So I'm back again! How about we try this again just however and whenever the mood hits me? Sometimes the thought of conforming to a pattern/expectation overwhelms me...

We're doing the clean white to symbolize a clean start :).

And it's also snowing outside. So beautiful. I love the times when it looks as though each snowflake is really a whole party of snowflakes converged together.

It's getting close to Christmas! Finally got my Christmas cards done. Enjoyed finalizing the letter we put inside because I was able to articulate my beliefs about the season fairly accurately I think, without being too in-your-face about it. It's hard to maintain the balance of conveying strong beliefs without appearing judgmental. I really do believe that each family has the freedom and right to choose for themselves (hopefully with God's leading) what is best for them. The biggest problem I have is when people don't think it through - I have a hard time respecting someone who says "oh we just do it because it makes us happy!" Sure, there are some things you can have that kind of carefree attitude about, but I don't think it's wise to have that attitude about subjects that have something to do with setting the tone for your children's attitudes about God...

I think I just need to vent right now about Santa, so please excuse my indulgence and try to forgive me!

I grew up with Santa. I remember being told the real story by a neighbor sometime around 4th grade and being incredulous and totally embarrassed at the news. How could I have been so gullible? I didn't tell my parents for awhile, though, because I thought No Santa = No Gifts. When I finally told them, they reassured me that we would still get gifts (whew!). We also did the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. My mom in particular wanted us to have a sense of the magical in each of the holidays. Which I suppose is OK, but these games ended up planting a seed of distrust in my relationship with my parents.

Ever since I can remember having a self-consciousness, I remember feeling an emptiness. As if nothing was quite able to make me feel whole. Various activities and things stuffed inside helped a little, but lasted a very short time. The anticipation of Christmas Day all December long was fun, but as soon as the gifts were all opened, the magic was over and the emptiness was back. Later, I looked for fulfillment in the arms of boys who thought I was hot and maybe a little mysterious. I smoked cigarettes and pot. I did the depression thing. I quit college.

Through it all, my parents had NOTHING to say. By that I mean they had NO ANSWERS for anything. Superficial sympathy, rickety remedies, foolish formulas. I honestly don't remember my parents being involved in my teenage years at all, mostly because I kept them out. Mom made herself a buffer between me and my Dad because we butted stubborn heads so much. And when I did have long talks with Mom, I felt no relief, got no authoritative wisdom...

To me, Santa is the secular world's god-in-my-pocket. Once a year, they are able to satisfy their craving for a higher power. But the joke is that he's more an IDEAL than a reality. And ideals are controlled by the idealist. Additionally, parents get to put on a god-hat themselves and be extra benevolent to satisfy their craving for being selfless and worshipped. But it isn't EVER enough!

I understand why the secular world does it. But I really don't understand how/why Christians continue the Santa game. Santa is given god-like qualities ("he sees you when you're sleeping," he doesn't die, etc). Children are told that you can't see Santa, but he's real. Then later the kids find out you have been lying to them (a sin in itself) but that even though you lied to them about Santa being real, you should 100% believe them that God is real. Some costumed man they don't know and who doesn't love them is giving them lots of presents (rewards) for being good (doesn't this sound like works-based religion?). Not to mention this man is giving them lots of STUFF they don't need...

Which is another thing I dislike about Christmas. To step up on my soap box for a moment, we Americans are downright FILTHY rich compared with a majority of the world. SO MANY countries full of people who can't afford basic necessities, own only the clothes on their backs, and don't have clean water to bathe in and drink. Yet we continue to gift each other with gaming systems, yet another novel plastic toy, yet another overpriced outfit... And if that wasn't enough, we go into DEBT (or at the very least, spend WAY more than we should) to do it! We console ourselves in our selfishness by doing a token charity here and there (probably 1% of the total amount we spend on ourselves), but deep down we know we're being wicked. Why do we do this year after year?!?

Some say they give gifts at Christmas because the Wise Men gave gifts to Jesus. Missing the point there - they gave gifts to JESUS! NOT to themselves in honor of Jesus! They were paying homage to the King of every Nation on Earth! Can we honestly say our gift-giving to each other is paying homage to the kingship of Christ?

Others say they give gifts because God gave His greatest gift to US at Christmas! Huh? Am I missing something? God's greatest gift was Jesus because Jesus was the answer to the world's greatest need - salvation, forgiveness, relationship with our Creator. His gift satisfied our deepest longings. His gift wasn't material stuff that made the rich richer.

I understand wanting to show love to others. And I encourage giving gifts that are needed to the needy. But how many of us (our families and friends - the people we give gifts to every year) are actually needy? How many of us prefer to be shown love through gifts rather than genuine loving time, concern, words, hugs, etc?

The BEST Christmas gift we can give is and always will be Jesus. That's why I'm so excited that Michael and I are both so committed to supporting missions work. Michael has a Holy Fire for getting us out of debt so that we can start giving like we really want to. And I have a bug in my britches to GO - SOMEWHERE! :)

... Anyway... I just want people to think through their rituals/traditions. Don't be content to just go on with them because that's what you've always done or because you like it. Reexamine why you do the things you do (be honest!) and compare those reasons with scriptural principles. If you do this and still feel good about what you are doing, AWESOME! God may have you do things differently than my family, and that's great! He has perfect purposes for everything! But please just allow Him the opportunity to shed His light on whatever you do and tell you what He finds. And be open to hearing what He has to say. I think your Christmas will be more Merry than ever if you do!

Besides, why do we need to make up things to make the season magical? It already is more than miraculous and wondrous all by itself! God is more creative and more awe-some than any fictitional character we could ever invent! When we stop to think about the incredible reality of the Christmas story, we can't help but be blown away. WHAT A GOD WE HAVE!

Thanks for humoring me with this post! I needed that! :)