Christmas list time is upon us. I hate them. I hate the list making and the gimmies that arrive with the Target catalog. I hate that I don't have the willpower to break the habits of list making has become Christmas in our house.
Every year I hope for better Christmas wish lists, along the lines of...
1-Goats, bunnies, and chickens from World Vision
2-Donation to Children's Hopechest
3-Yarn to crochet warm hats for homeless of Cleveland...
You know, an idyllic child who puts others far above self and gives sacrificially without being asked.
I can't expect our children to do what I've never been willing to do myself. Can I? Though I don't sit down with the 300 page Toys-R-Us extravaganza and a black sharpie, I do send out a list to my family. I collect the lists from my children and work to satisfy each of their desires. Since, somehow, they will grow up as loving and satisfied adults if we give them everything they ask of us. Right? I'm still working through this generosity vs greed thing. I wouldn't call any of our children greedy. I daresay, if we had a family meeting this week and argued for spending all of our gift money on Jirigna and Dirbe in Ethiopia, they would agree that we don't need a thing and we should give to our friends in need.
But, I would have to decide to hold that family meeting.
Every year I feel the same way. I'm always excited to do something. We send donations to build a well one year. We buy some supplies for a school the next. None of those gifts required a sacrifice from our family. That's where I get stuck. I'm unwilling to ask our children to give up the 'magic' of a Christmas morning spent opening gifts.
I would love to hear from any of you who have figured this out. I have only two years left before we send Everett out into the world as an 'adult' and I still haven't figured out how to be a good parent during this Christmas season.
Help!
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
November 28, 2015
April 21, 2014
Why isn't Jesus enough?
My sister posed this question over the phone last week. Our conversation had been punctuated with to-do lists and Easter plans. In an effort to make an incredible holiday memorable for our children, we were putting unneeded pressure on ourselves. We finally agreed that our plans and purchases were attempts to battle what has become a worldly holiday. As a parent, I often feel like I am in competition with an attractive, fun opponent--The World.
During schooling, holidays, even a mundane Sunday, I feel as if I must make our decisions equally attractive. Santa doesn't visit our house, but we give you amazing gifts. No Easter Bunny? That means more pressure on us parents to create incredible replacement Christian based traditions. Every fall, I must make our lives seem so amazing, as to avoid the jealous tendencies that might pop up when the yellow bus makes it first trip down our road in August. The constant competition with an undefeated rival taunts me.
This is when Danica asked, "Why isn't Jesus enough?" Oh yes. Why not?
Must I add an Easter bonnet to the girls' wardrobe? And a $25 ham followed by a chaotic hunt for colorful plastic eggs? How does a candy filled egg compare to the Resurrection of Christ? His sacrifice and triumphant resurrection are enough. This Holy Day should be about Jesus Christ. No bunnies nor plastic eggs needed. Christ's love is enough for us...and our children.
But, how do we show them? How do I make it okay that in our house it isn't about a basket of junk or a hunt for eggs. It's a special time of celebration because we know our Savior lives. Even when our neighbors and friends are cheering about the size of their chocolate bunny and the extra gifts they received this morning, will our children be confident in the choice we have made?
I'm not sure they will, so I overspend at the Christian book store. Seth and I chose something special for each of the children, something that won't disappear in an hour long sugar gorge. Sadly, I'm angst filled as I throw a bag of pastel Hershey bars into my cart later that day. Just in case.
Maybe next year I will let Jesus be enough.
During schooling, holidays, even a mundane Sunday, I feel as if I must make our decisions equally attractive. Santa doesn't visit our house, but we give you amazing gifts. No Easter Bunny? That means more pressure on us parents to create incredible replacement Christian based traditions. Every fall, I must make our lives seem so amazing, as to avoid the jealous tendencies that might pop up when the yellow bus makes it first trip down our road in August. The constant competition with an undefeated rival taunts me.
This is when Danica asked, "Why isn't Jesus enough?" Oh yes. Why not?
Must I add an Easter bonnet to the girls' wardrobe? And a $25 ham followed by a chaotic hunt for colorful plastic eggs? How does a candy filled egg compare to the Resurrection of Christ? His sacrifice and triumphant resurrection are enough. This Holy Day should be about Jesus Christ. No bunnies nor plastic eggs needed. Christ's love is enough for us...and our children.
But, how do we show them? How do I make it okay that in our house it isn't about a basket of junk or a hunt for eggs. It's a special time of celebration because we know our Savior lives. Even when our neighbors and friends are cheering about the size of their chocolate bunny and the extra gifts they received this morning, will our children be confident in the choice we have made?
I'm not sure they will, so I overspend at the Christian book store. Seth and I chose something special for each of the children, something that won't disappear in an hour long sugar gorge. Sadly, I'm angst filled as I throw a bag of pastel Hershey bars into my cart later that day. Just in case.
Maybe next year I will let Jesus be enough.
December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
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| The annual Christmas card photo shoot. This is the first one I took. The dog swooped in, the 13 year old is not happy to be interrupted for this event. It only goes downhill from here. |
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| Get. The. Dog. Out. Of. Here. |
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| "Happy now? I'm even smiling." |
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| "Seriously!" |
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| "My teeth are showing. Please stop taking pictures." |
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| "Nice try Josiah." |
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| "I'm leaving." |
December 14, 2013
Our Advent Traditions
Sorry, I'm so late with posting this!
For years I have struggled to make this time of year special. It is difficult to find a happy place between a complicated program and a fluffy one-time devotional. So, we do several things that work for our family.
The first Sunday of Advent, we begin reading from this series by Arnold Ytreeide. The stories begin with Jotham, then each year you can read the next in the series. In each book, you follow the tragic events in the main character's life that lead them to the birth of the Messiah. Each day, there is an cliff-hanger chapter followed by a short advent reading. It sounds cheesy, but everyone in the family crowds onto the sofa and sits spellbound as I read the day's pages. I wouldn't suggest these books for young children, it would be over their heads. They also might be stressed with the perilous events in the books. We love them, and I love that it makes us sit still and think about what Advent means to us.
The other tradition we have is an advent calender. My mom bought it for us years ago. It is wood with magnetic pieces. As the month passes, the nativity scene is built, day by day. It doesn't matter that we open the little doors every year, or that I always put Jesus behind the 24th door.
The biggest tradition is the celebration of "Jesus Day". This evolved over seven years ago. We wanted to do something that focused on Jesus and on serving others. We always find a service project to complete as a family. Over the years we have stuffed boxes for the military in Afghanistan, where my uncle was flying helicopters with the Marines. One year we made baby blankets for the local Women's Center. Last year, we sewed and delivered bags for walkers and wheelchairs for residents of the local nursing home. My mom sings hymns with them twice a month, and we join her the Monday before Christmas to sing Christmas Carols. This year, we baked cookies and treats to deliver to several fire and police stations on Christmas Day. The kids even got to tour the firehouse! We also found an organization that provides crafts and projects for children in the hospital. This was perfect for our large family. Our group ranged from under a year old to 83 years old.
We also put on a family nativity play. I know, it sounds super cheesy, but it is one of those family traditions that will never end. When Everett was a precocious five year old, he wanted to direct the adults in a nativity play. Seeing as he was pretty cute, we all agreed. I still have visions of my 80 year old grandpa dressed up as an angel, complete with golden wings and a halo. As the families have grown, so has the play. This year we celebrated with a 22 member cast. It's not a serious event, but has been happening each Jesus Day for seven years.
I love the holiday traditions, but its terribly important that you choose a few special events and let that be enough for your family. In my life, I am the ultimate in mom-guilt. During the holiday season, mom-guilt can peak at an all time high. In the world of Pinterest and Facebook, it's easy to look at the amazing things that other families are doing and feel like you aren't doing enough. I've been there! This year, in an effort to stay sane and healthy, I dialed things down. My kids didn't care that our annual 'homeschool Christmas party' turned into sledding and lunch with dear friends. It was fantastic!
I hope this helps you out with a few ideas of simple things our family has done to celebrate this special time of year!
The first Sunday of Advent, we begin reading from this series by Arnold Ytreeide. The stories begin with Jotham, then each year you can read the next in the series. In each book, you follow the tragic events in the main character's life that lead them to the birth of the Messiah. Each day, there is an cliff-hanger chapter followed by a short advent reading. It sounds cheesy, but everyone in the family crowds onto the sofa and sits spellbound as I read the day's pages. I wouldn't suggest these books for young children, it would be over their heads. They also might be stressed with the perilous events in the books. We love them, and I love that it makes us sit still and think about what Advent means to us.
The other tradition we have is an advent calender. My mom bought it for us years ago. It is wood with magnetic pieces. As the month passes, the nativity scene is built, day by day. It doesn't matter that we open the little doors every year, or that I always put Jesus behind the 24th door.
The biggest tradition is the celebration of "Jesus Day". This evolved over seven years ago. We wanted to do something that focused on Jesus and on serving others. We always find a service project to complete as a family. Over the years we have stuffed boxes for the military in Afghanistan, where my uncle was flying helicopters with the Marines. One year we made baby blankets for the local Women's Center. Last year, we sewed and delivered bags for walkers and wheelchairs for residents of the local nursing home. My mom sings hymns with them twice a month, and we join her the Monday before Christmas to sing Christmas Carols. This year, we baked cookies and treats to deliver to several fire and police stations on Christmas Day. The kids even got to tour the firehouse! We also found an organization that provides crafts and projects for children in the hospital. This was perfect for our large family. Our group ranged from under a year old to 83 years old. We also put on a family nativity play. I know, it sounds super cheesy, but it is one of those family traditions that will never end. When Everett was a precocious five year old, he wanted to direct the adults in a nativity play. Seeing as he was pretty cute, we all agreed. I still have visions of my 80 year old grandpa dressed up as an angel, complete with golden wings and a halo. As the families have grown, so has the play. This year we celebrated with a 22 member cast. It's not a serious event, but has been happening each Jesus Day for seven years.
I love the holiday traditions, but its terribly important that you choose a few special events and let that be enough for your family. In my life, I am the ultimate in mom-guilt. During the holiday season, mom-guilt can peak at an all time high. In the world of Pinterest and Facebook, it's easy to look at the amazing things that other families are doing and feel like you aren't doing enough. I've been there! This year, in an effort to stay sane and healthy, I dialed things down. My kids didn't care that our annual 'homeschool Christmas party' turned into sledding and lunch with dear friends. It was fantastic!
I hope this helps you out with a few ideas of simple things our family has done to celebrate this special time of year!
November 28, 2013
Giving Thanks
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19
Happy Thanksgiving!
When I hear those words, I immediately conjure up images of turkeys, pies, and potatoes. I wish my first thoughts were thankful ones. Instead, it's all about the food. It's about food just as Christmas is about presents.
One year I tried to buck the system. I was in my late college years, very idealistic and trying to change the world. I arrived home for Thanksgiving break with a radical offer.
"How about we fast on Thanksgiving day and send the money we would have spent to a missions work?" I eagerly spouted.
Silence. A few eyes rolled.
It was too much. I can't remember the outcome of the day. I believe we skipped breakfast...but we certainly didn't spend the day hungry. I understand now, everyone anticipated the traditional meal and my crazy idea a few days before the big holiday was too much.
Over a decade later, I wish I could do something to make our Thanksgiving day more than a blur of baking and pigging out. The gorging is the appropriate grand opening for the Christmas season, which has become it's own gorging of sorts. Tragedy.
Raising five children has made the burden weigh heavily on my heart. I grasp at any idea to make our holidays more...serene...family focused...Christ-centered.
I would love your ideas--what does your family do to make Thanksgiving special?
Here's one idea I got from church last night, I believe it's a perfect opener to Advent:
A week of Thanksgiving
Day 1
Read the book of Colossians (Everett gasped when we told him to read an ENTIRE book of the Bible, but don't fret, it's only four chapters!). Colossians has at least one reference to thankfulness in each chapter. Jot down thoughts that relate to thankfulness. Pay close attention to:
1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light
2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving
3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving!
When I hear those words, I immediately conjure up images of turkeys, pies, and potatoes. I wish my first thoughts were thankful ones. Instead, it's all about the food. It's about food just as Christmas is about presents.
One year I tried to buck the system. I was in my late college years, very idealistic and trying to change the world. I arrived home for Thanksgiving break with a radical offer.
"How about we fast on Thanksgiving day and send the money we would have spent to a missions work?" I eagerly spouted.
Silence. A few eyes rolled.
It was too much. I can't remember the outcome of the day. I believe we skipped breakfast...but we certainly didn't spend the day hungry. I understand now, everyone anticipated the traditional meal and my crazy idea a few days before the big holiday was too much.
Over a decade later, I wish I could do something to make our Thanksgiving day more than a blur of baking and pigging out. The gorging is the appropriate grand opening for the Christmas season, which has become it's own gorging of sorts. Tragedy.
Raising five children has made the burden weigh heavily on my heart. I grasp at any idea to make our holidays more...serene...family focused...Christ-centered.
I would love your ideas--what does your family do to make Thanksgiving special?
Here's one idea I got from church last night, I believe it's a perfect opener to Advent:
A week of Thanksgiving
Day 1
Read the book of Colossians (Everett gasped when we told him to read an ENTIRE book of the Bible, but don't fret, it's only four chapters!). Colossians has at least one reference to thankfulness in each chapter. Jot down thoughts that relate to thankfulness. Pay close attention to:
1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light
2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving
3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving
May 16, 2013
Spring Break
I started this post ages ago. After spring break, to be precise. I am usually careful to document our adventures, local or far flung. I guess I have a unfounded fear that one day one of the kids will accuse me of never doing anything with them. Unfounded fear. So, I'm a picture taker, rarely doing anything with the pictures, but they are proof that we did some crazy things. And some normal things, like taking a spring break. Albeit, just down to visit the Grandparents, but we had fun. The first root beer float of the season, first bonfire, an Easter sunrise service followed by breakfast at church...and the final game of touch football, or any football for that matter, for my father-in-law. What started out as role of coach and permanent quarterback morphed into broken ribs and months of recovery. Before you ask, it was not Josiah's fault, though that is a plausible line of thinking. Evidently, two hand touch can get pretty exciting. Carried away in the moment, Papop decided to run the ball instead of passing it. I saw him from the corner of my eye as he flew parallel to the ground still clutching the football. He landed and didn't get up. Thankfully, it wasn't worse, but from now on he will be enjoying all football games from the stands. This post's for you Papop!
December 25, 2011
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