…do something beautiful

Gift giving: something lots of folks are thinking about at this time of year.  Many want to express their love and appreciation to their friends and family.   Many want the tax write off of a charitable donation for the following April.  Even more still are under the obligation of being Santa.

Generosity is something that has spent a lot of time in my conscious thought. These ponderings have ranged from gift giving, to funding missions work, to handing out change to street people, to supporting businesses I believe in.

One non-profit organization that deserves to be highlighted is The Reckoning International.  They provide micro loans, usually anywhere from $30 – $200, to impoverished individuals in developing countries in order to start or expand a business.  These are legitimate, interest-accruing loans that must be paid back within a certain timeframe.  It’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up.  The real beauty is this – each donation received by The Reckoning is loaned out to someone in need for a short time; once that money is paid back it is funneled into another loan, and then another, then another.  Any money that is given is perpetually recycled into another human being’s empowerment.  You can read some of their stories here.  Please take the time to read a few.

A very talented friend of mine wrote and produced an album to raise money for The Reckoning.  I had the amazing privilege of singing on most of the songs on the album.  You can get if from iTunes here. 

If you are thinking about making that charitable donation before the end of the year, spend some time at their website.  Consider giving to this revolutionary idea.

“Justice needs to be tempered with generosity as much as generosity needs to be tempered with justice.”  – Mahatma Gandhi