More Scouts hiking! I know, I know! More boys, but hey, at least they're in some beautiful scenery! I can't wait to get you caught up on pictures, because I've taken some of me and my girls doing Christmas stuff. I just have to do them in the order that they're on my computer or I'll get really confused about what I've shown you and what I haven't. Sometimes I get confused anyway!Today's the first day of my kids Winter Break. Okay, fine. I'll call it what we're not allowed to call it, Christmas Break!!!! Woohoo! They're not at school, so I can call it whatever I want!!! I can call it Darn, Why Aren't They In School: It's So Hard To Get Anything Done With Them Home Break if I want to!
I've had some rather random thoughts rolling around in my head with it being Christmas and all. I was going to do this as a separate post, but I think I'll just add it to this one even though it really doesn't fit with the pictures. You probably miss my randomness anyway! And I haven't been able to get these thoughts straight at all, so if this is totally unorganized and hard to follow, I'm sorry. I think I'm back to Mommy brain now with the kids home and Christmas and all.
Emmanuel: God With Us. Isn't that really what Christmas is all about? God came down as a man, to be with us! The creator of the Universe in all His Glory decided to give all that up to be with us! He died on a cross so that He could always be with us. That is huge and totally amazing! Me, in all my sin and such a slob and He wants to be with me! Really!!!! Wow! Now, do we treat Christmas that way? I don't think so. Someone asked me recently on facebook (or really a bunch of people) what we think Jesus would think if He came down here now and saw how we celebrate Him this time of year. Is what we do really honoring Him. I think I honor Him the best I know how, because I don't have any money to participate in a commercial Christmas, so what choice do I have? But if I had money I'd probably be buying all the best electronics for my kids that money could buy and I most definitely would be getting an ipod Touch from somebody!!! I've begged enough, that's for sure! So, don't get me wrong, I can be just as materialistic as anyone else! I told my friend that I think if Jesus was here on earth now, he'd be turning over tables, or more like shelves and wracks in the mall! We are just as guilty as a culture as the people selling animals for a profit, to be sacrificed, at the synagogues. We're all about the money and the stuff! I'm not saying all the individuals reading this are, but our culture is. So......
God With Us: Are we acting as though God is with us? Cause He is! Are we treating others as if God is with us? Are we sharing the Good News that God is with us, with our friends, family, and neighbors?
I'm going to be going down to Oregon to see my non-Christian family that thinks they're Christians cause they were raised in church and/or they're American, or they think they are because they're parents say they are. It's very hard to witness to people like that, and I definitely can't do it with words. I have to act like a Christian or they're never going to see the difference between my faith and theirs. They're never going to see the power if I act just like then, which is my tendency, especially when I'm around them. I want to "fit in." But I don't fit, because God is with me and He's not with them. I need to be willing to look like a fool to them, so that I can live for Christ! They're either going to do just that, see me as a fool, or they're going to want to be a fool, too! The latter is what I'm hoping and praying for, but either way, I have to obey God and not the culture of my family! Pray for me, because I've never been successful at this.
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