Merry Christmas from TOS!
December 19, 2018
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Gena Suarez
Hey Mama, Where's the Wonder?
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Hal & Melanie Young
The Case For Celebrating Christmas
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Deborah Wuehler
Have a "Mary" Christmas
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Hey Mama, Where's the Wonder?
Hey Mama,
Be careful. It’s the time of year when the wonder of the season is lost in the chaos of the moment. Hold on to the wonder. . . hold it fast . . . and hold on to the One this season is all about—JESUS! It’s His day. It’s His time. It’s His moment, if you’ll let it be.
You had a good week. You didn’t get it all done. But no one did. Believe me. No one got it ALL done. So stop lamenting and have fun instead. Your kids need to see you smile. They need to see you being carefree.
Remember when you got married? THAT girl needs to come out. She was so lighthearted . . . remember? She’s the one your kids want to know . . . and your husband wants to cuddle (on the couch, by a roaring fire, candy canes and hot cocoa in hand.) Bring her to Christmas this year—that’s an order!
Try these ideas from
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine to bring back the wonder to your Christmas:
And remember Mama. . .
Smile. Laugh. Play.
You CAN because you are known to be a hard worker. You are known as the Mama who handles it all. You are the hostess with the most-est. The cook who pleases a crowd at the drop of a hat. The social butterfly whose kids are rarely bored. The committed MAMA. You already wear that hat. OK? So it’s settled. You deserve a break.
Take it. And remember, ten years from now it won’t matter. Well, it might. Because today if you make some fun memories with the kids—something spontaneous, something upbeat—they’re going to remember.
They won’t remember today’s math or the cupboards and counter cleaning project. Those can shine anytime. TODAY, you and the kids shine. GO PLAY.
The Lord is with you; He is not standing over you with a homeschool whip in hand. He’s just not. He made this beautiful world for YOU. Go explore it, and have a good time with the kids.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
-gena
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Have a "Mary" Christmas
What will your Christmas story be this year? Will it will be like one of these:
Janet remembers the year they had a few small thrift store items under the little plastic tree because finances were not only tight but non-existent. She felt bad that she couldn’t give nice gifts.
Danielle tries not to remember the Christmas her mother-in-law had much to say to her about how she could still call herself a Christian after ruining her life by all her choices.
Barbara was in tears the year her son was sick in the hospital, and they spent Christmas wondering if he would see another day.
Susan remembers her husband trying to read the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2 to the kids and the neighbor who came to celebrate. The children were a bit too wiggly and giggly, and finally, Dad shut the Bible in the middle of the story and walked out. The kids were silenced, the neighbor left, and Susan didn’t know how to make it all right again.
Gwen wonders when her prodigal daughter will return home. Christmas is heavy with anguish not knowing how or where she is.
Sleepless nights with the newborn, so much time wrapping gifts, cooking, cleaning, and decorating and Karen was so tired by Christmas morning, she only had short, angry words for everyone that came near her.
Ever had a story like these? Our holidays may be filled with pain, our kids may be unhappy, or someone ends up grumpy. What do you do in these circumstances?
My dad says, “It’s only a circumstance! Circumstances change, people change, but God does not change!”
So, we hang on to the One Who doesn’t change. The One Who doesn’t disappoint. The One Who is not disappointed in us.
And because of that, we can wake up knowing that
today we will worship Christ.
Today, we will celebrate Christ—no matter what else happens on this day.
He is worthy of celebration because of
His gift to us. He set us free from ourselves by the power of the cross. So just for a moment, put the decorations and gifts aside, put the painful memories away, and worship your Savior. Forget what is behind, and press forward to give Christ the gift He desires.
What He wants for Christmas are people whose hearts are fully His and whose eyes see only Him.
Perhaps God chose Mary because she was willing to do whatever He asked and face whatever circumstance that came her way. She was willing to give up her reputation and the dream she had for her own life. The personal cost would be great. I think this is why it is said:
she was highly favored by God.
I want to have a “Mary” Christmas and give the gift of these words,
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word.” And I would worship like she did:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant . . . for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name” (Luke 1:46; 54 ESV).
Holy is His Name,
~ Deborah
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Readers
can purchase all three of Wesley’s Adventures at bookstores everywhere or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.
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What Matters
Hey Mom,
Well, it's come. The year and month have flown by. We stand before the manger thankful for a Savior who came, lives, and gives meaning to family and homeschooling.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your homeschooling journey. Thanks for letting me be your friend and fellow traveler. Truth is: as much as I encourage you to slow down and enjoy your family, I have trouble slowing down and enjoying my family. We all do!!!
But I know what matters, and you can count on me to keep "singing my song" in the coming year. I so desperately want to see us both do what matters because we only get one go around on THIS side of Heaven. . .and what we do here matters on THAT side of Heaven. I'm pretty sure math, sentence structure, and scientific names of plant parts won't.
So let me encourage you to finish up this article, and then turn off your computer, put down your phone, and go do something with your children. Don't worry about your list of things to get done. . .go spend thirty minutes, playing a game, talking about Christmas, or just sitting on your bed with your children. Just go find them, and hang with them for 30 minutes. That matters here and THERE.
Merry Christmas and be real,
Todd
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The Case For Celebrating Christmas
The American version of Christmas is a true mega holiday. The first displays appear in stores before Halloween is over. Thanksgiving dinner isn't even digested before the Black Friday shopping extravaganza blasts off. Business groups estimate Americans will spend nearly $720 billion on Christmas this year—and nearly a third of them are still paying off the bills from last year's shopping.
The whole business-and-party atmosphere has become so overwhelming, it's no surprise that some Christians look at it all and say, “Enough. No more.” Where is the Son of God in all the festivity? Some even decide, as a matter of testimony, to opt out of the holiday altogether.
We'd like to suggest a different way.
Celebrating Jesus' birth is not commanded but neither is it forbidden! Are we thankful that God sent His Son into the world to seek and save the lost—like us? Isn't it incredibly important that “
The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)? The Incarnation of Jesus is the pivot of all history (without His birth, there could be no death nor resurrection)! That's appropriate to celebrate!
It's fair to recognize and avoid the abuses and excesses of secular celebration. The Bible does warn us not to follow the crowd into sinful behavior, even if they think we're unsociable (1 Peter 4:3-4). Sometimes we
do need to draw a line when activities focus on greed instead of gratitude, on wildness instead of wonder.
But the Bible has many examples of thoughtful, worshipful,
and
joyful
celebration
. Holidays are times to remember God's powerful works and our continuing need for Him. Take time to discuss and explain “the reason for the season,” whether it's Christmas, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July—look how it's done in the Passover celebration (Exodus 12:24-27).
And many of our holiday traditions are illustrated in the Bible, too: joyful gatherings of family, friends, and co-workers (Deuteronomy 16:11); exchanging gifts (Esther 9:19); feasting on rich food and sweet things (Nehemiah 8:10-12); and sending food and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22).
The Old Testament describes regular holidays to remember God's deliverance from bondage, to rejoice over His provision, and to celebrate His goodness revealed in Scripture.
All of these are part of our family's Christmas celebration—because God has provided the Deliverer from our
ultimate bondage, and we rejoice together in that good and perfect and
best Gift from our Father (James 1:17)!
If you'd like to know more about reclaiming the holidays for your own family, check out our e-book
Christ-Centered Christmas
—it's a full-color guide for why we celebrate, the history of Christmas traditions, and lots of incredible recipes our family loves.
Merry Christmas from all our family!
Hal and Melanie
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It’s hard to believe that the next time we connect, it will be December 26. That means this is the last opportunity I have to share with you about the Christmas videos that are part of your
SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership. Take a look at just a few of the specials you and your family can enjoy this Christmas season.
The Ride: A Christmas Eve Parable: It’s Christmas Eve in the suburbs of Chicago, and a bored and disengaged taxi driver reluctantly accepts one more pickup. He soon begins to suspect that his passenger is planning to commit suicide. The cabbie prolongs the ride in an uncharacteristic attempt to connect and help. See how grace invades the hearts of both men in this powerful short film by Dallas Jenkins.
A Savior Is Born: It’s one of the most familiar stories in human history: the birth of Jesus in a lowly manger in Bethlehem. A Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Yet, how can we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Savior in our frantic, consumer-driven society? How do we make sure the Christmas holiday remains a Holy Day?
Jesus, He Lived Among Us: He was born in humble obscurity, yet His family had to flee to save Him from a jealous ruler. He forgave sins, healed the sick, and gave hope to the downhearted and oppressed, yet He was despised and rejected by many. He spoke the truth even when it was dangerous to do so. He willingly laid down His life and then rose again, conquering the power of death!
The Christmas Experience: An imaginative Bible-based reenactment that examines the important truths discovered in the first Christmas, such as God always keeps His promises. Those who feel like it’s always winter and never Christmas often feel distanced from God. But through these resources, and the story of Christmas, we find that we can always trust God’s timing.
If you haven’t yet joined
SchoolhouseTeachers.com, come give us a try! Your first month is just $5. If you or someone you know would be interested in teaching or writing for us, let us know. You can email me at
[email protected]. Discover the wealth of materials available right at your fingertips at SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
Bonnie Rose Hudson
Director of SchoolhouseTeachers.com
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