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We must confess, in our zeal to re-invent the Christmas card, we have inadvertently created what Jim is now calling, the Christmas newsletter on steroids! That was not our intent; but it's where we are.....and it's only December 18th. So, at this point, I will take it over the top and give you an assignment. Today's post begs a reply from you.

Beth Moore is my current favorite Bible teacher. She and her daughters posted this Christmas questionnaire and I thought it bore repeating. My mom is infamous for posing a "profound question" at the dinner table which everyone must go around and answer in turn. Since they often fall in the same category as the following, Jim and my jeering response is, "We'll decide whether it's profound or not."

To relieve any pressure, I would simply call these fun for the whole family. You decide how profound you want your answer to be! As Reid often says, "Come on, don't be shy." And as Allie recently told a friend who is fed up with their militaristic soccer coach, "I don't quit." I figure if I can get Jim, Allie, and Reid to reply, that's four more day's posts! Benny would make five. And Christmas is just 7 days away.

Here are mine. Will you give us yours in a comment? Just click on "comments" and share your 7 answers.

1. Favorite ornament

many, but this angel that I've re-glued multiple times because it reminds me of the Neopolitan tree at The Met in New York
2. Favorite tradition

waiting at the top of the stairs at Nana's in Sandusky; my aunts and uncles required all the cousins to do this when we were children so they could turn lights on, put batteries in, start the coffee and get the obligatory photo before we all descended to unwrap presents. The multiple photos capturing it make it all worthwhile in retrospect. (Where are those, anyway?)

3. Favorite gift ever received

cross country skis from Jim because I was NOT expecting them at all and he stretched me to new limits believing my potential for the future; coffee table art books from my mom because they broke from her normally practical nature in a streak of decadence and appreciation of beauty

4. Favorite Christmas meal

turkey with nouveau gourmet variations on the traditional, like brussel sprouts with orange glaze or mashed sweet potatoes and rutabagas or cornbread/sausage/chestnut dressing or pumpkin cheesecake with ginger snap crust

5. Favorite Christmas cookie

powdered pistachio mexican wedding cookies to eat; gingerbread men to look at

6. Favorite place to be

home in our living room Christmas Eve around the fireplace with salade Nicoise each opening one gift

7. Favorite memory

waking up to heavy snow falling outside the windows at the Moriarty's in Chagrin Falls and the exuberant sledding that ensues afterward down their hill

Anticipation is half the fun of any celebration. The other half may be memory.

Advent Conspiracy

Powerful isn't it? Our church, Solana Beach Presbyterian, has joined others worldwide in the Advent Conspiracy to collectively espouse more worship, less spending this Christmas. Their website explains more and links you to a group forum for sharing practical ideas and stories of Rethinking Christmas.

Funny, last summer I had picked up Bill McKibben's Hundred Dollar Holiday written in 1998. Who among us has not yearned for simplicity in years past? It's the basic conflict and motivator for skipping Christmas in Grisham's book and the subsequent movie, Christmas with the Kranks? When I was a kid, several years blur together that my mom made a similar declaration that she (and we) would be giving (and getting) just one gift from each other. "One BIG gift, then, right?" we'd clarify in our immaturity. Nothing new under the sun. Actually doing it, though, does set a precedent. What [AC] is doing very effectively is to spread a compelling message to motivate a groundswell of response and a movement from the recurrent idea and longing within many of us. They're also linking it to current world needs and Jesus' raison d'etre.

I find it yet another amazing example of God's timing and His promise to "bring all things together for good." This call to action is gaining momentum due to the circumstances of our national economy. Only a Sovereign God could have timed it so well. Just last week, Jim and I noted practically a sigh of relief that the bubble has finally popped. The malls are subdued. The nation seems silently appreciative to have a good reason, even a necessity, to scale back, adjust priorities, and stay home. Like children who need their parents to set boundaries, we have become attentive to the new instruction.

The [AC] suggestion is to reduce spending by one gift. For us, that seemed insignificant and the $100 Christmas too stringent (recall the tree was not free). Perhaps, I am still jilted from my mom's single gift decree too. So, we have landed on this solution. We will give three gifts to each other, symbolic of the three wise men who came bearing gifts to the newborn Savior. Mine will be categorized (because I love themes); one book, one treat, and one handmade gift. There's only been a little bawking in the ranks. Allie says all three of hers might be handmade. Reid is on the prowl for a three-disc DVD set!

The magi acted on a compelling hunch. They set out following a star (that ancient form of GPS) with heavy laden saddlebags. Likely they chose a gift that would fit unobtrusively in the luggage and represent the best their country had to offer.