Favorite Christmas Present: A book chalked full of game ideas for youth ministry.
Favorite Christmas Moment: We were at my Grandma's house on Christmas Eve and my little 1-year-old cousin started playing with a Santa Claus. This Santa Claus dances and shakes its booty, and Noah started dancing. But this wasn't just any kind of dancing. He was dirty dancing! He put his hands on his ankles and started backing it up. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen!
Favorite Christmas food: My mom's homemade turtle cheesecake...delicious!
Christmas was amazing! Even though a blizzard knocked out our electricity for about 4 hours on Christmas Eve, we were lucky enough to have power by the time we woke up. We had our usual cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs for breakfast, and then we opened up our presents and were lazy the rest of the day! Nothing special happened...it was just a great time to be with family.
But unfortunately Christmas is over. Only 364 more days until new Christmas! Relient K has an awesome Christmas CD called, "Let it Snow, Baby...Let it Reindeer." One of their songs has a verse in it that says:
Take it all down
Christmas is over
Do not despair but rather be glad
We had a good year. Now let's have another.
I hate taking down all the Christmas decorations. I hate not listening to Christmas music for another 10 months (okay...I don't listen to Christmas music in October, but some people do...I think there should be a law against playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving). But Christmas is a good capstone to a good year. Now I am not trying to down play the importance of celebrating Christ's birth. I am just saying that Christmas is a great thing to end the year. Its like the cliche, "You always save the best for last." But this capstone is a transition for a beginning. Right around the corner is a new year that is full of possibilities and question marks. And I can't wait to see how God is going to answer them.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
A Landis Christmas Eve
Today I worked out for the first time since thanksgiving break.
Today I remembered why the last time I worked out was thanksgiving break.
To be perfectly honest, I really dread the idea of working out (ask my friend Blake Park). This is actually really weird. In high school all I did was work out for sports and nothing else. But it never fails...after the workout I feel really good about myself and I promise to start making work outs a regularity in my schedule. And it never fails...I don't show my face in a gym for another month.
Besides loosing my breath after 2 minutes on a treadmill, I have been getting stoked for Christmas! I love everything about it...the songs, the decorations, the cheesy movies, and especially the mistletoe. Okay. Okay. I like the idea behind the mistletoe because its a cheap way to get a kiss, but I am not sure if it really works. Someday I will let you guys know....hopefully.
But since it is the Christmas season I just wanted to share with you guys a typical Christmas Eve at the Landis household. Before I go any farther, I need to confess something. Santa still comes to our house. Yes, the youngest family member is a senior in high school, but "if you don't believe in Santa, he won't give you any presents," so says my momma. Now I don't know if that is true or not, but I'm not willing to risk the presents.
Each Christmas Eve begins with us kids bringing down the presents and placing them under the Christmas Tree. These presents are from our parents and usually consist of articles of clothing and books...remember, Santa doesn't come until the night so the good presents aren't there yet. About 4:30 in the afternoon, everyone starts getting ready to go to my grandma's house. While at my grandma's we usually meet my uncle's new girlfriend (it seems like he has a new one every year), play around with my nephews that are 1 and 4, and then eat dinner. My great-grandmother-in-law-once-removed is always there with a glass of wine in her hand, and by about the 3rd glass she is really fun to talk to.
After exchanging presents with the family members, we go to the Christmas Eve service at my church. This usually consists of me and my brothers dripping hot wax on each other from the candles they pass out to everyone. This is followed by my dad giving us a "stern" look of disgust, but we keep doing it anyways. Once the the service is over, my family goes back to the house to get ready for Santa's arrival. We used to put chocolate chip cookies on a plate for the Jolly Elf, but lately we have been setting out oatmeal cookies (my dad's favorite...I'm still not sure if there is a correlation).
After getting everything ready for the morning, its time to open one gift! Our parents always allow us to open one gift on Christmas Eve, but they get to choose which one we open. The gift is always something we can use that night. For instance, one year we received robes. Another year, we got really nice pillows. But my all-time favorite was last year's Christmas Eve's present. We all opened matching red-silky boxers trimmed in white cotton (like Santa) and our own Santa hats. I am excited to see what we get this year, though i doubt it will outdo Santa boxers.
Well, whatever your Christmas Eves consists of, I hope you get to spend it with family because that is definitely the best part! And please wish me luck on falling asleep on December 24th...it is always so difficult to go to sleep because of the excitement! Who says you need to grow up?
Today I remembered why the last time I worked out was thanksgiving break.
To be perfectly honest, I really dread the idea of working out (ask my friend Blake Park). This is actually really weird. In high school all I did was work out for sports and nothing else. But it never fails...after the workout I feel really good about myself and I promise to start making work outs a regularity in my schedule. And it never fails...I don't show my face in a gym for another month.
Besides loosing my breath after 2 minutes on a treadmill, I have been getting stoked for Christmas! I love everything about it...the songs, the decorations, the cheesy movies, and especially the mistletoe. Okay. Okay. I like the idea behind the mistletoe because its a cheap way to get a kiss, but I am not sure if it really works. Someday I will let you guys know....hopefully.
But since it is the Christmas season I just wanted to share with you guys a typical Christmas Eve at the Landis household. Before I go any farther, I need to confess something. Santa still comes to our house. Yes, the youngest family member is a senior in high school, but "if you don't believe in Santa, he won't give you any presents," so says my momma. Now I don't know if that is true or not, but I'm not willing to risk the presents.
Each Christmas Eve begins with us kids bringing down the presents and placing them under the Christmas Tree. These presents are from our parents and usually consist of articles of clothing and books...remember, Santa doesn't come until the night so the good presents aren't there yet. About 4:30 in the afternoon, everyone starts getting ready to go to my grandma's house. While at my grandma's we usually meet my uncle's new girlfriend (it seems like he has a new one every year), play around with my nephews that are 1 and 4, and then eat dinner. My great-grandmother-in-law-once-removed is always there with a glass of wine in her hand, and by about the 3rd glass she is really fun to talk to.
After exchanging presents with the family members, we go to the Christmas Eve service at my church. This usually consists of me and my brothers dripping hot wax on each other from the candles they pass out to everyone. This is followed by my dad giving us a "stern" look of disgust, but we keep doing it anyways. Once the the service is over, my family goes back to the house to get ready for Santa's arrival. We used to put chocolate chip cookies on a plate for the Jolly Elf, but lately we have been setting out oatmeal cookies (my dad's favorite...I'm still not sure if there is a correlation).
After getting everything ready for the morning, its time to open one gift! Our parents always allow us to open one gift on Christmas Eve, but they get to choose which one we open. The gift is always something we can use that night. For instance, one year we received robes. Another year, we got really nice pillows. But my all-time favorite was last year's Christmas Eve's present. We all opened matching red-silky boxers trimmed in white cotton (like Santa) and our own Santa hats. I am excited to see what we get this year, though i doubt it will outdo Santa boxers.
Well, whatever your Christmas Eves consists of, I hope you get to spend it with family because that is definitely the best part! And please wish me luck on falling asleep on December 24th...it is always so difficult to go to sleep because of the excitement! Who says you need to grow up?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Fight
Winter is officially here...I went to unlock my car today and the doors were frozen shut! If any of you know me personally, I HATE the winter. I really don't think i would mind it too much if it wasn't for the constant 20 m.p.h. freezing wind blowing in my face. You know the kind of wind that makes it impossible to breath?! Yea, i dislike it with a passion.
Lately, I have been thinking (weird,right?) a lot about the dualistic nature of man. This really is not very complex. Basically, there seems to be a good side and a bad side to all human beings. It is as simple as that, but to understand the fact and master it are two totally different things. I preached about this to my home youth group in Topeka, Kansas. Unfortunately, i feel that i might have been talking over their heads. I wrote a paper about Christianity and dualism for philosophy. And the struggles in my own life have really heightened my sense about the dichotomy within my own life.
There are two entities that have control of my body and will. The first is the flesh or the "Self." This part of us is the seat of our passions and desires. The second part is the "Spirit." This is the seat of our willingness to do good or the part of us that is spiritual. This idea is best illustrated in the old looney tune cartoons that have bugs bunny or some other character on screen. This person is at a cross-roads...and has to choose between doing right or wrong (like eating poor tweety bird). All of a sudden an angel and a devil appear on the person's shoulders. The angel tries to convince the person to do the good, and the devil urges him to do the wrong. This is what happens to us when we come to a temptation; unfortunately, we aren't blessed with two small "mini me's" that pop up on our shoulders at the exact moment.
Lately, I have really seen this fight between the self and spirit in my life. My flesh wants to do whatever it can in order to please my sinful nature while the Spirit wants to please God and do what is right. I really hate this struggle, because when I use to believe that when I became a Christian, these temptations would stop coming and everything would be perfect. Sadly, this isn't the case at all! I struggle with giving into temptation has much as the next person. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with the same thing
Romans 7:15 says, "I do not understand what I do. For what i want to do i do not do, but what i hate i do."
Paul knows exactly what all of us are going through, because he often gives into the self's passions and desires. So what hope is there for us? YES! The very next chapter, Paul says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And he goes on to explain that through Jesus the law of the "self" has been destroyed and and the law of the "spirit" has set us free! This is great news people...Jesus has fought the battle for us once and for all eschatologically. However,until his 2nd coming we still have to engage in this fight between the "self" and the "spirit" on a daily basis. Its our choice whether or not to fall into sin.
Paul writes in Galatians 5:24-25, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Christians need to kill the "self," and we need to live by the "spirit." We partner with Christ in this battle to defeat our selfish sinful nature. So my question for all of us is, "Who are we letting win the fight for control of our lives...the self or the Spirit?"
Oh, and if any of you want to buy me a Christmas present. Write to Santa, and I'm sure the big fellow will forward you a copy of my wish list. Thanks!
Lately, I have been thinking (weird,right?) a lot about the dualistic nature of man. This really is not very complex. Basically, there seems to be a good side and a bad side to all human beings. It is as simple as that, but to understand the fact and master it are two totally different things. I preached about this to my home youth group in Topeka, Kansas. Unfortunately, i feel that i might have been talking over their heads. I wrote a paper about Christianity and dualism for philosophy. And the struggles in my own life have really heightened my sense about the dichotomy within my own life.
There are two entities that have control of my body and will. The first is the flesh or the "Self." This part of us is the seat of our passions and desires. The second part is the "Spirit." This is the seat of our willingness to do good or the part of us that is spiritual. This idea is best illustrated in the old looney tune cartoons that have bugs bunny or some other character on screen. This person is at a cross-roads...and has to choose between doing right or wrong (like eating poor tweety bird). All of a sudden an angel and a devil appear on the person's shoulders. The angel tries to convince the person to do the good, and the devil urges him to do the wrong. This is what happens to us when we come to a temptation; unfortunately, we aren't blessed with two small "mini me's" that pop up on our shoulders at the exact moment.
Lately, I have really seen this fight between the self and spirit in my life. My flesh wants to do whatever it can in order to please my sinful nature while the Spirit wants to please God and do what is right. I really hate this struggle, because when I use to believe that when I became a Christian, these temptations would stop coming and everything would be perfect. Sadly, this isn't the case at all! I struggle with giving into temptation has much as the next person. Even the Apostle Paul struggled with the same thing
Romans 7:15 says, "I do not understand what I do. For what i want to do i do not do, but what i hate i do."
Paul knows exactly what all of us are going through, because he often gives into the self's passions and desires. So what hope is there for us? YES! The very next chapter, Paul says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And he goes on to explain that through Jesus the law of the "self" has been destroyed and and the law of the "spirit" has set us free! This is great news people...Jesus has fought the battle for us once and for all eschatologically. However,until his 2nd coming we still have to engage in this fight between the "self" and the "spirit" on a daily basis. Its our choice whether or not to fall into sin.
Paul writes in Galatians 5:24-25, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Christians need to kill the "self," and we need to live by the "spirit." We partner with Christ in this battle to defeat our selfish sinful nature. So my question for all of us is, "Who are we letting win the fight for control of our lives...the self or the Spirit?"
Oh, and if any of you want to buy me a Christmas present. Write to Santa, and I'm sure the big fellow will forward you a copy of my wish list. Thanks!
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