Sanctus Real "The Face of Love"

New Republican Star?

I watched the last half of the Republican debate last night on CNN. If you saw it, it probably doesn't surprise you that I was really impressed with Mike Huckabee. He seems to be a conservative that I can get behind and be proud of. When asked if he believed every Word of the Bible he said he did, but admitted he didn't understand it all. "If you could understand everything about the Bible, then your God is too small," he said. When was the last time a politician said something that helped your faith? And he got the biggest laugh of the night when he said Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office. I thought he came across as smart and witty.
And he made sense on everything else I heard him say, too. I thought he stood out as the best of the bunch. Are we ready for another governor from Arkansas in the Whitehouse? If this guy keeps this up, I think we just might be.

Why Christmas is Such a Big Deal

It was God himself who started all of this Christmas fuss. It’s his fault that we make such a big deal out of the holiday. It’s his fault that we talk about, think about, and plan around it for several months. It’s his fault that we exchange gifts with friends and loved ones.
Newspapers are already printing articles suggesting ways to avoid the holiday blues – depression brought on by the stress and high expectations. Our expectations are so high because no matter how difficult the holidays are, we will look back on them with nostalgia and fondness. Stress because we become even busier. Christmas is so important to us it amplifies our feelings. Is it over-commercialized? Of course, but that’s because everything is exaggerated this time of year. Again, it’s all God’s fault.
The tradition of giving gifts began for only one reason: gift-giving reminds us that God gave a pretty nice present that first Christmas. It’s almost comical that we give each other a plastic fish that hangs on the wall and sings some campy song to commemorate God becoming one of us, but that’s the long and short of it.
And gift-giving is one thing we Americans do well. We like receiving gifts, and we like to give them. We remember how great it felt, back when we were kids, to get that special toy we had been craving. So now we want our children to experience that, too. And we don’t stop there, either. We feel more charitable than in any other time of the year. We give so much, in fact, that our entire economy is based on Christmas sales. There are no atheists in fox holes and there should be none in retail stores, either. They call the Friday after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” because it is the day when retailers finally get into “the black” – finally begin to make a profit. If you like your money, you can thank God for Christmas because you just might not have any without it.
Christmas is so much more than Winter Break. It brings more than any Season’s Greetings or Happy Holidays ever could. It is a deep, rich celebration layered with emotion and tradition. It is the big dog on the calendar. It is the elephant in the living room. It spun the number one song of all time, “White Christmas”. It is wrapped in its own songs, movies, books, plays and magazines, in fact, like pretty paper on a package. It is a break in the work schedule that we look forward to all year long. It gives hope when nothing else will. Christmas is a big deal and that is exactly how it should be.
The lights and decorations make us feel warm inside. Perhaps that has something to do with a light dawning in the darkness. Something Isaiah wrote nearly three thousand years ago. Take away the symbolism and the lights would never have twinkled.
Some say Christmas is about peace on earth, but it goes far beyond that. Some say it is about good will toward men, but that is only a fraction of the story. If it were only a fun holiday, it would likely last only one day. If it were just a break from work, it would be devoid of the emotion it brings. If it were only about parties, decorations or dinner, it probably would have died out long ago. Yes, Christmas is a big deal and that is because of what it means. Christmas is the celebration of Christ. God started all of this fuss and I am thankful to him for it.

Fresh New Coat

It's good to get out and work together as a family on a project. I was proud of our kids Saturday. They grabbed a paint brush and got to work. We have a lot of painting to go, but we're off to a good start. This paint looks just like melted chocolate. No wonder I crave it every time I come home.

Putting Family First?

Isn't it best to put our families first in all circumstances? I write a parenting column and have this family-friendly blog, so it might sound natural for me to say, “Put your family first.” This is one of the best moral lessons we receive from the media, and many of the more wholesome Hollywood movies teach this. I applaud the attitude of putting your family above your work or personal pursuits.
But what did Jesus say about this? He said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26. We have to remember that he was speaking to people who did not read. He had to use such harsh illustrations so they would remember his meaning, which was: “You have to put God first, not your family. You must love me most.”
We are not to worship our children or our families. We are to worship God and God alone. Do we put our families above work? Sure, but not above God.
Paul said, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1Timothy 5:8. So we are to take care of our families, but we should always, always put God first.

Ornamental Pear Trees and Christians

I saw the term "evangelical Christian" the other day. Oh, I know, it's nothing new. A web site was talking about a former child star and said she is now an evangelical Christian. (The reference was to Candace Cameron from "Full House".)

I understand this -- it means she is serious about her faith and actively witnessing to those who will listen. But what bugs me is that "evangelical" is considered a subset of Christianity. There are Christians -- and that's most everyone in America -- and then there are evangelical Christians who are really serious about their faith. They are reviled by some, respected by others, and a major voting block.
I contend that the term Evangelical Christian is redundant. How can a person be a Christian and not be an evangelist? I don't think he can. I have a pear tree in my yard and it cannot help but make pears. That's simply what it does. No organism can survive if it does not reproduce itself and the church is a living organism that must replicate itself in the same way. Pear trees make pears and Christians make Christians.
I guess the problem is that we also have a Cleveland Pear Tree. It's strictly ornamental. It's pretty in the spring and fall, but makes no pears. But this is due to genetic manipulation, it's not a real pear tree. If it were it would make pears.
The world has grown accustomed to ornamental Christians and thinks it's something special when someone is the real thing. A real Christian cannot help but witness to those in his circle of influence. The Spirit living within us makes sure of this. A real Christian is an evangelical Christian.

Sometimes the Best Defense is a Good Offense

I heard singer Amy Grant say something I thought was so true and funny on a morning talk show several years ago. She said when you have one child, you can double-team him. Then, when you have the second, you go man to man. You switch to zone defense when the third baby comes along, and have to play a “prevent” defense when you have four or more children.
In case you don’t watch as much football as I do, her illustration compares rearing children to playing defense in that game. Further, football experts will say that no team can win the big games without a good defense. The offense may be great, but the defense has to stop the other team from running up the score. “The best offense,” they say, “is a good defense.”
But I heard Football Analyst John Madden say something interesting one time. He said sometimes the best defense is a good offense, because the longer the offense can stay on the field, the more the defense can sit on the bench and rest so it can play better when it is called up.
I want to merge this parenting and football analogy and say I think too many parents are playing too much defense with their kids and not enough offense.
Parents are concerned about stopping their children from doing things they know are harmful to them, so they spend their time and energy trying to block them. Parents basically spend their lives running down the field trying to stop their kids from “scoring” against them.
Don’t get me wrong, a good defense is a good idea, but we need to mix some good offensive play in there too. Too many parents are reactive toward their children, trying to fix what is already being done. We need to be proactive, taking deliberate steps to move the ball toward our own goal.
What are your goals are as a family? What do you want your children to achieve? What character traits do you want them to possess? What education goals have you set? What moral decisions do you want them to make?
Some teams earn a few yards at a time by running the ball. This works well in most cases. It uses the clock well and wears down the defense. Other teams grab huge chunks of the field going “long” and making pretty throws and catches. But the best offenses mix it up. This is my advice to parents, too.
The running of the ball is the time we spend together every day. It’s a slow, steady grind. It is when our children see our character and learn our values. As we know, children have a tendency to become who we are. Coaches call these bread and butter plays because they are the basic strategy. The bread and butter of parenting is the time we spend together each and every day. It is difficult to win games without a running game, and it is difficult to be proactive with our children if we don’t spend large chunks of quality time with them.
Then, we go long and mix things up. We go beyond setting an example and do some real teaching. We tell them why we act like we do and believe like we do. Then, it’s back to a few yards at a time in our running game. Sometimes we don’t move the ball at all, but we get back up and try again. Winning is never easy. It takes hard work and dedication, but in parenting, the rewards are worth it.