Greek v. Hebrew Thinking

The following information I found on the following website (Follow the Rabbi), regarding the difference between Greek (Western) and Hebrew (Eastern) thinking. While reviewing these items on "Thinking about God" I realized how my thinking has actually started to shift from Greek to Hebrew in the past months. My desire is for it to continue to do so.


Existence of God:

Greek - tries to prove the existence of God.
Hebrew - assumes the existence of God.
Me - I've always leaned toward the Hebrew thinking. There has never been a time for me where I've doubted God's existence. I have rebelled openly against Him at times, but never doubted that He was real.


Describing God:

Greek - focus on the being of God.
Hebrew - focus on relationship with God.
Me - I've definitely been Greek in my thinking until the past few months. I'm slowing coming around to actually focusing on my relationship with the Lord. In our studies on the Holy Spirit I've also been coming to realize that He is not just some "spirit" that helps me to see right from wrong. He is a part of God that I need to have a relationship with and get to know better as well.


Faith:

Greek - see faith as intellectual. Expresses faith in creeds and doctrine, listing proof texts to support their beliefs.
Hebrew - see faith as relational and personal. Express faith in terms of their relationship with God, rather than as a rationalization.
Me - once again I've been Greek in thought until the past few months. In this area more than the other two, in fact. However, I'm beginning to see that Faith is not a textbook thing to be proved. It truely is based on our relationship with the Lord and will deepen and mature only as my relationship with the Lord deepens and matures.

Where do you stand regarding your thinking in these areas? Does it matter to you?

I agree with this website in that understanding and thinking like Jesus did will open up areas of understanding the Scriptures and therefore the Lord that we've never experienced before. I don't believe we should totally abandon what we've learned about God's Word through our culture, but we can not ignore what we can learn by seeking God's Word through the eyes and minds of those who lived during the times it was written.

Answers to Christmas Carol Quiz (Dec 12th)

Here are the answers to the Christmas Carol Quiz from December 12, 2006. Here is the link to the quiz if you want to see it first. Christmas Carol Quiz.

1. O Come, All Ye Faithful
2. O Little Town of Bethlehem
3. Hark, the Herald Angel Sing
4. Silent Night
5. Joy to the World
6. Deck the Halls
7. Little Drummer Boy
8. Frosty the Snowman
9. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
10. We Three Kings
11. Jingle Bells
12. Away in a Manger

My Studies - Jewish Roots & Holy Spirit

Just a warning to some of you out there and a hello since I've not posted for a few days after a 24 day straight stretch of posting at the beginning of the month.

The Lord is leading me into two main subjects of study in the upcoming year. With my church house I'll be studying the Holy Spirit. This is an area we've been very interested in lately and have already done a lot of learning on. We want to dive in deeper to get to know Him better and His role in the Bible and a Christian's life.

On my own I'll be studying the Jewish roots of Jesus. Basically I'm interested in learning more about the original Hebrew of the Old Testament and Jewish culture during biblical times. In the past I've been interested in the Feasts of the Lord, but now I'm interested in diving deeper.

Therefore, my posts will probably be reflecting this study in the upcoming months. Just wanted to let everyone know where this blog is most likely to go in the next year.

I believe the Lord is getting His people ready for some major changes in the next year and this has been confirmed by others as well. I'm getting ready for a wild ride in the next year, are your ready to come along?

24th Day of Christmas - Santa Claus

Among Christians there is disagreement regarding whether Christmas should be celebrated with Santa Claus or not. This is a personal preference that each person should make a decision on for themselves. However the background of our modern day jolly man in red is quite interesting, regardless of where your convictions lie.

Here is how the story goes. . .

In the city of Myra during the third century (that is in modern day Turkey) there lived a young man named Nicholas who from an early age showed the promise of becoming a great Christian leader. As a teen he was often called "Bishop Boy" and was greatly loved by the community.

His family was very wealthy and once he received his inheritance he began giving it away to the poor and needy. He was especially fond of helping children.

One tale regarding Nicholas' acts of charity involves a family too poor to pay their daughter's dowry. In order to remain a secret, Nicholas climbed the roof of their home and dropped a coin down the chimney. The daughter had her sock hanging by the fire to dry and the coin landed in it. When the second daughter was to be married, a coin was provided by way of the chimney once again. When the third and final daughter came of age, the father waited on the roof to see who was leaving the dowry for his daughters and caught Nicholas dropping a third coin down his chimney. Once this secret was revealed the community loved him even more.

Hundreds of years later this biship was declared Saint Nicholas, which was pronounced as Sinter Klaas by the Dutch. Today he is known as Santa Claus.

The name Kris Kringle which is often heard comes from the Dutch word Christkindl, meaning "Christ child". This was originally come up with to refocus people's attention on Jesus as the real gift-giver. It is now interchangeable with Santa Claus.

No matter the name he goes by, the character of Santa Claus reveals the giving heart of our Father God in Heaven.

23rd Day of Christmas - Christmas Dinner

One thing you will find throughout the Bible is times of feasting. God instituted certain Feasts of the Lord to be celebrated by the Jews on a regular basis. There are numerous stories of Jesus dining with others in the New Testament and his final meal with His disciples was celebrating the Jewish Passover meal and was the first Communion. Even Revelation speaks of a great feast as being one of the first things that will occur after Jesus returns.

The first official celebration of Jesus' birth was a feast as well, the Feast of the Nativity. It was celebrated in Rome during the 4th century.

So this Christmas (or Christmas Eve) when you sit down for your "feast", remember to thank the Lord for all the gifts He has given you.

Did she know?

Did Mary really fully understand who her precious baby was when she held him close? I know the angel came to visit her and obviously she knew Jesus was the Messiah. But did she comprehend that he was God? As I hold my precious little ones, I can't even imagine what it must have been like for her.

There are two songs which I've heard that express how I feel. I listen to them and imagine what it must have been like for Mary. What awe. What an honor. How amazing that must have been for her!

The lyrics in white are the ones that have made me catch my breath when listening to these songs.

Mary, Did You Know?

Various Artists have recorded this one

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

And when your kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know---The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb---.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great--I--- AM---.

***********

Here With Us

Joy Williams

It's still a mystery to me

That the hands of God could be so small,

How tiny fingers reaching in the night

Were the very hands that measured the sky

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah Son of God, Servant King,

You're here with us You're here with us

Verse 2

It's still a mystery to me, oh,

How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time

How His ears have heard an angel's symphony,

But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep

Chorus

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah Son of God, Servant King Here with us

You're here with us

(Ohh, mmm, here with us)

Bridge

Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem

A baby born to save, to save the souls of man

Chorus (2x)

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Heaven's love reaching down to save the world

Hallelujah, hallelujah Son of God, Servant King

You're here with us You're here with us

22nd Day of Christmas - Nativity Scenes

The Christian symbol of Christmas is the Nativity scene, also known as the creche, or crib. This scene illustrates the night of Jesus' birth (and in some cases such as the Wise Men, other scenes from his first two years).

God has known all along that Adam and Eve would sin and bring death and separation from Him to the world. Therefore, all along He has had a plan in place to redeem his beloved creation. However, God does everything in His timing, so He did not send His Son right away. In order to give mankind hope though, he dropped hints along the way in Scripture about the coming Messiah. These were like the hints our loved ones give us prior to Christmas regarding what our gift is going to be.

Scripture revealed many little hints to the big surprise to come, including:

• The child would be born of a virgin


• The child would be born in Bethlehem


• He would be a descendant of Israel's beloved King David

Our nativity scenes illustrate these prophecies as well, the stable in Bethlehem, Mary the virgin mother, Joseph the descendant of David, the star, the wise men bringing gifts from the East and of course the main surprise, the baby Jesus.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager." (Luke 2:10-12)

21st Day of Christmas - The Twelve Days of Christmas

Have you ever heard of Christmas code? That is exactly what the song 12 Days of Christmas may be. For nearly three hundreds years in Englad it was against the law to be a member of the Catholic Church. According to legend, this song was written by several concerned parents as a hidden message to teach their children about the things of God during this time.

Personally, even if this is not the reason this song was originally written, it is still a good way to remember God and His love for us based on the "secret code". I'll be teaching this to my children.

Here is the alleged key to the code,

"My true love" - God, who gives all the gifts listed in the song

"A partridge in a pear tree" - Jesus, who gave His life on a tree (cross)

"Two Turtle Doves" - Old & New Testament

"Three French Hens" - Faith, Hope & Love

"Four Calling Birds" - Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

"Five Golden Rings" - first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch)

"Six Geese a-laying" - Six Days of Creation

"Seven Swans a-swimming" - seven Gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:6-8)

"Eight Maids a-milking" - eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)

"Nine Ladies dancing" - nine Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

"Ten Lords a-leaping" - Ten Commandments

"Eleven Pipers Piping" - Eleven Faithful Disciples

"Twelve Drummers Drumming" - Twelve Points of the Apostle's Creed

20th Day of Christmas - Opening Christmas Gifts

Of all holidays, traditions seem to be the most important at Christmas. Traditions bind us together as a family, a church, a nation or a culture.

Some traditions are limited to a particular culture and others are shared the world over. Did you know about these Christmas traditions?

Australia - Santa's sleigh is pulled by eight white kangaroos.

(My tradition - flying reindeer)

Finland - it was traditional to take a sauna bath before Santa's visit.

(My tradition - leave milk and cookies)

Spain - Papa Noel delivers presents by climbing up balconies.

(My tradition - comes down the chimney - or through the keyhole if there is not a chimney, maybe that was just daddy's theory?)

New Zealand - families head to the beach for a yule "tide" picnic since Christmas is in the summer.

(My tradition - Christmas gathering at Grandma's with a white elephant gift exchange.)

Another tradition is when to open presents. Do you open them on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? My family opened all but one big present on Christmas Eve while my husband's family opened one present on Christmas Eve and all the rest were opened on Christmas Day. His family just dug in and opened all the presents at once while my family sat in a circle and went around opening presents one at a time. Do you put the presents under the tree or hide them in the branches? Both our families put them under the tree prior to Christmas Day, but I know some families who do not put them under the tree until Christmas Day. Shaun hid one of my presents in the branches of our tree last year (a necklace from Tiffanys). Are your presents wrapped or unwrapped? My family wraps all our presents except some items in our stockings and the big present from "Santa".

In the end it really does not matter how a present is opened. It is only important that it is opened. If you spend time and money to find the perfect present for someone you love, you would be disappointed if they did not even bother to open the gift, wouldn't you? God gave us the gift of His Son because He loves us. If you haven't already done so, won't you think about opening that gift this year?

19th Day of Christmas - Wrapping Gifts

In the 17th century Germans wrapped gifts simply and called "Christ bundles". The packages were stuffed with sugar plums, cakes, candy, apples and nuts. They usually also contained some sort of educational products (ABC products, pencils or books).

Originally most gifts were handmade, however around the 1800s people started purchasing factory made trinkets for gifts called "gewgaws and gimcracks". The tags were removed to disguise the fact that the gift was an inexpensive purchase rather than a handmade gift. Then to finish it off, it was wrapped in plain brown paper decorated in dried flowers, spangles or clippings from The Ladies' Home Journal and Practical Housekeper magazine. These creative handmade touches were to make up for the lack of a handmade gift.

The best gift of all was wrapped in human flesh by God himself and further wrapped by Mary in swaddling clothes. It is true that good things come in small packages!

Pursuing Truth through God’s Eyes

I’ve been going through a huge learning curve lately in my relationship with the Lord. He is opening my eyes to many things. One thing I’m very interested in is seeing things the way He does and this is leading to a desire to understand the Jewish roots of Christianity that are too often forsaken.

Jesus was a Jew and celebrated the Feasts of the Lord, not the traditional holidays we as a “Church” now do. The Jewish culture was (and is) very different from our modern day culture in the U.S. The more I study and pursue the things of the Lord, the more I realize how my culture and the traditions I have been taught all my life, color the way I interpret God’s Word.

In my pursuit of God recently I’ve been exposed to many things and thoughts that have made me question my beliefs and traditions. I’m learning this is a good thing. Either I adjust my current view to be in line with what God is teaching me or I become stronger in my current beliefs by having to work through why I believe what I do and using scripture to support these beliefs. However, many times I’m thrown into a downward spiral of confusion before I arrive at one of these destinations. This is very uncomfortable for me. I’m someone who likes to have answers!

Last night I was praying that in these things God would reveal the Truth to me and I heard Him speaking to me, asking whose Truth I wanted revealed? Did I want the truth that would make me comfortable with my current lifestyle and beliefs, or was I willing to have Him show me Truth through His eyes? That is when I realized that although Truth is absolute, we often see Truth through the eyes of things other than our Lord. I’m asking Him that He shows me His Truth through His Eyes and give me the heart and will to accept and embrace that Truth. Even if the result is a fog of confusion over my heart and mind, my ultimate destination is His Truth as He sees it and I know His light will shine through that fog if I just push on and continue to search for it.

18th Day of Christmas - Giving Gifts

For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Many believe the tradition of gift giving started with the wise men who brought their gifts to Mary and her child. Is this true? Yes and no. The true first gift was God giving us His Son as a sacrifice to us, however after that the wise men probably did start the tradition.

The predecessor to our modern day piggy bank was used a long time ago in Holland by young children. It was a pig shaped pot which the children would fill with pennies throughout the year. It was called a "feast pig" and on the day after Christmas, the children would break them open and give the money collected during the year to the poor. In this way they gave to those who could not give back to them. This is what God did for us. We can never match the gift he gave to us because you can't out-give God!



In the spirit of God's gift to us, it is no wonder that we are willing to go all out each year to sacrifice our time & money to find that perfect gift for our loved ones. Giving is the heart of the Christmas season. This year as you give your gifts to others, remember the original Christmas gift, that of the Father's Son for us.



I once saw a Christmas pageant with little children ages 2 to 5 dressed in cardboard boxes wrapped in Christmas paper and big bows on their heads singing "Jesus is the greatest gift of all". They were absolutely adorable and absolutely correct. Jesus is the greatest gift of all. Don't ever forget that in the hustle and bustle of the season and the rush of our everyday world.

17th Day of Christmas - Baking

Yummy! One of my favorite things about Christmas (and probably the worst for me) is all the wonderful baking that I get to taste test. Baking has always seemed to be part of the Christmas tradition.

Long ago in order to prepare for the feast on Christmas Day, people would fast on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning they would be extremely hungry and would eat a hot, thick, bland porridge for breakfast. Over time dried fruits, spices and honey were added to make the porridge special for Christmas morning which would make it thick and stiff. Cooks would wrap it in a cloth and dunked it in a pot of boiling watter to cook it. This was the beginning of Christmas pudding!

In the 16th century, wheat flour replaced the porridge and eggs were added to hold the ingredients together. Since the English used plum to refer to any type of dried fruit, this became known as plum pudding. This was the beginning of the fruit cake. Later ginger was added to remember the gifts of the Wise Men (see Day 14- The Wise Men) and the words cake and bread became interchangeable.

"The word Bethlehem, which is he birthplace of Jesus, literally means "house of bread". In that humble town in Judea, a baby boy was born who would come to be known as the Bread of Life (see John 6:51). He nourishes us with hope and healing, with forgiveness and love. When you're
in the home of a family who loves Jesus, you can almost smell it in the air - just as you can smell bread baking in the oven!"
(The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel)

When you are baking this year for the Christmas season, remember the Bread of Life.

(Christ) gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to
God. (Ephesians 5:2)

16th Day of Christmas - Christmas Cards

The first Christmas card was sent by Sir Henry Cole to a friend. He had no idea what he had started. In 1843, J.C. Horsely sold the first Christmas card. He printed one thousand and immediately sold out.

Just five years before it would have cost an entire days wages to send a Christmas card, however Sir Rowland Hill came along with the innovation of the penny post. These were tiny square stickers sold for a penny as prepayment for letter delivery.

From the beginning the cards were decorated with Nativity scenes, Christmas themes and colorful images of family hearths.

“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all
people.” Luke 2:10

15th Day of Christmas - Christmas Pageants

Today was Tyler's Christmas Pageant at her school. The kids were all so cute! I wish I had some pictures to share but I don't have any yet. I did get some video of it, but they filmed the entire thing and I'll probably get a copy.

The word pageant comes from the Middle English word pagonds. This means wagons. Seems a bit weird, but the story behind it is very interesting.

Medieval dramas were performed at Christmas and Easter primarily on what was called floating stages. These were large two tiered wagons covered with decorations and flowers. The "floating" stages were used because most people could not read in the 15th century and the church services were in Latin. These wagons or pagonds were a way to reach the people where they were in their own language.

The bottom tier of the wagon was curtained and was used as a dressing room and the top was the stage where the plays were performed. These plays would take all day to be performed, sometimes into the middle of the night because a new wagon and set of actors would perform each act. The first wagon would stop in the street and perform the first act and then they would move on to the next street and perform the same act again. Meanwhile, a second wagon would come in behind them and perform the second act in the same place the first wagon had performed. This would keep happening until the final act was performed. They were able to reach a large number of people by performing the play mutiple times on different streest. They brought the Christmas Story to the people who might not have normally heard the story. In this way, our pageants nowadays is not all that much different. Many come to watch their family and friends in these programs that may never hear the Christmas story otherwise.

14th Day of Christmas - The Wise Men

Did you know that many of the things we "know" about the Wise Men, are not even mentioned in scripture? They are assumptions that have been accepted as fact over the years.

The Bible calls these men magi which is from the Greek word magoi. These magi were priests who were powerful men of great wealth who counseled kings of the Medo-Persian Empire. Although certain Old Testament prophecies suggest these men may in fact have been kings, Matthew does not ever call them kings. This is something that has been assumed over the years as noted in some of our traditional Christmas carol (We Three Kings).

Nativity scenes show these wise men in the original manager scene the night of Jesus' birth, however by the time they brought their gifts to Mary and her child, Jesus was probably already two years old. This explains why Herod ordered all male children two years or younger to be killed after he realized the wise men had fooled him and left without reporting the child's whereabouts.

The Wise Men are also represented as three in our nativity scenes and in song, however Scripture does not tell us how many men there were. It has been assumed there were three because Scripture does mention the three gifts presented to Jesus by these wise men. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Have you ever wondered about these strange baby shower gifts? Gold we may accept now, but would we want the others? Even these gifts have significance.

Gold signified royalty and acknowledges Christ as the King of kings.

Frankincense was used in worship and represents the deity of Jesus.

Myrrh was commonly used in preparation for burial and represents the death of the Son of Man. A death that would then result in His rise to sit at the right hand of God the Father as the Son of God.

These men were wise indeed!

Inspiration

Tea with McNair today got me to thinking about inspiration in my life. I've always wanted to write, but until about a year ago, I've not been pursuing my dream for almost 10 years. It was actually a talk from McNair that a friend gave me which inspired me to start writing again.

Now my inspiration comes from God. He does this in many ways (McNair was the first way!) Now He works through my family and friends. Especially my children.

Have you ever noticed how creative children are? They put no boundaries on their creativity, they don't think about it before they draw, write or do whatever else it is they are doing to be creative. They just ARE!

My daughter just wrote a letter to Santa this week. She wrote part of it herself and then had me type the rest of it for her. She just started talking and I started typing. At first the perfectionist (accountant) side of me wanted to correct her grammar, but then I realized that was not my "job". I was just supposed to be her hands because hers had gotten tired (she's five and writing still takes a lot of effort for her.) Her thoughts jumped from one thing to another, but I had so much fun just typing whatever she said. I've shared a bit of her letter below.

She also drew a picture for Santa which I scanned and am attaching. Enjoy and try sitting down and being creative with no boundaries. Actually don't "try", just sit down and let it happen. You may be surprised at what happens.

Dear Santa,

My mommy is typing the rest of my letter, because my hands are getting tired. I would like a new Bible, purple please.

Sometime I would like to see your reindeers and your sled.

Did you like the chocolate cookies I gave you last year? What kind would you like this year? Do you want chocolate milk again? Do you want peanut butter cookies?

I would like to see Mrs. Santa too. I also want to know where your house lives at. What state are you in?

I think Austin would like a blue teddy bear like mine. He needs a blue heart in his bear too. I want the bear filled up with fluffy because bears need that. Please check if there is a noise in the
teddy bear.

Jesse has enough toys now. Just new baby toys for him, big ones, but not giant ones.

I want to know what your house looks like. What color is it?

I also want to know how your reindeer fly up in the sky.

I want to see your elves too. Elves is a hard word to say.

When you come to our house I would like you to see the pictures around our house and in our bathroom and in my bedroom. But don’t look in the washroom because it is not all done.

And I want to tell you that I can see really good in the dark.

And I want you to look at the new car we have. It is called a SUV, it is called a Tahoe or a truck or anything you want except a van. Mommy and Daddy don’t like when you call it a van. They do not like vans.

Can I please have a camera because I don’t have a real one. Thank you for the presents last year.

Love,
Tyler

13th Day of Christmas - Angels

Angels are a common decoration for Christmas, you may even have one on the top of your tree. Did you know they played a major part in the birth of Jesus?

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to proclaim the upcoming birth of her first child, Jesus, the Messiah, God's Son.

An angel appeared to Joseph, Mary's soon to be husband, to tell him Mary's unexpected pregnancy was part of God's plan to save the world.

The entire sky was full of angels the night Jesus was born and delivered a living birth announcement to nearby shepards. This was the most important birth announcement the entire world has ever seen. God saw fit to deliver it not with one angel, but with an entire army of them!

Did you know heaven is full of angels worshiping God? There are some whose sole purpose is to worship God for all time.

Hebrews 13:2 tells us "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"

This Christmas think about inviting someone who doesn't have a family of their own to celebrate Christmas with you. You never know who may be in your midst! And regardless, you'll be an angel sent from God in their sight!

Guess the Christmas Carols

See if you can identify these Christmas Carols. I'll post the answers in a few days, but feel free to comment with your answers in the meantime.

1. Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief.

2. Small municipality in Judea southeast of Jerusalem

3. Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds

4. Nocturnal time-span of unbroken quietness

5. An emotion excited by the acquistion or expectation of good given to the terrestrial sphere

6. Embellish the interior passageways

7. Diminutive masculine master of skin-covered percussion cylinders

8. Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals

9. Expectations of arrival to populated area by mythical masculine perennial gift-giver

10. The first-person nominative plural of a triumvirate of Far Eastern heads of state

11. Tintinnabulation of vacillating pendulums in inverted metallic, resonant cups

12. In a distant location the existence of an improvised unit of newborn children's slumber furniture

12th Day of Christmas - Caroling

Francis of Assisi is often referred to as the father of Christmas carols. This dates back to the early 13th century when he held a midnight Mass in a cave in Italy. Prior to this night church music was very somber and the more serious it was, the holier it was thought to be. On this night though, Francis encouraged those attending the Mass to "tell of your Christmas joy in song."

It is said that night when the worshippers left Mass they were joyfully singing the songs which later became popular throughout all of Europe.

Have you ever gotten together with your family and friends and gone caroling? Many who may never enter a church will open their doors to carolers. They may not yet believe in Jesus being born as the Son of God, but for a season, they will praise His name in song!

11th Day of Christmas - The Colors of Christmas

What colors do you think of when you think of Christmas? Red and green on a backdrop of white with accents of silver and gold?

God uses colors in His Word as symbols to His people and has created a beautiful world for us full of colors for us to enjoy.

Over the years tradition has ascribed special meanings to the main colors we see during this season in the evergreen trees, holly and berries, snow and other objects of nature.

• Green suggests life - the eternal 'evergreen' life we have in Christ


• Red represents the blood Jesus shed for us on the cross


• White is the purity of the spotless Lamb of God


• Gold symbolizes the divine nature of God's Son and reminds us He is our great King


• Silver is the price that was paid for His betrayal - and therefore our redemption from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

As you decorate your homes in these Christmas colors this year and enjoy the decorations of the season, keep these thoughts close to your heart and thank the Master Painter of our world for His beautiful masterpiece.

10th Day of Christmas - Outdoor Lights

The first lighbulbs on a tree were done by Edward Johnson, just three years after Thomas Edison patented his lightbulb invention. Mr Johnson's tree rotated six times a minute thanks to a simple electric motor hidden under the floor. The tree included eighty lights in painted glass bulbs and alternated colors with each turn. The colors were red, white & blue.

Fast forward thirteen years to the White House during Grover Cleveland's presidency, when he flipped the switch on a huge tree. After that department stores began decorating the outside of their stores with colored lights to attract customers.

After WWII, American families were able to afford colored lights for their roofs and entire neighborhoods started lighting up the night sky during the Christmas season.

As Christians we are to do all year round what these lights do at Christmas time. We are to pierce the darkness with our light which is powered by Jesus!

"You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14, 16)

9th Day of Christmas - December 25th

I was going to save this one for the actual day of Christmas, December 25th, but based on recent conversations and the directions my thoughts have been going lately I've decided to tackle this one today.

The fact that December 25th (and actually the month of December) are not when Jesus was actually born has come up quite a bit this year for me. The pagan roots behind the original holiday celebrated this time of the year has also been a topic of discussion.

I've been wrestling with this for quite some time now. On one hand the origins are not Jesus originally, but on the other I believe the Lord looks at our hearts.

Let me start with some basic history (if you want more information you can do a search and find much much more information).

The Romans called December 25th Saturnalia, the birthday of the unconquering sun. An entire week was spent feasting and worshiping their gods. The last and biggest party was on December 25th to cap it all off.

Then in AD 313 the Roman emperor, Constantine became a follower of Jesus Christ. He was concerned regarding his people's worship of false gods and declared December 25th, the Feast of the Nativity. In the following years, this became known as "Christ-mass" and then eventually Christmas.

It has been pretty much determined that Jesus was not born on December 25th and probably not even in December. I've heard October and March given as likely dates. The Lord did not deem it important enough to give us the actual date, so in my eyes it is not that important either.

I know some have an issue with celebrating a holiday to worship our Lord on a day that was originally a pagan holiday and I can 100% understand that thinking. However, at the same time I believe the Lord looks at our hearts and does not want us to be too legalistic. He does not want us caught up in being so focused on 'the Law' so we lose focus on loving Him. There is a fine line between being a light to the world in a way that is not condescending to others and becoming too liberal to where you are part of the world.

This and many other things I still struggle with and waver back and forth on at times. I just keep praying and reading God's Word and asking that He reveal His will for me in these areas. Little by little He does so, since my mind could not handle everything He wants me to know all at once.

Here is one scripture I've come across recently regarding worshiping the Lord on what was once a pagan/dark holiday.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21)

The explanation was that "we should not be surprised that something dark and evil could be transformed into a day characterized by radiant light, selfless giving, and sacrificial love. . . given the fact that it is around this date (Dec. 25th) that darkness prevails with they year's longest night and the sun begins its new cycle, it's a grand time to celebrate the birthday of the Son. Proclaiming and reclaiming December 25th gives an opportunity for God's light of truth to chase away the blackest of shadows, revealing the true 'Sun of Righteousness'" (The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel)

(P.S. I know that December being the longest day of darkness is probably not true for those in the southern part of our globe where it is summer time, but this was written by someone over here in the States)

I'm not sure yet that I totally agree with this or just see it as a way to justify ourselves, but it is something to think about. For right now, I've decided this season is a time of celebrating love and family. I choose to do so by celebrating Christmas as a time to be with family and worship my Lord's birth into this world to save me. He gave the ultimate gift and shared the ultimate love. Regardless of the original intent of this time of year, that is where my heart is. God knows that. This is not to say things won't be different for me a few years down the road though.

So the bottom line is Jesus may not have originally been the 'Reason for the Season' but in my life He is!

8th Day of Christmas - Christmas Greetings

Ever wonder where the greetings come from that we say to each other during this season?

Happy Holidays:
This originally was a wish for "Happy holy days" referring to days set aside for worshiping God. In the 16th century the greeting started being used to refer to any day off from work for rest and recreation. At this time the day became holiday.

Merry X-mas:
This one annoys alot of people who believe this is crossing Christ out of the holiday, however did you know that X (chi pronounced "kie") is the first letter of the Greek word Christos? This means Annointed One or Messiah.



Merry Christmas:
Merry means pleasant or joyful. I've seen it described as 'happy, with a twinkle in its eye.' Christmas comes from the Old English Cristes Maesse which means the feast or mass of Christ. At these worship services (mass) people take bread and wine to celebrate the Lord's Supper.

Does this seem a bit strange that we would celebrate the death of our Lord Jesus on the day we celebrate His birth? We are basically saying, "Joyfully we celebrate our Lord's crucifxion." The bottom line is without His death on the cross, the shedding of His blood for our sins and his defeat over death there would be no reason to celebrate.




Italian : Buon Natale (bwon nuh-tal-a)
French: Joyeux Noel (joh-wah no-el)
Chinese: Sheng Tan Kuai Lob (shung tahn kwi lub)
Spanish: Feliz Navidad (feh-leez nah-vee-dah)
Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka (meh-leh kah-lee-kee-mah-kah)
Hungarian: Boldog Kara'esonyt (bahl-dah kah-ri chah-nyew)
Afrikaans: Geseende Kersfees (ge-see-end-de kurs-feez)
Polynesian: Ia Orana no te Noere (yo-rah-nah noh tay noh-ay-ray)
Thai: Suk San Wan Christmas (sook san wan krees-mahs)

7th Day of Christmas - Candles

Have you ever wondered why we put candles in our windows at Christmastime? Actually, I didn't because I've never done it, but now that I've learned about it, I like the idea.

In the 17th century the British conquerors of Ireland tried to rid the land of Irish traditions by implementing harsh laws. These included making it forbidden for the Irish to vote, send their children to school, purchase land, or own a horse worth more than $25. In addition, the Irish priests were driven out of the land and threatened with death if they returned.

Irish families placed a single candle in three windows or three candles in one window on Christmas Eve to represent Joseph, Mary & Jesus. This was a message to traveling priests that the home was a safe haven to come in and share a meal and celebrate "Christ-mass".

Jesus is the Light of the World which shines through the darkness. . .

"and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5)

6th Day of Christmas - The Star

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2)

These were the words of the wise men who made the dangerous journey to see the newborn king, Jesus.

With the help of modern technology we can actually approximate what the Judean sky looked like over two thousand years ago. Some believe the star seen over Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth was the conjunction of planets. How the light shone directly on the house where the Christ child was with his mother can be explained in no other way than a miracle though. If you think this is not possible or probable, don't forget our Lord created the heavens and earth. He directs the course of history. Placing a spotlight from heaven on the real star of the show: Jesus Christ, is a simple task for Him.

"the sight of the star filled them with indescribable joy" (Matthew 2:10)

When you sit tonight looking at your tree, gaze at the star on the top and fix your heart on Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star!

7 Months Today

Today Jesse is 7 months old. My third blessing from God!

These were taken today with my camera phone. Enjoy

"Her children arise and call her blessed." (Proverbs 31:28)

5th Day of Christmas - The Candy Cane

Originally the candy cane was a plain white stick of sugar given to babies to suck on when they got fussy, basically a pacifier. In the 1670's a German choirmaster started bending the sugar sticks into the shape of a shepard's crook. These were passed out to each child entering the cathedral at the Christmas pageant in case they became "too vocal".

Legend is that hundreds of year later a candy maker in Indiana decided to use these treats as a way to communicate the real meaning of Christmas. He added a large red stripe to represent Christ's blood shed on the cross. He also added smaller red stripes as symbols of the lashes on Jesus' back caused by the soldier's whips and to remind us of Isaiah 53:5.

". . . by His stripes we are healed."

The original white color represented the pure life Jesus lived.

Even the flavor had symbolism. Peppermint is meant to bring to mind hyssop which was the Old Testament plant used in sacrifices. This represents Jesus being the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The hardness of the candy reminds us that Jesus is the Rock of our salvation.

Want more? The bend in the cane reminds us of a shepard's crook and the shepards were the first to learn of the Savior's birth. If you turn it upside down it is a J - for Jesus.

"taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8)

4th Day of Christmas - Ornaments on the tree

In medieval Europe, plays were performed throughout the year and December 24th was deemed Adam and Eve's Day. This included a play about the Garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit. However, during these times they did not have available to them all the materials we have now to make props and you could not find a tree with fruit on it in the middle of December. Therefore, they started using evergreen trees strung with apples as the tree from which the forbidden fruit was plucked.

The audiences loved this tree and continued on the tradition in their homes. Even after the medieval plays were no longer performed, German families continued to decorate evergreens with shiny red apples and called them "paradise trees".

As the years passed the decorations became more elaborate including gingerbread cookies hidden within the branches, nuts dipped in sugar nestled in the pine needles and fruits and vegetables made of marzipan candy hung from the boughs. However the most important decoration became the tiny round wafers of bread hidden with the other decorations. These represented the body of Christ which was broken for our sins.

The message? Hidden among the forbidden fruit (candied/sugared decorations) through which sin/death entered the world are signs of Jesus Christ (the wafers), the One who gives eternal life.

As you decorate your tree this year remember Romans 5:19

Because one person (Adam) disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person (Jesus) obeyed God, many people will be made right in God's sight

Princess - Daughter of the King of Kings

Now that I've revealed the 'ugliness' in me, confessed it and and been prayed over, I want to reveal something that God told me last night through the wonderful women who prayed with me. He kept telling them to tell me to not dwell on the shame I had for how I had reacted in the past. That is not to say that my reaction was okay, but now that I've confessed and asked God to change me, I no longer need to dwell on that shame.

Also, they kept telling me that in God's eyes I am beautiful. This one is hard for me to grasp. I have trouble seeing myself as beautiful, because I know all my dirty little secrets. However, God knows them even better than me and He still sees me as His beautiful little girl.

I saw a t-shirt yesterday that I really liked. It said

"Yes, I am a Princess! My Father is the King of Kings"

I've been praying that God helps me to see myself and others as He sees them. This is what I wrote in my journal today:

I am God's Princess. I am Beautiful. All my power, all my strength, all my worth, everything that I am comes from God, my heavenly Father. My Abba. I pray my focus remains on Him who gives me all I have, all that I am, all that I can ever be. The One who has plans for me greater than I could ever imagine.

Once again I'm not sure why I'm sharing this, but I feel God telling me that I'm supposed to, so I pray this helps someone out there in whatever way He has planned.

3rd Day of Christmas - Tree Lights

Today's tradition is Christmas tree lights. This story starts one December night in the early 1500s. A professor named Martin Luther was walking through the forest and noticed the unusual brightness of the stars against the clear night sky. As he walked through the evergreens it appeared to him the stars were dancing within the branches and he was overcome with a feeling of worship to God for the beauty of His creation.

Luther then chopped down a small fir tree to take home and put in his family's living area so he could capture that moment in the forest. As he attempted to describe the beauty of what he had seen and felt to his family, words failed him. Then he had an idea and started gathering up all the lit candles in the house. He carefully placed them amid the branches of the little fir tree and the room came alive with dancing lights!

When you look at the lights on your tree think of Psalm 19:1

The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.

The Christmas tree with its beautiful lights should remind us of the awesome beauty of God's creation!

The Inner Ugliness of a Christian Revealed

They say confession is good for the soul, but more importantly the Lord tells us to confess our sins to one another.

I for one have been hiding a very ugly side of me from my Christian brothers and sisters which I confessed to them tonight at our monthly Celebration. The reason I confessed is so they could pray for me. You see, the reason we are to confess to one another is so we can be prayed for and healed.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. (James 5:16)

I’ve been trying to deal with this ‘ugliness’ by myself in one of two ways. One moment I’m trying to change it in my own power and the next I’m trying to justify it. Neither is the proper response of a Christian.

I know many of you who are not Christians (and even some who are) very well may be disillusioned about Christians and Christianity and the reason for this is twofold. One is because of Christians like me who try to hide or justify their ‘ugliness’. No matter how much we try to do this, it is revealed and you see us as hypocrites. The other reason is a misunderstanding of what it means to be a Christian.

What is this misunderstanding? It is that Christians are different from non-Christians. Unfortunately many Christians act as if they are better than someone who is not a Christian. I can sincerely say this is not true, and if any Christian believes otherwise they are lying to themselves.

You see the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian has absolutely nothing to do with the person themselves. The only difference is who they know, they have a personal relationship with Christ.

In my case, myself and others have been wronged by a certain person. So what’s the problem you may ask? The problem is my reaction is the same as someone who does not know Christ. My reaction is retaliation and then I justify it. This is not how Jesus lived His life or how he calls us to live it.

I’ve recognized the resulting gossip, anger/hatred in my life and tried to solve it myself with pure willpower. However, I’ve failed every time because I’m just as human as everyone else. I did this for a few different reasons but it all boils down to pride. Pride that I can handle it myself and pride that makes me not want to admit to my brothers and sisters in Christ that I’m not perfect. (As if they don’t already know!)

Tonight I confessed and asked for prayer because the bottom line is I need to be healed in this situation and only God can do that for me. Most people would probably not condemn me for my actions if they knew the entire situation, however God would and that is who matters. If I’m going to call myself a child of God, I need to follow in His footsteps. Although my recent reaction(s) to the situation may be justified in the world’s view it will NOT solve the problem and definitely does not show the world or this person God’s love.

You may ask why I’m writing this since I already confessed to my church family and received their prayer. I can’t exactly tell you why, except to say that I feel the Lord is telling me to do this and I pray this may change someone’s thoughts towards a Christian who they see acting as a hypocrite. I’m by no means making excuses for us, but please remember we are no different than anyone else when you really get down to it.

Stacie Oricco sings a song called “Don’t look at me” which says what I’m trying to say much better than me. Here are the lyrics (courtesy of Lyrics-R-Us.com):

Chorus:

Don't look at me if you're looking for perfection
Don't look at me I will only let you down
I'll do my best to point you in the right directon
But don't look at me
No, no, no
Don't look at me, look at Him

Sometimes I have a fear
That you will see a mirror
And get the thought that it's the main attraction
But all that you detect
Is just what I reflect
Of the object of my own affection

I'll lead you to the One I found
He'll give you everything you need

Repeat Chorus

It's understandable to want a hero
But people can't meet all your expectations
Still some can teach you things about the love He brings
Just know the source of life is in the Savior

I'll lead you to the One I found
He'll give you everything you need

Repeat Chorus

He's the One who lived a perfect life
He's the One who always gets it right
He's the One and only guiding light, Ohh, yeah
He is everthing you want to be
He's the answer to your every need
If you follow Him then you will see He's like no other

2nd Day of Christmas - The Christmas Tree

Since we are getting our Christmas tree today, I figure this is a fitting tradition to discuss for today's post.

The legend behind the Christmas tree starts with a man named Winfrid (later known as Saint Boniface) from the seventh century. He was an English missionary, who one day came upon some men sacrificing to an oak tree in worship. According to the story, he became so angry at their idolatry that he chopped the oak tree down with one blow. Later a fir tree grew up from the trunk of the felled oak tree. According to the tale, Winfrid proclaimed this tiny new tree represented Jesus and His victory over death on the cross.

Winfrid used the Christmas tree as an object lesson, teaching that the triangle shape of the tree represented the three Persons of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Other symoblism attributed to the Christmas tree includes:

1. A reminder of Jesus being born to die on the cross for our sins. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness." (1 Peter 2:24)

2. The boughs of the tree extend out like the arms of Jesus stretched upon the cross when He offered His life to anyone who comes to Him in faith.

3. The Christmas tree points to heaven as Jesus die in words and actions. He drew our attention to our Father in heaven who loves us.

1st Day of Christmas - Advent Wreath

I've decided to count down the days of Christmas with a daily post. Each day of Christmas post will contain an explanation of a Christmas tradition. I hope you enjoy!

(Information provided is based on The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel)

1st Day of Christmas - Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is one way we can celebrate the birth of Jesus and His gift of salvation to us. The wreath consists of a circle of evergreen boughs with four candles around it (3 purple and 1 pink) and one white candle in the middle.

Circle of evergreen boughs - reminds us of God's forever love, a love with no beginning and no end.

1st purple candle - Prophecy or the Hope candle - invites us to thank God for the hope we have in Jesus, the prophesied Messiah.

2nd purple candle - Bethlehem or the Peace candle - the Prince of Peace was born so we sinners could be at peace with our God.

Pink candle - Shephard's candle or Joy - celebrate the good tidings of great joy that is for all people! Christ is born!

Final purple candle - Angel or Love candle - We join with the heavenly host to say "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14)

White Candle - Love has entered our world through the birth of Jesus.


Celebrating with the Advent wreath:

The celebration begins four weeks prior to Christmas. The fourth Sunday before Christmas, light the first purple candle. On the next Sunday light the first and second candles. Two Sundays before Christmas light the first two purple candles and the pink candle. The Sunday before Christmas you light all three purple candles and the pink one. On Christmas day you light all four candles and the white Christ candle.

Each Sunday discuss the meaning of the candle(s) being lit.

(Note: While looking online for pictures of Advent wreaths I found it interesting that I found tons of pictures, but most did NOT include the white candle in the middle. I wonder if this is significant?)

What is love?

This was just too cute to pass up. . .

Children ages 4 to 8 were asked "What is love?" Here are my favorites from the email I received. . .

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
~Billy, age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
~Danny, age 7
(In my family it is me tasting it to make sure it is not too hot)

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
~Bobby, age 7
(Amazing!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend you hate"
~Nikka, age 6
(Another amazing one!)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
~Noelle, age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
~Tommy, age 6

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
~Chris, age 7
(Or Tim McGraw!)

"I know my older sister love me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go buy new ones."
~Lauren, age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
~Karen, age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
~Mark, age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
~Jessica, age 8

And last but not least, an author and lecturer (Leo Buscaglia) once talked about a contest he judged. The purpose was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child who lived next door to an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there. When his mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

If those don't bring a smile to your face, I don't know what will

Worshiping with total abandon

I don't know about you but when I'm around others it is many times hard for me to truely worship. To stop worrying about what I sound like, what I look like and what others think of me. Due to this, it is hard for me to truely focus on my object of worship, God!

I'm getting better at this. Especially in my home church. I know I'm among family there and don't need to worry about anything. But I should really always feel this way, no matter who I'm around. My focus should be on God and God alone. Nothing else matters.

Tonight when we worshiped we had our children come in and join us. As I sat there with my daughter in my lap holding her little brother and watched her close her eyes in total abandon and worship the Lord I saw what I long for. That is how I want to worship my God. The way an innocent child does, knowing that nothing else matters. Acknowledging that God is the one and only worthy of our total adoration.

God's role in a Nation's Rise and Fall

Here are some verses to meditate on when considering the current state of our nation, where we are headed and how we should pray for the U.S. and our leaders.

Acts 17:26
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

Deuteronomy 32:8
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of sons of Israel.

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Job 12:23
He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and disperses them.

We must realize we may not always understand why certain people are in positions of leadership, but nothing happens, nobody rules without the Almighty's permission. As a nation, we are great and mighty because of the Lord's grace and blessings. He can just as easily take it from us if He chooses to do so because we turn from Him. It is easy to become arrogant and think this is all because of us and our strength, but the reality is that it is not true. As a nation we need to turn back to Him and follow in His path. He holds the fate of our nation in His hands. He knows what is best for us and will be patient for only so long. If we follow Him, He will guide us down the path that is best for us.

Family

My family back home (WA State) had their family Thanksgiving dinner today and my uncle hooked some of us who could not be there on Yahoo. We were able to hear what was going on and we could see video. I grew up with all of these family get togethers with aunts & uncles, grandparents, great grandparents, cousins and the whole crew. Now I'm two states away and not able to participate except by the internet or about once a year when I'm able to make it up there. The others online were my uncle in New York and my aunt in Australia. (If you read this, it was great to hear your voices!)

Now watching it on video via the internet is a blessing and kind of sad. It makes me want to go back up there more often for these family get togethers. I wonder if everyone who was able to make it in person this year realizes how blessed they are to get to see everyone at Thanksgiving, Christmas and at our family reunion every August.

I think I took these get togethers for granted as I was growing up. I look back with fond memories now. Maybe it is that I am now older and have children of my own and I'm seeing all my cousins with spouses and children now. I wish I could have been there.

Make sure that you don't take your family and time with them for granted. It is precious!