You know those "ice breaker" questions that ask things like, "If you could be any animal what would you be?" or "If you could have dinner with any person, past or present, who would it be?"
Saturday night my husband were on the freeway listening to the radio and I told him, "You know that icebreaker question about, 'If you could travel to any moment in history where would you go?'" He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Um . . . ok??" since it was obvious he didn't know where I was going with this question that seemingly came up out of the blue.
The weekend before my kids and I went with friends to a nursing home/rehab facility to do some Christmas caroling. As we sang the second verse of "Silent Night" I had tears in my eyes imagining what it must've been like that night:
Silent Night! Holy Night!
Shepherd's quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing, "Hallelujah!"
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
O Holy Night was playing on the radio Saturday night when my husband and I were in the car and I just couldn't help but start trying to imagine what it would've been like to be one of the shepherds in the field that night who were alerted to the greatest birth in history so I finished my thought and told my husband, "If I could travel to any moment in history THIS night being sung about would be it . . . "
Monday, December 10, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
How Parenthood Changed Christmas
Ever since I became a parent Christmas has changed for me. Aside from the obvious of watching the magic of Christmas through my children's eyes parenthood has changed how I view Mary, Joseph and their roles in Jesus' arrival.
As a woman who has been very pregnant (my son was born at 41wks, 1 days and my daugter was born at 39 wks, 6 days) I can imagine how uncomfortable Mary was on the donkey as she and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem.
In my experience one of the privleges that comes with being pregnant is the way people went out of their way to extend courtesies such as givng me their seat in a crowded restaurant lobby. Mary and Joseph apparently couldn't find someone who would give up a room for them (I'm guessing this might be because they were unmarried??). We know they were travelling for the census so I'm guessing there must been other family members with them. None of them were willing to let Mary and Joseph stay with them? Was their family shunning them, not believing Joseph & Mary when they said Mary was a virgin?
I was fortunate enough to give birth in the age of the epidural (props to you who have done the natural childbirth thing, the closest I got was refusing induction twice and narrowly avoiding a c-section with my first) , but I can only imagine how scary it must've been for these first time parents as Mary gave birth in a dirty barn. Mary didn't have caring nurses wrapping her baby in clean blankets in a clean room, she had to make do with what she had available. We're not told if these young parents had anyone else with them, assisting in Jesus' birth
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) where Amy Grant puts herself in Mary's shoes. In recent years MercyMe has recorded their own song from Joseph's perspective. Songs like these and Mary, Did You Know? show that I'm not the first one to wonder what it was like for the two who were entrusted with raising Jesus.
Every parent I know is overwhelmed by their responsibilities, especially with their first, but how much more did Joseph & Mary feel knowing they were raising the Son of God?
We know Jesus never sinned (can I say I'm jealous Mary never had to deal with the "terrible twos"?), but what kind of baby was he? What would it have been like to raise this child knowing who He was? Did they feel (even more) pressure than other parents to raise him correctly?
I know we don't know anything about Joseph after Jesus was at the temple when he was 12. As a mom I can't even begin to fathom how horribly heart wrenching it must've been for Mary to watch Jesus be crucified.
Now that I'm a parent I can't help but look at a nativity scene and wonder about the young couple who wrapped their baby in swaddling clothes that night in Bethlehem.
As a woman who has been very pregnant (my son was born at 41wks, 1 days and my daugter was born at 39 wks, 6 days) I can imagine how uncomfortable Mary was on the donkey as she and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem.
In my experience one of the privleges that comes with being pregnant is the way people went out of their way to extend courtesies such as givng me their seat in a crowded restaurant lobby. Mary and Joseph apparently couldn't find someone who would give up a room for them (I'm guessing this might be because they were unmarried??). We know they were travelling for the census so I'm guessing there must been other family members with them. None of them were willing to let Mary and Joseph stay with them? Was their family shunning them, not believing Joseph & Mary when they said Mary was a virgin?
I was fortunate enough to give birth in the age of the epidural (props to you who have done the natural childbirth thing, the closest I got was refusing induction twice and narrowly avoiding a c-section with my first) , but I can only imagine how scary it must've been for these first time parents as Mary gave birth in a dirty barn. Mary didn't have caring nurses wrapping her baby in clean blankets in a clean room, she had to make do with what she had available. We're not told if these young parents had anyone else with them, assisting in Jesus' birth
One of my favorite Christmas songs is Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) where Amy Grant puts herself in Mary's shoes. In recent years MercyMe has recorded their own song from Joseph's perspective. Songs like these and Mary, Did You Know? show that I'm not the first one to wonder what it was like for the two who were entrusted with raising Jesus.
Every parent I know is overwhelmed by their responsibilities, especially with their first, but how much more did Joseph & Mary feel knowing they were raising the Son of God?
We know Jesus never sinned (can I say I'm jealous Mary never had to deal with the "terrible twos"?), but what kind of baby was he? What would it have been like to raise this child knowing who He was? Did they feel (even more) pressure than other parents to raise him correctly?
I know we don't know anything about Joseph after Jesus was at the temple when he was 12. As a mom I can't even begin to fathom how horribly heart wrenching it must've been for Mary to watch Jesus be crucified.
Now that I'm a parent I can't help but look at a nativity scene and wonder about the young couple who wrapped their baby in swaddling clothes that night in Bethlehem.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Inspired!
I started out 2012 feeling like there was a life lesson to be learned, but that I just couldn't grasp what it was. Because of separate incidents that occured in the same area of my life I just KNEW there was something I was supposed to be learning, but I just couldn't figure out what it was.
As the year progressed my quest for this big "answer" never really got anwered, or at least not answered in an easy to sum up "What I Learned in 2012" facebook status (Not even this blog is big enough), but one thing I did learn is that there are amazing people in my life who can teach me lessons and help me grow as a person, even when they're not trying to. Just through observing the lives of 3 friends in particular this year I have come away inspired. Only one of these women has chosen the challenge she's faced this year, but all three of them have climbed some pretty big mountains this year (like Mt. Everest sized mountains). Watching them struggle, stumble, succeed, and learn has caused me to look at the challenges in my own life and know they're not impossible.
*****************
About this time last year I, along with a few others, received an e-mail from a friend of ours who had found a lump in her breast. In the first few business days of 2012 my friend was in her car, on the freeway, when she received the offical diagnosis of breast cancer. Through her journey I have followed her progress on facebook where she's been extremely transparent about the good days and bad. Since her diagnosis in January my friend has faced a mastectomy, chemo and finally reconstruction with a grace that just absolutely astounds me. I've followed Jesus for about half of my life now and I have NEVER seen anyone handle adversity the way this friend has been. This friend "works the room" whenever she has an appointment at her oncologists, at chemo, at Herceptin treatments, at the plastic surgeon, etc. My friend wants to get to know other women who are on the same journey with her so they can encourage each other. My friend sees her cancer diagnosis as a journey to encourage others and bring them together. My friend knows there is a purpose to her battle and is just being her (extremely extroverted) self as she goes along side other women in her (lack of) a bra.
In addition to encouraging others who are facing breast cancer, my friend is being very real and open about breast cancer for those of us who have never walked closely with someone during their treatment so that we would be able to have more empathy for those on this journey and so that we could be more educated.
Interestingly enough this same friend had finished chemo before she even made her diagnosis public on her regular facebook page (After 25+ years in marketing and media she knows A LOT of people)!
Whether she realizes it or not this friend's example should be the basis of a book titled "How to Handle Cancer and any other Life Altering Event"
***************
The only friend from this list who chose her battle is a rockstar. Ok, not literally, but she's cooler than pretty much any rock star I can think of. Bon Jovi is cool and everything but is he a mom to 4 kids, actively involved in church, cook well enough to be a chef at his own restaurant, maintain his own blog . . . and oh yeah . . . complete an Ironman? Yeah, I didn't think so. That's why Missy from Sugar Coated Athlete is cooler than a rock star.
I'm not an athlete and I don't like to bake (I sure as heck LOVE to eat sweets, though so if you want to bake me some I'll be home waiting for you!!!), but I read Missy's blog almost every day. Seeing the workouts she does, the food she cooks, and the way she makes me laugh out loud while I'm reading her blog all inspire me.
You can read about Missy's journey to the finish line of the Arizona Ironman on her blog, but briefly it has included crashes, a trip to the ER, a long, HOT, very long, VERY HOT Phoenix summer, vacation, selling a house/moving a family of 6, potty training a toddler, and other normal life stuff that occurs when you're married and have 4 kids.
I've often said I don't have time to work out because of my kids. Well . . . Missy has 2 more kids than I do, blogs more often than I do and still can ride her bike 90 miles on a Saturday afternoon. What's my excuse? Yeah, I don't have one.
If Missy can train for an Ironman (quick education: An Ironman course is a 2.4mi swim, 112 mi bike ride and as if that weren't enough for one day . . . there's a full 26.2mi marathon at the end just for kicks). I can't even run to the end of my street if I turn left out of my driveway. (I totally kick butt when I run to the end of my street by hanging a right out of my driveway because my house IS at the end of the street)
Missy has inspired me to get off the couch and get moving! I have no desire to ever be an Ironman, but I KNOW I'm capable of achieving my goals with enough determination and grit.
***************
When your husband of 14 years tells you there's someone else and he wants you and the kids to "set him free" how would you handle it?
One friend found out this fall. Like me she said she'd always considered this marital issue to be a "deal breaker". Through her blog and her facebook page I watched a true miracle occur when her husband (also a friend of mine. Actually, he's one of my good friends from college and only know her as a result of her being his wife) changed his mind and decided he was willing to work it out with his wife. I have prayed (and am continuing to pray) fervently for this couple and the reconciliation process.
As with my friend who is just finishing up her battle with cancer I never want to find out if I'm as strong as this friend is. I never want to find myself where I have to forgive so much and be tortured with the thoughts she is.
In the two years prior to the path this couple is walking now they've dealt with a deployment (they're a military family), their 8 year old having a brain tumor and a move. (Their son just turned 10 and is doing great!). Recently this family was rocked by the sudden passing of his mom and now their household is dealing with mono.
I have read my friend's blog posts and I am amazed at the faith she is showing in the midst of all this . . . YUCK. I know God is growing her and He is changing her. Watching her strength in the midst of this "It could never happen to us" crisis has been inspiring. Through her blog and her facebook page I have watched her struggle with living out the Biblical commandment to forgive, while simultaneously wondering if I could forgive if I found myself in her situation and praying I never have to experience what she is facing.
Because her husband is a longtime friend of mine and because I've developed a friendship with her online in recent years I am rooting for this couple and cheering them, praying that they're able to have a marriage that thrives again! I know this is not an easy road for them, but the fact they've made it this far and are continuing to work things out is incredibly inspring. It's easy for me, or others, to tell them how they should handle things right now, but since I haven't ever been asked to forgive something so peronal I know all I can offer are prayers and encouragement.
I am blessed to know some amazing people but thanks to the internet I have watched as these three have climbed Mt. Everest (or maybe the entire Himilayan range) this year. I know the journey isn't over, yet (especially for my friends dealing with healing their marriage), but the fact that they're all still laughing is encouraging in and of itself!
As the year progressed my quest for this big "answer" never really got anwered, or at least not answered in an easy to sum up "What I Learned in 2012" facebook status (Not even this blog is big enough), but one thing I did learn is that there are amazing people in my life who can teach me lessons and help me grow as a person, even when they're not trying to. Just through observing the lives of 3 friends in particular this year I have come away inspired. Only one of these women has chosen the challenge she's faced this year, but all three of them have climbed some pretty big mountains this year (like Mt. Everest sized mountains). Watching them struggle, stumble, succeed, and learn has caused me to look at the challenges in my own life and know they're not impossible.
*****************
About this time last year I, along with a few others, received an e-mail from a friend of ours who had found a lump in her breast. In the first few business days of 2012 my friend was in her car, on the freeway, when she received the offical diagnosis of breast cancer. Through her journey I have followed her progress on facebook where she's been extremely transparent about the good days and bad. Since her diagnosis in January my friend has faced a mastectomy, chemo and finally reconstruction with a grace that just absolutely astounds me. I've followed Jesus for about half of my life now and I have NEVER seen anyone handle adversity the way this friend has been. This friend "works the room" whenever she has an appointment at her oncologists, at chemo, at Herceptin treatments, at the plastic surgeon, etc. My friend wants to get to know other women who are on the same journey with her so they can encourage each other. My friend sees her cancer diagnosis as a journey to encourage others and bring them together. My friend knows there is a purpose to her battle and is just being her (extremely extroverted) self as she goes along side other women in her (lack of) a bra.
In addition to encouraging others who are facing breast cancer, my friend is being very real and open about breast cancer for those of us who have never walked closely with someone during their treatment so that we would be able to have more empathy for those on this journey and so that we could be more educated.
Interestingly enough this same friend had finished chemo before she even made her diagnosis public on her regular facebook page (After 25+ years in marketing and media she knows A LOT of people)!
Whether she realizes it or not this friend's example should be the basis of a book titled "How to Handle Cancer and any other Life Altering Event"
***************
The only friend from this list who chose her battle is a rockstar. Ok, not literally, but she's cooler than pretty much any rock star I can think of. Bon Jovi is cool and everything but is he a mom to 4 kids, actively involved in church, cook well enough to be a chef at his own restaurant, maintain his own blog . . . and oh yeah . . . complete an Ironman? Yeah, I didn't think so. That's why Missy from Sugar Coated Athlete is cooler than a rock star.
I'm not an athlete and I don't like to bake (I sure as heck LOVE to eat sweets, though so if you want to bake me some I'll be home waiting for you!!!), but I read Missy's blog almost every day. Seeing the workouts she does, the food she cooks, and the way she makes me laugh out loud while I'm reading her blog all inspire me.
You can read about Missy's journey to the finish line of the Arizona Ironman on her blog, but briefly it has included crashes, a trip to the ER, a long, HOT, very long, VERY HOT Phoenix summer, vacation, selling a house/moving a family of 6, potty training a toddler, and other normal life stuff that occurs when you're married and have 4 kids.
I've often said I don't have time to work out because of my kids. Well . . . Missy has 2 more kids than I do, blogs more often than I do and still can ride her bike 90 miles on a Saturday afternoon. What's my excuse? Yeah, I don't have one.
If Missy can train for an Ironman (quick education: An Ironman course is a 2.4mi swim, 112 mi bike ride and as if that weren't enough for one day . . . there's a full 26.2mi marathon at the end just for kicks). I can't even run to the end of my street if I turn left out of my driveway. (I totally kick butt when I run to the end of my street by hanging a right out of my driveway because my house IS at the end of the street)
Missy has inspired me to get off the couch and get moving! I have no desire to ever be an Ironman, but I KNOW I'm capable of achieving my goals with enough determination and grit.
***************
When your husband of 14 years tells you there's someone else and he wants you and the kids to "set him free" how would you handle it?
One friend found out this fall. Like me she said she'd always considered this marital issue to be a "deal breaker". Through her blog and her facebook page I watched a true miracle occur when her husband (also a friend of mine. Actually, he's one of my good friends from college and only know her as a result of her being his wife) changed his mind and decided he was willing to work it out with his wife. I have prayed (and am continuing to pray) fervently for this couple and the reconciliation process.
As with my friend who is just finishing up her battle with cancer I never want to find out if I'm as strong as this friend is. I never want to find myself where I have to forgive so much and be tortured with the thoughts she is.
In the two years prior to the path this couple is walking now they've dealt with a deployment (they're a military family), their 8 year old having a brain tumor and a move. (Their son just turned 10 and is doing great!). Recently this family was rocked by the sudden passing of his mom and now their household is dealing with mono.
I have read my friend's blog posts and I am amazed at the faith she is showing in the midst of all this . . . YUCK. I know God is growing her and He is changing her. Watching her strength in the midst of this "It could never happen to us" crisis has been inspiring. Through her blog and her facebook page I have watched her struggle with living out the Biblical commandment to forgive, while simultaneously wondering if I could forgive if I found myself in her situation and praying I never have to experience what she is facing.
Because her husband is a longtime friend of mine and because I've developed a friendship with her online in recent years I am rooting for this couple and cheering them, praying that they're able to have a marriage that thrives again! I know this is not an easy road for them, but the fact they've made it this far and are continuing to work things out is incredibly inspring. It's easy for me, or others, to tell them how they should handle things right now, but since I haven't ever been asked to forgive something so peronal I know all I can offer are prayers and encouragement.
I am blessed to know some amazing people but thanks to the internet I have watched as these three have climbed Mt. Everest (or maybe the entire Himilayan range) this year. I know the journey isn't over, yet (especially for my friends dealing with healing their marriage), but the fact that they're all still laughing is encouraging in and of itself!
Monday, December 3, 2012
In the beginning . . .
Here is the first picture taken of us (on our second date), at his company Christmas party:
 |
| December, 2002 |
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| October, 2011 |
Ornament a year . . .
Because I was working full time as a flight attendant and part-time at a Christian bookstore when we met we didn't have a lot of time to spend together in the beginning, especially since the holidays are a notoriously busy time in the airline industry and he'd already made travel plans for the last 2 weeks of December.
The first thing my husband invited me to was his company Christmas party, which was supposed to be our first date. Because there were about 10 days between the time he invited me to the party and the day it was scheduled, we ended up going out to dinner once in between. With our conflicting schedules around Christmas and New Year's Eve we had known that after the weekend of his work party we wouldn't see each other until after the 1st of the year.
After one of our first two dates we were in my apartment and I was showing him the ornaments I had for my first ever tree (This was the first time I'd ever lived alone, without roommates). All of the ornaments on my tree were ones given to me by relatives when I was a kid or by friends when I was in high school and college and I told him the story of each one.
Because he knew he would be gone for a scheduled visit to his parents' house for Christmas and then a previously scheduled New Year's Eve party at his best friend's house out of town my (now) husband left my Christmas gift with the mutual friend who had introduced us.
After only two dates this was the first ever gift my husband bought me:
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After we became engaged in September, 2003 he showed me this ornament he bought at the same time he bought the first one
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Needless to say a tradition was born pretty quickly :)
Interestingly enough, just a few days after I had set up our tree in 2005 we found out we were expecting our oldest so we have an ornament to mark that occasion, too. When I went to Target to buy a confirmatory pregnancy test I also picked up an ornament that was a gift box that opened. I put a note inside with the date and saying we got our present early that year in finding out we're going to become parents. I also bought a gender neutral stocking ornament that day. I will take pictures of those and add them to this post later.
Every year I buy an ornament that represents my husband and I and one for each of the kids. Starting at about age 2 I let the kids pick their own out. Some of their choices have surprised me, but I love hearing their reasons why. I stick a note in the ornament box saying who picked out the ornament and why so I'll always remember.
My favorite part of decorating the tree each December is pulling out the ornaments and taking a trip down memory lane. Here are a few of my favorites:
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| After my husband were pronounced "husband and wife" at our wedding we left the church for our reception to Smashmouth's rendition of I'm a Believer from the movie Shrek. |
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| This was my husband's boutonnier from our wedding inside a plastic ornament ball I'd bought at Michael's |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Why Santa Doesn't Live Here
2 years ago I wrote an entry I titled Santa Doesn't Live Here. As I was re-reading it today I realized I didn't answer the "Why?" question we get so often.
Before I explain I want to add this disclaimer . . . Every family has to make their own decisions on things like this. This is how/why our family does Christmas and I'm not trying to get into a "Mommy War" if your family does something different because I don't think it's a "right/wrong" issue.
First and foremost we don't do Santa because we don't want to lie to our kids and, in our minds, it's lying. We feel hypocritical punishing our kids for lying and teaching them lying is wrong when we're doing it ourselves. I know others tell us it's "Just a game", but to us it's still lying
Secondly, because we don't make a big deal of the commercial/material side of Christmas it doesn't really fit into our philosophy to be buying our kids two sets of presents: one from Santa and one from Mom and Dad. We're on a pretty tight budget and our kids generally don't have much under the tree so I want all the credit ;)
Also, this way I don't have to worry about older cousins, siblings or friends from school "ruining" it for my kids since I vividly remember discussions on the playground about, "My sister said there is no Santa". As the oldest sibling and cousin I remember my mom pulling me aside when I was about 4th grade and saying, "You know there's no Santa, right?" I told her I learned it at school already and she said, "Ok, just don't tell your sister or cousins".
When I was in college, and a new Christian, a friend was saying his family didn't do Santa when he was growing up because his parents didn't want the kids to make the correlation that if Mom and Dad were lying about Santa they must be lying about Jesus, too. His point made sense in the fact that there is more "evidence" (to a kid) for Santa. Santa is at the mall, Santa is on wrapping paper, NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve, seemingly everyone believes in Santa, there are presents under the tree from Santa, etc. On the other hand, not everyone believes in Jesus, you can't see Him, you only hear about Him at church, He's not mentioned on the news, etc.
(Ironically the same friend is now a dad and he and his wife have decided Santa does live at their house)
This point was driven home to me about a year ago when I saw this meme making it's way around the internet:
Our faith is extremely important to us and, as I've written before, we're (attempting) to leave a legacy of faith for our kids. 365 days a year Jesus comes up in natural conversation around our home and our faith is something we try to live by example. We don't want to confuse our kids by throwing fictional characters they do see with a God who is unseen but VERY real.
How will be be celebrating without the man in red?
We will go to a Christmas Eve service at church (probably on the 22nd or 23rd to leave space on the 24th for others), but we go to church every week so this will be just another week of church for our kids. On Christmas Eve we'll sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out candles on a cake we've made for Him (but we get to eat it since He's in heaven). Christmas morning we'll wake up and go into the living room in our pj's. Before we do anything else we'll have a small Bible study where my husband will read Luke, chapter 2 to us and we'll discuss Jesus' birth with the kids and explain we give presents on Christmas as a symbol of the gifts Jesus received from the Magi, as well as the ultimate gift God gave us in His Son.
This year we'll be adding a new nightly tradition inspired by my friend, Korri. This morning I bought a 4.5ft Christmas tree we'll be using specifically as an Advent tree. I spent the afternoon labeling the ornaments and I can't wait until we start having this devotional time with our kids every evening, discussing the names of God as we prepare to celebrate the greatest gift the Earth has ever known! (I may blog again about the tree after we get going and after I take a few pictures)
We've got a few other tricks up our sleeve, too, but this is just a glimpse of why and how we celebrate Christmas without Santa.
If Santa is part of your Christmas tradition I'm not judging you in the least and you can just thank me for being one less person at the mall in line with her kids to get their picture taken with a bearded fat man :)
Before I explain I want to add this disclaimer . . . Every family has to make their own decisions on things like this. This is how/why our family does Christmas and I'm not trying to get into a "Mommy War" if your family does something different because I don't think it's a "right/wrong" issue.
First and foremost we don't do Santa because we don't want to lie to our kids and, in our minds, it's lying. We feel hypocritical punishing our kids for lying and teaching them lying is wrong when we're doing it ourselves. I know others tell us it's "Just a game", but to us it's still lying
Secondly, because we don't make a big deal of the commercial/material side of Christmas it doesn't really fit into our philosophy to be buying our kids two sets of presents: one from Santa and one from Mom and Dad. We're on a pretty tight budget and our kids generally don't have much under the tree so I want all the credit ;)
Also, this way I don't have to worry about older cousins, siblings or friends from school "ruining" it for my kids since I vividly remember discussions on the playground about, "My sister said there is no Santa". As the oldest sibling and cousin I remember my mom pulling me aside when I was about 4th grade and saying, "You know there's no Santa, right?" I told her I learned it at school already and she said, "Ok, just don't tell your sister or cousins".
When I was in college, and a new Christian, a friend was saying his family didn't do Santa when he was growing up because his parents didn't want the kids to make the correlation that if Mom and Dad were lying about Santa they must be lying about Jesus, too. His point made sense in the fact that there is more "evidence" (to a kid) for Santa. Santa is at the mall, Santa is on wrapping paper, NORAD tracks Santa on Christmas Eve, seemingly everyone believes in Santa, there are presents under the tree from Santa, etc. On the other hand, not everyone believes in Jesus, you can't see Him, you only hear about Him at church, He's not mentioned on the news, etc.
(Ironically the same friend is now a dad and he and his wife have decided Santa does live at their house)
This point was driven home to me about a year ago when I saw this meme making it's way around the internet:
Our faith is extremely important to us and, as I've written before, we're (attempting) to leave a legacy of faith for our kids. 365 days a year Jesus comes up in natural conversation around our home and our faith is something we try to live by example. We don't want to confuse our kids by throwing fictional characters they do see with a God who is unseen but VERY real.
How will be be celebrating without the man in red?
We will go to a Christmas Eve service at church (probably on the 22nd or 23rd to leave space on the 24th for others), but we go to church every week so this will be just another week of church for our kids. On Christmas Eve we'll sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out candles on a cake we've made for Him (but we get to eat it since He's in heaven). Christmas morning we'll wake up and go into the living room in our pj's. Before we do anything else we'll have a small Bible study where my husband will read Luke, chapter 2 to us and we'll discuss Jesus' birth with the kids and explain we give presents on Christmas as a symbol of the gifts Jesus received from the Magi, as well as the ultimate gift God gave us in His Son.
This year we'll be adding a new nightly tradition inspired by my friend, Korri. This morning I bought a 4.5ft Christmas tree we'll be using specifically as an Advent tree. I spent the afternoon labeling the ornaments and I can't wait until we start having this devotional time with our kids every evening, discussing the names of God as we prepare to celebrate the greatest gift the Earth has ever known! (I may blog again about the tree after we get going and after I take a few pictures)
We've got a few other tricks up our sleeve, too, but this is just a glimpse of why and how we celebrate Christmas without Santa.
If Santa is part of your Christmas tradition I'm not judging you in the least and you can just thank me for being one less person at the mall in line with her kids to get their picture taken with a bearded fat man :)
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Leaving a Legacy
"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:6,7
Here are a few ways we're trying to live out this teaching in our family and leave a lasting legacy for our family while talking about the things of God throughout our day:
We have a cup that sits on our kitchen table that contains craft sticks. Each craft stick has the name of friends who live overseas, our kids' teachers, the preschool director at church or our pastor. Currently there are 11 sticks. Eventually we're going to start adding other friends and family members who need prayer. Each night before dinner one of the kids gets to "pick a stick" and we take turns praying for that person or family. We have been doing this for about 2 months and it's worked out very well. The kids love picking the stick so much that it's become a reward for winning the nightly manners game we learned from a friend. This has been a wonderful time of hearing our kids hearts as we lift up others in prayer.
We have this large map hanging in our hallway. This hallway is the gateway to our bedrooms and our office/guest room so we all pass it multiple times per day. This is phase one of what will be our "global wall". Right now I'm working on getting shelves to display items we've been given, or personally collected, from around the world. We also want to have pictures of the friends who we pray for surrounding it. Our kids are simultaneously learning about where friends live and world geography. (The first several weeks we had this map the kids would find a flag in the pictures surrounding the map and would ask me where that country is).
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| Our daughter's Bible is being held together by duct tape from it's nightly use |
Each child gets one on-one-time for Bible and prayer. When our oldest was 2 and our youngest was infant it made the most sense for my husband to tuck in our son while I nursed our daughter and rocked her to sleep. 4 years later my husband still does the bedtime routine with our oldest most nights while I do it with our youngest, though we occasionally switch it up.
We by no means have everything figured out, but these are just some of the ways we're trying to talk with our kids about the things of God on a daily basis.
4/1/13 Update: We now have 17 sticks including our Compassion kids, members of the military and ministries we support. The wall is almost complete and I couldn't be more excited! There is still some work to be done: I still need to get shelves to display our items that can't be hung on the wall and I still have 2 more pictures to frame. In addition to our friends who live overseas we also have pictures on the wall of our Compassion kids.
Here is a really bad cell phone picture of the global wall as it looked in January, before I had any of the pictures framed. The hallway is very narrow so I couldn't get the entire thing in one shot. The blank space above the wall will be for the shelves.
4/4/13 Update: The Global Wall project is now done and I couldn't be happier with the results!
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