The Christmas Season

I love the Christmas season.  I have a ton of great memories from my childhood that still make me happy when I think of them.  I know some folks out there have not had such good memories of the holidays and that makes me sad.  I love remembering about seeing all my family and eating the most awesome home-made food from my grand-parents.  I have some great memories of some family members that have passed away in that last few years that I was so blessed to be around.  I have a few bad memories around the holidays too, but the overarching feeling I get when I think back is a warm one.  Without going any further into the details of my christmas time memories, I would like to talk about something that has been the topic of conversation for me and my wife lately....what are we going to do with our children as far as Santa Claus goes.  I personally think it is a conscience decision that is not specifically spelled out in the Bible.  However, I do think we ought to make every decision with the light of God's Word guiding us.  Where it does not specifically tell us what to do we ought to decide based on Biblical principles.  I think the Bible teaches us to be very purposeful with everything.  We are not just to decide whatever we want as long as the Bible does not say.  We are to 'do all things to the glory of God' (1 corinthians).  So with all that in mind, me and Emily have decided teach our children first and foremost about the wonderful Gift of Christmas that is Jesus, and within that mind-set to teach them about a man of God who followed truly followed Jesus, St. Nicholas.  As far as Santa Claus goes, we are not going to treat him as an evil idea.  I consider him along the same lines as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, all of which are fictional characters.  I don't think this will in any way take away any happiness from our children.  How can focusing all of their attention on a wonderful God that loved them so much that He gave His only begotten Son to live and die for them so that they could go to heaven one day be boring or a strike against their happiness.  On top of this there are some things about Santa Claus that I am weary of.  For one thing He supposedly only gives gifts to you if you have been a good boy or girl.  I guess poor children are all bad.  Another thing is that He is supposed to be able to see them at all times.  (He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when your awake.......)  Personally the only one I want my children to ever think about seeing them at all times is God.  Now I know, I can already hear some of you saying how overboard this is, but once again I'm just giving you my train of thought about it.  If we as parents are supposed to do everything to point our children to a personal relationship with Jesus, (a relationship that is not based on their performance, but on His mercy), then shouldn't we at least consider the possibility that Santa Claus could be a stumbling block to this.  Santa Claus teaches them to be good and they will get gifts, Jesus teaches them that He died for them in spite of their actions.  Now the story of St. Nicholas on the other hand teaches us to be like Jesus, who gave in spite of, not because of.  I have just recently researched to historical St. Nicholas.  There are tons of stories, some of which seem sure to be folklore, but some which seem to be true.  The most famous one was told by just about every writer I read.  The story is about this man that had three daughters.  He was poor and on the verge of starving along with the rest of his family.  So in desperation he decided to sell one of his daughters into slavery.  The night before he was going to take her to be sold, St Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and hurried away before he was found.  The man found the money and did not sell his daughter.  The story is told a little different by each writer, but the jest of it is the same.  St. Nicholas gave to a man that was in real need.  That is the example of Jesus.  He became poor, so we could be rich.  He died, so we could live.  What an awesome Saviour!  Another reason I think teaching only Jesus at Christmas is a good idea is because of the possibility of teaching our children the joy of giving to those who really need it.  Now I would never go into any details or say we or anyone else should give any certain amount to those in need each Christmas, but the example of Jesus leads us to do something.  If we allow our children to take part in this their whole lives, they will hopefully be drawn to the God who inspires all the giving.  This type of thinking is in sharp contrast to 'being good so that I can get all the toys I want'.  I want my children to think,  "Mommy and Daddy love us and give us gifts at Christmas."  That is all.  I can't wait till Garrison and Allie are old enough to enjoy the anticipation of getting gifts on Christmas morning, but I want them to know that they got them because we love them not because they earned them.  

Honestly, it scares me how tightly we hold on to Santa Clause.  It seems for some of us that our affections are stirred much more by thinking of him than by thinking of Jesus.  Its seems to me that, though we would never say it, we believe Jesus is the necessary part and Santa is the fun.  God help us if this is the case.  We need to be brought back to the wonder of how awesome the real story of Christmas is.  

With all that said I will not cut you off as friends if you disagree with me.  I would love to hear other angles on this topic if you would like to comment.

Ryan  

Please Read This!

They are His first and foremost, and then ours.  
I would like you to read a devotional from a very good friend of mine.  He is a Pastor of a church in Mobile.  He has been one of the biggest influences in my christian life.  He is a father-figure to me and a true man of God.  I think we could all benefit from reading what he has to say about our present President-elect.  

Friends,        My wife Frances has been a Labor & Delivery RN for 30 years, and is currently Assistant Manager of the L&D unit at a local hospital.  She has witnessed thousands of births, and has personally delivered many babies when doctors could not arrive in time for the blessed event.  As the title of a book she is working on about her experience in Labor and Delivery indicates ("Memories of Miracles"), she  says that every birth she witnesses is an obvious miracle, an obvious act of God.  As such, she has a unique perspective regarding the election of Sen. Barack Obama as President of the United States.     As many of you know, Sen. Obama has in the past advocated and legislated for a procedure known as partial birth abortion. In the present, he is unrepentant for having done so. The procedure involves allowing babies to die if an abortion fails to end its life, usually by setting it aside in some out of the way place (although occasionally, some kind-hearted health care professional may hold the baby as it dies).  In essence, the procedure is death by neglect, to put it very moderately. Before the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007, and opposed by Sen. Obama), lowest estimates indicated that at least 500 partial birth abortions a year took place in the United States, while higher estimates were in the thousands.          "Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?" (Job 31:15).     "But Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts" (Psalm 22:9).         The born again Christian who believes the Bible must be deeply disturbed that such a procedure was once legal in the United States, and that Sen. Obama - now President Elect Obama - was an ardent supporter of its legality.  Clearly, God is involved in our conception and gestation, as the passages above declare, and it is He that takes us out of the womb through the agency of nurses, doctors, midwives and others.  L&D nurses therefore see obvious acts of the Creator in every birth.  Their perception and understanding of the sacredness of birth is therefore to be expected, as is the horror which many of them feel that we have elected a president who advocated and legislated for this "death by neglect."       I was in my 20s when science shows on TV began to show childbirth.  I cried the first time I saw a baby born on film, and I have cried every time I have seen any baby born (including, of course, my own).  I have never sensed the presence of God more than when witnessing the miracle of childbirth.  God is there in some special and glorious way whenever a child enters the world, and crying for emotional types like myself is the obvious response.  Of course, you don't have to cry, but the point is that anyone with any heart whatsoever is going to be deeply affected.  You have to be because, again, God is present in His glory when His splendid creations, His babies, are called forth from the womb.        The history of Barack Obama regarding this issue is a matter of public record despite his statements in the campaign which contradicted the facts.  Again, he has advocated and legislated for partial birth abortion, or infanticide, or death by neglect.  I've wondered recently if he was present when his own children were born.  I suspect not.  I sincerely hope and pray not!  Because if he could have witnessed the birth of his children - and the manifested presence of God in their entrance into the world - how could he  could have been the ardent proponent of partial birth abortion that he has been?  What are we to believe about his heart?  No excuse will suffice, not "the mother's choice," or "women's rights," or "the antiabortion crowd will use banning partial birth abortion as a stepping stone to banning all abortions."      I sincerely wish that every American would be required to witness either in person or on film a partial birth abortion.  Somehow the baby survives the savagery of the abortion process, and then if the mother nevertheless chooses its death, it is denied care which would preserve its life.  The death process may take as little as 45 minutes, or 8 hours or more.  It is simply left to die, or perhaps someone may hold it until it does.        Make this very personal.  Imagine for a moment that you are witnessing the film of a partial birth abortion,  or the actual event.  Feel your heart break, and the tears flow from your eyes.  Hear the sounds of the dying baby.  Look at its struggle to breath, to live.  See the reality.  Look at it.  Look at it!  Watch in your mind's eye, your heart's eye, the baby die.      If we were required to witness this horror, would any American with any semblance of a heart continue to support such barbarism?  Or, could we vote for any politician who advocated and legislated for the procedure?      Barack Obama's history is known, and easily researched.  He knows what partial birth abortion is.  He has advocated and legislated for it.  If, therefore, he is successful as President in matters of economics, foreign policy, social issues and any other aspects of our society, the believer must nevertheless ask the question:  Can I give him my support until he repents of his support for partial birth abortion, and until he decisively advocates against it?  The answer is obvious.  Certainly we will pray for him as a human being and as our President, as the Bible commands, and we will respect him as our President, as the Bible commands.  But never should he have our political support.  We must pray with all our hearts that Americans will become aware of what partial birth abortion is, and that the man our nation elected as president has been one of its primary political supporters.  And let us pray that God will change his heart, and indeed, break his heart for having supported the barbarism that is partial birth abortion.       "I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well" (Psalm 139:14).      Glen" The above is the exact quotation from the OM devotional.  I would encourage anyone that would like a good place to be stirred to visit his site at www.omcafe.org Ryan

One more note on the election

I recommend a site to go to that has some interesting points to think about concerning the candidates this year.  I think you will find what is said to be honest and frank but insightful as well.  Please go to www.desiringgod.org and go to the blog section from Oct. 30th, or you could probably just search the topic from the front page.  Anyway, I think anyone could benefit from listening to what John Piper says in the 7 minute talk.  There is a long version which is 7 minutes and a short version skips the first 3 points.  I recommend listening to the long version, but both are very helpful.

Ryan