ye olde blog

You stole my post...you, you, you post stealer. =)...

2010-02-27T22:29:11.875-08:00

You stole my post...you, you, you post stealer. =)

It is a message to be heard.

Love to you
~me

What amazes me is the number of pictures people ta...

2010-01-08T12:26:56.886-08:00

What amazes me is the number of pictures people take with their guns. Or their prey. I also loved the pic where the guy is kissing his wife romantically and she doesn't give him the time of day.... Oh, and the skunks... and ferrets.... and the awkward hand placements.... yes, this is a truly special web-find.

So glad you are here with the in-laws! We are havi...

2009-12-29T07:47:15.175-08:00

So glad you are here with the in-laws! We are having a great time.

Thank God for the honest, determined national car ...

2009-12-28T14:53:50.819-08:00

Thank God for the honest, determined national car rental guy! Your whirlwind tour of oahu sounds like some antics your dad and I have experienced.....yes, travel is aways an adventure!! I'm so glad it turned out well!! love mom!

hmmm... interesting perspective there, Kyle.

2009-12-24T20:46:51.849-08:00

hmmm... interesting perspective there, Kyle.

Sound like your average church to me!

2009-12-22T11:15:24.328-08:00

Sound like your average church to me!

Thank you for the compliment. And, I do agree wit...

2009-12-19T06:47:59.969-08:00

Thank you for the compliment. And, I do agree with you on the level that visits the issue that parents insit that Santa is real. Yes, and that is perveracating to your children. That, of course leads to lack of trust on many levels. But maybe more important than that is the issue that your raise in basically allowing Santa to overshadow or even cloak in invisibility that Christmas is Jesus. HE is the gift to a hurtying, dying world.
I am glad you brought this topic up and I am confident that when you have little ones, you and Amy will teach them with your words and more importantly with your daily lives WHO Jesus is and what our response to HIM should always be.

Thanks for the thoughts, my dear, sweet, beautiful...

2009-12-17T17:32:49.452-08:00

Thanks for the thoughts, my dear, sweet, beautiful mother-in-law-who-I-respect-and-admire-and-is-where-my-lovely-wife-definitely-gets-her-beauty-and-charm: :)

I think how you described it here is key: you made "Santa" about the giving, the "essence of Christmas;" you refer to it as something of a "game;" I know from talking to Amy that she never felt like her parents lied to her; and most importantly, you "never insisted that Santa was a real person." When you take it all like that, it's a whole different matter than what I'm concerned about. Then Santa points to fun and mystery and yes, to Jesus. So I don't see any issue with that approach at all... So, yes, the version of Santa to which you refer, should be vindicated! :)

All of that, however, comes with conversation and explanation that you describe, which I think is key... My issue is with inciting excitement and wonder in children by talking and teaching about Santa, and then NEVER having a conversation about it, or worse, insisting that Santa is real and making no indication that it is, as you call it, a "game."

You are absolutely correct in saying that we shoul...

2009-12-17T03:55:56.776-08:00

You are absolutely correct in saying that we should never lie to children...under ANY circumstance! Having said that, may I defend our dear ole friend Santa? In our home, we did play the Santa game. As I am sure that your sweet wife has shared with you, when asked by our daughters about the reality of Santa, we answered that he is the essence of Christmas. Then I would go into the explanation of why we give gifts to one another. I would talk about the wisemen first and then I would tell them that the ultimate gift giver is God because He sacrificed His only son as a gift for us so that we might have fellowship with Him and live eternally with Him.
We never insisted that Santa was a real person. When they figured it out early on, we just "played the game". On Christmas morning, you will still find gifts from Santa under our tree. What was and is most important in our home on Christmas morning (and all through the year) is that we celebrate because of God's greatest gift TO us. Santa was ALWAYS secondary.
The other issue that you bring up about Commercialism is worthy of a dissertation. Don't panic..I'm not going to write it on your comment page. I will say that in general, as a society, we have gone overboard with the giving of stuff. I admit that I have been guilty of that practice. When the girls were growing up there were two times when they would get stuff...birthday and Christmas. We didn't buy them stuff on a routine basis during the year. Sound like I am justifying but I am not. Explaining.
Is there a better way to do the whole gift giving and celebrating of our Saviours birth? Yes, most definitely. And I am certain that you and Amy will come up with wonderful traditions for your children that will be honoring to our Lord.

Hey, writing something when I have work to do didn...

2009-12-16T19:06:40.062-08:00

Hey, writing something when I have work to do didn't stop me! Slacker.

(Oh, wait, I have NO room to talk... if we compare who is better at blogging, there is no comparison...)

So, can't we just say you win now? :) Not about Santa, but just in general. You win.

I feel challenged to write a response: In defense ...

2009-12-16T11:33:03.414-08:00

I feel challenged to write a response: In defense of Santa Clause, giving and mystery during Christmas"

Maybe I will work on it next week when the Greek exam is over.

Oh, I'll definitely send some recipes your way...

2009-09-08T19:52:44.414-07:00

Oh, I'll definitely send some recipes your way.

And I'm sure we'll be making plenty of trips to LA because it is so boring down here.

Thanks Mo! :) You're pretty awesome, yourself...

2009-08-21T13:27:15.049-07:00

Thanks Mo! :) You're pretty awesome, yourself.

Vegan? I/my wife/some friends of ours would be interested in some tasty recipes if you got 'em... :)

Or, you could just drive to LA sometime and we could cook for each other. :)

Nestle is horrible. Absolutely disgusting. I rea...

2009-08-20T10:41:23.011-07:00

Nestle is horrible. Absolutely disgusting. I really like your blog. It's refreshing to see somebody interested in human rights, among other things. You rock!

hehe I liked it. Hey it is Jamie btw. Follow me on...

2009-08-06T21:47:41.163-07:00

hehe I liked it. Hey it is Jamie btw. Follow me on blogger ... kk?
mine is .... http://bballjamzster.blogspot.com/

Somehow, I accidentally deleted your comment, Jim!...

2009-07-10T12:20:35.171-07:00

Somehow, I accidentally deleted your comment, Jim!...

To answer your question, yes, I was at SHIFT 08 and I did happen to be pretty shaggy at the time. Come to think of it, I might remember you as well... I seem to remember a tall, dapper man with glasses...

You know, now that I think about it, I feel like I...

2009-07-10T11:04:35.567-07:00

You know, now that I think about it, I feel like I may have sat right behind you at the first session of Shift08. Did you have the shaggy hair/goatee combo then?

I'm jealous. My office window shows me a dark...

2009-06-15T08:33:55.161-07:00

I'm jealous. My office window shows me a dark empty room.

Unless I move over here; now I can see couches and glimpse some sunshine.

Amen and Amen

2009-06-08T19:05:18.259-07:00

Amen and Amen

um...wow

2009-02-11T09:07:00.000-08:00

um...wow

My new office has a pretty sweet view as well. =)<...

2009-02-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

My new office has a pretty sweet view as well. =)

I am starting to dream of the mountains. Care to come along?

We brand everything... even the longing of one's s...

2009-02-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

We brand everything... even the longing of one's soul. Speaks volumes about us as a people.

Hopefully we will. :) I will call or email soon....

2008-07-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hopefully we will. :) I will call or email soon.

Josh,

It was great to meet you at SHIFT. I ...

2008-04-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Josh,

It was great to meet you at SHIFT. I was really encouraged by our interaction. I would love to stay in touch!

Michael

hey gavin... I am at the La Quinta, actually, just...

2008-04-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

hey gavin... I am at the La Quinta, actually, just south of the beltway...so you're real close.

it'd be cool to catch you at some point tomorrow... if there's time.

ye olde blog

You stole my post...you, you, you post stealer. =)...

What amazes me is the number of pictures people ta...

So glad you are here with the in-laws! We are havi...

Thank God for the honest, determined national car ...

hmmm... interesting perspective there, Kyle.

Sound like your average church to me!

Thank you for the compliment. And, I do agree wit...

Thanks for the thoughts, my dear, sweet, beautiful...

You are absolutely correct in saying that we shoul...

Hey, writing something when I have work to do didn...

I feel challenged to write a response: In defense ...

Oh, I'll definitely send some recipes your way...

Thanks Mo! :) You're pretty awesome, yourself...

Nestle is horrible. Absolutely disgusting. I rea...

hehe I liked it. Hey it is Jamie btw. Follow me on...

Somehow, I accidentally deleted your comment, Jim!...

You know, now that I think about it, I feel like I...

I'm jealous. My office window shows me a dark...

Amen and Amen

um...wow

My new office has a pretty sweet view as well. =)<...

We brand everything... even the longing of one's s...

Hopefully we will. :) I will call or email soon....

Josh,It was great to meet you at SHIFT. I ...

hey gavin... I am at the La Quinta, actually, just...

Josh,

It was great to meet you at SHIFT. I ...