Sunday, December 21, 2008

Merry Christmas to all!!!




Why does one very small extra child make things a whole lot harder to get done? It really is not proportional that having two kids instead of one should make it difficult for me to get things done. Oh, well. She's worth it! Christmas cards have been extra challenging this year to get sent. Please look at the card above and know that you are loved and appreciated by our family. We pray God's best for you and your family in the coming year. Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Christmas isn't coming???

So, Judah and I were watching Saturday morning cartoons. Darby, Pooh Bear, and friends were singing about how Christmas wasn't coming because Santa lost the presents and had called the whole thing off. I turned to Judah and said,
"They're being silly, aren't they?"
"Yeah," Judah grinned and looked at me.
"Judah, what's Christmas really about?"
His little face scrunched up in concentration and then he remembered,
"Jesus!"
"I hugged him and nodded. "That's right! Santa can't cancel Christmas because its about Jesus. Even if no one got presents, Christmas would still happen."
Judah turned to the TV and yelled, "Christmas is about JESUS!"

I tell you this anecdote because I am so excited about this idea of Operation Take Christmas Back. I started a couple days ago as it said on my blog and already it is bearing fruit. I don't even know the lady who thought of this plan, but I read her blog and am being blessed because of it. Thank you to all of you who put positive, uplifting, challenging, Christ-glorifying ideas on your blogs, facebook, myspace, e-mail, etc. You never know the fruit that is reaped.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Operation Take Christmas Back



So after my last blog, my friend Megan referred me to another blog post with an idea called Take Christmas Back. I love it and want to do it. The basic idea is to do something everyday leading up to Christmas Day to help us (and our kids) remember the true meaning of Christmas. Reading the Christmas story, serving others, etc. I'm up for it and I hope you are too. Feel free to grab the image above and spread the news. Operation Take Christmas Back has begun!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Gifts, gifts, and more gifts?

Disclaimer: I am not Scrooge. I love gifts. I love Christmas.

So, our basement bedroom overfloweth with Christmas presents waiting (somewhat impatiently) to be wrapped... At the same time, our house overfloweth with stuff. Over the past few months, I have been realizing more and more just how much "STUFF" we have. And I'm not just talking about my particular house. Practically everyone I know has far many more things than we have ever needed. Now, I'm not saying that economic times are not hard, and I know that the dollar doesn't stretch as far as it used too. Indeed, I have friends and acquaintances that are in real trouble with respect to mortgages, rising grocery prices, and skyrocketing unemployment. I simply feel a need to purge my house of extra things. I am ready to cart everything off to Oasis ministries and Goodwill. Does anyone else see the crazy irony in the fact that while I feel this way, I am purchasing gifts to fill up my house and the houses of our friends and relatives yet again. Yikes!
This year I must be getting old. I am far more excited about spending time with family than the prospect of receiving Christmas surprises. People are of so much more value than all the exciting merchandise of the season.
Thanks for listening to my venting.

Oh, I am trying to really get the idea of gratitude across to Judah. Does anyone have any ideas on how to teach this rather ethereal concept?

The hubby and me

The hubby and me