This year, I have been striving for simplification in our observance of Christmas. Though we have never gone overboard in our celebration of Christmas in the past, we have done a lot more running around, decorating, shopping, baking, visiting, and other Christmas-related activities than we have chosen to do this year. The simplicity with which we have faced the season this year has taught me couple of things about celebrating Christmas in general and about my part in my family's celbration of Christmas in particular.
I didn't realize until this year how much pressure I have put on myself in the past--unnecessary pressure. I am beginning to understand and appreciate what my children truly enjoy about holiday festivities and what they can forgo as not as meaningful or important. When we pulled out the decorations at the beginning of the month, I informed them that I wanted to keep the decorating simple. They chose their favorites, and then did most of the work in putting everything up. This told me a lot about what they treasured as Christmas traditions and what wasn't so important to them. Our collection of nutcrackers, for instance, found a prominent place at the insistence of every child, yet the lighted village wasn't begged for. The large nativity, the tree with its special ornaments, the lighted wreath for the door were all taken out, but other things were passed by without a second thought. I learned a valuable lesson on what traditions are making an impression.
Christmas-related activities also gave me a glimpse into what my children especially enjoy about the season. SInging carols, baking cookies, and watching holiday movies have figured prominently in our celebrating this year. They really haven't missed the scurrying around to parties, programs, classes, and shopping trips. I haven't either.
I'm not sure if this simplified version of Christmas celebration will happen next year, but I do know I have enjoyed it. It has given our family the opportunity to focus on what (or more specifically Who) Christmas is truly about. We have spent more time with one another on things that have strengthened our ties as a family, and we have looked to Christ with more ferver.
Christ is, very simply, the reason for CHRISTmas.
I began to pray. I'm a single mom, Lord, but I believe you'd have me meet this need. I prayed for a couple of days. Then I picked up my checkbook. I did the things I needed to do for my family and there was still money left.
It's Christmas and of course I could use the money. But this need, now left me more in tears than laughter.
I wrote out a check and sent it to my sister, and told her it was to meet this specific need and nothing else.
About a week later, from someone else -- who knew nothing of the situation, I received a Christmas card with cash and the message that I was suppose to use the cash (more than double what I'd given) for a specific need I had, that I had put aside, because it seemed so much less of a need than my sisters.
Why am I so constantly amazed by the Lord's goodness and provision?
How has He blessed you and your family in His abundant provision during this season?
Blessings, MaggieRaye
In the process, the Lord showed me how He has had His protective hand on my for the last four or five years. I don't necessarily like it, but I know it has been for my best, for the best of my children.
The Lord has be right now, practicing, "be still and know that I am God". This is where I meditate daily - sometimes hourly.
At the same time, the Lord has brought a new friend into our lives. He's also allowed for the renewal of an old and dear friendship.
Bitter and Sweet.
And on top of it, me - she who does not like change - is having a very different sort of Christmas this year. Absolutely no church stuff - no programs, no services, nothing outside of our home. My family dynamics have changed this year and for the first time in many years, it will be just my father with us. My mother will be spending Christmas with my brother and his girlfriend at their house. The funny thing is, I'm really okay with it. It's just different.
We've been doing Advent focused devotions every evening and on Sunday's we've been doing a special Advent devotional with our advent wreath. It's the first year we've use that since -- well, since before MattMann joined our family.
What is going on in your family this holiday season?
Merry Christmas Wishes to you and yours,
MaggieRaye
My family and I made it home safely from the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference. The experience of attending the conference was an indescribable blessing for our entire family. The speakers’ messages were powerful and solidly Biblical. We had many opportunities to meet and fellowship with likeminded families. The children benefited from listening to the teaching and meeting other children who are being raised in similar ways and with similar values. Each message we heard, each family we talked with, each and every experience we had throughout the week was a gift of encouragement to us.
God was so good to us through the entire time away from home. The trip out and back went smoothly (despite the length of the drive and the number of little ones which with we were traveling), the visit to the
Scott Brown has done an excellent job highlighting many of the encouraging and convicting messages we were privileged to hear throughout the week. Check out the National Center for Family Integrated Churches website for a taste of some of these wonderfully challenging messages.
Though it was wonderful to be at the conference, it is good to be back home and back into a routine. Now the challenge is to live out what we learned over the week….
It'll be different this year. I don't usually like change, but I'm looking forward to it.
I'm posting today, because several days ago I started a 40 days of prayer about making a BIG career change. No I'm not giving up being a full time mom, nor am I giving up homeschooling.
The reality is that MattMann is 9 and each year he needs a little less of my direct involvement. He's the baby. Someone challenged me, "What are you going to do when he turns 18 and graduates?" Did I already share this? Well, anyway, it is worthy of repeating.
The challenge was really, are you going to continue to be a Titus 2 woman and mentor us younger homeschooling mom's or are you going to forsake us, like most of the other older Christian women have and go back to the world and a career?
I'm not going to share details, but over the course of the last several weeks, the Lord has given me a peek into the direction I believe He would have me to go. If I start now, by the time MattMann is headed out on his own, I will be set in a new ministry that will keep me busy, and keep me a Titus 2 woman.
If you're praying with me, leave a comment. If you know me personally, and I've shared with you, where I think the Lord is leading -- don't tell, not yet. I'm very excited to see where the Lord is leading and how He is going to do this.
Blessings, MaggieRaye
Our family LOVES Christmas. What a more glorious way to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We have several traditions that we've started some newer, some later, but we very much enjoy them all. We started having Advent devotionals several years ago and we buy Christmas ornaments from our vacation spot for the year...I know many of you have similar traditions. The two traditions I want to share a couple that you may never have thought of before.
Several years ago Shane was laid off at Christmas. It was only by God's grace that we paid our bills, and in addition, we even paid off some debt. God is SO good! But we started a tradition that year that has remained. We make home made gifts that we share on Christmas Eve. The materials need to cost around $5.00. We've had everything from tissue paper art (when the children were younger) to an "imperfect" plaque I made one year of that year's family theme verse. The year Sweet Cheeks came home, her home made gift was a name plaque with the attributes we thought fit her. As the years pass, we have to help the younger ones less and less and the gifts are more and more creative.
The tradition that is fast becoming a favorite is our gift-giving tradition. Last year Desiring God (John Piper's ministry) offered a small paperback book that could be purchased by the case for $1 a book + shipping ONLY if they were given away. We bought 2 cases and wrapped each book in Christmas paper with a "Merry Christmas from our family" note. We gave them away to friends, family and to the people we met while shopping... the store clerks, the barista, whomever we met. It was SO MUCH FUN! We have continued the tradition this year. In addition to Piper's book, we've added some children's books we found on clearance at Answers in Genesis.
We've had people look in amazment at us, clerks have asked "for .... me?" yes! for you. Merry Christmas! We've had people jump up and down and say "I got a present" giving gifts to others helps us get the focus off of us, and almost always brings a smiler to the receiver. Giving books to those that we regularly see has helped us make friends with them. And, most importantly, we've planted a seed about Christ. What God does with that seed is up to him.
May your Christmas traditions glorify Christ and May you be blessed all year long!
From our family to yours!
Where oh where is Kay in Maine? Well, right now I'm not in Maine. I'm in Kentucky. That's right. After a car trip taking just 18 hours, I and my family find ourselves a thousand miles away from home.
Why, you may ask, is Kay in Maine and her family in Kentucky? We're here for the Sufficiency of Scripture Conference hosted by the National Center for Family Integrated Churches, of course!
We also happened to have visited Creation Museum, which is just a few miles away from the conference center.
So far, it has been well worth the 18 hour drive, and the conference hasn't even started yet!
MaggieRaye
|
Thank you!
We appreciate your business. |
|
Dear Friends of Amelia's Aprons;
Recently Amelia's Aprons web site was targeted by hackers. This malicious act of invasion re-routed our customers and left our site with a blank empty page. Let me first say that we do not keep personal information stored on our site, so there is no need for alarm if you have created an account or purchased from us in the past.
I am writing to you today to ask for your help. This attack has left us with a non-existent standing in the search engines and all that we have worked so hard to build over the past 5 years has been lost. Would you consider forwarding this e-mail to everyone that you know, who may be interested in our products? If you have a blog would you consider posting a link to our store? Or perhaps consider hosting an apron give-a-way for us. If you have a web site would you consider a link exchange with us? These are just some ways that you can help us spread the word that we are back. If you have any questions about the changes to our store or would like more information about hosting a contest please feel free to e-mail me directly at lorrie@ameliasaprons.com If you would like to link to us you may point your browser to http://www.ameliasaprons.com if you would like to exchange links with us please feel free to e-mail your information to the above e-mail address.
Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to consider how you might can help us.
Wishing you and yours all the best this holiday season
|
Amelias Aprons
This request is not for me or my immediate family. It is however for a dear sister in Christ, and friends since childhood. I should have posted it sooner, but was concerned about the families feelings. I have asked their permission to share this with you.
Last Friday (Nov. 27) my friend dear friend Connie's son was in a serious car accident. Scott is 23 and a homeschool graduate. The family is asking for prayers, and they are getting them, literally from around the world. Please, pray and pass this along.
Here is a link created for those praying to keep them updated on how the Lord is working in all their lives.
Pray for Scott
Blessings, MaggieRaye
I hear it all the time. That's a nice idea, but it won't work in our culture. That was for a different culture, not ours. Is God's word His word or isn't it? It reminds me of my children saying, "I can't do that." and my answer is, "you are absolutely right, with that attitude, you can't."
Philippians tells us that we can do all things through Christ, even those that are counter cultural. My God is a God of the impossible. The bottom line is that we are comfortable as Christians in this country. We don't want to get dirty. We don't want to be inconvenienced. We don't want to be counter cultural.
I thought this morning of the women that God used throughout Scripture: Rahab, the harlot; Ruth, the Moabite; Esther; Mary Magdalene; the woman at the well. These women give me so much hope, that God can use my sorry, broken, messed up life to further His kingdom. He can use me to change the world, or at least my little corner of it -- beginning in my home with my children. He can do this and He will, but only IF I am willing to take a stand, to do things that just don't "work" in our culture. If I am willing to be counter cultural, if I am willing to be inconvenienced, if I'm willing to put self aside, then He can do amazing things through me.
What about you? Are you willing to be counter cultural? Do your children, home, family come first after your relationship with Christ? Are you willing to set aside our culture and all it deems important, status, education, career to change the world, one soul at a time starting with the precious ones God has entrusted to you?
My Christmas challenge, the best gift you can give your children is to come home and to be the mother God has called you to be. If you're there, check your priorities, just because you're physically home, doesn't mean you are "there" for your children [this is an area where I constantly have to check myself]. If not, re-align your priorities, it's the very best gift you can give.
God loved us so much that He gave His only son (John 3:16) what are you willing to sacrifice for your family?
Blessings, MaggieRaye