How NOT to Do it All at Christmas

December 12, 2011 By 23 Comments

You don’t have to DO stuff to make it Christmas.

Christmas IS Christmas.

Oh, Christmas Tree!
photo credit: Dawn Camp

It is how we celebrate the birth of our Savior that should define Christmas for us. Not how we decorate, bake, shop, entertain, clean, send cards, carol, or whatever our cultural traditions may be. What matters most to you – is it the “doing” of the *required* Christmasy things or is it the BEING in Christ to honor Him?

Not all traditions are worthy of being kept.

Which traditions matter most to you, your husband and/or your children?

Choose just the special traditions. You will be surprised how much more
everyone will enjoy doing the FEW, when not stressed by the MANY.

 Top 5 Things I am NOT Doing This Christmas

(Please note I don’t have children at home so my list will be different from yours.)

1. No tree. This is a downgrade from our table top tree which was a downgrade from our full sized artificial tree which was a downgrade from our humongous fresh tree.

  • Know what? Even when the kids were home, no one especially minded the downgrades. (And even though Tyler says the tabletop tree was a little “tacky” I don’t think he was permanently scarred!

2. No Christmas letter or cards. This is a downgrade from email letters which were a downgrade from my clever and witty Christmas Letter “Game” which was a down grade from store bought cards which were a down grade from handmade cards (starting with pre-made blank cards) which were a down grade from cutting and making each card from scratch.

  • This year I will revive a tradition of sending out a card at an unexpected time of the year instead. Once it was during Epiphany and another time I think it was summer, hehehe.

3. No Christmas baking. This is a HUGE downgrade and I am not entirely sure I can entirely pull it off. But I am definitely not making 40+ Christmas cakes this year. I may even outsource my top-secret recipe to a teen-aged girl to make for me…still thinking on this one.

  • This is a downgrade from the last 25 year’s worth of cake baking and a down grade in that for the last 15 years I have made fewer and fewer and fewer totally scrumptious cookies and fudge. I’m blessing my family and friends with a lot fewer temptations, right?

4.  (Almost) no lights. Ah, here’s the rub. I LOVE lights in the house and outside the house and down the fence line. I love light, period. I love lighting the way to our home and making it look bright and cheery inside, symbolic to me of living the Christian life: in the light. I keep my indoor tiny white lights in the kitchen (wrapped around the open beams) year round. I talk my hubby or son into lighting up much of our front fencing (it’s pretty long!) and then into leaving them up until they burn out sometime in the spring. We live in the country and our little road is pitch black during these winter nights so the lights are very welcome sight. BUT this year -

  • I have to downgrade to no outside lights as we are leaving the day right after Christmas and hubby probably won’t want to put them up since I won’t be here to enjoy them. Still…

5.  No Annual Bright Ideas Press Employee Christmas Party.  Ouch. This is not a tradition I am easily giving up. It is a decision based on where we are today in terms of health and time and also where our employees are in terms of other commitments.

  • This is a huge downgrade from the usual big happy dinner party for all our employees, families, supporters complete with decorations, lots and lots of great food, and gifts for everyone. It was painful for me to rescind all the invitations (hello evite.com!) and cancel a party that I LOVE and look forward to each year. But a wise friend counseled me to consider the costs this year in terms of time, energy, health and to think about cancelling. It hurt to do but it was the right decision, for this year at least. Another year, maybe not.

Top 5 Things I AM doing

1. Spending time with local family (son, daughter-in-law, two little granddaughters and our church family and friends).

2. Calling family and friends far away. (Something I am especially bad about doing during the rest of the year.)

3. Shopping almost entirely on-line and having items delivered directly. No, the boxes don’t come gift-wrapped but they do get delivered timely.

4. Going out to brunch on Christmas Eve day – something my dad started when my oldest sister was a little girl and is one special tradition I have carried on with my own family.

5. Attending Christmas Eve Service. Always.

Lastly, Firstly, and Most Importantly: I am trying to spend my time honoring Christ, in my heart and mind;
by my words and deeds. This is Christmas to me.

What about you? What might make Christmas
more meaningful and less stressful in your life?
Share it with me!

Maggie Hogan


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Filed Under: Faith, Family, Homeschooling, Maggie Hogan

Constraining our Freedom

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It always amuses me how God uses so many different ways to get a message through to me. Sometimes he practically shouts. I like those times – they’re so much easier to hear than the still small voice.

This week’s theme has been this: in order to get what you really want, you have to give up whatever is getting in the way. If I want to stay healthy, I have to sacrifice my gluttony and laziness. If I want to love my wife more, I have to love myself less. If I want to know God and his word better, I have to sacrifice time elsewhere to spend with him. The list could go on, but the point is made.

None of us can have our cake and eat it too. Just like I can’t serve God and Money, I can’t love health and Oatmeal Cream Pies. I have to choose what is most important, and pursue it. Sacrificing what I like for what I need, oddly enough, does not come naturally. And I’m just beginning to realize how much practice I need.

What about you? Your family? Your homeschool? Are there goals you have not been able to reach because another desire is getting in the way?  What things in your life need to be uprooted so something better can bloom in that space?


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Filed Under: Faith, Family, Homeschooling, Tyler

Book: Go Green, $ave Green

April 19, 2010 By 2 Comments

I’ve been reading Go Green, Save Green by Nancy Sleeth of late. I’m fairly impressed. This little $15 book is the best book on Christian Stewardship of Finances and the Environment I’ve ever seen. Nancy shares her family’s inspiring story of faith and lifestyle revolution, while managing to offer a plethora of practical advice and plans any family could follow.  She shows how her family cut their electric bill to under $20/month, broke unhealthy habits, and grew closer to God in the process. In eleven chapters, she brings a wealth of great ideas on how to save money and better care for God’s earth in areas such as Home, Lawn & Garden, Work, Transportation, Church, Entertainment, and more.

She also calculates the impact that simple changes can make in your budget. For instance, did you know that adjusting your thermostat by 3 degree can save ou around $200/year? Or that an insulation blanket on your water heater could lower your bill by $120/year?

One of my favorite things about her style is that it’s non-judgemental, and seeks to help you make even small changes. Some of her advice can be taken in 5 minutes, while other hard-core projects need to be done over the course of months. Just do what you can. At the end of each chapter is a check list that breaks down what you can do today, this week, this month, and this year, as well as a table showing your savings and suggested ways of using your extra cash for the Kingdom.

As a new home-owner, I found her advice in the Home and Lawn section to be especially helpful. Making all those necessary “start-up” purchases was a lot more fun as we thought about ways to save money long-term. She even talked me into buying a reel-mower (amish style) for my yard! It makes sense as I have a small yard. It takes me 20 minutes to mow, I get more exercise, it cost 1/2 of a gas mower, it’s quiet, and I’ll never have to buy gas or oil (or store flammable liquids in my garage). Helen and I have both gotten laughs and insight from Nancy, and our wallets are better for it.

Filled with lots of great websites, scripture, personal stories, and practical application, this is a must-read for the frugal family. $14.99. http://www.gogreenthebook.com


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Filed Under: Books, Faith, Family, Tyler

Connecting

April 7, 2010 By 1 Comment

This year has had some rough patches. One of my friends is battling Leukemia again. A few friends are wrestling with addictions of various kinds. Some people are struggling with depression or PTSD. Others have been un- or under-employed for a long time. I’ve lost track of how many marriages are in tumult. And don’t get me started on Haiti or Chile. It’s been pretty grueling.

There’s nothing more sobering then someone who tells you the real gunk that’s going on in their life. Everyone has their gunk. My gunk always feels small when I hear about other people’s. The hardest part for me, as a listener, is knowing what to say.

“I’m sorry”?

“Call me if you need anything”?

“God’s doing something here – it’ll all work out for your good and his glory”?

*hug*?

It seems like I never have the right words at the right time. It’s awkward.

I pick up a book this week that’s been on my “I ought to read this” list for a while. It’s by Larry Crabb – a wise and humble Christian psychologist. I read his book Inside Out in college and it tore me apart with it’s profound understanding of my own sinful heart. I could barely even finish it, but it’s one of the best books I ever read. This one is called Connecting, and the basic premise is that much of the work done by professional counselors could – and should – be done by friends. In the first few chapters he lays out the idea that Connecting is more than giving insight, advice, or empathy. Connecting is an event wherein the Holy Spirit brings about healing and conviction. I’m nowhere near done the book yet, but it’s already been both encouraging and challenging to me. Not just in crisis mode, but in all kinds of everyday interactions.

Simple reminders like “see people as Christ does – with delight in their uniqueness and hope for their future” are huge for me. I don’t tend to see people that way, and thus my words tend to be far from encouraging. Or “remember that you and your brothers in Christ have been given new hearts with new desires that need to be nurtured and drawn out.” I’m big on remembering how sinful people are, but don’t spend much time with the doctrine of regeneration – remembering that our deepest desires, given to us by the Spirit, are good. In conflict with our old nature, to be sure, but there’s good nonetheless. Wow. If I remembered that and practiced speaking as if I believed it, then perhaps when the crisis conversations come I wouldn’t have to worry about what to say. Speaking words of love and encouragement might be natural.

Like I said, I’m not done with it yet, but it’s worth the price of admission for the first three chapters alone. I can’t wait to find out what else is there.

Links:

Connecting

by Larry Crab

Inside Out

by Larry Crab


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Filed Under: Books, Faith, Family, Tyler

The Third Season of the Year

February 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

No, I don’t mean summer. According to the Liturgical Calendar, we just entered a season of the year commonly called Lent. If you’re not familiar with the Liturgical Calendar, you can look it some useful information here. Its seasons are based on events in scripture, celebrated at various times of the year. Lent is the 40 day period preceding Holy Week: Palm Sunday, Passover, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday – the days leading up to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Lent is generally considered to be a time of reflection, fasting, and preparation for Holy Week.
During Lent, many people find fasting to be helpful in re-focusing themselves on God. Some people give up certain kinds of food, or food during certain times of the day or week. Others give up something else entirely: certain kinds of media, habits, luxuries, or distractions for a set period of time. The time usually spent on such activities is then spent in prayer instead, or perhaps the felt absence of whatever is being sacrificed (e.g. hunger pangs or the urge to check your facebook again)is used as a reminder to pray.
Helen and I often make it a point to observe Lent, and it has always been a wonderfully eye-opening experience. Somehow God uses the silence made by sacrifice to speak to us in important and timely ways. Sometimes we fast from something as a couple, or each find a personal idol to give up. In any case, it always proves to be a fruitful (if difficult) experience.
Fasting cannot be done out of compulsion, just because it’s a tradition, or to assuage guilt. That’s not the kind of heart God desires. But if you are interested in doing as fast this season, here are five tips:

1) Pick something you’ll miss, but could still live without.
If you fast from something so small you won’t notice its gone, you’ll not get much our of your fast. Likewise, if you sacrifice something you can’t do without (like your phone, the internet, or solid food) you’ll probably bomb your fast and just end up feeling guilty. Pick something in the middle: TV in the evening, dessert, your iPod, etc.

2) Don’t fill the gaps left by your fast with something else.
If you sacrifice 2 hours of TV, don’t watch a movie instead. Don’t give up nachos and take up corn dogs. The point is to fill that gap with prayer and scripture, not just another similar habit.

3) Set a time frame
Lent lasts for 40 days (not including Sundays). Do you want to fast that whole time? Is that realistic? Sometimes it’s better to start small (say, a week) and increase the timeframe if it’s going well. If after a week you need to re-evaluate your fast, that’s OK. There’s no set of rules for this, it’s just personal between you and God.

4) Don’t make sacrifices that might affect others negatively.
If your spouse looks forward to a weekly movie night, don’t sacrifice movies without talking it over first. Ideally, no one need know you’re fasting except you. It should be personal, subtle even. Remember what Jesus said about fasting in Matthew 6:16-18. Likewise, don’t impose a fast on your family. A family fast could be a great thing, but it needs to be mutually agreed upon. Remember, God cares about the heart, not just the actions.

5) Don’t turn a fast into an exercise in legalism.
If you slip up and forget about your fast, it’s not the end of the world. God is gracious, he lets us confess, get back up, and start again. If it makes your more dependant on him, then your fast is working!

May God bless you and your family during this season!

-Tyler


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Filed Under: Faith, Family, Tyler

Lessons in a snowbank

December 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

For those of you who got his by last week’s blizzard, or are looking forward to ridiculous amounts of snow later this winter, now is an excellent time to spend some hands-on time studying that all important science concept: Friction.

The scene outside my house.

The scene outside my house.

If you’ve ever had to slide furniture over carpeting, wood, or vinyl, you know what friction is. Friction is the resistance that happens when you try to slide one object over another. The smoother the surfaces, the less friction, or resistance. Because it is so smooth, Ice has very little friction. This is why it’s so tricky to walk on, much less drive over! When a car gets stuck in the snow, it’s usually either because the snow creates a hump which is too high for the tire to get over, or (if the wheels are spinning) it’s because there’s not enough friction between the wheel and the ground to move the car forward. In either case,, there are a few options:

1) Increase friction by putting mats, boards, or other objects under the tires. This lets the tires grip something with more friction, which lets the tires push the car forwards.

2) Increase friction by using 4 wheel drive. When all the wheels are trying to grip something (instead of just two) there’s more surface area, which means more friction is possible. Many cars only have two-wheel drive, so that’s not always an option.

3) Get rid of the ice – either by shoveling it out from your tire’s path, or using snow melt or rock salt. If the ice is out of the way, your wheels can grip the pavement, which provides plenty of friction.

4) If you can move the car, even a little bit, sometimes you can get on a pice of road with better friction. Pushing the vehicle, or having it pulled by another vehicle can be effective, provided there’s enough force to move it. Minivan owners take heed.

5) Just wait for the ice to melt. Not a lot of fun – especially when you’re trying to get somewhere, but sometimes it’s the only option.

Hopefully you won’t get stuck (like I did) but in case you do, remember to use to twin tools God gave us: prayer and science! In the meantime, enjoy the snow. And maybe see if your can help unstick your neighbors, or shovel someone else’s drive way once you’ve cleared your own.


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Filed Under: Faith, Homeschooling, Tyler

Reaching for Starfish

July 16, 2009 By 2 Comments

I once heard a story about a little boy who went looking for seashells. He walked up and down the beach collecting as went. They were mostly broken, but still pretty, and he loved them all. Finally his hands and arms were filled with the shells he wanted to take home – but as he turned to go he saw a beautiful, perfect starfish lying on the sand. It was pristine, and he wanted it badly. But his hands and arms were so full, he couldn’t bend down to pick it up without dropping all his other precious beauties, lesser though they were.

At this point, the boy had the choice to either leave behind his lesser shells he had grown fond of and take the perfect starfish, or leave the best find of the day on the sand and walk home with his armload of broken pretty things.

The person who told me the story said the moral was that the Good is the Enemy of the Best. The Best requires devotion, passion, energy, and sacrifice. The Good tends to distract us from the best. We get bogged down with Good. There’s so much that’s pleasant and unobjectionable that we get diverted from seeking that with is profoundly meaningful and worthy.

I know I do this everyday. How easy it is to fill my morning with email, facebook, newspaper and comics instead of spending time with my Lord before I go to work. How easy it is to come home, eat dinner, watch a movie with my wife, and fall asleep without having had a real conversation.  It’s tragic, really.

So pray for me. Some things need to be sacrificed. Some good things have to go to make room for bigger, better, and more important things. I need some pruning. Do you?  Pruning hurts (parts of your life are getting clipped and cut off!), but it’s always worthwhile. And the Gardener is Good – no, he’s the Best.


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Filed Under: Faith, Tyler

Busy,Busy,Busy!!

June 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Hi all of you in cyberland-

As I rush around trying to wash clothes, pack and prepare my workshops for a conference in Ohio I am reminded of how quickly time is passing. Our Pastor preached a sermon on Sunday night and he kept saying: “Our life is a vapour!” He was emphasizing how fleeting our life is and how important it is for us to be busy doing the Lord’s work. It is so easy to get caught up in the everyday tasks that we forget to remember those things have eternal value. As homeschool moms, we sometimes think our time, talents and abilities are not impacting anyone outside our family. I want to remind all of you mom’s out there that you are performing the most important task by pouring yourself into your children. Our families are our biggest mission fields. So when you are busy,busy, busy with the most mundane of tasks – remember your efforts are eternal and you may never know who your children will impact once they become adults!

I have to go finish getting packed for the conference in Ohio – please pray for me over this weekend. Have a great day and remember You’re life is a vapour so spend your time wisely!!!


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Filed Under: Dari, Faith, Family

Juggling

June 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Like many of you I am juggling a number of responsibilities right now. However, instead of juggling kids, curriculum, and cooking, I am transitioning into mother-in-law amd grandma. Holding my screaming one-month-old granddaughter (who is absolutely adorable, btw) reminds me of how much YOU, beloved, probably have on YOUR plate. Are you bouncing babbies, chasing toddlers, training tweens, or nurturing teens? (Or all four?!) Add to that your responsibilities as a wife and teacher and who knows what else and you probably feel like you could join a three-ring circus.

I just want you to know that I think and pray for you – our customers and friends – on a regular basis. I remember the hard times of raising and teaching my sons. I want you to know, though – now that I am on the “other side” – that God does indeed sustain us. Every single minute, day, year – even the really difficult years – was well worth hanging in there for.

So pray, plan, prepare, and most of all – take time to ENJOY & BE THANKFUL for something each day. Even the hard ones. May God bless you as you follow His will and walk the journey He has laid before you.


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Filed Under: Faith, Maggie Hogan

Another Example of Grace

June 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

God is really good. My wife and I are moving this month out of our little 1-bedroom apartment. (We don’t have a house yet, so we’re house sitting for a missionary family.) We have a 1 month old daughter, Kaylee, who (as adorable as she is) can get a tad, oh… fussy. I have conferences to prepare for, family visiting, an offer on a house and so many other wonderful things to worry about. Needless to say, this month has been hard for Helen and me.

And yet God is good. He tells us to come to him when we’re anxious, tired, burdened, and upset. He tells us to leave our cares with him, and not try to handle everything on our own. He promises not to get us out, but to see us through our trials and ensures we come out better for it – if we let him.

When I try to catch everything that’s up in the air, I’m playing God. And it’s not until gravity causes everything to land on me and hurt my pride that I realize how foolish and unskilled I am at juggling. And then I hear “Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Father forgive me for trying to do it all myself, for pretending to be you, and for worrying. Thank you for being good to me, ever-faithful. Amen.


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Filed Under: Faith, Tyler