Started word searching "new year" but decided I'd do better looking for "first month" and look what I found! A very cool birthday present! :)
"It was the first day of the first month of Noah's 601st year. The water had dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering from the ark. He saw that the surface of the ground was dry." (Genesis 8:13 NIRV) As I say, a pretty cool birthday present even if they didn't celebrate birthdays. It's always fun to see things in scripture I'd never noticed before.
According to Ex. 12 Passover became associated with the first month of the new year when the Hebrews left Egypt. If you're into word studies, some other interesting things transpired over time during the first month of the Hebrew calendar. It's just interesting, if you think of God starting a new year.
Anyway...all this just to say "Happy New Year." May you keep growing and knowing Emmanuel, God-With-Us, in life changing ways and in ways that you've not known Him before.
Psalm 90
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Friday, December 29, 2006
"A voice ...in Ramah...weeping..."
I've been pondering this story from Matthew 2 (NIrV) as a scripture about children.
I wonder:
~ You're asked to go in the opposite direction from your home, family, work into another country. I wonder how Joseph and Mary felt traveling with a new baby and all these riches. What challenges worried them most? And I wonder how the Egyptians felt about Jews settling in Egypt?
~This is the part that gets me. When Mary and Joseph heard about this massacre how did they feel thinking that all these children were slaughtered because of their son? How did they feel about going back to Nazareth? How did Joseph and Mary face their relatives? When Jesus later heard about this - as a boy or as a man (flesh and blood) how did He feel? Were there boys his age to play with?
~Were they just grateful to be alive? Did they carry this incredible guilt? Did they say, "Oh well, it was God's will"? All those boys Jesus' age weren't alive to be men when he was 33 but their parents and families were. How did they feel about Herod? How did they feel about Jesus? How did they feel about God? And the children who lived through the ordeal or heard the stories? How did those children feel about Jesus?
The scriputures tell us that after Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother. Go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead."
-but surely the memories lingered among those who journeyed to Bethlehem for the censes, and those who lived in Bethlehem and around Jerusalem.
I wonder:
~ You're asked to go in the opposite direction from your home, family, work into another country. I wonder how Joseph and Mary felt traveling with a new baby and all these riches. What challenges worried them most? And I wonder how the Egyptians felt about Jews settling in Egypt?
~This is the part that gets me. When Mary and Joseph heard about this massacre how did they feel thinking that all these children were slaughtered because of their son? How did they feel about going back to Nazareth? How did Joseph and Mary face their relatives? When Jesus later heard about this - as a boy or as a man (flesh and blood) how did He feel? Were there boys his age to play with?
~Were they just grateful to be alive? Did they carry this incredible guilt? Did they say, "Oh well, it was God's will"? All those boys Jesus' age weren't alive to be men when he was 33 but their parents and families were. How did they feel about Herod? How did they feel about Jesus? How did they feel about God? And the children who lived through the ordeal or heard the stories? How did those children feel about Jesus?
The scriputures tell us that after Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother. Go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead."
-but surely the memories lingered among those who journeyed to Bethlehem for the censes, and those who lived in Bethlehem and around Jerusalem.
Friday, December 22, 2006
This is from our PTSA newsletter and MCC . Feel free to pass this along. Our local school district is offering a lot of workshops for parents right now. This is from the local community college. You may have similar resources in your own community. Doing things you have in common with people who don't go to your church or taking a friend from church with you to activities in the community is a nice place to build relationships inside and outside your faith community.
From the newsletter (Rev. Margaret Scott, communications VP):
The internet is a wonderful place, full of endless amounts of information and resources. However, some people have used the internet to promote things we do not want our children to be exposed to. Homeland Security Management Institute of MCC is offering a course entitled “Cyber Skills to Protect Our Children”. Learn what certain phrases such as, MySpace, IM, blogging, just to name a few cyber words mean and how you can help protect children at home, school or wherever they may have access to a computer.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding this important course or visit us at www.monroecc.edu/go/hsmiand click on classroom course. Hurry, seats are filling up quickly! Registration deadline is January 5, 2007.
If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to pass this along.
From the newsletter (Rev. Margaret Scott, communications VP):
The internet is a wonderful place, full of endless amounts of information and resources. However, some people have used the internet to promote things we do not want our children to be exposed to. Homeland Security Management Institute of MCC is offering a course entitled “Cyber Skills to Protect Our Children”. Learn what certain phrases such as, MySpace, IM, blogging, just to name a few cyber words mean and how you can help protect children at home, school or wherever they may have access to a computer.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding this important course or visit us at www.monroecc.edu/go/hsmiand click on classroom course. Hurry, seats are filling up quickly! Registration deadline is January 5, 2007.
If you know someone who might be interested, feel free to pass this along.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Artisan update
You can find Pastor Brian's children/family moment podcasts and the family worship folder at the Artisan website under worship. There was talk of a forum about kids. I don't know whether that's in the works or not. George and I have stepped back a bit this season.
But another wonderful and interesting development at Artisan, that in some ways is very Rochester: Rochester has a large community of deaf and hearing impaired, particularly at RIT. And we have a School for the Deaf. One of the largest city high schools offers ASL for foreign language/regents credit. Unusual, but I'm guessing that Spanish and ASL are the primary 2ndary languages in this town and learning either is a useful tool for students in this particular city. Artisan has had a number of RIT students coming all along and that number has included more and more deaf and hearing impaired students partly perhaps because Artisan uses multimedia and various tactile, sensory tools so we have a very visual/sensory as opposed to a mostly auditory presentation.
Lyrics are on overhead. Not unusual. But, apart from lyrics, I wonder what a visual (not auditory) musical presentation would look like with color and movement and ways to feel the beat... interesting possibilities...
Anyway, sharing an ASL class will help bridge the language barrier and foster community in fun and unique ways. A unique community for children.
But another wonderful and interesting development at Artisan, that in some ways is very Rochester: Rochester has a large community of deaf and hearing impaired, particularly at RIT. And we have a School for the Deaf. One of the largest city high schools offers ASL for foreign language/regents credit. Unusual, but I'm guessing that Spanish and ASL are the primary 2ndary languages in this town and learning either is a useful tool for students in this particular city. Artisan has had a number of RIT students coming all along and that number has included more and more deaf and hearing impaired students partly perhaps because Artisan uses multimedia and various tactile, sensory tools so we have a very visual/sensory as opposed to a mostly auditory presentation.
Lyrics are on overhead. Not unusual. But, apart from lyrics, I wonder what a visual (not auditory) musical presentation would look like with color and movement and ways to feel the beat... interesting possibilities...
Anyway, sharing an ASL class will help bridge the language barrier and foster community in fun and unique ways. A unique community for children.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Index
Look! A real live index of labels with links and everything!
(The initials are initials for book titles that earned more than one post. You'll find other individual books under "resources.")
IC Invisible Child by Katherine Paterson
CS Children's Spirituality Donald Ratcliff ed.
RKRF Real Kids, Real Faith by Karen Marie Yust
YCIW Young Children in Worship by Sonja M. Steward
4/07 WWTK Where Were the Kids? - not a book, just thoughts looking through scripture for children
7/07 CHMT Children Matter by Scottie May, Beth Posterski, Catherine Stonehouse, and Linda Cannell.
2/08 LCW Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
12/08 TCITB The Child in the Bible edited by Marcia J. Bunge
Emerging Kids yearly anniversary is May 31!
The One Anothers post - Tuesday, November 08, 2005
PLFC - Paul's Letters for Children
2/27/10 LFK: O & Q & KFW Looking for Children: Observations & Questions & Kid-Friendly Words
7/2012 CRT God and World in the Old Testament: a Relational Theology of Creation by Terence E. Fretheim
(The initials are initials for book titles that earned more than one post. You'll find other individual books under "resources.")
IC Invisible Child by Katherine Paterson
CS Children's Spirituality Donald Ratcliff ed.
RKRF Real Kids, Real Faith by Karen Marie Yust
YCIW Young Children in Worship by Sonja M. Steward
4/07 WWTK Where Were the Kids? - not a book, just thoughts looking through scripture for children
7/07 CHMT Children Matter by Scottie May, Beth Posterski, Catherine Stonehouse, and Linda Cannell.
2/08 LCW Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
12/08 TCITB The Child in the Bible edited by Marcia J. Bunge
Emerging Kids yearly anniversary is May 31!
The One Anothers post - Tuesday, November 08, 2005
PLFC - Paul's Letters for Children
2/27/10 LFK: O & Q & KFW Looking for Children: Observations & Questions & Kid-Friendly Words
7/2012 CRT God and World in the Old Testament: a Relational Theology of Creation by Terence E. Fretheim
Friday, December 15, 2006
Crescent Moons
Backing up again, this is the random reason why I was thinking about holidays this morning. In our part of the hemisphere one of the things I look forward to this time of year is the crescent moon hanging in the sky. Funny, I only noticed it a couple of years ago. I don't know how far away you can be and still see the same phase of the moon, how many states, how many countries. I was admiring it again this morning at 6 am when I took the dogs out. It's always so much like a cradle hanging in the sky - a cradle to rock a baby. Sometimes you might be able to see a really bright star but I think the cradle's always there. Something for kids. Sometimes planetariums do programs at Christmastime about the Bethlehem star. This morning the cradle moon disappeared behind the clouds as I was going into the house, but it was still there.
Random, Roots, and Holidays
Haven't posted a really long post, in a while...so here goes.
My husband grew up pretty liberal Episcopalian before they were liberal the way we know liberal. One of his grandmothers was Russian Orthodox from Ukraine, his grandfather from Macedonia. His grandfather went to church, too. One of the most powerful gospel messages we ever heard was in their church one Palm Sunday. It was very simple but very powerful in it's simplicity without leaving anything out or watering anything down. Sorry, I don't remember the details, just the effect.
His other grandmother was Swedish Finn. All three came from Revolutions that took close family members. His Finnish grandmother remembered running with her mother from soldiers on horses and hiding in a church. She was Lutheran. His grandfather from Germany came over between the wars. His mom went to church. His dad didn't, but their art was rich with religious themes. Sadly, we really didn't notice that (or they didn't display that art) until after they passed away. His parents were first generation here. He grew up in Manhattan, started very poor but went to private school. His mom taught art there. He was a strong math/science student and stayed in private schools. His German grandfather died before he was born. His orthodox grandparents lived half-way across the country but they were always an integral part of his identity.
My family's been here longer than you want to know- Reformed and Presbyterian rooted in most of the non-Mediterranean, non-Scandinavian countries of Western Europe. My dad was a farmer. We went to public school. We were always part of a church. All of my grandparents went to the same church we did until we moved at the end of 8th grade. No longer visible parts of who we are but essential parts of our identity and the identities of our children.
George and I were born-again, baptized in the Spirit, etc, etc, in the early 70's, spent a lot of years as part of two non-denominational charismatic churches - one with ECC-Presbyterian roots and one with Church of Christ roots, a very short season in a very small traditional ECC church and then we agreed to help support an ECC postmodern church plant. Not visibly so, but part of who my children are. The roots of a church and our own family roots affect us whether we want them to or not. When holdays come, for better or for worse, it's hard not to think about church and family if you've had any ties that way. You can probably consider those who've gone before you the unseen community you're part of, for better or for worse. You usually don't see roots either but they hold the tree up, or not.
For a brief year or so we visited churches just because we had never done that and being in a bit of a spiritual walkabout we thought it was worth doing. Actually, that's a really good word for it- a spiritual walkabout. George called it recovering from a spiritual heart attack. We visited churches where we knew people and places we wanted to explore. We even visited the Orthodox church, read Franky Schaeffer's books. We were frustrated with The Church but still after God. Exploring the orthodox church was a really interesting thing to do. It probably left us more open to post-moderns than if we hadn't openned and explored that door. I'm assuming God had a hand in it.
Why did I start this post? Holidays. Church holidays. The Orthodox calendar includes seasons of fasting. Having followed my husband through more diets than you ever want to hear about I thought there's probably alot of health wisdom to have seasons of fasting but scripture doesn't really lay it out like that or maybe it does if you go back to the Hebrew seasons and holidays. More roots. God in His wisdom. . . even food wisdom. The discipline of.... and the freedom from...another paradox. Old roots, new roots. Old memories, new memories. Another paradox. A baby born into poverty and God's king. Yet another paradox. But kids don't think abut all this stuff.
My husband grew up pretty liberal Episcopalian before they were liberal the way we know liberal. One of his grandmothers was Russian Orthodox from Ukraine, his grandfather from Macedonia. His grandfather went to church, too. One of the most powerful gospel messages we ever heard was in their church one Palm Sunday. It was very simple but very powerful in it's simplicity without leaving anything out or watering anything down. Sorry, I don't remember the details, just the effect.
His other grandmother was Swedish Finn. All three came from Revolutions that took close family members. His Finnish grandmother remembered running with her mother from soldiers on horses and hiding in a church. She was Lutheran. His grandfather from Germany came over between the wars. His mom went to church. His dad didn't, but their art was rich with religious themes. Sadly, we really didn't notice that (or they didn't display that art) until after they passed away. His parents were first generation here. He grew up in Manhattan, started very poor but went to private school. His mom taught art there. He was a strong math/science student and stayed in private schools. His German grandfather died before he was born. His orthodox grandparents lived half-way across the country but they were always an integral part of his identity.
My family's been here longer than you want to know- Reformed and Presbyterian rooted in most of the non-Mediterranean, non-Scandinavian countries of Western Europe. My dad was a farmer. We went to public school. We were always part of a church. All of my grandparents went to the same church we did until we moved at the end of 8th grade. No longer visible parts of who we are but essential parts of our identity and the identities of our children.
George and I were born-again, baptized in the Spirit, etc, etc, in the early 70's, spent a lot of years as part of two non-denominational charismatic churches - one with ECC-Presbyterian roots and one with Church of Christ roots, a very short season in a very small traditional ECC church and then we agreed to help support an ECC postmodern church plant. Not visibly so, but part of who my children are. The roots of a church and our own family roots affect us whether we want them to or not. When holdays come, for better or for worse, it's hard not to think about church and family if you've had any ties that way. You can probably consider those who've gone before you the unseen community you're part of, for better or for worse. You usually don't see roots either but they hold the tree up, or not.
For a brief year or so we visited churches just because we had never done that and being in a bit of a spiritual walkabout we thought it was worth doing. Actually, that's a really good word for it- a spiritual walkabout. George called it recovering from a spiritual heart attack. We visited churches where we knew people and places we wanted to explore. We even visited the Orthodox church, read Franky Schaeffer's books. We were frustrated with The Church but still after God. Exploring the orthodox church was a really interesting thing to do. It probably left us more open to post-moderns than if we hadn't openned and explored that door. I'm assuming God had a hand in it.
Why did I start this post? Holidays. Church holidays. The Orthodox calendar includes seasons of fasting. Having followed my husband through more diets than you ever want to hear about I thought there's probably alot of health wisdom to have seasons of fasting but scripture doesn't really lay it out like that or maybe it does if you go back to the Hebrew seasons and holidays. More roots. God in His wisdom. . . even food wisdom. The discipline of.... and the freedom from...another paradox. Old roots, new roots. Old memories, new memories. Another paradox. A baby born into poverty and God's king. Yet another paradox. But kids don't think abut all this stuff.
Random, Roots, and Holidays
Haven't posted a really long post, in a while...abit overdue.
My husband grew up pretty liberal Episcopalian before they were liberal the way we know liberal. One of his grandmothers was Russian Orthodox from Ukraine, his grandfather from Macedonia. His grandfather went to church, too. One of the most powerful gospel messages we ever heard was in their church one Palm Sunday. It was very simple but very powerful in it's simplicity without leaving anything out or watering anything down. Sorry, I don't remember the details, just the effect.
His other grandmother was Swedish Finn. All three came from Revolutions that took close family members. His Finnish grandmother remembered running with her mother from soldiers on horses and hiding in a church. She was Lutheran. His grandfather from Germany came over between the wars. His mom went to church. His dad didn't, but their art was rich with religious themes. Sadly, we really didn't notice that (or they didn't display that art) until after they passed away. His parents were first generation here. He grew up in Manhattan, started very poor but went to private school. His mom taught art there. He was a strong math/science student and stayed in private schools. His German grandfather died before he was born. His orthodox grandparents lived half-way across the country but they were always an integral part of his identity.
My family's been here longer than you want to know- Reformed and Presbyterian rooted in most of the non-Mediterranean, non-Scandinavian countries of Western Europe. My dad was a farmer. We went to public school. We were always part of a church. All of my grandparents went to the same church we did until we moved at the end of 8th grade. No longer visible parts of who we are but essential parts of our identity and the identities of our children.
George and I were born-again, baptized in the Spirit, etc, etc, in the early 70's, spent a lot of years as part of two non-denominational charismatic churches - one with ECC-Presbyterian roots and one with Church of Christ roots, a very short season in a very small traditional ECC church and then we agreed to help support an ECC postmodern church plant. Not visibly so, but part of who my children are. The roots of a church and our own family roots affect us whether we want them to or not. When holdays come, for better or for worse, it's hard not to think about church and family if you've had any ties that way. You can probably consider those who've gone before you the unseen community you're part of, for better or for worse. You usually don't see roots either but they hold the tree up, or not.
For a brief year or so we visited churches just because we had never done that and being in a bit of a spiritual walkabout we thought it was worth doing. Actually, that's a really good word for it- a spiritual walkabout. George called it recovering from a spiritual heart attack. We visited churches where we knew people and places we wanted to explore. We even visited the Orthodox church, read Franky Schaeffer's books. We were frustrated with The Church but still after God. Exploring the orthodox church was a really interesting thing to do. It probably left us more open to post-moderns than if we hadn't openned and explored that door. I'm assuming God had a hand in it.
Why did I start this post? Holidays. Church holidays. The Orthodox calendar includes seasons of fasting. Having followed my husband through more diets than you ever want to hear about I thought there's probably alot of health wisdom to have seasons of fasting but scripture doesn't really lay it out like that or maybe it does if you go back to the Hebrew seasons and holidays. More roots. God in His wisdom. . . even food wisdom. The discipline of.... and the freedom from...another paradox. Old roots, new roots. Old memories, new memories. Another paradox. A baby born into poverty and God's king. Yet another paradox. But kids don't think abut all this stuff.
Backing up again, this is the random reason why I was thinking about holidays this morning. In our part of the hemisphere one of the things I look forward to this time of year is the crescent moon hanging in the sky. Funny, I only noticed it a couple of years ago. I don't know how far away you can be and still see the same phase of the moon, how many states, how many countries. I was admiring it again this morning at 6 am when I took the dogs out. It's always so much like a cradle hanging in the sky - a cradle to rock a baby. Sometimes you might be able to see a really bright star but I think the cradle's always there. Something for kids. Sometimes planetariums do programs at Christmastime about the Bethlehem star. This morning the cradle moon disappeared behind the clouds as I was going into the house, but it was still there.
My husband grew up pretty liberal Episcopalian before they were liberal the way we know liberal. One of his grandmothers was Russian Orthodox from Ukraine, his grandfather from Macedonia. His grandfather went to church, too. One of the most powerful gospel messages we ever heard was in their church one Palm Sunday. It was very simple but very powerful in it's simplicity without leaving anything out or watering anything down. Sorry, I don't remember the details, just the effect.
His other grandmother was Swedish Finn. All three came from Revolutions that took close family members. His Finnish grandmother remembered running with her mother from soldiers on horses and hiding in a church. She was Lutheran. His grandfather from Germany came over between the wars. His mom went to church. His dad didn't, but their art was rich with religious themes. Sadly, we really didn't notice that (or they didn't display that art) until after they passed away. His parents were first generation here. He grew up in Manhattan, started very poor but went to private school. His mom taught art there. He was a strong math/science student and stayed in private schools. His German grandfather died before he was born. His orthodox grandparents lived half-way across the country but they were always an integral part of his identity.
My family's been here longer than you want to know- Reformed and Presbyterian rooted in most of the non-Mediterranean, non-Scandinavian countries of Western Europe. My dad was a farmer. We went to public school. We were always part of a church. All of my grandparents went to the same church we did until we moved at the end of 8th grade. No longer visible parts of who we are but essential parts of our identity and the identities of our children.
George and I were born-again, baptized in the Spirit, etc, etc, in the early 70's, spent a lot of years as part of two non-denominational charismatic churches - one with ECC-Presbyterian roots and one with Church of Christ roots, a very short season in a very small traditional ECC church and then we agreed to help support an ECC postmodern church plant. Not visibly so, but part of who my children are. The roots of a church and our own family roots affect us whether we want them to or not. When holdays come, for better or for worse, it's hard not to think about church and family if you've had any ties that way. You can probably consider those who've gone before you the unseen community you're part of, for better or for worse. You usually don't see roots either but they hold the tree up, or not.
For a brief year or so we visited churches just because we had never done that and being in a bit of a spiritual walkabout we thought it was worth doing. Actually, that's a really good word for it- a spiritual walkabout. George called it recovering from a spiritual heart attack. We visited churches where we knew people and places we wanted to explore. We even visited the Orthodox church, read Franky Schaeffer's books. We were frustrated with The Church but still after God. Exploring the orthodox church was a really interesting thing to do. It probably left us more open to post-moderns than if we hadn't openned and explored that door. I'm assuming God had a hand in it.
Why did I start this post? Holidays. Church holidays. The Orthodox calendar includes seasons of fasting. Having followed my husband through more diets than you ever want to hear about I thought there's probably alot of health wisdom to have seasons of fasting but scripture doesn't really lay it out like that or maybe it does if you go back to the Hebrew seasons and holidays. More roots. God in His wisdom. . . even food wisdom. The discipline of.... and the freedom from...another paradox. Old roots, new roots. Old memories, new memories. Another paradox. A baby born into poverty and God's king. Yet another paradox. But kids don't think abut all this stuff.
Backing up again, this is the random reason why I was thinking about holidays this morning. In our part of the hemisphere one of the things I look forward to this time of year is the crescent moon hanging in the sky. Funny, I only noticed it a couple of years ago. I don't know how far away you can be and still see the same phase of the moon, how many states, how many countries. I was admiring it again this morning at 6 am when I took the dogs out. It's always so much like a cradle hanging in the sky - a cradle to rock a baby. Sometimes you might be able to see a really bright star but I think the cradle's always there. Something for kids. Sometimes planetariums do programs at Christmastime about the Bethlehem star. This morning the cradle moon disappeared behind the clouds as I was going into the house, but it was still there.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Helping Hurting Kids
You probably already have access to this kind of material or you've had training in this area but I appreciated the attitudes towards the children and family and the relational focus (worker to child/worker to family) in this material. American Humane Society: Protecting Children.
It's a challenging thing for people who work with kids to look out for kids and still value the child's family and the important role it plays in a child's life even if the people involved don't have it together. Sometimes it's hard not to jump to conclusions that can do serious damage. It's hard if you're a sensitive parent, especially if you have hard kids and you know that everyone is watching you. The other extreme is a parent who thinks that what happens between you and your child is never anybody else's business.
If you have other resources that you particularly like, feel free to share.
It's a challenging thing for people who work with kids to look out for kids and still value the child's family and the important role it plays in a child's life even if the people involved don't have it together. Sometimes it's hard not to jump to conclusions that can do serious damage. It's hard if you're a sensitive parent, especially if you have hard kids and you know that everyone is watching you. The other extreme is a parent who thinks that what happens between you and your child is never anybody else's business.
If you have other resources that you particularly like, feel free to share.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Yeah!
That was quick. C'est fini! The tags are done! Merry Christmas!
You'll just have to really watch out for the posts that have more tags than words in the post - though very very rare, they do exist.
It's pretty interesting to do tags because you begin to see the themes that keep coming up in your work in contrast to the truly random. Yes, puppies, though they have their own tag are truly loved but on this blog, they are also truly random. :)
Hopefully, all the links are fixed. If they don't work, comment!
Merry Christmas!!
You'll just have to really watch out for the posts that have more tags than words in the post - though very very rare, they do exist.
It's pretty interesting to do tags because you begin to see the themes that keep coming up in your work in contrast to the truly random. Yes, puppies, though they have their own tag are truly loved but on this blog, they are also truly random. :)
Hopefully, all the links are fixed. If they don't work, comment!
Merry Christmas!!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
More resources
You might find something here that you haven't seen before. Especially if you scroll down.
Christmas Stories
Of all the stories in scripture you have four gospels and multiple chapters telling the Christmas story over and over with varying emphasis. I suppose the Easter story is like that too. Who do you know who likes to hear the same story over and over?
"And tell me the part where..."
Of the 55,000+ children's books on Amazon 22,000+ are about Christmas. Random trivia. That was free. :)
One of my favorites and a rather unique Christmas story is Only A Star by Margery Facklam published by Eerdman's Books for Young Readers. Apart from the wonderful artwork and the natural science of it, Marge Facklam celebrates creation's participation in the birth of our Lord.
I also really like theThe Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
and other versions of a similar Tolstoy story based on scripture.
When we were little, the older kids in our church used to do a Christmas play where the little boy took a long trip to bring his tiny offering to a church where the chimes or bells never rang and they rang for him. I don't remember the name of it, but it left a lasting impression on me at the time (I think they used the chimes on the organ which made it that much more dramatic). Sometimes we get into George MacDonald stories. There are Christmas stories and legends from other countries, too.
Can't find it so I can't give you a title but when the kids were little we had a book from one of the real-people-Christmas- nativity movies with photographs and just scripture. The actress who played Mary also played Juliet in one of the Romeo and Juliet movies but I don't remember her name.
George loves the old version of "Miracle on 34th St," "It's a Wonderful Life," and the story-song "Good King Wencleslas". I tend to like the Christmas carols that rarely get sung and I'm partial to story-songs.
Assuming the nativity story is up on top, do you have a favorite Christmas story? a favorite Christmas song? a favorite Christmas memory from your childhood?
"And tell me the part where..."
Of the 55,000+ children's books on Amazon 22,000+ are about Christmas. Random trivia. That was free. :)
One of my favorites and a rather unique Christmas story is Only A Star by Margery Facklam published by Eerdman's Books for Young Readers. Apart from the wonderful artwork and the natural science of it, Marge Facklam celebrates creation's participation in the birth of our Lord.
I also really like theThe Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
and other versions of a similar Tolstoy story based on scripture.
When we were little, the older kids in our church used to do a Christmas play where the little boy took a long trip to bring his tiny offering to a church where the chimes or bells never rang and they rang for him. I don't remember the name of it, but it left a lasting impression on me at the time (I think they used the chimes on the organ which made it that much more dramatic). Sometimes we get into George MacDonald stories. There are Christmas stories and legends from other countries, too.
Can't find it so I can't give you a title but when the kids were little we had a book from one of the real-people-Christmas- nativity movies with photographs and just scripture. The actress who played Mary also played Juliet in one of the Romeo and Juliet movies but I don't remember her name.
George loves the old version of "Miracle on 34th St," "It's a Wonderful Life," and the story-song "Good King Wencleslas". I tend to like the Christmas carols that rarely get sung and I'm partial to story-songs.
Assuming the nativity story is up on top, do you have a favorite Christmas story? a favorite Christmas song? a favorite Christmas memory from your childhood?
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Random Thoughts about Preparing for Christmas
So unfortunately, Christmas is the shopping season, the time of year when we're most apt to try to fill that God-shaped space, intentionally left for Himself, with the more tangible things around us - stuff and people and . . . the list goes on. Unlike my very loved and organized sister-in-law who always finishes her Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, I barely manage to get presents in the mail before the following Easter. I could tell you it's the spiritual way, but I'd be lying. For some reason I don't plan ahead or stick to my plan even if I do plan ahead in December.
When I was little we had Christmas at our house, then at my grandparents next door, then in the afternoon we went to my other grandparents for dinner and stayed into the evening or went back to my grandparents next door to see my aunts and uncles and cousins.
Our very first Christmas together we had no tree, no presents, no festive food, no decorations. We went to a movie and didn't even have cash so even that was a bomb. That was the year I realized that Christmas is what you make it. You do and you give because it gives you joy to bring joy to someone else.
When the kids were home alot we read the Christmas story all the way through in the different gospels. We spent the Christmas season making crafty things for extended family and food to give. It helped focus the season on making and giving instead of shopping and getting. Now, they have a tiny bit more spending money than they have time, but they're still giving and their giving is relatively simple and always creative.
We walked through fields to cut our own tree until everyone was old enough to walk without being carried, and lost interest lol! Ok, maybe we lasted longer than that. The problem is when you wait until two days before Christmas and go looking for a tree and walking and walking and walking it's not fun. :)
We made ALOT of Christmas ornamants. When we made origami ornaments I understood why Japan has so many engineers. You have to be an engineer to do origami but for some reason they were among the more rewarding crafts we made. One year we used juice can lids, poked a hole in them with a nail for the metal ornament hook and cut and glued photos or magazine pictures on them to remember something God did that year. We hung them on the tree. I still have them and the memories. One year we made clothespin dolls to hang. Tory probably made a soldier or something. Another year a group we were part of exchanged hand-made ornaments with photos on them.
We often picked traditional Christmas crafts or recipes from another country. Christmas carols come from different countries, too, you know. We usually made food for neighbors. We try to see extended family sometime over Christmas week.
My mother-in-law was always surprised that the kids didn't fight or argue over presents. It's probably because we tried to pick something that they had individually and uniquely expressed interest in all year. We focused on tools for exercising their creativity or for doing something they already liked to do taking it to a new level.
Cleaning, decorating, baking, all birthday things. We're remembering the birthday of our Lord, His incarnation. As I say, sometimes my planning ahead for birthdays isn't all it could be, even for Him.
When I was little we had Christmas at our house, then at my grandparents next door, then in the afternoon we went to my other grandparents for dinner and stayed into the evening or went back to my grandparents next door to see my aunts and uncles and cousins.
Our very first Christmas together we had no tree, no presents, no festive food, no decorations. We went to a movie and didn't even have cash so even that was a bomb. That was the year I realized that Christmas is what you make it. You do and you give because it gives you joy to bring joy to someone else.
When the kids were home alot we read the Christmas story all the way through in the different gospels. We spent the Christmas season making crafty things for extended family and food to give. It helped focus the season on making and giving instead of shopping and getting. Now, they have a tiny bit more spending money than they have time, but they're still giving and their giving is relatively simple and always creative.
We walked through fields to cut our own tree until everyone was old enough to walk without being carried, and lost interest lol! Ok, maybe we lasted longer than that. The problem is when you wait until two days before Christmas and go looking for a tree and walking and walking and walking it's not fun. :)
We made ALOT of Christmas ornamants. When we made origami ornaments I understood why Japan has so many engineers. You have to be an engineer to do origami but for some reason they were among the more rewarding crafts we made. One year we used juice can lids, poked a hole in them with a nail for the metal ornament hook and cut and glued photos or magazine pictures on them to remember something God did that year. We hung them on the tree. I still have them and the memories. One year we made clothespin dolls to hang. Tory probably made a soldier or something. Another year a group we were part of exchanged hand-made ornaments with photos on them.
We often picked traditional Christmas crafts or recipes from another country. Christmas carols come from different countries, too, you know. We usually made food for neighbors. We try to see extended family sometime over Christmas week.
My mother-in-law was always surprised that the kids didn't fight or argue over presents. It's probably because we tried to pick something that they had individually and uniquely expressed interest in all year. We focused on tools for exercising their creativity or for doing something they already liked to do taking it to a new level.
Cleaning, decorating, baking, all birthday things. We're remembering the birthday of our Lord, His incarnation. As I say, sometimes my planning ahead for birthdays isn't all it could be, even for Him.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Google searches
Every once in a while I google my name or my husband's or kids to see what's out there. I have to say that if you find anything with my name on it about shopping, it probably isn't me. I HATE to shop!
Fixed Links
I fixed the links that didn't work on More Children's Ministry Blogs 2 (11/28)
Sorry about that!
Sorry about that!
Friday, December 01, 2006
Keep Smiling!
Welcome to December!
We were watching a Christmas movie last night and it turns out one of the channels will have family Christmas movies running every night for 25 days! You probably already know that.
But doesn't it seem like a good excuse for not going to any adult meetings or gatherings for 25 days? Like Lent (a fast from meetings).
Or we could call it professional development for those who need to stay in touch with the child-in-you for professional reasons : )
How's that for random. :)
There was an old poem my father used to quote by Rudyard Kipling, "If you can keep your head while all of those around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..." but I can never remember the end of it*. I'll look it up.
Reminds me of the Beatitudes. Sounds like a new definition for "meek".
Keep finding things that make you smile and laugh this season. Don't let all the clamor steal this opportunity to enjoy your kids and the wonder of the season. Dig your heels in.
Much joy to you.
*Kipling's thinking will seem flawed to some but you get the heart of it.
We were watching a Christmas movie last night and it turns out one of the channels will have family Christmas movies running every night for 25 days! You probably already know that.
But doesn't it seem like a good excuse for not going to any adult meetings or gatherings for 25 days? Like Lent (a fast from meetings).
Or we could call it professional development for those who need to stay in touch with the child-in-you for professional reasons : )
How's that for random. :)
There was an old poem my father used to quote by Rudyard Kipling, "If you can keep your head while all of those around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..." but I can never remember the end of it*. I'll look it up.
Reminds me of the Beatitudes. Sounds like a new definition for "meek".
Keep finding things that make you smile and laugh this season. Don't let all the clamor steal this opportunity to enjoy your kids and the wonder of the season. Dig your heels in.
Much joy to you.
*Kipling's thinking will seem flawed to some but you get the heart of it.
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