Day Book

Outside my window... The sun is shining...Finally! There are puffy white clouds blowing by, because of the wind.



I am thinking... About all the stuff that I have to do today. I will definitely be busy.
I am thankful for... For a REASON to celebrate CHRISTMAS.
From the learning rooms... Boy, we have been bad this week. I have been working so, to have things ready before this weekend, that some things have been put on the back burner. We will be buckling down come Monday and Tuesday to get caught up on some of our school work.
From the kitchen... Absolutely Nothing!  I mean, nothing unusual or difficult today. I have too much to worry about so lunch and supper will be extremely simple.
I am creating... I'm just about finished with the pin cushions that Monkey and I have been making for his teachers at church. All I have to do is decide on which poem that a friend wrote to go with them.
I am reading...  Longings of the Heart by Bonnie Leon The link is to the author's website and a list of her books. I started this book last night. It is the second in a series. The first book  To Love Anew was really good. I do believe that I have another favorite author.
I am praying... For a good day at church tomorrow, and that the Christmas program tomorrow night goes smoothly. There has been a lady visiting on Sunday mornings, so I'm praying that she will be back tomorrow.
I am hearing... Monkey playing with his little Build A Bear Monkey. He has him strung up and ready to hang for some crime that the monkey did.
Around the house... Tons and I mean tons to do today. I have a couple of loads of laundry to work on and then I have some major straightening, dusting and vacuuming to do today.
One of my favorite things... The excitement in Monkey's face when he tries to guess what is wrapped under the tree.
A few plans for the rest of the week... I have to run to the grocery store for a few things later today. We have church tomorrow. School on Monday and Tuesday, then any final Christmas touches that need to be completed before Wednesday and Thursday.

To Believe or Not to Believe: Teaching Our Children About Christmas

For the past couple of days, I have been thinking on the Santa Claus situation we face every year. I know that people think, oh it's innocent fun. But is it? Why do we celebrate Christmas? If we stop and think, Christmas is about our Saviour's birth, not about us receiving presents. It's the day set aside for all to celebrate Jesus' birthday.

There have been many questions that have run through my mind about this whole way of celebrating and here are a few:

For Christians, Jesus is the most important gift we have ever received. Why would we not want to base our Christmas season around Him and Him only, it is His birthday? Do we want to share our birthday with someone else? Don't we have that little bit of selfishness come out and want that day to be about ourselves and to be special? Don't you think that Jesus wants to be the center of attention at Christmas, it is His birthday after all.

For those that do not believe in Jesus, they celebrate the Christmas season as a time for sharing and receiving. Jesus is not the center of the season for them. Then there are those that don't celebrate Christmas at all. Both situations are sad for me to think about. I love having a reason to celebrate Christmas!

What about those who celebrate using Santa and then teach their children about Jesus' birthday? Why do both? Why not choose one and leave the other out? Does Jesus have the same amount of "exposure" as Santa? How can you teach about Christmas being all about Jesus' birthday when there is another figure being brought in on the scene?

I posted a question on two forums and on Facebook, hoping to get good comments from people and I did. I wish I would have received more. The whole Santa thing is a touchy subject and most people don't want others to know how they truly feel about it. There are those, who can become defensive because they want others to agree with them for their reasoning. And there are those, who point fingers at others for what they believe to be okay.

The question I asked is: Are we teaching our children it is okay to lie when we teach them to believe in Santa? Now mind you, a child has to be taught Santa is real for them to know who he is. The teaching has to continue for them to believe in him. Just like when we teach our little toddlers that an oven is hot and to not touch it. If we don't keep reminding them of this, they will touch it and be burned. How are our children being taught about Santa if we are not the ones that keep him in front of them and telling them, "Santa is watching!"

People, why teach them that some old white-haired man is watching them? Why not teach them that God (the one who created them, the one who gives them eternal life) is watching them, because He is.

TO BELIEVE OR NOT BELIEVE

So if we introduce Santa to our children and tell them he is watching to see if they are behaving and that he brings them toys on Christmas Eve, aren't we lying to them? But yet, we are teaching our children it is wrong to lie. Isn't that a double a standard?

My husband and I have discussed this in the past and just last night. I hope I can explain this as clearly as he did.

If we teach our children that there is a Santa (someone they see at the mall) and later on tell them the truth, how can we expect our children to trust us in everything we tell them?

I personally do not want to disappoint my child. I would never want to do anything to hinder our trusting relationship.

How are our children to want to grow their faith in Jesus (whom they cannot see) when they are being taught about His great love and all the wonderful things He has done and will do for them?

What will keep them from putting Jesus in the same "make believe" category?

One comment made stated their children know about Jesus and His wonderful works and they have a relationship with Him. I'm thankful children have a relationship with Jesus, but what happens in 10 -15 years down the road and things fall apart and a young person doubts their faith? Is a "little" lie going to be a stumbling block and cause someone to turn away from the Lord? I'm not saying it is, but it could be.

I heard several comments about a stumbling block, several believed the belief in Santa would not cause any problem but I had more to comment on how it would be a stumbling block. Will this cause a problem with children accepting Jesus as their Saviour? Honestly, I don't know.

But what about having your children trust you? I had several say they grew up believing in Santa and they did not have a problem with their parents encouraging the belief in Santa, it was all in innocent fun. Then there are those who were more hurt over being lied to by their parents, than the whole Santa deal.

I have a ten-year-old. We have never taught him to believe in Santa. He was taught early on this was a made up thing and Christmas was about Jesus and His birth. We have also taught him that God provided a job for his Dad and with the salary, we can buy gifts he would like to have.

My son knows the story of St. Nicholas and how over time, the history of Nicholas turned into the Santa Claus thing. I asked him how he felt about Santa. He told me, he felt sad to know there are other children being taught to believe in a man who is not real. He was glad we never led him to believe in Santa then told, later on, he was not real. When he looked up in my eyes and said, "Mom, you would have told me a lie and it's a sin to lie, no matter what". After hearing his words and seeing he face, I was relieved we never led him to believe in something that is not real.

We all have our opinions on things and that makes our lives interesting.

Answering my question, are we teaching our children it's okay to lie when we teach them to believe in Santa? Yes. I know others will disagree, that's fine. We are supposed to be living a godly life in front of our children. We are to be setting examples for the little eyes that are watching us. Think back to your childhood... Is there something that your parents did or said that you have made a point to not do? Those who are honest with themselves will say, YES, myself included.

If we are leading our children into a make-believe thing, a lie, then we are teaching them it is okay to tell a lie. No matter how you cut it, it's a lie. We're showing our children there are times when it is okay to lie.

This post has been a really hard one for me to write. At first, I wanted to lay it all out on the line and use Bible verses that talk about how God hates lying. But I couldn't because there are so many who feel that teaching their children to believe in Santa is not a lie. After deleting this post 2 times, I wrote out the questions that keep coming to mind. This was not just a quick process because I prayed the whole time someone will read this and see we are teaching something that is not all that innocent.

Teaching to believe in Santa is an individual home decision. It is something that both parents need to be on the same page about, something that needs to be prayed about. But don't be surprised when feelings are hurt because a child is more hurt over being lied to than the subject of Santa Claus.

As I said earlier, we all have our own opinions, and this post is mine. If I stepped on a toe or two, then maybe praying about what is being taught in a home is something that needs to be done.

Do you allow your children to believe in Santa?

Day Book

Outside my window... Another cloudy, rainy day ~again! Is it ever going to go away?



I am thinking... About all the sewing I have to finish for Christmas. Two projects have to be finished today, to send to the church for the Children's Home.
I am thankful for... My husband being able to work, even though it's a temporary job.
From the learning rooms... We've got to double up on work today, since we got behind yesterday with sewing and having to go to the mall.
From the kitchen... If all goes as planned, we will make some sugar cookies today.
I am creating... Three pair of pajamas for a set of brothers and a sister in the childrens home that our church supports. Along with other small Christmas presents ~ pin cushions and wash cloths.
I am reading... To Love Anew by Bonnie Leon The library did not the last of the series that I have been reading, so I put in a request for it. While waiting I decided to try a new to me author. For those of you that know me, know that I do not like branching out to new authors without knowing something about them. So I took a chance on this one. So far the book is actually good, so we will see.
I am praying... For God to provide for our trip to Oklahoma in January and for my husband's safety while running a route today with the weather.
I am hearing... Silence! Actually, I hear the rain draining down the down spot at the end of the house.
Around the house... I have laundry and some straightening up to do. I hate that all the busyness of Christmas throws me off my cleaning routine. ~ Yuck!
One of my favorite things... Christmas goodies!  I love Sugar Cookies, Fudge and  Rice Krispies Date Balls ~ my Momma's specialty.
A few plans for the rest of the week... I have some sewing to finish up. Hopefully, I don't have to go anywhere today, since I was out most of yesterday afternoon. We have Church on Wednesday night. Our family would  like to be able to go with our Pastor to the Children's Home on Thursday, but will have to wait and see if my husband has to work first.

A Busy Week

I have been busily working on finishing up Christmas presents, when the Lord put a beautiful opportunity in my path on Sunday morning. I can't believe that this has actually happened and so close to Christmas.



A week ago Sunday, I ended up being at home with Monkey not feeling well. My husband had told me about a lady and her tiny baby that visited the morning service. This lady and her baby sat in front of him and this precious child just tugged at his heart.  Fast forward to Sunday... As we were waiting for the service to begin I watched a young mother and her precious little one sit on the second pew.  My husband leaned over and told me that they had visited the week before and that they sat in front of him.

Every time, I saw the baby, I kept thinking about the little blue sweater that I knitted for a friend in Montana. Can you believe that I was hoping that baby was a boy? I wanted to give that sweater to this mom for her baby. And knit another one for our friend.

After the morning service was over, I made my way to the lady  and introduced myself. I was able to find out that the baby was a precious little girl and that they had just moved into the area from out-of-state. After talking with her, I told her that I knit and that I had a blanket that I knitted and would love for this precious little girl to have it.  The mom told me that she did not mind if I brought the blanket. Then I started talking about the size of clothes little "Precious" wore and found out that she was in 3-6 months.  To make a long story short... I started a little girl's sweater on Sunday afternoon. I have worked my fingers into a frenzy since, trying to finish knitting. As of right now, all I have to do is knit one sleeve. I'll be able to work on this throughout the day on Wednesday.  Would you believe that the other sleeve and the left front side took me 3 tries to get started and finished?  I can't believe how Satan tried to hinder the work on this sweater.  If nothing happens I should be able to block the pieces and start sewing them together on Thursday. I'll have to go to either Hobby Lobby or Hancock's Fabrics to pick out some buttons.

I have been praying for an opportunity like to arise. I love knitting and I love being able to share the items that I knit with others. I'm praying that this will open doors for this lady and little "Precious"  to keep coming and maybe even join our church.

I have been able to wrap a few Christmas presents and put them under the tree. Don't you just hate buying wrapping paper  to find out that you can see the presents through it? I do and I have done that this week.  It makes you feel like why even bother?

Day Book

Outside my window... Cloudy and cold. The sun is trying to break through the clouds. Hopefully it will to warm up some before we leave this afternoon for fun.



I am thinking... About what we are going to have for lunch. Monkey's asking, "What are we going to have for lunch?"
I am thankful for... All that I have. I don't take the things I have for granted now, but in the past I have.
From the learning rooms... So much! We are busily working to stay ahead in our work.
From the kitchen... I'm brain dead in this area today. I need to go grocery shopping.
I am creating... I working on little things for Christmas presents, right now.
I am reading... I'm finishing up the book Sisters of the Confederacy by Lauraine Snelling.
I am praying... For several needs that our family needs met.
I am hearing... Nothing, actually. Sometimes that worries me. There is no telling what is going on when all is quiet. :)
Around the house... I have  a load of laundry to wash. Everything else is in its place.
One of my favorite things... SNOW!!! I wish it would snow here, like it did in Montana.
A few plans for the rest of the week... We are planning on going to the Christmas parade in town today. Then we have Church tomorrow, then school next week. I've got to fit a grocery shopping trip in sometime.

Twenty Four More Days?

I am so not ready for the Christmas season! There has been so much that has gone on in our lives that I'm ready for the New Year.  I do have the Christmas tree up and decorated along with just some of my snowmen that I have collected over the years.  If it weren't for Monkey, I probably would not have pulled any decorations out.




I know that the Lord has put our family in the position that we are in right now, for a reason.  I'm almost positive that it is a learning experience, that we are living through right now. Hopefully, whatever the learning that needs to be done, will be done quickly, so we can move on to better things. :)

I've been working on my cookbook letter to send out to my family. I was hoping to have it ready to send at the beginning of November, so I could have everything back and  ready to print before Christmas. Of course, there is always something that hinders this little project.  So my letter will be sent after the first of the year.

I'm not sure if I have even mentioned this cookbook project before. This book is about our family with stories and pictures along with favorite recipes.  This project started rolling around in my head, when I hit a brick wall working on our family tree.  No, it was not a literal wall, just a dead end when it came to my Momma's side of the family.

Anyway,  I want to be able to give Monkey a part of our family history. I want him to have what I have been working on, so he can pass it down to his children, one day.  I want all the new generations to know who I was, and what I was known for.   Of course, this would not be just for my branch of the tree, but for all the others! There's a lot of branches in our family tree.

DayBook

Outside my window... All is quiet. The sun is just beginning to peek over the hill in the neighbor's yard. There's a crispy feeling in the air.



I am thinking... How this year has really flown by. I can't believe that Thanksgiving is now over and we are on our way to Christmas.
I am thankful for... The phone call my husband received last night.  We've been waiting on it for a month.
From the learning rooms... We've been learning how to write a paper. Monkey has chosen to write about Sitting Bull and General Custer and some of the things that led to the Battle of Little Big Horn.  We love History, so when we can visit a historical place, we do our best. Little Big Horn was one of our favorites to visit.
From the kitchen... I'm still looking for the perfect fudge recipe. I tried one on Thursday night, that was good. It did get better over night and yesterday afternoon.
I am creating... I have the fabric to make 2 snuggies for Christmas presents. I've finished the sweater and the bibs to send to our friend. I found the cutest fabric to make a cute hat from this PATTERN, it's the little red hat .
I am reading... I'm finishing up the Daughter of Twin Oaks by Lauraine Snelling.
I am praying... I'm praying for my husband today. He is working for FedEx during the holidays. I'm also praying that the Lord will open a few doors for us before the 10th of January.
I am hearing... The heat blowing through the vent. Toby is barking at the horses that have been brought in to the field beside our house.
Around the house... I really don't have too much to do, since everything was done before Thursday. There is a small hill of laundry to work on. I just noticed that one of our trusty feather pillows is loosing some of its stuffing, so I'll have to find it and get the vacuum for the floor.
One of my favorite things... Left over turkey for warm turkey sandwiches with some cranberry sauce.
A few plans for the rest of the week... A few things around here today, Church tomorrow and school on Monday. Hopefully, starting next week we can add some extra school work to each week for December, since we are going to be in Oklahoma in January.

A New Thanksgiving Celebration?

Yesterday afternoon we had some errands to run in town and while we were out, I noticed something that is taking place in our country today. I noticed that some of the fast food restaurants had on their signs that they will be opened on Thanksgiving Day. But not only these but there are stores opened on this special holiday.



I remember when I was a child that the only store you could find opened on Thanksgiving Day was a gas station.  Over the last 15-20 years some of the stores started opening up on Thanksgiving Day to have sales and make the almighty dollar. My husband told me that he remembers the McDonald's in our town would open for breakfast and then be closed by lunch time, since he would stop before going hunting.  I grew up in Atlanta and I honestly don't remember any McDonald's being opened but then again, we were not in the habit of going out to eat while trying to get to my Maw Maw's to celebrate the Day of Thanksgiving.

Please tell me, why would anyone want to go shopping on this special day?...  I know that there are many people who have no family or no family in the area, so they go and have a dinner out. But still! When people are going to out these places on Thanksgiving, they are expecting someone to be there to prepare and serve that food. But what about that employee's family and their celebration?

Americans have gotten so far away from our historical, Biblical roots that it is even crossing over into our holidays. Have we forgotten what  Thanksgiving Day means? It means that we are to take this day and give thanks unto God, for all the blessings that He has given to us.  Have we forgotten why the Pilgrims celebrated a Day of Thanksgiving? They were  Thankful to God who brought them through all the struggles that they endured the first year they were here.  If you remember over half of the people died during the first winter. They did not know how to "care" for themselves here in this new world, until the Indians came and taught them. These people were Thankful for God allowing them to still be alive and able to worship Him.

Our Pastor handed out a copy of the George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, on Sunday. When I read it, I was so moved.  To know that our first president set aside a day, for our new country to celebrate a day with Thanksgiving and Praises unto our God.

Let's not forget why we have a Thanksgiving Day!

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington