Contentment and Christmas

Ever since my trip to Haiti earlier this year, words like "contentment" and "simplicity" keep echoing in my mind. I did a little post-trip processing in March, trying to make sense of living in the land of excess and being able to be content with much...which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. And here we are at Christmas--a time of year set aside to remember that God put on human flesh so He could dwell with us, walk with us, talk with us, die for us, redeem us, save us. How can we be discontent when He did so much for us? Yet, ironically, Christmas time is when the culture around us is screaming for us to be DIScontent...with last year's toys, with yesterday's clothing, with our supposed "lack." And you know what, I can easily find myself buying into that lie. There are many things I'd "love" to have. But those words--"contentment," "simplicity"--they keep coming back. What I think I need, I really don't. Paul's words to Timothy penetrate to the heart of the matter, "For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content." (1 Timothy 6:7,8)

So this year, my family and I are practicing contentment. Because we DO have food and clothing. But there are those who don't. So maybe instead of filling my coffers fuller and fuller, the better choice would be to give what I don't need to others who do.

The Ratings Game

It's probably safe to say that under many Christmas trees this year will be gifts of video games. Parents, are you aware of the ratings system that is placed on each game that is created?  You can visit this site, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), to get a complete description of what each rating means and determine if the games your child has requested are appropriate for their age and maturity.

As a reminder, these ratings are put in place by a non-Christian culture, so if a video game is rated "T" for teen or "M" for mature, keep in mind that's a secular view point. As a Christian parent, you may have stricter standards for what you will allow your child to ingest.  Two Christian-run sites you may find helpful as you make informed decisions about what you will purchase are Guide2Games and PluggedIn. They have game reviews and details, by Christians for Christians.

In light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, CT, violence is a very real part of the world we live in, and I'm a firm believer in making sure that we're not perpetuating that violence in our children through the video games they play.

Cool Gifts for Your Kids

Christmas is coming, and you might still have some shopping to do! I'd love to give you some suggestions of really cool Bibles and devotionals for your kiddos.

Preschoolers will enjoy the Read and Share Bible and its bright pictures and simple stories. It's a great way to introduce children to some of the more well-known accounts from the Bible.

For younger kids, check out the Adventure Bible. It's geared for elementary students, and has a lot of fun "extras" inside that kids will be drawn to.

I love the God and Me Devotions for Girls and the Gotta Have God Devotions for Boys. These books are fun just to look at! I also like the fact that they're broken into three age categories: 2-5, 6-9, and 10-12. So your child will get to interact with scripture in a way that makes it relevant for their age and some of the things they're facing in life.

If you've got kids who enjoy comic books and that kind of artwork, the Action Bible and the Action Bible Devotional will be right up their alley! The narrative in these books is rooted in scripture, and the pictures are colorful and captivating. I recently handed a copy to a junior high boy, and his eyes widened as he looked through the pages, and he pronounced it "cool".  :-)

Along similar lines is the Manga Bible. If you've got kids who are interested in all things Asian and Manga, this will definitely appeal to them!

Finally, you have GOT to check out the What's in the Bible DVD series. This is like the Muppets meet the Veggie Tales. It's created by Phil Vischer (the creative mind behind Veggie Tales), and it takes learning about the Bible to a whole new level. (If you sign up for their newsletter, you'll receive all sorts of great sales and deals throughout the year!)

Keeping Jesus Central at Christmas

Only 26 sleeps until Christmas!  Is the anticipation already building in your home? Are the stockings hung by the chimney with care? Are the halls all decked? Kids tend to have a lot of extra "energy" this time of year, don't they?  :-) "Anticipation" is a word easily associated with Christmas! As we anticipate the arrival of December 25, it's wonderful to have reminders around us that focus on anticipating celebrating the arrival of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us...the TRUE reason we celebrate in such a large way during this season!  

As you may have realized by now, Ann Voskamp is one of my favorite authors and blog writers. And I want to share a recent post from her with a link to a wonderful (and free!) resource that may very well become a tradition in your family. It's called a "Jesse Tree", and it's a wonderfully symbolic way of focusing on the true meaning of Christmas on a daily basis. Check out this blog post to find a free downloadable booklet that contains daily devotions for your family along with ornaments that can be printed out (in color or black and white so your kids can color them), mounted, and hung on your tree. (Some families even make a special tree just for their Jesse Tree ornaments.)

This is another great opportunity to live out God's command in Deuteronomy 6: "Impress them [God's commandments] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

Gift Giving

We have just celebrated Thanksgiving, a special day set aside to especially be thankful for all that God has given us, to count our blessings, to recognize afresh the many ways that we are blessed each and every day. And then there was Black Friday...the day that many seem to have forgotten about the blessings they were so thankful for just a few hours ago as they push and claw to get the best deal on "stuff". A cashier at our local department store commented that Black Friday in their store was actually "nasty" a few times when they were first opening.

So what's my point? How do we teach our children that Thanksgiving is a lifestyle? How do we teach them not to get caught up in the trappings of this culture that says we're entitled to what we want, when we want it?  I think the best and most effective answer is to make sure that WE are modeling that behavior ourselves. The old saying goes, "More is caught than taught."  As the Christmas holiday approaches, how do you help bring balance in your family between gift giving and gift receiving? How do you teach your children that it's important to think of others during a season that encourages kids to think mostly of themselves and their own desires? 

Give the gift of a warm blanket!

If you're interested in making some changes this Christmas, consider checking out the Samaritan's Purse website. They give you loads of options of ways that you and your family can give gifts to people in impoverished countries. For example, there is currently an urgent need for blankets to keep people warm. For $6, your family can help make that happen. For $70, you can provide a family with a dairy animal. There are also many opportunities locally...the Salvation Army "bell ringers", Angel Trees, Adopt-A-Block, church ministries, etc. 

I'd love your feedback to some of the questions I've posed above! What does this time of year look like in your home?