Christmas in July

Ok – if you know me at all, you know that I can’t get through the month of July without a “Christmas in July” post.  I’m lucky to get through a normal month without talking about Christmas, and if July is going to give me a reason to talk about it, by golly, I’m going to do it. 

Now – I can go on and on and on about how much I love Christmas, and about how I look forward to it for months before it’s even upon us.  Or I could tell you about some of my favorite traditions including decorating our tree, making my mom’s special recipe ‘Snowball cookies’ (which I plan to share with you soon), or even some of the new traditions we have as ‘our little family’ like the kids each getting an ornament to contribute to the tree each year, opening one present on Christmas eve (pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve night), and of course, the Christmas classics Elf and Christmas Vacation.  

 (Our Fam for B's 2nd Christmas)

I can taste the white hot chocolate right now (you did know that real chocolate gives me migraines, right?).  Mmmm, mmmmm good!

::But::

Rather than tell you all of those things, how about some practical steps to keep you in the Christmas spirit from this point on through Christmas!  (At least – this is how I do it.)

1. Believe it or not – many chains of stores already have out Christmas items.  I’m not even kidding.  Shelves and sections stocked full of, yes, you guessed it, Christmas trees, tableware, Christmas lights, tinsel, stockings, and all of the rest of your Christmas décor needs!  Unbelievable, yes.  But also handy!  I was just in Hobby Lobby this past week and saw that all Christmas stuff was already marked down – some 30%, some 50%!  I can assure you that prices will certainly go up just prior to Christmas season, so pick up some of those things you know you may need or want now before you have to pay full price for them before Christmas, or wait until after Christmas sales and store them for a year before using them!

2. Go ahead and experiment with some recipes.  Really.  It’s okay.  I’m the type that I don’t like going overboard with a season favorite because it kind of takes the nostalgia out of it.  Like, if I have my mom’s snowballs every year for Christmas, I don’t want them randomly in February for no apparent reason.  Snowballs mean it’s Christmas.  However, who says you can’t check out a few of those never tried recipes that you never get around to because you are too unsure if they’ll be liked or not, and whip ‘em up for a taste test!  You never know what new dish you may be able to bring to the holiday table this year!

3. This one is my all time favorite.  Get your Christmas list ready now.  I have a list (and have had since about February – I’m not going to lie) made out of everyone’s names whom we buy for and as the year goes on I keep my eyes peeled for things they may like (when I can hit them at really good prices).  Then – when I purchase something I write what it was next to their name, so I know what I’ve bought and whom I’ve bought for.  NOTE:  I do ‘save’ some gifts to buy during the Christmas season.  Specifically for the hubs and the kiddos.  They are the most enjoyable to buy for and we cherish the time of getting to pick out gifts for them and shop for them, so it’s worth it to have our other shopping done so we can enjoy spending the money on our kids at Christmas time.  It just isn’t so much at once. 

Awww... bliss.  It’s a rainy, dreary day in our neck of the woods, and I can almost envision the snow falling (unless I go outside where it’s still 95 degrees despite the rain).

-A

An Olympic Sized Revelation

Let me paint a picture for you, may I?

It's August 2008.  Aaron and I were just settling back into ministry here in our where-abouts after being gone for a couple years.  We were staying in an upstairs (ahem - 27 stairs to be exact) apartment while we were waiting for our house up north to sale.  Did I mention I was pregnant with Bryton at this time?  Because I was.  About 7 months pregnant to be exact. 

Anyway - a family from our church had graciously let us stay in said apartment since we just couldn't afford two mortgages. 

Anyway.  I really have these warm, fuzzy memories (and it's not just because I was 7 months pregnant and it was August) of sitting on our couch with my feet up, seeing the street down below, and watching the summer Olympics from the comfort of our living room, all while snacking out on some yogurt covered raisins.  (But I seriously had no cravings with Bryton... ahem.) 

This is what we did the entire time the Olympics were on.  We'd come home from whatever church activity there was, or if there wasn't one, we'd have dinner and get it cleaned up, and we'd turn on the Olympics.  We'd break periodically to watch Bryton put on his own show in my belly, turning and jabbing all over the place (though enjoyable, unlike Ansley who was brutal).  I can, even, vividly remember watching Michael Phelps swim, and gymnasts and runners, you name it.  Somehow - it feels as if it were yesterday. 

I remember thinking, while sitting on that couch, "The next time there is a summer Olympics, my life will look totally different," and all I could do was think about what that word 'totally' could possibly mean. 

And yesterday I was blindsided by an Olympic sized revelation:  The Olympics are only one. year. away.  (Which in the Olympic world is a really big deal, they have all the buildin' of stuff to do!)  It was major news on the Today show yesterday as I sat holding a new baby in my lap and carrying on a conversation with my two year old, and all I could think back to was, "This is partially what 'totally' looks like." 

Granted - a lot changes in four years when you aren't at this age in your life, but four years during child - rearing, work finding, house shopping years means big ole' change, and for us, good, blessed change. 

As I sat there thinking, "Holy cow - this is exactly what I was thinking when I thought those thoughts eating my yogurt covered raisins 3 years ago," I realized that there is still another year left in the 4 year wait to the next Olympics.

Next year at this time, God willing, I'll be sitting with my *gasp* almost four year old (seriously, I may just cry that I'm writing that.  I'm not even kidding), and my 1.5 year old watching the Olympics together.  Amazing.

Time really does fly, and I thought, before I had kids, that they'd make me feel younger, but I'm pretty sure they are just speeding up my life as they grow like little weeds... good, wonderful weeds. 

Ansley's eating peas and carrots now.  I just had her yesterday.  That is not even possible. 

So - my big discovery - if you want to see your life flash before your eyes, use the Olympics as how you gauge what has happened in your life.  You'll see how fast it is all going!

-A

Missing the Forest

Because of the tree.  (Afterall - if the tree falls in the forest and no one hears it - it still falls, and the rest of the forest still stands...)

This post could be full of all kind of analogy.  I'll try to refrain, but in case it gets out of hand, I'll apologize in advance.

Those of you who read me often have noticed a transparency lately regarding the urgency I'm feeling for parents to step up (a nice way of saying 'stop being lazy' - and I'm speaking to me), take heed of their responsibility (and gift), and spiritually lead their families.

It's literally making me laugh how much God is drilling this into my being.  This has been a project God started on me several months back when, somehow, I started learning about the Shema (which is Jewish, and to be honest, I don't even know where I was introduced to this), but it struck me instantly.  (Go read Deuteronomy 6 - the Shema is the "you tell your family and talk about it all the time" verses.)  Anyway - I've not been able to shake the idea since then.

Then - in November, a youth pastor's conference we attend every year yielded a completely revamped idea of youth ministry.  The program driven / attraction youth ministry idea that has been pushed for so long was suddenly being rammed aside and almost every message and idea revolved around not being program driven and being inter-generational.  Ok.

Then - Aaron randomly gets these books in the mail from Amazon one day.  Seriously.  He called me and asked if I had ordered them.  Nope.  He was overly certain he hadn't, and it took a whole morning of research and a call to Amazon to figure out where they'd come from.  (And we found that they'd come from people who don't even personally know us.  Seriously.)  That's when I read ApParent Privilege.

Then - Posting about ApParent Privilege, a good blog friend of mine commented and posted a link to a documentary.  Go here to check it out.  It's an hour long, but worth every second.

Did I mention God is trying to drive home a point?

Then - (yes, there's another then) our Fuel driven youth lessons have been hitting the exact. same. topics.  Just tonight we talked about how the family provides the foundation of faith, not the church.

I'm loving the direction God is leading all of this in my life, and tonight, He started building, yet again, on the principles.

For several years - probably since we've been in youth ministry - the question has been tackled about whether a family should force their children to come to youth.  Now - it's a no brainer for me regarding children's ministry.  (Assuming a church separates by age groups - as many do.)  If parents are going to church then one would assume that children would accompany their parents to what is available for them.

Youth gets fishy, though, for a lot of reasons.  Youth age are old enough to stay at home (with the excuse of doing homework, of course).  Youth age have athletic practices and events, extra-curricular activities, and jobs.  Youth also have their licenses and other interests.  In other words - the youth age can more easily 'get out of church' (assuming that the way we are 'doing' church is appropriate - but I'll touch that in a moment.)

And I'll be honest - Aaron and I have both been on both sides of this argument from time to time.  It's a hard argument!  Of course we want to force our kids to go to hear about Jesus (bear with me)!  But then we don't want to force them because it may push them further away.  It's a lively debate, but we've always said, "Our kids won't have an option."  I'll be honest, saying this has always made me... well... nervous.

But tonight a thought struck me.  Who cares if they want to go to youth or not?  Their spiritual nourishment happens at home!  Now don't misunderstand me!  I'm not saying that church is bad or that we shouldn't go.  We should go!  What I am saying is - if your kid doesn't want to go to youth and you don't feel like forcing him / her is the answer... it's really not a question of whether to send him, it's a call to live out, talk about, and love on Jesus at home, something we should be doing anyway.  Afterall - if we are living like Jesus and loving on Jesus at home in such a way that we are displaying faith to our children, then the urgency of 3 hours of youth group a week doesn't seem near as, well, urgent.

Again - I say please don't misunderstand.  What your church offers is important, and if God has called you to a particular church He has called you to be a part.  In fact, the church was established in New Testament times and God ordained it's establishment, making church important.

What I am saying is that church (even in it's original idea) was never meant to take the place of the discipleship and 'passing down' of one's faith that happens in families.  It was created to compliment it, not abolish it.  Thus - the emphasis, once again, is on family worship, discipleship, and basically, ya'll, us parents loving Jesus in such a way that it is obvious and contagious to our children.

When reading the Shema the first time I got this picture in my head of families back in OT times walking long distances or sitting around in their tents, and in no real rhyme or reason, dad saying something like, "Man, son, did I ever tell you about how God rescued us from Pharaoh?  Man - I wish you could have seen all of those bugs.  Our God is so faithful, son, I love Him so much.  He is so good to us."

That's how I envision it.  I envision a passionate parent so in love with God that they couldn't help but speak of it.

I wonder what would happen in our families if we (I am totally included in this) loved Jesus so much that the overflow of heart was this praise and thankfulness to Him that came out naturally in conversation.  It would come out in a way that is relational, not rigid or religious.  It wouldn't be forced, but our love for Him would seem natural.  Wouldn't it make our children want to know this Jesus more?  Wouldn't it make them trust Him more if we shared our own stories of God's faithfulness throughout our own lives.

Our God still lives and He still moves, and when our children can see God living and breathing through the change He's made in our lives, what more proof do they need?  They can see how God is directly affecting their lives and the lives of their parents... not some dude sitting on a cloud thousands of miles away being unreachable and being completely unrelated to His creation. 

I don't know - again, folks - just thoughts, and by no means perfected, but God is developing some things within me.  Maybe we're missing the forest (family discipleship and spiritual leadership) because all we can see is the tree (church). 

-A

All Kinds of Deals for Moms and Kids

I just have to share this site with you.  I scour it every day for great deals on incredibly cute stuff for the kiddos (and myself from time to time).  The site is called Zulily, and they have everything from toys (really great prices on Melissa and Doug today!) to boutique style clothing (go check out Jelly the Pug today!) and handbags and nursing bras, and just handy stuff for mom (there was bamboo kitchen supplies on there a few days ago!)!  Seriously, go check it out and see what all of the fuss is about! :)

I love this site!