Bad at Blogging

Right now, I am horrible at blogging. I don’t know how people do it, but several other bloggers have confessed to this lately. Truth is, I haven’t had too much energy to attack some interesting and crazy things swirling around in my head of late, nor the issues in the media. I will say at this point I think I have reached that time during the summer that all I want to do is lay in my hammock and read novels, drink tea and enjoy the quiet before my small New England town is invaded by a plethora of freshman college students that clog up the Target, Staples and Walmart parking lots. Someday I know I probably will be one of those parent that can not handle or fathom dropping their children off at one of the nations largest state party schools and try to find their way in life. I am really trying to enjoy the moment of my children’s childhood but there are days that it exhausts me being the camp director, camp cook, custodian, referee and court martial for my over active boys that on a halfway decent day are bent on destroying something.

So as I realize the last time I tended to my garden was let’s see...MAY and I have not found any of the summer homework packets that came home the last day of school, the reality that summer is short here in New England suddenly hits me like a ton of bricks. We have two weeks left to squeeze in what we said we wanted to do in May. I am amazed at social media however. Hey over achievers out there doing cool stuff with your kids EVERYDAY, can you pick up my kids? These are things that people on social media seem to be doing with their kids that if I wish I had the energy to do..they seem easy enough,simple and fun to do.

Camping...oh the camping. Every year I think...let’s go camping. Nope. I actually don’t really like camping. If we camp...it’s in the backyard so that I have access to running water and a hot shower. And my microwave and espresso machine. Bugs. Snakes and bears...and mosquitos.I need not say anymore. oh..and skunks.

Cycling!! Now I like to cycle and we went to Block Island while our kids were at camp but this is really it’s a farce. We are the most out of shape people on that island. My husband has a the BEST looking bike though because we’re cool like that. I call it the diva bike. And his hat is more of a hannibal lecter hat than a cycling helmet. We made the mistake of staying as far away from civilization on that island and we had to cycle uphill...four miles...each way...to get Wifi. We are lucky to still be married. I can’t imagine doing this with my kids.

Swimming!! I actually really love to swim. We’ve been to the beach for a day and I was reminded...this is New England. It’s COLD. We swim in a lake about 15 minutes away that is shall I say...pee warm. I’m used to that temp and I’m not ashamed to say it. I try to swim across and get a good workout but this year the weeds are freaking me out. My kids are at the stage that I have make them go swimming...for punishment. I know. spoiled.

Hiking!! OMG when you realize that you are out of shape and hate the heat, hiking is seriously the last thing I want to do. I prefer to wait til the fall. Let the people who are training for triathalons have the trails. Consider it my gift.

Traveling!! Let’s just say I still might have a suitcase from June sitting beside my desk. Maybe that’s where the homework packets are. I want to go to all those places you people post and I do.... vicariously through you. I’ve backpacked Europe and do get the itch to travel but it’s a drag packing, unpacking, the dog, the house. How do people travel with kids? Insanity is my only reasoning.

Historic sights!! Bless you people that want to instill a rich sense history to your children. We here in New England have LOTS of history that we can explore...right in town, down the street. Maybe, just maybe I’ll get to Plymouth Rock this year....or next.

Ice Cream!! I do scream for this stuff nearly every day however...it’s still fattening. It does catch up to me eventually. In my own fantasy world, the local froyo has so many probiotics it digests itself and thus...leaving me with a svelte super model body. Right?

Movies!! Okay- we saw Guardians of the Galaxy and that was funny, dark, and violent. I would give it a 3 star out of 5 mostly for the retro 80s soundtrack that I LOVED, but really and secretly I want to watch smart indie films about the human condition and not about a universe that doesn’t exist with a cyborg racoon that gets drunk. What ever happened to summer blockbusters like UP and Toy Story?

Campfires!! Most people who really know me...know my husband is a pyromanic. I highly discourage campfires here at the Vote house. The last church small group we had here I think scared off a new mom as my husband poured tiki torch on the wood and proceeded with his blow torch lit...I know how to make microwave s’mores. Fire is over rated.

Gardening!! Again. Bless you people who grow your own food, milk your cows and spin your own wool. I love zucchinis the size of baseball bats and there nothing like a good tomato. We did have a farm share a couple years ago (another thing I wanted to do but didn’t) and my kids are the worst migrant workers on the face of the planet. I had grandiose visions of having a raised bed of salad greens and tomatoes that is not going to happen.

We HAVE done a lot this summer despite these things. But this is “hump” day in the life of a mom of boys for me. I see those kids down south and out west heading to school NOW and think...what’s with that!!? You lucky dogs who don’t have snow days or worse yet, ICE or BLIZZARD days. Looking back, I can’t whine too much. I took an intensive 3 credit class online in Johannine Literature over 8 weeks. We flew to Pennsylvania and visited Grandma and Pap Pap. Hosted a Fresh Air kid for two weeks. The kids went to sleepaway camp for a week while we had a couples getaway. I painted my son’s room and it looks spectacular despite there not a single picture or decoration on the walls yet. Here’s the thing though...as always I have grandiose plans of accomplishing so much and realise I haven’t done many of the things I originally set out to do. I’m sure others moms have the same feeling. We mom’s all need to cut ourselves a break because being a stay home mom is probably one of the hardest jobs on the planet! And it IS a job even though we don’t collect a paycheck or get a Nobel prize for it. Our reward is being able to sit in a hammock and read novels, watch our kids grow up happy, healthy and having good clean fun because when I look at the world today the news says that’s is not every woman or child’s experience.

Pray for Peace.

It's why I go to Eternity Bible College

So my second blog entry after a longer hiatus. My last being more creative, this one more informative. I wanted to share this with anyone who would read it because I do believe it’s vital to understand why I blog, but also why I also go to Bible College. I started going to school and blogging at the same time. I haven’t been the best follow up person with writing but I wanted to post a recent testimony of a fellow student that I have actually studied alongside in several classes during my distance education at Eternity Bible College. His story is one of the reasons I am at Eternity Bible College after a career in fashion, being a stay home mom and generally trying to figure out my next step in life. While our testimonies are worlds apart the call to Bible College is the same. Hearing Francis Chan years ago planted the seed for me and here we are.

Many times we see men go into Bible College because they are called into ministry. Smart men, men that might even go from one career path into ministry. Bible College, and seminary is expensive. Bible College and seminary is hard academic work even if you are not studying quantum physics or scientific proof of evolution. But what is the purpose of going to Bible College? To get a job in ministry? To become a church planter? To be a pastor, church secretary or go onto seminary?

I posted a couple weeks ago a video with Glenn Beck speaking at Liberty University, which in my opinion, is one of the most dangerous places to attend college at this point, if the administration at Liberty can not discern the dangerous theology that mormon Glen Beck speaks into their graduates. I guess if you have your own tv show, publish best selling books that makes someone viable as a keynote speaker at Liberty’s graduation.

There is a greater conversation on blogs, books and such about vital issues both the church and culture encounter. I fear that while viable conversations about these can be valuable, the "heart" change behind the believer seems to be completely ignored.

For me, the last 5 years at EBC has been an soul searching of my identity and my purpose, my future. What do I want to do with my degree in Biblical Studies I am often asked. Fellow soccer moms have asked, “Do you want to be ordained?” and while that is appealing to me for a nanna second I laugh and say no. I don’t want the job of an ordained minister for all the tea in china frankly. Besides, the uniform isn’t that flattering or fashionable for this fashion victim. However, the question for me more recently has been, “Why go to Bible College if the larger church doesn’t value women in leadership or ministry?” I don’t think every woman is simply given the gift of administration or to be the secretary or librarian of a big church. Especially not this woman with the gift of adhd! I am what they call a “continuist” in that spiritual gifts are given by God, not as personality traits but “supernatural” gifts for the ministry in the church.

Valuing women’s spiritual gifts in the church by intentionally empowering women through discipleship is something I’m growing to see as a vital ministry that is sadly lacking in the overall church atmosphere. I'm not talking about reading a book together. I'm talking about taking a rough diamond and empowering the new generation of Beth Moore's, Kay Aurthur's and Pricilla Shriers. The women are out there. They have spiritual gifts to write, preach, teach...but they are not empowered effectively.

So what would be the benefit for women to pursue a Biblical degree or education? We see how dangerous women can be when they know scripture and have an education with the crisis of the Nigerian girls, most of whom are Christians. While I do think this should be a question every Bible College asks itself in it’s purpose I see the testimony of Jahill Richards crucial to the final result, which is to equip people (men and women) for THE ministry of the gospel, and empower them to speak the gospel in whatever means necessary. Weather it’s to preach as a pastor, or equip women’s ministry leaders the crucial heart and core value behind Eternity Bible College is genuine.

In listening to Jahill’s testimony you can hear the father redemptively transforming his past and confirms why I’m blessed and privileged not to study in the elite world of academia but to study God’s word with people like Jahill.  He, like myself are being equipped for our future ministries that God has already laid out for us. Part of that equipping is the transformation the heart and frankly, no one should be in Biblical ministry if they haven’t experienced it. It’s not about getting a job or becoming the greatest of leaders. When listening to Jahill, imagine someone him being critiqued for not being an effectual leader or devalue him because he hasn’t defended a thesis among the most elite Biblical scholars. He probably won’t write a bestselling book like Francis Chan or be an well known pastor like John Piper, however when you listen to his testimony you know.....THIS is what it’s all about.

Click here to listen to Jahill's testimony

http://vimeo.com/m/95198448

I’m putting this on my blog because I am making a financial appeal to anyone who wishes to see people like Jahill equipped for gospel driven ministry, not for jobs. People who otherwise would not be given the opportunity otherwise. If you invest in Eternity Bible College, or desire to go to Bible school I can’t recommend Eternity Bible College enough. It’s an awesome experience, spiritually challenging and the most spiritually fulfilling process you could subject yourself to even if you are a mom of three boys and do most of your work in your pajamas drinking countless lattes while your kids sleep.

Peter the Redeemed Sheep

Disclaimer: the purpose of my blog is expression. Not to prove anyone right or wrong or passive aggressively call anyone out. I’m a creative person. It’s how I do life. So before going on in this blog I want to make that clear. Expression and imagination is the “artsy” in me that takes a break from more academic pursuits and works a different part of my brain and satisfies something in my being that other mediums do not. If you LIKE what you read, please follow my blog. I try not to nag about it in an annoying way but I do post it on FB and Twitter. Consequently I’m learning to accrue followers that I do not know personally so if you choose to comment, be respectful of that and don’t think this blog is about you. It’s not. I write about all sorts of stuff. Some people might not like. Some might. Onward!!

In my recent scrolling thread on Facebook, I noticed this picture on National Geographic photo of the day. I need to give the photo credit seeing as though our living comes from the world of photography and I believe in upholding copyright laws etc. Click here to check out the photo as I do not have usage permission to post it on my blog. 

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/sheep-farm-sanctuary-australia/ 

The sheep in the picture is a picture of an old rescue sheep. I’ve never heard of rescuing farm animals but for some reason this picture inspired me. And I’ve had lacking inspiration for a while now thus not writing on my blog in a while.  

If there ever was a stubborn sheep it was Peter. The character of Peter in the narratives of the gospel we know he often put his hoof in his mouth and he was like a 600lb gorilla in a china store as he spoke first and thought later. We also know that God revealed to Peter that Christ was “the anointed” one that the nation of Israel was prophetically waiting for. Peter also denied Christ three times, not once...not twice...but three times. This was after this divine revelation of who Christ was. Peter also vowed he’d NEVER do this act right to Jesus’s face. There was flesh, denial and a heart that meant well but the application was so assured in his own strength that when Jesus spoke the truth to Peter, we find silence on the page of scripture.

“Lord I am ready to go to prison with you and to death.”

Yes, Peter...the rooster will not crow this day until you deny three times that you know me.

Sheep often have a tendency to get lost not just because sheep are not smart but because they are domesticated animals. That means they are not wild animals.Apart from the care of a steward they can not survive the wild by their own means. They didn’t evolve into domesticated sheep. They’ve always had a purpose. Man gained something of value from them, thus their domestication produced things like wool, milk and meat that you didn’t have to hunt. I’ve always wondered what happens to old farm sheep like Peter. Put out to pasture perhaps, but it costs the farmer to maintain an old sheep like Peter. Years ago they would be cheap meat, mutton that was only fit for a stew and served to the poor.Certainly not for a king’s meal and not valuable on the open market for breeding. He’s a sheep that has at face value, lost his value.

Peter the disciple, often lost the plot even when he was one of the main characters in the kingdom story. He jumped out of the boat, and the moment he took his eyes off his Shepherd, he sank like a stone into the sea. He was a fisherman with rough hands, calloused by pulling nets into boats and spending countless hours on the water. It’s not like he didn’t have his sea legs. I would like to think that a fisherman can swim at the very least. Or one would hope. Peter was all about the BEST of intentions. He was a pleaser. I kinda think he had adhd especially because he felt so strongly about things but failed to follow through. We aren’t told this of course, but when I imaginatively look at scripture, I see it. Peter swore he would never...never....never deny Christ. Not ever. Cross my heart Lord and hope to die! with YOU!! But he did.

And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

And he broke down and wept.

Peter’s heart, crushed knowing that Jesus was right. Always right. He knew his heart and he knew his faults. Easy to forget. When an angel of God appeared to Mary, Mary Magdalene and Salome at the tomb, Jesus called Peter out of the boat again this time by name.

“go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

There are many differing accounts of the resurrection. To pull the full picture together is not the point. The point in this account was Peter’s heart. That rough calloused fisherman wept as he felt the hopelessness of denying the Messiah, and as a result denying God. Peter who vowed that he was the best disciple for the job and  willing to suffer prison and death with Christ. When the rubber hit the road for Peter was his heart just not in it or did he forget who Jesus was?

And he broke down and wept.

Jesus was right. He was always right. He knew Peter’s heart better than Peter knew himself. Peter was probably hiding and commiserating with the rest of the disciples that fled the event of Christ’s crucifixion for fear that they were heretics of the Jewish faith and they were next. The purpose of scripture is not prove one’s faith but to nurture it. So we see the story of Peter. Such a blockhead at times. I’ve even heard a pastor call Peter a moron, but not without hope when you take the Shepherd’s perspective of grace to mention Peter by name. Peter forgot again, looked away, took his focus of Christ and who He was. But Jesus didn’t take his gaze off of Peter for one minute. Jesus appeared to Peter. Not just once, but several times. The account of Jesus speaking directly to Peter has grown to be one of my favorite passages because of the significance of grace to the Christ denier.

Peter...do you love me?

Jesus was about Peter’s heart. Not his worldview. Not the absolute fact that he denied Christ to the point of losing any hope of a ministry. Peter went to Galilee as Jesus said to do. He got bored and went back to what he knew how to do. Fish for fish. That was Peter’s plan B.

Peter...do you love me?

Again, that annoying question. I’m sure Peter squirmed because his heart didn’t match his behavior and certainly not the fact that he had that pesky issue of denying Jesus lurking in the background of his mind. Now what? Peter still held his heart back from Jesus even on the banks of Galilee eating fish for breakfast. But Peter either is seriously stupid, his mind is elsewhere or he just makes an assumption that this is how things are going to be now. But Jesus asked him a question not for Jesus’ benefit. But for Peter’s. Lost,starving, hard hearted sheep do not make good shepherds of other sheep.

Peter...do you love me?

Lord, you know I do.

Feed my lambs.

I think Jesus is saying this: This is where we met Peter. On the banks of Galilee. We’ve been here before. You fishing for fish. Didn’t I tell you I will make you a fisher of men? You haven’t lost value to Me, Peter. Don’t think for one minute I haven’t redeemed your past. This is what grace is. It’s not what you do or did. It’s what I did and what I will continue to do. Go and feed the hopeless, devalued, the weak in faith this message of hope, grace and love. You’re mine Peter and I will continue to use you. Once so eager to be faithful in all his intentions yet sifted by Satan. And yet perhaps in Peter’s mind regardless of the news of Jesus’s resurrection or seeing him in person Peter still saw himself as a failure.

Peter’s purpose and his faith remained under the gaze of his Shepherd.

In Peter’s story, Jesus revealed to Peter how he would die. Why did Jesus speak these words to Peter? Peter would die according to what Christ had told him. We don’t find that story in scripture, but we know it historically happened. Peter would be faithful to the point of sharing in the sufferings of Christ because Jesus said it would. Jesus spoke these words for Peter’s benefit not to prove who He was, but to speak to Peter’s heart. If anyone who had a habit to give up, not follow through or maybe hang the “gone fishing” sign on the door. It was Peter.

If you love me, feed my sheep.

We miss the whole point of the story of Peter if we look at characters from the Bible in such narrow single dimensions. Like a Facebook page or a Tweet or a blog. Those never really reveal someone’s heart do they? or do they?  You would think that Peter, hanging out with Jesus for the majority of his ministry as well as having personal appearances in His resurrected state wouldn’t have to be called out by Paul about the theology of food. Having faith still couldn’t fix Peter’s capacity to be a blockhead, but that never should define Peter’s true identity in Christ.

Looking at Peter the sheep, I see a crusty old sheep enjoying the last of his days in the grass fields of a farm. But reading the story behind that crusty old sheep, changes how I see the picture it doesn’t change the picture itself or the truth of Peter’s story. The fact is, Peter the sheep is living the rest of his days on a farm that rescues farm animals that have lost their prime use for humans. Too tough to eat. Too costly to maintain on a regular production farm. I think it’s a picture of how Christ prepares a place for the weak, the scared, the vulnerable and often Christ deniers that need to graze in the Shepherd’s field of grace. He restores their soul.

Peter the redeemed sheep has great value to his Shepherd.

The Most Important Question in Life Answered

Oh such meaning of life! I am posting this blog firstly to answer the question that two people asked me on Facebook. What is the purpose of the runway? The second because it’s way too long to post as a FB status and thought it would be fun to post this to end the year 2013 with something frivolous as posting about the purpose of the fashion runway.

It is pretty ridiculous some of those designs that will never make it to the floors of your local Walmart. Recently I watched about 3 minutes of the Victoria’s Secret “Angel” Fashion Show which was sort of a cross between a concert, a PR stunt and porn. Peacocks on stilts really. The girls are beautiful. The designs...eh. Not that special. Mostly because I know for a fact that they were probably hot glued together with feathers. More than that...I wondered how they got rid of the body hair they didn’t have. I don’t really want to know. It sounds too painful.

I was attracted to fashion at 13 years old watching Elsa Klench on Sat mornings before Bugs Bunny came on. I idolized names like Alexander McQueen, Vivian Westwood, Betsy Johnson, Donna Karan, Todd Oldham and Missoni. There was this incredible showing of clothes and you never saw the creator of the masterpieces until the end, and humbly take a bow. I loved the conversations about the fabrics, the details, stitching, quality, tailoring like french cuffs and peplums that swang such a way when the model walked. I took a sewing class in high school and fell in love with the sewing machine. I absorbed my art classes like a dry sponge being dipped into a bucket of water for the first time. Mostly it was an escape from chemistry and math class which I still think I am allergic to because I’ve needed a calculator during a recent game of Adventuretime Monopoly. But I digress.

The answer to the gnawing question: What is the purpose of runway fashion?

It’s basically the salon of fashion. The designers show the most amazing creations, wow the buyers and media and the Saudi Arabian sikhs that can afford to buy a $32,000 camel hair coat. It’s the fashion olympics. Most of the clothes, true never make it to the stores. But think if they DID. It would be like living in a virtual Dr. Seuss land!

For creatives, this is where dreams are made in their sculpting mediums: cloth and a sewing machine. For the fashion industry, it fuels the billions of dollars that interprets the trends in society that get translated into a palatable and functional form of creativity. Clothes that we actually wear. I mean let’s face it...you can’t wear fine art that is hanging in Moma can you? You can’t wear a cleverly coded video game, nor a well constructed film or an abstract sculpture. When people are given, invited or purchase tickets to a runway show they are expected to be wowed. BUT the reality is, even people like Isaac Mizrahi and Kate Spade make the bulk of their buck on QVC and HSN. Not all fashion shows are insane with juggling monkeys. However for the fashion designer, the stores, the media and projectionists (even economic trendoids like INVESTORS) need to basically show the greater public what they are going to “offer” the runway becomes the deadline for high couture (custom ordered) and RTW: ready to wear. Because their career depends on several big time deadlines (like how much fabric to order) for the market “showing” their craft and launchpad is the runway. 

For example, “I am offering this incredible camel hair coat for FALL, if you want it, order it by April 1st or you don’t get it. If you are a size 18 the price might go up since the price of camel hair produced in the himalayas might go from 300 to 900 bucks a yard depending on the status of inter tribal warfare or gas prices to ship it by air to Saudia Arabia.” Plus if it’s couture that means FITTINGS for customized fashion. For RTW orders on how much fabric, trimmings and quanity to produce need to be PROJECTED. For the masses...you have to sit and wait for the media and trend services to basically say,“hot item was a camel hair coat by Lisa Vote” because it made it to the floors of Saks. By the time camel hair coats that Lisa Vote offered in March as the next hot trendy item, it’s been about a year since first sighted on the runway but people are screaming for them in Walmart NOW! They will not pay $32,000 for a couture camel hair coat. They want it for $12.99 on rollback! It trickles down just like economics. Do Walmart store buyers go to runway shows? No, but their CEOs do, their investors do and so do the media moguls. The celebrities that are given (for FREE) that $32K camel hair coat to wear to the Oscars so that we crave camel hair coats subconsciously and start seeing EVERYONE in them are seated FRONT and CENTER at the shows. Plus,the factories in China don’t design camel hair coats, they just manufacture it for LESS so that everyone can have one. The same camel hair coat with $900 a yard fabric that wowed Saks to order 12 to be tailored for their VIP clients will be modified to be mass produced for Walmart with $1.99 100% poly/acrylic, made in China for $2.00 and on the floor for November just in time for black friday!

But this nuts and bolts of the fashion runway economics explained. However, for the fashion designer. It’s when you know you made it. A successful runway show, no matter how wackadoo shows are it’s about what you can do with a piece of fabric and building your brand. After a successful show however, It also comes away with palatable investors (this is why Mr. Moneybags seated front and center and NOT your Aunt Margaret) and actual orders that launch or sustain your BRAND thus your survival as a fashion designer.  If your brand has your name on it, it’s your name out there. There’s a saying that was drummed into us in school and the industry to make us FEAR the results of the runway.

You are only as good as your last collection.

This is what propels designers to create but it also makes you afraid of the aftermath. Your job is on the line. Literally. When I worked in fashion, the most satisfying thing for me was to see my clothes in a store. Even more if I walked down the street and saw someone wearing what I designed. BUT that rarely happened because I worked in lingerie. Okay maybe once I saw a drag queen with a bra I made on Christopher Street...that had a bit of a cringe effect. But I do take credit for “inventing” the garter thong. My boss rewarded me with a trip to Paris/London because we got a huge order from Victoria’s Secret. I still love fashion. Even the ridiculousness of it. The crazier the better. We had another saying at my job in the lingerie industry that alleviated much stress when under deadlines.

It’s only underwear.

So the next time you see those super models swagger down the runway just remember there’s someone behind the clothes that spent countless hours planning, sketching, cutting, sewing, stitching, and promoting that $32,000 camel hair coat the masses will want for $12.99 on rollback in Walmart.

Happy New Year and I hope it’s a fashionable one!!

The Dog Days of Christmas

A bit of a ditty here as if I haven’t written, typed enough in the last two weeks for school however, I feel compelled to write something other than citations of academic journals and reading turn of the century theologians today. Plus, everything is covered in ice, the sky is a dreary gray and I have errands to run but procrastinating because simply put- I have that “now what” feeling after a whole semester of school. Christmas is coming and now I can deck the halls with some holly.

So, despite all the holly jolly of the season I am stating here that we are officially in the dog days of Christmas. Such anticipation hurls many of us into the new year with a big fat let down in January. Cold, frozen and more gray skies, bills come in, resolutions already broken and yet we have longer days and the hope of spring. For years when I lived in New York I loved December because the store windows, lights and atmosphere pumped with exciting anticipation. I tried to avoid going into Macy on a lunch hour however, but couldn’t resist seeing the amazing creative displays in the stores. My inner calendar while working in fashion was set to when new merchandise comes into the stores. This is how my brain still at times reverts. What I’ve noticed about myself in recent years is how my rhythm of life is so integrated to world that I’ve noticed needing constant awareness this is not how God intended my life to be. Christmas without all the anticipation and sparkle is very dreary and Hanukkah without the progression of light is just simply dark and boring but, I have become also aware that the same “blahzay” feeling every year comes over me in December. I think because yet again Christmas gets turned into a culture war quite too often and that we take some things way too seriously and yet on the other hand it feeds our culture of materialism so I often choose not to engage because it’s just “yuck”.

One child, who shall remain nameless here, a couple years ago said to my kids Santa wasn’t real and projected that it was Jesus’s birthday on Dec 25 quite adamantly. I didn’t have the heart to crush his view but thought how it’s okay for point out one aspect of truth with another “suggestive fact” that simply is not true. I also have had kids say to my children God is not real, yet they believe in Santa. See the irony in this? This is why I call it the dog days of Christmas because when religious mistruths get turned into something political or cultural to judge others or take a cultural stand it just turns into pride and division. This is not what God had intended in spreading the GOOD NEWS. 

It’s okay to engage in culture- in fact, God commands it. “Be in the world but not OF the world”. This really does mean to live in the world, engage, celebrate, be jolly, deck the halls but as SpongeBob says, “don’t be a jerk, it’s Christmas time!”. Worship of our Savior was meant to be a lifestyle fully engaged in society yet not fall prey to the deceptions of the world system of this age. As I’ve said in past posts. I let my kids believe in Santa. I don’t see it as I’m lying to them because they come to logical conclusions with "critical thinking" on their own when we drop big sloppy hints that Santa like Vegemite and beer just like their Dad does. I believed in Santa and it “felt” a lot like faith until I saw that Santa had the same handwriting as my Mom. I didn't loose any faith once I had figured out my Dad ate the cookies while Mom stuffed the stockings. I became actually more in tune with my faith. God also is not Santa. I had an imaginary friend that was an elephant, and ask my Mom...that was real to me too. I was 3 years old with an imaginary friend that believed in Santa. I think that's normal for 3 years old.

Christmas can be fun, it’s the anticipation of something good even if it’s just Trader Joe’s egg nog ice cream and it’s also when we can sigh a big relief that longer sunny days are ahead of us in Spring. But as someone who does believe in who Jesus claimed to be, awaiting our Savior's to return is the greatest anticipation we who do believe in who Jesus was can and should have everyday.

Getting Past Halloween

I personally do not like Halloween. It’s the time of year that starts with trick or treating then it’s a candy fest all the way until Valentine’s Day. I gain 10 pounds just supervising the holidays. My kids love Halloween because they go door to door, with their friends and get candy...lots of it. For every time I say “no” in the grocery store, Halloween seems to make up for any restraint in one night. My kids love dressing up. I do have boundaries, no gore, no evil dudes that would scare even the old people in the neighborhood. We do our best to downplay the frenzy mostly because I don’t want to spend money. I don’t spend my time decorating the house for any holiday except maybe Christmas and even that has lost it’s appeal to me over the years simply because of it’s commercial overtones mixed with cheap crap from China. I do like eatable gourds that last until December so it's pretty much pumpkin season.

When I grew up, I remember hearing a pastor preach about the roots of Halloween and thinking “I don’t want to be a part of that!” and many churches withdrew from the All Hallows Eve by doing alternative events such as Harvest parties or roller skating. My sweetest memory on Halloween was my Mom taking us ice skating and giving us candy. I never felt deprived. But our house also got egged occasionally and the night before Halloween in my neighborhood was an excuse to be destructive and disturb the very elderly people we would be knocking on their door and asking for treats after “devil’s night”. I was made fun of and bullied for not celebrating Halloween. I remember in fourth grade, a group boys relentlessly poked fun at me to the point of tears. Sometimes my mom would take me out of school on that day to ease that pressure, but still the comments came. Could you imagine people making fun of a jew for not participating in Christmas? Well, now you get the point.

This is weird stuff of the 70s that I try to block out of my memory.

I think culturally at this point many people of my generation that don’t know what to do with Halloween, now that we have children begging for costumes and candy especially if you grew up trick or treating. I think it's worse to navigate if you didn’t because there always is that looming information behind every fact and symbol. Participating in Halloween is for every parent to decide for themselves, based on I believe their maturity and discernment for where and how they live. I really to appreciate so many discipleship and missional blogs, resources, and posts that have been helpful to me personally to sort through some of my past understanding of Halloween and use it for His Glory. http://thegospelcoalition.org/

It’s true that Halloween has dark underpinnings, but if you dig deep enough even Christmas has a dark pagan history. The reason for this post is basically to state that although I do see an increase of the severity, the horror and demonizing theme of Halloween I still see it’s valuable tool as a believer to be missional in our current context. People respond to Halloween in various ways even in the secular world. There is a FB post out now about a woman giving out letters on obesity (totally weird), some people collect canned goods for a food bank, some for donations to charities. Instead of arguing over Biblical passages that support or denounce the withdrawal from cultural festivities (depending on the context that applies) I think about how Paul in Romans proclaimed food and days to be unessential issues is worthy of further study and application. Paul states, give the weaker in faith benefit of the doubt.If you are more free from the law we should never boast in our freedom because it causes the weaker in faith to stumble by not allowing the Holy Spirit in their conscious to reveal their freedom in Christ. It's a process to figure out you are freer than you actually are. Paul states in that the one that observes the food and observance of days is actually weaker in faith, and the mature to be more confident in their freedom from the law. But it backfires if you shove it in their face and basically is arrogant. I would say this can apply to the observation or non observance of Halloween too for the believer. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on believers to participate or not in Halloween. Sometimes it’s not IF, but HOW we participate that sends the clear message.

In our neighborhood if the porch light is off, that means you are not home or not participating. I will say here however, that living in a neighborhood is simply my favorite thing about living in New England. For example, there is a retired couple on our street that hand makes something unique and different for each child that lives on the street. One year handmade bean bags, the next elaborate origami. No candy. My kids have been WAITING eagerly and even went down to their house and tried to pry the information from them a day early. Not even my kids could get the secret out of them. It’s really is hard to beat that personal effect on a kid. That’s love. That’s personal. These are my neighbors that love my kids. They have seen them ride their bikes and fall. They have allowed them to use their bathrooms in emergencies and don’t call the cops when they play in their wooded backyard. Soon, the crunch of the leaves, screamingly cute kids will arrive at my door and this is my opportunity as a missional mom to know EACH and every one of them. I know who is behind those masks by name! Do you? Just like our Heavenly Father knows our hearts, may I remind us that God is after each heart that rings your doorbell tonight and says “Trick or Treat!”. What will you give them?

Matt 11:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Why I will avoid Hobby Lobby as a jew loving Christian

Dear CEO Mr. Green,

I have been a valuable customer, a Christian and also a supporter and advocate of God's chosen people, the Jews.

In a recent article you will find floating around on Facebook and other public communication arenas, that you have displayed an attitude and perspective not too dissimilar to the Christians of europe prior to WW2 which led to the destruction of 6 million jews by an otherwise "christian" part of the world.

http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/hobby-lobby-doesnt-cater-to-jews/

I would like to point out that in scripture, God proclaimed to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you" to the nation of Israel (jews) of the Old Testament. I believe you have asked for God's swift judgement upon your company (don't be surprised when JEW loving Christians stop buying from your stores!) in that Jesus was a JEW and he even celebrated the celebration of the temple dedication aka Hanukah in the New Testament. In Romans, Paul (also a JEW) the apostle points out that God is still faithful to the JEWISH people and that there are benefits to being JEWISH, one in that they were stewards and benefactors of God's first words to the human race. That alone should be reason enough to cater some sort product line that would sell to both JEWS and Christians that actually still celebrate the BIBLICAL feasts with their jewish family and friends, such as Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles and yes even Hanukah! That's right, many Christians are seeing the value in celebrating Hanukah because it actually has a spiritual component to it and is way less commercial than Christmas.

Many churches hold seder dinners to educate Christians in their spiritual heritage to better understand where THEIR faith comes from which is essentially founded in Judaism. Perhaps I could assist in finding a messianic friendly congregation near you in Oklahoma that would educate you in the foundations of YOUR faith. I know you are not a pastor, or teacher but you are someone who is of some public view and I feel this attitude is often felt in the community just as it was in the Roman church 2,000 years ago that prompted Paul the apostle to write his letter to the gentiles for being anti Semitic towards their jewish believer brothers and sisters. Perhaps you should read that too and remind yourself of Romans 11 what the meaning of "grafting them back in" really meant.

No one is expecting you to carry all secular product line. But I will stop purchasing our church supplies from Holly Lobby if this policy and attitude does not change. Especially if I see a Santa Clause that has nothing to do with the Christian faith but more to do with idolatry and paganism than the Gospel or Jesus Christ, who was the JEWISH Messiah according to our shared scripture.

Thank you for taking the time to hopefully read this and look deep into the vision and purpose for having a company like Hobby Lobby. I unfortunately can not support your company if your "values" are to train your managers to respond to human beings jewish or otherwise in such an anti semitic tones. I would encourage YOU to re-evaluate your "values" to be truly Christian and understand the foundations of the Gospel (that it's a free gift to everyone first for the JEW, then for the gentile: Romans) May I remind you that your call to share the gospel should be of your first priority over keeping to your "values" and that includes making a buck from importing cheap products from communist China that exploits it's people for cheap labor to supply your stores. I've spent 17 years in the manufacturing and retail business and know the dirty secrets so let's not kid ourselves with relative "values" shall we?

So until I see this policy change, I will shop at your competitors all which carry both Santa AND Hanukkah products because at the end of the day- we really just want stuff cheap, right? Like pagan Rome, we want our bread and our wine and as long as we are well fed we don't discriminate how we get it.

Sincerely,

Lisa Vote
mother, blogger, theology student, Jesus and jew lover