Last night we decorated the tree, and now the living room is aglow with the Christmas lights. As we countdown our Advent Calendar this year, I thought I’d share some of what we are doing as a family to fully worship Christ this Christmas.

• As a family we are participating in the Advent Conspiracy. Our church is going through it as well, but as a family we are making it very intentional this year. Have you seen the video?
• We’ve usually bought our kids 3 gifts each for Christmas. (We’ve use the 3 gift & 3 wise men angle.) However this year we told our kids that we are letting them give away one of their gifts. We’re having each of our kids make a donation to Living Water International. We spent time at dinner talking about those that don’t have water, and how this Christmas we are going to be a part of helping them get clean water. So it’s two gifts a piece for them, and one gift a piece that will be given to someone who really needs it. …and don’t shed a tear for my mistreated children, the gifts from grandparents and extended family will more than leave them with fun things on Christmas!
  
• We are making a very intentional effort to make things for those family members that live outside of Lubbock. Yes, make things. With our own hands. Using our brains. Watch those mailboxes, because we’re filling them up!
• Our church and outreach center does a yearly “Christmas Blessing Day” and we’re going to serve as an entire family. At the Blessing Day we distribute food, presents, and many other goodies to those in need of something a little extra this Christmas. All 5 of us, from me to my 3 year old daughter will be serving drinks and cookies to those in attendance. I real-life family service project!
• We did Advent for the first time last year, and it seems more and more are reintroducing themselves to a sacred tradition. We’ll light the Advent candles, read scripture together, and most importantly try and create deserved anticipation towards the birth of our saviour.
• Finally we will be celebrating Christmas in the ever fun way of watching Christmas movies. Don’t know what to watch? Check THIS out! We’re even planning a Polar Express Family Night in a few weeks.

Let me tell you about this wife of mine. A few nights ago after the kids headed to bed, and it was way past our own bedtime we headed to the bedroom. I closed the door and turned out the lights and then……get your mind out of the gutter……we somehow got into a conversation about the music and movies we grew up on. Somehow that conversation led to me making some song requests from days long ago, so I could see if she still knew the words.

Let me just tell you that this woman of mine has a sick mind for memorizing 1980’s movie love songs. She sang every verse and chorus from just about every Whitney Houston song (Where do Broken Hearts Go?, I Believe Children are the Future, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love for You, Didn’t We Almost Have it All, and etc, etc, etc) , songs from Cyndi Lauper (True Colors, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Time after Time) threw in a few Bangles (Manic Monday, Eternal Flame, Walk Like an Egyptian), and topped it off by singing favorites from Karate Kid (Glory of Love) and Top Gun (Take My Breath Away.)

We even got in an argument over which Karate Kid movie takes place in Japan. Which I won, because all true Karate Kid lovers know it was Karate Kid 2 and not Karate Kid 3! She kept fulfilling my song request for well over an hour, and when I woke up in the morning I found myself singing…

“I am a man who will fight for your honor
I’ll be the hero you’re dreaming of
We’ll live forever Knowing together that we
Did it all for the glory of love.”

What is wrong with me? And how in the world can this wife of mine keep this much garbage rolling around in her head? At what age exactly will those lyrics leave that super-sized brain of hers? So the next time she forgets to do something simple, like close the garage door or start the dishwasher; I’m gonna blame it on Whitney and all her catchy pop songs!

I am a Children’s Pastor.

For those of you NOT in the know; that means I work at a church and my primary responsibility is for those members of the church having just been born up until they finish the 5th grade. There are many different areas, departments, and budgets within this broad scope of Birth through 5th Grade, but basically I work with the kids. Like most Children’s Pastors at a church my size, I don’t spend as much time ‘teaching’ kids as I do planning for what others will teach them. I basically manage the department that facilitates spiritual growth in the lives of the kids at the church.

Maybe you read this and you think that you have me pegged as a CP (Children’s Pastor). Let me clear up a few things, to help you understand me more. Here are some truths about me, that often cause me to not fit in so much with the other CP’s I meet.

• I’m a man. Can’t change that, and it has even kept me from getting a job before. Reverse Discrimination?
• I hate puppets. Seriously, I hate them. Everywhere I’ve ever worked, the first thing I’ve done is thrown out the puppets. Who uses puppets anymore? There not on TV, they don’t make Muppet movies anymore (or at least they shouldn’t), and I can’t justify doing things in front of kids that are so 1980’s.
• I hate kid’s music. I really can’t understand why anyone would want to listen to kids sing worship songs on a CD recording. I get the value of music like THIS for background stuff, but why is kids’ music so weird? It’s just terrible. I do however, like to play music that is kid-friendly, and trust me… there is a difference.
• I have never, nor will I ever, dress up like a clown. I wear normal clothes for someone in their early 30’s (at least I think they might be normal.) I do not wear green socks with red pants, and a cartoonish veggie tales tie to church on Sunday Morning.
• I don’t like ‘Christian’ movies for kids. I think 90% of the ‘Christian’ movies and tv shows for kids are garbage. What I mean is that they are poorly created, poorly thought out, and rarely make any kind of spiritual impact. I’d rather my kids watch Clifford the Big Red Dog than most of the ‘Christian’ DVD’s I see around.
• I hate making announcements from the stage on a Sunday morning for Children’s workers. Hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it! It’s like telling people to jump on our sinking ship, and it confirms the fears most people have that we’re desperate for help; which isn’t the case. Not to mention that it never works. I also hate for my Senior Pastor to make pleas for workers; it’s even worse than making the announcement myself.
• I think that what I do in the church is equally as important as every other ministry that falls under the umbrella of our church. Not more important, not less important. Aren’t we really all doing the same thing, but on different levels?
• I really consider myself someone who works more for families, than someone who works with kids. I love working with kids, but if that is all I do then I would really hate this job. It’s all about getting kids to have an encounter with Jesus that impacts those around them. (That’s you, Mom and Dad!)
• I’m not a CP because I failed at speaking in front of adults. I really love speaking in front of kids, but not because I’m scared to speak in front of adults. I’m comfortable speaking in front of any age crowd, as long as I have something to say.
• I’m not patiently awaiting a promotion to Youth Pastor or Senior Pastor. I really like working with kids. They’re more honest, more energetic, less grumpy, and they’re much easier to beat in basketball.
• I’m not good at crafts. I don’t do coloring sheets in my spare time, and you can’t find craft sticks and glue in my office. I’m just not a crafty guy, so I’ve hired others to do that for me.
• I don’t act childish. I don’t feel that I have to act like a 10 year old to get the attention of kids, and I think you’re fooling yourself CP’s out there if you do. That doesn’t mean I don’t tell jokes that only 10 years get, or that I act all snooty all the time. I’m just authentic, in a way that kids can understand.
• I cringe when people call me a pastor. (I know, I know, I am a pastor. I’m educated and trained and ordained…) It took me years to come to this place, but I really can’t figure out what to let the kids call me. I think Mr. Jonathan is a little weird, and I think Pastor Jonathan makes me seem snooty in some way.
• I read business leadership books. They’re better than most church books out there, and I think leadership is one area that CP’s should spend more time studying up on.
• I don’t homeschool my kids. Let’s not go there, OK? (Except to say that I think everyone should do what they have convictions to do…)

There, it’s out there. I’ve gotten the burden off my chest, and I can peacefully coexist with those that think I’m a nut. One of the great things about having a blog and reading blogs is meeting other CP’s that are just like me. It wasn’t until I started reading blogs that I realized that I’m not alone. I’m still in the minority, but I’m not isolated!

Starr shared this story with me last night, and I just had to post it for the world to see. I agree with this woman 100freaking%!

Let them eat (organic) cake, or maybe get takeout

I had to laugh when I read a recent Seattle Times article, “The crunch of rising food prices.” There’s nothing funny about its subject: Americans are paying a lot more for groceries. It was the newspaper’s choice of real-life examples that caused my sardonic chuckle.

One was a woman who spends a total of $700 a month at three different supermarkets to feed her family, which includes two small children. Presumably she’s a stay-at-home mom; her husband is a technical analyst for an engineering firm. The article noted that she’s “disappointed that she can’t afford to buy organic milk and produce as often anymore.”

The other interviewee, a single mother of four, is director of development for a major nonprofit organization. Not only did her kids have to do without skiing and movies this winter, she needed to eliminate takeout food two nights a week. “Long term, who knows? We might have to plan meals based on what’s on sale in the store,” she said.

Welcome to the real world, ladies. And hey, Seattle Times: Do you ever talk to people who don’t look like you?