Yesterday, our pastor preached on the Magi. It was really a great and informative sermon.  We learned about the MANY significances in their journey and placement in the Christmas story.   It was such a great service.  We sang "We Three Kings", but with a revision to the "Kings" part.  One of our worship leaders revised it, because they weren't actually kings. That is legend that has been added and we enjoyed the revision.  I had never sung all of the verses and I just LOVE that song.  Here are the words to the "NEW" version that We sang. Only the first verse was altered to be Biblically correct. Everything else is the same.

"The Gifts of the Magi"                            

Magi, we are traveling far.

Bearing gifts, we follow a star.

Heaven tells us; Christ compels us:

Worshippers now we are.

O star of wonder, star of light,

Star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding,

Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain

Gold I bring to crown Him again,

King forever, ceasing never,

Over us all to reign.

Frankincense to offer have I;

Incense owns a Deity nigh;

Prayer and praising, voices raising,

Worshipping God on high.

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume

Breathes a life of gathering gloom;

Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Glorious now behold Him arise;

King and God and sacrifice;

Alleluia, Alleluia,

Sounds through the earth and skies.

I haven't mentioned homeschooling in a while.  We aren't operating anything formal here.  Instead, I am using this pregnancy as a time to enjoy teaching my oldest two daughters. I think that formalities got in the way of the first few months we had in homeschooling.  Now, we are reading a lot of books.  My five yr old is reading chapter books without a problem and my four yr old is reading books like "The Story of Ping" and Apples to Oregon: without needing any assistance from me.  They have learned ten times more since I relaxed than they did when I was planning, planning, and planning.  They are writing in journals and my oldest has taken to creating her own evangelism tracts : )  She is such a little Missionary in the making!! 

We begin our family food drive tonight and are looking forward to seeing God work through it to minister to not only the people we will serve, but in the hearts of our children too.

Have a Merry Christmas!  If I don't get back before New Years, have a great one of those too!!