The Naughty List and the Nice List

Merry Christmas to All!

Oh, that Naughty List and Nice List! We adults use it to motivate our kids to behave properly.  (Sometimes our little threats work, sometimes not.)  It helps the kids understand a principle that they'll encounter in life: doing what's right reaps rewards; making bad choices bring unpleasant consequences.

But God views things a little differently.  You see, by God's standard, we all belong on the Naughty List. Every one of us.

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Yet God has made a way for all of us to be on his Nice List.  And it doesn't involve doing a certain number of good deeds----because, realistically, we could never do enough good deeds to earn a spot on God's Nice List. No, a spot on the Nice List is a gift, and it comes with numerous accompanying gifts such as eternal life and membership in God's forever family. This coveted spot on God's Nice List is ours when we put our faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God---not by works, so that no one boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

When I was 17 years old, these were the verses that helped me  understand that I could quit trying to be "good enough,"  because it was never going to happen. But I didn't need to be "good enough" because salvation is a free gift. 

Oh, we're meant to do good works.  Our good works come from grateful hearts and are empowered by God's Spirit.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2"10

Right now the kindergarten children understand Naughty and Nice.  I hope eventually they'll all  comprehend this tremendous gift that God offers them because of His great love for them. We can use the events of Christmas to generate discussions, so that one day they'll see their names on the nicest list of all---the list of those who have found eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Christmas Activities

Tuesday our angels, shepherds, and other Biblical persons (and animals) recited Luke 2:8-14.

The members of the Parkview Baptist Church Tuesday morning Bible study were blessed and impressed to hear our little ones recite the Word of God.

Wednesday we had a birthday party for Jesus.

I'm Too Awesome to Be on the Naughty List

Merry Everything

Eating birthday cake in the courtyard

I Know I'm on the Nice List

Who Needs Mistletoe When You're This Cute

Dear Santa, My Sister Did It!

Merry Christmas from Minnie and Frosty

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

I Give Warm Hugs

All I want for Christmas is...a unicorn.

Don't Stop Believing

The children made Christmas cards for nursing home residents, decorated cookies to give to the homeless, wrapped books to give to underprivileged children, and made reindeer food. We emphasized the importance of thinking of others.

All that wrapping and reciting and partying wore us out, so on Thursday we came to school in our pajamas.  We ate popcorn and drank hot chocolate and watched a movie. 

The Real Star of Christmas

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son as Savior of the World."

Sweaters...

Sweaters...

More sweaters... 

Some were ugly Christmas sweaters. Some were funny. Some were clever.  

Here's our class, all dressed in stripes like candy canes.

Bible Buddies paid us a visit on Wednesday.

Mr. White read a story, then the middle schoolers shared cookies with their little buddies.

Reindeer showed up on Christmas hat day.

We had an assortment of Santas.

We had a few unusual hats.

Some hats came with lights.

 With all this talk about Santa and elves, it's easy to miss the real meaning of Christmas.  We love to watch the children's  faces light up with excitement when they see the Christmas tree aglow or when they spot that elusive Elf on the Shelf.  We love to give them gifts. After all, our Heavenly Father gives us gifts, and we know that every good thing that we have comes from Him. (James 1:17) On Christmas, we commemorate the greatest gift of all: the Father gave His Son as Savior of the world. (I John 4:14; John 3:16).

So what is the real meaning of Christmas? I love the classic line from "A Charlie Brown Christmas," where Linus says, "Sure, Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about." Then he proceeds to recite from Luke Chapter 2, the scripture passage that the kids are memorizing, where the angels announce to the shepherds that the Savior has been born in Bethlehem.

It's a challenge to explain this concept to children in language they can understand.  Why did God have to send Jesus to earth? Basically, because we are sinful and God is holy.  God's sense of justice says that sin must have consequences, but in His great love and mercy, He sent His Son Jesus to pay the consequences for our sin.  Jesus came as a baby---a human like us, but without sin---so He understands how tough it can be sometimes to be human.

We love the Christmas festivities, but we don't want to put so much emphasis on presents that we encourage greed. We need to remind our kids, (to quote another famous animated character), "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!"

Next week we'll shine the spotlight on the real star of Christmas......Jesus!

"A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel." Numbers 24:17

A Child at Christmas

"We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime." Laura Ingalls Wilder

Red and Green Day

Elf-themed Hallway decorations

Art projects...

More art projects...

Art and writing

High School Friends came to help out.

They helped with the art, then read stories to their little friends.

Little Friends read to the Big Friends.

The kindergartners love the extra attention. 

Kids.  They're like little time bombs of energy, and the slightest thing----a Christmas tree, an elf on a shelf, a string of twinkling lights-will cause them to explode with squeals of excitement.

For children, Christmas is a time when wishes are fulfilled and anything is possible. 

If we lay aside our cynicism and skepticism, we can learn a thing or two from the children.  Anything thing is possible....the Bible says so!

"For nothing is impossible with God."  Luke 1:37

Now, chances are, a fat man in red suit is not going to bring us our hearts' desires.  We may not even get everything on our wish list. It's been my experience that we don't always get what we ask for or even pray for, but often, if we open our hearts and humbly trust in His goodness, God gives us gifts that far exceed our wishes and expectations.

"All things are possible to him who believes."  Mark 9:23

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we as or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21