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Dressing Up for Christmas

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:” Romans 1:1-7

In our family we celebrate Christmas every day of the year. But during “advent” our celebration intensifies in the four Sundays or so before Christmas as we reflect on Christ coming to earth as a baby, his coming into our hearts as believers, his overcoming of death and victorious ascension, and the hope of his second coming. The culmination of the Old Testament promises through God’s prophets were fulfilled as “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)  The darkness has been overcome by the light.

Jesus has met us at our level. (He walked in the garden, spoke to Job in a whirlwind, spoke to Moses at the tabernacle, talked to David, talked through a donkey, met Abraham, confronted Saul, and came to earth). He overcame sin in all his humanness. His life was beautiful. He was perfectly dressed. When he left earth he did not leave us alone. He sent us His Spirit. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on you.

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:1-15)

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus came to give you rest and has enabled us to get dressed properly by giving us His word and the Holy Spirit.

“Christmas is a time of many expectations. It can be an emotional roller coaster-physically, financially, emotionally.” (Doug Wilson)   Christ has shown us the way to live by telling us to look to him and be “free from the rules of conformity, living by performance, and conforming to Christian culture’s expectations”. (Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace)  “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)  “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5-6)  “His praise is not from man but from God.” (Romans 2:29)  This Christmas, because Christ went before us, let us put on the garments that “glorifies God and enjoys Him forever”. As you get dressed put on the outfit that “seeks first His kingdom”. (Matt. 6:33)  Put on shoes that order your life according to His word. Take off the clothes of living for others and their humanistic standards, but live for Christ and his standards through faith.  Put on the truth that you are His crown (1 Thessalonians 2:19) and are wonderfully made. (Psalm 139) You are unique and have been created with a special purpose in your little world to glorify Him and bring light to all of the little places in the world by “being dressed with patience and forgiveness, seeking peace and not a quarrel, bringing merry music in the form of grace and gratitude to all of your relational encounters because you do it in Jesus’ name full of thanksgiving to the Father.” (Doug Wilson)

While layering your apparel, remember that Jesus came to serve. He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)  “Gifts are symbols-they stimulate our emotions, affect us physically, and grow us spiritually.” (Doug Wilson)  It is easy to begin to compare and weigh the sacrifice in each gift-whether great or small. “Gifts are an extension of you and what you value.” (Doug Wilson)  So be dressed properly for the occasion. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)  You will be happier and “merrier”.  Your holiday experiences will be less volatile and more stable with peace and comfort.  Your clothing this Christmas and everyday should be kindness, humility, and love.  “And the greatest of these is love.”  (1 Corinthians 13)

“Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light  

Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!
Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!” (verse 3)

Sing:  “Silent Night”

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”

“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”

“Go Tell It On The Mountain”

Resources:

The Advent of Christ:  http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/advent-christ/

God Rest Ye Merry: Why Christmas is the Foundation for Everything, Doug Wilson

Transforming Grace:  Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love, Jerry Bridges

A few years ago we purchased an expensive pasture raised turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner.  Like every cook, I wanted my turkey to be tender and not dry.  I ended up under cooking my turkey by about an hour.  The breast was fine, but the dark meat was like rubber and we had to re-cook it.  It was not pleasant.  A friend of mine asked me after our Thanksgiving weekend how our holiday went.  I told her what happened and she said that her friends were telling her similar stories of turkey trials.  She suggested this:

1.  Cook the turkey on the second to the bottom oven rack.
2.   When the turkey is turning brown on the surface (after about 1/2 way done, wrap   the entire bird loosely in aluminum foil creating a roasting effect.
3.   Rub the bird in either avocado oil or melted butter with salt and pepper.  Salt the inside cavity.  I recently used Chef John’s idea from Food Wishes to infuse the butter with fresh rosemary and thyme from our garden.  He suggested melting about 3 tablespoons of butter and throw the herbs in for a minute.  Remove the herbs and rub the butter all over the bird.  Salt and pepper after rubbing the oil on the bird.
4.   Remove the bird from the refrigerator (I let mine sit on the counter for 1 hour to get it close to room temperature) when I wake up on Thanksgiving morning.  Remove all the gizzards rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
5.   Instead of stuffing, I recently roasted a turkey with fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley,  rough chopped celery, and onion in the cavity (loosely stuffed).  I put it in the rear part of the bird under the flap of skin too.
6.   Bake breast side up at 325 degrees Fahrenheit at about 15 minutes per pound, but watch because ovens do vary in cooking.  I cook my turkey to about 170 degrees in the thigh area of the bird.  (The thermometer in the bird had popped out as it reached this temperature.)  We used a roasting pan with a bottom rack to set the bird on while baking.  In the past, we put some rough chopped vegetables of onions, celery, and carrots on the bottom and set the bird on top of them when not using a roasting pan with a rack.
   

   Moist and delicious pastured turkey, with homemade organic cranberry sauce (easy, follow the directions on the bag), and traditional organic sweet potato casserole.

First, memorize the “doubles” through 10.  For example:  1+1=2, 2+2=4, 3+3=6, 4+4=8, 5+5=10, 6+6=12, 7+7=14, 8+8=16, 9+9=18, 10=10+20.  Next, learn to figure around the number 10.  When adding 9+6, think 10+6 equals 16, so 9+6 must be one less which makes 15.  Also, 8+6=14, so 10+6=16, therefore, 8+6 is two less and is 14.  Write the math facts on a sheet of paper noting patterns around 10.  For example:  5+5=10, 6+4=10, 7+3=10, 8+2=10, 9+1=10.  Use a number line and 100 chart to calculate addition and subtraction questions so number sense will be mastered.  We purchased an abacus at a local thrift store which was wonderful to stimulate visual and kinesthetic learning.

Trump’s campaign has built momentum like we have never seen in our lifetime. We did not vote for Trump in the primaries. We voted for Ben Carson who professes to be a Christian. As his campaign evolved, we became more interested in what he was saying. We like the slogan, “Drain the Swamp” and his references to the Constitution. His stamina and dedication throughout his campaign have been unprecedented. His high standards for getting the job done well are impressive. We don’t believe Trump will be playing 300 rounds of golf while working in the White House; he will be working hard to stimulate the American (and hopefully global) economy. We believe that while he has been campaigning across the country that he has become more in touch with the needs of America. He has met the people at their level. He empathizes with the economic woes that most Americans are suffering with. He is not a politician. We have never seen rallies like Trump’s rallies. They are classy, spirited, and motivating. He surrounds himself with the best skilled people who are reliable and trustworthy. All people have their shortcomings. King David of Israel loved women—even to the point of resorting to the murder of a loyal officer to attempt to cover up his sin. Trump is honest about the fact that he has not asked God for forgiveness, but he uses a lot of biblical principles to do business. He has persevered through amazing persecution from the media. He has stated that he will protect the church. This is our number one reason that we have chosen to vote for him. We believe in a tiny government. Our prayer is that Trump will help reign in the obesity of our current establishment.  Trump is one man who represents the need for change from the top down.  The church must get out and vote at all levels of government.  Staying out of politics is like saying that you are going to let your children raise themselves.  There is a standard for government like there is a standard for the church and individuals.  It needs accountability, not freedom to do whatever it feels is right.  “And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”  So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.   (1 Samuel 7:9-10) Pray to the Lord your God for righteous leaders in all levels of government.  (1 Timothy 2:2).  Jesus is ruling over this election and will continue to rule after the election.  He is the sovereign king over all creation.  “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?“ (Jeremiah 32:27)

Will Durant wrote observations about the Galerian persecution to the church:

“There is no greater drama in human record than the sight of a few Christians, scorned or oppressed, by a succession of emperors, bearing all trials with fierce tenacity, multiplying quietly, building order while their enemies generated chaos, fighting the sword with the word, brutality with hope, and at last defeating the strongest state that history has known, Cesar had met Christ in the arena, and Christ has won.”

Christians living out their faith win.

These two resources were very educational in guiding us through the Lewis and Clark expedition.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/lewis-and-clark#cart/cleanup

Our final activity will be to write a newspaper article highlighting the events of the Louisiana Purchase, what preparations were made for the journey, why was the Corps of Discovery assigned the job, and major events experienced on the journey.

Our summer garden is winding down now.  We continue to harvest Roma, beefsteak, and Cherokee Purple tomatoes.  Our naval orange tree is full of round, ripe oranges.  Apples of many varieties are filling the branches and completing their fall growing time.  We are sprouting many seeds for the winter months.  This past weekend, we planted Swiss chard, onions, celery, two varieties of kale, cleaned out summer planters to prepare for beets, peas, spinach, various lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.  This week, all that is pictured will be in the ground for future winter eating.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
(Mt. 28:18)

Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of all creation. He rules individuals, families, churches, and states.

In Hebrews 5:4-6, God the Father gives Jesus the authority and kingship. Further proof of Jesus’ Lordship can be found in Psalm 2:12, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” and Psalm 110:1-4, “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool…

King David, the author of Psalm 2, writes in amazement about the foolishness of rebellious leaders (nations) against The King of Kings. “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:13) God’s covenant with David is a foreshadowing for the eternal reign of Christ. All nations are a footstool to the Messiah today. “From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” (Hebrews 10:13) Nations either submit to the Lordship of Christ or are in rebellion to His leadership. “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:” (Isaiah 40:22)

In the New Covenant we see this fulfilled. “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,” (Mark 1:14) Matthew 3:16-17 states, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God’s kingdom has arrived and His son is king. “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:5) Again, God the Father elevates His son using similar language from Psalm 2. The early church as seen in Acts 4:24, used words from Psalm 2 remembering the Lordship of Christ. “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (Acts 13:33) See also Acts 2:36, 17:6.

Christ was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. After 40 days he ascended into heaven and is now ruling at the right hand of the Father. “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:” (Romans 1:3-4) See also Ephesians 1:19-20, Philippians 2:9, Revelation 5:12. Again, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15) God’s kingdom has come and Jesus is now ruling it.

The church must believe that Psalm 2 is valid today. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible is one story of redemption and increased revelation. The church must submit to the cornerstone of Christ and be confident that the battle has been won by Christ who rules and reigns from Heaven. Both church and state are separate and distinct, but are expressions of the kingdom of God. In Romans 13, Paul the apostle defines the civil government’s duties. Its power is limited by God’s word. As with the Sermon on the Mount, the church must realize that Psalm 2 is valid today as cited throughout the New Testament and with even deeper meaning with the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and the coming of Christ.

Impacting culture begins with the individual that is changed by Christ. They submit to the Lordship of Christ by ordering their lives according to His word. All Christians must be spirit filled, loving God’s moral law and it must be taught from the pulpits. (1 Timothy 1:8)  Then culture will be impacted for good. Societies will enjoy liberty, small governments, fair money, free markets, prosperity, peace from the warfare state and the military industrial complex, private education, Christian charity, no more welfare, a “just” justice system, and overall peace and order in society.

For further study of Christ’s mediatorial reign refer to:

Psalm 45, 72, 89, 110, 132

Isaiah 2, 9, 11, 12, 25, 32, 35, 40, 42, 44, 55, 56, 60, 61, 64

Daniel 2, 7, 9

Zechariah 9:9

Matthew 12:17, 12:28, 13, Luke 2:22, John 3:35, John 18:33-37

Colossians 1:12, 3:16

1 Corintians 15:24

Resources:

“Christ the Cornerstone” Reverend Roger Wagner, Covenant Media Foundation

The Bounds of Love: An Introduction to God’s Law of Liberty, Joel McDurmon

http://americanvision.org/13103/the-bounds-of-love-an-introduction-to-gods-law-of-liberty/

Mediatorial Reign of Christ: What is Christ Doing Now?, Reverend Charles McIlhenny

Our class recently completed a thematic unit about Daniel Boone and David Crockett while studying the American frontier.  For historical literature we read a Newbery award winner:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2084776.Daniel_Boone

For David Crockett, we read his autobiography:  https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Davy-Crockett-Stephen-Brennan/dp/1616084006

Both books were read as “shared” (out loud to the group) reading to the class.  For literature, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain was studied.  A book report would be completed after reading Tom Sawyer.  A Double Bubble thinking map was used to compare/contrast the life of Boone and Crockett.  A report containing a thesis comparing/contrasting the lives of Boone and Crockett would be written following the reading of the books.  Math would include a story problem asking the age of Crockett when he died at the Alamo while calculating his birth year and death year (Saxon Math 7/6).  Within these books the Louisiana Purchase was discussed.  Geography was taught using maps.  Thomas Jefferson, Louis and Clark, The French Indian War, and The War of Independence were also studied and reviewed within this unit.  A book about the Corps of Discovery is currently being read during “guided”(the student/students read out loud to the teacher) reading. This in depth unit brings the American frontier and its founding to life for the learner.

Our family enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for many reasons.  We like the value of respect at the dojo and within the sport, the acai bowls and Brazilian barbecue, and the martial art in general because it is “gentle” compared to others that include punching and kicking.  Our family began participating in Brazilian jiu jitsu 41/2 years ago.  Something we learned early on in our participation in the sport is that the rules will change without notice.  Two years ago we attended an event sponsored by IBJJ.  Our kid showed up on time for the event, well fed, and ready for the tournament.  We stood in the lobby for one hour due to set up delays.  Once inside, none of the employees knew where to direct us for spectator tickets and ID badges.  After another hour, (and standing in long lines) we acquired both.  Our kid went to check in with his dad.  They proceeded to tear of patches because an edge was not flat and implied they were not sewed on correctly even though they were iron on.  Our child was one ounce over weight (his dad did make a mistake in the registration as he was on familiar with how the brackets worked at the time).  We were never told that our kid was disqualified.  At other competitions we were told to take our child to the restroom.  This solved the problem by a pound.  Instead, they let him compete.  His match was to be 3 minutes as a gray belt youth.  The match did not stop at 3 minutes, but continued 3 minutes and fifteen seconds until someone notified the referee that the match had ended.  At 3 minutes our child had more points and had officially won, but at 3 minutes fifteen seconds, the other child did an arm bar and won with a submission.  Very unfair.  We did not find out that our child was disqualified until we went to the awards podium and our kid’s name was not listed.  Our sensei  went to the check in area to inquire.  This is when we were told that our child was disqualified.  This was very traumatic for our child and us as we had spent a good amount of time and money preparing for the competition.

Last weekend we participated in a tournament hosted by NABJJ.  We drove to another state for the competition, so the price was about the same as a family’s day at Disneyland.  We were ready in every way.  Weight was right on.  Two Gis were packed to have one as a back up.  We arrived early to the event site.  Check in went as usual.  Weigh in was fine.  Suddenly, a man with an instrument we had not seen before began measuring the sleeves of our child’s Gi.  Instead of 7 cm sleeve slack, his sleeve was 6 cm.  We tried the other jacket.  Patches were torn off and there was a glue residue underneath.  They turned that jacket down.  We were told to use a team mate’s Gi.  There were no other team mates at this competition since we were out of state.  They said they would give us 5 minutes to purchase a new Gi.  At this point our child was devastated and in tears.  I assessed the situation, and determined that since we had recently purchased his King Z Gi in the last year and that our child’s emotional state had been ruined by the attitude of the inspectors that it would be best at that point to have him disqualified.  To be fair, competition guidelines were on a link on the page of the website stating that sleeve slack is 7 cm, however, our child wore the same Gi at a NABJJ last April 2016 and won his competition without any rule conflicts.  We were also told that NABJJ is lenient on the weight requirements for kids and lets them compete in their weight bracket even if they are a little over at weigh in.  We even participated in a No Gi competition a year and a half ago when a competitor who was 45 minutes late and had missed check in and should have been disqualified was allowed to compete.  They had our child fight in three matches with the same kid until the late child showed up who happened to be a member of Silva Jiu Jitsu.  So, NABJJ does make some exceptions for kids, but last weekend chose to strictly enforce the 7 cm rule for Gi sleeve slack.  Our family has experienced multiple inconsistencies in the rule keeping of Brazilian jiu jitsu.

I have heard over the years that doctors do not study vaccines much in medical school. A few years ago, I tutored a doctor’s children and asked her what she thought about vaccines.  She became very defensive and told me that the polio vaccine has been very helpful in stopping polio.  I decided to not pursue the subject further with her.  This person did some investigating and has come up with these conclusions:

Their main idea is, “How many doctors have studied vaccines more than 2 hours?”  They say that out of 6,700 pages studied, 4 pages discuss vaccines.  Specialized doctors like OB/Gyns, get 1 1/2 pages of mostly the CDC vaccination schedule, while Pediatricians get a reference manual with 1 page of vaccine explanations and mostly the CDC vaccine schedule with 4 pages of warnings. Worth watching for the 3+ minutes.  Well done.