Monday, December 15, 2008

Candy Cane


So, at my school we have this really cool group of moms called "Moms in Touch", and they offer to pray for us on a daily basis, and give us little inspiring gifts to keep us going during busy times of the year. It makes me really grateful to be teaching at a school that doesn't prohibit or even blink an eye at prayer, talking about God, or Christmas (which is particularly exciting this time of year). This morning, they had left this message (and a candy cane) in our mailboxes: 

A candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols from the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. 

He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God. 

The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. 

The candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. 


Unfortunately, this candy has become known as a Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration at Christmas time. But the real meaning is still there for those with "eyes to see and ears to hear". We pray this symbol will once again be used as witness to "The WOnder and GLory of the One True Saviour, THe Lord, Jesus Christ."

Now, I have never heard this before, and I don't know if it's true - but it doesn't make much difference if it is or if it isn't. I think it's pretty cool and gives me something to think about and remind me (even while I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off as I manage the 3rd grade chaos) of the real meaning of Christmas. So, Merry Christmas and God Bless!


Saturday, December 6, 2008

Cats and Things

So, we kind of stink at updating our blog regularly. But, here it is.

Big Tuna Marky Mraz Unger passed away, tragically. Seriously, we were heartbroken. I cried for 2 days. We don't really know what was wrong with him. We got home from work one day, and he was cold and limp...so we rushed him to the hospital, and he ended up dying. It was awful.

BUT we got TWO new kitties a few weeks later. They are really big and soft. We present: Bagheera and Bellatrix:


I promise we won't write about cats next time.