According to the song, there are 12 Days of Christmas. Many Christian faiths celebrate 4 weeks of Advent. There are 8 Days in Hanukkah, 7 nights in Kwanzaa and our Muslim friends celebrate Ramadan over 30 days. These are days to stop, reflect on our faith and our blessings, and share gifts.
I am thankful for the gift of faith: that we may believe, we may hope, and we may bless. I belong to an Inter-Faith Clergy group and am quietly amazed by that which we have in common. We all hope for a better world. We all teach that our actions can make a difference in this world.
I am thankful for the blessings: good friends to serve and do business with, to turn to for answers and to work side by side with to achieve a measure of success.
I am thankful for the gift of your trust and the ability to give. Over the last few months, I have watched Napa open their hearts and wallets to help victims of fire. We had fire service people from around the world join in the fight to save homes and lives.
Harvest Financial is a business of planning. We provide services in exchange for fees, and we continue to grow. There is much debate about whether corporations are people or machines. I choose to be people with heart. From our bounty, we will give back, and I have put a bit of thought into whom to give to. Hopefully, I honor your trust with the following choices. From our own bounty we will give to the following organizations:
Salvation Army – I have found this organization to act locally and responsibly. There is a high percentage of gifts that return to the needy. They do not have a highly paid CEO.
Enchanted Hills: Lighthouse for the Blind – Nestled amongst the Redwoods west of our town is a magical place for those for whom sight is a struggle. If you watch them work, you might disagree with the word choice, “struggle.” Fires ravaged the Camp which for so many is an opportunity to learn, share and experience together with others without sight.
Teens Connect – I believe strongly in education. I believe that if we are going to change the world, our youth are a great place to start. I believe that education is much more than reading, writing and arithmetic. Providing those life skills that schools often cannot, will make a better world.
However you celebrate this season or any of the other 365 days in a year; give thanks, have faith and hope, and share. Thank you from the Harvest Financial family for all the days that we can Imagine, Believe and Achieve a better world.