• Last year we thought of television show titles that seemed appropriate to events from our year.  Here are a few of the entries:

• For the past 12 years I have continued my mother's tradition (started when I was in kindergarten!) of writing a poem at Christmas.  All of the year's highlighs (and some low-lights) are chronicled using a 4-line stanza format (first two and last two lines rhyming), with about 8 stanzas total.  Usually the first stanza is standard Christmas-greeting fare, and the last sums up with a view of the True Meaning of Christmas.  Usually each family member gets a stanza, and then a couple more for general family events.  Folks look forward to them every year -- I think my parents' friends would cause a ruckus if she ever stopped this tradition! 
  Submitted by Ellen
  
  
• I'm a big fan of trying to be funny which usually involves poking fun at ourselves.  Here are ideas I have used over the years:
  
  -Last year was an impromptu description of our family by the 8 year old.  He was making a newspaper (his own idea) and I wrote down as he dictated.  How he summed up our family was HILARIOUS!  "Daddy likes to snuggle, likes Joel love, and likes to go to church."  I also included 16 random things in the pattern of a facebook note that was going around last year.
  
  -A comic that illustrated each member of the family followed by a paragraph summary.
  
  -A 'Most wanted' including AKA, wanted for, description and last seen.  Ex. the baby was charged with disturbing the peace.  "Since his appearance Joel has repeatedly and without remorse violated noise ordinances.  Victims drop charges after he smiles at them."
  
  -Our year's story in the pattern of "Twas the night before Christmas" or to the Gilligan's island theme song.
  
  -The year the boys were in Fiddler on the Roof, the letter was paragraphs themed according to song titles.  ex "Wonder of Wonder, miracle of miracles"
  
  -Top ten lessons learned, then paragraph explanation.  Ex "Free library is a contradiction in terms.  (fines b/c we ck out 30 bks at a time)  "If you take the cheapest flight, be prepared to find out why."
  
  -Thank yous from our family devotions.  With little ones this is hilarious.  "Thank you for a good trip.  Thank you that we won the revolutionary war."
  
  -On a heavy travel year we copied a map with stars where we had been and short paragraphs telling about our travels.
  
  -Best and worst of the year, and aspects of the year.  ex best and worst of working at home ;-) best field trips, best verses
  
  -Once upon a time - a fairy tale about the King Queen and 5 children.  Story about disturbances in kingdom - too much water used for bathing, mysterious odors etc...  A sage is consulted and concludes castle is infected with adolescence.  Solution?  Time and 3 potions- Compassion Growth formula, Backbone Strenghthener, Sense of Humor.
  
  -ABC's of Christmas.  A word beginning with each letter and a one sentence explanation.
  
  -"Our Space" done like a Myspace with a profile pic and description of each family member.
  
  -This year is questions heard around our house, with answers mom says or just thinks and keeps to herself. ;-)
  
  What a fun walk down memory lane!!!  My favorites are the comics, Most Wanted and the fairy tale.  Some years are better than others ;-)
  Submitted by Betsy
  
  
• This is the third  year we have written letters - and it is a blessing to us -and hopefully to those we send the letters. We create 2 letters - one for our personal friends & family and another for our church family, since my husband is a pastor. Our church family sees us so regularly - we don't feel the need to update them on what is happening with each of us. 
  
  We try to pick one of the Christmas Hymns - and put one verse of the hymn at the top, and then we use our introduction paragraph - to encourage thoughts of the true meaning of Christmas - based on the hymn we used. For example - this year we used the hymn, O Come all Ye Faithful - so we encouraged those reading our letter - to come and adore , and behold the Lord of lords.  We then pick out a verse of scripture related to the hymn, and have it at the bottom our letter.
  
  Our second paragraph is a personal note to personal friends & family about our family or to our church family we put a summary of the encouraging work of God in our church.  My husband then writes a handwritten note to each church member - and I take care of writing a personal note to our friends/family outside of church.
  
  We too enjoy receiving notes and even cards- when they have a personal note in them. Just thought I would send this . I am fairly new to Old Schoolhouse, but what a blessing it has been to me.  Thank You.
  Submitted by R&K
  
  
• Our annual Christmas letter wraps up the year's events in the form of a Dr. Seuss-inspired rhyme. It's always really fun to put together, and now that our children are learning to rhyme words, it's really become a family tradition!
  
  We’re recounting ’09, a year chockfull of blessings
  As we eat our fill of turkey and dressings.
  So how do we wrap up this year, grand and merry?
  Guess we’ll just start with the stuff back in January.
  
  Submitted by Brandy
  
  (This was a fabulous full page poem. I absolutely LOVED it, but didn't want to give away her whole letter. ~Nancy)
  
  
• In our Christmas letter, we always try to sum it up evangelistically.  We've taken all the time to write it, why not use it to try to draw others to Christ, or point them towards the "Reason for the season"?  I'm sure many of TOS readers are more eloquent and much better writers but examples from our past Christmas letters may better explain:
  
  1)  A church in the US found a valuable print by Albrecht Durer dated 1493 hanging in their chapel. The members could not believe they were unaware that it was there. What about us? Are we unaware of something valuable right under our noses? Jesus isn’t hiding. The truth that God came to earth is plainly announced in the Bible, reflected in our art, and in songs throughout history.  But we are still unaware of the significance of Christ’s birth.  This Christmas, join with the wisemen and shepherds. Give praise to Jesus, God who became Man. Wise men today worship not only the Child of Bethlehem but the Man of Calvary.
  
  
  2)  It is such a precious feeling when someone slips their hand in yours.  Old or young makes no difference.  That little bit of intimacy is unmatched.  How often do you reach up for your Heavenly Father’s hand?  He will never push your hand aside or refuse to take hold.  God’s hands are always there.  Just reach up and take hold.
  Submitted by Barbara
  
  
• One year we did our family letter as a crossword puzzle that we made on one of the free sites online.  It was a big hit.
  Submitted by Kena
  

Sometimes I struggle with feeling weak. Physically I just can't do all that I want or sometimes even need to do. When people look at me, they can't see anything wrong. To them, I “look” healthy, but there can be quite a war going on within my body and mind even as I smile.

There are times when I've been in so much pain, that I've really thought about using one of the motorized carts at a store. But I haven't been able to do it. Deep down the idea of needing help just to get around is still too much for me. As silly as it may sound, the thought of going to the grocery store or a field trip with my kids can have me clinging to Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I have to remind myself that even though I may not be physically strong, I can still be mentally tough. I can be strong in the Lord, even when my body fails me.

Being strong is a choice, not a condition. God tells us to be strong in the Lord, not by our own power. Our strength comes from our union with Him, from his all-mighty power. Zechariah 4:6 says “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty.”

Being strong means remembering to walk by faith and not by sight, releasing the fears, and clinging to Truth. It means putting on the armor of God each and every day.

And that much I CAN do.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6: 14 – 17

I have been thinking a lot about contentment lately. I have some friends who are going through some extremely hard times. They are people that I love and admire. And honestly, sometimes I thought they were “more blessed” than me. (Do you ever think that?)

On the outside, they seemed to “have it all”, great careers making good money, nice homes and cars, loving families, lots of friends, health, etc...

But now, they are going through some things that put all of that in perspective and  made me realize I need to rethink some things.

I realize that many times I've looked at God blessing me by what He gives me. Now I know that often He is also blessing me with what He doesn't give me – the things He has protected me from.

Does that make any sense?

It's not that the money or success that they've experienced are solely to blame for what they're going through. That's actually far from it. But those good things are what I could see and admire. I didn't see all of the things that they were privately battling (or would someday be battling).

Shame on me for thinking that somehow God loved them more because He was blessing them with certain things. Sure we struggle, but my family is extremely blessed. We love each other like crazy, we've got a comfy home with plenty of land to enjoy, and we get to spend lots and lots of time together. I have GOT to quit taking that for granted.

All families have their struggles. Some will struggle with finances. Some struggle with family tensions. Some struggle with marital issues. Others struggle with health or loss. Those things just come from living in this sinful fallen world where accidents, confusion, selfishness, envy, and disease run rampant.

We can't control all of the things that come into our lives, but those things don't have to consume us. We must walk by faith and not by sight, all the while trusting in God and knowing that He has our best interests at heart. We have to quit looking at others and wondering why things seem so hard for us, but so easy for them. Our lives were not created for our comfort. God chooses whether we need the sweet or the bitter. We were created to glorify Him and He gets to decide how – whether it is through success or trials, health or illness, joy or sorrow. Sometimes being content means letting go of our plans and desires.

We need to quit keeping score. Being content is a choice. One day I met a woman who was going through a horrible time, the worst time of her life. Yet she really didn't have any sympathy for others. She was certain that everyone else had things so much better than she did. She didn't know that many of our friends were facing extremely trying times themselves. Because even as those women were struggling, they were trying to be content, to count their blessings, and to look at how they could bless others.

It doesn't take a perfect life to glorify God, He uses struggling imperfect people every day.

And even IN our struggles, God is there, which is truly the greatest blessing! Remember the story in Matthew 14: 22-33 about the disciples being out in the boat on stormy waters? Even when Peter began to sink because he was scared by the storm, Jesus reached out to grab him and saved them all. We have to remember that He will reach out and grab us when we are scared and sinking too.

That's where my hope is. That's what keeps me content.

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”

Lamentations 3: 21-25

Where does the time go???

I blink and the first quarter has almost come to an end. No, things did not go as planned, but not so bad. I've learned to re-evaluate and adjust. My kids are learning. So am I.

Spelling City has been very helpful this year. We will continue to use that. MCP math - I've not been so happy with, but it's OK. So many problems on a page, and not enough room to do long multiplication problems. A consumable math book that I still have to have them copy the problems! Hate to toss it, and use something else, when I spent so much money. I need to get the kids writing more. Will address that. Reading - I have one who devours everything that comes into the house, and one who will avoid it if at all possible.

We have been reading "Farmer Boy" aloud, and I would love to take the field trip to the Wilder Farm, since it is in my state - however, very long drive. We'll see.

It's been a tough couple of years, having put much time into an extended family emergency. I am quite sure that the kids have learned more about helping others, stepping up to the plate, loving, caring, and so many other things that it would be impossible to name. The important stuff.