The Truth About Santa

Please enjoy this sneak peek of The Truth About Santa that will be published next year complete with illustrations. If you are wondering when or how to break the news to your young ones that Santa "is not all that he has been made out to be" but don't want to crush their little hopes and dreams, this can be the perfect way to ease them into the truth and open up a dialog. The book begins with an introduction for parents that explains the purpose and spirit of the book, followed by the actual children's book.
I hope you enjoy!

The Truth about Santa
By Anson L. Service
Copyright 2007
Prologue
Dear Parents:
The Truth about Santa is an inspired book to offer parents a teaching tool for the delicate matter of gently exposing children to the reality Santa Claus and other historically distorted figures who are based in and out of the realms of theology. The focus of The Truth About Santa is to offer a short narrative of the various historical accounts of Santa and a more accurate concept of Santa, or Saint Nicholas rather than attempting to harmonize the hundreds or even thousands of versions of the Saint Nicholas story. I have also removed some of the difficult concepts such as dowry and religious politics, replacing them with more child friendly concepts that teach kindness and gratitude.
After great amounts of thought, prayer, research, and meditation on the subject, I found that the modern character of Santa Clause shares many striking similarities with other people, deity, and characters many in the world also hold belief in and base their lives upon. The general belief about Santa Clause is:
• He is a man that lives today despite having lived thousand of years ago
• He cares deeply about all children and adults alike
• He knows the most intimate desires and secrets of little children and adults
• He offers gifts out of the kindess of his heart with the expectation of receiving nothing in return
• He rewards good behavior
• He is in a place that is distant - yet close enough to be here in an instant
• He has many helpers
• He performs many miraculous tasks
• He is a man that very few in the world have seen with their own eyes, yet builds great excitement when spoken of
• He has billions of believers worldwide.
Who else does this accurately portray?
Many parents feel there is no harm in teaching their children to believe in or have faith in such a figure, which may be true according to individual families; however, depending on that family’s belief system, the first phase of harm can come when the child finds out they have been intentionally tricked for many years by virtually all adults whom they initially trusted so completely, in this grand hoax. This may result in psychological problems and future complications in trusting adults and authority figures. While that is a negative effect, the real harm comes a little later in life when, as a teenager, he or she faces tough decisions in the face of seemingly overwhelming peer pressure. What teachings will that teen-ager base his or her decisions on? Probably nothing other than modeling, because they may not be thinking straight under that type of pressure. Sometimes all he or she will be able to base decisions on is the feelings they have inside. Is that feeling coercing them to not partake in negative experiences based on the trust they have in their parents and other adults they have grown to trust, or is it based on “what else have they lied to me about? Jesus?”
The decision he or she makes may be based on the teachings of adults or a parent, who are the same people who lead them to believe in something that wasn’t true for so many years, and the very words of wisdom regarding which friends to hang out with, drinking, smoking and drugs may be called into question, especially under the influence of that teenager’s peer group.
If the child is raised in a Christian home or a home where another higher power is represented, the lines may become blurred between reality and fiction. Take for instance Jesus, a figure that fits the description above of Santa Clause, yet Santa was merely a tradition that has little merit as we see him today, resulting in an enormous hoax… but is Jesus? They are largely unknowingly represented the same way in most Judeo Christian American households.
So who defines the difference between the two, and which story will the child believe, if either? When a teenager’s “friend” says there is no harm in smoking pot just once, or getting drunk once in a while, I wouldn’t want any young person to have the idea in the back of their head that they should trust their friend more than they can trust their parents. If the teen has religious beliefs that help govern their decisions, the teen may say to his or her self, “I don’t think I should do this… but what if all I have been taught is just nonsense or some long standing tradition that isn’t even real? Should I give up this once in a lifetime chance to party with my friends just because church and my Mom and Dad tell me not to? What if they are just talking nonsense again?”
As a father of three boys, my wonderful wife and I carefully chose to keep the fun and inspiring tradition of Santa Clause alive by teaching the truth about Santa Claus, or Saint Nicolas. I am fervent in distinguishing between fictional characters like Santa at the mall, The Tooth Fairy, or Michael Jackson (that was a joke), and the ones we believe to be real, such as our Savior Jesus Christ. One is real, and the other two are not, and my children trust me that I will never lie to them, especially about something as wonderful and serious as our personal relationship with Christ, who is a man that lives today despite having lived several thousand years ago, cares deeply about all children and adults alike, knows of the desires of little children and adults alike, offers great gifts for nothing in return and rewards good behavior, lives in a place that is distant yet close enough to be here in an instant, has many helpers, performs many miraculous tasks, and is a man that very few in the world have seen with their own eyes, yet builds great excitement when spoken about.
If you are concerned about how to teach your children about Santa, this book was designed and written to help you segue into truth and away from those things that could lead our future generations away from those things we hold dearest in our lives. Let us not lead our children astray by playing along with the confusion the world has created about higher figures, whether it be The Buddha, Jesus the Christ, or any other spiritual truth, and teach our children the truth about these sensitive and powerful matters. Let us lead our children always in truth and righteousness.
Anson L. Service


The Truth about Santa
p. 1
Many years ago, in a village far away lived a young boy named Nicolas. His mother named him Nicolas because it meant "Hero of the People." She knew that he would do many good things for the people in his village.

p.2
Nicolas followed the teachings of Jesus and decided to serve the people in his village like Jesus did. He gave his food to other children that were hungry and was great friends to those who had none. Nicolas was always there to help anyone in need.

p.3
As Nicolas grew into a young man, he became a Bishop. The villagers called him the Boy Bishop because he was so young.
The villagers gave him a beautiful red coat and red cap to keep him warm. When he rode into the village on his horse, the children saw him coming and ran into the streets to see him.

p.4
One day Nicolas heard about a poor old man who was too old to work. He had three beautiful daughters, Acacia, Adara, and Anastasia. The poor old man did not have money to feed them and was going to send them off to work one by one in a land far away so they could survive. The old man loved his daughters more than anything but knew he might not ever see them again.

p.5
On the night before the oldest daughter Acacia was to leave the village, she cried as she washed her family’s clothes for the last time, setting them in front of the fireplace to dry.


p.6
The family said a prayer and then went to sleep hoping their prayers would be answered and Acacia would not have to leave her family.


p.7
Late that night, Nicolas crept through the village to the home of the poor old man and his daughters and climbed up on the roof top. He pulled a golden ball the size of an orange out of his pocket, and in it were golden coins. Nicholas quietly dropped it down the chimney…

p.8
and that golden ball rolled right into Acacia’s stocking.

p. 9
The next morning, to Acacia’s great surprise she found the gold in her stocking. Tears of joy and gratitude came to the old man and his three daughters. They lived as a happy family once again, and that year Acacia met the man of her dreams and they were married right there in their little village. Acacia and her new husband moved next door to her father and sisters and they were all very happy.

p. 10
One year later the old man was very sad again. Winter had come and there was no more money or food to feed his other two daughters. This time the middle daughter, Adara would have to leave to find work.

p.11
The night before Adara was to leave the village she cried as she washed her family’s clothes for the last time and set them in front of the fireplace to dry.

p.12
The family said a prayer and went to sleep hoping once again a miracle would come and Adara would not have to leave their family.

p.13
Late that night, Nicolas crept through the village to their home and climbed up that familiar stone wall that led to the roof top. Nicolas dropped another ball of gold coins down the chimney, and that ball rolled right into Adara’s stocking.

p.14
The next morning Adara excitedly ran to her stockings and found the golden coins, and the family rejoiced. A few months later Adara met the man of her dreams, married him, and they built a small home on the other side of her fathers house so they could still be close to the ones they loved.

p.15
When the next winter came, Nicolas heard through the village that the third daughter, Anastasia was getting ready to leave her family to travel to a far off land to work, once again, Nicolas surprised them with another ball of gold coins. Anastasia was able to stay home, meet the man of her dreams and move in with her father to care for him the rest of his life, and they were all very happy.

p.16
Nicholas’ good deeds didn’t stop with the poor old man and his three daughters. Since Nicolas was friends with all of the villagers, especially the children, he knew just what they needed. He crept out only at night delivering his good deeds down the chimneys of the entire village the rest of his life.

p.17
Because Nicolas did what Jesus taught, he was called a saint. Over the many years and many lands, Saint Nicolas has been called “Sint Nicolass”, “Sinterklass”, and even a name you may recognize… “Santa Claus”.

p.18
When you see a Santa in the mall, or ringing a bell, or even at a party, remember Saint Nicolas and all of the good things Nicolas did for his village many years ago.
Remember why Nicolas helped his friends in need; because Jesus was born for you and me.

Inside Out Parenting - Early Bird Discount

For the last two years I have been writing Inside Out Parenting. It is finally done and ready for release. This book is very different from other parenting books in that I took the most salient issues every parent deals with and I addressed them head on with a no nonsense approach. With issues ranging from what parents post on Facebook to lack of libido in parents to children dressing in sexy clothes I offer information, tools, and straight up instructions on how to overcome some of the biggest obstacles parents face today. Some chapters can even save a child's life.
Inside Out Parenting will be first released in softcover, followed by digital and audio versions. As the first to be able to purchase the softcover, I am offering free shipping to the continental U.S. and a discount. You will get the book shipped straight to your door for $12.95 and in addition to that you will also receive the digital version ($10 value at Barnes and Nobel and Amazon) AND the audio book download ($10 value or 1 credit at Audible)when they are released this summer. Need more than one book? There is also a discount for ordering 2 or more - just in case you know a parent who needs one. It's a great gift too! Click Below To Purchase (allow up to 3 weeks for delivery)

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1 books $12.95 2 books $22.00 3 books $30.00

"Inside Out Parenting is a must read for parents. It is full of simple and practical advice that is applicable to parents of all ages and in all life situations. The book teaches easy to implement principles that are sure to improve any parent-child relationship. The book is both informative and entertaining as Service shares parenting truths, intermixed with real life examples from his own family and from other families he has encountered during his training and in life. These captivating experiences help drive home the practical truths he teaches throughout the book. There is something for everyone in this book, from the soon to be parent, to the great grandparent. The book is fresh, relevant, and modern, addressing parenting issues that didn’t even exist 10 years ago, such as Facebook and sexting. He is not afraid to say what needs to be said."

Dr. Andrew J. Morse, D.O.
Chief of Surgery
Community Hospital
Grand Junction, CO

"Anson,
This is a great book! I discovered something in every chapter that was applicable to my life with 5 kids. Being a parent, or a child, can be difficult even in the best circumstances, but our children face many difficult situations and I loved your down-to earth advice. It is so straightforward and uses examples that are useful to every day parents that want themselves & their children to be successful in life. Although I have never been divorced, I could even relate to your chapter of blending families - it is good guidance for adoption in families, too. I will definitely read this book again!"
Erin Iverson, mother of 5

How to meditate - I dare you to try it for 30 days. Just see what happens.

Somebody emailed me today asking how to meditate. Whew, that is a big question. This is a quick and simple “how-to” that I adapted from a great article by S.D. Farrell. While this is an oversimplified instruction, it can at least give you and idea as to how to get started right away. I have simply taken this article and added a few components and taken a few things away to match what I teach. For the method I use, please refer to my book, The New Science of Meditation as the full technique I use is not in this how to. I am not attempting to plug my book here, but the reason I wrote the book is because I found myself explaining to people how to meditate, and while it is simple, it is too involved to just spit out in a sentence or two. That would be like somebody asking you to explain how World War II began. There are too many things to understand first before jumping into the attack on Pearl Harbor. Again, if you would like to know more, please get the downloadable version of my book at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or the hard cover from www.paramountpacificpress.com or Amazon.com
I hope you enjoy,
Anson L. Service
What Meditation Is
To understand meditation, one should know a little bit about the brain. Think of your brain as a machine capable of adjusting to a wide spectrum of activities. Throughout the course of your day, electrical pulses in the brain change to meet your needs. This happens naturally, and you are usually not aware of it.
From full mental engagement at one end of the spectrum to daydreaming near the middle and REM sleep at the other end, different activities have different brain wave patterns associated with them. Simply, meditation is a state of altered consciousness where your brain slows down from its normal, beta brain wave activity to more relaxed alpha activity.
Alpha activity does not disrupt your awareness like sleep does, and you remain alert to yourself, your surroundings and your thoughts. However, the alpha state is much closer to sleep than the beta state. This causes deep physical relaxation, a sense of peacefulness induced by neurochemical changes, and heightened mental clarity in a fraction of the time it would take for you to interrupt your daily routine and take a nap. Also, you can finish your meditation session within minutes and return to full beta, unlike waking from a nap, which often leaves you feeling groggy.
What Meditation Is Not
Meditation is not mystical. Though many religious traditions, especially in the east, encourage regular meditation as part of communion with the divine, there is nothing inherently spiritual about the process of meditation, and people from all spiritual backgrounds and all walks of life can learn to meditate.
Meditation is not pseudoscience. On the same note, the physical benefits of meditation are very real and have been established by psychologists through clinical research. Regular meditation reduces your adaptation level - basically, the level of physical tension that your muscles usually carry as you go about your daily business. Many of us have an unnecessarily high adaptation level which keeps us in readiness for fight-for-flight at any time. By reducing our adaptation level, we reduce the physical strain on our muscles and organs, and make positive changes in our body chemistry.
Meditation is not gymnastics. No complex physical contortions of any kind are necessary for meditation. As a matter of fact, your brain naturally passes through a state very similar to meditation when you are lying in bed on your way to falling asleep. Meditation can be practiced in almost any physical position, but should usually be learned and used when you are as comfortable as possible and can fill your lungs completely while breathing.
Meditation is not a substitute for sleep. Though meditating at regular intervals throughout the day can help you make more effective use of your energy, reduce sleep toxins in the bloodstream and allow you to remain alert for longer periods of time, meditation cannot be used as a replacement for sleep. On the contrary, meditation often allows you to sleep more deeply and get more rest because the body is prepared to submerge into deep sleep without a long period of cooling down from the day beforehand. This can mean less tossing and turning and more REM sleep, which is vital for maintaining health.
How to Meditate
Meditation is a very simple process, but it can take some practice to get the hang of it.
• All you need for your first meditation session is a place where you will be undisturbed for ten to twenty minutes. If possible, unplug the phone, lock the door, and let anyone you live with know what you are doing. If the lights can be dimmed, so much the better. It is important that you minimize distractions when you are first learning to meditate. As you progress, it will become possible to meditate in more chaotic environments.
• Begin by sitting on the floor cross-legged or normally in a comfortable, straight-backed chair. Recliners are not recommended, because they increase the risk that you will fall asleep; however, something like a wicker chair that puts strain on your back should not be considered an improvement.
• Straighten your posture so that your back is straight and your head is erect, as though you are looking directly ahead of you. Place your hands on your knees. Your shoulders should be straight, but not so straight that your hands cannot rest normally.
• Close your eyes. As you meditate for longer and longer periods, you will find that your head lolls forward naturally as your neck relaxes. This should be allowed, but always remember to raise your head if you begin to feel groggy. The ideal meditative state is a pleasant sense of relaxation in which your alertness is not compromised. You may feel lethargic, as though moving would be too much trouble, but you should not feel as though you might fall asleep.
• With your eyes closed, begin to breathe in and out slowly. Inhale through the nose, allowing your diaphragm to fill with air first, then allow the chest to rise as your lungs fill to their maximum extent. Gently and smoothly hold your full breath for two to three seconds and then release it slowly through your mouth taking longer to release the air than it did to inhale it.
• Repeat this several times, counting down from ten toward zero with each exhalation. Concentrate on the feeling of your nose as air enters your nostrils, and on your slightly opened lips as air leaves your mouth. This is called “mindfulness meditation” meaning you are mindful of your breath in this case. Once you have done this ten times or so you should become aware that your muscles are relaxing naturally. If you have chronic trouble with neck, back or shoulder aches, it may take these muscles longer to respond. You will also notice that your mind flies in many directions, trying to fill your consciousness with thoughts about your day, other things you hear or feel and whatever tasks you plan to do later. This is normal. On the first attempt, most students cannot sit attempting to meditate for more than two to five minutes. While you sit attempt to allow the thoughts that enter your head leave as fast as they enter. Do not fight your thoughts, and if they simply will not leave, write it down and allow it to be heard in that manner. Eventually your thoughts will slow so that you can enter a state of thoughtlessness and concentrate on nothing. This is called getting into the gap. New students can sometimes only get in the gap for a few seconds at a time at first. This is where the real good takes place. It is said that once you realize you are in the gap… you are no longer in the gap. It is in this state of conscious being in which thoughts and judgments of all things are suspended that we seek to be in.
That is all there is to it. If you practice once or twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening if you can, you will soon be able to clear your mind and silence nagging thoughts for longer and longer periods. Strive for ten minutes after the first week, twenty minutes after the first month and longer periods as you deem fit.
Ten to twenty minutes is long enough to reap all the benefits of meditation, but longer periods can extend these benefits and make for good preparation before a stressful interview, meeting, date, or what have you. Watch out for meditating for too long. Some people have found so much solace and peace in their otherwise difficult world that they meditate at the expense of their duties and family. This is contrary to the point of meditation. It is to help you be able to deal with and face life in a very effective manner, not escape. Escaping is what alcohol and other drugs provide and we seek to allow life to be in peace and harmony and not to hide from it.
After a little practice, you can consider yourself skilled in the art of meditation. You may choose to augment your practice by finding other positions to meditate in or incorporating different breathing techniques. Whatever you do, you can be sure that meditation will make a positive impact on your mental and physical health, all without growing a long, white beard or moving to a cave.

Update

Wow, where do I start? I have been neglecting my blog because I have been absolutely inundated with stuff going on. I have had a great time to doing school visits and book signings. Related to that, I released The New Science of Meditation (available at www.paramountpacificpress.com and amazon.com) I have had really great comments about it. I wrote it for regular people, not those with doctorates in neuropsychology. I started working with Dr. Marie McMahon this past week in her clinic. Specializes in autism and Asperger's Syndrome. I have to run at the moment, but Ill write more soon.
Thank you for your support.
Anson

School Visits

It's been a while since I have had the chance to post anything. I have been having a great time at various schools around Vancouver and have been invited to come speak to children and their parents in my home town of Portland. We are in the process of setting up our tour through Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in July. If you have an event you think might be a fit for me to visit and you are in these states, let me know and I will see if we can work it in.
If you are in a state other than those mentioned and would like to host an event, let me know and I will do everything I can to make that happen for you and your group.
In the words of an awesome young lady named Sara Turley I have the pleasure of serving, "Love the life You live."
Anson

Hough Elementary and Read Aloud

I had the awesome opportunity to be the guest at Hough Elementary school for their reading night. Children and their families came to hear me read The Littlest Acorn. Everybody was great and I did my best to read to them with the same funny voices I do with my own children at bed time. It was a great experience and I look forward to many more. The next one is Read Aloud at another local school that my good friend Heidi Wright invited me to read at.

I'm Coming to You

Hey there friends,
Are you affiliated with a school or organization that would like to have me come to your event for The Littlest Acorn? Just let me know. I am able to travel pretty much anywhere in the U.S. or world to do readings and book signings, and I always have a few surprises up my sleeve too.
Just email me at
ansonservice@yahoo.com