An Interesting Article to Create Discussion

Click here for article
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/national/09church.html?ei=5070&en=189228fcbdb045fa&ex=1135314000&pagewanted=all

Many of you may have been hearing, as I have, the many different debates going on this Christmas Season. What is politically correct?
"Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"? People are wanting to take the meaning of Christmas out of Christmas and put in Holidays instead. That is interesting enough, but I recently heard a radio show that got into a VERY heated discussion regarding mega churches not having services on Christmas. Even the NY times got into the discussion. The above site was for the NY time article that was written. THe spokesman for WIllow Creek here in the Chicagoland area said that they would like to not only allow their volunteers to have time off, but for all to have time with their families.
“If our target and our mission is to reach the unchurched, basically the people who don’t go to church, how likely is it that they’ll be going to church on Christmas morning?” Willow Creek’s Cally Parkinson said, according to the Associated Press.
Interesting question?
Back to the debate that I heard on the radio. Regarding the issue of spending time with family...
Who is our family? In Luke 14:26, Jesus says, "If anyone cones 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." This was the argument made in the debate. If we say we are taking time off from church to be with our family, what are we distinquishing as our family? Of course our parents, wives and children, but is the more important family the family of God? If the head of the family is being celebrated on a day and that is not celebrated, what does that say?
There will always be debate. No matter what decisions are made, someone will always have an opposite opinion. But, as fellow Christians, what do y'all think about this issue? Let me know.
Merry Christmas!

The FINISHED product

Well, after a few hours, and a few strands of lights, the tree is finished. It was fun to have it all up and to finally have our apartment looking like Christmas! After Joel's Greek paper is finished, it will probably feel more like Christmas to BOTH of us. We are looking forward to the Holidays-even though I have to work some of it, but we will still have time with BOTH families-so that will be fun times in INDIANA! Hope you are all enjoying the Christmas season, but remembering what it is all about in the midst of getting ready for family and gifts and everything else.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

A day of Fun together!

Our Saturday started off with sleeping in and then going out to breakfast at...you guessed it-IHOP. International House of Pancakes! It was a great time to get to spend time together before a big day of decorating (for me) and writing a Greek exegesis paper (for Joel). I liked my day better! We didn't think that IHOP would be as busy as it was since when we went it was almost lunchtime instead of breakfast-but we had a great time anyway-yummy breakfast too! We then started looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Now, I am sure there is a whole etiquette and strategy for picking out a Christmas tree. We however don't know what it is-we just have fun looking and smelling them all. It's always a great thing to watch all the people there to get trees. You don't see too many unhappy people there. The place we went had Christmas tree selling down to a science. They had people to carry them out for you and also tie them to your car. Since we have an apartment, we couldn't (and wouldn't ) buy the $100 15 foot tree. We really liked one tree-since we were both taller then it, but didn't figure that would be that great of a tree-so this one is the one we chose. Buying a Christmas tree is a fun event, and a tradition that we love doing. I grew up with an artificial tree (which I see the logic in when I have to clean all the needles up-even through May). ANd Joel grew up getting real trees. It was a place I noticed where most all people come to buy their signature part of Christmas.
Our final product all decorated looked like this...I will do another posting for that.

Another question for you

Did everyone or anyone see or hear about the shooting in the Miami airport on Wed by the Federal Air Marshall? Well, this story hit home for both of us and got us thinking and I just thought I would share it with you all. First of all, when we first moved to Chicago, Joel worked with the Federal Air Marshalls. He didn't actually ride the planes, he did all the computer work for them (top secret security stuff), so he knows a lot of them here in the area. The other part of the story is that that plane was coming from Quito, Ecuador. We made the exact same flight this summer! I am not exactly sure how to feel about the whole situation. I mean, I'm sure we can all agree that it is such a sad situation and absolutely devastating. That is not in question. I mean the Federal Air marshall is trained to take people out, especially if they are at risk for security and safety. This of course generated an on-going conversation for Joel and I. As Christians, how are we to react? Before 9/11 and since 9/11 should we not be taking precautions for security? And especially in the idea of killing those that are a threat (our enemies)-what are we to do? Are we supposed to take the Sermon on the Mount as it is written to 'turn the other cheek'? Is there a limit to turning the other cheek? I won't tell you what conclusion we came to, but I would be interested to hear your thoughts.
Anyway, I was just thinkin...
For more about the story go to www.msn.com

Another one of my favorite things...

I know this is kind of funny, but I absolutely LOVE chocolate chip cookies-all forms of them. I love to make the cookie dough and eat it as well as the cookies with a tall glass of milk. What a better time to talk about cookies than Christmas. Everyone likes cookies right? OK, so maybe not everyone, but most people.
So, WHAT"S YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE?