Santa found in Green Suit under Plastic Tree

To Christmas or NOT to Christmas
To Tree or not to Tree...
To Santa or NOT to Santa
to Jingle all the way, or Rock around your Christmas tree and other such controversies...
yes..
I said controversies...
There are some issues in the world of "christianity" that cause drama, dismay, debate and discention...

The funny thing to me is that...
there is so LITTLE grace.
SO many opinions.
so little LOVE....
SO much persecution within the church
rather than from without ....
so little peace
so much strife...
its just plain silly.

Some are offended that we CELEBRATE Christmas at Christmas time.. because of "calendar" discrepencies over the centuries.... (millenium...actually) our actual DATE may be OFF ... and not be 12/25...... who knew?  (actually I did, and so do my kids... we learned that in HISTORY CLASS), and ya know what?  WE do not CARE! We celebrate it that day anyway, because it doesn't matter what DAY it IS to US.... it isn't a hocus pocus sort of day... it is THE day we, our family, along with our church, chooses each year to HONOR the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...It holds much tradition and meaning to our family's heritage.

Some people have decided that we are ACTUALLY celebrating Nimrod.... and are being Pagan by celebrating at this time of year... that celebrating "christmas" at this time has NOTHING to do with Jesus...
yep.. that was JUST our intention..... (LOVE BELIEVES..... believing THAT would NOT be loving US) it also shows that such persons KNOW nothing, no not a THING about our family, nor how we prepare our hearts and home for Christmas during the Advent season...

"YOU'RE NOT GREEN", but I am sure starting to see RED....   This green issue is starting to really tick me off... because far to many people who don't really seem to grasp what it is all about keep spouting off about it.. I was resently told I was a "murderer" for having a "REAL" tree, and that was hardly very "green" as if that wasn't very "christian" of me... (yes in all in a "christian" context).... I confess, I am not shocked, but... lets just get it out there..... My real tree does not "off gas", and it will biodegrade, and is safe for the enviroment.  My real tree was grown on a farm and several more trees were grown in it's place to replace it, part of a growing movement to make the planet "greener".  My real tree, can be recycled into natural products and does not harm my children in any way.  If you choose that fake tree, that is fine with me... I am not offended, grace and peace to you... I am certainly not throwing stones.. but PLEASE grasp that we have REASONS for choosing the way we choose.  We choose to go natural in nearly everything we do for very valid reasons, and none of them need I to justify to you... because the minute I do... I hurt or offend, or make you wonder if your choice... is the wrong choice... and perhaps... perhaps your choice is just fine for you...   THIS blog is not about telling YOU how to live your life...  I like having a real tree also, because... Jesus REALLY died for me, was nailed to a REAL tree, with REAL nails and these are things we like to TEACH our children each year... it's HARD to hammer a NAIL into a fake tree... sorry it looses the effect... 
but a MURDERER...
sure ...
I am NOW a Murderer....
I crucified my LORD.......
not a Tree
Then there is the Issue of this Santa guy...
Jolly Ol Saint Nick...  Well I HAVE some opinions on that too...
I don't teach anything on that topic...
I never met the guy...
I have read everything I could ever get my hands on ABOUT that guy....
and read it all to my kids WHEN the topic comes up...
People (especially, Nana's and Oma's) buy them the SWEETEST storybooks about this fella...sometimes he's fat, sometimes he's thin... kinda strugglin with the weight thing like Oprah I figure....
I buy my kids their Christmas presents :)  They always have some drama added to it about this guy, but I don't add it... They chatter on and on and on about him...  I ask questions... they answer... the answers change as they get older...
Where does he live?
How old is he?
How come he's fat in America and skinny in Italy?
How come in Bavaria he doesn't come on Christmas morning but the Christkind does?
How does he get everywhere in one night?
How does he KNOW if you've been naughty or nice?
Does he come if you've been nice but do not believe in him?
and on and on.....
Their thoughts and opinions have developed and formed, and I have always been an eager listener, eager reader, and NEVER interjected my own thoughts on the topic... because my answer is simply, I do not know the man....
I can answer different about Jesus... I know Jesus...  I do not know Santa. do you?

Yet some find this offensive... that I would LET my children be children.. LET them make up their own minds... Let them begin to THINK for themselves, process or choose to believe for another year... It is healthy I believe to let them choose... to do this... There is no lie, no evasion... and frankly it is MY CHOICE still as their parent to do so...

I teach what I KNOW to be TRUTH... and as with everything, all topics are open for exploration and discussion...

For this I am called a Liar... I am accused of Lying to my children by some, and others think I am awful for not just sprinkling powder sugar and stomping a boot in the carpeting....

There is a place... a place of GRACE...
Why is it, that there is more grace sprinkled amongst the unbelievers....
where is the love with in the church.... that we can not walk together, in grace and humility...
in LOVE, patience, and gentleness....

I am not writing this because this is the first shocking experience with such an event... but because it is something I experience EACH and EVERY year since coming to the faith, and entering the churches....I find many Christians are UPTIGHT and stressed out, unforgiving and not very grace filled....
Making me come to dread Christmas in the Church all together, and long for it with in my OWN home
MAY JESUS REIGN....forever and ever..
may the NEW Year bring love joy and PEACE...
Lord HELP me be FILLED with grace with my bretheren when they have such LITTLE for me...
I am NOT perfect, and no one need follow me...
peace OUT