Living It

About two years late, I discovered this article from Scot McKnight on the Emerging Church. I found this comment interesting:

A notable emphasis of the emerging movement is orthopraxy, that is, right living. The contention is that how a person lives is more important than what he or she believes. Many will immediately claim that we need both or that orthopraxy flows from orthodoxy. Most in the emerging movement agree we need both, but they contest the second claim: Experience does not prove that those who believe the right things live the right way. No matter how much sense the traditional connection makes, it does not necessarily work itself out in practice. ... 

Jesus declared that we will be judged according to how we treat the least of these (Matt. 25:31-46) and that the wise man is the one who practices the words of Jesus (Matt. 7:24-27). In addition, every judgment scene in the Bible is portrayed as a judgment based on works; no judgment scene looks like a theological articulation test.

Time for a New Quote

2008 is at an end, and so it is time for a new "Quote of the Year". I really like my 2008 quote and haven't really looked too hard to find another as yet. 

Anyone have any ideas?

Geekiness

We're hoping to have a holiday in late January (risky, I know, what with school starting and all). In order to let ourselves get away for a wee break, I've been starting to look at the new year's organising jobs. But first, the geekiness.

My PC blew up earlier this year, and I changed teams to another provider, which for various reasons I won't recommend. It left me with a minor dilemma of what to do with my Access database (I keep all my youth registration info on it, and put together a basic database for the church). So I've been geeking around, looking at various options. Most things come with a free trial period, and I've been able to test a bit out.

First, I tried Filemaker, which was good except for the fact that I'd have to find a spare $700 somewhere to get a full Filemaker Pro. I don't need a database that much.

Then, I looked into setting up a parallel desktop for my computer, to allow me to run Windows as well as my other operating system. But I'm really enjoying my non-Windows environment, and I'd still have to fork out $150 for the program + $???? for a legitimate copy of Windows. It would then let me run Access, but who wants the bother for a single program? 

So, I've now tried a pared-down version of Filemaker called Bento. And I'm loving it. (Geek alert!) It automatically links with my address book and calendar, so I can automatically link events with the team members I have to communicate with, print out class rolls and allergy lists, etc. It's lovely. And it's a far more affordable $79, too.

Oh, and my lovely brother gave me a wireless router for Christmas, so I've been getting geeky with that, too...

Alternative Family Traditions for Christmas, Part 2

Santa

Up until now, we've largely ignored the jolly red fellow in our Christmas celebrations, but this is becoming less possible with the kids getting older and more widely learned. This is a tricky issue. I know that some parents are completely fine with treating Santa as a real figure, complete with the drink/biscuits out on Christmas eve, and telling the kids that their presents all come from a mysterious stranger who likes sub-zero temperatures. Increasingly, people are becoming more anti-santa. There are pros and cons with both. 

Our take so far has been to talk about Nicholas of Myra (continuing the "Faithful Followers of Jesus" theme), and the fact that he served Jesus by being generous. It's an experiment this year; Boo is still a bit too young to "get it". We've explained that Santa is a fun game some parents like to play, and we've offered Eldest the chance to play it if he wants, but this year he hasn't been all that interested. At the moment, I think the big issue he's wrestling with is the way his preschool teachers have been so firmly teaching him that Santa exists. 

Do you Santa?

Alternative Family Traditions for Christmas, Part 1

Relevant to my last post, I thought I'd post up some of the family traditions we've been starting (and continuing) as a fun way to celebrate Christmas.

Advent Calendar

I've been looking for a nicer, more permanent calendar to use each year, but so far we've been using something like these. Each day, the kids get to open a little door or put a sticker onto a nativity scene, and we talk a little bit about the story of Jesus' birth based on the pictures. (I have to say the opening-the-door calendars are better for this, as the stickers are usually just pictures of donkeys/chickens/assorted animals). The good thing about the calendar is that it helps to focus the anticipation in a good direction (rather than the greedy "more presents for me!").

Decorations

OK, this is one I'm working on and still thinking over. Every year we try to put up our tree and decorations on the 1st of December, and we've started a tradition where the kids can select a new tree decoration each for the year. We talk about the story of Boniface and the sacred oak (not the legendary flattening-with-fist version) as one origin of the Christmas tree tradition - rather than a funny decoration it then becomes a great symbol of someone being faithful to Jesus under very great opposition. I know there are various other traditions, such as Martin Luther doing it just because he liked it, but we've started on a theme of "faithful followers of Jesus" (which also comes out in how we talk about Santa, but more on that later...).

The issue I'm not sure about is what to do with the outside-the-house decorations. We have a few little lights in the front window, but nothing too elaborate. Are we being scrooge-y? The main reason we haven't done anything is that we're usually flat out with end of year scripture and events, and don't have the weeks (or budget) necessary to put up the flashing rope-lights and doohickeys. What do you do?

On Keeping Secrets

I have a dilemma, which is mostly of my own making. As the Safe Ministry Representative in our church, I have a tendency to see things through the harm prevention goggles I've been given to wear. NO SECRETS! proclaims the manual. Don't encourage children to have secrets, as that can make them susceptible to predators who love to weave a secret world away from parent's eyes.

OK, fine. But what about Christmas?

Exhibit A: 

Recently, my husband wanted to go shopping for a present for me. A secret present. Unfortunately, in our little town, it wasn't possible to find the item he wanted, so he returned empty handed after carting the kids around to various locations. I returned home shortly thereafter to hear:

(yelled through the screen door) "Mummy! We couldn't find your pres-"

(hurried shushing from Dad)

I walked in and got comfortable, and Eldest came running up to me with a catalogue in hand. 

"Mummy!" he yelled eagerly, "We tried to find this for you (pointing to the item in question) but we couldn't!"

Exhibit B:

Eldest's preschool is a very strong Santa teacher. Two weeks ago he apparently watched a DVD all about the jolly bloke, and on the last day came running up with a little plastic shot glass full of "Magic Reindeer Food". Apparently he's supposed to sprinkle it on the grass to encourage the reindeer to stop at our house on Christmas Eve. We have explained that Santa is a fun game that some kids play, and that you shouldn't spoil the fun for them by saying that Santa isn't real, but with the secret-keeping behaviour of Exhibit A, next Christmas is going to be a worry.

Any ideas?

You know you're not doing anything useful when...

You waste time and muck around with Photo Booth on the Mac...

A bit silly, really. But still a way to waste lots of time...

Better Half

 I'd just like to say thanks to my husband for being my loving, supporting, caring, encouraging, listening and helping other half for the past seven years. The worldly jokes about marriage being the end of life are totally wrong: it just gets better and better. 

Love you honey.

/gooey moment.

Bad Blogger, Bad!

Yes, I have been rather neglectful of my blogging duties lately. I'm terribly sorry. Mind you, I haven't had anything all that interesting (that I can release publicly, anyway) going on at the moment. Mostly I've just been running around like a headless chook being busy. 

Business is one of the chief ways of distracting us away from Jesus, isn't it? It's ironic, but I've been so caught up with organising ways of telling people about him that I haven't actually spent any decent time with him.

Take today for example. I have a rare period of time without the kids - they've been spending the day with their Gran. I've finished the bulk of my end-of-year work, talks and programs. What have I done? Several loads of washing, cleaning the bathroom, reading a magazine and, yes, blogging. 

Friday Funnies - discipline problems

I try not to rely on I can has cheezburger too much, but this is just too funny.

By the way, if you can't read the bottom line, it says "iz not". 

Christmas rush

photo from smh.com.au

We're speeding up towards Christmas again, and I've been caught out. Again.

I'm usually quite organised about things, but this year I have left several things to the last minute like:

* buying presents for parents (what to get????)

* writing Christmas letter (but with most people on FB, what's left to tell?)

* buying bibles for my scripture kids. I always like to give them a graduation present of a real bible of their own, so I'm fast running out of time to get the right stuff. The NIV is cheap, but I'm wondering whether the NLT might be a better option. What do you think?

* the advent calendar - we're a few days into December already!

* baking/making Christmas goodies to hand out to our volunteers. I want to something to say thankyou for their efforts this year, but I'm not sure what or how or who...

Brainlessness and busy-ness don't make for a good mix!

I'd like to say that things will settle down after the huge SRE seminars we're running tomorrow, but there's the playgroup Christmas talk, the family service and carols night to get ready for after that, then the kids' Christmas packs for Christmas services, then...

The story of Mary and Martha comes to mind.

"Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things, but only one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen what is best..."