![\"Giving](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2023\/11\/MobileGM_Georgia6.jpeg\")
<\/a>In my opinion, Giving Machines definitely represent one of the most brilliant ideas that I\u2019ve ever encountered with regard to Christmas. \u00a0They are a fun way to focus on giving during this season, rather than only on eating, drinking, and getting. \u00a0They are convenient, and fun for children. \u00a0They offer small and reasonable but specific things to give, both locally and internationally, and all processing or overhead costs are covered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>. \u00a0Which means that every cent that you give to buy a goat for a poor family, or a sweater, or some seeds, will go for that goat or sweater or those seeds. \u00a0Every cent.<\/p>\n I encourage any readers that I may have here to participate in this campaign. \u00a0I intend to do so myself, and I\u2019m looking forward to taking my little local granddaughter to do so, as well, so that she can experience an essential part of the Christmas holiday, the joy of giving.<\/p>\n Here is an excellent site about Giving Machines that identifies locations and that also tells you how to donate online<\/em>: \u00a0\u201cShare Your Light at a Giving Machine:\u00a0Give clean water, goats, meals, toys, and more to those in need through a unique giving experience. Your donations go directly to global and local charities to help change lives around the world.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n And here are a few other articles about the Giving Machines that I\u2019ve recently collected:<\/p>\n \u201cSummary of 2024 Light the World News\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhere You Can Donate to a Light the World Giving Machine in Utah\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cYou Can Lift Another at a Light the World Giving Machine:\u00a0In more than 100 locations, Light the World Giving Machines make serving others a joyful and memorable experience\u201d<\/a> \u00a0This article features a list of the cities, worldwide, where Giving Machines are located in 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cA Worldwide Invitation to Light the World This Christmas Season: The Light the World initiative is a celebration of Jesus Christ\u2019s birth\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cLighting the World in New York:\u00a0The Church of Jesus Christ and other charities are \u201cunited in doing something that blesses the most vulnerable,\u201d Elder Cook says\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cChurch Lights the World in London:\u00a0Sister Yee participates in the County Hall event\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 By the way, knowing London somewhat I was really blown away by the location featured in the video.<\/p>\n \u201cLight the World Launches in Kansas City, Missouri:\u00a0From Union Station to the football field, Light the World officially launches in Kansas City\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c#LightTheWorld Giving Machines inspires and draws smiles in Metro Manila\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMeet Latter-day Saints as their Manila temple lights up for Christmas:\u00a0Rappler\u2019s Paterno Esmaquel II brings us to the Manila temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, formerly known as the Mormon Church<\/a>, as they aim to \u201clight the world\u201d this Christmas season.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c#LightTheWorld Giving Machines Touch Hearts in Davao and Cebu\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMormon Giving Machines to open to public on November 30 at Sarit Centre [in Kenya]\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGiving Machines open in Utah and Salt Lake counties:\u00a0Over 500 organizations around the world have items in the machines, located in 106 different cities, including several in Utah\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHong Kong Illuminates the City with \u201cLight the World\u201d Giving Machines:\u00a0Touch Lives with One Touch\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Light plays a central role \u2014 and, I think, not merely a symbolic one \u2014 in all of the Abrahamic religions. \u00a0The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, for instance, celebrates the hope that the Jewish people derived from the ancient Hanukkah miracle of lights. \u00a0On Christmas, Christians decorate with electric lights to symbolize Jesus Christ as the light of the world, the Savior. During the holy Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the fanoos<\/em>, or fanoos Ramadan<\/em>, is a lantern that is used to light up homes, mosques, and streets.<\/p>\n One of the most famous verses of the Qur\u2019an reads as follows:<\/p>\n God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The likeness of His light is, as it were, that of a niche containing a lamp; the lamp in a glass, the glass like a radiant star: [a lamp] lit from a blessed tree \u2014 an olive-tree of neither the east nor the west, the oil whereof [so bright that it] would well-nigh give light [of itself] even though fire had not touched it: light upon light! God guides unto His light whomever He wills. (24:35, my translation)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n And light symbolism occurs well beyond the Abrahamic<\/em> faiths \u2014 as, to choose just one example, Diwali<\/em>, the Hindu Festival of Lights.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll confine myself to those for this blog entry.<\/p>\n The Bible opens with light:<\/p>\n In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. \u00a0And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. \u00a0And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. \u00a0And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. \u00a0And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. \u00a0(Genesis 1:1-5)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Gospel of John opens with light, as well, giving us a vast and cosmic perspective on the Christmas story, extending far beyond the familiar stable at Bethlehem of Judea:<\/p>\n In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. \u00a0The same was in the beginning with God. \u00a0All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. \u00a0In him was life; and the life was the light of men. \u00a0And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.<\/p>\n There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. \u00a0The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. \u00a0He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.<\/p>\n That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. \u00a0He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. \u00a0He came unto his own, and his own received him not.<\/p>\n But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.<\/p>\n And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. \u00a0(John 1:1-14)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n But God is not jealous of his light. \u00a0He doesn\u2019t seek to horde it for himself. \u00a0He loves us so much that he wants to share it:<\/p>\n Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. \u00a0Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. \u00a0Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. \u00a0(Matthew 5:14-16)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n How are we to do this?<\/p>\n Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. \u00a0(Matthew 10:8)<\/p>\n Therefore, hold up your\u00a0light\u00a0that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the\u00a0light which ye shall hold up\u2014that which ye have seen me do. \u00a0(3 Nephi 18:24)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Drawing upon his expertise as an artist, a teacher of art, and a professional student of color, our neighbor Dallyn Zundel<\/a> gave a wonderful priesthood lesson a few weeks ago, the fundamental message of which, as I understood it, was that, if we desire to reflect God\u2019s light, we will be able to do it best by ourselves coming to resemble God more closely.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n
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