Who is afraid of Santa Clause?

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counsellor , Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6-7

We talk with Katherine about Christmas all the time. It is discouraging to see how quickly she could get lost in all the busyness of the season. As Christians, we mark seasons intentionally. We need times of remembrance for us to recall the mighty works of God, whether that be Christ’s birth or his death. I love how Advent is such an easy time to read scripture with them and recount the stories of God’s faithfulness.

The story of St. Boniface is a treasure for why we put up greenery and trees and the real St. Nicolas is wonderful for children to know that there was a real kind man who lived a long time ago. These stories are recounting the faithfulness of God. We remember the past so we don’t make the same mistakes.

As Christians, we do not need to approach the holiday with fear. Why do we so easily celebrate the 4th of July, a civil holiday, but fear celebration of the birth of own Savior? Shouldn’t we be all the more putting lights all over our homes and buying gifts for our family? Christ has come! Bring out the silver, put up the tree, mess up the house with greenery boughs…we are honoring the birth of our Lord!

This is how we do things…

Traditions are big in our house. Edith Schaeffer has a great quote on traditions that got me started and gives me inspiration when I get tired.

“There is something about saying, ‘We always do this,’ which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we keep on meaning to do something interesting, but never do it, year would follow year with no special thoughtfulness being expressed in making gifts, surprises, charming table settings, and familiar, favorite food. Tradition is a good gift intended to guard the best gifts.”

Our traditions often are simple things we do on Sundays and expand all the way to keeping the church calendar. We want our kids to mark time like Christians. The time before Christmas is called Advent to them and before Easter it is Lent. Our traditions vary on how involved we are for each season, but the time is marked with tradition and a setting a part from ordinary time. If we set a time for birthdays and remembering historical happenings, then why do we not make a priority even more to set out a time to remember the birth and death of our Lord with great thanksgiving.

A question might arise as to why not make this everyday. Our children do get the Gospel every ordinary life–learning to clean up your room or playing in the dirt. One of the glories of Gospel-living is seeing ordinary as extraordinary whether that be in an ordinary marriage or daily chores. Yet, how much more so can we proclaim the Gospel in intentionally marking time to remember.

Twelfth Night

High above a star is shining,
And the wise men haste from far:
Come, glad hearts, and spirits pining—
For you all has ris’n the star.
Let us bring our poor oblations,
Thanks and love, and faith and praise;
Come, ye people, come, ye nations,
All in all draw nigh to gaze.

The Twelfth Night is celebrated on January 6th. It marks the coming of the wise men. In America, the tradition is all but lost. Christmas comes and goes as one quick and painfully expensive day. Yet, the tradition of Advent and Christmas has been dramatically shortened. Christmas, like Lent, is a season. It begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving with Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for the Christmas time. Why should we spend all of December preparing for just one day? It isn’t one day…it is twelve.

The Twelve Days of Christmas begin on the 25th–the feast of the Nativity. The second day is the feast of the Virgin Mary–a good day to read the magnificat! The third day is the feast of St. John the Baptist. The fourth day is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. January 1st is celebrated as circumcision of Christ. There are various days and feasts during the twelve days. January 5th is a time of preparation and prayers–generally a day of fasting until the first star is seen at night. Finally, January 6th is Epiphany; the coming of the Magi.

Our family has always marked Christmas by keeping up our tree until January 6th. This year we are also celebrating and having a special meal (and of course a King cake!) as the last night of Christmas draws to a close.

Merry Christmas!

St. Nicholas of Myra

   Do you believe in Santa Claus?

  I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has asked Katherine this in the last few weeks. I don’t despise the question, but I wish I knew how to give a better answer. Katherine calls Santa Claus “Noah”…come on! the old man… with the beard… and the animals? Duh.

So, I usually just play along with the question and Katherine gives the usual look of confusion. We have not spoken to her about Santa Claus–the Thomas Nast of Coca Cola one, I mean. We have spoken to her about Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas of Myra.

The truth of the matter is that we believe in telling her all the stories and traditions that come along with Christmas. The story of St. Nicholas is not the only story she’ll hear during Christmas; after all, there are many even better stories to be told.

Does Katherine believe in Santa? No old man is coming in the night to bring her gifts! But, I will tell her that there was a man named St. Nicholas who came to give gifts. He gave gifts because Christ came and gave us the greatest gift–the gift of himself.

An Old New Tradition

 “There is something about saying, ‘We always do this,’ which helps keep the years together. Time is such an elusive thing that if we keep on meaning to do something interesting, but never do it, years would follow years with no special thoughtfulness being expressed in making gifts, surprises, charming table settings, and familiar, favorite food. Tradition is a good gift intended to guard the best gift.”  –Edith Schaeffer

Christmas is a tradition for most everyone in the world; whether its emphasis is on the man in the red suit or Christ in the manger. As human beings made in the image of God, we have something within our very being that desires the tradition of Christmas.

Christmas for children can be this holiday that pops out of nowhere and ends in a snap, but that is not what this season is about. The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the Christmas season. Christmas is not just December 25th. Rather, it is December 25th through January 6th. Sadly, even Christians do not regularly celebrate this whole season. Remember that Christmas song…On the First Day of Christmas?

The song “On the First Day of Christmas…” has been used as a symbolic representation of the following:

A partridge in a pear tree = Christ

Two turtle doves = Old and New Testament

Three French Hens = Three kings

Four Calling Birds = Four Gospels

Five Gold Rings = Pentateuch

Six Geese-a-Laying = six  days of Creation

Seven Swans-a-Swimming = Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Eight Maids-a-Milking = Beatitudes

Nine Ladies Dancing = Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten Lords-a-Leaping = Ten Commandments

Eleven Pipers Piping = Eleven faithful Apostles

Twelve Drummers Drumming = Twelve points of the Apostle’s Creed

It is very fun to coordinate gifts with these twelve days!

This year our family is doing something different. Something that some might even call weird. We’re starting a new tradition. Yet, it really isn’t new, but rather old. From December 25th to January 6th, we’ll celebrate the twelve days of Christmas. Katherine will not open all her gifts on one day rather she’ll open one a day until Epiphany. Not all of these will be grand…one day she is getting side walk chalk! Our desire is to see a change in the culture of our home and for us to recognize that it isn’t all about that one day of materialistic joy that rapidly drops as Christmas night arrives. We desire for the merriment and wonder to be so extremely ordinary and yet extraordinary during this season. We were made for Christmas.

“The antiquary of tradition is all that is right and good and true. It is the wisest and most progressive of all the human impulses–for it guarantees continuity for the uncertain days of the future. Let every man and woman warmly embrace the lessons of the past.” -Calvin Coolidge

O Tannenbaum!

The Christmas Tree

We got a different type of tree this year, but we had so much fun picking it out. We went out to a farm in Murfreesboro to cut one! It was a balmy 60 degree day, but we wore our scarfs and pretended it was cold. I love the story of the Christmas tree and St. Boniface, but going to pick one at Home Depot just doesn’t have the same feel as cutting one.

St. Boniface was a missionary to the fierce Norsemen in the Danish and German coastline. The Norsemen practiced pagan rituals such as human sacrifice. Boniface publicly announced he was cutting down the Oak of Thor–located in the place of worship and sacrifice of the Norsemen. There was no judgment against Boniface to the surprise of the pagan worshipers. They professed faith in Christ and turned from their paganism.

Another story of St. Boniface comes when he saved a young girl from vestal virgin sacrifice by interposing a wooden cross between her and the Druid priest’s knife. “Boniface proclaimed the Gospel to them there, declaring that the ultimate sacrifice had already been made by Christ on the cross at Golgotha…With the sacrificial knife in hand, he cut low boughs from the fir trees for the converted pagans to take home as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice on the tree.”

I love how the reminder of this story allows our Christmas celebration to be much deeper and rooted in tradition and symbolism.

Then on the cross hanged I was,
Where a spear my heart did glance;
There issued forth both water and blood,
To call my true love to my dance.

Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.

>Christmas Day!

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>A Christmas Brunch

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Egg and Sausage Souffle with Rosemary Gravy

6 round sausage patties (cooked until almost done)
10 eggs beaten (use more egg whites for less calories and more fluff)
3 TBL half and half or milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of chopped veggies of your choice: mushrooms, peppers, spinach, onion

Cook the sausage until browned and almost done. Place the sausage in a muffin pan* (preferable for large muffins or make smaller patties to fit into a smaller muffin pan). Reserve the pan drippings. Mix the eggs, half & half, veggies, and cheese until well combined. Pour into muffin pan. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

For the gravy:
Keep the skillet used for the sausage on medium heat. Whisk in 2 TBL flour and 1 tsp of rosemary and continue stirring while adding in 2 cups of milk. Heat until gravy is to the right consistency (pourable yet not watery). Add salt and pepper to taste. Top the souffle as you serve them.

*You can also use a regular baking pan, but be sure to butter the pan first so that the eggs do not stick.

Panettone French Toast

1 Panettone sliced in long strips
4 eggs
3 TBL milk
3 TBL rum/whiskey (for non-alcoholic just add vanilla)

This is the same concept at regular french toast. Mix the wet ingredients in a shallow bowl. Heat a large skillet on medium with 2 TBL of butter to coat pan (you may need to add more as you go so that it doesn’t stick). Dip Panettone into egg mix and place in the pan until browned. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon to top.

Garlic Cheese Grits

Follow the recipe for making normal grits. Add:
3 cloves minced and sauteed garlic
1 cup of shredded cheese

Maple Pepper Bacon

Place 1 lb of bacon on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Cook bacon on 400 until almost done. Remove from the oven and brush with maple syrup and grind black pepper over all. Cook until completed to your desired crunchy doneness.

>Christmas Eve

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>Merry Christmas!

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Merry Christmas!

Joy to the World!

The Lord is come!

Ok…maybe we need a nap now.