Month: December 2009

The Last Day of the Year

It’s the last day… of the year 2009.

I’ve reviewed the year…various aspects of our life and family. Yes, I’ve taught manners, English, Maths and Science. I’ve taught life skills, domestic skills, health, fitness and Bible study. It’s been a pretty good year.

Do you love me?

But what of these are my greatest passion to share? Have I shared my greatest passion with my family? What is my passion? I can say it but is it true? Is my greatest passion truly Christ? Do I love Him before all else?

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
John 21:15-16

Feed my lambs

Have I fed the lambs that God has entrusted to my care? Have I fed them Christ Himself? Have I opened up God’s word and shown them Christ… have I taught them to love God, to trust Him and to do His will by way of a living example?

Feed the lambs… tend the sheep. Have I loved the children with a shepherd’s love? Love, protection, guidance and provision of needs is very important but they also need Soul-Food … the pure word of God.

Follow Me (v19)

Evaluation, assessments, outcomes all look for fruit but the truest form of learning in the life of a believer is to follow Christ. Knowledge, even of spiritual matters, may have some value but it does not attain for us that much needed salvation. The outcome of seeing and knowing is living and doing.

All year I have seen Jesus through the gospels. I’ve read His words. Now I need to follow Him. This past year with all its ups and downs cannot be changed. Regrets are a waste of time. However a New Year is upon me. The only way for it to be better is by following Christ more closely – to go where He leads, without questioning or rationalising. I don’t know what 2010 will bring for me or our family. It may be a year of struggles, of trials, of suffering or it may be a year of joy and peace…it may be a year of all! That is not mine to question – my only duty is to obey and follow Him.

As I close this year on my blog I’ll enter a new one – 2010. I want this next year to be fruitful, peaceful and beautiful…not by my circumstances or my surroundings but my walk with Jesus.

Costello buys a computer

My sister-in-law sent this to me via email…I immediately thought of my husband and my dad- two wonderful guys who, in their own unique ways, are very funny. Dad, I know you may not completely understand it but you’ll appreciate it anyway. 😉

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on…

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, ‘Who’s on First?’ might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks I’m setting up an office in my den and I’m thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name’s Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don’t own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name’s Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don’t know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let’s just say I’m sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue ‘W’.

COSTELLO: I’m going to click your blue ‘w’ if you don’t start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That’s right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What’s bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn’t it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on ‘START’…. 😀

My New Year's Resolution

Oh dear, are you sick of re-posts yet? Here’s another one, originally from 2007/2008

I don’t make New Year resolutions! Years ago, after many failed resolutions I declared that I would make only one more New Year resolution. That would be that I would never make New Year resolutions! I can report that I have been successful with that resolution.

I have a few friends and I think I sometimes get on their nerves with my incessant questioning of everything. To everything I ask the 5W’s and a H (I think that might be a theme for my year). If a friend tells me they’re moving interstate, I ask ‘Why?’. Yet another friend will excitedly share a new curriculum to use with their child and I’ll ask, ‘Why?’. I can’t help myself. I don’t do it deliberately, I promise. I just want to know why. So it was with New Year resolutions. I wanted to know why it was such a common practice. Oh, I used to love that feeling of being able to have a fresh start, a blank slate to begin again with but then I truly realised that every day is a new day. There isn’t anything special or empowering about a New Year resolution or any other goal for that matter. About 3000 years ago, the Ancient Babylonians were in the practice of making a New Year resolution. (There truly is nothing new under the sun eh? 🙄 ) I’m not sure I need to model myself after them!

So, why make a resolution? I guess people practice it because of that clean, fresh start feeling. But I’m reminded time and time again that every day is a new day. I don’t have to wait until next week, next term or next year to work to a goal. I can start tomorrow.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

“We’re not doing things and asking God to bless it. We’re asking God what we should do, and then He provides. There is a difference.”

~ Faith Like Potatoes

My motivation is the important matter in setting goals or resolutions. If God is at the centre then I’ll have greater chance of success. For God’s sovereign will comes into the picture even as a homeschooling mum! If my goal is in accordance with His will, and His will is what I most desire then He will enable me to fulfill that goal…giving me strength as I work through with (learning) diligence.

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

While I don’t do New Year resolutions, I do practice goal setting. This can and should be done regularly, at all times of the year. For me, it is about setting a goal – breaking it into manageable, attainable, smaller steps with frequent evaluation and assessment. This just becomes a part of life- a natural part of life. Years ago, I taught ‘Miss A’ about goal setting, within the context of her chosen sport. She took the principles, applied them and achieved success. So much so, that she is now a better and more efficient goal setter than I am, in every aspect of her life! Now, that’s real life learning!

Goal setting steps

Firstly, I pray and ask God for wisdom (James 1:5)
Then, I’ll pray (again without ceasing) and ask God for practical steps to fulfilling those goals and breaking them into manageable, little bit by little bit, steps.
Pro actively set out to attain the manageable steps, setting in place measures whereby I can be accountable, all the while relying on His strength.
Thank Him for any success and failure. When I achieve success, be sure to give God the glory and keep an open heart to Him so that I may be humble and not grow in pride. Sure, but what about giving thanks in failure? What? Why give thanks in failing? Oh I am so thankful that our Father has promised to accept all who believe, regardless of their worthiness. John 6:40 I am thankful that when I fail or lose it or don’t achieve my goals, I am thankful that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

I really liked Leonie’s thoughts about motto’s and themes. (Teehee, she does these but not goals! My, how different we all are 😀 ) I would have to agree with her- at least for my life. I have had themes. I remember a few years ago a theme for me was, Bloom Where You Are Planted. It was just after another interstate move that I didn’t want. I spent a good part of the year sulking and complaining, hibernating from everyone. Until I learned that I need to “Bloom Where I am Planted”! That became my catch-cry for the next year- on until the next move interstate. Another year my theme was “Just Do it!”. I had spent years trying to learn and practice a new method of Bible study…after after it all I found the easiest way was to Just Do It! I’ll figure the finer details out once I start doing it. This past year I guess my theme was Fit n 40.

Unlike Leonie though, I don’t really develop my themes in advance. (Bravo to Leonie for being so gung-ho and proactive though. She has more energy than I do. 😉 ) I’ll have to wait a little while until this year happens to see what my motto or theme will be, although I strongly suspect I have already written of two themes in this post! If you read my blog regularly you’ll probably pick up on it yourself.

Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Psalm 37:5-6

So what about you? Do you make New Year resolutions? If so, why? Do they work for you? If so, to what do you credit with your success? Maybe you don’t do goals or resolutions- I’d love to hear from you too! Share with me what works for you.

Hang It!

There is something special and beautiful about hanging one’s clean laundry on the line. I love the fresh crispness of the clothes… knowing that they’ve been additionally whitened, brightened and deodorised by the shining sun. I still use the dryer for some things like socks and underwear and I might also throw the towels in the drier just to fluff them up a little. The added benefit of using the line to dry clothes is that they last longer! Have you ever noticed all the lint that collects in the lint filter of the drier? A lot of that is the clothes slowly wearing away… a good reason to line dry.

In fact I love my washing machine! I love the convenience…but I must tell you that the cleaning power doesn’t come close to that of twin tubs, let alone the old wringer washing machine my mum used to use. On more than one occasion dad offered to buy her an automatic washing machine but she wouldn’t take him up on the offer – she didn’t mind the hard work and she loved the results! I’ve often said to John that our next machine should be a twin tub machine…but we’ll wait and see. It would take a bit of a mind switch for me to develop a new weekly laundry routine, but I’m sure I would manage. What is your laundry routine?

A new year…a new look!

I’ve been at it again…playing around with my site. I just can’t help it. I love web design and seeing what I can do next. I was really happy with the look of my previous theme but I wasn’t overly impressed with its performance so I went for a new theme. However you may be forgiven for thinking that the site doesn’t look all that different, because the basic structure and navigation has stayed the same- because I like it and it works!

The home page tells a little about the site but if you want to go to the blog page, simply click on ‘blog‘ which is the third link along in the navigational menu at the top. don’t forget to hover over the menu to view the drop down items.

As is typical with me the site is not finished…it’s a work in progress. I will continue to tweak it here and there as I have time. I could have waited until I had it ‘just right’ but I really wanted to get it done so I can start on a new look for AussieHomeschool. So it’s not perfect but it’s done. Let me know what you think of it, particularly with regard to page load speed, performance and navigation.

Don’t forget to check out my web development hobby, Kerugma Designs. You can ask for a free quote on any website project, no matter how big or small.

Reviewing My Online Productivity

I’m reviewing…everything I do online.

It’s something I do regularly, more than once a year but I do seem to take it more seriously at the end of the year.

Why do I blog? Why do I tweet and have a Facebook? Why do I have AussieHomeschool? Why do I have AH Twitter, FB and the blog? What fruit do they bear?

What is the aim of these things? Is this the best use of my time?

Truthfully, I don’t know the answers to the question- what fruit do they bear? I know why I do what I do but is it worth it? I know what my aim is…but am I too busy with fingers in too many pies?

It’s right and good that I reassess these things. I have 2 daughters. One is 18, a homeschool graduate and pursuing her interests to the glory of God. My 16yodd has finished school and is a first year apprentice chef. The girls alone keep me fairly busy but add two boys to the mix and I really need to use my time wisely. My 14yods is homeschooling high school (Yr 9/10) in 2010 and is an Air Force Cadet who spends most of his free time training. My 12yods will be homeschooling Yr 7/8 and we’ll be looking to expose him to a few different experiences next year…to ascertain his interests, delights and God given strengths.

I spent nearly 9 months of this year trying to get Fit n 40. It was truly a journey of spurts and spills…and I just started to get somewhere along the road of progress when…I resumed softball. Coaching is great – I love it! I also love playing again, albeit that my mind is more willing than my flesh. However, I either went back to playing too early or I shouldn’t have attempted it at all as I have re-injured my knee. Now, even pottering around the house is incredibly painful and draining. Yes, I do plan to have it looked at…as soon as I get a spare day to go to the doctor.

Next year I want to do more, to give more of myself to the boys and their lessons and to my husband and our marriage. Naturally I still want to be involved in the Australian homeschooling community but how? In what way will be the most productive…will bear fruit? What are my ‘big rocks’? What is the ‘sand‘? Of course I talk to my husband about it…although he trusts me…trusts that I will do what is right. He doesn’t dictate my activities to me, although sometimes I wonder if that would be nice? (Nah, I actually love that about him- he trusts me, he respects me, he thinks I am capable!)

This is where my heart and my head have been over the last few weeks. I’ve been praying about it all, and asking God to reveal to me the things I do in ‘the flesh’ along with the superfluous activities and the things that bear fruit and are productive.

What process do you use to discern which activities are fruitful and which need pruning?

Christian Training of Children

“Christian Training of Children” by Charles Spurgeon

“Parents! Your children are as surely as grown-up people, “dead in trespasses and sins!” May no parent fail fully to realize the spiritual state in which all human beings are naturally found. Unless you have a very clear sense of the utter ruin and spiritual death of your children, you will be incapable of being made a blessing to them. Go to them, I beg you, not as to ‘sleepers’ whom you can by your own power awaken from their slumber–but as to ‘spiritual corpses’ who can only be quickened by a divine power!

If you think that your child is ‘not really depraved’, if you indulge foolish notions about the ‘innocence of childhood’, it should not surprise you if you remain barren and unfruitful.

If you would bring spiritual life to your child–you must most vividly realize that child’s state. It is dead, dead! God will have you feel that your child is dead in trespasses and sins–as you once were. God would have you come into contact with that death by painful, crushing, humbling sympathy. If you would raise your dead child to spiritual life–you must feel the chill and horror of your child’s death yourself. You must have, more or less, a distinct sense of the dreadful wrath of God, and of the terrors of the judgment to come. Depend upon it, when the spiritual death of your children alarms and overwhelms you–then it is that God is about to bless you!”

What do you think?

Fragrance of the heart of Christ

Originally found in my facebook inbox, from the group Disciple Like Jesus

from J. R. Miller’s “Our New Edens”

Parents are the custodians of their children’s lives. If they would meet their responsibility and be able to look God and their children in the face at the judgment, they must make their homes as nearly ‘gardens of Eden’ as possible.

The way to save your children from the temptations of the streets–is to make your home so bright, so sweet, so beautiful, so happy, so full of love, joy and prayer–that the streets will have no attractiveness for them–no power to win them away. “Do not be overcome by evil–but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

The place of the home-life among the influences which mold and shape character, is supreme in its importance. Our children are given to us in tender infancy–to teach them and train them for holy, worthy, beautiful living.

It is not enough to have an opulent house to live in! It is not enough to have fine foods, and luxurious furniture, and expensive entertainments! Most of the world’s worthiest men and women, those who have blessed the world the most–were brought up in plain homes, without any luxury!

It is the tone of the home-life, that is important. We should make it pure, elevating, refining, inspiring. The books we bring in, the papers and magazines, the guests we have at our tables and admit to our firesides, the home conversation, the pictures we hang on our walls–all these are educational. As in everything, LOVE is the great master-secret of home happiness.

The religious influences are also vitally important. In that first ‘garden home’, the Lord came and went as a familiar friend. Christ must be our guest–if our home is to be a fit place either for our children or for ourselves. If there is no sincere prayer in it, it is not a true home at all–it is only a heathen lodging-place!

How can we make ‘new Edens’ of our homes? What are some of the secrets of home happiness? I might gather them all into one word and say–CHRIST! If we have Christ as our guest–our home will be happy! He must be welcomed into all our life. He must be in each heart. He must sit at our tables and mingle with us in all our family interaction. Christ can bless our home, only through the lives of those who make the home circle.

Make your home so sweet, so heavenly, with love and prayer and song and holy living–that all through it, there shall be the fragrance of the heart of Christ!

Safe at 3rd but…

We’ve always taught our children to apply themselves to a given task with intensity and purpose. This sometimes sees them succeed and other times sees a result such as the image below.

: click to enlarge

Yes, this is Miss A’s x-ray of her hand. Whilst playing softball, she slid into third base, doing an avoidance slide, and caught her thumb the wrong way on the base. The result was a nasty thumb dislocation. We have to go to a SportsMed today or tomorrow so that they can assess the hand and see if there is been much ligament damage. The downer about it all is that she has another Open Women’s Tournament in 4 weeks, heading straight into the U/19 Tournament. This is her last year in U/19 and she really wanted to do well. She is also Captain of this team. She’d hate to miss out on playing, so we are praying for a miracle. If you would like to join us in prayer, we would be appreciative.

Oh yes… she was safe at 3rd 😉

Who, Why, What, When: Christmas In Our Home

Yes, yet another re-post from the archives…

We don’t ‘do’ Christmas. Years ago when the children were small, we tried. But we would get a knot in the pits of our stomach. A few years ago, the commercialism of it all used to be a huge bother to me…now I’ve pretty much accepted that is the way it is and I’m not gonna change the world but I can impact or influence my own family so I’ll stick to that. 😉

We have no problem with anyone who does celebrate Christmas though. For us, it is not a divisive issue – we are free to visit people and receive a gift (at the risk of our refusal offending them) and we are free not to. It isn’t an issue of salvation – our salvation is not dependent upon whether we celebrate Christmas or not.

Everything we do should be expressly Christ-centered; God-honoring.

We don’t talk much about it either as it is our walk, our decision, our beliefs and as is isn’t salvation dependent, there are more important issues to preach about! I have many discussions on forums about this and after receiving a personal email about it I thought I’d post here.

a) Why did you make the decision to not celebrate Christmas.
Firstly because of the commercialism but then because it all seemed to so empty and meaningless. We tried hard to think of ways to ‘put Christ back into Christmas’. Some people have said that there is no scriptural basis for celebrating the birth of Christ, but I don’t see that…I see that God desires us to teach our children His ways and he is into object lessons in a big way, so I don’t have a problem with doing things to remember the birth of Christ as it is all part of God’s redemptive story! We teach God’s story but we do it all the time. Plus the whole white Christmas thing is a bit over the top, especially as Aussies! 😉 We did try a few of the unit studies centred around Christmas and the symbols of Christmas, just in case I was being a stickler, but the more often we did them, the more the whole things stuck in my side and I couldn’t get past it. We tried doing Advent readings but I lost track of it all. We have read some of the books by Arnold Ytree but these are beautiful books that can be enjoyed at any time of the year! We’re about to start another one real soon.

When I went researching this whole thing a few years ago, I found some real loopy sites (be wary of what you allow your mind and heart to ingest) …some real genuine sites, some real genuine articles…but the more I read, the more confused I could sense I was getting. One could find a thousand articles against Christmas or celebrating it and another thousand articles for it…a lot of Scripture is thrown in there on both sides. What is one to do? I reckon its like most issues – we each need to seek God, study the Word and trust that in this, the Holy Spirit will lead you in all truth – John 14:26

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’
Matthew 15:8

It’s not something I think one can be convinced of – the Holy Spirit needs to convict us, we don’t need to be convinced by man. 🙂 I am glad that I am not saved because of this issue. I do believe that each person must seek God for themselves and not be lead my man’s teaching alone. God is our judge and He alone. I’m also glad that we are not bound by our stance with Christmas. Jesus gives us freedom, not bondage.

b) My family likes Christmas. I can’t not celebrate it. What can I do?
Rather than ask the question of should we or shouldn’t we, maybe we can ask God “how should we”? Sometimes a different question is the way that we can turn our ear and heart to hear His still, small voice. It’s really a matter of personal study, conviction and relating with God and His word. Do your own personal study. Learn the history of Christmas. It’s all very interesting.
If we take Christ out of everything Christmas, what would we do? What would we be left with? A get together, BBQ’s, presents, cards, holidays, lots of food, etc. If we take Christ out of everything Easter, what would we do? Take Christ out of Easter and you still have a holiday, eggs, chocolate, bilbies and lillies.

‘In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.’
Matthew 15:9

I have taught my children how to bless me for Mother’s Day. I’ve taught them how to bless their Dad on Father’s Day. It is about honoring the person. (I teach my children to do this so they can bless and honor others- it isn’t all about me ;0) You wouldn’t honor me on Mother’s Day by giving me a drill and taking me to the hardware store! But you wouldn’t honor John by giving him a box of chocolates or a new PDA. 😉 You would consider the person who is due the honor. In what way would they want to be honored?

We should consider how God wants to be honoured. The things that are honoring to God are the songs we sing, the prayer we pray, the Scriptures we read, the talks we have, the way in which we live and breathe. But these things are to be done all the time or regularly as worship. If we want to have a get together with lots of food and give presents then we can- we don’t need to make an excuse which we think and the world says, is about Christ, when it really isn’t about Christ. The way the world treats Christmas (generalisation) is often nothing more than self indulgence! The world loves Christmas time with all its celebrations. Holidays, food, gifts, etc. Yet it denies the very one whom it is supposedly about! Oh it’s okay to remember Christ as a babe but not the Saviour of the Human race. For many, it is just about *me*. That is largely how the world sees it.

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world…wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important?has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out…but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
1 John 2:15-17

So, if Christmas is going to be something that you do, then how you do it needs to be considered. Who is it about? Why are you doing it? When are you doing it? What will you do? Where will you do it? And how will you go about it? (Sorry my little brain uses the 5 W’s and H) If it is the Lord you are seeking to honor, then go to Him and see how He would be honored? (Like the Father’s Day principle 😉 See, I did have a point in there somewhere)

I know these thoughts are not for everyone, and that’s okay. This is our walk and our journey. But I also want you to know that we don’t judge other’s for celebrating the birth of Jesus the Messiah.

A few links:

Spurgeon on Christmas
The Christmas Irony
What does Jesus want for Christmas
When there is crisis at Christmas
Christmas and Advent
The Babe who will not be tamed
We did this Christmas quiz a few years ago and we’ll go through it again this year.
Is Christmas Necessary?
Robin Sampson’s article: Holiday Dilemma’s.

To celebrate or not to celebrate…

Yes, it’s that time of the year again…I have previously written about how we do, or don’t, celebrate Christmas. Rather than try to rewrite old thoughts I will just copy and paste from the archives. You can find the original post here.

Well it’s that time of year again eh! A time when we get loads of sideway looks from people who question us as to why we don’t ‘do‘ Christmas. In actual fact we do ‘celebrate’ Christmas…every day of the year! The way in which we celebrate is a decision that John and I decided upon…not through reading of others opinions and lifestyle choices rather, through our faith in God and our walk along the path of life.

I have an issue with our modern society and feel that we have been sucked into much consumerism and materialism. Don’t get me wrong; I love tradition. I love creating memories for my children. I love doing things together that form family bonds. But I don’t see how spending money on presents, decorating our homes with unnecessary items (that for those Down-Under are out-of-season) is celebrating the birth of the Saviour of mankind. So many people are caught up ‘doing Christmas’ that they miss the true wonder of it all…they’re drowning in a sea of tradition and of trying to ‘keep up’.

I love to give of my time, money and energy…I look for ways to give. But is it wise or prudent to go into debt in order to give presents simply out of a sense of obligation or because everyone else is or because it is ‘Christmas’. In the name of Christ, I can give to others any day of the year.

I feel prickles whenever I hear children exclaiming to their parents or friends what they WANT for Christmas. As though it is expected! I don’t fully understand how someone can be truly grateful and thankful if they know that their gift is coming. I know, as believers, we do this: as sinners we cry to the Lord for salvation and God delivered us through Christ and it is this that compels me to be thankful for Christ every day…to teach my children the ways of God, every day…to give honor to Him, every day. But to give presents simply because it is this time of year doesn’t teach our children much at all. I still don’t even see how the whole gift giving thing comes into Christmas. Christ was the *gift*. The Father God was the *giver*. The gift has been given. What that has to do with giving my child a new toy or new clothes in December escapes me.

I love getting together and having a family feast and a sweet time of fellowship at any time…and we can do this at any time while also giving thanks to the Lord. The focus can be on the Father, each other and serving but not about decorations, presents or things that can distract us from Jesus, The Truth. In fact, I see a danger in becoming too familiar with the way the world celebrates Christmas: familiarity with Christmas and all things Christian *can* breed familiarity- which isn’t necessarily a positive thing. Luke 4: 16-24 describes how the local people missed seeing the true identity of Jesus, as they were so familiar with Him. That’s why it’s important that the traditions we build are meaningful, rich and not done frivolously.

John and I decided that we would not teach our children about Santa…despite the local Christian school embracing the philosophy. (I remember when I first learnt that Santa wasn’t real…that he didn’t bring my presents and eat the milk and bikkies I left. I wasn’t devastated at the reality of his non-existance…I was devastated to realise that my parents knew about this untruth and let me believe in it…that they found some sort of happiness in having me believe a lie! I couldn’t believe that they lied to me! I recall adamantly telling my Mother that I was very sad because of that. That was my persepctive, as a child.) Anyway, as our children got older, we started to learn about St. Nicholas and the symbols and traditions of Christmas…yet we couldn’t see the relevance of it in the Christian’s life or in the celebration at Christmastime. We found that a lot of the tradition and symbolism was taken from pagan origins…so I started investigating this further and further… We tried celebrating Christmas by putting ‘Christ back into Christmas‘, but it was still like pouring new wine into old wineskins- it still clanged.

So much of our traditions and customs are not based on Scripture. So much of what I believed to be truth actually came from Hallmark and all those greeting cards! I get a little annoyed at how many people get all sentimental at Christmas time and they all are fine with Jesus…as a baby! But, how many recognise that He was God’s purpose and plan to redeem mankind? I like a bit of emotion and sentimentality…but when it comes to matters of faith then I think that if we need to whoop it up, then the thing (object of our faith) our faith is in, isn’t very solid. I like this article: The Power of Christmas Truth

Am I a wet-blanket or a party-pooper? Some will certainly think so! But, this is my walk to tread…I would never propose to tell anyone else that they should or should not celebrate any day in any certain way. I’d rather point out truths and facts and have everyone make an informed decision for themselves. It isn’t so much about whether you do or don’t – it is do you know WHY you do what you do? In it all, WHAT are you passing on to your children– a legacy of timeless truth or of empty consumerism?

A few years ago, Miss R went to the community Carols by Candlelight last week, that was held at our church grounds. The church was working with the local council and hosting the event. The youth leader asked her to go early and help to paint childrens’ faces to which she was more than happy to help. After I picked her up, she was covered in paint, but I was dismayed to see that all the face/body painting was of Christmas trees and non related pictures! Okay, I know it’s a bit hard to paint a true Nativity scene on a face but is that the best that we (as the body of Christ) could do? Oh boy.

“Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen . . . for the CUSTOMS of the people are vain.”
(Jer. 10:1-3)

Speaking of those Hallmark Christmas cards…and the Nativity. A few years ago, when we were ‘putting Christ back into Christmas‘, the children made their own Nativity. It was really nice and sweet. This led us to really examine the Scriptures as to the truth of the Nativity. Here’s a picture of a fairly common nativity scene: Let’s have a quick quiz while we’re looking at it eh?

How many wise men were there?
What animals were present at the Nativity?
How soon after Joseph and Mary reached Bethlehem was Jesus born?

Checking with Scripture (Luke is good here), how many did you get right or how much of your knowledge comes from paintings of the Nativity and greeting cards?

Here’s another quiz to do with your children:

Take the Christmas Quiz!

and discover some more Christmas myths:

What is Christmas to you…really? Is it a time of feasting, laughter, praise, remembrance, sadness, loneliness? How about we remember why the gift was given: The Ugliness of Christmas:

For us, this is not a divisive issue – we are free to visit people and receive a gift (at the risk of our refusal offending them) and we are free not to. It isn’t an issue of salvation – our salvation is not dependant upon whether we celebrate Christmas or not. We don’t believe that Scripture commands believers to celebrate or not celebrate Christmas, despite the fact that Christmas wasn’t observed until after the biblical era. We believe that Romans 14:5-6 and 1 Corinthians says it well.

One man esteems one day above another. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks.

We can set aside any day as a day unto the Lord.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31

Whether you do or don’t, or how you do or don’t, the main point, (in my opinion) is to not be ignorant of what you do (know why you do what you do), don’t be caught up in the worldy ways so that you miss the wonder of the eternal perspective, don’t get caught up in idolatry, consumerism or materialism and don’t treat the Saviour of the world with too much familiarity, lest that familiairty breed contempt.

LINKS

The Truth of the Nativity
Is Christmas Necessary?
Why I don’t celebrate Christmas by Tim Hegg
This paper looks historically at the holiday, showing how many pagan symbols and practices are actually at its core.