That's Why I Don't Do Santa, I'm jealous!!

I'M JEALOUS!!!! The personal, wonderful,awesome, most gracious God I serve should not have to share His attributes with an imaginary fat man that delivers toys to our children. What attributes you ask? "He sees you when he's sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows when you are bad and good so be good for goodness sake", or the one children expect to get the best gifts from, the one with the most anticipated arrival of the year". I don't mind the true story of St. Nick. If I'm given cookies in a Santa tin, I am by far not offended. I don't even mind the children singing songs or seeing Santa at the mall for fun. But I don't want my children to anticipate the arrive of Santa more than the return of Jesus or His Spirit visiting us on earth even now. I don't want them to ever believe he knows all about them when there is only one all-knowing God, Jesus. He's the One you need to fear when you are in sin. When my youngest daughter this year decided Santa had to be real because she had seen him at the mall and other people wouldn't lie to her, I thought it was funny at first. Then realized that I really don't like any honor that belongs to the Lord to ever go to a "fun celebration" on the day when most Christians celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus. I'm jealous. I don't want His glory shared with any other. I also don't want her ever to doubt the "realness" of Jesus as if this was just another fairy tale we tricked her about. I want her to know He is real and that she will desire to know Him herself when she sees Him in our lives. I'm jealous. I don't want to share any of God's glory with Santa. We even had to weigh whether or not to celebrate Christmas in our early Christian walk when we learned the history of the holiday. It's interesting to know the Puritans in England outlawed this holiday as witchcraft. Near the end of the nineteenth century, when other Bible versions began to appear, there was a revival of the celebration of Christmas. We decided to celebrate Christmas in our home...we don't worship the tree or even a baby in a manger but celebrate the risen Lord who was born in the manger. We don't mind the holiday movies as long as they are viewed as any other movie they watch in the year...pure entertainment. It's not for me to decide how anybody else celebrates Christmas, but for me and my house we will focus on the risen Lord Jesus.

Our Annual Christmas Letter

2009 Christmas Letter

I Peter 1:2-4: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

What a fast and furious year! Seems like we just brought Christopher home from the hospital and yet like he’s been with us always. We began our year with a big, happy baby boy Christopher birthed 2/2 at 8# 14-1/2 oz. Before I knew it, spring break was upon us. Blinked again and summer was here and we spent vacation with the family at Suzanne’s on Sunset Beach. It was a blast!! Turned around and we were back working away in school. We now have 2 high schoolers, John Russell and Nicholas. Timothy, Praise, Michael and Emily are in the home school co-op, Classical Conversations. This year’s rotation is in Ancient History. We’re learning a lot and I’m enjoying teaching on Tuesdays also. Now fall is upon us. As the trees and plants change into their full fall array, I think upon the year and of the many changes our family has gone through. With the economy’s downfall, Rusty is working full-time now for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Dept. as a deputy jailer. He enjoys his work processing folks into the “government hotel”. I’m still running the book warehouse for Nigel, a missionary on assignment in a big city in Canada. Although, I LOVED my position over the children’s ministry at Grace, I’ve taken a break for a season. It was such a blessing to be given the privilege of pouring into children the love of our Savior Jesus! Our family has been blessed with so many great friends, old and new. I’m overwhelmed with the generosity of our great God who would bless me with a joy-filled home full of happy and healthy children, a devoted dad, a happily married daughter and 2 precious grandchildren and so much more than I ever dreamed or deserve.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3

My prayer for each of you would be to know the love and joy that I have found in Jesus. Many blessings to you all for a full and wonderful year. May each day be filled to the brim with Life and that you will walk in the freedom, grace, joy and love that Christ died to give you.

Merry Christmas,

Michelle and Rusty
John Russell, Nicholas, Timothy, Praise, Michael, Emily & Christopher

Choose Joy

It's that crazy time of year again. Each year I try to do less and less to make it a more relaxed month but somehow MUCH still creeps in. We're still in school but each day is becoming December "homeschool light" as the days creep on closer to the 25th. Work has picked up a lot and my mother is now full time employed (PTL) after a year and a half from being laid off. I'm very happy for her and realize again what a blessing she was to me here as I pick up the full load again. I'm allowing the teens to work again to help lighten the load. Being a mom of many, running a warehouse, homeschooling 5, being a wife, and trying to juggle housework, healthy diets, exercise, and more adding a busy month in could be a recipe for disaster BUT once again I choose joy. I will choose to rejoice in the Lord each day! I will choose to thank Him for the work He gave my husband and I instead of complaining. I will choose to thank Him for the ability to homeschool my children instead of straining under the stress of the task at hand. I will choose to thank Him for blessing our home with good health, joyful children and most of all a peaceful home to lay my head down at night in. I will enjoy the Christmas music, the hot tea or chocolate (even if there will be a dozen more spoons and powder spills on the counter), the warm fire (that I never have to build thanks to my pyro sons), and the busyness of it all because we miss out on the abundant blessings poured out into our every days if all we gaze at are the troubles. Thank you Jesus for the joy you infiltrate into our lives. Help us to keep focused on you and enjoy the ride of life.