Friday, December 09, 2005

Last night we rehearsed for the Lyric Street Records party we're singing for tonight. It's going to feel really weird singing "Sleigh Ride" with the Rascal Flatt's guys. We are no Rascal Flatts...but we sure are rascals. (that's a dad joke that requires hitting your knee and laughing like a doofus.) It was fun singing some of those songs. It reminded me of so many other similar rehearsals. When I lived in the Metroplex I did this thing every year called Holiday Cheer. It's a group of singers from the Dallas Opera, Casa Manana, and other places who go out and sing at malls, the holiday nights at the zoo, Ruth's Chris, Mortons, and other restaurants and parties. It was a lot of fun and some great holiday money. The only down side was the Victorian garb we had to wear. Well, maybe not the only downside...but probably the biggest one.

Then there were the "Reflections" Christmas shows while at ACU. We sang cheesy holiday classics like the Carpenter's "Merry Christmas Darling". The one thing I do remember about most of those shows is that I'd inevitably lay my keys down somewhere and end up having to hunt for them...unless Stephen was also singing. He usually watched for my keys laying about randomly.

I loved my mom's blog yesterday about the troops singing "Silent Night". Christmas seems to put things into perspective for some--while it can cause others to lose all perspective. Retailers love Christmas because sales are through the roof. Some of them make their entire livelihood on the sales from the day after Thanksgiving. Trouble is, most of that stuff is being accumulated by people who'll have to build bigger barns to make it fit. I am really trying to break that pattern in my own life.

Those of you with kids...what are some ways you're teaching your children about giving? It's so easy for this season to become the ultimate "I want" season. Sometimes, I think it's really the adults who instill that in kids. While our kids are young and not wise enough to know how all this accumulation works, if pressed they'll tell really only say one thing they want for Christmas. It's so tempting (coming from someone whose love language included giving gifts) to want to lavish them with every cool toy and princess doll ever made. There's a side of me that really wants that. But--the Spirit reminds me that I am also their teacher. I want to be teaching them the joy of giving. I am convinced that giving them everything they'd ever want is NOT healthy. So, why do so many families do that?

This year we're really turning it down a few notches. I just want some ideas about how to involve them in the act of giving. I'm taking them with me to Kirkpatrick next Wednesday when I'll read "The Polar Express" to the kids. Any ideas on how to include the girls? Any ideas from any of you out there about practicing the act of giving? How are you teaching your kids about that? What's working?

8 comments:

Sandy said...

My 5 kids are so inundated with gifts from all the different relatives at this time of year that they can't even think of things to ask for! (they're homeschooled and they watch PBS on tv, so they're a little more sheltered than I was... I always had gift lists a mile long!) It's frustrating, and I watch these gifts come in from well meaning relatives, knowing that most of them will be going to consignment or goodwill or somewhere other than my floors! I haven't figured out how to work around the relatives to encourage less greed and more giving. One thing our family did this year was ring the salvation army bell together, which was "totally embarrassing" to my 12 year old son (especially when his father insisted on singing "jingle bells" and "ho-ho-ho-ing)but we had some good discussions about why we were collecting the money, why people needed our help, etc.

Stephen Bailey said...

I served dinner at a soup kitchen with my parents a few times at Christmas and Thanksgiving and those memories are sweeter than any others. Delivering gift baskets and food baskets with your kids is good too. We're doing that this Christmas Eve. Most food pantries need help and we're in town this year.
None of this works without transportation and if you can't find your keys...

Anonymous said...

I can remember when we were little, my mother would let us all help out in the kitchen and we'd make a large batch of fudge and other candy. We'd give a package to the garbage men when they would drive up to pick up our garbage - they were always a bit startled every year to see three kids running out to greet them with bags of candy (I know you are laughing just picturing this Brandon) - but it always seemed to bring such huge smiles. We would also go with large church groups to sing Christmas songs in the halls of nursing homes. I will never forget that. The feelings it brought to me as a child stuck with me. Giving is such an exciting experience - especially around the holidays! - Amanda

Anonymous said...

With Meredith being only 18 months old, she's still not quite sure what to do when a wrapped box is placed before her. And I'm sure she's wondering why we now have an enormous tree inside our house decorated with little toys with hooks that she can yank off, chew on, and throw across the room. Hopefully, over the years, we can teach her why we celebrate...not so much the receiving of man's gifts, but the receiving of God's gift of Jesus.

I've been delivering Angel Tree gifts for many years now and that project always touches my heart. I take my youth group shopping, then they wrap the gifts, and we personally deliver the gifts to the families. It's one of our best activities all year, and one that my kids never want to miss.

And by the way...I smell a special edition gift CD next year: ZOE Christmas...I can already see the group picture on the CD jacket.

AJ said...

Your mom blogs! That's impressive; I may need to try and talk my own mom into it when a few more kids leave the house.

Hey, I was wondering...do you ever do endorsements? My blog, Spiritual Journey - BitterSweetLife is currently competing in the 2005 Weblogs Awards, and my competition has been out canvassing for votes. I thought I'd ask you...just in case.

The voting is taking place right here: http://weblogawards.org/2005/12/
best_of_the_top_6751_8750_blog.php

If you could post a quick endorsement with the above link, that would be incredible. And of course, I would link back.

Keep up the good work.

Malia said...

I have no advice for you and the subject of teaching children about giving and not being greedy and the like. I could go on and on about this, so I won't. It's a big struggle for us. Sweetpea seems to be doing a bit better this year than last year, but only a bit. My biggest fear is what her reaction will be when she starts opening gifs from well meaning family members!

Aggiema (Michelle) said...

If you are reading The Polar Express and you want a way to get your girls involved, you might think about giving the kids bells. You can pick up bells pretty cheap at any hobby shop and have your girls string them on curling ribbon (again cheap stuff) and then they could hand out the bell necklaces after you finish the story. Just a little thing that might make your girls feel included. Best I can tell from reading your blog, you are doing a good job with your girls already, they sound pretty special. Merry Christmas!

leslie said...

My daughter is only 2 - so we can't really go in depth and have her understand it all. But one thing we do is everytime she comes with one of us to the store or mall, she goes and gets a handful of change out of her piggy bank and puts it in her pockets. This money she then gives to what the calls the "money ringers." These are the Salvation Army people that ring their bells outside the stores. She LOVES doing it and feels really proud when she drops her coins in. We explain to her each time that the money will go to buy boys and girls Xmas presents who wouldn't normally have a nice Xmas.