The atheists accuse Christians of keeping their children cloistered away from other views and indoctrinating these young and impressionable minds as opposed to presenting them with a range of choices. Which they say is unfair to the children.

According to dictionary.com, the word ‘indoctrination’ means to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology etc. especially to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view. It goes on to say that indoctrination involves teaching someone to accept doctrine uncritically and that a synonym for the word is brainwashing.

Although there are some Christians who knowingly attempt to indoctrinate their children, most Christian parents do not, or at least don’t do it intentionally. Having said that, I do not believe that the Bible teaches us to pass our Faith to our children in a way that requires them to not question or reason, but to blindly believe and obey what we teach them. If we’re doing this, we need to actually listen to the criticism leveled at us, and change. Let me explain why I believe that.

Let’s start with a basic premise of our Faith. God put the ‘Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil’ in the Garden of Eden.  He allows each individual to accept or reject Christ and he also allows each person to live as they see fit, all because love always gives a choice. Logically then, how can we think that it’s right to ensure that our children won’t make the wrong choice by taking away their choice?

The Bible teaches that one of the keys to a deep and meaningful Faith is to seek God and to passionately search out truth. When we try to spoon feed our children a packaged truth and protect them from any objecting viewpoints, we unwittingly teach them that seeking and struggling for a meaningful relationship with God and for real understanding is not necessary. When we do this, we create another generation of unthinking Christians who remain baby Christians all of their lives.

Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. (John 16:13) A guide directs someone who has already decided to go on a journey. How can the Holy Spirit guide our children to all truth if they’re not on a journey looking for it? If Jesus meant for our children to be only surrounded by truth and sheltered from all else, then they wouldn’t need a guide. If there’s only one clearly marked trail, what do you need a guide for?

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” He didn’t say to force them or to leave them no other choice.

If we look at Jesus as the example of how our children should be educated, here’s what we come up with. He knew God and the Torah well. He also knew what was going on around him in culture, in politics, in religion, in economics, in his country and in the countries close to him. He was a learned man who knew the lies that were being told in the world around him and who could support or refute what was being said by anyone with God’s Words.

Our willingness to teach our children without cloistering them away or demanding unthinking alegence says to the world that we know that we have the truth.

We can confidently teach our kids this way because we know that truth will stand up to the test and that God is able to keep and guide our children. It’s in doing this that we raise Christ followers – young men and women who seek God, search out truth, study their Bibles, become strong in their Faith, are able to share and defend their Faith and who will make a difference in their world.

When we as Christian parents teach our children a thinking, reasoning Faith we protect them from the doubts and arguements of the world and atheists by equipping them to enguage in the conversation and influence with truth rather than be influenced by lies.

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

Although the logic is highly flawed, the truth is when we hear that yet another disaster has happened, most of us wonder what part, if any, God had in it. Did he do it? Did he allow it? Why didn’t he prevent it? People in the media know that we wonder. Ever notice that when disaster strikes and some preacher somewhere seems to say, “God did it” it becomes front page news.

If we wonder, then what do we say to our children when they sit with us and see the TV images of rescue workers pulling damaged or dead humans from the aftermath? What do we say when they hear the report that Reverend so-and-so said God sent the killing blow?

The purpose of this blog is to provide parents with a little help giving their kids a basic, uncomplicated, Biblical explanation. Below is a break down of some key points that are involved in the bigger issue. They’re meant to be talking-points that you can print out and discuss with your kids.

1. Just because it happened doesn’t mean God came up with the idea or even approved of it. James 1:13 says,

“And remember that anyone who wants to do wrong should never say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.”

If your child got beaten up at school you would never say, “I wonder what God was trying to teach you?” That bully was sinning and God simply had nothing to do with it. James goes on to say that evil desires are the cause of sin and its effects.

The Bible also teaches that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7), meaning that many things that happen in our lives aren’t a result of God’s intervention, but of our choices and actions. The book of Proverbs teaches that a lazy man will have difficulty getting ahead in life (Proverbs 6:6 – 11). None of us would be silly enough to tell a lazy person that God was causing him to go without. No, we’d politely ask him how the job hunting was going.

The Bible also records that the devil temped Jesus and stirred up wicked people against Paul, and that Jesus set people free who were possessed by demons. God did not author these things, the devil did. (Luke 11:14 – 20, John 10:10)

These and many other Biblical examples show us that things happen in this world and in our lives daily that aren’t authored by God.

2. We live in a broken world. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world with all its devastating effects. The Bible teaches that not only was man affected, but so was the actual creation.

“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, everything on earth was subject to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:19 – 22 NLT)

Our planet is broken and being further diminished as time goes by, by death and decay.

Jesus and his disciples were caught in a storm so fierce that the disciples thought they were all going to die. Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and all was calm. Jesus wasn’t bothered by the storm nor did he say it had anything to do with God. The storm was against them, not for them and Jesus took care of it. (Matthew 8:23 – 27)

The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked in a storm (Acts 27). He was a prisoner and was being taken to Rome. He warned the ship’s captain that if they set sail they would be shipwrecked, but he didn’t listen. Afterwards, Paul told the crew that they should have listened to him and not set sail. Yes, God ended up using the circumstances (Romans 8:28) to bring salvation to the crew, and to the people on the island of Malta, but he didn’t send the storm.

Jesus talked about a tragedy that happened in his time (Luke 13:1 – 5). A tower fell on eighteen men and killed them. The Jewish people believed that when tragedy struck it was God’s judgement. Jesus contradicted that belief and said that their deaths were not directly caused by their sins. In other words, God didn’t do it.

Jesus told us something interesting about famines and earthquakes when he was talking about the things that were to happen before his return.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:7, 8 NIV)

Jesus said that these things would come, but he didn’t say that they were sent by God. He said they were like the contractions a woman first has that signals that the baby is on the way. It’s interesting that Paul used the same picture as Jesus did when he was talking about creation being subject to the curse in Romans eight, “...all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…”

• It’s estimated that an earthquake registering 7 or more happens somewhere in the world every three weeks, and moderate ones every three days. Each day on our planet, seismographs register almost 300 earthquakes of magnitude three or greater.
• The planet experiences an estimated 16 million storms annually and about 80 tropical cyclones, one-third of which achieve hurricane status.
• There are 500 active volcanoes worldwide. There are about 60 major volcanic eruptions annually, and two or three of those are huge and violent.
• There are between 100 – 150 extreme floods annually, worldwide.

It would be biblically and logically silly for us to conclude that God actively ’caused’ each of these natural occurrences. The earth is out of whack because of the curse that resulted from original sin, and the birth pangs will continue until Jesus returns and makes us a new one.

3. Humankind plays a part. Some recent court cases have challenged that a disaster was an ‘Act of God’ because there was good reason to speculate that man’s activities were the direct cause. Here’s what Wikipedia says in their article about ‘Act of God’:

“Recently, human activities have been identified by engineers as root causes of events until now considered natural disasters. In particular: – water pressure in dams releasing geological fault (earthquake in China) – geothermal injections of water provoking earthquakes (Zurich, Switzerland, 2003 – currently on trial).”

Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history. The damage and loss of life was huge and awful. However, the biggest loss of life occurred in New Orleans which flooded because the levee system failed.

Here’s another thing to consider. Through the centuries, certain areas have been wiped out by floods or volcanoes or earthquakes multiple times. It seems we have short memories. Once the pain of the devastation is gone, we go back to the side of the volcano, or to the unstable earth that moved violently under the earthquake, or to the area known for it’s hurricanes and we rebuild betting (I suppose) that it won’t happen again in our lifetime. At least now, in many places, building codes are being upgraded to help more people survive in areas that are prone to disaster. However, it’s hard to blame God when we keep building our homes on the proverbial sand, something Jesus said was unwise.

Many have asked if God had anything to do with what happened on 911 in New York. That answer is easy; the men who were responsible, committed mass murder which is sin. Again the book of James clearly tells us that God does not sin nor does he tempt (cause) people to sin. Nine-eleven was the result of man’s hate and/or misguided intentions, not God’s judgement. We would never say that a suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed three innocents was orchestrated by God. So why would we say that God orchestrated the attack on the towers in New York?

4. God’s voice in judgement is clear. There are many examples of God’s judgement in the Bible. These judgements have several similarities that we can learn from. First of all, they serve as examples. Secondly, God clearly revealed his intent and purpose for them. Next, the righteous were always spared. Finally, they had more to do with his intervention to keep his plan for humankind on track than they did the individuals or cities or nations involved.

The natural disasters of today do not fit the Biblical pattern for God’s judgement. They cannot serve as an example without a clear message from God, that he’s involved and why.  There have been no clear messages from God in regards to these disasters. God’s a good communicator, so one guy in a church meeting somewhere who thought God showed him that God was going to judge New York or New Orleans, doesn’t cut it. Also, in all of these natural disasters, the Christians (the righteous) aren’t (as a whole) set apart and spared. God knows the difference between the righteous and the wicked; a birth pang from a broken planet does not. Finally, God’s plan for mankind is on track; the gospel is being preached throughout the world and disciples for Christ are being raised up. We are heading towards Jesus’ second coming with God being patient, not wanting any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). These events are the birth pangs Jesus spoke of, not specific judgements by God.

Jesus talked about the cities in his time being judged. However, he was clear that the judgment would take place in the final judgment when he returned. (Matthew 10:15, 11:20 – 24, 12:38 – 42)

Jesus also told a parable about the Kingdom, known as ‘The Wheat and The Weeds.’ In it he says that the wheat (the righteous) and the weeds (the wicked) are to be allowed to grow together until the final judgment, and then they would be separated. (Matthew 13:24 – 30)

5. God is speaking to the world today through his Son.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NIV)

God’s message to today’s world is one of God’s love, grace, and salvation through Christ. Peter tells us that he’s being patient, stalling off the final judgment because he wants all to come to salvation. The gospel only contains two mentions of judgment. The first one happened on the cross; the world was judged for it’s sins (John 12:30) and Jesus paid the penalty. Secondly, we will all be judged at the end of this age by how we responded to what Jesus did.

I’m not saying that God cannot or will not judge when and how he sees fit, however, he has revealed his plans to us already, and those plans are to speak to the world in this age with the Gospel message, not with judgment.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16, 17 NIV)

6. A Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time said that the only reason he could cast out demons was because the devil gave him the power to. Jesus pointed out how absurd this was by using common logic.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ”Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:25, 26)

When disaster strikes, two things happen; the survivors cry out to God and the compassionate run to help. If you talk to survivors of a major disaster you’ll find that people don’t call out to God because they think he’s judging them. They call out because they feel so small and vulnerable and they instinctively call on the only one they know can help. Christians who hear about the disaster respond with prayer, money, help and kindness. The earth pangs, and God and his people start loving and helping.

Forgive me for the simple logic, but I’m following Jesus’ example here. If God was punishing New York or New Orleans or Haiti, would he be there to help afterwards? Does he destroy so he can then build up. Even God’s Kingdom can not survive if it’s divided against itself. When God judged cities in the Old Testament there was nothing left to clean up. No people were sent to help, and the last minute prayers of those judged did not result in rescue.

The earth pangs because it’s fallen and subject to the curse. When it pangs big time we are all reminded of our frailty and our need for God’s help. Then we, as Christians, have yet another opportunity to reach out and show those affected by it, God’s love.

When sharing these things with your children, be careful to deal with their fears. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is holding everything together until the last day (Hebrews 1:3) so there’s no need to be afraid that the whole planet will fall apart. If you live in an area that is prone to some kind of natural disaster, educate yourself and your kids as to what to do when trouble strikes and follow local instructions for safeguarding your family and for being prepared. Most importantly, pray with your children and ask God for his protection and then thank him for his protection. We live in a fallen world, but God has promised that he will help us through when we trust him (Psalm 91).

Natural disasters are not ‘Acts of God’. When our children understand this, it’s much easier to trust him through a disaster if they ever need to. If a child is taught that God is causing the destruction all around them, it’s hard to trust him. However, if they can picture the Lord right there beside them, helping them through something that he did not cause, and does not want them to be hurt by, it’s much easier to trust.

Recently, there has been a rash of books written by atheists vilifying religion and blaming it for the woes of this world. One best-selling book generated a wave of controversy because it suggested that efforts be made to eradicate religion. The author also takes aim at parents who teach their children religion, calling it a form of child abuse.

Here’s their logic (as far as I can see it). There is no God. Humankind invented God and created religion. Religion is destructive in that it polarizes people, and therefore, causes wars and all sorts of atrocities. The reason religion continues to thrive is that religious parents indoctrinate their children. Therefore, stop allowing the indoctrination of children and the world will become atheistic and wonderfully peaceful.

First of all, let me touch on the things that I agree with. Humanity has suffered much in the name of religion. Also, there are some religious groups in the world that teach violence to their children. There are also many religious parents worldwide that indoctrinate their children, or in other words, tell them what to think instead of teaching them how to think. I agree that all of these things are inappropriate parental behavior.

However, the author in my estimation, has built a very flimsy argument when it comes to Christianity.

Yes, the history of Christianity gets demerits for violence, but to blame present day Christianity for the mistakes of those in the past who did wrong in the name of Christianity is hardly fair. That would be like calling for the end of today’s German culture because at one point it spawned misguided people who caused wars.

The very word Christian means Christ-like or follower of Christ. Everyone who has read the Gospels even once knows that Jesus promoted love, forgiveness, humility and godliness. He did not promote violence, war and insurrection.

The Body of Christ worldwide has come a long way and is a force for good on our planet. When a catastrophe puts people in harms way anywhere in the world, it’s the Christians and Christian relief organizations that dig the deepest and run to care. Millions of Christians and Christian churches worldwide reach out to help and love their families, neighbors and communities every day. These heartfelt charitable acts are a big part of what it is to live a Christian life.

It’s hard to study the history of Western Civilization without seeing the amazingly wonderful impact that Christianity and individual Christians, compelled by their Faith, have had on the world today.

For a great summary read this link:  http://crossandquill.com/journey/?page_id=267

Furthermore, what is it that Christian parents are teaching their children? If you examine the words in red (Jesus’ teaching), you’ll find that a large percentage of what he taught wasn’t about what we believe, but about who we are and how we behave. We teach our children to love, to be caring, kind, generous and considerate of others, to be involved in their communities, to be team players and to be respectful of others who have contrary opinions or beliefs. How can this be damaging to our planet?

Going back to the general arguments about religion being a planet damaging force, studies show that children raised in religion are happier, more other-focused, and less prone to get involved with crime and high-risk behavior. They even tend to exercise more, eat better, and volunteer more frequently.

(Check one of the studies here:  http://www.youthandreligion.org/news/preliminary.html )

A brief study of history will show even the casual reader that things like political agendas, territorial disputes, racial differences and yes, even atheism (the murder of countless religious people in the name of communism, for the sake of the state) have been behind some of the greatest carnages visited on mankind. Should we forbid the teaching of politics, patriotism, property rights, racial uniqueness and atheism?

If your children are old enough, have a chat with them about what the atheists believe and are saying. Perhaps even let them read this blog and help them think it through. Our children need to know their Faith well enough that they can refute this kind of distorted logic when it’s leveled at them.

(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Bible Teacher)

If our experience is not what God wants it to be, it is because of our unbelief in the love of God, in the power of God and in the reality of God’s promises. (Andrew Murray)

Here are two renditions of a portion of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-12) with very different perspectives on who God is. They are not meant to be a theological exploration of the meaning of the words in their original Greek. Rather, they illustrate that how we pray and what we expect from our relationship with God will reflect who we – and our children – believe God is, and what we believe him to be like.

“Our perfect, caring, and loving Father, who is in heaven – a place that reflects your character, a place that is wonderfully beautiful, where there is nothing sad or evil, only happiness, love, peace, and joy. May your name be honored because you are so great and so good that everyone should know you and experience your love. Let your awesome and perfect kingdom, full of right and happiness, come here on earth and set people free to be with you and to be loved by you. Let your will for the perfect peace, happiness, and complete fulfillment of your people be done here on earth just like it is now where you are in heaven – that beautiful place where your people know you, are like you, love each other perfectly, and enjoy everything you’ve made for them. Please meet our needs today and take care of us as you always do so wonderfully. Forgive us our mistakes and imperfections as we receive your grace to grow, and as we love, accept, and forgive the people you’ve so wonderfully placed in our lives….”

“Our all-seeing Father, who is far away in heaven. Holy and beyond what we can understand or relate to is your name. Your kingdom come, to squash all who refuse to obey you. Your will be imposed on everyone, like it is in heaven, where everyone finally has to be perfect. Please give us some bread today, so we don’t starve. (I don’t want to bother you with more than that.) Please forgive me my sins (don’t let me end up in the hot place) as I forgive the rotten sinners around me….”

It’s crucial: We must teach our children who God is, what he’s like, and what he is willing to do for them. That will affect how they pray. If our children don’t believe that God loves them, or if they somehow get the idea that he is always judging them to see if they measure up, the mechanics of prayer will not matter; the relationship and results won’t come. We need to teach them who God is and that he acts according to his character.

Three truths we can teach our children are: God loves them (1 John 4:16), is trustworthy (Psalm 9:10), and will forgive if they do something wrong (1 John 1:9). God is not a formidable judge; He’s a loving tutor who understands our weaknesses, loves us completely, will always encourage us beyond our failures, and will never give up on us.

God created us to be in relationship with himself. He wants us to know him, know what he is like, and receive his love.

When our children really understand who God is and what he’s willing to do for them, they won’t have a problem building a relationship with God and getting their prayers answered.

Here are two key verses that focus on the great love God has for us that you can read with your kids.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

Daniel’s life and the details surrounding it fascinate me. This man of God, full of deep integrity and wisdom, wrote some of the most detailed and much-studied prophecies in the Bible.

As a teenager, Daniel was uprooted from his home and taken as a captive to Babylon. He ended up in the royal court after the king ordered several young Israelite captives of noble birth to be brought to the palace (Daniel 1:3). Until the time Daniel was taken captive, he evidently grew up in either the royal family or in a very influential home.

Daniel was a young boy when the very godly Josiah ruled Judah. So since Daniel probably grew up in an influential family during Josiah’s reign, he likely was raised with spiritual training and with a godly world view.

Daniel and three other teenage Israelites were taken to the king’s court to get a Babylonian education. All four of the boys received Babylonian names. Daniel was called Belteshazzar; the name hints at the purpose of his education. “El” at the end of Daniel’s name refers to God. “Bel” at the beginning of his new name referred to a Babylonian god. Daniel and his friends were to be educated not only in regular school topics like literature, but they were to be trained to think and view the world, in every way, as the Babylonians did.

In other words, they attended a school similar to those where many Christians send their children to get educated today. Our public schools don’t only strive to give children a God-neutral education; very often they contradict what Christians believe.

Some contend that it’s our job to stand up, be counted, and change all of this. I wouldn’t disagree, but I’d like to point out something even more fundamental: it’s not the governments job to ensure that our children get the right intellectual or spiritual education – that’s our job. Government schooling should aid us in getting the job done, of course, but when we recognize the task as ours, we no longer resign ourselves to the status quo, but instead do what we can to fill in the gaps and right the wrongs in our own child’s education.

If your child is gifted in music, for example, you many conclude that the music program at her school is just not enough. So what do you do? You take control and get her involved in community or private lessons outside of school. Or if you or another family member has musical abilities then some training at home.

In the same way, if your children attend public school and are being taught things contrary to the truth, then it’s your responsibility to fix the problem. You may consider it a civic responsibility to help change things on a political level, but while you’re doing that, it’s also your parental responsibility to change it for your child, whether it changes for everyone else or not.

Fortunately, Daniel and his three friends had been well educated in Judah before their exile to Babylon. Not only had they learned what was right, but they also learned (at the very least from what Josiah did) about the dangers of the pagan religions that Josiah worked so hard to eradicate. This would have prepared the four young men to learn, discern, and understand everything they were taught in light of God’s truth.

In Babylon they learned about practices God had forbidden, such as astrology and divination. They didn’t refuse to learn about these subjects, but they did recognize them for what they were and refused to practice them. When it came to interpreting dreams or predicting the future, Daniel didn’t follow the ways of the Babylonian magicians; he went to God.

We need to prepare our children by educating them in the truth so that when their instructors teach something wrong, they know it and know what the real truth is.

Does this sound like a ton of work that you don’t feel equipped to take on? Don’t worry; you can do some pretty simple things to make sure you’re fulfilling the crucial task of educating your child to view the world from a Christian perspective.

Before diving in to what you can do if your children attend public school, let me briefly speak of the alternatives. Some speak about the alternatives in terms of right and wrong. They believe that everyone should home-school or send their kids to Christian school. Let me say that I disagree. There is no one perfect educational answer for everyone. It depends on the family, the child, the circumstances and much more. Jesus attended the equivalent of a Christian school. Moses was raised and schooled in Pharaoh’s courts, definitely the equivalent of secular school. Daniel and his friends attended Religious school in their youth and then secular school in Babylon.

The key is not where your children are schooled, but how they are taught at home. Moses’ mother evidently taught him and prepared him when he was young so that when the time came he chose God not Egypt. Daniel and friends were also prepared and ready for the temptations they would face and the incorrect teaching they would receive. Jesus may have learned the Torah at school, but practical life application was taught at home according to Deuteronomy six.

Many Christian families are opting to home-school their children, especially in the early years. This is a great idea, but not for everyone, or even possible for everyone. If you go this direction, you’ll still need to make sure you get curriculum that features a Christian world view, and also spend time teaching them about what the world around them believes and how to separate truth from error so that they are well prepared to live and believe in the real world. I home-schooled my oldest daughter for several years and it was a wonderful experience. I also made sure that I taught her from God’s Word everyday.

The other alternative is a Christian school. Again, this is not the right choice for every family, nor is it possible or even available to all. If it is possible and a good Christian school is available to you, it can be a great option.

Just because it’s a Christian school, however, doesn’t mean that you’ll like everything it teaches. If you choose this option, view it as a great assist; but just as you can’t delegate spiritual training to the church, so you can’t delegate education carte blanche to your child’s school – whether public or private. All of my children attended a wonderful Christian school and I can tell you from experience, the Christian school option does not get you off the hook. Christian schools are full of kids who are not living their lives as Christians, and although Bible class is part of the curriculum, our children still need to be taught the practical application of their Faith at home 24/7 in the midst of life.

Your child’s education is very important and one of your primary responsibilities as a parent is to pray about, plan, and oversea it. No matter which option or combination of options that you choose, you are still a key part of your child’s education. Stay on top of it, know what they’re learning, correct it if it needs correcting, add to it what needs adding and always remember, the most important things in life aren’t taught in school. It’s our job to teach our children the practical application of their Faith, matters of character, relationship skills, love, manners, morality and much more.

Daniel and his friends arrived in Babylon ready to serve God and to learn in a secular, pagan world. Perhaps their parents believed what Jeremiah (who began his ministry right around the time Daniel was born) prophesied about the exile, and prepared their children for the inevitable. Perhaps they were just protecting them from being led astray by the pagan Canaanite religions. Either way, it’s a good thing they did. Daniel changed the world – and all because he was able to chew on what he was taught, compare it with God’s truth, and spit out the bones.

Chapter 1 of Daniel records one of the most fascinating details of his story. It describes what happened when Daniel and his friends were tested by the king himself, and also shows what can happen when students trust God and learn through God-colored glasses:

In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. (Daniel 1:20)

(photo by vaniadasilva)

The best way to explain to our children how God answers or doesn’t answer their prayers is to draw a simple parallel between their asking us for things and their asking God for things.

There are basically three answers children can anticipate when asking parents for something: yes, which may come with some stipulation or adjustment to the original request; no, which is usually accompanied by one or more good reason; and maybe, the category that most parental responses fall into.

• Our children make certain requests of us with the expectation of getting a yes answer – requests for things that they basically already know our will on. For instance, if we always let them have friends over on the weekend, let them watch a certain television show, allow them to have a snack at a certain time, or take them out for lunch after church, they’d anticipate a yes.
• Then there are requests that our kids fully expect to get a no answer to. For example, if it’s an established family rule that we don’t have friends over on school nights, or that no one turns the TV on until homework is done, or that a big bowl of ice cream after school isn’t an acceptable snack, then if our kids asked us if we’d consider making an exception, they’d anticipate a no.
• Finally, there are a whole lot of requests that our children make of us that have no predetermined answer: Nothing in the past would help our kids anticipate with any certainty what our answer might be. They know that the answer could be either yes or no, depending on what kinds of things we consider in the decision-making process. For example, if a go-cart track had opened up a few miles from home and our children’s friends had gone there and had a great time, our children might well ask us to take them there. If they knew that we often took the family out on special outings similar to this, they’d have reason to hope for a yes, although they couldn’t be sure. After all, there might be factors that they’re not aware of that would cause us to say no or not yet – factors such as the family budget, other plans for the weekend, or safety concerns.

This parallel holds true when our children request things from God. There are many things outlined in the Bible that God has already said he’ll either give us or agree to. For example, God has told us again and again that he’ll meet our basic needs – needs for food, clothing, shelter, and so on. And we know that he has instructed us, for our own good, to follow his principles – but he has also said that he’ll help us learn to follow those principles. So if we ask God to help us always tell the truth or be a better friend, or learn to say only kind things, or control our anger, we know that the answer is predetermined: it’s yes. We’ll call these prayers “yes prayers.”

There are many yes prayers outlined in the Bible. As we’ve discussed, the Bible helps us know who God is, what he’s like, and what he’s willing to do. That’s why getting to know and read our Bible is essential for developing a strong prayer life and a close relationship with God. As we get to know the Bible better, we’ll know more about what we can ask God for and anticipate a yes.

But there are also requests to which we can anticipate receiving a definite no from God, as the Bible shows. We’ll call these requests “no prayers.” For example, the Bible says that God is love and that we’re to forgive people who wrong us. Understanding that, we know that if we get really made at someone and pray that god will punish him or her on our behalf, the answer will be no.

The majority of things that our children talk to God about fall into the same category as the majority of things they talk to us about: they’re prayers that might get a yes answer or might get a no answer: We’ll call them “maybe prayers.” Occasionally the parallel breaks down here, unfortunately, because we’re less than perfect as parents. Our children may ask us for something that’s actually perfectly reasonable. Thinking just of them, we should give a yes answer, but the answer becomes no because to grant the request would greatly inconvenience us, or perhaps we’re just too tired to do the work required of a yes response.

Whenever our children ask God for something reasonable and there’s no reason that they shouldn’t have it, the answer will be yes. But as in the go-cart example, there are many times that a maybe prayer receives a no answer or a not yet answer from God because he knows the bigger picture: he knows how the answer will affect us, he knows our life schedule, and he knows whether a yes answer to this request would take us in the wrong direction. He knows what’s good for us and what isn’t, and what’s safe and what isn’t. God hears and responds to every one of our maybe prayers, but we need to help our children realize that he answers according to his greater knowledge of who we are, where we are, and where we’re going. But we can always be sure that his answer is in our best interest.

At some point your children might wonder; If all of this is true, then why pray? Why not just let what’s going to happen, happen? The parallel drawn earlier between your children asking you and them asking God will help you answer this question. Although your kids can trust you, if they never let you know what they wanted or expressed their interests and preferences, they’d end up missing out on a lot that you’d have been willing to give them if they’d talked to you about it.

Nothing gets by God. He knows what we need and desire, but because he gave us a will and wants a relationship with us in which we express our interests, preferences, and desires, he doesn’t automatically do things in our life. The New Testament writer James sums if up by saying, “You don’t have what you want, because you don’t ask God” (James 4:2). When it comes to yes prayers and maybe prayers, God wants us to talk to him and ask him for things, and he wants to do the things that we’d like in our life. It’s a partnership, a relationship.

Help your kids understand that, that is the way God set it up, and that’s the way he made it work. The more we talk to him and spend time getting to know him and letting him know what it is that we want and need, the more he does in our lives.

To further help your child understand who God is, I recommend the book: Talking to Your Children About God.

Don’t you adore the beauty of a manger scene: Mother, husband and child all looking so incredibly serene, backlit by the luminous soft glow of lamplight. Comfortably cuddled in a rustic, but poetically picture-perfect stable. Wholly contented, well-groomed farm animals all gazing on in rapt attention alongside a reverent audience of admiring onlookers. Everyone dressed in their finest garments, all colored with the same delicate and matching peaceful pastel colors. It’s all so perfect and romantic!

If you’ve already detected a gentle note of sarcasm, you need to hear that I know that these beautiful scenes are the work of well meaning and talented artists, who are merely trying to capture the wonder of this amazing moment.

However, most of us know that the wise men didn’t arrive until close to two years later, the stable was likely a not so picture-perfect cave cut into the hillside, the shepherds had just run from the fields and were very possibly not wearing their temple-best, and the animals were more than probably smelly and not quite so attentive.

Granted, the luminous back lighting is probably accurate.

How about Mom and Dad? Although I’m sure that Mary and Joseph were elated by the confirmations that God sent through the local visitors and in awe of their first born child, was everything parent-perfect in Bethlehem? First you have to remember that Mary and Joseph were normal people and regular parents who struggled with many of the same issues that we struggle with.

Now, if you can, put aside the traditional imagery and try to imagine yourself in Mary and Joseph’s sandals, and see if you can get an idea of what things were really like for these new parents. Honestly ask yourself, what would you be going through and feeling if this had been you.

Although accepting, Mary and Joseph were probably struggling with the fact that their childhood visions of marriage, family and happily-ever-after had been irretrievably altered by God’s agenda for the planet. Mary was close to full term and in that stage where, with everything inside her, she wanted the baby to be outside of her. They probably feared for the lives of Mary and the baby because there were some who thought that Mary should be stoned because her baby was conceived out of wedlock. Also, their story about the virgin birth was most likely met with skepticism even amongst those who knew them, which probably made them feel largely alone.

Then according to the decree of a government that their people were oppressed by, they had to hop on a donkey, possibly putting their new family in jeopardy and make a long trip through the hot desert to go be involved in a census—and who likes those things!

When they finally reached this small, seedy town (according to history, it wasn’t the nicest place to be) far, far away, they would have been feeling the heat, stress and exhaustion from the journey. On top of all that, they were very likely aware that their baby would soon make an appearance and they couldn’t find a vacancy anywhere. (Stop, are you seriously imagining what you’d be going through and what this real mom and dad would be feeling or have you slipped back into the romanticized traditions? Work with me here.)

You’re feeling alone and probably outcast. You’re hot, smelly and tired from a long road trip on a donkey that you did not want to take. Your baby is about to arrive, your probably in need of some home cooked food, and you’re looking forward to a comfortable Inn. Instead, you’re ushered into a cave where the locals bed down their animals. You get settled in, probably hoping that this is all very temporary, and then go into labor. To your dismay, there’s nowhere else to go and there’s no one around to help with the delivery. So your husband is elected in the heat of the moment to deliver your child in the modern-day equivalent of a barn.

Finally the baby arrives. You’re exhausted and ready for some alone time with your beautiful child. You’re also ready for a week’s worth of sleep, hopefully a bath and just then a crowd of sweaty shepherds show up for a visit!

Mary and Joseph were regular people and normal parents. Although I don’t see much of a lesson in the traditional romanticized manger scene, I see a wonderful example for parents today in the reality of what probably happened.

Let me give you a little background. Genesis records that when God first made everything he said it was good. In the beginning, before sin, it was all about God’s blessings, loving him and loving others, marriage, children, eating, working, living and laughing. God created life for us and created within us the matching desire for all of the wonderful joys of this life.

Unfortunately, the record of Genesis didn’t leave us there. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin and its devastating effects into all of our hearts and lives and into this world.

Jesus repaired what Adam and Eve broke. He gave his life so that everyone of us would again have the opportunity to have our sins forgiven and to live in our heavenly Father’s presence and blessings. However, we still live in a fallen world full of sin and its effects and we’re living in the middle of a war for the souls of billions of our fellow humans. God’s desire is to see all men saved and that desire has been placed in our hearts by God’s Holy Spirit.

So now we live with two God given desires that can often seem to be in conflict. The desire to fully live and enjoy life, and the desire to sacrifice all of that in order to reach out to a broken world.

Jesus addressed this conflict when he called us to seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and then told us that all of these things (the things of life that he created for us) would be given to us as well. (Matthew 6:33) Have you ever thought of this verse in the context of parenting and family life?

Notice that he didn’t say that life, children, family etc. were to be ignored or not enjoyed, but only that his Kingdom priorities had to be put first. Which of course makes sense. If you were to live in a country at war, your first difficult priority would be to secure your country otherwise how could you and your family possibly enjoy your life.

Today as Christian people and parents, we struggle weekly with the same conflict and it can be tough to find the balance. We want our children to have a fun life and to be happy, but we don’t want them to get mixed up in the world. We’d like to think that they can enjoy all of the world’s multimedia offerings and not be adversely affected, but we know better. We all love to sleep in on the weekends, but we know that attending church is part of God’s plan for strengthening our families and preparing us for the battle. Each one of us would like to see our children with comfortable, high paying careers, but we also know that it’s God’s will for their lives that’s more important. We are regularly faced with life choices that have us choosing between what we think could give our families a better life, and what is right or what we feel God wants us to do.

Until we realize that the conflict is normal, we sometimes beat ourselves up about it and think that if we were just better Christians, we wouldn’t struggle with these issues. The truth is God wants to bless us and have us learn, laugh, love and live our lives full of his joy and presence, but we are also called to further his Kingdom and he understands that the two often seem to be in conflict.

It’s not always easy to live life or find the right balance when we live with a Wal-Mart flyer in one hand and a book on ‘How Your Family Can Help Win the World for Christ’ in the other. It’s naturally a struggle and every one of us parents (not just you) is trying to find the balance everyday!

An ideal example of this struggle is how we fight to find balance in our Christmas celebrations. In our minds, one side of the equation fights for making Christmas the most fun for our family that it can possibly be. The other side fights for meaning and reminds us of the great opportunity Christmas offers us to reach out to others with love, aid, and the Gospel message. Many of us even struggle to find a balance between time spent focused on Jesus, and time spent focused on Santa and presents. However, if we recognize that it’s normal to struggle with this because both desires are God inspired, then instead of running to one side of the boat or the other and getting our family out of balance, we work towards finding a good mix of both for our family celebrations.

Plan the times of great fun and enjoyment around the moments of meaning, sacrifice and reaching out. Nice gifts for everyone on Christmas morning, but also a family evening packing wonderful things into a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child to deliver to a poor child somewhere in the world. Enjoying your churches Christmas play, but also helping out and inviting someone who hasn’t responded to the Gospel message yet. Putting up lots of fun and beautiful decorations, but also placing a nice manger scene front and center. Serve a large turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but also inviting someone who would not have had a family Christmas dinner otherwise.

When we do these things, get our children involved, and explain why we’re doing them, it helps our children to understand the natural conflict between the joy of living, and the need to focus first on God’s Kingdom and his righteousness.

I really do love manger scenes. I keep mine up all year round. However, the romanticized perfect picture of what Mary and Joseph lived through is not real and can get us thinking that real life, God’s holy calling and purposes are somehow two completely separate things that can’t exist together. It’s not true. Mary and Joseph were very real people who also struggled to live and enjoy their lives and family while they obeyed God, and joined in the fight for billions of souls.

So next time you look at a manger scene, imagine a little dirt on the floor, a look of exhaustion on Mary’s face and a real life struggle in Joseph’s mind, and feel encouraged—you’re in good company!

I used to get upset when I saw people replace the word ‘Christmas’ with ‘Xmas.’ I saw this abbreviation as another attempt to cross Christ out of Christmas. After blustering on about this at some length to all that would listen, I decided that I’d look up the origin and meaning of the little offensive word in order to give myself more bluster ammo. I was embarrassed, yet relieved, to find out that the word was not an anti Christ conspiracy after all. The symbol ‘X’ is simply a Greek abbreviation the represents the word ‘Christ’ and therefore Jesus, and has been around and used by Christians for hundreds of years.

Although I still believe that Xmas has become a clever way to stay politically correct, I learned a valuable lesson about ranting and raving before I’ve done a little research. Which brings me to the point of my blog;

I was shocked to learn that apparently 85% of kids under 8 are led to believe in a ‘literal’ Santa. Given the percentage of us who claim to be Christians, that means that many Christian children believe that Santa Claus celebrates Jesus’ birthday.This gives rise to meaningful questions such as, who is Saint Nicholas? How did he become Santa Claus? Is he an affront to the true meaning of Christmas and as Christian parents, what should we tell our kids about him? But before I bluster, let’s look at the history.

Nicholas was an actual person who lived in what is present day Turkey, about 300 years after Jesus walked the earth. He was the son of a rich noble man and inherited much when his parents died. He was a very devout man who served God all of his life. He was especially known for his generosity. One legend says that when Nicholas heard of a man who could not afford to marry off his daughters because they had no dowry, he conspired to secretly help. As each daughter came of age, Nicholas threw a small bag of gold through the window for her dowry. The third and final gift landed in the girl’s stocking which was hung by the fire to dry. This time the father caught and thanked Nicholas and the word spread. Consequently, for many years after, anonymous gifts were thought to have come from Nicholas.

Several miracles were attributed to Nicholas while he was alive and his reputation spanned several countries. After he died, December 6th was named Saint Nicholas day and children left out stockings or shoes the night before, and in the morning they were full of either goodies or coal (an antiquated and bad parenting idea). The stocking legend is of course the original origin of our modern day Christmas stocking.

The truth of Saint Nicholas was mixed with other myths and legends over many years and truth took a back seat to fiction. During the reformation when the Protestant Church was distinguishing and distancing itself from the Catholic church, Saint Nicholas (who since his death had become a Catholic Saint) was blessed (in several countries) with different posthumous name changes. With the name change came the need to change the new character’s history and resumé. Therefore (over a period of time), many of the non historic myths surrounding Saint Nicholas were adopted and added to the season’s celebrations. In short, protestants who didn’t want to believe in the real Saint Nicholas gave him a name change and started promoting the idea of believing in a fictional character. (Anyone else see some irony here.)

The Dutch had changed Saint Nicholas’ name to Sinter Claus and when they emigrated to New Amsterdam (which later became New York), the name’s English pronunciation eventually morphed into Santa Claus. Our idea of Santa grew from there. Clement Clarke Moore, another devout Christian, wrote a poem he called, ‘A Visit From St. Nicholas.’ Today it is known as ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ That poem pulled together some of these myths and ideas that had originally come from the life of St. Nicholas and/or had been changed and added to the protestant version. It attempted to weave them into one fun tale that Moore wrote as a lark for his children. He called the poem a ‘mere trifle’ and he’d roll over in his grave if he knew that for many families, it had become a replacement for the real Christmas story.

Saint Nicholas day was and is still celebrated in many countries around the world. However, here in North America, we blended all the myths and legends surrounding Saint Nicholas and/or Santa Claus (as they were brought here from other countries like Holland) with our Christmas celebration.

Over the years, advertisers, authors, TV shows and movies have further shaped the myth of Santa Claus into the story we tell our children today.

That is perhaps an over simplified history, but it serves its purpose which was to allow me to bluster. So let me begin. For the sake of brevity (because I tend to get long winded when I’m blustering), I’ll frame my thoughts in the form of three simple answers to three complicated questions.

Shouldn’t Christmas be simply about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

As Christians celebrating Christmas, we should make great efforts to keep Jesus at the center of Christmas. I always put the manger scene front and center. When my children were younger, we always read the Christmas story from the Bible either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning. We would pray and focus on Christ before we opened presents and before each holiday meal, we took extra time to thank him for his wonderful gift. We also talk about the Christian origins of the Christmas Tree and Stocking.

Isn’t it wrong and possibly damaging to children to lie to them about Santa Claus?

This is an age-old question and one that has sparked many arguments. Studies have been commissioned and concluded that no lasting damage is done to kids who have been raised with this deception. The main argument supporting the deception is that it’s a cultural, just-for-fun lie, propagated by the whole population and not a parental deception alone. Therefore, it should not negatively affect a child’s trust for his or her parents. Unfortunately, this argument doesn’t deal with all of the issues.

Although I wouldn’t go as far as to say that you are wrong if you tell your children that Santa Claus (as we know him) is real, I will tell you I think you’re missing out on something greater.

First, the story of Santa Claus (which we’ve been embellishing with new imaginative ideas for hundreds of years) tends to be more exciting to a young child then the manger story. If your child is keyed into believing that Santa, elves, Rudolph and a BIG bag of toys are real, for them Christmas will be mainly about Santa and toys. 

Next, I think we do our children a disservice when we don’t expect them to understand or know truth from error until they are eight or ten. These are the formative years where our children are learning more than they’ll learn for the rest of their lives. When Jesus was twelve, he was wowing the religious leaders with his understanding of the truth. Furthermore, I don’t think we should ever lie to our children (or anyone else) about anything. God’s Word is clear on that topic.

Finally, I think that a practice that is based on two very faulty foundations (using a lie to control your child’s behavior [if they're bad they won't get a visit from Santa] and wanting to distance ourselves from the real Saint Nicholas because he was Catholic) should perhaps be rethought. Also, there’s a way to have all the fun without lying to our children..

Is it possible to have a Christ-centered Christmas and still enjoy some of the fanciful cultural excitement known as Santa Claus?

Yes! After reading the brief history of Santa Claus, it becomes evident why a reported 85% of parents today lie to their kids about Santa. One lie leads to another. It started out with telling 4th and 5th century kids that St. Nick might fill their stockings if they were good. Then protestants didn’t want to promote a Catholic Saint, but they still wanted the holiday so they expanded the deception.

Could we get back to the truth, parent well and endorse a great man of God without caring what church he attended?

Try this, tell your children about the real Saint Nicholas and the origins of the Christmas Stocking. Instead of telling them that they have to be good to get stuff, teach them what Saint Nicholas knew; God wants us to be generous and to give to others unselfishly like God did when he gave us his only Son. Now start a tradition of everyone putting little gifts in each other’s stockings.

Tell your kids how today’s Santa came about but don’t bah humbug the whole thing. Focus on the real Saint Nicholas but let the rest of the story ride as a bit of cultural fun. My kids always knew the truth but we gave a place for the imaginary add-ons. Do children enjoy Disney’s animated movies or the fiction books that we read them any less because they know that they’re not real stories? We as a family built snowmen and sang about frosty, we watched the animated Christmas shows and we included the silly and fun Christmas songs in with the traditional ones when we played our Christmas music. Before the kids went to bed, they put out cookies and coffee for Santa. We probably had more fun with this than anyone else because everyone knew it was a charade and played it up to the hilt, with winks and nods and the kids pretending to be suspicious about how Saint Nick seemed to like his coffee exactly how dad liked it, and lots more joking.

In the end, our Christmases were more focused on Jesus’ birth because my children knew what was real and important and what was just for fun.

Many years ago as a young Christian (when I was prone to bluster before the research was done), I used to call Santa and his elves, Satan Claus and his demons. However, I’m older now and hopefully a little wiser. I know the truth and that’s exactly what I’ve told my kids and will be telling my Grandkids. The truth and I plan on continuing to have a ton of fun celebrating our Lord’s birth in the culture we live in.

Rick Osborne (www.rick-osborne.com)

Almost two weeks ago while driving through our neighborhood in the evening, I saw something in a front window of a house we were passing that caused a second look. A Christmas tree already set up – and it was just past the middle of November! The next evening my eyes were immediately drawn to 2 other houses that had their Christmas lights up. Again the following evening, a few more houses were lit up and so on and so on. The Christmas season had begun (well at least in our neck of the woods).

These early birds obviously love this time of year and enjoy extending it out as long as possible. On the other hand, there are also those who find the season stressful and only start to think about Christmas a week before the 25th and then everything is over the day after boxing day.

Christmas can mean different things to different people. For some it’s about snow, pretty lights, decorated christmas trees, gifts, or fun with family and friends. As Christians however, we should never lose sight of the importance and impact of God sending his own son down to earth for us, and then to also die for us so that we would have the privilege to know him, be taught by him, be changed by him, and be loved by him. We should be celebrating Jesus and keeping our thoughts turned towards him and acting out of a heart full of love and thankfulness towards others.

There are many reminders during the Christmas season that help direct our thoughts in the right direction. Our family has a nativity scene in our home that we keep up year round but at Christmas, it gets center stage. There are also many other traditional symbols that most people think are secular but actually have roots in the Christian faith. The Christmas Tree, Stockings and Candy Canes are examples and the traditional legends surrounding them all point to Jesus. They are wonderful stories to tell your children at Christmas time and every time you look at one of them, you can also be reminded of God’s love for you. Do you know the stories? Not to worry, we have them handy here for you and encourage you to print them off or forward them to your friends. How much brighter and happier our Christmas will be this year as our thoughts are focused on Jesus.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

CHRISTIAN PARENTING DAILY

(Recommended book – ages 4 to 8)

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE started over a thousand years ago when a Monk named Boniface used a small evergreen tree to teach people about God. First God is the creator, he created the tree. Next God is eternal like an evergreen tree is ever green. Also God is three in one, like the one tree forms a triangle and has three points. Soon after that, churches were bringing trees inside to help them teach like Boniface did.

Next during the middle ages, the church celebrated Adam and Eve day on December 24th. They would bring in and decorate evergreen trees with apples and twists of bread and use them to teach about the trees in the Garden of Eden and original sin.

Many centuries later, while walking home one winter night, Martin Luther saw icicles hanging off an evergreen tree and reflecting light. It reminded him that Jesus was the light of the world. So at Christmas time, he put up a tree in his home and put candles on it to represent Jesus.

Soon after that, people in Europe began putting up and decorating beautiful Christmas trees much like we do today to celebrate the wonder of Jesus coming to the earth to rescue us from our sins.

Boniface used the trees to teach about who God is and that he is our creator. The Adam and Eve tree taught about man’s fall in the Garden. Martin Luther went on to use lights to help the tree represent Jesus, the light of the world and complete the story. Then others added more decorations in celebration of all Jesus is and did. The tree is a reminder of God, creation, the fall, Jesus and the celebration of our salvation!

(Recommended book – ages 4 to 8)

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING began in present-day Turkey about 300 hundred years after Jesus was born. The exact details of the story have been lost, but legend tells us that Nicholas anonymously gave three bags of gold to a man whose daughters could not get married because he had no dowry. The last bag of gold reportedly landed in the youngest daughter’s stocking. Thus the tradition of putting gifts in stockings began.

Nicholas served God his entire life. His many generous deeds demonstrated God’s love and inspired people everywhere to give unselfishly.

Slowly over a period of time his name and appearance changed. In England, Saint Nicholas became Father Christmas. Today we call him Santa Claus, which came from the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas. In the early 1800s, the placing of gifts in stockings was moved from Saint Nicholas Eve, December 6, and became part of our Christmas celebration.

Behind the legends that the real Saint Nicholas inspired was the true meaning of Christmas: God gave us his only Son because he loves us. God wants us to show his love by giving to others and caring for them.

(Recommended book – ages 4 to 8)
THE LEGEND OF THE CANDY CANE was born over 350 years ago when mothers used white sugar sticks as pacifiers for their babies. Around 1670, the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, bent the sticks into canes to represent a shepherd’s staff. He then used these white candy canes to keep the attention of small children during the long Nativity service.

The use of candy canes during the Christmas service spread throughout Europe. In northern Europe, sugar canes decorated with sugar roses were used to brighten the home at Christmas time.

In the mid 1800s, the candy cane arrived in the United States when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster, Ohio, decorated his spruce tree with paper ornaments and white sugar canes.

The red stripe was added to the candy cane at the turn of the century, when peppermint and wintergreen were added and became the traditional flavors for the candy cane. Some sources say that a candy maker in Indiana developed the candy cane as a witness of Christ’s love. While we may never know the full history of the candy cane, we can share in the truth behind its symbol, the truth of Christ’s birth and redemption, and the gift of his love.

GENRES: Kids/Family and Animation

TIME: 1 hr. 37 minutes

RATED: G

OUR THOUGHTS ON THIS MOVIE

(Recommended Age Group: all ages)

We really enjoyed this movie, however after seeing the obese humans on their hover couches, a few of us were thinking that perhaps a little exercise would do us some good. Although you can glean that message from the movie, (too much couch potatoing and computer chair potatoing can lead to obesity), that’s not the message of the movie.

The movie contrasts the love relationship between two hard working robots with the humans of the future who have become so linked into entertainment, social media and gaming that they’ve all but forgotten what it’s like to have face to face interpersonal relationships. Wall-E causes a woman’s holographic computer screen to disengage and she seems to see the world around her for the first time. The same happens with a guy named John and when the two of them meet and accidentally hold hands (something the screen writers use as a wonderful symbol of personal interaction and relationship), they look like they’re discovering something foreign but wonderful.

There are some great talking point opportunities in this movie. Here are a few:

Discuss how the movie is not saying that TV, gaming and the internet are bad, it’s saying that interpersonal relationships are better. Discuss why they’re better and what kind of balance we should look for.

Wall-E, after being alone for hundreds of years, recognizes the value of another person’s company, attention and love and he’s willing to put in the effort and work it takes to get it. Discuss how valuable the relationships in our lives can be and how we need to put time, love and effort in if we really want them to be rewarding.

Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others. Discuss how since God is love and therefore completely unselfish, what he tells us is always for our own good not his. Therefore, the two things that he says are most important, must hold the two greatest blessings as well. Loving growing relationships with God and others (interpersonal relationships) are truly the greatest gifts and rewards this life has to offer.

The movie is a good reminder to us parents as well. Limiting and or nagging our kids about time in front of objects with screens is perhaps not as effectual as teaching them about the wonders of relationships and encouraging them to spend more face-to-face time. If your older kids tell you that they’re doing that through the internet, let them know that that’s great, but not the same. Like Wall-E showed us, if you can’t hold the other person’s hand (connect with them person to person) it’s just not the same level of relationship.

If your kids are very young and they don’t like being moved out from in front of their screened instruments, try drawing them away with some planned relational time with you. Young children learn the value of interpersonal relationships by experiencing the joy of hanging out with their parents and receiving their attention.

This movie is a keeper and would make a great Christmas present.

The soundtrack is also amazing and a recommended purchase for great family music. Here’s what Wikipedia says about the soundtrack.

“WALL-E is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, mainly composed by Thomas Newman and released on June 24, 2008. Orchestration is credited to Carl Johnson, JAC Redford, Thomas Pasatieri, and Gary K. Thomas. Newman previously scored Finding Nemo; almost all other Pixar films have been scored by Newman’s cousin Randy. The soundtrack features excerpts from “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” and “It Only Takes a Moment” (both sung by Michael Crawford) from the Hello, Dolly! soundtrack, and “La Vie en Rose” by Louis Armstrong, as well as an original composition, “Down to Earth” by Peter Gabriel. Also featured are the classical pieces “Also Sprach Zarathustra” and “The Blue Danube”, famous by their appearance on the soundtrack of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Neither Etta James’s cover of the song, At Last, nor Aquarela do Brasil which were used in the theatrical trailers appeared on the final cut of the film or the soundtrack.”