Christmas Magnets

Coming up with Christmas crafts for girls ages two and three is not easy, but it can be done. I picked up an ornament set at a craft store (super cheap) and just used magnetic strips I already had. Lots of fun was had and a big mess made! (Also, a little brother enjoyed a snack of marker flavored wood resulting in a blue face for a couple of days!) Ok, so I had a lot of fun, too!

Food for Thought

I just posted a random comment on facebook about the song "Mary Did You Know" and it started quite the conversation. I love making myself think about these things that I believe we'll never know the answers to - at least this side of Heaven. So I thought I'd share and see what your thoughts are.

I just made the comment that since having children, I can not listen to the song without crying or at least tearing up. Here are the lyrics: (Have you ever really listened to them?)

   Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?
   Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
   Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
   This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

   Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?
   Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?
   Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
   When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

   The blind will see.
   The deaf will hear.
   The dead will live again.
   The lame will leap.
   The dumb will speak
   The praises of The Lamb.

   Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?
   Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?
   Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
   The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

I emphasized the phrases that just knock me off my feet. I have had the blessing of holding three precious babies after delivering them. Each time, I brought them close, kissed them, cradled their face and studied their features like my life depended on it. So overwhelmed by love, in a heartbeat, I meet them and know that I would die for them. I have to assume Mary felt all this, but did she know? Did she know that her precious baby would one day give His life for her? because of her sins? We know from Scripture that Mary knew He was going to be Savior of all. But I have wondered, and came to the conclusion (whether it be right or wrong we will never know) that she did not know of the horrifying death Jesus would suffer. I think (again, clearly speculation) that God would have protected her from such awfulness. I can't imagine it being possible to live day to day life having that burden of information. Anyway, I just find this song so fascinating now that I have gone through the emotional experience of giving birth and falling in love with a newborn baby. If you have thoughts on all this, please share!

Hard Lessons

If you've ever been in a less than ideal situation, you've probably wondered why God just doesn't fix it. This can range from anything to financial struggles to the illness or loss of a loved one. Of course, my head always tells me that He knows what's best and is waiting to give us the best until it's the best time. But sometimes my heart says, no, screams "But you are all powerful, so why can't you just fix it all?". The answer of course, is that He can. So why doesn't He?

I've been going through the Bible study "Missing Pieces" by Jennifer Rothschild. She addressed the above dilemma and answered it this way: "God possesses both ultimate power and ultimate authority. The choice to not exercise power does not mean one is powerless. It means sometimes one who has power chooses to withhold it for a greater purpose." A little later, she addresses her own struggle in accepting God's authority and power regarding her blindness, "I'm fully confident God cares about me and could heal my blindness, but even though He has the power to, He doesn't choose to show it in the way I sometimes hope . . . Does that mean He doesn't care? I think it means He cares enough to allow me to struggle and find a deeper understanding of and connection to His heart. If I plead for His power, then I must accept His authority that comes along with it. His power may be capable of healing my eyes and filling in your missing pieces, but His authority may not deem it best. [We] need to respectfully trust His authority as much as [we] trust His power. For it is the companionship of those two attributes that allows suffering and at the same time disallows punishment for our sin. Unless we take God just as He is in His wholeness, we will never find hope in our own brokenness."

Truth for Today

Clinging to His Word today . . .

"looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."

- Hebrews 12:2, 3

Christmas Truth

"And there, in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night, God gave the world his wonderful gift. The baby that would change the world was born. His baby Son. Mary and Joseph wrapped him up to keep him warm. They made a soft bed of straw and used the animals' feeding trough as his cradle. And they gazed in wonder at God's Great Gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. Mary and Joseph named him Jesus, "Emmanuel" - which means "God has come to live with us." Because, of course, he had."

 

- The Jesus Storybook Bible

by Sally Lloyd-Jones

 

I can't say enough about this children's Bible. While not quite simple enough for a two year old, I'm giving it to my three year old for Christmas. It's the only gift I have yet to wrap - I'm having too much fun reading through it myself! While most children's Bibles tell the stories of the Bible, this Bible relates every story to the gospel, the greatest story of all. It is beautifully written, it is captivating. It's simple elegance has moved me to tears many times. For a last minute gift for a child, Amazon has the best price I've found, a fraction of what some bookstores are asking for it. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Jesus-Storybook-Bible-Whispers/dp/0310708257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355365770&sr=8-1&keywords=jesus+storybook+bible. I also can't thank my dear friend Meredith enough for sharing this book with me! Definitely a favorite!

Free Christmas Printable

Daily migraines on top of exhaustion have been a constant for a few weeks now, and I apologize for the lack of posts. I'm praying the headaches end soon because they are certainly no fun with three children who like to run around the house screaming all day! Anyway, just wanted to share with you a free printable for Christmas. Just follow this link to download and print this great 8x10! I printed mine and already have it framed!

Again, this is not my creation, I just found it at http://adventuresofabettycrockerwannabe.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-scripture-word-tree-printable.html

Charlie Brown's Gingerbread House

We all know about Charlie's Brown's Christmas tree, and I'm pretty sure if he made a gingerbread house, it would look very much like ours. I realized we had graham crackers, icing left over from a birthday, and marshmallows from Lauren's food therapy, so we went to town! The experience was had, a mess was made, and pictures were taken. (The colored rows are completely Megan's doing. I wonder how early you can diagnose OCD . . . )

Christmas Truth

I find it so easy to be discontent during the holidays. I constantly see toys, books, puzzles, and games at great deals. I see gorgeous Christmas decorations, crafts, and all kinds of good stuff. I am in a constant battle with myself to remember that my kids already have quite a few presents each, and that getting them hundreds of toys would harm, rather than help, them. I have to remember that decorations and my crafting abilities - or lack thereof - are not what make my house a home. More importantly I have to remember that even though I say Christ is all that matters at Christmas, my discontentedness tells a different story. Christmas is not about toys, spoiling your children, the size of your tree, or how beautifully your house is decorated. It's about love. It's about our Creator loving us so much that He sent his son to earth to die so that we can live. Can you imagine sending your newborn baby away, knowing that he will suffer a terrible death because you are sending him? Go hold a newborn and imagine. Heart breaking, isn't it? That's love. That's Christmas.

NOEL

As promised, here is my complete "NOEL" Christmas display, complete with "snowy" pinecone trees for my BirchHeart snowmen. (Pinecones were a few from a huge bag that only cost $2 after store sale plus coupons and I already had the paint.) When I asked my husband what he thought - always a mistake - he said he didn't like it. When I finally got a reason out of him, his response was that it looks to "Hobby Lobby-ish". Well, I guess I'll take that as a compliment!