Advent... Day 20

Ya gotta love it... more snow.

It's so "Christmassy", the kids' Christmas program may end up being canceled.

*sigh*

I spent nearly all day doing something that really didn't put me in a Christmas mood... balancing the checkbook. Most of my friends think I'm really organized and on top of things.

True confession? I'm not going to tell you how long it's been since I got caught up on this, but I will say that say it took hours. Several hours. Larry Burkett would be very displeased with me. Ugh.

The boys were happy to be in and out of the house... more sledding of course. This isn't related to Christmas at all, but if you want a good winter read aloud, pick up a copy of "Snow Treasure". Adventure, sledding, treasure, N@zis... and, supposedly, based on a true story. (Written by a journalist, in 1942, during WWII.)

Our Christmas book tonight, "The Light of Christmas", I have to confess, is not one of my favorites, and it's hard to say why. Well, maybe it's not that hard... The book is moralistic, but without Christ. It has a "Christian" message, along the lines of the good Samaritan, or "what you've done to the least of them, you've done to Me", but no Jesus.

Kind of funny, because I enjoy silly books, like "Worried Arthur" (the tale of an anxious little penguin, who does not want Santa to miss his house), which has absolutely nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas. But "The Light of Christmas" is trying too hard to say something profound, while somehow completely missing the point.

Well, maybe I'm being too hard on it. Talked with the boys about the good Samaritan, and moved on to devotions, and the encounter with Anna, in the temple.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.