In the Beginning

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15





Do you think about Christmas as a 2000-year-old story? Actually, it started in the beginning. In the beginning, God created Adam. From Adam He created Eve. Adam's DNA, Adam's blood is the beginning of the human race. When Eve was deceived she could have died and God could have created another woman from Adam, but Adam chose to disobey as well. His disobedience brought sin into the whole human race.

When God confronted Adam and Eve about their disobedience, Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the snake. God does not allow sin to go unpunished. He started with Satan who had taken the form of a snake. God made the snake and Eve enemies. He added that her seed would bruise Satan's head and Satan would bruise the heel of her seed. 

WAIT! She can't produce offspring without Adam unless there is a virgin birth. That was God's plan before the world was created. (I Peter 1: 19-21) To show His plan of salvation to Adam and Eve, God sacrificed an innocent animal. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Adam and Eve accepted the bloody coats of skin and God accepted them. 

God knew from the beginning we would sin. From the beginning, He provided a way for His Son to be our sacrifice. Will we like Adam and Eve confess our sin? When we accept God's gift of the sacrifice of His Son, He will accept us too.

Blessings for the New Year,

Gail

The Sweet Story of Christmas

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22 NIV

I'll tell this the way it was told to me, though I am sure there are others who would disagree with the story, surely no one will disagree with the message. So grab a candy cane and enjoy this sweet tale of Christmas with the whole family.

In the middle ages, when kings and queens declared and enforced the laws with the sword, a law was made that Christmas would no longer be celebrated. It broke the heart of an old candy maker who loved to see the sweet smiles of children as they enjoyed his sweet Christmas treats. He also loved Christmas traditions and the telling of the story in the churches and homes.  No one was allowed to own or read a Bible except the priests and now that was questionable under the rule of this queen. He wondered how this generation would grow up without the knowledge of Jesus if the laws forbade the telling of the stories.

As the old candy maker locked his doors for the evening and knelt by his counter for prayer, the Lord gave him an idea. It was not illegal to make new kinds of candy and he knew just what kind of new candy he would make.

All night the candy maker tweaked his candy recipes to fit the story of Jesus. As the new day dawned he set out for his shop anxious to get a start on his new candy. He would start with a pure white candy and spice it with peppermint. Then he would layer it with red candy, making a pattern of a wide red stripe and three thin red stripes. As he rolled and twisted the hardening candy, he sliced off lengths of candy and bent them into a crook at the top. The next day would be Christmas and he would be ready to share his Christmas story. 

As families entered his shop the next day with faces long and sad because of the canceled holiday, he offered them a new candy and an old story. "See this crook?" he said. "On a night long ago, shepherds stood on a hillside watching their flock by night. Angels announced the birth of a baby born to a virgin. The baby would be pure and sinless like the white of the candy cane. His father would be God the Father. The baby would be the Son of God and He would give us the Holy Spirit." The old candy maker pointed to the three thin stripes going around the candy cane. "The baby's name was to be called Jesus." The candy maker turned the cane upside down, making the J. "The big red stripe," he said. "is the blood Jesus would shed on Calvary for our sins. Taste the candy now children. The peppermint reminds us of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and the spices used to prepare His body for burial when He died upon the cross. His blood covers our sins and offers forgiveness. This, children, is the real story of Christmas, not the toys and candy, but the coming of the Savior of the world as a baby in a manger, not just visited by shepherds but to be our Shepherd, guiding us to eternal life in Christ."

The parents were grateful their children were able to hear the Christmas story that morning and take home a reminder of the true meaning of the season. 

Now as you have received a candy cane, examine it for the three thin stripes, the large stripe, the taste of peppermint and the pure white candy that makes the body of the cane. Turn it to make the J and the shepherd's crook. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Merry Christmas, 

Gail

Christmas Excitement

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

Until this year, I always told the entire Christmas story in one sitting. Then I thought about my blog of the Giving the Twelve Days of Nativity. Hmmm. This might be a good idea for the children I teach or the children in our homes. 

Most of my students think Christmas is only about Santa and presents. I can teach Bible stories from a historical perspective, so I decided to do Christmas a little at a time. Here's my plan.

Day 1: Bring out the stable, Mary and Joseph and a few stable animals.  Introduce Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem. Trouble at the Inn (Define Inn). Bedding down in the stable. Demonstrating using dramatic play. Place the pieces in dramatic play. Allow the children to retell only this bit of the story.

Day 2: Bring out the shepherds, sheep, hillside, and angels. Retell the beginning of the story, then add the birth and shepherds' visit (Define manger). Add these pieces to dramatic play. 

Day 3 or in a few days: Bring out the wise men and camels and a small box to make a house (Matthew 2:11). Retell the story while I play with the pieces. Include their visit to Herod (I didn't have castle blocks but that would have been a great addition) and the reason they did not return. Add the pieces to dramatic play. 

In the telling of the story, I included that we give presents because the wise men gave presents to the baby Jesus. Sometimes adults who doubt the story of the wise men, ask me what happened to the presents. Many of my children have unemployed parents. I include that when Mary and Joseph and Jesus got to Egypt, Joseph had no job. Selling the expensive gifts that a child could not play with would have provided them with the money they needed to survive until they could return to their home. 

Every day children chose to play with the nativity set in dramatic play. They scattered out the pieces, built oasis and shepherd fields, and brought visitors to the baby. There was lots of excitement and learning about the true story of Christmas without Santa that I hope they never forget. 

Hey Kids: 

Do you have a nativity set that small children can play with? 

Can you help teach little ones about Christmas? 

What can you share about the true meaning of Christmas?

Truth Hidden Among the Trappings

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1

This weekend is the kick-off of the Christmas season here in the States. There's a frenzy of shopping and decorating. 

Putting up the tree is often a family time filled with traditions - Baby's First Ornament, hand-made ornaments, and great grandma's Victorian ornaments. 

Nostalgia fills the air as we settle down in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and gaze at the sparkling tree. But WAIT! Did we miss the point? What have we instilled in our traditions that show our families the true meaning of Christmas? 

Instilling the true meaning shouldn't sound like some sort of lesson. It needs to be a natural mention of how the items and colors remind you of Jesus and His love for us. Maybe the Hey Kids section will spark some ideas.

Hey Kids 

  There are various meanings associated with Christmas. What meanings?

•  Red - The color of blood. 
• Gold - The wisemen brought Jesus gold and frankincense and myrrh. 
• Blue - The color of royalty. Jesus is King of Kings. 
• White - The color of purity. Jesus was without sin. 
• Wisemen followed a star. 
• Angels announced His birth. 
• Ribbons held the breastplate to the ephod on the robe of the high priest. 
• Bells were sown around the hem of the priest's robe so all could hear him as he performed his priestly duties. Jesus is our High Priest.
• The tree is made of wood. Christ shed His blood on a cross made of wood. 
• The evergreen needles tell us that Jesus gives us eternal life. 
• The trunk and the branches lead us back to our scripture: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 
• We display our Christmas trees where all can see their beauty. So should Jesus be displayed in our lives that all can see His beauty. 
• We want to receive the gifts. May all the world come to Jesus this Christmas and receive His gift of salvation. 

May there be Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

 What else?

What intentional things are you doing to put Christ in your Christmas? 

You don't have to do anything more, only think about the reason you are 

• making cookies
• the places you are decorating
• the reasons for the decorations you are using

Do you need to research why we use a particular item? 

Is there anything that surprises you? 

Please share your Christmas blessings with us.

Blessings,

Gail