12.30.2006

Why?

Babymakers is having a contest. She has posed a question about why we do what we do. Why, she asks, do we celebrate Christmas and Easter and not the feasts of the Old Testament?

That has actually been a topic of conversation in our home of late, as Chance reasons through things in his own mind, forming his own convictions. So, I thought I would answer for our family.

The feasts pointed to the coming of the Messiah, we do not celebrate them because He has come. The time of preparation has passed, that is no longer where our focus lies.

Instead, we celebrate Christmas. The birth of our Messiah, the fulfillment of prophesy. And I'm not convinced that Christmas is a pagan holiday, or that Jesus couldn't have been born on Dec. 25. Peter Hammond has some thoughts on that, and as for me, the jury's still out. But whatever the roots, Christmas is known as a decidedly Christian holiday now. There are school districts that have tried to ban using red and green in Christmas parties, stores that only allow their employees to say Happy Holidays, "holiday" trees, "winter" break. I don't hear anyone calling for a return to Christmas' true pagan roots, everyone seems to understand that Christmas is...Christian. It seems to me the pagans are trying to wrest Christmas from us, and I for one refuse to give it to them.

And we celebrate Easter, well, we celebrate Resurrection Day. No bunnies or eggs, but rather joy and thanksgiving over the fact that He IS Risen! Christ has defeated death. Is there anything better to celebrate?

As the feast days were times for the Jewish to remember the promises of God, to look to the coming of the Messiah, the holidays of Christmas and Resurrection Day are times for the Christian to focus on the fulfillment of prophesy, on the glorious gift of the birth and resurrection of our Savior.

ht to Carmon for the Peter Hammond link

Christmas Morning

This is us on Christmas morning. We had to wake up Chance and Kirstyn, but at least the littles got up on their own.
Sierra got several different books, a fact Kirstyn was pitying her for. But a few minutes later we had to remind Sierra to open her next gift because she was so engrossed in her story :)
Amazing fact: Chance and Kirstyn have always had to be woken up on Christmas morning, even as little children.




Little knights. Eli is so serious, he looks like he is ready to ride off to defend the kingdom.

Gingerbread Birthdays

Okay, I might have figured out the picture thing.

A couple of weeks ago we were invited to a birthday party where we decorated gingerbread houses. Tonya had baked mountains of gingerbread and cut them into the appropriate shapes, she made gobs of thick, white, frosting and filled gallon-size baggies with the corners clipped like pastry bags, and she set out big bowls of candy, pretzels and cereal.

Hailey set right to work, she built like a pro. Sierra had some cave-in issues, but she was diligent. Kirstyn and I were trying to help the boys. They likely would have done better on their own. No one ever accused me of being crafty, and I don't think they are going to start now. One mom was building, um helping her son build a beautiful house, and Eli looked at theirs and then at his and said, "No, mom! Build it like that one!" When Sierra asked her how she was making it stay together so well she explained that mom's just have this innate ability to craft. Well, if I got that gene in childbirth it must be dormant.

A great time was had by all, even if some of us had flat roofs instead of peaked.












Doesn't she look happy?

12.29.2006

I've Moved

Well, it's been a little while and I have a new home. I don't like the background options at blogspot nearly as much as the ones at HSB, there aren't as many options and they aren't as pretty. But being able to post is a big plus so I guess I'll make the best of it :) It has taken hours to figure out a name and get things set up, so I don't have a real post. I just wanted to get started.

Christmas is over, but there are still a few days of Advent left. I have really enjoyed celebrating Advent, that little bit of time when we are all together and focused on Christ and what we are really grateful for this season has really been a blessing.

I'll leave you with a few pictures (more to come later). Scratch that, since I can't figure out how to do a line out, I also can't figure out how to post pictures. Maybe tomorrow...