Our Great Adventure: December 2008

Wow, Oregon never ceases to fail giving us crazy weather that can change in a minute! I know many of you have had lots of snow these past few days, while we, over here in Independence, have experienced a little snow but mostly ice! Here are some crazy pictures of the ice! Yesterday we were completely "iced" in, instead of snowed in. It took Josh about an hour just to get the ice off his car so he could open the door! And last night it rained so all night we heard the huge ice chunks crashing off the roof. And then this morning while I was outside trying to get the ice off my winshield (because the roads were clearing up and Gracie and were going to try and go to my mom's for some baking) it started snowing and hasn't stopped! I am not complaining about the snow, all weekend I was jealous of both the people snowed in and the people who had nothing and could actually go places, so I am loving the beautiful snow! I might have to update however, in about five mintutes, because the other night it started snowing like this and quickly turned into freezing rain!

Snow Day!

We now love candy canes

Wow! Do I have some catching up to do! My list for "I'll do it in January" is getting long, so I thought I'd take some time and post something. It seemed like thanksgiving took forever to get here, one because we were celebrating at our place with a lot of family and I was excited, and two because it marked the beginning of "the holidays" - meaning I could finally put up my Christmas tree! And now of course that it's here it's flying by. We've been talking every sunday at our church about doing Christmas differently this year, calling it advent conspiracy. Josh and I have been super excited about it. Not bah humbuging anything at Christmas time, if there is anyone for Christmas carols, presents, trees and cookies its me. We're just re-assessing what we do at Christmas. Where we give our money, effort and time and seeing if they are an act of Worship for what God did for us Christmas day or just giving into consumerism and the pressures of tradition. I've been loving it but it's actually been really challenging for me as well. I love love love Christmas, everything about it; starting with Jesus and ending with Christmas cookies. I love that Christmas marks the night that God rescued us, the night be humbled himself from being God to not only being a man but a poor man. He was born in the hay next to farm animals and yet it is a beautiful picture of how God brought light into our dark world. Instead of trying to make things right from up above God gave up his beloved son, so he could be here with us; experience our pain and hurts yet live a sinless life so that you and I who could never be sinless never have to die. It's beautiful and I love Christmas for that. However, I am also a Christmas tree enthusiast, a black Friday shopper, a lover of all things sparkly-red and green, have been known to make thousands of cookies in a day and I get absolutely giddy when it snows. So I have actually been struggling with our advent conspiracy. Now the point of the conspiracy is not to say don't buy presents, or bake cookies or whatever its to say spend less money on stuff we don't need and give it to Jesus ("when you give to the poor you give to me, when you feed the hungry you feed me-Jesus). To give better gifts to those you love and spend Christmas-time worshiping God and basking in the joy of the light that he brought us through a baby more than 2000 years ago. So I think I have been struggling because instead of replacing my approach and attitude towards Christmas I added the advent conspiracy to my list of things to do and give money to at Christmas. Which is not the point and to be honest is quite exhausting. So this is what I've done so far to work through this, to make Christmas more about Jesus.

1. Threw out my list (very hard to do as I am a serious list maker)

2. Read the real Christmas story- and just basked in the amazing sacrifice God gave us that night, and how he saved the world in such a poetic and beautifully humble way.

3. Sat in front of my Christmas tree, by myself, in the dark (except for the tree lights of course) and did nothing but sip hot chocolate for a whole 30 minutes!

4. Most importantly LET THINGS GO.

The thing is, baking cookies is not bad, its when my schedule is so full that I have to get up 5:00 because I need to bake cookies for somebody, partly because I love them, and honestly, partly because I find my worth at times by impressing people or making them happy.

And buying presents isn't bad either, its when I drive home from Salem crying because I know I am supposed do be doing advent conspiracy and instead am running into the same old -I am not close to being done "getting everyone done" however my money is running out. So I am letting things go, I want to love my next door neighbors so I am going to bake them something tomorrow, but if they are Betty crocker cookies or even better just a Merry Christmas with a card then that's going to be just fine. I am going to make/buy presents for my family but I am going to give gifts that show them I love them, not that I had $20 to spend on them and did. And most of all, I am going to remember and enjoy the gift given especially to me by God and his kid 2000 years ago, that means I get to know him. My new favorite verse is this;

From John chapter 1 "The word gave life to everything that was created and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can NEVER extinguish it."

I think people envision peace and hope at Christmas time because that is what Christ gave us by showing up that night, and what I find real peace in is that fact that nothing in this busy and oftentimes dark world can take that away from me.

Anyways, Merry Christmas! I'll leave some pics of us in the snow, and yes I've been as giddy as a fifth grader expecting a spelling test and getting a snow day- all day long!