Should Santa Get The Boot?

Santa Claus came to our house this year, or at least that's what we told our youngest. Is there a problem with this? Christian writer Frederica Mathewes-Green says it's a big problem and that we should give him the boot!

First, it's a big fat lie. What kind of an example are you setting here? How stupid are your kids going to feel when they realize they fell for this? What else of what you taught them are they going to doubt? Your kids should know that your word is always good and that they can rely on it without question every day of their lives.

Second, the Santa myth teaches kids ingratitude. You want your older children never to acknowledge your gifts? Enjoy the idea of never getting a thank-you note or any thoughtfulness in return? Santa-talk is a good way to start them on that path. They learn that goodies just magically appear and don't cost anybody anything. Their role in life is just to open packages and enjoy.

It also teaches greed. We may say piously that we want our children to develop just and generous virtues, but filling them with images of a toy-wielding potentate with a lifetime pass on eToys will knock all that flatter than Kansas.

Read the entire column here.

As much as we focused on the "true meaning of Christmas" this year, I'm sure my six year old son was much more impressed by Santa than the incarnation. I don't want to deprive him of these cherished childhood memories, but I'm inclined to rethink Santa in the years ahead.

What do you think?

In With The New!

Building our family for the past six months has been such a blur that we've seldom taken the time to get out and enjoy the natural beauty of our hometown. The James River runs right through the middle of Richmond and features what has to be one of the premiere urban retreats in the country.

The River's most visited destination is Belle Isle, which is accessed by a suspension bridge. In a matter of minutes, you can leave all the hustle and bustle behind, and be transported to a place of rare peace, where the only sound you hear are the rapids rushing through the rocks.

This island was an open-air prison in the Civil War, where thousands of Union prisoners of war died of disease, exposure and starvation. Visiting here is always a moving experience.

As I watched our children enjoying the beauty of God's creation, it occured to me how important it is to spend time outdoors as a family. Is it any wonder that the more urbanized our culture becomes, and the more time we spend indoors, the more agnostic we become?

I read about a fascinating study where kids with ADHD were treated by simply spending time outdoors and the results were overwhelmingly positive in reducing ADHD symptoms. I am diagnosed with ADHD myself and have found that outdoor therapy works wonders, even if it's just taking a walk. CS Lewis and John Adams were both big believers in daily walks, and I mean long ones! Lewis prayed every day during his "peregrinations." I just don't think God intended for us to sit in front of computer screens and TV's all day. One of my goals for the New Year will be more outdoor activities with my children. And the best part is, it's free!

I've never seen our daughters happier. Anastasia is the only shy person in our family, but she is asserting herself as the conscientious, older daughter.

It's hard to believe that this is the same girl who rode in the baby seat of the grocery cart last summer! Galyna can still be a bit rowdy at times, but she is fast becoming a lovely young lady.

I am most grateful for my beautiful, amazing wife. Dana is the most "can-do" person I've ever met. She meets every challenge with optimism and faithful perseverance.

We've got some big decisions ahead of us, but as I think about 2008, I do so with a profound sense of gratitude and hopefulness. Thanks to all of you who've given us so much encouragement during this unforgettable year. May God pour out his love and mercy on you in the New Year.

An Unforgettable Christmas

Our first Christmas together as a family was just about perfect. Our children all exchanged meaningful gifts with each other and demonstrated a loving and grateful spirit.

Anastasia knitted beautiful scarfs for the whole family!

I'll never forget the look on Christian's face when he saw that Santa had granted his request for a Polar Express electric train!


This has been a wonderful week with many sweet moments shared by all. We give thanks to God for every blessing.

Christmas At Home

One of the things I love about our daughters, and that we hope to preserve, is how content they are with simple things. They will sit down and draw, paint, or knit for hours. And although these shots capture them watching a movie, they don't have to be entertained. As we approach the six month mark of our time together as a family, it's easy to focus on how frenetic our lives have become. But as I saw them sitting by the fire with their mom, enjoying a movie while knitting Christmas gifts, I realized how important it is to give thanks for how good things are.

We are all on vacation now, and anticipating Christmas like never before. The girls love Christmas music and we play it throughout the day. By the way, our favorites are Moya Brennan's "An Irish Christmas," and Aimee Mann's "One More Drifter In The Snow."

Brennan's rendition of Christina Rosetti's poem "In The Bleak Midwinter" has to be one of the most sublime things I've ever heard. The entire disc captures the devotional spirit of Christmas perfectly and beautifully, while Mann's CD is more playful at times, but also quite soulful.

And, I must be honest and mention that "Christmas With The Chipmunks" is also a household favorite, but be careful, because if heard more than three times in one day, it can lead to insanity!

Christian is so amped up, he can hardly go to sleep at night. Rumor has it that Santa is considering a Polar Express electric train set, which has father and son counting the days!

Vika Comes Home!

Vika has a family! This shot with our Anastasia was taken Monday night, just an hour or so after Vika made her triumphant arrival at Washington Dulles Airport. Vika had been to America on two Frontier Horizon hosting trips in recent years, but she had aged out of the orphanage and was too old to be adopted. The odds of her ever being able to get a visa to study English were not good, but thanks to the relentless efforts of Frontier Horizon, and Vika's new family, her Christmas wish has come true!

Vika and her new mom (for all practical purposes). Ann is a wonderful lady, who I began corresponding with via email two years ago, as we both prepared to host orphans from Ukraine. She and her husband have four children already (one adopted from Ukraine), so Vika joins a very big family with a very big heart. She will attend community college ESL courses two days per week, and spend time with Ann at her veterinarian office the rest of the time. So, she will be learning some very valuable skills while learning English. What a joyful Christmas story this is!

This is also a good opportunity to mention what a special person Ann has been to our family. While we were exchanging emails two years ago, I mentioned to her how much I was struggling with the heartbreaking reality that it was time to say goodbye to our beloved, 14 year old Golden Retriever. Reilly's hips were shot, he was having seizures, and I was nursing him around the clock. I knew it was past time to put him down, but just did not have the courage to do it. Ann revealed to me that she was a vet. She explained what he was going through, and it was her loving encouragement that finally gave me the strength to give him a peaceful, gentle, and merciful end.

So, welcome Vika, and God Bless you Ann!

About Christmas Cards

A recent posting on the excellent blog of Touchstone Magazine has generated some lively discussion in our home. On the subject of Christmas cards, Marci Segelstein writes:

"In a few days, my mantlepiece will be filled, not with reminders of the gospel story of Jesus’s birth, but with professional photos of children or entire families adorning cards with inoffensive messages like “Peace and Joy.” In my neck of the woods, there seems to be a little competition going for whose children can pose the best for these annual mailings. Frankly, I don’t care. And I have a little reality check for the church-going believers out there who send these photo cards: Christmas isn’t about your lovely, smiling children or your beautifully posed family. It’s about the Son of God taking human form to save your souls. Maybe putting Christ back into Christmas starts at home."

OUCH! As you can see, our card features our "lovely, smiling children." But does she make an important point? Christians complain every year about how secularized the Christmas season has become, but are we not contributing to it by focusing on ourselves?

You can read the entire post here. Your thoughts?

A Lifeline for Teenage Orphans

We just received a new calendar from Universal Aid for Children, featuring some beautiful and heartbreaking art by two young ladies who have aged out of the orphanage system in Ukraine.

The adoption blogworld celebrates the miracle of our adoptions, and anticipates coming adoptions, but the sad fact is that statistically, very few of Ukraine's 100-thousand orphans will be adopted, and that doesn't count the thousands of "street kids."


The UAC's Orphaned Teen Scholarship Program is a lifeline for dozens of children who are forced to leave the orphanage. Please visit their website to learn more.