"Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day"
When people ask me what my favorite holiday is, I always say Thanksgiving. I don’t know that deep down Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday, but I feel sorry for it. There it is, sandwiched between the candy, costumes, and trick-or-treat of Halloween and the gifts, glitz, and glamour of Christmas. How is a simple, mostly non-commercialized holiday like Thanksgiving supposed to compete?READ More on Teaching Children The Meaning of ThanksgivingFiled under Family, Holidays, Thanksgiving by 
by Stacey Schifferdecker
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, but the idea of an annual celebration to thank God for his bounty stretches back through time and around the world. Here are some ways other cultures celebrate Thanksgiving. Maybe you can find some ideas to enrich your own family’s Thanksgiving celebration this year.
The ancient Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Chinese, and Egyptians all held harvest festivals and thanksgiving celebrations. These celebrations continue today in various forms. Jewish families celebrate with a seven-day autumn harvest festival called Sukkoth. Sukkoth commemorates how God cared for Moses and the Hebrew people as they wandered in the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. During Sukkoth, families build small temporary huts out of branches and foliage. Inside the huts, they hang fruits and vegetables such as apples, grapes, corn, and pomegranates. A special ceremony is held each day to remember their Hebrew ancestors and to thank God for the harvest. Families eat in the hut at night and sometimes sleep there as well. READ More on Thanksgiving Around The World
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Christmas is so much easier – babies, sheep, angels, stars. It’s pretty much all about love and presents: things your kids can relate to. Sure there’s the nasty part where Herod kills the baby boys, but that’s not an essential part of the story and you can leave it out if you want to. 
Do you turn off the lights when you leave a room? Do you conserve water? If so, you are already doing good things to help the planet and building a better future for our kids. If you have encouraged your family to also adopt these practices, you are doing even more. Earth Day is April 22, 2010. Today! During Earth Week, thousands of people will be doing things to help the environment and “go green.” There are many little things that each of us can do to help the Earth. However, every day can, and should, be Earth Day. Try these activities and tips to help your family go green and build a greener future.
Living Green Around the House
- Plant a tree or grow a garden. Plants act as natural filtration systems. In short, they keep the air fresh and oxygenated. Keep them inside your home too to keep the inside are fresh.
- Turn off the lights. CO2 is the main contributing factor to global warming. Every time you use something electronic, use electricity, fire up your car or even take a shower (you water has to be heated) you are emitting CO2. Turn off the lights, take shorter showers, turn down your hot water heater and don’t let your car idle for more than one minute.
- Stop using plastic water bottles. You can recycle your plastic water bottles, but after being recycled several times, the plastic downgrades. Get a reusable canteen and go with glass jars for storage.
- Unplug. Electronic devices still use energy, even when they are turned off. Unplug your radio, stereo, blow dryer and television to save more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. This amounts to around $256 a year.
- Turn off the water. By simply turning off the tap when you are washing the dishes or brushing your teeth, you can save as much as 2.4 gallons of water – per minute. I admit, I am bad about this one but am working on it! I brush my teeth with my kids and they are now helping to keep me stright
- Dispose of batteries, paint, bleach and nail polish the right way. READ More on Happy Earth Day 2011! Green Living Tips for your Family
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by Stacey Schifferdecker
Have you heard the new Christmas song by Matthew West and Amy Grant called Give this Christmas Away? Every time I hear this song or see the video, it brings tears to my eyes.
The video is on the latest Veggie Tale DVD, St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving or you can see it on Youtube.
If you are inspired to give Christmas away, here are some ideas to help you get started. It may be too late to try some of these ideas this year, but you can get a head start on next year.
Fill a Shoebox
The Give this Christmas Away video features children receiving Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes through Samaritan's Purse. Operation Christmas Child is a great way you and your children can share God's love and the true story of Christmas with children from around the globe. All you do is wrap a shoebox (wrap the lid separately) and then fill it with toiletries, toys, and school supplies. You can choose whether you are filling a box for a boy or a girl and for what age. Then you just take your box to a local collection center; the website lists collection sites all over the United States and Canada. Samaritan's Purse asks that you include $7 per box to help with shipping costs. If you pay the $7 online, you can get a code to track where your box ends up.READ More on Giving Christmas Away
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Beyond Santa Clausby Stacey Schifferdecker
My husband tells a story about an ice cream social on his family’s farm when he was a boy. His family and some friends were sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather and eating delicious homemade ice cream – the kind made with an old-fashioned wooden churn that you had to crank for hours. It was high summer, but this was Bible belt Kansas and the conversation turned to God’s blessings. Everyone began sharing what he or she was thankful for, just like many of us do around the Thanksgiving table. The adults were all thankful for the big bowls of ice cream, the good weather for crops, jobs that paid well, healthy kids, and other big stuff. When it was little David’s turn, he said, “I’m thankful for the water!” The adults all got a good laugh at the little boy who was enjoying a bowl of homemade ice cream but was thankful for the glass of water he was drinking with it. But to David, that water made his enjoyment of the ice cream even greater by cleansing his mouth between bites. READ More on What Children Can Teach Us about Being Thankful
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