Peeking through our front window on Christmas Eve, you’d have seen our clan of fourteen gathered around the table, then the piano, then the Christmas tree to celebrate the birth of Christ (and, to borrow a favorite line from “A Christmas Story,” plunge into the occasion’s “unbridled ecstasy”). Said clan currently includes kids ages seven, five, three (two cousins) and infant (two more cousins), so you can imagine the level of emotion in the room---sweet moments like the toddlers smothering their baby cousin with kisses, along with the feverish anticipation of opening gifts. Despite Continue Reading
How to have the eyes of a child at Christmas (even though you’re a mom or dad)
My church operates a daycare center, inside which our church office is located. As an office assistant, even though I’m tucked out of sight, I’m literally surrounded by children all day long. There’s extra excitement in the air among the little ones these days. Every so often, we hear comments like, “When is it finally going to be Christmas?” I don’t hear things like this from the parents, though—because guess who’s responsible for making Christmas so awesome? (It sure ain’t Santa Claus!) As a parent, you’ve got things on your plate that your children have no ability to appreciate Continue Reading
How Christmas lights remind us of real hope this season
This time of year, I like to turn out all the lights in the evening except the ones on the Christmas tree. I sit quietly, letting the soft, white brightness draw me in. During the day, I can hardly tell if those little lights are turned on—but at night, they completely change the atmosphere. The darkness of these longest nights of the year serves as a backdrop for the irresistible beauty of light. Spiritually speaking, that’s exactly what happened when Christ came into our world. Hundreds of years before the Son of God came to earth in the womb of a young Jewish woman, Isaiah Continue Reading
4 ways to parent your kids the way God parents you
When my kids were little, I had plenty of rough days as a mom. (Parenting is hard work, amIright?) One particular day, the behavior of my then nine-year-old son drove me to the brink. I went into the house, away from him. “God, what does this child need from me?” I wept. Immediately, my attention was drawn to a painting on the wall—three carousel ponies symbolizing my three sons, painted by an artist friend. As I looked at that picture, I heard the answer to my question. “Tight reins and lots of sugar cubes.” I’m no horsewoman, but I got the point. Danny needed rules Continue Reading