GET THE SPIRIT

If you have the means to arrange a Christmas celebration like the one related in The Story of Joel, you can do so with one or two days effort the first attempt.

I have found that after developing a relationship with a family shelter and a car service, all the preparations can be arranged in one or two hours.

If your means are limited, don't give up on the idea of "Another Christmas Carol." Instead, downscale the expenses dramatized in the story—it's all relative. If a reserved car service at $200-300 is out of the question, arrange only for drop off and pick up service for $50-$60. And ask for help! Invite a few close friends to the event to share the blessings AND the expenses.

You will be surprised how helpful people will be in your endeavor. If you do it once, I am sure you will make it an annual event. The most important ingredient is your passion for the results. And the results are not limited to the family involved. When I first decided to carry on the anonymous mission of the Spirit of St. Nicholas, I had no idea the effect it would have on me.

Because of my love for Dicken's play, "A Christmas Carol," I choose to attend the performance every year. As a result, I get the opportunity to remember the kindness offered to me as a child every time I see the enjoyment and excitement of a sponsored child in the audience. I can not describe the warmth and joy I feel each time. To see the drama of human kindness and charity on stage all the while with the quiet knowledge that a family in the audience is experiencing the story at a deep personal level ... there are no words for the sense of joy this brings.

I feel it's a very selfish thing sometimes because it makes my holiday perfect every year! Be sure to make it special for you and your guests by reviewing my "Getting it Right" section.