Next up we stood in line to meet Santa and Mrs. Clause. I have been having this internal struggle on whether or not to do Santa (long story...you'll have to ask if you care to understand, but essentially I wasn't raised believing in Santa despite my parents best effort merely because I was way too logical and secondly I just think it contradicts everything we want our children to understand about Jesus, and takes away from the true meaning of Christmas) but after speaking with many of my Christian friends and family who were raised believing in Santa, I have settled on participating because it's part of our American culture and because I don't want my child to be the weird one who doesn't believe in Santa. That being said, we will not place extreme emphasis on it. Santa will be presented as a character, just like Mickey Mouse, not as someone who is real, comes down our hypothetical chimney and brings presents. Of course next year (or maybe the year after) when it actually matters and Carly can understand, I have the freedom to change my mind, but for now I've settled on him being a character we meet because its fun and it's part of the secular Christmas spirit. Carly thought he was a riot and enjoyed pulling his beard!
The best part of the evening came as we took our seats for Disney's annual Candlelight Processional. My favorite Christmas concert of the year, for sure! We got to see Jody Benson (voice of Ariel) narrate this year, and turns out she is a born again Christian...so the transcript was read just beautifully! When we have seen the show with non-Christian celebrity hosts, it has not been near as meaningful. So, we were a bit apprehensive attending Jody's night, but she did not disappoint! Here is my favorite part of the transcript:
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a
peasant woman.
He grew up in another village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family.
He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born.
He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself...
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away.
One of them denied Him.
He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed;
all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned,
put together,
have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that
one solitary life.
He grew up in another village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.
Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family.
He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born.
He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself...
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away.
One of them denied Him.
He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed;
all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned,
put together,
have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that
one solitary life.
Gives me goosebumps every time I read it! Carly also LOVED the show, but that didn't surprise us as she loves music. She enjoyed the lights and it was a perfect night weather-wise. Carly sat on our lap (and crawled on the bench) while she ate her pretzel and Brian and I held hands. I wished time would just stop in it's tracks.
Boy this blog has become long after that rant about Santa. I suppose I will end here and share more about Carly's park extravaganza's tomorrow. Plus, it gives me a chance to use more Christmas song titles! :)
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