December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
Luke 2:8-15
May God's favor rest with you today. May you have peace in your hearts and in your homes.
Then, go. Go and see what it's all about. Commit yourself to seeing this thing that has happened, every day, and revel in the peace it brings you.
Merry Christmas from the Head family.
December 22, 2012
"And We Were Happy To Have It"
You know those people who get offended every time anyone phrases something differently from the way they would personally do it, or flip out when someone's tradition doesn't meet the standard of what is "correct" in their own bubble?
I try not to be one of those people. Everyone is different, and what's right for me and my family may not be right for you and yours.
However, if you are one of those people, you might be offended by this post. I'll bet you won't stop reading it, though, because the easily offended types tend to seek out reasons to be offended.
As I said before, I try not to be easily offended by certain phrases. I don't even know if "offended" is the best word to describe how I feel about this, but it just...bothers me.
As is common for this time of year, I've been hearing a lot of radio callers seeking assistance for friends and family members who are having a rough time of it financially. That's a very nice thing to do, and it's awesome that the radio stations are willing to help out. What irritates me, though, is when they ask for help so that their friends' children can "have Christmas," or so that they can, "buy Christmas." I do not limit this to radio callers who are trying to be the hands and feet of Christ by helping their neighbors. I hear it from people I know when they are going to Target to "buy Christmas."
I'm not stupid. I know they mean Christmas presents. But, I feel like they need to actually say presents.
If you think I'm about to launch into a "Christmas can't be bought" rant, you're absolutely correct. It can't. No one can take a credit card to Macy's or amazon.com and purchase peace on earth. No check written can cover the cost of God's only son coming in the form of a dirt poor carpenter's kid to save the world from itself.
If you really want someone to "have Christmas," I suggest beginning with introducing them to Luke's gospel account of Christmas.
Then, watch a few movies with them. First, A Charlie Brown Christmas, then Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and finally, A Christmas Carol. To "have Christmas," a person would need a sense of the love and peace that are supposed to accompany the holiday. He or she would need to see friends working together to make a simple, little tree embody the spirit of Christmas in spite of the rest of the world insisting that only bigger, fancier, and more will do. You would need to make sure they understood that, "...maybe Christmas...doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." And, of course, he or she would need to see how inportant it is to share with those who have less than we, because if we hoard everything for ourselves and make judgments about who is worthy to receive our gifts, we end up bitter and alone. But, that little baby in the manger was born to help us turn ourselves around, so it's never too late to learn to love.
I would also recommend watching the Christmas episode of Little House on the Prairie. Do you remember that one? I think it was the show's first season. The Ingalls family was waiting out a terrible snow storm in a little cabin on Christmas Eve. They had each other, but not much else. No gifts, little food, and it was bone-chilling cold. Then, along came Mr. Edwards, trudging through the frozen woods with icicles hanging from his beard, singing carols and bearing gifts. Were his arms laden with toys and new clothes and a giant ham?
Nope. Each child got a small tin cup, a penny, and a peppermint stick. And they were THRILLED!
Do you remember your grandparents telling you about how Santa would fill their stockings with an orange, some nuts, and maybe a piece of hard candy, and then follow it up with, "and we were happy to have it!"
No? Too young? Is it because my grandparents were actually my great-grandparents?
Whatever. Anyway, my point is that I can't think of very many modern children (or adults, for that matter) who would be excited to get an orange for Christmas just because it was a gift, which means that someone was thinking of them.
I wish we could get back to that. When I was a kid, there was always this sense of anticipation and joy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I guess it was a little about the gifts, but that wasn't all of it. I knew there was a Cabbage Patch Kid or a My Little Pony coming, and I was excited about it. What kid wouldn't be? But, it was more than that. There was something about knowing my old toys and clothes were going to other kids who didn't have as much as I did, something about knowing I was going to get to see my cousin (hey, that's a big deal when you're an only child. Just ask her. She's one, too.), something about seeing my parents act as if the gift I chose for them was the greatest thing they had ever seen, that made it special. The music, the lights, the Nativity at church, and the extra hugs in Sunday school made the story of baby Jesus just a little more real.
Now, I feel as if Christmas has become a crazy mess of what-do-I-cook-and-who's-coming-over-and-we-have-to-be-at-this-house-on-that-day-at-this-time-and-if-I-don't-get-so-and-so-exactly-what-she-asked-for-she's-going-to-throw-a-hissy-fit-and-what-time-is-the-Christmas-Eve-service-again?????!!!!!
I don't want that. I want my peace back. I want my joy back. If this is what grown-up Christmas feels like, I want to be a seven-year-old again, just for the Christmas season.
Here's a picture of some people "buying Christmas" on Black Friday:
And, here's a picture of some (OK, fine they're fictional) people, "having Christmas" in their little home:
Who looks happier to you?
Maybe it's time for a little less "more," and a little more being happy to have it...whatever it is.
I try not to be one of those people. Everyone is different, and what's right for me and my family may not be right for you and yours.
However, if you are one of those people, you might be offended by this post. I'll bet you won't stop reading it, though, because the easily offended types tend to seek out reasons to be offended.
As I said before, I try not to be easily offended by certain phrases. I don't even know if "offended" is the best word to describe how I feel about this, but it just...bothers me.
As is common for this time of year, I've been hearing a lot of radio callers seeking assistance for friends and family members who are having a rough time of it financially. That's a very nice thing to do, and it's awesome that the radio stations are willing to help out. What irritates me, though, is when they ask for help so that their friends' children can "have Christmas," or so that they can, "buy Christmas." I do not limit this to radio callers who are trying to be the hands and feet of Christ by helping their neighbors. I hear it from people I know when they are going to Target to "buy Christmas."
I'm not stupid. I know they mean Christmas presents. But, I feel like they need to actually say presents.
If you think I'm about to launch into a "Christmas can't be bought" rant, you're absolutely correct. It can't. No one can take a credit card to Macy's or amazon.com and purchase peace on earth. No check written can cover the cost of God's only son coming in the form of a dirt poor carpenter's kid to save the world from itself.
If you really want someone to "have Christmas," I suggest beginning with introducing them to Luke's gospel account of Christmas.
Then, watch a few movies with them. First, A Charlie Brown Christmas, then Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and finally, A Christmas Carol. To "have Christmas," a person would need a sense of the love and peace that are supposed to accompany the holiday. He or she would need to see friends working together to make a simple, little tree embody the spirit of Christmas in spite of the rest of the world insisting that only bigger, fancier, and more will do. You would need to make sure they understood that, "...maybe Christmas...doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." And, of course, he or she would need to see how inportant it is to share with those who have less than we, because if we hoard everything for ourselves and make judgments about who is worthy to receive our gifts, we end up bitter and alone. But, that little baby in the manger was born to help us turn ourselves around, so it's never too late to learn to love.
I would also recommend watching the Christmas episode of Little House on the Prairie. Do you remember that one? I think it was the show's first season. The Ingalls family was waiting out a terrible snow storm in a little cabin on Christmas Eve. They had each other, but not much else. No gifts, little food, and it was bone-chilling cold. Then, along came Mr. Edwards, trudging through the frozen woods with icicles hanging from his beard, singing carols and bearing gifts. Were his arms laden with toys and new clothes and a giant ham?
Nope. Each child got a small tin cup, a penny, and a peppermint stick. And they were THRILLED!
Do you remember your grandparents telling you about how Santa would fill their stockings with an orange, some nuts, and maybe a piece of hard candy, and then follow it up with, "and we were happy to have it!"
No? Too young? Is it because my grandparents were actually my great-grandparents?
Whatever. Anyway, my point is that I can't think of very many modern children (or adults, for that matter) who would be excited to get an orange for Christmas just because it was a gift, which means that someone was thinking of them.
I wish we could get back to that. When I was a kid, there was always this sense of anticipation and joy in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I guess it was a little about the gifts, but that wasn't all of it. I knew there was a Cabbage Patch Kid or a My Little Pony coming, and I was excited about it. What kid wouldn't be? But, it was more than that. There was something about knowing my old toys and clothes were going to other kids who didn't have as much as I did, something about knowing I was going to get to see my cousin (hey, that's a big deal when you're an only child. Just ask her. She's one, too.), something about seeing my parents act as if the gift I chose for them was the greatest thing they had ever seen, that made it special. The music, the lights, the Nativity at church, and the extra hugs in Sunday school made the story of baby Jesus just a little more real.
Now, I feel as if Christmas has become a crazy mess of what-do-I-cook-and-who's-coming-over-and-we-have-to-be-at-this-house-on-that-day-at-this-time-and-if-I-don't-get-so-and-so-exactly-what-she-asked-for-she's-going-to-throw-a-hissy-fit-and-what-time-is-the-Christmas-Eve-service-again?????!!!!!
I don't want that. I want my peace back. I want my joy back. If this is what grown-up Christmas feels like, I want to be a seven-year-old again, just for the Christmas season.
Here's a picture of some people "buying Christmas" on Black Friday:
And, here's a picture of some (OK, fine they're fictional) people, "having Christmas" in their little home:
Who looks happier to you?
Maybe it's time for a little less "more," and a little more being happy to have it...whatever it is.
December 14, 2012
Not Today
I had planned to write a post today about silly Christmas memories and how different the celebration seems now from when I was a child. Maybe next week.
But, not today.
Today, I think we all need to say a prayer - a real, heartfelt prayer and not the kind we say we're going to pray because it's the right thing to say, but then we never pray it - for those children in Connecticut who aren't going home from school today.
We need to lift our hand to the sky and, with tears of lament streaming down our faces, plead with our loving God to wrap his arms of comfort around the parents who hugged their babies for the last time this morning, without knowing that it would be the last time.
Do you realize that that school only goes up to fourth grade? None of those children had even had a double-digit birthday yet.
This is such a broken world. I won't be writing about my own Christmas memories today. I just want to love those who are suffering something that I cannot even imagine. Then, I want to hug my babies. I might not let them go until it's time for bed. Maybe not even then.
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)
Loving God, be close to those who are brokenhearted today. Bring them the peace that only you can. We are broken, but you can mend us. Let us reach out to and remember our grieving brothers and sisters in your love.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Amen
But, not today.
Today, I think we all need to say a prayer - a real, heartfelt prayer and not the kind we say we're going to pray because it's the right thing to say, but then we never pray it - for those children in Connecticut who aren't going home from school today.
We need to lift our hand to the sky and, with tears of lament streaming down our faces, plead with our loving God to wrap his arms of comfort around the parents who hugged their babies for the last time this morning, without knowing that it would be the last time.
Do you realize that that school only goes up to fourth grade? None of those children had even had a double-digit birthday yet.
This is such a broken world. I won't be writing about my own Christmas memories today. I just want to love those who are suffering something that I cannot even imagine. Then, I want to hug my babies. I might not let them go until it's time for bed. Maybe not even then.
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18)
Loving God, be close to those who are brokenhearted today. Bring them the peace that only you can. We are broken, but you can mend us. Let us reach out to and remember our grieving brothers and sisters in your love.
Hear our prayer, O Lord.
Amen
December 11, 2012
Just a Couple of Pictures
As usual, I have some things swimming around in my head that I'd like to blather on about, but as the past few weeks have brought illness to at least one dweller of Head Manor per week, I haven't had a lot of time to blog.
So, as we move through this beautiful season of Advent, (I'm trying to put more emphasis on anticipating the coming Christ than "Santa brings lots of presents to little girls who put their toys away") I wanted to share two pictures from Madeline's first Christmas pageant.
If you know our Sweet Pea at all, you know that she's a very loving, friendly little girl...as long as she knows you well. She's not a big fan of crowds or being in the spotlight. Anyway, here you go:
So, as we move through this beautiful season of Advent, (I'm trying to put more emphasis on anticipating the coming Christ than "Santa brings lots of presents to little girls who put their toys away") I wanted to share two pictures from Madeline's first Christmas pageant.
If you know our Sweet Pea at all, you know that she's a very loving, friendly little girl...as long as she knows you well. She's not a big fan of crowds or being in the spotlight. Anyway, here you go:
 |
| Sweet Pea is the tall child on the front row with the white bow. We started out great. She was singing and doing her little hand movements. And then... |
 |
| She noticed that a lot of people she didn't know, were looking at her. Eeek! |
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
December 4, 2012
Sweet Pea is 3!
Happy, happy birthday to the little girl who stole our hearts and turned me into a pile of mush three years ago!
She has gone from a sleepy bundle of sweet-smelling love, to a beautiful, wonderful, intelligent child in such a short time.
In the future, I'm going to want to remember that when Madeline was three, she told me that things "smell like butterflies" when they have a pleasant scent.
I'm going to want to remember that her compassionate heart was already starting to show itself when we went shopping for our angel tree child and she was so concerned the a little boy didn't have shoes or socks, that she asked me to buy shoes for his mommy and get him something yummy to eat, too. I'll want to tell her about how she melted my heart every day when she would walk over to me and kiss my arm before wrapping her arms around my leg and saying, "You're my favorite in the whole world!"
When she and her brother are older and at each other's throats, I'll want to remind her that she used to bring him toys to make him happy when he cried, and that she couldn't stop hugging him.
But, that's the future. Right now, let's just see some pictures of our precious Sweet Pea.
We love you, Madeline!
God has awesome plans for you and we can't wait to see what's in store!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
She has gone from a sleepy bundle of sweet-smelling love, to a beautiful, wonderful, intelligent child in such a short time.
In the future, I'm going to want to remember that when Madeline was three, she told me that things "smell like butterflies" when they have a pleasant scent.
I'm going to want to remember that her compassionate heart was already starting to show itself when we went shopping for our angel tree child and she was so concerned the a little boy didn't have shoes or socks, that she asked me to buy shoes for his mommy and get him something yummy to eat, too. I'll want to tell her about how she melted my heart every day when she would walk over to me and kiss my arm before wrapping her arms around my leg and saying, "You're my favorite in the whole world!"
When she and her brother are older and at each other's throats, I'll want to remind her that she used to bring him toys to make him happy when he cried, and that she couldn't stop hugging him.
But, that's the future. Right now, let's just see some pictures of our precious Sweet Pea.
God has awesome plans for you and we can't wait to see what's in store!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
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