thanksgiving this year. Around the dinner table or throughout this holiday season, we can follow the lead of this extraordinary sista. Here’s what she suggests: Find a branch and invite our friends and family to write down something for which they are grateful and hang it on your gratitude tree/branch.
I am thankful for food, life, water, shelter and family. -Alex’s big brother, Aidan
Wow. Thank you, Alex and Aidan – you two inspire and make use proud.
Bags of Love.
Bags of Love basket
Want to create and host a Bags of Love afternoon of celebration and service at your work, kids’ school or home, to share some food, kindness and a gift with people on the street in your community? {Our Denver winter Bags o’ Love typically include: a power bar, water bottle, vitamin drink powder, hand-warmers, details for how to eat lunch at SAME Cafe – where all are welcome for a meal, regardless of funds – sweet treat + hand-made card.} Give us a shout if you want to brainstorm about possibilities to make it your own and involve your friends and family. Click here for our next Denver Bags of Love gathering on January 15, 2016.
Treasure Hunt.
911 treasure hunt story + prayer reminder clipped to the Christmas tree
Another family embraces this month as a treasure hunt and looks for simple and everyday ways to simply love, serve and give.
They invite each other to walk through their days with their eyes and hearts open – and they remember and pray for folks they meet on this adventure by writing their names and a reminder of the treasure hunt moment on paper hearts, clipping them to their Christmas tree.
The first day of the treasure hunt, the family came upon an accident in the middle of a snowstorm and stopped their car to help the injured family call 911. This was scary for the kids – seeing the broken glass, dented metal, wounded driver and ambulance lights. While driving home, they tearfully talked about how seeking ways to serve and love in this way can be uncomfortable and scary. And yet, it was the daughter who wrote “911” on their treasure hunt heart to remember and pray for the family that night.
A few ways to join Seeds of Exchange on your treasure hunt this season.
We LOVE these families and wholeheartedly support these endeavors. Will you hold these sistas and brothas close to your heart within these busy days of holiday festivities? And, dear ones – please let us know how we can support you this day or in the days to come. :)
This kula circle matters,
makes a difference and
lightens our load
in good + hard times…in sickness + health.
Each one below has asked for support and approved us sharing their story with you. We invite you to share some of your love with them this day.
- Send an email {sarah@seedsofexchange.org}, message via the comment box below or letter of support, love, prayer, or blessing +/or
- Share needed items or funds.
Drop by, mail items or checks to:
Seeds of Exchange | 4326 Montview Boulevard | Denver, Colorado 80207
Andre + Therese {left} with their cousin, Godee + Godee’s daughter. Godee is a dear friend of ours.
1 | Therese, Andre and their son Divin just arrived from the Congo. They are in need of warm clothes to get them through our chilly Colorado winter. Do you have cozy clothes you can share with Therese (XXL), Andre (XXL) or their son, Divin {size 14/small men’s}? Would you like to contribute to our gift to them of winter snow-jackets with a warm shirt for each? If so, write “Therese + Andre” in your check memo or envelope.
We invite you to write a note of welcome or blessing to our friends. For those of us who have been new to a city, country or community, we know what a gift it can be to feel that we belong and are extravagantly welcome.
2 | Let’s come together and lavish some love upon a family who are in a season of deep struggle. A friend and sista of ours {let’s call her “Momma D”} and her little girl {“Sista L”} have have bravely and tenaciously journeyed through many mightily difficult months of life with and love of a husband/father who is, himself, in a dark place of pain and addiction to drugs and alcohol. At this point, he is on the streets of Denver, unable to parter with his wife and care for his daughter. It’s been months since his little daughter has seen him. We are sounding a call for love letters + Christmas funds for their family.
Would you write a note {poem, prayer, words of encouragement} to our sistas – Momma D and Sista L – encircling them with some of our kula love? Many of us have been in places of brokenness and sorrow within ourselves and with those we love. For me, it has been the kula and Love that have gotten me through. If you’d like to join in on a gift card to support our sista, Momma D, in her hopes to now solely financially support her daughter, write “Momma D” in your check memo or on your envelope.
Alisha | Kathmandu, Nepal
3 | Our dear friends in Nepal continue to fight for the rights, freedom, flourishing of women and girls who have been rescued from or are vulnerable to the crime of human trafficking. Our dear sister, Alisha, is being surrounded by love, prayers and blessings {many from you – thank you, friends!} and is finding healing in her body, mind and spirit each day. Alisha was rescued last month after 20 years of slavery and abuse in the brothels of India. We continue to receive and send funds for this work of our dear friends who were here in October and with whom many of us came to deeply love. Write “Alisha” in your check memo or on your envelope.
Little ones from last year’s Escuelita | Nosara, Costa Rica
4 | Our soul sista, Sarah Antonson, founder of Surfing Nosara Foundation, is preparing for Escuelita de Verano in January in Costa Rica. For years, the Escuelita has assisted nearly 300 children in this community-initiated summer camp. Sarah reports that not only do the children benefit from the learning and fun of the camp, but the parents have come to rely on the support for entertaining and feeding their children, which has been demonstrated to lower family stress and incidents of domestic abuse. Here is a link to the beautiful video crafted by Jennifer Davidson Creative, which gives an overview of the community that they serve. If you are able to help at this time, donations are US tax-deductible through our affiliate Friends of Nosara via check or PayPal: Click the yellow donate button, be sure to include “ESCUELITA/Seeds of Exchange” in the note after you confirm you donation amount.
