We had a great start to the Advent season! I was happily encouraging Jordan to read with me when Aidan said he wanted to join. I paused and joyful surprise and exclaimed, “Great!”. It took me another 15 minutes to get everything ready and clean up from dinner. They sat down smiling wide-eyed to their hot chocolate and treats . We were reading A Charlie Brown Christmas and the boys were with me for most of the book.

Of course, they did the usual things like stick their fingers in the dimly lit candles to see how hot it was, made faces at each other, and goofed off while I read the story. I have also learned to stop intermittently to ask questions to see who is paying attention. They were both good, understanding that Charlie was not feeling good about all the commercialism in Christmas. His poor tree that he finds is just so in need of loving hands. 

I love that the story or video ends with his friends decorating the tree and transforming it to something beautiful. Aidan understood the story while Jordan was off doing something with chocolate wrappers. I sighed and said, “You will be better tomorrow!”

Jordan has continued the tradition of not quite listening while he looks and reaches for anything that looks interesting. I caught him the other day trying to put his whole fist in his mouth. He smiled with a twinkle in his eye when I told him to take his hand out of his mouth.

Speaking of Aidan, I have another cute anecdote for you today. Last week, I was on a quiet rampage about the way things get thrown around and never picked up and put back where they belong. I believe I even called all three of my sons nitwits. Aidan was horrified at what I was saying. “Momma, we are not nitwits! We may be idiots but we are not nitwits!” I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. I told him that his words were something I was never going to forget!
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Justin I have barely seen. He is away at university for most of the day. He strikes in late at night, makes jokes about being black and then wanders off to play a game. It would be easier to see him if I could stay awake until 3:00 in the morning!
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Aidan just commented that next weekend is Christmas and that the time flew by. The time certainly did fly! Enjoy the pics of our Christmas tree and my family. The plan is to wear those cheesy sweatshirts on Christmas Eve. Maybe I'll see you?

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Virginia & the Kim Clan 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

I love all that layed icing on this gingerbread tree! 

The weather here is too warm for me. I remember freezing in the Canadian wind, coming inside, warming up, and then falling asleep with hot chocolate and a sandwich. It’s actually a very good memory!

This has been an eventful month for the Kim Clan. Justin finished the Scholastic Aptitude Test last month. Aidan is getting ready to go to middle school. Jordan is campaigning for Students Council Vice-president. I finished a course on John Wesley with Nazarene Bible College, finished grading, and started winter session today. My husband is traveling between where we live in Sejong to Yangpyoung to teach at Acts. It has been a little busy!

Let’s begin with Justin. I have been watching this rather large man-child play games on the PlayStation for most of the day. Sometimes he comes out of the room with a huge smile on his face because he has won the game. Sometimes he is completely dejected because he has lost a game or couldn’t figure something out. Most of all, he is wasting time and waiting. 

Justin has been helpful when he is asked to do something. He accompanied me to the hospital last week to translate what the doctor said about my thyroid. He also accompanied my husband to the hospital when Hansung was undergoing an endoscopy. 

Aidan is also at an in-between age where sometimes he is becoming a teenager and sometimes he is a kid. When I was brining the turkey for Christmas dinner, he decided to take pictures of it. He spends an incredible amount of time on his phone despite my nagging and telling him that he could leave it alone for an hour. 

Both Aidan and Jordan are enjoying not being in school everyday. The COVID restrictions are limiting the number of students in the classroom. Aidan has been at home three days this week, and Jordan has been at home twice.
 
In addition to school, Jordan is campaigning for Students Council Vice-president. If he wins, he will represent grade 4 interests. It has been fun to watch him and everyone else get in on the campaign. On Sunday night, Jordan was practicing his campaign speech. (Yes, it was adorable!) His father recorded it on Monday night. The boys were also helping Jordan make posters. Jordan was very exciting to get his posters off to school this morning, and I was very proud.

Like I said in the introduction, I completed a course on John Wesley. In case anyone is wondering, John Wesley was the leader for the Methodist movement in England and the United States. It was a good course, but I wish I would have been able to take it at a different time when I was not swamped with grading to do! 

I started winter session today. It was a pleasure to meet my students and actually talk to them instead of meeting over zoom. I think we were all excited to be back in the classroom!

By the way, did I tell you that Justin got into Chungju University? I am so glad, and my husband and I can breathe easy knowing he is good hands.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have many reasons to enjoy this special season! 

My son Justin is pictured above. He is working with the sound team at church most Sundays.

There is a Bible Verse about hard work that is worth mentioning. “A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Proverbs 13:4

It may be difficult to teach children the value of discipline and hard and work, but it does have its rewards! 

Justin, my eldest son, came home from school last week with two awards. It was a pleasant surprise for this parent! He and his friends got a bronze medal for an English project where they interview yours truly about Sejong High School. The other project was more individual. He received a silver medal for creating an anti-smoking poster. Apparently, my child’s artistic talents are starting to blossom! And Daddy rewarded him with fried chicken as a late night snack.

The English project that he and his friends won for was something! I remember the day they interviewed me. I was simply asked to say, “Tell me about your school, Justin! I want to learn about your school!” It was one of those days where I had many small things to do and I was a little annoyed because it was an unusual request. The rest of the video is Justin and his friend walking around school showing anyone who was watching the video the buildings. The English was quite good even if my initial question was more than a little awkward!

Jordan also did some great work at school. He and his classmates put together a multicultural show for parents last Wednesday morning. They all prepared little dance numbers! Jordan was wearing a Chinese traditional hat and I was genuinely wondering what they were going to do before they started dancing to ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. His friends and he were reasonably coordinated as they performed it and the parents broke out into laughter when they heard the song. 

The other song that the whole class performed was ‘Jumbo’. It’s an African song that has a Korean counterpart. While they were performing I understood why I had heard him humming the song so many times at home. While they were doing it, I could hear many of them singing. And, of course, they broke out into hysterical laughter when it was all done! I commend the teacher for pushing all those second-graders to perform so well. I will remember that day for a long time!

Aidan and Jordan go to Taekwondo every night at 7:00. When they have worked hard, the teacher gives them tickets. These tickets are 10 points, 50 points, and 100 points. Aidan was pleased as pie to receive a ticket for 50 points last week. It was the same night that they all received chicken from Daddy so all was well with the world!

Hard work and perseverance are difficult things to teach. Each boy was able to show some aspect of perseverance last week and I was very proud of them all!

“A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Proverbs 13: 4

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Advent begins on Sunday. They boys looks forward to the little chocolate gifts in the Advent Calendar but I look forward to the read-alouds!

My family will be reading Ann Voskamp's The Wonder of the Greatest Gift along with other holiday favorites. This year I will wrap up books for them to choose, two or three, and we will read that book in the evening. We will light candles, read The Wonder of the Greatest Gift, hang an ornament on the tree, and read the book they have chosen. I look forward to this bonding time with the boys!

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For those of you who are curious, there has been a delay with the book I’m publishing. The Giver: The Life of Jesus and the Book of Acts (Fifty Sermons for Children) will be published in January. I am still very excited about the book!  I hope you will be too! 

I love the season of Advent and and all the majesty that starts with the beginning of the church year. Advent, originally from the Latin word Advenio, means coming to. It starts four Sundays before Christmas and has two purposes. It is to prepare us for the celebration of the birth of Christ and it reminds that we are eagerly waiting for Jesus' return in glory. Advent, arrival, invasion, coming. Christ is coming!

We had a great start! In the morning the boys, of course, love discovering the chocolates in our hanging Advent calendar in the kitchen. I can hear and see delight with God’s word and chocolate to celebrate God’s word. 

In the evening, we are using Ann Voskamp's beautiful Advent book for children that has the pop up Christmas tree. Jordan loves opening up the book and putting the beautifully done decorations on the tree. First, we are reading one of the devotions from that book every night, praying, and asking questions. Second, we are reading Christmas picture books. The boys are taking turns picking the next Christmas book out of some 'wrapped' books In our Advent basket.

Why am I doing this?

First, it is giving me an opportunity to tell an overview of Bible stories and show the boys how Jesus is the Rescuer. He rescues us from our sin.

Second, it always all of us to grow a little in terms of consistency and discipline. (Last year we managed to get about half way through Advent before the challenge of consistency became difficult!)

Third, it gives the boys an opportunity for their faith to spiral inward. Those little Hands that flung the stars and planets into their places now reach inside us to grip and hold our hearts. 

Fourth, it gives the boys an opportunity for their faith to spiral outward. They are learning about the Ultimate Giver. As they think and prepare gifts for family members and an act of service, they grow a little in how to express love and appreciation for each other.

Fourth, I love the consistency of paying attention to light and beauty. The Christmas story strikes again as beauty in the midst of chaos. Celebration in the midst of craziness. It seizes my attention. In this barren, broken stretch with no snow on the ground, the tree captures my imagination.

That gorgeous tree is defiant beauty. In a world where people continue to choose themselves, where ugliness happens, where sin seems unchecked, where daily assaults take their tool, we can point to the defiant beauty of a selfless life, seeking first the King of God, putting others first, and even sacrificing. All to proclaim the truth of something great than ourselves.

Other small gifts along the way:

Jordan loves picking the Christmas books which means he is growing in understanding the gift of reading.

Aidan grabbed the devotional last night, read the Bible verse, and started to read the meditation!

Justin even managed to learn about the light and turn it into a science experiment. Apparently, all things wax can enthrall a teenager!

Our other highlight has been light. The light and wonder of our Lord is all around us. It is displayed in candles, on the Christmas tree, in Christmas lights around our home. Light and beauty. Holiness is coming down soon!

Did you know that O come O Come Emmanuel has been sung in monasteries for 1 500 years? This song and other like it are called O' Antiphons because they began with "O" and were followed by a name of Christ. There were seven O' Antiphones and one was meant to be sung each day the week before Christmas. Here is the interesting part! The first letter of each antiphon adds up to an acrostic in Latin which read "ero cras" which means tomorrow I will be there, an anticipation of Christ's coming. 

Here is what they sang:
17 December: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)                                                   
18 December: O Adonai (O Lord)                                       
19 December: O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)                     
20 December: O Clavis David (O Key of David)                     
21 December: O Oriens (O Dayspring)                     
22 December: O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations)       
23 December: O Emmanuel (O With Us is God)

May God bless you and your family as you move towards Christ's coming! I can feel the Spirit of the Lord moving in prayer all around me as I walk through Advent.

I would love to hear what you have done for Advent and/or what you are doing for Advent this year. I welcome you to drop a line in the comments or post on Facebook. 

Grace and peace!

Virginia
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“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14