I will start with Hanukah.  Here is a Messianic Site – http://leforstribe.com/?p=61 – for you to enjoy if you are a detailed bring me the facts type of person.

I started a few years ago in the most sacred of places – Trumpets sounding – or is that the shafars? – Barnes and Noble – more music.  . . . . .

I saw a display for Hanukah, and thought we should explain the holiday differences to the boys, of why we as Christians do not celebrate it.  Crazy memories of the Us and Them come to mind of who had a menorah and who had a tree.  Um. The Jews. They celebrate it. um as a statement of not celebrating Christ – or Christ Mas. Um Ya. That’s all I had that day in the B&N.  So, after browsing a few books, I checked out a cute little chubby book about the Maccabeus and headed home to do some research.

What I found was AMAZING!  That this small band of men stood up to an entire army! The story is exciting and amazing, strategic and miraculous. I will let you do your own reading of how they got their temple back into their hands – to find that it was not only destroyed, but filled with the very things that God had deemed unholy for them.   

One thing that God had said for the Temple was that the candle should always be lit.  Now, any good Survivor fan knows that no fire means no life.   Ya, that wasn’t their original idea! God said he was the light, and the Macabeus, they found the candle, with enough light for one day.  Instructions from God said that only the finest and most pure of olive oil could be put in the candle for burning, and that supply was 8 days away. Since I know by now you have run off to find out about the story, you know that the light stayed lit!  The Temple was Reclaimed.  God Proved that He was Still in the Temple!

Fast forward a few years to Christ – Who was referred to as the Light, the Light of the World, the Light Shining in the Darkness. The Holy Spirit now dwells in us, our Light. Never leaving us.

I was reading this story to the boys, (the exciting one from B&N not the poorly written one above that got interrupted 15 times by the boys), and it hit me.  I will always have a portion of that pure oil inside me. Even when I allow the things unholy to come in, when I feel destroyed, betrayed, when my walls are down and destroyed. The only way to start construction is to get more oil. To be in His Word. Sometimes to Go Away and Find Him. Journey to be filled with more oil.

God will always be in the Temple, and He will always be in Me. 

So we light the menorah, We give a little gift, we read the same little chubby book, we play a little game, make a little food, send a little card. We teach the Boys that their God is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. Their God gave Christ to save everyone – whether a tree, menorah, or santa graces your front window.