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• Dec. 15, 2009 - A Visit to Bethlehem
One of our favorite family Christmas traditions is to visit a local church's Return to Bethlehem. It's a beautiful way to experience the anticipation that the Jewish people must have had for the Messiah. As you fill out your census and walk through the village, you get to experience a part of what life must have been like. We enjoyed watching them weave rugs, carve wooden bowls, make perfumes, sell vegetables, tan hides, grind wheat, make pots, and much more.
And all the while, the roman soldiers are moving people along and the Hebrew people are asking if you heard that the Christ child is supposed to be born tonight.
 And every so often, the shofar's horn blows and then they all stop to pray as a part of the Torah is read.
Meanwhile, you keep making your way through the village and begin to notice a bright star in the sky.
And then you see them... with Him...
And you think of all of the lives that have been changed.
The prophecy fulfilled.
The promise.
The hope.
The very best Christmas gift ever.
And you're reminded of what Christmas is REALLY all about.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - Last day of ....
Greetings!
I am so excited today I finished my last final! Offically this semester is closed! Yes! Congrats to everyone who has finished their semester out successfully!
Blessings,
Joy
p.s. There is a new link on the sidebar... to a writing blog that I author... so if this one becomes mostly personal stuff you know why, the deep thoughts are probably all over there! :)
Don't miss my moms new blogging corner! I plan on adding a shortcut to her blog from this site but you can access it from my writing blog for now. Moms blog is called Practical Housewifery and my writing blog is Graceful Reflections... Enjoy! |
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - Lets go swimming:)
Posted By Scarstar of Windclan
• 12/13/2009 - Just call me June Cleaver
Posted By H0MEFree
My day begins at exactly 5am each day.
I wake already wearing a smile and ready to face my day! My hair is perfect with no gray stragglers in sight and I barely need to run a brush through it before I splash a little water on my wrinkle free face. No make up needed, of course.
After I iron a blouse and skirt to wear, I put on nylons and heels and make my way to my Bible and read uninterrupted for at least 30 minutes.
I go downstairs at 6am to find my joyful children up, dressed and reading the Bibles or praying. We exchange good morning kisses and I go to get the little ones up and change diapers. I throw a load of laundry in and starch my husband's shirt before packing his lunch.
My cheerful husband enters the kitchen as I am just finishing cooking him a heart healthy and tasty breakfast. He sits at the table with the children discussing today's Proverb and asking about yesterday's history lessons. After breakfast, everyone waits at the door with Daddy's coat and briefcase to kiss him before he leaves for work.
The rest of us gather our school books promptly and sit at the table to pray before beginning our homeschool portion of the day, which is sure to be peaceful, godly, interesting, motivating and memorable.
Yeah right. :)
We are far from anything like that!
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - I got a Facebook!
Posted By The Blog Of A Homeschoolie
Hey guys!
Sorry I haven't been on in such a longgggg time!! I miss you guys!
I got a Facebook so add me! Be sure to message me and let me know that your a Home blogger friend!! :)
Byebye!
*Rach* |
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - CANDY!
Posted By Syd
Hey all!
This weekend was really crazy around here! [well actually around Nanny's!]
Ya see, I went down to Nanny's after my co-op on Thursday and helped my sister put up Nanny's tree [its fake :-{P And its 13 feet tall!!!!] So we put that up and then my sister left that night [after we watched a Robin Hood =)] and I stayed the night and the next morning I helped decorate the tree [With Debbie. She's sorta like a maid but more like family since she was there before I was!!!] And then the fun started! Nanny and I started making our Christmas candy. WE made Buckeyes and Buttercreams and then my other sister came down to Nanny's on Friday and she made Toffee [my personal favorite] and we made some more buttercreams. My sister helped me with the buttercreams and it was awesome because we got in this huge fight [fake, as usual] and I got buttercream mix all in her hair! It was glorious. So then we came home early Sunday morning and we had people over for home church that afternoon. It was a really hectic but fun weekend!
11 days til Christmas and 12 days til my birthday!!!!!
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• Monday, December 14, 2009 - Tag!
First place you went this morning?
Haha, downstairs for breakfast. xD
What's the last movie you saw? *cracks knuckles*
Theater: Where The Wild Things Are
On DVD: The Mummy ((but I fell asleep.))
All the way through on DVD: A Knight's Tale
Do you smile often?
Heck yeah.
Do you always answer your phone?
Not always. Sometimes I don't answer texts. But I answer most calls.
If you could change your eye color what would it be?
Haha, purple.
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
Umm, nothin'.
Do you own a digital camera?
Yup! Its name is Turtle. ^_^
Have you ever had a pet fish?
Fish are boring.
Can you do a push up?
Yeah, one.
Can you do a chin up?
Uhh, no.
Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
A little of both. I'm excited to start college and all, but I'm kinda nervous as to what I'll do after college.
Do you have any saved texts?
Maybe. *shrugs*
Ever been in a car wreck?
Obviously not a bad one.
Do you have an accent?
When I want to. I can do a bad British accent, a posh Hollywood accent, and Tim Hawkins-style Southern.
What was the last song to make you cry?
Song...? I don't usually cry at songs.
Plans tonight?
Going to Calvin's Scout dinner. I hope the food is good.
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Umm, if I did, I can't really remember. Or I choose not to. xD
Have you ever been given roses?
Fake ones. Meh.
Met someone who changed your life?
My amigos at church.
How did you bring in the new year?
At Winter's house with junk food and video cameras. Oh, and David Cook. ^_^
What song represents you?
Lemme think for a second. *thinks* I think I'll go with "With A Little Help From My Friends." By the Beatles, naturally. But ((and this is gonna bug the crap outta Calvin, =D)) the Across the Universe version is pretty spiff as well.
Would you go back in time if you were given a chance?
Heck yeah.
Do you have your ears pierced?
Nope. And I don't plan to.
Do you have anything else pierced on your body?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. ((Bohemian Rhapsody for the win.))
What songs do you sing in the shower?
Heh heh...
Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera
Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down
Random Beatles songs ((woo!!))
Et cetera.
Ever had someone sing to you?
No...but that'd be pretty spankin' awesome.
Have you held hands with anyone today?
Ne me touchez pas! ((That'd be "Don't touch me"...in French. =D))
Who was the last person you took a picture of?
I have no idea.
What kind of music did you listen to in elementary?
Christian music.
Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Old. ((Luv ya! xD))
Do you like pulpy orange juice?
Eww, no.
What is something your friends make fun of you about?
I don't always think before I speak...so I can end up saying really stupid stuff sometimes.
That, and I have this freakish ability/habit of randomly quoting movies that I've seen maybe once. xD
Have you ever ridden a elephant?
Yes, and there is photographic proof.
Do you like to play Scrabble?
Eh, not really.
What are you saving your money up for right now?
Haha, driver's ed. xD
When is the last time you ate peanut butter and jelly?
Last Thursday at OCC. =D
What were you doing at 12am last night?
Sleeping.
What was the first thing you thought when you woke up?
"Curses, it's cold."
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - Multitude Monday ~ 51 - 60
Today I am Thankful For...
51. My wonderful Daddy
52. Paintings that throw inspiration on you
53. Trashy movies that make me want to write something better
54. Christmas shopping
55. The book of Luke
56. The story of Robin Hood
57. Narniagirl/Sam/Kylie
58. Hair clips
59. Green notebooks/green pencils/green headphones
60. The perfect sentence
What Are You Thankful For?
Oh give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:34 |
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - Charlie Brown
You know him, you love him, IT"S CHARLIE BROWN! Charlie Brown is a boy who is dealing with the ups and downs(mostly downs) in his life. This is a great special to watch around any holiday.....Exspecaily Christmas!
There are 3 Charlie Brown Christmas specials.
In A Charlie Brown Christmas, everyone is really excited about Christmas. Everyone that is except Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown feels depressed. He dosen't understand what Christmas means. No of his friends are helping him much. All they think about was commercials, money and getting presents. But Charlie Brown know there is something more to Christmas then all that stuff. But with a help from a Christmas play, a little poor tree and Linus' Christmas speech will show Charlie Brown and everyone eles what Christmas really means.
It's Christmas Again Charlie Brown shows a couple different hilarious stories, like selling a Christmas reef, buying new gloves, the Christmas play and more.
In I Want For Christmas is a Dog Charlie Brown, it focus on Linus and Lucy's little brother, Rerun, who been wanting a dog lately. He loves playing with Snoopy so much that he wants a dog of his very own. So he tries his best to make his dream come true.
Characters
Charlie Brown
Snoopy
Linus
Lucy
Schroeder
Sally
Peppermint Patty
Marcie
Rerun
Positive
All 3 Charlie Brown Christmas specials are hilarious and fun. All 3 shows what Christmas means.
In CBC, Linus reminded us about Christmas.
Negative
Poor Charlie Brown gets on being pick on and have no luck on him. All his friends call him stupid, dumb, hopeless and blockhead. Lucy is being mean to her brothers.
Im going to give Charlie Brown a 5 for Awesome show to watch with your family at Christmas. |
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• 14.12.2009 - So You're a Christian, Huh? How About ACTING Like it?
I was going through my friends list and I stumbled upon someone's blog. She said they quit and one of her reasons for that is because she said whenever she says something "not christian" everyone freaks out. What? One of her reason for quitting was because Christians were getting mad at her "non-Christian" posts? Is it just me, or does that just NOT SEEM RIGHT?
This isn't the first time I've heard things like that, either. I've seen quite a few blogs on here of girls who posts well... Inappropriate pictures of themselves with revealing clothes and suggestive poses. The comments to these posts? So called "Christians" yelling at them telling them exactly what they thought. Their comments were judgmental, rude, and just as uncalled for as the pictures they were commenting about. I mean seriously, these girls are lost. They're walking in the darkness. They're trying to find love and acceptance in this world. They're crying out for someone to notice them. They're looking for the Light. And what do they get for this silent statement screaming out from their posts and actions? The Christians yell at her because she's a bad person. "Goodness, get some clothes on! How could you even THINK about posting that you freak!"
And you know what I think about that? How could you post something so mean in a comment? In fact in Romans Paul addresses this:
You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. // Romans 2:1 These people need love. They need hope. They need to know God. But what do all of these "Christians" do? They judge them. They tell them that they're bad people. That they're ugly, stupid, and need to be "better people." Why do we do that? We have NO excuse, because we ALL sin. Besides, is that what Jesus would say? When he saw sinners and prostitutes did He yell at them and tell them to be better people? Did He tell them how bad they where? No! He looked at them with compassion and love, and showed them a better way. He LOVED THEM. He didn't tell them that they were bad. He knew that the these people didn't know any better. How can we really expect people to be "good people" when they don't even know Jesus?
How can we judge them and say they're bad when they don't even KNOW about God? They're in the darkness, and they can't see. How then can we judge them because they're not acting like us? Nobody's ever TOLD them about God! If they don't know God, how can they act good? Nothing is good except for GOD. So if they don't know God how DARE we judge them? And we DO know God. We can see, and yet we still sin and do bad things. We're just as bad as them! Actually we're worse. Because we KNOW the right way, yet we still do bad things and sin and go the wrong way. We've let Satan come in and trick us into sinning and tie us back into the chains of slavery. So how DARE we judge unbelievers? In fact how DARE we call ourselves followers of Jesus when we still act just like the world?
If you're not going to act like Jesus, don't call yourself a Christian, okay? Because that's why most people don't like Christians. Because they're rude and judgmental. You are supposed to represent God in this fallen world. And because of people who do that poorly the world thinks God is mean and rude and wants to kill everyone who sins. Your actions are going WAY against EVERYTHING that God stands for. So how DARE you call yourself a Christian? You are dishonoring God's holy name. You are showing lost people with your actions that God hates them and thinks that they're bad people. How COULD you?
These people you're lecturing, they're searching for love. They're searching for God's love, and they don't even know it. They're in deep darkness, and all they want is for somebody to really love them. How could a Christian, who God's entrusted with the message of Life, the Gospel, respond to this desperate plea for freedom by spitting out hatred and condemning them? HOW COULD WE DO SUCH A THING?
We're supposed to give just as freely as God has given to us. Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything (Proverbs 11:24). So when you see a broken lost person surrounded by darkness do you try to help them? Do you freely give them this amazing love that you've received and show them what they need SO badly, or are you stingy with what you received, acting like a hypocrite and judging them? Because if you just look down on them and say they're bad, you ARE a hypocrite, and you will lose what God has given you; Satan will come and snatch it away. There is no righteous. NO NOT ONE. EVERYONE has sinned. EVERYONE has fallen short of God's glory. Just because in the world's eyes you're a "better person" than this terrible "sinner" doesn't mean that you get to look down on them. You have ONLY been saved by God's grace and love, not because you're a good person.
Let me say that again: YOU HAVE NOT BEEN SAVED BECAUSE YOU'RE AWESOME. (Ephesians 2:8-9) It's because God is so generous and patient. And if He's been SO tolerant of us and our detestable sins, how could we NOT tell everyone else about it? How can we sit here and tell people that they're not good enough to be in our little "godly" group of friends? We're supposed to show God's love. We're supposed to be a light in the darkness. We're supposed to be filled with love and kindness, and love people, yes, even bad people like Jesus loves US.
Jesus didn't only die for you, you know. He died for EVERYONE. And He loves EVERYONE. That person who you just yelled at because of that "un-Christian" thing they said Jesus DIED for because He loves THEM just as much as He loves YOU. His heart is breaking over all the people who need Him SO much, but don't even know Him because they've never been told about Him. They're dying in sin. They're in Satan's bondage. They need Jesus, not a lecture. They need to be LOVED, not yelled at. Also, when you yell at them you prove that you're a fool. That's right. A FOOL.
Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the WISE bring HEALING. // Proverbs 12:18
We say we're Christians. Well if you're so mean and unloving to the lost, HOW can you say that? Proverbs 10:12 says "Hatred stirs up quarrels, but L♥VE makes up for ALL offenses." So are you just stirring up quarrels with unbelievers with your words, or are you showing Jesus' love that makes up for everything that offends us that unbelievers can say or do? Also: Don't pick a fight without reason, when no one has done harm to you. (Proverbs 3:30)
And if you do act like this, I have a question for you: Is Jesus your life, or your religion? Because if He's just a Sunday morning Wednesday evening thing, maybe you should consider either following Jesus for REAL or not even bothering at all. Jesus said he would rather you be cold than lukewarm. He would rather you NOT be a "Christian" then to say you are but have your actions and words contradict it. Because when we do that, we're falsely representing God. And Jesus said it's better to be drowned at the bottom of the sea than to lead ANY of His little ones astray; all these people searching for love that we yell at? Well that's not helping them. That's leading them FARTHER from God because they don't want HIM to yell at them, too. It's better if we were DEAD than to do that! Please think about this: There's so many people who say they're Christians. Why can't we all act like it? |
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