• Dec. 28, 2007
Celebrate!!!

We conclude a week such as this feeling tired, yet oh-so-full.  Each day has brought with it memorable moments which will only grow more precious over the years.

On Christmas Eve morning, my husband took our guys to visit the residents at several nursing homes.  They delivered candy canes and homemade cards made by the AWANA clubbers at church.  This tradition began several years ago.  Our boys get to engage in conversation with several older friends.  They hear stories from long ago.  In some cases, the residents are unresponsive...they're physically and mentally unable to respond.  Other "friends" whom our boys had come to know have died since my guys first started visiting the nursing homes.  But in the midst of these visits and relationships, our boys are growing in tenderness and compassion.  They're learning that these dear ones have great worth and significance.  They're learning how to give to those who can't give back.  

While my guys visited the nursing homes for the day, I enjoyed a full day to myself.  Setting the tone with my favorite Christmas music, I set about preparing my heart and my home for the festivities of that evening.  I finished up any last minute wrapping, prepped for my evening dinner, and tidied up the house.  Most importantly, I pondered the gift of Jesus and spent time talking to Him.  

The five of us enjoyed our traditional Christmas Eve dinner that night, followed by our Candlelight Christmas Eve service at church.  This service is deeply meaningful and moving.  It brings such joy to my heart to gather with our church family...both far away and nearby friends...on this night.  The service always ends with the lighting of each of our individual candles and the singing of "Silent Night."  Simply beautiful...

Upon returning home, our family gathered for the latest installment of "Jotham's Journey," followed by our gift opening.  I'm so thankful for the quiet, meaningful moments of this night.

On Christmas morning, we drove to my parents house where we joined them for breakfast.  We had a lovely time around the table and enjoyed a delicious fruit platter, homemade cinnamon rolls, and gingerbread scones.  Following the conclusion of breakfast, we gathered 'round their tree and each one of us took a turn reading one of the prophecies regarding the birth of Jesus Christ.  What a sweet time.  And, as he does each year, my dad then led us in the reading of Luke 2. 

Following our gift opening at my parents' house, we drove to my aunt and uncle's new home for our Christmas celebration with my extended family.  This is always a fun and festive event as our family continues to grow in number and in age.  One of the traditions we've established in recent years is the playing of "Christmas Jeopardy."  My aunt always makes a large Jeopardy board listing categories and the values of each question.  Dividing into two teams, we get rather competitive, trying to be the first to ding the bell.  Even my 81-year-old grandma gets in on the action.  The photo below shows the comeback victory of the opposing team.

The day after Christmas brought with it a 30 years+ tradition.  The women in my family met for our annual shopping day.  My grandma was the ring leader of this whole brood for years and years.  Now perhaps the wisest among us, she opts to stay home and live vicariously through our stories. 

We were waiting in line outside of Target by 6:50am.  While bargain-hunting is nice, we've all come to the conclusion that this annual event is less about shopping and more about bonding and relationship.  One of my aunts even keeps a memory journal of each year's shopping trip.  In case you haven't noticed, I come from a family steeped in tradition.  We go to the same stores each year.  We take the same "rest breaks" each year.  As we've gotten...well, "older"...our rest breaks have become more frequent and regularly-scheduled.  Our first break is for coffee around 9:30am.  Then we go to lunch around 11:30 am.  Then we re-group and re-charge at Cinnabon around 3pm.  And we're finally eating dinner around 5pm.  This year, I pulled into our garage around 8pm...feeling exhausted, yet so glad to have spent this day with the women I come from. 

Yesterday, we were glad to embrace a quieter kind of family day.  We eagerly went to the movie theater to see the much-anticipated "National Treasure:  Book of Secrets."  We downed more popcorn than you would think humanly possible, and we had a super time!  The movie was especially fun since being in Washington D.C. 2 months ago.  We kept exchanging glances and declaring, "We were there!" 

You would think that after a week like this, the festivities have concluded...but not yet!  Tomorrow we get to celebrate Christmas all over again with my husband's large family.  Several years ago, we outgrew any house that will hold all of us, so we typically rent a facility for our gathering.  This year we're holding it at my in-law's church.  We look forward to be with loved ones, enjoying the nearness of their company, and celebrating the gift of Jesus. 

More on that to come...

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• Dec. 23, 2007
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  Luke 2:10-11

May your soul magnify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior...this Christmas and always. 

Merry Christmas from our home to yours...

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• Dec. 13, 2007
Spectacular Treats to Share

I'm gonna make a confession here.  Here goes...

Cookies...sweets...chocolates...desserts aren't my weakness.  I'm generally not tempted by the dessert menu at a restaurant, and the presence of cookies and the like in my house is not a personal threat to me. 

However...

I am weak when it comes to chips and salty snacks.  I'm much more prone to order an appetizer over a dessert, and Nachos are my evening snack of choice. 

However...

When it comes to Rolo Turtles, something overcomes me! 

They're sweet, they're salty...they're delicious!  Before I know it, I've downed 5 of 'em!  I determined this week (after I handily ate my way through...well...too many) that I can only make them with the intent of giving them away.  They're just too tempting!

You simply place mini-pretzels on a foil-covered cookie sheet.  Place 1 Rolo candy on each pretzel and bake at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes.  As soon as they come out of the oven, press a pecan half into the melted chocolate.  Refrigerate till firm...if you can wait that long!  Oh, they're sooo good! 

When using these Rolo Turtles for gifts, I sometimes like to package them in clear frosting bags lined with a a piece of scrapbook paper rolled into a cone shape.  I then tie a pretty ribbon around the top of the bag.  They're quick, simple, and oh-so-delicious! 

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• Dec. 11, 2007
Every Good and Perfect Gift...

We as women tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves this time of year, don't we?  We feel pressure to decorate our homes in a way that looks like they're from the pages of a magazine; we agonize about taking the perfect family photo for our Christmas cards; we stress about all the homemade delicacies we should (?) be producing in our kitchens; we guilt ourselves about the crafts we should be doing with our kids.  And if that were not enough, we often find ourselves feeling the strain of gift-buying, as well.  In a last-ditch effort to check names off our list, we run to the mall and buy the first thing we see.  Or we wander aimlessly up and down the aisles of the store, contemplating and mulling our options over in our minds.  Never reaching a decision, we return home, only to return to the store the next day for another series of aimless wanderings. 

One of my favorite topics is gift-giving.  It's not because I've mastered it or don't struggle with ideas and creativity.  It's because God is impressing some of the lessons of gift-giving deep in my heart.  While I have a long ways to go, God is teaching me what it means to give selflessly and from my heart.  I want my gift-giving to reflect His love.  I want the receivers of my gifts to feel like I truly know them.  I want them to know that I've studied their interests, their passions, their leanings, and their hearts. 

I love giving theme gifts, as it gives me a sense of direction.  Theme gifts enable us to narrow our search...and in a sense, stop the madness! 

I've discovered that God often uses Scripture to inspire me with gift ideas.  When reading various passages, He's laid different ideas on my heart and how they correspond to each verse.  For example, one day I was reading Ecclesiastes 3:1 ~ "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."  As I read these words, a theme-gift began forming in my mind.  I purchased a scrapbook calendar at Wal-Mart...the kind where all you have to do is insert the photos.  And then I compiled small token gifts which represented each season. 

Another verse that gave me an "aha!" moment was Romans 10:15 ~  "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"  For the past few years, we've given each of our boys' Sunday School teachers a pair of dress socks with a note bearing this verse attached.  In my heart, I believe this gift was more then just a pair of socks...it affirmed them, as well.  It gave these men a reminder that their teaching of our children is important.  Our youngest son always grins from ear to ear when, even now...a year later, his former Sunday School teacher will stop him and tell him, "I'm wearing my best socks today!"  Obviously, this Bible verse could be attached to a homemade pedicure basket...a pair of slippers...let your creativity loose! 

I also like to use Psalm 4:8 as the basis for a theme basket.  It says "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."  This verse gives me such a strong image of safety, security, and God's unfailing love.  Last year I put together a couple of "G'night" baskets for the little girls in our lives.  I included a snuggly pair of new "footie" jammies, a bedtime story, a stuffed animal, a cellophane bag of Oreos tied with a ribbon, and a 1/2 pint of chocolate milk.  You could, obviously, customize this gift for an adult by changing the contents a bit. 

I'll share additional gift-giving ideas in the days to come.  I hope and pray that some of these ideas might spark your own creativity and give you unique ways to celebrate your loved ones.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."   James 1:17

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• Dec. 8, 2007
Tastes of the Season

I recently smiled to myself as I heard one of our high school girls giving God thanks for the gift of taste.  She noted that He just as easily could have created us so that our food was ingested in some other fashion ~ but He graciously gave us the gift of taste; the ability to experience different flavors and textures.  What a great God we serve!

I'm thankful for the ability to taste all throughout the year, but for many of us, Christmastime is a particularly sweet time to savor.  Afterall, we're celebrating the birthday of the King!  We pull out those recipes that have been in our families for generations.  We bake and tell the stories of the past to the next generation.  We sit beside the glowing Christmas tree with a steaming mug of hot cocoa in our hands, reminiscing...celebrating...dreaming...giving thanks.

I learned this week that there's such a thing as chocolate marshmallows!  Who knew?  I'd laughingly told a friend of mine that one of the items on our middle son's Chritmas list is a "personal container of hot cocoa."  Isn't that sweet?  Anyhow, she surprised him this week, not with just any ordinary hot cocoa mix, but with Schokinag European White Chocolate...and chocolate marshmallows to boot!  All I can say is...pure decadence! 

When my husband and I were dating, my future mother-in-law gave me a small recipe book for collecting Christmas recipes.  I began recording favorites as a teenager, and now...after nearly 16 years of marriage, my Christmas collection has grown quite extensive. 

One of the recipes in my quaint little cookbook goes back to my childhood.  I remember when my mom used to make it for my dad and brother and me on Christmas Eve.  Now I do the same for my family...

Cranberry Tea Punch

2 (32 oz) bottles cranberry juice

2 c. brewed tea

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 small lemon, thinly sliced

In a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat, heat cranberry juice and next 5 ingredients until sugar is dissolved and punch is hot, stirring occasionally.  Float lemon slices on top and serve. 

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• Dec. 5, 2007
Christmas Stories

As a child, I greatly anticipated the TV specials of December.  Of course, there was Rudolph and Frosty; Charlie Brown and the Grinch...and perhaps my most favorite of all...Nester, the Long-Eared Donkey.

As I got a bit older, I was introduced to the holiday movie classics.   I was mesmerized by "White Christmas."  I was taken by the idyllic lives portrayed...the singing, dancing, and romance.  I met Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" and learned lessons in the joy of giving.  Later I was introduced to George Bailey and his hometown of Bedford Falls.  I empathized with his seemingly unmet dreams and celebrated his wonderful life.

Fast forward all these many years, and I find that the TV specials and movies of my childhood are the classics which have become tradition in my own family.  Oh, and of course there's the modern classic, "Elf," which is one of the most frequently quoted movies in our home.  We love to pop a batch of popcorn, make up a tray of nachos, and gather in front of the TV to enjoy one of these favorite holiday classics.  The stories are familiar.  They make us laugh and remember and feel good. 

But as much as I love the tradition of these fictional stories, there's a story of another kind that God is pressing deeply on my heart this season.  It's familiar...it's beautiful...but it doesn't necessarily make me feel good.  In fact, it makes me squirm a bit. 

It's the true story of a young virgin named Mary who received an unexpected visit from an angel named Gabriel.  If receiving a visit by an angel weren't enough, the angel carried with him life-altering news that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and she would give birth to the Son of God.  I try to wrap my brain around this...to place myself in this young woman's position.  But then the story goes even further...

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38

Mary accepted the angel's explanation.  She was satisifed with it.  She surrendered to it.  She obeyed. 

And so I'm left asking myself..."Do I gladly embrace God's Word?  Do I readily accept His will, even when I don't understand?  Do I joyfully surrender to and obey His call?"  While I wish I could say "yes," far too often, the answer is "no."  I argue and complain and make excuses; I justify and whine and fight for my own way.

And so this Christmas season, I thank God that His Story...His Word...is alive and true.  He uses it to convict, rebuke, and challenge me.  He uses it conform and transform me to look more like Him.  And I join Mary in her song,

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."  Luke 1:46b-47

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• Nov. 26, 2007
Words That Make a Mom Cringe and Hold Her Breath...

"Hey Mom!  Wanna see what I made while I was going to the bathroom?"

"A toilet-paper Christmas tree!"

Have a happy new week! 

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• Dec. 23, 2006
Merry Christmas from our home to yours...

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba!  Father!"  So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.  Galatians 4:4-7

Rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Savior!

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• Dec. 17, 2006
Santa Needs Jesus, Too

Our AWANA Sparkies had a special opportunity to carol at the local mall last weekend.  At the conclusion of their program, the little ones got to hand out tracts to the audience and nearby shoppers.  See for yourself...

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• Dec. 15, 2006
Let it be to me according to your word...

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."  Luke 1:38

I've been reading and re-reading, pondering and reflecting on this brief passage of Scripture from Luke, chapter 1.  Mary had just received life-altering news.  The angel Gabriel had appeared to her, announcing that she would give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. 

Mary's response?  "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."  Wow.

How often has God asked me to do something for Him and I respond with,

"But, but, but..."

"You don't understand what You're asking, God..."

"Um...could You get someone else?"

Or perhaps the most common for me...

"I don't wanna!"

I'm further awed, inspired, and yes, convicted as I "hear" Mary's song beginning in verse Luke 1:46.  You don't hear her ranting and raving at the injustice of it all.  You don't hear her lamenting about what her family and friends will think.  You don't hear her complaining that God didn't choose someone else.  The first words out of her mouth are,

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."   Double wow. 

Mary rejoices in God's grace, confident that this One who has been faithful in the past will be faithful in what He's called her to today. 

Oh, that I, like Mary, would be a willing servant of our Lord; that I would joyfully and gladly obey when He speaks to my heart. 

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• Dec. 4, 2006
The Gift

We enjoyed a lovely weekend filled with countless reminders of the Gift of God's Son. 

Saturday was our church's annual Ladies' Christmas Brunch, complete with all those things that we women enjoy so much!  Each year the tables are decorated by volunteer table designers, and the results are absolutely breathtaking!  There are tables of elegance, whimsy, and tradition.  There are tables that feature nativities, angels, winter scenes, and antiques.  The tables are set with fine china, glimmering crystalware, and gleaming silverware.  They feature festive holiday dishes and an invitation that seems to say, "Come, linger.  I've been expecting you." 

I believe this was my fifth year to decorate a table, and it is always one of my December highlights.  I decorated in a red and white candycane theme this year, complete with red and white flowers with greens that appeared to be coming right out of a stack of festively wrapped gift boxes. 

I'm unsure of the total number of ladies in attendance, but I believe the number nears 400.  The best part of this day is that it is an outreach to the women in our lives.  The speaker was fantastic, giving a soul-stirring message regarding this simple truth:  The greater the gift, the greater the response. 

God sent His Son as a free gift for me...and you.  My heart breaks forth in loud exclamations of praise and thanksgiving as I ponder this truth!  Yet I'm also convicted that so many times, I take His Gift for granted.  I don't allow Jesus access to every part of my heart.  I try to do things in my own strength.  I don't look to Him to fulfill every need and longing I face. 

The speaker told of shopping in a shop that featured oodles of ornaments...thousands and thousands of ornaments!  There were ornaments of every kind...Santas and candycanes and angels and icicles; bears and birds and snowmen and musical notes.  Yet as she searched...and searched...throughout the store, she was unable to find one nativity.  Not a single one.  Finally she discovered...on a low, seldom-seen shelf, a display of dusty nativity ornaments.  In tears, she declared, "May this never be true of me.  May I never relegate you to the bottom shelf of my life, Jesus."  And through tears, I join her in that prayer. 

Oh, there's so much festivity and celebration throughout these weeks.  But may the traditions and the festivities never override the beautiful truth that "in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son..." Galatians 4:4  May this Gift change us and captivate us, this Christmas and always. 

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• Nov. 27, 2006
Traditions

The official Christmas season began when my alarm rang at 4:25 Friday morning, alerting me that it was time to join the mobs at the mall.  Yes, I'm one of the crazies who rises to get in on the early  bird specials on the day after Thanksgiving.  The crowds were insane, but I was glad I went.  I had a blast and found lots of great deals! 

True to family tradition, the guys assembled our tree and dressed it in lights on Friday evening.  This is the tree that my husband and I bought after Christmas 13 years ago.  I have to say, it still looks pretty good after all these years!  Then we gathered to watch one of our family favorite Christmas movies, "Elf."  This happens to be one of the most frequently quoted movies in our family, and we laughed as though we'd never seen it before!

On Saturday evening we cranked up the Christmas music (including Rockin' Around the Christmas tree) and decorated our tree.  When we were satisfied with the end result, we turned off all the lights in the room, including the tree lights.  We then assembled on the floor in front of the tree for the big reveal!  In dramatic style, our son plugged in the lights for the eager crowd, and of course, we all ooh-ed and aah-ed as we took in this most beautiful site. 

As we sat together before our lovely tree, the boys began asking questions about the ornaments.

Where did this one come from?

What's the story behind this one?

Who gave this one to you?

My heart welled with thankfulness as I answered each and every question. 

There was that ornament that I bought 16 years ago right after their daddy and I got engaged.  I bought it for the tree that would grace our first home in our new life together.

There were the ornaments that were given to me as shower gifts.  My husband and I were married right before Christmas, so I received many ornaments for my showers. 

There was the old-fashioned looking ornament that was given me by one of my favorite customers at the restaurant where I worked at the time.  She and her husband were a dear elderly couple...much like grandparents to me.  The ornament that hangs on our tree each year is a sweet reminder of this dear couple who have since passed away.

There's those "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornaments and picture ornaments that feature the adorable faces of our family. 

There's the simple handmade ornaments made by the hands of our little guys so long ago.  Their names and the years are written on the backs, reminders of how quickly time is passing. 

There's the ornaments given to me by my dearest friends.  My mind instantly goes back to our Christmas parties at which these precious ornaments were given to me.  I smile as I reminisce about these happy times and their faithful love. 

There's all those teacup and teapot ornaments that were lovingly given me because of my delight in tea parties.  There's the mother-daughter ornament featuring a couple of mice in a teapot...given to me by my loving mom.  There's even a teapot ornament that arrived unexpectedly on my doorstep a few years ago.  It was from a long-distance friend I've met only once in real life, but a friend I've come to deeply cherish. 

There's the ornaments that my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and I have made together on our craft days.  One of the angel ornaments is actually made with leftover lace from my wedding dress. 

There's the priceless ornaments made by my husband's sweet grandma...tender reminders of her love for her family.  She celebrates Christmas in heaven with Jesus now, but her handiwork on our tree keeps her in our thoughts this Christmas.

And near the top of the tree, there's the cross ornament, fashioned by some rough nails.  It's a reminder of the reason we celebrate...the hope we have in Jesus Christ. 

I discovered something important this year.  It's not just the act of decorating our tree that is steeped in tradition.  Each and every ornament on our tree tells a story, too.  And as I recounted the stories to our boys, I realized how richly these ornaments help to tell the story of God's grace and faithfulness in our lives.  We look back, we remember, we rejoice. 

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• Dec. 14, 2005
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

"The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shined.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:2,6

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

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