So, in the effort to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas, we have again been going thru the "What Does God Want For Christmas?" manger scene. The quick explanation is it is a manger scene designed for children. Each day leading up to Christmas you open gift which is another player in the manger scene. The 7th day is a box with a mirror in it, answering the question, "What does God Want for Christmas" with an image of yourself. Each day has a story that  goes with it, and the little story at the end of each day points to the last box answering the most important question. Anyway, we have been building on that, letting the anticipation build, hoping that we are instilling in our children the true meaning of Christmas. After doing the 6th box tonight and talking about Jesus and why he came as a baby, I asked the boys "So, what do you think God wants for Christmas?" Isaiah just kind of looked at me like I was some kind of idiot and said "He's a baby all he wants is his pacifier." and Dominic quickly responded "no, he wants a 'mote contol monser twuck, just wike me." (translation "no, he wants a remote control monster truck just like me.") So, there you have it.  Hmmm.  Better luck next year. 

Actually Isaiah and I had a heart warming/tear-jerking (for me) talk later on about Jesus as a baby and Jesus on the cross. While all the dots might not be totally connected yet, he gets it. He gets that Jesus died for our sins, and that he is a sinner, that we all are sinners. It was one of those moments, in the midst of snow boots, stuffed animals, plastic snakes, dirty clothes and hot wheels cars, that I felt the Lord sitting next to Isaiah and I on the couch and He was even more touched by our conversation than I was. I hope as the next couple of days unfold into our Christmas celebrations that I can, in the midst of all the busyness, remember why and for whom we are celebrating. May the peace and life-giving truth of what this season is really about rest in your hearts. Merry Christmas!!

I will try and post some pics in the coming days.

Love, Kim