Tag Archives: Christmas

December 14, 2011 · 6:00 am

The Santa Debate–To Believe or Not To Believe?

I believe in Santa Claus.

There, I said it, and I’m not ashamed.

The idea of the jolly man who slides down a chimney to bring toys to all of the good boys and girls of the world has created magic and the spirit of Christmas in me since I was a child.

And even when I found out that Santa wasn’t “real,” I still continued to believe in the “magic” of the Christmas season.

One of the things I looked forward to most about being a parent was using that magic to get to share the joy of Santa with my children.

Yet, although we love and believe in Santa in our house, we also emphasize the real meaning of Christmas, which is of course, the birth of our Savior. Without Christ’s birth, there would be no reason for Santa in the first place.

Christ is the most important in our home. He always will be and there is no doubt that it’s His birthday we celebrate. Yet, because He came to bring us salvation, we can celebrate with joy, even if that involves a little happy “magic.”

However, there are a LOT of parents in my generation who have chosen not to “do” Santa with their kids. Here are some of the reasons I’ve heard:

Some don’t because they feel that telling their children to believe in Santa is lying.

Some don’t because they believe that telling their children to believe in Santa equates with telling their children to believe in Jesus, and when one is discovered, there will be doubt in the other.

Some don’t because they don’t want to have to go through the trouble of Christmas Eve as Santa.

And others I know don’t because, “If I’m spending all this money on my kid, why should Santa get the all the credit?”

The second reason listed above is the one I hear most often, and I have to be honest, that one really has me puzzled. I’ll wait to share my opinions until I hear what y’all have to say.

So, I pose the question to you (with the hopes that we’ll get some really good responses of all kinds!)

Share with me: Is it okay for Christian parents to encourage their kids to believe in Santa? What do you think about Santa and why do you DO or NOT DO Santa in your home?

22 Comments

Filed under Parenting

Tagged as Christmas, Santa

December 12, 2011 · 6:00 am

When Hustle & Bustle Becomes Choas and Craziness

This is me (center, big green hat, red bow) with my Victorian caroling group.

I don’t know about you, but for me, the past few weeks have been anything but the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

There’s just too much going on.

My calendar is slam-packed.

My hubby’s calendar is slam-packed.

In the past 11 days, we’ve had ONE–count it–ONE family dinner together, just the four of us.

That’s ridiculous.

The hustle & bustle of the normal holiday season has turned into chaos and craziness, leaving little time for family, friends, and basic responsibilities. (Yes, that’s me admitting that there are currently three loads of laundry waiting to be folded and a kitchen sink full of dishes.)

Yes, I need to slow down. Yes, I need to learn to say no. Yes, I need to lighten my load.

But it’s impossible for me to lighten the load right now, so I’m feeling mighty burnt out instead of mighty full of the joy of the season.

I recently wrote a post on hearing the voice of God, and He’s made it perfectly clear that even in the chaos of life right now, I need to pay attention to how I’m handling it.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

No matter how much hustle or how much bustle I’m dealing with, I’m to do everything in the name of the Lord. Everything.

So I smile (although my smile might be a little weary) and I remember with great joy that there would be no Christmas season without the birth of our blessed Savior.

I will make hustle and bustle, chaos and craziness a blessing to myself, my family, and those around me in the name of the Lord.

Every moment is an opportunity to act and react to my circumstances in the name of the Lord with thanksgiving in my heart.

Share with me: What’s your favorite Christmas carol? (Fact: Carols are songs that relay the news of the birth of Christ, while songs are simply about the Christmas season.)

6 Comments

Filed under The Christian Walk

Tagged as Christmas, stress

July 1, 2011 · 1:10 pm

10 Things I’ll Never Live Down – Number One

Number One-

Our first Christmas as a married couple. My husband lovingly wrapped my Christmas gift and put it under the tree.

I hate spoiling a surprise– like, really hate it, but my curiosity got the best of me and I picked up the gift to give it a shake.

It was flat and thin, and the only thing I could come up with was that my husband had gotten me a calendar for our first Christmas. And I wasn’t sure what to think about that. I mean, any time someone gives me a gift, I am very grateful, but I was hoping for something a little more personal than a calendar from my husband for our first Christmas. And I really hoped it wasn’t a calendar. I was beginning to go into a panicked “over-analyze” state of what it meant that he had gotten me a calendar.

Christmas Eve. I was making lunch or something in the kitchen, and we were talking about the gifts we had gotten for each other- keeping everything a surprise until Christmas morning.

My husband says, “I tried to be really thoughtful.”

Hmmmm….I’m thinking. Thin, flat…suddenly my brain flashes to commercials I had been hearing on the radio for weeks.

“I really hope you didn’t get me something goofy, like buy me a star.”

I was jesting. All in good fun. Because there was No.Possible.Way. that my hubby had registered a star in my name. No.Way.

But I watched as his face fell. And my heart broke. Not only had I ruined the surprise, I felt like a two-cent piece with a hole in it (as my mom says).

So my hubs goes over to the tree, gets the package and hands it to me. “Go ahead and open it,” he says, sadly. So I did. And it was a star registry.

Never in my life have I wanted so badly to laugh and cry in the same moment. I felt like a jerk, but at the same time, I simply could not believe that he would spend money on something like that, although it very much did fit my idea of personal. But for a hopeless romantic, I didn’t really buy into the whole star registry thing. We didn’t even own a telescope!

I thanked him and did my very, very best to make up for my gaff. And I’m still trying. And I still feel like a jerk when I think about it. And we still don’t own a telescope.

Every single holiday or gift giving occasion since, my husband has handed me the gift with the following comment, “No, I did not get you something ‘goofy’ like a star.” I can’t believe he still gets me gifts at all. If I were him, I wouldn’t buy me anything. From that first Christmas on, he’s given me some seriously amazing, thoughtful, helpful things.

I still have my star registry paperwork. I still think he was being very thoughtful. I still can’t believe he actually did that. I’m so lucky to have him.

But I’ll never live it down.

Share with me: Have you ever ruined someone’s gift giving surprise?