Well, one of those friends sent over the question, "Any suggestions, Denny?"
Sure.
But please don't think I'm suggesting that you just go spend money for spending's sake. We're not into that. When it comes to money matters, tithing, sharing and saving should always be priorities for Christians.
But when you do purchase goods and services, do it right. For instance, Claire and I avoid commerce with companies that are into bad stuff. Whenever there are alternatives, we avoid goods made in Communist China and other countries that grossly disrespect human rights. And we like to support fair trade, local merchants and family-oriented businesses.
So who might I suggest as Christmas shopping possibilities for National Small Business Saturday? Well, don't forget that a lot of national companies have locally-owned franchises and affiliates. Those make excellent choices. But you might also consider gift certificates from barbers and hairdressers, restaurants (Dolce, Cascio's and Lithuanian Cafe are our favorites), thrift stores and used bookstores, bakeries (Gerda's and Garden Cafe come to mind), a nursery or flower shop, LaRue Coffee, butchers (could you do better than Stoysich?) or any one of the hundreds of stores and services listed in the Small Business Directory at the Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
So, how about it? Maybe we'll see you out tomorrow during National Small Business Day.
