December 2007
In this issue:
Flo's Thoughts
Christmas Brunch
Thinking Small Gatherings
Yummy Celebrations in December
Godly Grandmas
Flo's Thoughts
“Where are the outdoor spotlights?” asked 14-year-old Asher.
“I don’t know and I sure don’t have the time to look now. Why is it so important this Saturday? I’ve got to catch up on the on-line banking, bake something for your Boy Scout Christmas party, and get your father to finish installing the new dishwasher,” retorted Mom.
Asher headed off to another part of the house, checked the calendar to verify the December 15 date, and went looking for Dad out in the garage. “Dad, it’s already the 15th. Are we gonna’ decorate at all this year or are we reenacting Christmas with the Kranks?
“Stop the attitude, right now,” dad snapped. “Besides, we don’t decorate with Frosty anyway.”
“So, why do we decorate at all?”
“You know the answer to that. We put out a manager, with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherds, wisemen, and light up the whole scene to keep Christ in Christmas.. I’ll get to it later, Asher, maybe after church tomorrow or next Saturday. Oh, but that’s the 22nd.”
Puzzled, Asher didn’t respond right away. “To hear you and mom talk about decorating, it’s only a big hassle nobody’s got time for. Are we really doing it to witness to the neighbors?”
Hal Fenton put down his wrench, wiped his greasy hands, and looked at this son. Wasn’t this what educators called ‘a teachable moment?’ “Let’s get your mom and older brother together at dinner and discuss this as a family. You’ve asked a good question , one we ought to rethink.”
Melinda ordered pizza to simplify the evening meal after she and Michael (via a text message from Asher) knew Hal planned to discuss the whys and wherefores of Christmas decorations at the dinner table.
“Can we make this quick?” asked Michael? “I want to watch the Terps play UNC tonight. Besides, I can probably find the decorations and get them up without anyone else having to be bothered.”
“Wait,” said Hal. “Asher raised a good question when he asked why we decorate. Even if the outdoor scene depicts the Nativity, if we’re all stressed about getting the job done, how is Christ honored? He knows we’re grousing at each other even if the neighbors see a good Christian family witnessing at Christmas.”
Lots of discussion ensued -- everything from “What will people say if we don’t put up the Nativity?” to “What else might simplify our celebration and allow us to really spend more time contented during the Christmas holidays?”
Even when the hard pizza crusts hit the trashcan out back, the discussion still reemerged as members of the family had some new ideas about simpler gifts, fewer hassles, helping mom in the kitchen, and more worship.
Melinda found Hal out in the garage later and smiled about the good things starting to come from the family conversation. “I don’t think it’s so important to nail down the exact things we will and won’t do this year. I’m just grateful for the process that began.”
Wishing you a contented Christmas this year,
Flo
I want to personally invite the women of SPEP and their guests to our Annual Christmas Brunch to be held on Saturday, December 8 at 10 AM. We’re registering in the Narthex through December 2, but have only 260 seats available.
Come, invite a friend, see the beauty of festive tables, and enjoy a gourmet meal. Then listen carefully to the sounds of the all-women’s choir and the presentation of the Gospel. These will feed your soul as you enter the Advent Season.
Come… breathe in deeply… be still and know that He is God. Once again consider the mystery of an infant born to live and die in such a way as to redeem your soul.
November 9, Michele Prince opened her home to Flo and a small group of women. Invitations went out, asking these women to come prepare a meal together, eat, watch a movie, then talk about the movie from a Christian viewpoint, and finally, consider starting a movie group in her home.
They watched 13 Going on 30 while enjoying their version of a 13th birthday party. Michele had balloons and decorations and each woman was asked to dress as she did when 13 or bring photos or yearbooks from that era. Michele had even created CDs with songs from the year each attendee had turned 13. As they prepared the meal and listened to the songs, the guessing began—whose song was this one? You can imagine the laughter as one of them began to sing the words or give her rendition of the dance that went with the music.
The menu of homemade pizzas, salad bar, and warm brownies served with ice cream and toppings, was fun to make with 7 of us chatting in the kitchen area. They sat for dinner and explored some of their experiences as 13-year-olds. After clearing the table and making sundaes, they watched the movie and then discussed the questions that had been stuffed into balloons that went out in the invitations.
This idea came from Chick Flicks: Dinner and a Movie, and the fact that Michele had tried this idea once before. The book (and Flo has five copies in her office) does most of the work. It gives the details from decorating to recipes and delegation of meal preparation tasks to discussion questions, and it gives all this information for 12 different movies.
A hostess can work alone or in tandem with another. Print six invitations (already in the book) and give three women two invitations each. One is for her and one to invite someone else. This way the group gains diversity and women get to know each other in a small setting. Hopefully, each group will meet four to six times in the course of 2008, deepening relationships far beyond our Sunday morning greetings as we pass by.
Are you interested in being invited to one of our movie nights? Please contact Flo (email or 410-544-5013). Make 2008 the year you get to know your sisters in Christ in a fun way, and allow these movie discussions to sharpen your ability to think biblically about what we know we all watch – movies!
Yummy Celebrations in December
December 3 - National Fritters Day
December 7 - National Cotton Candy Day
December 8 - National Brownie Day
December 9 - National Pastry Day
December 11 - National Noodle Ring Day
December 16 - National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
December 24 - National Egg Nog Day
December 27 - National Fruitcake Day
Godly Grandmas
Thanks to several of you who have spoken or written to me about the ways you strive to be godly grandmothers. Encouraged by your responses, and wanting to share the ideas, I’ve decided that when you send me what you’re doing, I’ll ask Micki to include a section called Godly Grandmas in Women’s Life.
Sue Helms wrote that she bought a book each month during the early years of each grandchild’s life, thus giving that child a start to his/her own library and instilling a love of reading.
Marian Brophy delights in having eight of her ten “grands” here in Maryland. But she sure enjoys her Web Cam session with the two granddaughters in Washington State.
Glenn and Micki regularly see their grandson Matthew via the Internet even though he lives in Pittsburgh.
I emailed Suzy Florence and asked her for some great books that Bailey had received from her grandparents and Suzy sent me to the PCA website www.pcanet.org. for Christmas suggestions.
Each week, Irene and Don Jones help with the homeschooling of their five “grands.” Those children get the benefit of two generations teaching them!
So please keep those cards and emails coming, whether you see your grandchildren daily or are a long-distance grandma. When we have a few ideas, we’ll put the Godly Grandmas column in that month’s Women’s Life. Flo
Questions? Comments? Send them to the Postmaster.