Advent Reflections

So this Advent season was the best yet for our family. We were in our home state of Oregon and so did not have to travel for Christmas. And there were no emergencies like totaling a car during Thanksgiving and having to buy a new one right away. No that was last year's adventure. This year, we actually got to enjoy Christmas. And so I thought I would share a few of the highlights from the season:

 Logan’s Christmas Program – So this year was our first opportunity to be a proud parent in the crowd as we watched our son and his class put on a short Christmas program. It was so cute and we were so proud. Granted he didn’t sing or do any of the motions, but he sure looked cute up there with his classmates. 
 Zoo Lights – Every year the local Zoo puts on a light display. Our life group decided to get together and walk the Zoo together. That was awesome. It was such a blessing to share the evening with good friends.
 Advent Wreath – Shelley and I have always wanted to do an advent wreath, and this year we finally did it. What a great way to celebrate the season. The kids loved doing the Bible readings and of course the lighting of the candle. They couldn’t wait for Sunday to come so we could light them again.
 Nightly Advent readings with the kids – Every night before bed, we would read a few more verses of the Christmas story – and of course review what we had read up to that point. By the end of it, we were blessed to hear Logan tell us the entire Christmas story in his own words. Very cute. I’m sure Matea could have recited it too, but there is the issue of vocabulary…
 Giving gifts to our neighbors – Shelley really wanted to give gifts to the 5 other apartments in our section of the complex. This was a great success. The neighbors were pleasantly surprised by the gifts and were very glad to receive them. Logan and Matea did a great job helping us hand them out. We’re hoping this sparks conversation since we all tend to nod and walk past.
 Christmas Eve Service – As always, we were very blessed to be a part of Village Baptist Church. They put on an amazing Christmas Eve service which included among other things a traditional Korean Fan Dance that is used to celebrate the coming of a king. Very cool.
 Christmas Morning – 2 kids, 1 camera, 1 camcorder, and LOTS of presents. Need I say more?
 Christ Candle/Family Devotion – The SINGLE BEST THING we have done all year. At the end of a very exhausting Christmas Day, we sat down as a family next to the Christmas tree and had a little devotional. We lit all 4 candles of the advent wreath and also lit a special Christ Candle. We bought a large white column candle that we can reuse year after year and set it on a special stand. We sang hymns, read the Christmas story from a kids book, read a Bible verse, and talked about our favorite parts of the Christmas season. It was wonderful. I can’t wait to do it again next year. That is going to quickly become my favorite family tradition.

And now to turn our attention to the New Year when, as a coworker of mine always says, everything is possible again. Happy New Year everyone!

Stumped

So the question went like this…

3 yr. old son: “Dada, is today tomorrow?”

How in the world are you supposed to answer that?!?

Attempt #1: Well tomorrow is the word that we use to describe the day after today. So that means that today is always today and tomorrow is always tomorrow.

Attempt #2: Yesterday we said that today is tomorrow. Today we say that tomorrow is tomorrow, but when you wake up in the morning tomorrow will be today and today will be yesterday.

Attempt #3: Today is the word for the day that we are on right now. Tomorrow is the word we use for the day after today and yesterday is the word we use for the day before today. So no matter what day it is you always have a yesterday a today and a tomorrow, but the day you’re on is always today.

Attempt #4: I know we told you that you had school tomorrow, but that was yesterday. Now you have school today and tomorrow you will do something else. Yesterday’s tomorrow turned into today so now you have school today.

Attempt #5: Tomorrow never comes.

I defy you to come up with a more difficult question to answer intelligently to a 3-yr old.

Season's Greetings

Upon returning home from a quick trip to the grocery store, I noticed the paper bag I was carrying said Season’s Greetings. That got me thinking: What exactly are Season’s Greetings?

There is no question that our culture has adopted phrases such as Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays as a way to sidestep the term Christmas. But what if we were to take these phrases at face value? If I as a Christian were to offer someone “Season’s Greetings” or wish them a happy holiday, what would I in fact be saying?

Well at the risk of oversimplifying – a holiday is literally a Holy Day. A fitting term for Advent. After all this is the celebration of the birth of our Savior. A Holy Day indeed. So what would Jesus say is the true greeting for the season?

In Luke 2:14b the angels declare “…on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

For those walking through life in fear that people may learn about their past – Peace the Savior is here. For those struggling with addiction to drugs/alcohol/pornography/etc. and can’t seem to break free – Peace the Savior is here. For those whose wounds are too deep to measure, whose families are broken, whose dreams have been lost – Peace the Savior is here. For those in search of love and belonging – Peace the Savior is here. Hope has come.

He came to the weak, the outcasts, the sinners, the sick, the dying, even the possessed. He brings peace large enough for any hurt. He brings hope great enough for any situation. He came to bring Salvation.

So from me to you, a very warm Seasons Greeting. May His peace and hope shine on you and through you in these Holy Days.