Things are Christmassy!

Normal, everyday things seem different around Christmas, don't they? Cold winter nights are just cold in January or February, but at Christmas time they are cozy and crisp! I burn candles all the time, but at Christmas they are prettier. They glow. Burgundy and sage colored home accents are now decidedly red and green. Hot tea is the stuff! Suddenly it not only tastes good, it makes me feel good when I drink it. Surely you know that hot chocolate was made for Christmas! It's always good, but at Christmas it's almost a food group of it's own. At Christmas, it's all more of an experience! I have a better attitude about traffic at Christmas. I listen to and enjoy music that wouldn't excite me any other time of the year. I mean, who listens to Alvin and the Chipmunks or Bing Crosby in June? I don't even mind Wal-Mart as much this time of year. Maybe that's a stretch, but grocery stores, quick stops, gas stations seem friendlier to me, and it's just easier to smile at folks and strike up conversations.

Funny, isn't it? I wonder why it's that way? It's not just a 'mood', really. It's in the air... things 'are' different! It's the magical part of Christmas that I didn't quite outgrow, I guess. If it is childish, I'll keep it. I would really hate to out grow whatever it is that changes the mundane, day to day life into a different, more pleasant place. I wish I could keep it all the time.

I was thinking about all this just now because I'm baking brownies. I bake brownies other nights, but they are just brownies. Tonight, they just smell... well, Christmassy!. It's great! Happy! Comfy! Cozy! Homey!!

It's over cast and cold, with a light, misting rain this evening. In my world that's next to perfect! In my world at Christmas time it's delightful, enchanting, captivating! I think I'll just take full advantage of it all. Maybe I'll stay up late and look out the windows at the mist, or sit on the couch with just a candle burning. I could do that any night I choose, but this time of the year it's just... nicer.

Yes, I know what Christmas is really about, and I am not making light of it, or trying to change the focus. I just really enjoy the feeling of Christmas time.

Me, a candle, and a warm brownie looking out the window at the rain. Sounds good.

I'll add a warm brownie if they make it that long. ;-)

New Beginning

It looks like my thirty day challenge sort of went by the wayside. I just wasn't around much over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I wasn't on the computer much when I was. I think I'll modify my original challenge, and rather than a post every day for thirty days, I'll use Roaming Chile's suggestion and make it three or four times a week instead for say, ten weeks, and see how that goes. That will help me out a lot on the days where I have extra meetings, or if I am studying, or preaching or something, and can't squeeze everything in.

It would be silly to add stress to my life right now. It would be silly to add stress to my life at all, especially something self-inflicted, and as totally avoidable as this. I am already having a bit of a hard time managing things some days, why would I add something more? It would make me dread blogging. That would be absolutely counter productive. I want to blog for fun as much as anything, and it wasn't feeling like fun to me anymore. So allow me to back up and take a deep breath and start over.

3... 2... 1...

On that note, I would like to say that Thanksgiving 2009 was wonderful! My husband had a few extra days off and we spent Thanksgiving day with the family out at the 'big house'. We had food, food, and more food! It was a long, leisurely, lazy, and refreshing time, almost like a vacation for us. My mother in law, Judy, had the house fixed up so nice and pretty with fall colors and lights and candles that I just wanted to stay on and on. Everything was peaceful and calm. It seems like there's precious little of that in our day to day life, and I absorbed every wisp of it that I could while we were there. We talked for hours and had a great time. Even the kids enjoyed it without an x-box, and without arguing. That says a lot!

Judy still had leftovers from Thanksgiving, so she called and asked us to come back out for supper on Saturday. This was the second visit we got to have out there with the family this holiday. I almost said no, because I didn't want to put her to the trouble, but you know, she really liked having us, and I really wanted to go. So, go we did, and I'm glad. Once again we had a wonderful visit. Their house is so cozy and with the weather finally turning cool, and the leaves having fallen, it seemed like just the place to be. It seems like winter has been a long time coming this year. Maybe not, but I was ready for it. I love the cooler months.

My father in law, Jerry, built a fire outside in the fire pit on his front porch to just take the chill off a little. His fire pit looks sort of like the one I found a picture of and posted here. It's pretty. I really liked it. It kept us all mesmerized. Once the flames would die back a bit, we could still watch the fire through the cut-outs in the sides. We sat and stared into it, and out across the valley for a long time, hours probably, until the wind started to blow too cold to enjoy it any longer. We actually got a rare, and pretty decent cloud burst later on into the evening. I can't resist rain any better than I can fire, so I went back outside. Next thing you know I had another log or two in the fire and my husband came back out to sit with me and stare into it with me some more. Before we were done, grampa was back, too. We probably shouldn't have stayed out so long. Grampa told us later that it was way up into the night before his legs ever warmed back up.

Granny, who might have used her smarts a little more than the rest of us, stayed in with the coffee. When we all went back inside, we found she'd saved us a cup or two, and we sat and talked and laughed together. We've really had a good time going out there lately and hesitate to leave when the time comes. If you're reading this, granny and grampa, thanks a bunch! We love you both.

"Oh Lord that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!" ~ William Shakespeare

So, Thanksgiving has passed for 2009, and we're heading into what is going to be a very different Christmas season for us. I will attempt to post throughout the season about the things we're doing and not doing this year. Change comes hard for me during a time of such traditions. I'm sure it will be good... different, but good. Maybe this is where some new traditions will begin. Through it all I want the focus to be on Jesus. I want to be mindful of His presence, and to be a light for Him in a place and time where most would forget Him.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." ~ Joshua 24:15

Be blessed this Christmas season. Be a blessing.

Good night. See you soon.

Christmas '08

What a day! It has been a long, lazy, very happy Christmas day! In all the 25 years I've lived in Arizona, this is the first one I can remember that even bordered on anything like a white Christmas. A week ago it was white! I had intended to write a little in here about it because it's so very unusual, but I was hit pretty hard with a virus the day it snowed, and it took me a week the get better! I was too icky feeling to even go out in it. That's just not like me! All told we got about 5 inches. It snowed great big flakes from the time I got up that morning till after dark that night, and stayed on the ground for over 24 hours. (Yes, that's a picture of my street in the Mohave Desert, AZ!) As long as I've lived here I can't remember that ever happening. I think it was the record for our area, at least it was for Vegas.

Today, well, we're just wet. It's been gray and dismal, and drizzly and absolutely wonderful all day! I'm so happy! I have been waiting for a Christmas that is something besides sunny and finally, Christmas 2008, I got it. Beautiful! My sweet husband even bundled up and stood outside with me because he knows I love it best when he shares things with me. That nearly made my day, knowing that he could generally care less about the weather, and does NOT like cold, wet weather at all. That was my best gift.

The kids have been having trouble sleeping for a few days now, with the excitement and anticipation and everything. They actually went to bed and went to sleep a little bit easier the last night than they had in several days. I think they simply exhausted themselves! Allen and I got to bed pretty late, though. We were seeing to all the last little things so that when we got up everything would be in order. It was nearly 2:00 am before I got in bed with the lights out. I figured we'd probably sleep in until 8:00 or 9:00 like we usually do.

Surprise! Jonathan set his alarm this morning! He was up before 6:00am! It was not because he was so anxious to get to the gifts, although I'm sure that factored in, but he wanted to have a chance to pray and read his Bible a little bit before all of the gift exchanging began so that he could have a good perspective and a right heart about it. Being the mom I was pretty moved by that.

If that wasn't enough, he decided to empty the dishwasher for me so I wouldn't have to wake up and do it on Christmas. That was sweet! It was the clinking and clanking of the dishes that got the attention of the little brother and the animals, and finally my husband and me. I came stumbling in first, groping for the burner knob to start the coffee pot. My husband was busy getting the camera out and set up. The kids were patient and polite through all of that, so we all got together around the Christmas tree and went about the business at hand.

The kids were thrilled with their gifts. I'd known for a long time what they wanted most, and for the most part I had purchased those things awhile back. Video game paraphernalia, model cars, silly hats, GI Joe's and other things boys like. Of course the teenager had to have an MP3 player. My husband and I don't really exchange too much. We always get each other something "from the boys" and maybe some little something else, partly because the kids would be upset if there weren't gifts under the tree for us, too. I got a nice planner and my annual pair of house slippers and bottle of cologne. My husband got a blue tooth headset for his phone. Not to sentimental, but being a truck driver he really needed a decent, hands-free way to use his phone.

Once we had all the gifts open and the trash and boxes out of the way, I was in the kitchen getting ready to cook breakfast when I heard a strange sound calling me from the back of the house. It was calling to me... calling... calling... The closer I got to the sound the more I realized it was actually my husband's snoring, and making me very aware that the kids were busy with their new stuff, and that I had not really gotten much sleep, and that I could probably sneak in there and join him for a little while. Two hours later I made my way back to the kitchen and fixed hash browns and sausage and eggs for everyone. I don't think the kids ever realized we were gone.

I made fudge, which is becoming a yearly event. This year I messed it up somehow. It's edible, but it's just not quite right. That's kind of a drag, because I made it to give as gifts to my friends. By the time I realized it wasn't the best fudge I'd ever made it was too late to make a different batch. I imagine it'll be eaten. It's the spirit of the gift that matters, and it was a labor of love. I actually took a small box of it over to our neighbors across the street. They have been, let's say, "less than friendly" to us over the years, but every once in awhile I take them some little thing. I took them a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. They seemed to appreciate it. They will get back to their old nasty tempered selves soon enough, but just for a moment there we were actually neighbors.

Of course later on in the evening we had our annual nachos and salsa and chips. We always do. I think that tradition got started back years ago when we used to go out Christmas light-looking on Christmas eve. We've had another tradition of letting the kids open stockings on Christmas eve, and I was always trying to make something quick to eat so that we'd have time for both activities, and nachos fit the bill. We stopped going out to look at lights on Christmas eve a long time ago for one reason or another, but somehow the nacho tradition stuck. We have of a lot of little traditions, small and weird they may be. I'm sure all families do. We honored most of them, and we all had a really great time.

This year we bought a card game for the kids called "Apples to Apples". We sat around the kitchen table and played it for hours! It was so much fun! I can't remember having such a good time with all of us around the table just kidding and cutting up. I highly recommend that game to anyone, by the way. We like games okay I guess. We're not real big game players as a rule, but this one was different. It's low stress and not too competitive, full of fun and laughs no matter how old you are. No one threw a fit or got their feelings hurt. No one struggled much with rules or understanding anything. It was just plain and simple fun. Maybe this will be a new tradition.

We're going to go out to the Allen's parent's place tomorrow. His sister and her family are up for a few days, so we're having a the big traditional Christmas dinner out there. That will be nice. We'll get to visit for awhile, and it will make more good Christmas memories for the kids. My husband always says that nothing's quite as over as Christmas, and this will extend it for another day.

I wish it could go on and on. My husband has been home for a few days back to back, which rarely happens, and we've all spent some happy times together. I wish I could have seen my other kids. I talked to my daughters, but I couldn't reach my son. We thought he and his wife would be by today, he said they would, but I guess something came up. Maybe we'll hear from them tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I'm finishing up my cup of holiday tea, and then it's off to bed with me.
Good night, merry Christmas, and God bless you.

Christians and Chritmas Trees

It looks like once again we are back to the old topic of Christmas trees and whether or not Christians should have one. Seems like every year about this time I get someone coming to me for advice who has been upset because someone has told them they should not have a Christmas tree, and they are confused and afraid that they are doing something wrong. Either that or I get people who want to tell me why I shouldn't have a Christmas tree or tell me all of their reasons why they don't have one just as soon as the subject comes up. Frankly, all I can think of say to them is "I see" or "that's nice", because it's such a silly thing to argue about! Walk in what light you have and stop trying to get everyone else to see things your way! I realize that when you are convicted about something that you really feel a need to share your convictions with others, but on non-essentials, beliefs that don't make or break your Christian walk, it's really between the individual and God, isn't it? Maybe just wait until someone asks you.

"Well, what about Jeremiah?" I've heard people try to say that Jeremiah 10:1-4 refers to Christmas trees, and that we can use that passage to say that we shouldn't have a Christmas tree, but, first of all, the Christmas tree is a relatively recent practice, and Jeremiah was way before Jesus' birth... HELLO! Not likely that it's a direct reference to Christmas trees. Other than that obvious fact, I'd say that as long as you are not worshiping your Christmas tree itself, or the works of your hands in creating it, or you are not offering things to it because you fear it, or you think it might go well with you if you do, then it's safe to have a Christmas tree. It's entirely possible that some remote origins have some kind of pagan roots. I've heard that they do, and I've heard that they don't. As for me and my house, we're not pagan, and we're not worshiping the tree or it's decorator. It's just a festive tradition that brings joy and warm feelings to our home and family.

That particular passage of scripture in Jeremiah is talking about idol worship. The people of Jeremiah's day were lousy with idol worship, particularly concerning trees. They worshiped the trees themselves, but they didn't limit their idolatry to the trees, they worshiped and sacrificed many things, including their own babies, to many gods, under the trees. It was common to find them practicing under trees, so much so that reference is made by many historians and scholars to them practicing under "every" tree. Whether that actually means every tree, or maybe it meant most, or every tree in a certain place or of a certain type, I don't know, but that indicates to me that it was very common. In the Bible, any time they are talking about "high places" in conjunction with trees, that's what they mean; idolatry.

In this particular case, there were craftsmen in Jeremiah's day who were taking the creation of God, the tree, and cutting it down, preserving it, decorating it, then propping it back up, and worshiping and giving offerings to it. The people were also praising and idolizing the craftsman who "created" and erected it. Jeremiah was talking about the extreme degree of vanity and madness that was evident among them for them to take God's beautiful and living creation, His tree, "re-creating" it by cutting it down and killing it, and dressing it up and doing all of that, taking credit for it's creation, then falling down before it in worship. It's a picture of how far gone they were. I guess if they had used a mattress in Jeremiah's day instead of a tree we'd be trying to start doctrines about how evil beds are and advocate setting up hammocks for ourselves.

Obviously idol worshiping is sinful. I have a lot less of a problem with a Christmas tree than I do a lot of other things that are considered acceptable today, even preferable. Look what the so called "green" groups are doing today. They aren't killing the trees, but they are surely worshiping the them. They worship the Earth and believe that they are powerful enough as a species to make or break Mother Earth with their own hands. It's the same with wicca and so called "white" witch crafts. They are nature worshipers among other things. They just can't bring themselves to acknowledge a creator or give Him any glory. That would mean they are actually accountable to someone, and that would mean things would have to be re-thunk and changed!

I'm just trying to point out that it's the worship of a thing that isn't God that is the problem, not the thing itself. That seems to be a confusing issue for some reason.

People can take any verse to extremes. If they're convicted about having a Christmas tree then they certainly shouldn't have one, and far be it from me to try to convince them otherwise. ALWAYS be true to your own convictions. Maturity in Christianity will clarify things as we grow, and it offers a fair amount of freedom when you get over into these kinds of issues. I don't feel any conviction about any of that stuff. None. You could conceivably use the same verse to say it's wrong to cut your grass or trim your hedges because it's taking something natural and God-made, and changing it, and admiring the works of you hands. An immature Christian, someone without enough solid learning under their belt, might feel that way. I'm free of concerning myself about it. I am also free to enjoy my Christmas tree if I so choose. Yes, I have a Christmas tree.

One year we had a nice nativity scene on a small table and we decorated the area it was sitting in so that the kids would still have all of the Christmas-y looking things that they enjoy and look forward to so much. It was nice and we didn't miss our tree at all. We had the lights and all of the hand made ornaments that the kids had made in years gone by up around the big front window, and the nativity was set in front of it. It was beautiful. We've been talking about just decorating with a manger scene, and have a "manger" - a decorated box or some such thing - that we could put the presents in and around. I think if I feel any conviction at all about any of this it's that we spend way too much money and place way too much importance on the gift-giving aspects of Christmas, and I think the manger idea would at least focus us a bit more on the Truth. Honestly, though, when you think about it, none of it is really any different... little "dolls" set up in a fake little nativity set and decorated, little "boxes" or trees being decorated, mayonnaise jars, bed frames, tractors, or you name it! Whatever you set up and decorate would be the same. It's just your attitude and your purpose.

We are created in the likeness and image of God, and God is creative. He put it in our make up to be creative, and not everything we create and enjoy falls under the classification of idolatry. We also tend to be festive and traditional folks. It stands to reason that people would make a mess of such simple little things because they think they need to try to be faultless, or maybe appease an angry god or some such thing. I have good news for you if that's the case. God's not angry. You can't perform well enough to earn your acceptance, nor work hard enough to be faultless in His eyes, but I know Someone Who already did it for you! Relax and get to know Him! The rest will fall into place.

Merry Christmas!