Different but Good

This time last year, I was preparing for a very different Christmas. One family member was no longer in the picture and my sons and I were in the midst of a lot of changes, including what our holidays would look like. I had accepted the fact that it would be hard--that we just needed to get through it. But amazingly, even in the sadness and feelings of loss, God surrounded us with His warmth and love. We received so many anonymous gifts that I made a point of listing each one so I wouldn't forget. As we let go of some traditions, God helped me see the beauty in doing things a bit differently. (For example, we spent most of Christmas Day on the train, so I set aside some cash to treat my boys to lunch in the dining car and saved one of their candy stocking stuffers so they would have something fun to munch on while playing games in the lounge.) The heaviness of knowing our Christmases would never be quite the same again mingled with assurance that God would meet every need. I am not exaggerating when I say that last year was probably the sweetest Christmas I have ever had. Never has Jesus felt closer or His love more tangible.

This year, we are having another very different Christmas. My youngest son and I just moved and my oldest is living on his own for the first time. We left a lot behind, including a few more traditions like performing in the choir Christmas concert and watching some of my favorite holiday classics. (Somehow, my copies of It's a Wonderful Life and the old BBC production of A Christmas Carol ended up in storage instead of with me.) Thankfully, big brother got time off to come down for Christmas and will stay through New Year, and we plan to make our typical Christmas Eve dinner of homemade pasta Alfredo with my parents. I am rediscovering the fun in watching church concerts instead of performing in them, and for the first time ever, my sons will have Christmas morning with Grandma and Granpa. Even in the changes, God is making this year sweet. It's just sweet in a different way.

Are you facing a different holiday season this year? Note how God reveals His love and goodness to you, even in the difficulty. Ask Him to give you many reasons to look back and see this year as different but good.

Merry Christmas!

P.S. My son Nate took this picture on a day trip to San Francisco with my parents, one of my sisters, and two of her kids--another nice change we are enjoying: being with family.

    

A Different Christmas

This year, I purposely set our Christmas tree up in a different place. I left our Christmas village in the box and created a scene out of choir boys, pine trees, and snow men. Instead of outlining our front window with lights, I set an angel and the three wise men on the sill. I used the same Nativity scene as in past years but changed the arrangement a bit. I bought new stockings, embroidered our names on them for the first time, and hung them somewhere we’ve never hung stockings before. We’ve even altered our Christmas Eve tradition.

I did all this knowing that our Christmas is going to be very different this year. My family has gone through some changes that are making the holidays . . . well . . . hard. Trying to do things as we always have would only make it more obvious that special days like Christmas will never be quite the same again. Instead of allowing difficult change to rob us of our joy, we are using it as an opportunity to weave in some fun change as well—changes that we chose.

The holidays have a way of magnifying our losses, resurrecting the pain and knowledge that, no matter how hard we pray and plan, it won’t be like last year. People are missing. Broken relationships mean sharing loved ones and being more flexible. Some traditions get lost in the rubble; others we need to skip so we won’t add more grief to the day. This is when we must choose whether to wallow in the lost traditions or make new ones and ask God to help us enjoy them just as much.

I’ve found that making up my mind to do Christmas differently has helped in the process of grieving the loss that forced the changes. Are we sad? Yes! Will Christmas morning feel strange? I know it will. But I also know that God has been good to us through these life-altering circumstances, and that Christmas is about His Son, not my traditions. This is our opportunity to focus on His goodness, including the ways that He inspired creativity and allowed us to have fun no matter what.

Are you facing a different kind of Christmas this year? Ask God to help you accept the changes even as you grieve, and show you how to make this season of celebrating Christ’s birth different in a good way.

A simpler Christmas

Over on one of my yahoogroups populated by plain folks who use the Internet, there’s a big discussion on the commercialism of Christmas. One I kinda have to agree with, especially when I drive past the mall and the traffic to get in is so congested you can only imagine what the stores are like. I’m not a big fan of cramming Christmas shopping into an already busy season. So, I started thinking of ways to stay out of those crowds and slow down a bit.

• Buy gifts throughout the year, as you see them. Summer is big on neighborhood craft fairs and art shows, so you could pick up a pretty blown-glass candle holder for your mom, or an fun little print for your best friend made by a local artist.
• In the late summer and early fall, can fruit and make jam. Then, at Christmas, tie a pretty bow around the jar, or put a collection of canning in a basket and give it to the whole family to enjoy.
• Make gifts as you have time throughout the year. Know what’s really in right now? Aprons. Yep, thanks to TV shows like Mad Men and movies set in the 50s and 60s, those fun retro aprons are back. They’re straightforward to sew, and guess what … the fabric stores are full of cute retro fabrics to match the era.
• Reuse and recycle. Another way to use your creativity is to look at old things with an eye to making them new. Do you have a jewelneck T-shirt that you don’t wear anymore? Get some chiffon, a couple of sparkly buttons, and some ribbon and dress up the neckline. Check out tops in online stores like Nordstrom to get design ideas and make your own. Or how about that sweatshirt with the stain down the front? Cut off the binding at hem and sleeve, cut it down the front, and bind all the raw edges with strips of velvet. Then embellish the front with ribbon roses. Voila–the advantages of looking new with the comfort of feeling old.
• Decorate with things from the yard. This year, our Christmas tree is a recycled one from a local event at the community center. And the garlands on the mantel? They’re branches from the trees outside. We have bay trees everywhere in this neighborhood–I joke that they flourish like the wicked instead of the other way around :)
• If you make your garlands from bay leaves, they’ll dry over the season–and hey, you can strip the branches in January and put the leaves in an airtight jar to use in cooking throughout the year.

What kinds of things do you do to simplify things during the holidays? Sometimes just the gift of your time can make someone happy--so think about freeing up a couple of hours to give that gift.

It's Tradition!

While reading a friend’s blog post about her many Christmas traditions, I began to wish that my family had more. Sure, we have certain things that we do year after year but they didn’t seem as exciting as some that I’d heard and read about. Then God stopped me in my tracks as I watched my youngest son take a Hershey’s Kiss out of the Advent Calendar and name something that he was thankful to God for. Why did I constantly compare myself to others and decide that I fell short? What about the things we DID do?

We actually have many fun traditions that “it would not be Christmas without.” Here is our list:

• Putting a creative twist on the Advent Calendar (Last year I slipped a verse or Christmas quote into each slot along with a treat and Nathan had to read it before he got the candy. This year he is thanking God for something before eating a Hershey’s Kiss.)
• Each of our sons gets a special ornament so they’ll have a collection to take with them when they move out.
• Putting the nice Christmas China in the cupboard at least a week before Christmas so we can use it several times instead of just on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning
• Making Russian Tea Cakes (We aren’t Russian, we just like the cookies.)
• Watching A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story and The Polar Express
• Setting aside an evening to wrap gifts while watching Little Women
• Pasta for dinner on Christmas Eve
• Attending our church’s Christmas Eve service
• Leaving a cookie for Santa even though both sons know who really eats it as soon as they go to bed
• Reading the verses and quotes taken from the Advent Calendar, before opening gifts on Christmas morning (This we started last year and I saved the verses.)

I often wonder what my kids will pass on to their own Children. What will they think up on their own?

What are some of your traditions? How do they make celebrating Christ’s birth even more meaningful?

Oh How I Love This

There are two spots in this video that make me tear up. One is when the little boy smiles. The other one a quick scene--easy to be overlooked.

Just curious. What parts touch your heart as you watch this?
Love,
Julie

The Lost Art of Gift-Wapping

I had two friends over last night, and they helped me wrap some presents. I realized as we worked that wrapping presents is one of the activities in our society that has been relegated to quick-and-easy-is-best. Kind of like instant pudding and cake mix in a box, wrapping a present has evolved into buying a pretty bag. We drop the gift into a cushion of tissue paper, arrange colorful tissue paper on top and we're done.

I remember going over to my friend's house before Christmas and their huge dining room table was devoted to preparing gifts for giving. We cut the paper from a roll, making sure not to waste any of the lovely paper. We folded the ends over the box just so. It was more complicated than hospital corners on bedsheets. There was a pile of ribbons, bows, and decorations, new and some save from year to year. Our family has a box that circulates. The box is over fifty years old and has been taped at the corners innumerable times.

My aunt had her wrapping center in a guest room. My bedroom was the center of our gift-wrapping and I usually got the privilege of wrapping most of the gifts.

Why am I going on and on about wrapping gifts? Because it occurred to me that God wrapped His Gift to us with tremendous care. Images of a heavenly host in a star-studded sky springs to mind. A star so bright that it led wise men from afar to the town of Bethlehem. The manger, the donkey, the shepherds, all bring a special touch to the wrappings of Christmas. Each has become a symbol, saying more than what the object means when standing alone. The donkey reminds us of care given to the mother of Christ even as she endured an arduous journey. The manger tells us that Jesus is for all people, not just the rich or ruling class. The shepherds emphasize that anyone can come to worship the King.

When I give a gift, it really doesn't matter if it is wrapped with crisp corners or hidden under a sheet of tissue. What matters is my heart as I prepare an offering of friendship and love.

My advice for the season? Enjoy the gifts you give as much as the gifts you get. Enjoy the process of wrapping. Enjoy the gift that God has given you, filling your heart with joy and hope.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Wish List!

When I was in high school I had two friends from church who told me they got everything on their Christmas list. EVERYTHING. What did a "cool" Christmas list look like in 1986? I don't remember their whole list, but here are a few things I remember:

• a waterbed (they were cool back then)
• new Jordache jeans (all the rage)
• a VCR (yes, the old tape kind)
• the soundtrack for Pretty in Pink (on cassette)

I remember being jealous when the day after Christmas these two girls confirmed their parents had fulfilled their wishes. I also felt a little sad for them. I mean what's the fun of opening Christmas presents if you already know what's inside?

I also laugh at the things we thought were cool back then. Fads come and go, which makes me think of my own Christmas wish list.

This year I have a few things on my wish list that I'd like. They include some WWII non-fiction books and a few fun bath items, because soaking and reading is one of my favorite past times. My own list isn't as large as it used to be, mostly because I've been practicing being more thankful--even before Thanksgiving.

During the Christmas season it's easy to be more focused on what we want, rather than what we have. And while it's okay to be eager to see what gifts await you under the tree, our greatest gifts aren't wrapped with bows.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

What to feel really thankful? Take a moment to think about what would happen if God took these "gifts from above" away. Frightening isn't it?

Considering this gives me a whole new outlook. It also makes me more eager to create a new type of list.

One of the things I've been doing lately is thinking of 10 things I'm thankful for as soon as I wake up in the morning. It's amazing what this does for the outlook of my day.

My thankfulness list doesn't include my bed, jeans, dvd, or iPod, although it could. Mostly I've been thanking God for my health, for money to pay the bills, for good friends, for a husband and children who love me, and for my salvation. These are things that mean the most--true gifts from God.

What's on your list? I'd love to hear. There will always be little things we'd like to have, but remember to take time to thank God for the large gifts in your life you don't want to live without.

After Christmas weight loss

Camy here! I am writing this before Christmas, but I already know my uncle is going to cook us something FABULOUS and I will most likely pig out like a starving native.

It happens every year. I eat too much and feel fat. Actually, I feel fat every time I eat too much throughout the year, but somehow I feel fatter over Christmas dinner.

So here’s to New Year’s weight resolutions! I make one every year!

This past year, I was doing a bit better. I lost a few pounds, gained a few back again (but not as much as I lost), and repeated the cycle a few times. If I had been able to keep losing versus spending time losing what I gained back, I probably would have reached my goal weight set at the beginning of the year. At my thinnest, I lost about 12 pounds from the beginning of the year, but right now, I’ve gained about 5 extra pounds.

On someone my height (5’2”), it’s significant enough to make me feel good that I lost some weight, but also sad that I can’t seem to keep it off consistently.

I’m totally into natural (because at my age, anything chemical or man-made that might increase my changes of cancer or other icky stuff is not something I want to contemplate), so I’ve been eating more veggies, less meat, less starch (but not cutting them out of my diet entirely. I’ve also been trying to write down what I eat at Sparkpeople.com so I don’t go too overboard.

I’ve also been trying to do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, and some days I’m up to 60 minutes. Some days I don’t do any. :( I’m working on my discipline, can you tell?

So for all of us mourning our fat rolls after eating all of Aunt Mertle’s yummy sesame seed dinner rolls, let’s try to eat healthy and exercise for the new year! Let me know if you have any other natural tips that have worked for you!

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance novel, Single Sashimi, and her romantic suspense, Deadly Intent. She also runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels and ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for giveways!

Love in a Bag

Yesterday my college-aged son spent one of his first days of Christmas break in a creative act of giving. He went to the Dollar Store and bought supplies for what our church calls Manna Bags—packages of non-perishable food and toiletry items—then took the bus to the downtown station where he handed some of them out. He didn’t intend it as an act of Christmas giving. After seeing so many homeless or down-and-out men and women hanging around the bus stop whenever he took public transportation to his college classes, he felt led to do it. He had gotten in the habit of keeping a Manna Bag in his backpack in case he saw someone in need and this was his chance to give several at once without worrying about the time. It wasn’t until he got home and shared about who he’d given them to that I saw it as a creating Christmas outreach.

If you struggle with how to handle requests for “spare change” consider making some Manna Bags. They are a great way to . . .
Show you care
Offer help without giving money

How to make a Manna Bag
• Use large zipper bags or lunch bags (that’s what Christian uses).
• Go to the Dollar Store or someplace where you can get a lot for your money, to buy items to fill the bags.
• Good Manna Bag stuffers include:
o Non-perishable foods – raisins, nuts, dried fruit, granola bars, and lunch sized fruit or applesauce cups, tuna & cracker packs (the Dollar Store often carries these), beef jerky, etc. If you include foods that require a fork or spoon be sure to slip in a plastic one.
o A bottle of water
o Toiletry items like a toothbrush & toothpaste or soap & a wash cloth
o Cold weather items like socks, a stocking cap, or stretchy gloves
o A treat – slip in a candy bar or snack cake to brighten their day. If you plan to do this before Christmas, you might want to include a candy cane.
o Extras – Our church included 20-minute phone cards from the Dollar Store with a note that said “Call your family to let them know you are okay,” as a gospel tract.
Christian’s are always very simple since he is a starving student. He fills his bags with food items, a water bottle, a treat, and a toothbrush.

Tips for handing Manna Bags out
• If you encounter needy people on a regular basis, keep one in your backpack or car so you are prepared when you want to reach out.
• If someone asks you for money, offer the Manna Bag instead
• Use caution – If you want to hand out bags in an area where you’ve noticed a lot of homeless people, go with your parents, some friends, or a group so you aren’t alone.
• If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, stay away. Never risk your safety.
• Think beyond the homeless. You might know of a kid at school or in your neighborhood who could benefit from one now and then.

Merry Christmas

Some Christians think we should contain Christmas in a little square box and only allow things "holy" into the activities of a "true Christian." But doesn't that go against Jesus coming to the world?
I agree that the commercialism around the sacred holiday is annoying, but the act of celebrating contains exuberance. So when I see Christmas homes decked with snowmen, reindeer, gingerbread houses, and other "secular" items, I relish the creativity, both cute and beautiful, and let the joy bubble in my heart. I think for those of us who are secure in the real meaning of Christmas can deal with the difference between the sublime and the ridiculous.

In my own house as the kids were growing up, we celebrated the tradition of Santa Claus from the day after Thanksgiving until Dec. 6th, which is St. Nicholas Day. We hung stockings the night before. After giving the jolly fat man his due, and also studying the different Santa Claus traditions of the world, we put him away and concentrated on the birth of Jesus for the rest of the holiday season. My children loved it. They not only got Santa Claus, but they got him early. The rest of the kids had to wait until Christmas Eve. And I told them from the very beginning that if they followed Christ and developed His gift of love and generosity, they would grow up to be somebody's St. Nick!

I'd like to invite you to the Christian Author Holiday Home tour. You can begin at my blog:

Dragon Bloggin

Christmas Blessings . . . in You!

It’s a busy time of year, and with the present condition of the economy, finances are tight. Can you dare to believe that you are a gift to give to others? And that is enough?

When you attend a Christmas event, what do you bring that is special about you? When you walk into a room, what will you add?

When you write a card or note, what words and expressions of who God created you to be can bring encouragement, laughter, or peaceful assurance to others during this season?

When you offer a gift, does it say to the recipient, “I know you,” and even in its simplicity, does it give a little of yourself?

When Jesus came as a little babe, he gave himself. Yes, he is the very best gift of the Christmas season for all of us, but when we give of ourselves—especially as expressions of who God created us to be—we help others discover and believe that God exists and that he cares.

This year, instead of obligatory gifts and cards, look for ways to slide away from the expectations and get creative. Do something daring and new that has your God-given personality all over it!

Have a blessed Christmas being fully you!


www.jankern.com
www.choose2livefree.com

Child of My Love, Lean Hard

Today I walked into the livingroom of the lodge at the residential ministry for at-risk youth where my husband and I live and work and saw that they had their Christmas tree cut, lit, and decorated. A glance around the room and I spotted other decorations, including the nativity scene and the garland near the hearth with the names of Jesus. I smiled and remembered that the ribboned names had been a project I helped them with last year.

The Christmas season is here!

I realize it's not an easy time of year for all. Even when we do enjoy it most of the time, some days are just tough, or we know families or individuals who are struggling.

I thought I'd share a poem that has been an encouragement to me when events in life have become 'too much':

"Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden, child. I shaped it;
Poised it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength
For even as I laid it on, I said,
'I shall be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden shall be Mine, not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My Own love.' Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come;
Thou art not near enough. I would embrace they care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest Me? I knew it. Doubt not then;
But loving Me, lean hard."

From Streams In the Desert, September 12th devotion

May you know God's closeness in deep, joyous, and comforting ways this season. Especially know that Jesus who came as a babe, Immanuel, God with Us, is the one who said, "Come . . . take my yoke . . . learn from me for I am gentle and lowly at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-30).

Inexpensive Christmas gifts

Camy here! Have you started thinking about Christmas yet?

I love Christmas. I mostly like giving gifts to my friends and family. I especially like being able to give them something they’ll really enjoy and could use.

I’m also dirt poor, so the challenge is giving a gift that’s not cheap-looking, but that’s inexpensive to make or buy.

Yarn craft

I’m big into knitting, so I like asking my friends point blank what they’d like me to make them for Christmas. I give options like a scarf, hat, mittens, fingerless gloves, bag, etc. It makes it easy for me, and it guarantees they’ll get what they want. Then I buy the yarn and make something for them.

Do you crochet or do some type of yarn craft? Why not make your gifts this year? You can also learn to knit or crochet really easily online. Believe it or not, I learned to knit from watching knitting videos.
Knittinghelp.com videos
Knitpicks.com community learn to knit tutorials
Lion Brand website for knitting and crochet tutorials

Sewing

There’s a sewing group that meets at my church who have volunteered to show me how to sew, although I haven’t taken them up on it yet. But it makes me think that if I do, I can make cute sewing projects for gifts, too. iPod or phone cases, bags, pillowcases.

If you sew, consider some cool sewing you can do for your friends or family as gifts. Pillowcases in cute fabric are always great gifts and they’re very inexpensive, too.

If you embroider, consider buying something small and embroidering the person’s name or designs on it. Regular or ribbon embroidery can really dress up something that’s otherwise very plain.

Cards

I also like making cards for people to use, because everyone could use thank you cards or birthday cards. I get stamps, colored paper, double-sided tape, and ribbon trim from the local craft store and then go to town. It’s fun because I get really creative, and it’s fast because I can make several copies of the same card really easily.

And if I make several different designs, I can give everyone one or two cards of each design, for a total of a dozen or two dozen cards as a gift. I wrap the bundle of cards in ribbon and it looks great!

If you’re creative and wise with what stamp sets you buy, each card can be as little as 25 cents each to make. There are some stamp sets that are hearts or flowers, with several stamps in the set, and you can mix and match with different colors, different paper, and different ribbon or trim to make different types of cards with the same set.

Are you a photographer? Why not develop several copies of your favorite pictures and paste them to cardstock to make fantastic blank cards to give away? You don’t even have to embellish the cards if you don’t want to, because the photos themselves make the cards special.

Sparkly stuff

Some of you do beading, and jewelry is a great gift to give. Earrings, a pendant, or a bracelet are relatively inexpensive, and you can make them in your friend’s or relative’s favorite colors.

And you don’t have to limit yourself to jewelry. You can also make cell phone charms, bookmarks (see those book thongs in Borders?), zipper pulls. Be creative!

Any other ideas?

What are you considering for inexpensive Christmas gifts this year?

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance novel, Single Sashimi, and her romantic suspense, Deadly Intent. She also runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels and ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for giveways!

I'm Happy

My daughter and I were driving down the street yesterday, and I realized I was happy. We had just been to the crowded UPS store, mailing gifts. We were at the UPS store because the line out the Post Office annex sent us searching for a place I wouldn't have to stand for so long. We were on our way to look for a particular present for on of my grandsons. We stopped and got coffee. She got eggnog latte, and I got peppermint mocha. The price of the coffee was outrageous. I was still happy. I picked up the cup and hot coffee spewed from the tiny hole, making a mess. I was still happy. The special nightlight/toy was expensive too, so we didn't get it. I was still happy.

We tried it online when we got home and didn't, plus read some reviews that indicated it wasn't such a great toy after all. Still happy. Woke up this morning with a sinus headache. Yep! Still happy.

Why? 

Every day has it's own measure of irritants, some of them quite substantial. The past 24 hours held more than I've even related to you.

But . . .

this is CHRISTMAS!

And I love Jesus.

I wish I could carry this glow around with me for the other 11 months of the year. 

I think I'll make that my New Year's Resolution. I LIKE being happy.

Ignoring the irritants, putting them in the bottom drawer where they belong, is healthy.

The toaster burnt my toast . . . yeah, but Jesus was born in a stable.

The car in front of me made me miss the green light . . . yeah, but Jesus told stories that make heaven more real to me.

My drink spilled all over my book . . . yeah, but Jesus forgives e.

It's a habit to remember that the nativity scene should be on top of the dresser and the junk deposited in the bottom drawer or even the trash can.

I'm happy. I have reason to be. Jesus not only came as a baby to grow up and teach me about God and heaven, he also died to make a way for me to stand in the presence of God and enjoy His Heaven. Allelujah!

Getting organized

Camy here, talking about Spring ... er, Winter cleaning.

Yes, my house is SO MESSY that I need to start in Winter to finish my Spring cleaning. Oy!

Actually, this was started because we have to enter that spider-infested domain that is THE ATTIC in order to get our Christmas decorations out. And in order to even put our Christmas decorations up, we have to clean up.

Ai-yai-yai!

I am chucking junk with a vengeance.

Do we need this anymore?

Have we ever used this? (alternate question: Have I ever worn this?)

Is there a reason this was put here or was it because we couldn’t think of anyplace else to put it?

What in the world is this?

I think the rust means it no longer works.

Ew! Ew! Ew! Spider!

After chucking junk, though, I have to organize the junk—er, stuff we do have.

Some things are easy to organize. Books, for example. They go on the shelf or in plastic bins (I have a super anal Excel spreadsheet that lists all my books and which box each one is in, and the boxes are all numbered).

Yarn is another easy thing to organize. I sort them by size and/or fiber content and put them in those nice plastic bins from Costco.

But what about all the odds and ends? Extra parts for the telephone? Extra cable for the TV? Extra dog toys and leashes? My husband’s keychain collection???

Any ideas? Right now, I am sticking things anywhere I have room that is an even halfway logical place to put them.

But the good news is that I can now see the floor! LOL

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Her novel Single Sashimi is out now, and she runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for monthly giveways!

Christmas Break!

Yes! Christmas break is coming. Lots of free time. Well, at least more than usual. What will you do with yours?

Today I spent time talking with the sixteen- to twenty-something-year-olds at the ministry where we work about their Christmas breaks. (Some are facing theirs with anticipation, some with trepidation.) Later I joined them all for dinner. After hanging out some, I started to head home to work on this post, and stopped. Hey, if anyone knows the answer to the question I want to write about, these guys do.

So I went back inside and asked for their ideas for creative ways to spend the next few weeks really enaged in life (instead of being online for most of that time).

One, by the way, mentioned how ironic it was that I was using the Internet to bring the topic up. Maybe not the most popular place to talk about doing something different than being online. But it's not that being online is a bad thing. It’s about making choices. Here’s a quote from Eyes Online, Eyes On Life:

The Internet—it can offer a really great experience, or for some, it can easily become an obsession. Without realizing it, we’re sucked into activities that rob us of the amazing identity, resources, and relationships God has in mind for us.
Eyes Online, Eyes On Life p. 17

Who wants to be robbed at Christmas?

So back to the creative ways to spend the break. Here are the ideas they shared:

Ask someone to coffee
Go visit a church you've never been to
Spend time with family talking, bonding, doing things together like working on a puzzle
Journal
Take a dance class
Take a walk or drive to see Christmas lights
Go to a church performance
Get into the Bible
Read a book—"like actual words on paper"
Make dinner for friends or family
Walk on the beach (or take a walk in a beautiful place)
Eat meals with family
Play board games with family
Do crafts—like beading
Jam with friends
Go to movies with friends
Bake with family or friends
Volunteer at a homeless shelter or an animal shelter (or any volunteer work)
Go to a bookstore and discover a new topic of interest
Crochet while watching a favorite chick flick
Go for a leisurely bike ride

One who offered a couple of the ideas above temporarily forgot this was specifically about alternative activities to being online all the time. She said the list goes for anything. Do these things “instead of making choices where you're messing up.”

Or, I’ll add, for those who wouldn’t think of “messing up,” do some of these to assure a really amazing break. Get together with friends or talk with your family and come up with some of your own ideas. Then take those beyond scribbles on paper. Plan them into your day--either for yourself or with friends and family. Get a few on the calendar and don't let anything stop you from making sure they happen--especially the Internet :) .

Enjoy your break!

Jan
author of the Live Free series, Standard Publishing

true stories, true hope

for teens, young adults,
and those who care about them.

Creative Gift Giving

My friend Jennifer and I decided not to exchange Christmas gifts this year. We’ve been friends since we were 3 years old and have always given each other books, perfume, lip gloss, and other “stuff.” This year, however, my family has very little to spare so Jennifer was nice enough to suggest that we skip the stuff and opt for a gift of time. We plan to get together over my kids’ Christmas break and let that be our gift to each other. Jennifer will treat us to lunch and I’ll cover coffee and dessert, or one of us will buy movie tickets (matinee of course) and the other will be in charge of stuffing her purse full of snacks.

I had already accepted that my gift giving would have to be creative this year. So far I’ve gone with books that I make special by having them signed (I order them directly from my author friends) and fun things like jars of homemade cocoa mix. It’s actually fun! You might want to try. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

· Get a box of small canning jars from the grocery store (they don’t cost much). Choose one for each person on your Christmas list and fill it with their favorite candy, cocoa powder (recipes can be found on the Internet), tea bags, or gum. Cover the lid with a small piece of Christmas fabric or tissue paper and tie it with a ribbon.
· Give a gift of time by treating your best friend to coffee or ice cream.
· Offer to make dinner for your parents or grandparents, promising to do all the clean-up as well.
· Give service “gift cards” – Decorate 3x5 cards and write a service that you would like to provide on each one, such as a night of free babysitting, a manicure for your little sister, or tutoring for a friend who is struggling and wants help in a subject that you excel in. Make sure they are things you enjoy doing so you won’t dread following through.

You can do all kinds of things on very little money. So set the stress of Christmas shopping aside and have fun being creative!

A Season for Hope

I didn't stuff myself this year for Thanksgiving, but I made a ton of stuffing. My husband and I enjoyed the day with our family and about 95 others. We live and work at a residential ministry for at-risk youth. Thanksgiving is a big deal around here . . . as is Christmas.

Fun, exciting . . . and also, for some, extremely difficult.

I'm guessing that in similar ways that's true for many children and teens all over the world. Some do all they can to scrape together bits of hope and joy to get through their holidays. It's not easy to smile when surrounded by or feeling brokenness and pain.

As I enter the Christmas season, I've been wondering if I could, in some small way, bring about the beginnings of a smile or some hope. The joy of a baby in a manger and knowlege of this one who now invites relationship with him? Glimpses of possibilities for a new turn in their life story? Yes, I think so. Others once did that for me.

I am challenged to ask God to help me be especially aware of at least one teen who needs that experience of hope. I can invite her to join us for one of our holiday celebrations. Show her love. Show her Christ.

Will you join me in that challenge?

To share: If you have done this during past Christmases or someone has encouraged you in this way, tell us about your experience. Plan to do something like that this year? Share your ideas.

Enjoy this season of celebrating the gift of Christ. Immanuel--God with us!

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us"
(Matthew 1:23 NIV).

Jan
author of the Live Free series, Standard Publishing

true stories, true hope

for teens, young adults,
and those who care about them.

Christmas presents for girlfriends

Camy here. I know, I know, I’m a freak because I’m thinking about Christmas presents and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet. But bear with me, here.

I usually end up getting something completely cruddy last minute because I can’t think of what to get my girlfriends. (Presents for parents is another problem entirely—and another blog post)

So this year, I’m starting early.

For some, I want to keep it a secret. So I try to be extra observant in the months before Christmas so that I can make an educated guess about what my friend would want or need.

Another sneaky way to go about that is to ask the friend’s parents/siblings/other friends for ideas, clarifications, sizes, favorite colors, etc.

For a lot of my friends, though, I want to make sure I get them what they’d really like. And that usually means asking them.

I decided to knit most of my gifts this year for my friends because (a) it’s cheaper and (b) they’re all the sort of people who really appreciate hand-made stuff.

To simplify things, I gave my friends a list of gifts to choose from:

Fingerless gloves
Scarf
Shawl
Cowl
Hat
Purse
Socks

Then they gave me favorite colors.

Voila! Instant happy friends who are looking forward to their Christmas presents.

Since we’re all pretty poor, why not pick something you can make or a list of small things you can get for your friends this year, and then let them choose what they’d want?

If you do beading, give them an option of jewelry or trinkets you can make for them. If you do scrapbooking, ask them for pictures you can make into a mini album for them. If you bake or cook, give them a list of yummy things to choose from.

Think out of the box this year. But do it early so you have time to make all this stuff before Christmas!

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Her novel Single Sashimi is out now, and she runs the Story Sensei critique service. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things. Sign up for her newsletter YahooGroup for monthly giveways!

Some Seasonal Questions to Ponder

Holidays like Christmas cause many of us to pause and reflect. Being one who thinks a bit too much sometimes I thought I’d pass some of my less serious Christmas ponderings your way.
Such as . . .

1) Why is it that when I am looking for a box of plain old peppermint candy canes all I can find are pina colada, cherry, or cinnamon? Yesterday I needed candy canes for a recipe and found a shelf displaying every flavor imaginable EXCEPT peppermint. In fact, the only peppermint candy available in the store was a gigantic $3 bag of Starlight mints. I passed them up and decided to “borrow” some from our Christmas tree and replace them with the strawberry ones that my husband bought by accident. I couldn’t justify buying $3 worth of mints that I planned to smash to bits.

Which brings me to Part 2: why do I insist on replacing candy canes that I take from the tree? Nobody eats them! It feels too much like eating ornaments. After the tree comes down nobody is in the mood for sucking on candy canes because it’s no longer Christmas. Still I can’t bring myself to toss them with the wrapping paper and squashed boxes. That’s wasting and what about all those starving children who never get candy canes and would love to have ours? So instead of wasting right away I put them in the snack cupboard to be ignored until next year when I can toss them without guilt because “those candy canes are a year old!” It makes no sense.

Okay, on to deeper questions:

2) How did the song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” even become a hit? I’m trying to picture the record producer who discovered that particular performer. Did he find him singing away in a club and say, “Man, you’re talented. That voice—it’s amazing. And those lyrics! What a powerful story they tell. You’re gonna be a star.” What happened there?

3) Why is it that I never tire of torturing my husband and oldest son with the following tree-decorating tradition?
As soon as I hang our silver bell ornament I give it a jingle and announce to my teenage son, “Listen, Christian, an angel just got his wings.” I get eye rolls and groans every time. Nathan thinks it’s hilarious but he’s five. It won’t last long. Yet I must do it. It’s not Christmas until I’ve jingled the bell and said that ridiculous line that is so biblically false. Why not something a bit more . . . I don’t know . . . a bit more Christian like telling the story of the candy cane as we hang them or sharing the spiritual significance of tree garland (certainly there is one)?

4) Why are Russian tea cakes always on our menu when we aren’t Russian? One of these days my kids will want to know and I won’t have an answer. Maybe it’s the festive snowball appearance or the fact that they require five ingredients and very little effort but look like I slaved away to make something that looked so seasonally appropriate. All I know is I’m not allowed at my parents’ family gathering without them.

5) Where did the little drummer boy come in? Did he arrive with the shepherd or the wise men?

6) I know the story behind Santa but what warped individual thought up reindeer and elves? Scarier still, how is it that, at some point most of us fell for it as kids? And why is it that we all wanted such a creepy story to be true? Seriously, if I even saw a fat guy peering through my window so he could see me while sleeping, and certainly if I saw him diving down my chimney, I’d call the police, presents or no presents.

7) Why does someone always get sick at Christmas? I’m currently recovering from a kidney infection, my son from a second bout with strep throat and my husband from that lovely cold/cough combo. I’m relieved in a way because it means we’ll be healthy for the big day. But if nobody had been to the doctor with something by now I’d be worried about what awaited us next week. If we have a healthy Christmas season I thank God but I also dread what the New Year will bring. I must admit that when Christmas rolls around I think, oh boy, what illness will it be this year? But why can’t everyone get sick on Groundhogs’ Day instead?

8) Finally, why is it that no matter how hard I try, no matter how determined I am to do otherwise, I always lose perspective at some point. On December 1 I vow to enjoy the season and remember Who it is about. By mid-month I am stressed out, up to my eyeballs in lists, behind on the shopping that I’d planned to do less of, and yes, secretly wondering what I’ll get. Perspective returns on Christmas Eve when I attend the evening candlelight service. I walk away wishing I’d paid more attention to Jesus before that night . . . taken more time to reflect and remember why He came. Now that I’m aware of it I’m trying to make a daily discipline of focusing on Christ at some point. Still, I could do more of it.

So what are your Christmas questions, funny or serious? I’d love to hear them.

Who thought up those fruit flavored candy canes anyway?

Merry Christmas!
Jeanette

(cross posted on my blog)