Home Archive by category "Holidays" (Page 9)

Category: Holidays

25 Days of Christmas Music!

Well, OK, so there is only 22 days left, but you can still get the FREE DOWNLOADS from the days you missed! Bigbandtacularswingaganza! If you like Christmas music and you are tired of the 17 or 18 that are played on the radio over and over, you must head over to Tannerworld Junction, the forum where-EVERYTHING-is-discussed created by Kidology’s Director of Web Operations. (AKA, if it works there first, try in on Kidology.org!) Be sure to say “I discovered you on Kidologist.com” so I can finally win one of Steve’s contests. (I’m still sore I didn’t win the Star Wars lego tie fighter!) Every day you will get a new Christmas song you’ve probably never heard before, and a chance to talk about it if you wish. (Yes, you can win something too!) And be sure to get the downloads from previous years that are only up this month! Over 9 hours of awesome Christmas music! So? What are you waiting for? GO ALREADY!

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A Little Peace and Quiet

Silent Night… Holy Night… All is calm… Draw near to gaze… Come and Worship… Saints before the alter bending… Rejoice, with heart and soul and voice… O tidings of comfort and joy… this Holy tide of Christmas doth bring redeeming grace… the world in solemn stillness lay… O hush the noise, ye men of strife… O rest beside the weary road… How still we see thee lie… deep and dreamless sleep… Fall on your knees… the Spirit felt its worth… one seems to hear words of good cheer from everywhere filling the air… (all these words are from Christmas Carols) DO THESE PHRASES DESCRIBE YOUR CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION? December used to be the busiest month of the year for me. From church events to personal parties and performing at other people’s events to… I don’t know what all. But by News Years Day I was so exhausted “Peace on Earth” seemed a distant memory. This year I am slowing December down. My calendar is mostly empty and I will be keeping close to home and just relaxing and taking it much slower. We are planning to have a Christmas Hour every day where we do just a little something as a…

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A Colonial Thanksgiving

It was a real treat to get to spend this Thanksgiving in Williamsburg, VA. I know that was last week – but after posting about leaving, arriving, meeting up with friends, and more friends, and about an awesome kids pastor, matching sweaters, and even trash cans I took a break from my computer from Wednesday through Sunday and it was wonderful to be off line for several days in a row. Now that I am caught up on the hundreds of e-mails I got behind on… I thought I’d finally post about Thanksgiving. It was like traveling back in time! Except for all the people wearing weird clothes… referring to myself and the other tourists. I actually thought it would be an interesting idea to have an area where you had to be in period costume to get in, that would be fun. (But then the digital camera would still be a give away!) I tied Luke to a horse post as I explained to him what it was. Seconds later, a carriage came by and the driver called out that Luke was tied where he was going to be shortly! Luke watching the horse and carriage. Mom and Luke…

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It’s Called CHRISTMAS!

I could go on a rant about how some in our culture are trying to substitute “Happy Holidays” for “Christmas” – but sometimes artists say it so much better… I think you’ll enjoy this a lot:

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Why Patriotism?

Over on Kidology.org there is a hot discussion that was started by a brother “down under” who asked: Why do American Christians see the need to teach patriotism? Doesn’t God love all nations equally? (see full question and discussion here) I’ve been watching the conversation, discussing it with family and friends, and waiting to post my answer until I could really give it some thought, and decided to answer it here on my blog rather than just in the Kidology forum. I’d love your feedback here or there. My short answer would be, I have never taught “Patriotism” to kids in church, but I certainly have modeled it. They see my flag ties and my red-white-n-blue converse shoes I only wear on US holidays. There is no secret I love my country, but I don’t teach “patriotism.” What I have taught is gratitude to God for our blessings, many of which are being American, and civil responsibility, both which are not USA dependent. “nation” not “America” I can go on and on about what a good and amazing country this is, but that is beside the point. I think the Kidology discussion got off on that rabbit trail, which is…

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