Christmas decorations

[soul dreamer]

I even have been lying to my little kids about Santa Claus.  Hey the tooth fairy came for the first time this year too... 

Regarding the celebration of Christmas, let every man be fully persuaded in his or her own mind (Rom. 14:5).  Let us especially buy up the opportunities to share Christ at this time of the year.

Now I am a friendly person, and usually when someone says, “Merry Christmas,” I simply reply, “Thank you, same to you.” But one time I had this co-worker named Kal who was being sarcastic and cynical regarding those who were saying, “Merry Christmas,” so as he was leaving the office on the last working day before the holidays, he said with a snidely affected tone of voice, “Merry Christmas, Rick.”

I replied, “Oh, yes, thank you for the reminder, Kal.  I do have a very Merry Christ!  He is anointed with more joy than any other man, because He loves righteousness and hates iniquity.   And I praise Him that the Lord of glory whom angels praise came into the world to save sinners, even me, one of the chief sinners!  Yes, Kal, thank you, I indeed have a very Merry Christ, and may you have the same.”

Now, may I pass on a word of caution regarding belief in Santa Claus?  My mom told me from my earliest days that Santa made a list and he checked it twice, he knew if I was naughty or nice, and he supernaturally flew from one home to another – visiting millions of homes in one evening.  I wanted to see Santa, so I pretended to be asleep on Christmas eve (this was when I was about 6 years old).  When I heard some noises in the living room (that was supposed to be deserted by all family members), I came rushing out to see – MY MOM.  HUH?  WHERE IS SANTA?  He left already?  But Mom, then what are you doing out here?  You got to see Santa and I didn’t?  And why are you holding all those gifts to the kids that are signed, “From Santa?”

I FELT BETRAYED, and for a few months I viewed EVERYTHING Mom said with great skepticism.  And now, Mom, you say there is another deity who knows if I am naughty or nice, and He was born of a virgin… Sure mom, just another story of make-believe, right?   Thankfully, by the grace of God I was not permanently scandalized away from the faith by my mother’s betrayal of the truth.

My kids know better.  Nick probably was a real person who lived, gave gifts to the neighborhood kids, and then died hundreds of years ago.  He may even have been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, hence, a real “saint;” so now Saint Nick is with the Lord.  But to keep the peace with the parents of my neighborhood kids, I tell my kids that it is our little secret that we know that Saint Nick died.

Saint Rick (aka “Santa Rickus”)

[outdeep]

I do agree with Rick.  Even after I left the Assembly I never saw a need to include Santa Clause in our traditions.  Even when my kids were young or when we had a foster daughter, I would occasionally let them sit on Santa's knee but I would tell them that it is just a make-believe story that we do for fun this time of year - the focus of the holiday is on Christ.

One of the first Christmas "decorations" we did was take a baby Joey doll, wrap him in a blanket and have him appear in an apple crate in the living room on Christmas morning.  Thus, the day led up to Christ appearing in the "manger".

While I have certainly moved to the position that we have the freedom to lighten up about Christmas and enjoy family, friends, and the spirit of the holidays, I was reminded the other night that it is possible to move too far the other way.

I was working in the kitchen listening to a Manheim Steamroller CD.  They were doing a rendition of O Tannenbaum and the words were starting to register while I was half-listening:

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,
I love thee very dearly.
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,
I love thee very dearly.
On many a happy Christmas night,
Thou brought'st me gifts and joy and light.
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum,
I love thee very dearly.

Still, only half paying attention I said to my wife blankly, "Is Tannenbaum another word for Jesus or something?"  Right when I asked that I realized how silly my question was.  Of course, Tannembaum is a German word for Christmas tree.

So, enjoy a nice cup of egg nog with friends.  But, don't embrace everything.

[Chuck Miller]

Well said, Dave.

God bless,   

Chuck

[just me]

My first thought was to say, "lighten up" everyone.  But don't worry, we reserve Santa Claus for those 3 and under.  Everybody over 5 at my house knows we are just making for cute, fun memories.  The under 3 crowd doesn't understand make believe to well.  It's a joke.  OK!!  Like "sonny if you don't clean your room Santa might not come".  No harm there.

I also keep the Christmas holiday stuff seperate from Christianity.  Since I can't yet see that they are linked at all.  Some of my friends are doing the Birthday cake for Jesus thing on Christmas morning!!  That cracks me up.  We do church, we do Christmas - seperate deals.  But remember, we are only 3 years out of holiday hell so there is still adjustment to come.

You're right Margaret, middle-of-the-road is very difficult for us.  Every year we talk about Christmas gift budgets, every year we can't stop buying nice things for our kids.  We deprived them of things for so many years.  We never even bought new clothes for our kids -- hand-me-downs were readily available.  Yuck.  I can't even stand looking at the old photos.  What dorks we were.  NO MORE LONG FLORAL DRESSES!.

Ooooohhh  Santa Baby.......
Me

[outdeep]

I don't want you to feel that you have to be on the defensive.  You know your kids more than anyone else on the planet so I know you will be discerning about what they can handle, what is best for them and when to do what.  Like many things, Christmas traditions evolve over many years and each year we keep what works and learn from the mistakes or over-excesses of the past.  As long as you are throughtful and you are seeking to honor the Lord, the holidays and your kids will turn out fine.

[outdeep]

Just drove by Brother George's new house.  Boy, was I surprised! (picture below)

[soul dreamer]

Santa Claus visited the Nativity?  Just how old is Santa anyhow?   

[vernecarty]

Just drove by Brother George's new house.  Boy, was I surprised! (picture below)

I'd say he's really got the Christmas spirit doncha think?
Verne

[Cooler King]

Just drove by Brother George's new house.  Boy, was I surprised! (picture below)

Was there a hummer parked in front ?

[al Hartman]

Was there a hummer parked in front ?

...just an old man sitting on the curb, playing "Deck the Halls" on a kazoo-- does that count for a "hummer?"

al

[vernecarty]

Well! Well! Well! Xmas is here!
I awoke this morning to find the Champaign-Urbana landscape blanketed with a glistening layer of freshly laid down snow!
How beautiful is the first snowfall!
Today I am Mr Mom as Anna is not feeling well.
I guess we will spend a lot of time by the fire with a few good volumes...like Calvin and Hobbes...
Verne

[Oscar]

Verne,

You should order the comics published by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. 

It's called "John Calvin and Hobbs."

 

Blessings,

Thomas Maddux

[Joe Sperling]

Santa Claus. What a crock.  Imagine someone who could visit everyone in one night, rewards for being naughty or nice, and loves the little children. I hope my kids don't grow up to REALLY believe there could be someone like that. I mean, who could have an infinite mind like that? Who could know where everyone is at one time, and keep lists of the good and bad? It's like believing someone would store all of our tears in a bottle or something.

I prefer my kids not to use their imagination, or get excited on Christmas morning. I have told them from an early age there are no such things as fairies, or dwarfs, or Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. But I do want them to believe in angels and demons and a supernatural world. You see, that's different. It may not be as fun for a 4 year old, but at least I'm not lying to them.

--Just kidding. I have to say that I am thankful that I believed in Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, fairies and elves, and leprechauns when I was little. My imagination would soar as I thought on these beings, and I could picture them in my mind. I'd see Santa in his toy shop with the elves, and get so excited Christmas morning I would almost burst!!

"THE NARNIA CHRONICLES, The Lion, The Witch and the wardrobe" is coming out on 12-9-05. Can you imagine what a shame it would be for some dry-hearted mother or father to deny a child from seeing that movie because it has "imaginary" beings in it?? Or because it has a "witch" in it? In an effort to protect them from the shock of one day realizing these things aren't real, they withold the very things that cause an imagination to grow, and the joy that comes from using one's imagination.

Believing in Santa Claus never hurt me one bit. I was saddened when I learned he really didn't exist (this happened early last year ), but the joy that came from those few years of childhood is a memory I will always cherish. And I will always cherish all the work my Mom and Dad and Big Sister did to make Christmases so very exciting to me. There was something extraordinary about Christmas to me when I was little, and of course, after I was saved it still remained extraordinary, but in another way. That was one of the hardest things for me in the Assembly--I loved Christmas so much, and to call it "pagan" or to not celebrate it(as I did for a few years) literally deadened December's for me.

Well, I better be going now, I have to mail a couple of letters. I have to check with the Post Office because I always forget how much postage I need to put on a letter going to the Arctic Circle. Not that I believe in Santa any more of course, I have an uncle who lives up there is all

--Joe

[al Hartman]

   ...I have to say that I am thankful that I believed in Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, fairies and elves, and leprechauns when I was little. My imagination would soar as I thought on these beings, and I could picture them in my mind. I'd see Santa in his toy shop with the elves, and get so excited Christmas morning I would almost burst!!

I still believe all that stuff, but I'm trying to quit!  I find it very confusing.  The other night, I left a quarter under my pillow, and in the morning it was gone & one of my teeth had fallen out. 

My dad used to tell me that Santa had assigned a personal elf to every child, to watch us & report back whether we were being bad or good.  I was so convinced that I would sometimes "see" the little guy watching me through a window.  Dad said his name was Harry Clause...

al

[moonflower2]

Hey, does anyone know what the pagans did with their cats after they set up their xmass trees?