Tag Archives: author Patti Greene

Parenting and Family

Family Traditions for the Christmas Season

Family traditions are a treasure during the Christmas season.It is amazing what you find when you start cleaning out files (I am speaking of file folders – the old manila ones that we used to use religiously). I pulled out these files from the garage that I haven’t looked at for 20+ years. One of the items I found was a list of family Christmas traditions that I typed up (with a real typewriter) in

It is amazing what you find when you start cleaning out files (I am speaking of file folders – the old manila ones that we used to use religiously). I pulled out these files from the garage that I haven’t looked at for 20+ years. One of the items I found was a list of family Christmas traditions that I typed up (with a real typewriter) in December, 1989 for our Sunday School Class at First Baptist Church, Humble, TX.

So, knowing that Christmas is around the corner, I am going to share family traditions with you now in hopes that maybe, just maybe, you will find one or two Christmas traditions to start in your family.

1. Read Christmas books and bedtime stories around the tree. It is best if you cuddle up in a blanket too.

2. Give each child a Christmas ornament annually, so that when they leave home, they will have their own childhood ornaments to take with them as they start their family.

3. Have a birthday party for Jesus. Let your children invite some friends over for a Jesus birthday party. Serve cake and ice-cream, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, blow out candle, etc. Give out Christian party treats. Each child could bring a Christmas book to exchange.

4. Tie Christmas bows on your pets.

5. Show videos of past Christmases.

6. If you put Christmas apples (or fruit) on the tree, talk about the fall of Adam.

7. Go Christmas caroling with the family. But, be safe!

8. Have a Christmas photo taken each year of the entire family together. Over the years, you can see how much you all have matured/aged. LOL.

9.Old-Fashioned –  Make separate photo albums for your Christmas photos. Date each yearly section of photos. Then during the Christmas season, leave the albums out so all the family members can look and recall previous Christmases.
New-Fashioned – Save Christmas photos on separate flash drives and have them scroll on a photo picture frame during the Christmas season.

10. On Christmas Eve, give everyone a new pair of pajamas to wear that evening. That way, everyone has a nice new pair of pajamas on for the pictures on Christmas morning. You can vary the themes each year. One year we had all camo pajamas; another all college-wear.

11. Drive around and look at the lights in your neighborhood. Take a widow or elderly neighbor or church member with you.

12. Use an Advent wreath or an Advent calendar.

13. Save your previous year Christmas cards for art projects.

14. Purchase a plastic manger, including all the Biblical characters, so that even the youngest member of the family can play with it. Keep it accessible throughout the holiday season.

15. Read Luke 2:1-20 (The Christmas Story) on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. If you have an old family Bible, it is a great time to use it.

16. Bring a meal and/or gifts to a needy family.

17. Give favor coupons as gifts wrapped in Christmas boxes. Ex. Good for one free babysitting night.

18. Decide on one family to have over for dinner and/or desserts.

19. Start a Christmas diary. Write down a description of your holiday season each year. Be sure to note all the cute or unusual comments the children make.

20. Light candles for your Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner.

21. Have a Christmas bulb hunt – similar to an Easter egg hunt. Then, let each child hang the bulbs they find on the tree.

22. Have a cookie exchange party. Each person who is invited brings 4 dozen “homemade” cookies. Then, after some fellowship time, each person takes home 4 dozen different cookies from all the varieties brought. The host makes more cookies so cookies can be eaten at the party.

23.  Make a birthday cake for Jesus. Allow each member of the family to participate in decorating it.

24. Wrap each child or grandchild’s gift with a different designed paper. Tell them what their wrapping paper looks like. They will enjoy the anticipation seeing the various gifts awaiting them.

25. Merry Christmas.

c2013 Patti Greene

Merry Christmas Everyone!
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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com

Christian Living, Life Issues

Dealing with a Crisis

Many country crisis situations occur in Nigeria. One is a crisis going on right now at the Lagos Airport Cargo Terminal. Last week, custom clearing agents, who worked in the cargo section of the Muhammed International Airport, assaulted officials of the Nigeria Customs Service who came for an inspection of their warehouse.

Armored personnel were called in and many were severely injured during this violent clash. The end result was that cargo terminals have been closed while terminal security management figures out how to handle random people entering the cargo area, violence, inadequate national security issues, and how to clear the terminal of “unwanted” elements. The bottom line is that airport security at the terminal needs to be improved, but many are furious that the terminal buildings have been shut affecting  both revenues and companies that have their cargo currently locked up affecting goods purchased for their Christmas sales – including perishable items.  With criminals jumping fences and illegal access to gates that are not policed, this crisis has become a totally chaotic situation.

A newspaper article in This Day Live entitled Taming the Crisis at Lagos Airport Cargo Terminal says the main concerns with this crisis are:

–          A Porous Facility

–          An Inadequate Security, and

–          A Lasting Solution

That is exactly what happens in our lives when we are dealing with an insurmountable crisis that has become chaotic and uncontrollable.  When a crisis reaches that level, we need to check where the holes are, find the full-proof security, and come up with a lasting solution.

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First, you need to analyze what is coming into your life porously causing the instability and confusion. Are ungodly influences in your life? Have you been involved in any sinful behavior? Are your attitudes towards people or your circumstances entering your mind causing disruption in how you see your crisis? Second, where is your security? Is your solution to the crisis based on Jesus Christ? Have you confessed your sins and placed your security in the arms of your blessed Lord and Savior? Doing this will fill the inadequate security problem in our lives. When Jesus Christ is leading our lives, our security creates stability and assurance that God will take over and handle our problem. Finally, the lasting solution is in trusting God and seeking His will and His way out. It may involve making changes, require apologies, and/or disassociating from undesirable individuals. Reading the Bible and asking God to speak to you about your problem will bring you peace and a lasting solution to your crisis, but you must obey His Word and His leading as it is shown to you.

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Plugging up the holes that create porosity, finding the appropriate security in Jesus Christ, and trusting that God can provide a long-lasting solution is the means your crisis can be overcome and maintained.

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com

 

Life Issues

Saying Goodbye

I just spent the final 30 minutes saying goodbye to my driver Lucky. Today we are leaving our expat assignment in Nigeria to move back to the United States. Yes, almost all expats in Lagos, Nigeria must have drivers for safety reasons. Lucky and I sat in the hotel lobby chatting. I shared how much I appreciated his service and love towards us. You see, Lucky is a believer. He is also a pastor. He was also our driver. We both needed each other for the time we had together. Going above and beyond his job description was Lucky’s forte. He would lay out Christian books and magazines for me to read on the backseat of the car. He would play Christian music for me as we drove around if I requested it. He would answer my deep theological questions. Lucky was not only our driver, but a brother in Christ. He shared that when we first came to Lagos my husband became like a father to him. His father died when he was 10 years old. He had no uncles or cousins to fill his father’s void. Per Lucky, my husband became that father figure to him. Have you ever noticed that it is in the final moments with someone, we tend to share our deepest thoughts? It could be the last minutes before you leave your child at college for the first time, it could be during the mother-son wedding dance, and it could be your final moments with a loved one before they pass away. In our final moments, Lucky and I encouraged each other by expressing our love and gratitude for each other. We both confirmed why God drew our families together. We also agreed that The Lord knows why we are being separated. Our most honest thoughts were shared in this final meeting. Now, let’s look at three of Jesus’ last earthly “cry outs” on earth. What did he share before his earthly separation from the people God created Him to serve and be an example to? First, before Jesus’ arrest, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, “Eli Eli, lema sabachthani? That is, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Secondly, at his crucifixion, Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:45) Finally, at his death, Jesus called out with a loud voice saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) Whenever we depart from friends, families, jobs, let’s “pretend” that those moments might be our last moments with them. Let’s use our words wisely and follow Jesus’ example by saying only words and phrases that are heartfelt, meaningful, and Godly.

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using our BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com

Life Issues, Medical

Accidents

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Tony Evans tells the story about the cowboy who applied for health insurance. The agent routinely asked him, “Have you ever had any accidents?” The cowboy replied, “Well, no, I’ve not had any accidents. I was bitten by a rattlesnake once, and a horse did kick me in the ribs. That laid me up for a while, but I haven’t had any accidents.” The agent said, “Wait a minute. I’m confused. A rattlesnake bit you, and a horse kicked you. Weren’t those accidents?” “No, they did that on purpose.” Now that makes us laugh, but honestly accidents do happen.

There is a difference between accidents, mistakes, and sin. Accidents happen unexpectedly and unintentionally. Mistakes usually occur by judgment errors, misinterpretations, or by not paying attention to details. Sin occurs when we disobey the moral and Biblical instructions put forth in the Holy Bible.

Sometimes accidents kill. If you are reading this blog and you have experienced that type of accident with someone you know and love, I am so sorry. Three weeks ago my nephew’s good friend Adam was hit by a car when the driver failed to yield to the motorcycle he was on – killing him. My nephew was speechless that something like that could have been so easily preventable. We just don’t have the words for it.

But, today we are going to look at suffering and pain from the viewpoint of accidents, i.e. running into a concrete wall during basketball practice, being hit by lightning, electrical accidents. We are going to look at accidents that fortunately are not unto death. We must first understand that accidents do happen! They can happen because of risky behavior or they can happen without warning – with or without any ability on our part to avoid them. While we or a loved one may be in unrelenting or searing pain, the results are left in God’s hands. We know this because Jeremiah says, “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcomes.”

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we will be free from accidents. Mistakes and sins we can avoid, but not accidents. Sometimes accidents can’t be explained. Other times they are for a purpose – to test our faith – to keep us from evil – to increase our character – to help someone else in their faith walk.

A few years ago The Bama Group Research did a survey asking people what they would like to ask God. The number one question was that people wanted to ask God is “Why He allows pain and suffering in this world.” People usually ask that question when they are in the midst of a crisis situation or they are philosophically looking for an answer to the question. Either way, the question is asked frequently.
As a believer, when you are encountering pain and suffering due to an accident, how should you react to it?

–       Start by having others pray for you. You may need to have a family member or friend contact believers to pray for you. [You may or may not be in any condition yourself to be praying at this point and that is okay.] Having others pray for you is importance for two reasons. Others are encouraged to enter a season of prayer, which they may or may not have been utilizing in their Christian walk. And secondly, God hears the healing prayers of the righteous.  On a practical note, I love the phrase I have heard by Aaron Armstrong in Blogging Theologically. He says, “If any among you are sick, pray and get them to a doctor.”

–       Recognize that Jesus understands our pain, because he suffered himself.

–       Thank God for the strength to keep going – hour by hour, day by day, week by week, or month by month.

–       Don’t blame God for your accident. Accidents happen unexpectedly through tragedies, disasters, and untimely incidents.

–       Work hard NOT to become like King Ahaz in the Old Testament whose distress made him become more unfaithful the Lord. (2 Chronicles 28:22)

–       Recognize that God allows everything for his glory.

During and after a time of pain and suffering, many have said they have become more confident in their walk with the Lord and they feel a deeper compassion towards people. When explaining the Godly results of suffering, Mary J. Yerkes states it best in her article When We Suffer: A Biblical Perspective on Chronic Pain and Illness.Yerkes states:

– Suffering produces intimacy with God (Job 42:5)

– Suffering equips us to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

– Suffering refines us. (Isaiah 48:10)

– Suffering produces growth and maturity (James 1:2-4)

– Suffering conforms us into God’s image (Romans 8:28-29)

Let’s all try to look at accidents in this way from now on. As I mentioned accidents will happen. Your child may fall off a balance beam and break their arm; you may swallow some money; or you may flip your bike doing wheelies. Whatever it is, let’s remember that God knows what has happened and He is there to get you through your pain, and to show you His intended purposes.

God bless you.
Patti Greene

Bible Verses:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 ESV

Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1 Peter 5:9-10 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5 ESV

Quotations:

As I look back over fifty years of ministry, I recall innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. But through it all, the Lord has proven faithful, loving, and totally true to all his promises. David Wilkerson

I am not a theologian or a scholar, but I am very aware of the fact that pain is necessary to all of us. In my own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God. Elizabeth Elliot
God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, [n]or circumstances, [n]or any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son (See Romans 8:28-29).  Jerry Bridges

Prayer:
Dear Lord, Give refuge and strength to me (or a loved one) as I (she/he) have encountered a difficult blow leading to tremendous pain and suffering. You alone are my fortress and my rock. Be my comfort. Let me see light soon. Heal me. Show me the purpose in my suffering. When I am healed, let me be used by YOU in a new and mighty way. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using the BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com