On this Christmas Eve, I want to share with you one of my favorite Christmas scripture passages. Perhaps you can share it around your table tomorrow. In the Gospel of Luke, we are told that eight days after his birth, Jesus was brought by Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem to be circumcised. While there, they took Jesus into the temple where an upright man by the name of Simeon took the infant in his arms. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ with his own eyes. As he looks upon the Messiah, Simeon says, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” I can only imagine the joy that Simeon felt. This Christmas, our desire for you and your family is that you will all rejoice with great satisfaction in the coming of your Savior.

One of the great blessings of YouTube is that you and I can go to it to find out how to fix just about anything. I’ve successfully consulted YouTube to find ways to fix among other things, our washing machine, our car, and our lawnmower. Our kids can go to YouTube to learn as well, and one type of tutorial they can find relates to fake piercings, and how to use powerful little magnets to mimic actual nose, lip, tongue, and ear piercings. One concern related to this practice are the growing reports of kids accidentally swallowing the tiny magnets. This came to our attention when it was reported that a thirteen year old boy had somehow swallowed almost two hundred of these high powered magnets, which proceeded to attach to each other, causing abdomen pain. Surgery was required, and the boy had part of his bowel removed. Parents, we are called by God to protect our kids from harm. Train your kids up to steward their bodies with care. And, be sure to issue a warning about these magnets.

If you have watched the compelling Netflix series, Adolescence, you are familiar with Stephen Graham. He not only was the show’s writer, but he played the part of Eddie Miller, the father of 13-year-old murderer, Jamie Miller. In the show, Eddie was blindsided by his son’s actions. There’s no doubt that the show offers a strong message to today’s parents, that we need to be active and involved in the lives of our kids. Graham is now following up the series with a new book that offers a collection of letters written by fathers to their sons. His goal is to convince dads to close the gap in their relationships with their boys so that they can talk openly about what it means to be a man. We applaud this project and look forward to seeing it when it’s done. In the meantime, those of us who are Christian fathers need to take stock of our relationships with our children. The years of childhood and adolescence fly by. Don’t miss the opportunity to be with your kids, nurturing them in the Christian faith.