Groovies and Groovettes

 There are so many things (decorations, songs, gift giving and more) of Christmas that I love, but it's the people of Christmas that I love the most ~ people with whom I can share the joy and true meaning of this special time of year.  

On Saturday, the Groovies and the Groovettes gathered together in the spirit of the season.  The Groovies are a group of dear friends who inspired me to start this blog two years ago.  We are women with a bit of life under our collective belts who have been together through good times and bad, trying to get real, stay real and live real for God.  I don't have biological sisters but these women are my true sisters in Christ and I love them like family.  The Groovettes are our younger counterparts with whom we are connected in our extended Christian family.  We are mentoring them on life and they are uplifting us in their youth.

It's a wonderful sisterhood.  And as women and sisters, we like to have fun; it's simply in our nature.  Last year we started a new tradition, one of ringing bells together for the Salvation Army.  Let me stop here.  The Salvation Army is an amazing organization that actually spends over 85% of its funds on the very people they exist to serve ~ the downtrodden, the homeless, the helpless.  If you would have told me even a mere five years ago that I would be standing at their red kettle ringing bells in front of one of the doors at our local mall, I would have laughed at you.  But after serving Thanksgiving meals to the less fortunate through the Salvation Army, I am a believer in their mission.

But the Groovies don't just get up in the morning and go bell ringing.  Oh no.  True to form, we make it an adventure, starting with an amazing, five star breakfast.  Last year we served the Groovettes; this year they served us.  It's a time of sharing love, friendship, sisterhood and life ~ a life that tries to honor the very God who came to us as a mere babe in the manager.  And while the food was delicious, the hugs warm and the laughing infectious, it was sharing the stories of what Christ has been doing in our lives this past year that filled my heart, strengthened my bond with these women and energized me for the bell ringing ahead.

Need I say we had a blast?  If you would like to help the Salvation Army help others, just go to their website listed below.  It's the best Merry Christmas gift you will give to yourself as you give to others.


http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-local/ways-to-give