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08
Dec

DOES SANTA BELONG IN CHRISTMAS?

Many Christians every year wonder how they should approach Christmas.  Should we tell our kids about Christmas?

  • Should we watch non-Christian Christmas movies?
  • Should we have a tree because pagans used to use it during their worship services?

Yes it’s true that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th and that what we celebrate today as “Christmas” used to be a pagan holiday.  The question really is, why do YOU celebrate it?

Last time I checked, God created the evergreen tree…not pagans.  Also, we cannot lose who the true Saint Nicholas was compared to the more fluffy version that Coca-Cola has given us.  Here is an interesting article from Christianity Today.

Some stories, such as fables and parables, are not empirically true, but they are true in that they point to realities about God’s world and the human condition. Some stories are empirically true and also communicate this kind of truth. The Nativity story is a perfect example of the latter. The Santa Claus myth is a great example of the former. Santa Claus embodies Christian values such as kindness, generosity, forgiveness—every child soon realizes that even if they have not been perfect all year, Santa comes through. Santa brings gifts to children both deserving and undeserving. While Santa is not a Christ figure—that must be clear—the Santa myth is not the problem. The problem is that we have let advertisers hijack Santa, turning Christmas into a retail event.  READ MORE

Regardless of the history of December 25th, my family will gather together and open up gifts under the lights that are hung on our family evergreen Christmas tree.  The reason is to celebrate the gift of eternal life that we have because the light of the world once hung on a tree.  What we need to focus on is more WHY we do what we do more than WHAT should we be doing.

Pastors Tito & Alisha Sotolongo

P.S.

Just in case you want more JESUS vs SANTA info to think about, consider sharing this video with your kids.

01
Dec

10 Great Christmas Traditions

We all have Christmas traditions.

  • Putting up the Christmas tree
  • Bake, bake, and then bake some more
  • Driving around and watching houses light up for Christmas
  • Going caroling
  • Watch classic Christmas movies
  • Even ELF ON A SHELF is a tradition people love to do

The list goes on and on.  Not even to mention things like, serving in the community, going to church, and reading the Christmas story of Jesus.   We love traditions because the give us a great sense of community and connection with the past.

www.FamilyLife.com has a great article on Christmas traditions we thought would bless you.

CLICK HERE to read about 10 GREAT IDEAS for Christmas Traditions that you can start this year!

24
Nov

HOW TO USE A FAMILY PRAYER JAR

Jackie Bledsoe has written a great article on creating a tradition that helps you guide your family in developing and fostering a family prayer life.

This will…

  • Help you not to forget important things to pray about
  • Teach your kids how to pray and what to pray for
  • Bring your family closer together
  • Bring you closer to God

This is the LINK to to article.  Consider starting this now during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.