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?
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
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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