Gift giving

Talked with some guys over Thursday breakfast, and one had an interesting tradition. The adults don't exchange gifts, but they get together to provide gifts for a needy family. The justification is giving gifts between them has become too mechanical with a wishlist and pretty much just shopping for someone else. I like the idea of giving to a needy family for Christmas very much. It seems more like what Christmas should be about. It shouldn't be a chore to buy a gift for everyone on your list. They don't really even need anything, and it is reciprocated anyway, so over all there is no net change.

Tis the Season

Well, it does seem to be a season where things become very busy. This morning I had my quiet time and saw that it had been over a week since I had it. I also thought about how I haven't been doing well with my scripture intake. Anyone else having trouble keeping their priorities straight?

So now I'm going to try and get back to spending time with God and His word. Things have been busy with Christmas parties and also a few times of me being sick which wasn't pleasant.

Hope everyone is having a good time this Christmas season. For some deeper thought, why do we celebrate Christmas or birthdays in general? I haven't researched it much, but it isn't from the Bible that I've seen. Going through the gospels this month looking at the Christmas stories. Read Mark 1 this morning and that is what made me wonder about celebrating Christmas.

So what has been happening

Not sure why I haven't had time to post anything, but I've been meaning to. The boat bed is done and looks great. I've been trying to get some pictures to post here, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Angie and Jason did a wonderful job painting a faux wood grain. David loves his new bed, I have some video of him on it, maybe I can try posting that too. Though that won't be till the weekend when I transfer the tape onto my hard drive.

Started riding my bike again. My annoying cough that has been lingering is finally gone, so I don't mind breathing in the cool morning air. Today it was about 48 degrees, and I over dressed. I'm thinking just my work pants and not the windbreaker over them. Also a lighter top layer, I wore my yellow long sleeve pull over.

Easter was a great time, but very exhausting. We have way too much chocolate too. David loved it, but I think we had too many eggs for the kids. He would pick one up and try to open it instead of gathering them all first.

DFL is going well, but I think I need to have my quiet time on top of doing my DFL. This will require a lot more time, but I think it is needed. I have really missed have a more relaxing QT.

Our house is still somewhat of a wreck. Especially the garage. I need to get it cleaned up from the boat bed project. We also need to get our house cleaned up from having company stay with us. But hopefully that can get done this weekend.

The kids have been doing really well. Katie is sitting up easily, David is talking more and more, you can now ask him if he wants water or milk. Katie rolls over, but doesn't seem to be that interested in crawling yet.

Things have been pretty busy at home, and I need to take advantage of the time available to get things done. We have been failing at doing any workouts which needs to change. Hopefully this weekend we will get the rest we need and be able to get the house in order.

Update for Christmas time

Well, things have been great and a bit chaotic. It is amazing how much easier things are when I have my regular work schedule. I haven't been doing my quiet time, or memorizing scripture. That is pretty sad. I really need to make a better effort to work on what is important on my days off from work. I need to make a stronger effort, but usually when I get off on my days off it is because a kid is awake and needs attention. It is easier to do in the morning than trying to do it during nap time. But if that is the time available then that is when it should be done.

What about everyone else? Do you find it easier on your regular routine days or is it easier on a day off when you have more time? I could see it being very different without kids.

Starts Up Quick

So I finished Deuteronomy and decided to read Luke since it is the Christmas season. Man it jumps right into it. So much is going on. Zacharias receives a prophecy but doubts so he is punished by being mute so he can't really explain what is going on. His wife Elizabeth conceives. Then Mary is visited by the same angel and given a prophetic message. She believes the message and commits to serving God.

Then Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who is filled with the Holy Spirit and blesses Mary. Then Mary praises the Lord. She hangs around for a few months then goes back home. John is born and named John instead of Zacharias after his father or any family name for that matter. Then Zacharias is no longer mute and prophesies praise to God.

A few important little details that are pretty cool:
45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
man, if Zacharias was in the room this may have stinged a bit.
63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God.
Go Zacharias. Now he steps up. Elizabeth had just said his name was John and the people thought her crazy and asked Zacharias what he thought. Apparently Zacharias wasn't in the room to know about Elizabeth wanting him named John. This amazed the people when both parents said his name is John.

Man this stuff is exciting. And this is just the prophet of the Most High. Wait until the Most High is actually born. Then the two get to meet.

Traditions

So, it seems one of my favorite Christmas traditions is getting started this weekend. Battlefield 1942 lan party. Everyone should celebrate this tradition around the world. Lan parties are a fun way to spend time together.

Next will probably be the massive amounts of food tradition and then the gift exchanges start. Actually I think we have a gift exchange this weekend.

I look forward to all the festivities. I'm not too keen on gift exchanges because it is typically an item of little use, but they are still fun. More for the social interaction. I've gotten some nice gifts before.

Hopefully with the holidays coming and me being of work in a couple weeks I'll be able to continue to be disciplined and work on memory verses, working out, and continuing to have a quiet time. Maybe I'll even take time to write in this blog too.

Improving Christmas

Gifts for Christmas aren't really gifts. They are somewhat required... doesn't that take away part of what a gift is?

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday because there is family and food. It is a nice restful time. I think Christmas should be a wonderful time too, but I think we(as a culture) focus too much on giving gifts. I know this is supposed to reflect the great gift of Christ. We started drawing names which helps with some of the chaos, but I also think I receive too many gifts. Us kids need to get the parents to lay off or something. Or maybe gifts aren't even the problem.

Maybe it is just me, and I took too long to start shopping. Maybe I have a problem and it is unrelated to the culture and events. Maybe it is simply a need to change my attitude. Maybe I simply get annoyed with all the traffic on the roads and all the people in the stores. It even makes grocery shopping harder.

Do others think there is a problem?
Am I crazy? Yes, but am I completely off base on this topic?
How can we improve Christmas?
Help me out here.

Other Ideas

Thanksgiving is coming

Well, now that I think more about it, I should have chosen a more appropriate memory verse than Romans 14:12. Thanksgiving Holiday is great. You don't have to mess with gifts (shopping, purchasing, wrapping, delivering), but you get to meet with family and have a relaxing time. I do think too many people put too much effort into the food preparation, but I'm not too sure how to fix that. Well, I've run out of time, so I'll make this entry short. We got some lights up on the house and plan to do the big decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving, but part of me thinks due to this Thanksgiving is being lost in the business of preparation for Christmas.

Judgement
Romans 14:12
"So then, each of us is to give an account of himself to God."
Rom 14:12

Where is the light

When I was younger I would love winter.  I liked the cold, but mostly I loved the snow.  But now that I work all day I get out of work and it is dark so soon.  There is very little time to enjoy the outdoors with any light.  This probably didn't bother me much when I was younger, but now that I have kids I want it to be light so they will be safer and I have more visibility which somehow provides me comfort.  

So now I'm not so sure I enjoy the winter.  It is different for sure.  I think part of it is that I have been bike commuting, but that is becoming difficult.  It is too dark and I need some new lights and some better cold weather clothes which I asked for Christmas, so I can't really buy for myself now.