Thursday, January 12, 2012
Saturday, December 24, 2011
My traditional Christmas Eve devotional
This is my 3rd year hosting Christmas Eve for my family. It also marks the third year of giving my traditional Christmas devotional reading following the legacy my late grandfather left. Normally these take me hours to prepare, but as of yesterday morning I still hadn't written anything and wasn't even sure exactly what I would write. I had prayed about it and felt strongly that the Christmas story (from the bible that is) should be told even though most of us had heard it many times. I wanted to find some unique way of telling it so I began researching online and found lots of neat ways to share the story. So I admit, most of this idea is stolen and therefore only took about an hour of my time. You can find the original idea here, but I had to tweak it some to add my personal flare. Basically I have a piece a candy that represents each part of the story. At then end of the story, I will have the candy in favor bags for everyone to take home with the bible references on a gift tag. Here's the story:
I saw a fun and sweet way to remember the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth. We all know that Christmas time is a sweet time of year. Not only are our kitchens filled with sweet smells of all the holiday baking, but it’s sweet because our Lord is sweet and was born as a sweet baby so many Christmases ago. The story of Jesus’ birth should be as sweet to our ears and hearts as our holiday baking is to our tummies.
Here are some sweet things to remind us of that wonderful sweet Christmas story.
1) Bridge Mix (Journey of Joseph and Mary). This “bridge” mix resembles the Journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. We all know that a bridge provides a way of passage to the other side.
Luke 2:4-5 says "Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now pregnant.”
2) Baby Ruth (Reminder of Sweet Baby Jesus) (I could not find Sugar babies or sugar daddies!!!)
How exciting that God sent His Son down from heaven in the form of a sweet little baby. A little child would change history and save us from our sin. Luke 2:7 “She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”
3) Candy Cane (Reminder of the Shepherds). The candy cane reminds us of the staff of the shepherds and how they were busy taking care of their sheep while Jesus was being born. If you turn it upside down, it looks like a J –for Jesus. The red represents His blood and how He died for us and the white represents how He washes us white as snow. Luke 2:8-9 “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified.”
4) Almond Joy (Reminder of the Angels Announcement) Luke 2:10-12 “But the angel said to them (the shepherds) ‘Don’t be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign - You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manager”
5) Dove Candy (Reminder of Peace). The dove has always been a symbol of peace. Because Christ was born we can have peace. In John 14:27 Jesus says “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.”
6) Smarties (Reminder of the Wise Men)
Even the wise men of Christ’s day looked for the Lord. The wise men followed the star to Bethlehem until they found the house where the baby Jesus lay. We are not certain how many wise men came. We can guess that maybe at least three came because that is how many gifts they brought. The wise men worshiped the baby Jesus as God the Savior and gave him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts were very meaningful. Gold was fitting for a king. Frankincense was a resin from a balsam tree used as a medicine, which was rare in those days. They knew this king would heal his people. Myrrh, an herb used in burials, was the most unusual gift. It pointed to the importance of this child-king’s death which would occur later in life and would save the world. Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Christ our Lord. These wise men came to worship the newborn king. Today, men who are wise still worship Jesus.
7) Starburst (Reminder of the star)
The star was used to guide the wise men. Today, God has ways of guiding us too. When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. When we see the Christmas star, this should be a good reminder to rejoice as well.
Matthew 2:9-10 “The wise men went on their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were filled with joy!”
8) Hershey’s treasures of other foiled wrapped coin candy (The gifts from the wise men). When the wise men came, they brought treasure with them to give to Jesus. We should always bring our gifts to Jesus such as time, talents, and other things we know He ultimately blessed us with to give and glorify Him.
Matthew 2:11 “They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chest and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
9) Reison (Jesus is the Reason for the Season)
Jesus came to earth on Christmas Day so that we could live with Him forever and that our lives on earth might be more meaningful. Hi is our reason for the wonderful holiday season.
John 3:16 “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”
Let this be a reminder that Christmas is sweet not only to our tongues and bellies but to our hearts.
Friday, December 23, 2011
W & X
W is for Worship. Worship is to give praise, honor and respect for God. We honor God when we celebrate Jesus birth each year, when we go to church, when we pray, and when we obey. We should not idolize anything but God. When we choose a toy over praying or going to church or over our sibling, we are idolizing the toy...this does not honor God.
We are going to talk to about Wisdom and Wisemen and color a sheet with the 3 wisemen on it. I actually found a child's sermon on the wisemen worshipping Baby Jesus here. We will look at our Christmas book to see other pictures of wisemen.
X is for eXaltation (yes, sometimes you have to be creative). In the Bible "exaltation" most often refers to the lofty position of God and of Jesus Christ. The most common Hebrew terms for "lift up, exalt.
The Exaltation of Christ. (retrieved here) As the God-man, Jesus Christ entered the world to redeem humankind from their sinful condition. Through his death and resurrection Christ was exalted to the right hand of the Father. Both Isaiah 52:13 and the Gospel of John ( 3:14 ; 8:28 ; John 12:32John 12:34 ) speak of Christ's death in the double sense of being "lifted up" and being "highly exalted." By humbling himself and submitting to death by being "lifted" onto a Roman cross, Christ paid for the sin of humankind, and in so doing was exalted by the Father to the highest place and given "the name that is above every name" ( Php 2:8-9 ). It was through the resurrection from the dead that Christ's death was demonstrated in a powerful way ( Rom 1:4 ). By the resurrection Christ's human nature entered the glorious state of the unending life, and the risen Lord swallowed up death in victory ( 1 Cor 15:54 ).
Having finished his work on earth, Jesus was taken back to heaven and seated at the right hand of God. David had spoken of the Messiah's sitting at the Lord's right hand ( Psalm 110:1 ). This most exalted and honored position confirmed Christ's glory and authority as the supreme ruler ( Eph 1:20-21 ). Christ's exaltation and lordship are evident in the titles "Prince" and "Savior, " which are ascribed to him in his heavenly session ( Acts 5:31 ). The "prince" or "author" of our salvation was made "perfect through suffering" and then "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" ( Heb 2:10 ; 12:2 ). The son of David was now a king far above any earthly ruler.
At his second coming the King of kings and Lord of lords will return to earth to defeat the nations and to rule them with an iron scepter ( Rev 19:15-16 ). Christ's sovereign authority will be displayed; every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord ( Php 2:10-11 ).
A little over their head but we will go through it anyway. No craft for this one :)
We are going to talk to about Wisdom and Wisemen and color a sheet with the 3 wisemen on it. I actually found a child's sermon on the wisemen worshipping Baby Jesus here. We will look at our Christmas book to see other pictures of wisemen.
X is for eXaltation (yes, sometimes you have to be creative). In the Bible "exaltation" most often refers to the lofty position of God and of Jesus Christ. The most common Hebrew terms for "lift up, exalt.
The Exaltation of Christ. (retrieved here) As the God-man, Jesus Christ entered the world to redeem humankind from their sinful condition. Through his death and resurrection Christ was exalted to the right hand of the Father. Both Isaiah 52:13 and the Gospel of John ( 3:14 ; 8:28 ; John 12:32John 12:34 ) speak of Christ's death in the double sense of being "lifted up" and being "highly exalted." By humbling himself and submitting to death by being "lifted" onto a Roman cross, Christ paid for the sin of humankind, and in so doing was exalted by the Father to the highest place and given "the name that is above every name" ( Php 2:8-9 ). It was through the resurrection from the dead that Christ's death was demonstrated in a powerful way ( Rom 1:4 ). By the resurrection Christ's human nature entered the glorious state of the unending life, and the risen Lord swallowed up death in victory ( 1 Cor 15:54 ).
Having finished his work on earth, Jesus was taken back to heaven and seated at the right hand of God. David had spoken of the Messiah's sitting at the Lord's right hand ( Psalm 110:1 ). This most exalted and honored position confirmed Christ's glory and authority as the supreme ruler ( Eph 1:20-21 ). Christ's exaltation and lordship are evident in the titles "Prince" and "Savior, " which are ascribed to him in his heavenly session ( Acts 5:31 ). The "prince" or "author" of our salvation was made "perfect through suffering" and then "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" ( Heb 2:10 ; 12:2 ). The son of David was now a king far above any earthly ruler.
At his second coming the King of kings and Lord of lords will return to earth to defeat the nations and to rule them with an iron scepter ( Rev 19:15-16 ). Christ's sovereign authority will be displayed; every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord ( Php 2:10-11 ).
A little over their head but we will go through it anyway. No craft for this one :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
U & V
U is for upright. Upright means raised or directed vertically or upward; adhering to rectitude; righteous, honest, or just; being in accord with what is right; being of moral excellence.
Proverbs 2:7: He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is bleamelss, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Proverbs 15:8...the prayer of the upright pleases Him.
Titus 1:8 - Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined
Titus 2:12 - It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
We will look at the story of Job. There are a couple of color sheets here and here.
V is vision. A vision is a dream from God. We will talk about Isaiah's vision of Jesus' birth again. This will tie in the letter P for prophet and again repeat the story of Jesus' birth. There is a color sheet here with the memory verse. I like these activities too - Reece is at just the right age to do them: here
Proverbs 2:7: He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is bleamelss, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Proverbs 15:8...the prayer of the upright pleases Him.
Titus 1:8 - Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined
Titus 2:12 - It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
We will look at the story of Job. There are a couple of color sheets here and here.
V is vision. A vision is a dream from God. We will talk about Isaiah's vision of Jesus' birth again. This will tie in the letter P for prophet and again repeat the story of Jesus' birth. There is a color sheet here with the memory verse. I like these activities too - Reece is at just the right age to do them: here
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
S & T
S is for Scripture. We looked at few verses: "All Scripture is God Breathed" which the kids learned in Awana this year. And that "All Your words are true" and discussed that all the stories and words in the bible are true. Since we don't have time to do a craft each day and we are still finishing up the scroll craft from the letter P, I will use this to show them a version of scripture.
T is for Tithing. We give back 10% of the money we earn to the church. This goes to the missionaries and towards our church expenses. God gives us the money and we are to give back to Him. We will look at Malachi 3:10 and ask the following questions: Who gives us the money and all things/blessings? The world and everything good in it was given to us by the Heavenly Father who loves and cares for us. We show our appreciation by obeying the commandments and doing our part to help the church grow.
I got my children's piggy banks out and we took out 10% of each. They will set that aside and eventually we can cash it in and give it in the offering plate. I also found this cute idea - matching the different money around the world...the don't understand all of that but they do know how to match (tithing around the world)
This is our craft from the prophet lesson and also tying it into S - scripture lesson. We took a white piece of paper, printed the verse from Isaiah, and crumbled it up. Before we left this morning we dipped it in coffee (to make it look old) so that way when we got back it would be dry.
Look how old it looked...we made a scroll by rolling the ends over pencils and gluing it.
Reece with her rudolph the red-nosed-reindeer that we made at the library
This is where Reece had to match the tithe to the amount of money - all in different countries. The shapes of the money were outlined so that was why it was easy for her.
T is for Tithing. We give back 10% of the money we earn to the church. This goes to the missionaries and towards our church expenses. God gives us the money and we are to give back to Him. We will look at Malachi 3:10 and ask the following questions: Who gives us the money and all things/blessings? The world and everything good in it was given to us by the Heavenly Father who loves and cares for us. We show our appreciation by obeying the commandments and doing our part to help the church grow.
I got my children's piggy banks out and we took out 10% of each. They will set that aside and eventually we can cash it in and give it in the offering plate. I also found this cute idea - matching the different money around the world...the don't understand all of that but they do know how to match (tithing around the world)
This is our craft from the prophet lesson and also tying it into S - scripture lesson. We took a white piece of paper, printed the verse from Isaiah, and crumbled it up. Before we left this morning we dipped it in coffee (to make it look old) so that way when we got back it would be dry.
Look how old it looked...we made a scroll by rolling the ends over pencils and gluing it.
We were making Christmas cookies and trying to make red frosting...but the kids thought it looked like blood which I so smartly tied back to letter R - resurrection...red...and the blood of Christ.
R for resurrection, the story we read, and the tomb craft.
The tithing activity...we roped in daddy since he's better at math. It's hard work counting all those coins from the piggy banks...especially being rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Q and R
Q is for Quiet. We will be looking at several verses from this link. I found a color sheet of children listening quietly to Jesus here. We will be practicing our "quiet" skills while I read the bible verses!
R is for Resurrection. We will look at Matthew 28:1-10 and do this craft.
Our wall is filling up!
R is for Resurrection. We will look at Matthew 28:1-10 and do this craft.
Our wall is filling up!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Lies Women Believe
You may have noticed that I haven't been writing much the past 6 months. Or even more annoying that my "monthly" tip has turned into a bi-yearly tip if that is at all possible. Knowing the word more than the world is probably the most important "tip" we should follow and I have been struggling with this since I published it on the blog. So I continue to leave it on there as a reminder for myself!
The last 6 months to a year have really been rough for me. It all started with my trip to Costa in June. I guess I expected so much to happen to me because of that trip but I am still struggling to see why God had me go. I still feel like I haven't been able to process the trip and I feel like it is so unfair to my experience. I know that is a selfish thought, but that is how I feel. I went to bed feeling like a missionary, and woke up a mom and wife who felt very unappreciated for her efforts. I guess that should just be expected in the season of life that I am in, but I just thought it would be different.
The summer continued to go downhill for me. I had for the past 3 years, religiously (no pun intended) gotten up early to get my exercise and quiet time done before the kids got up. I was unselfishly always ready for the kids when they got up and things almost always ran smoothly. I felt great doing that and it stopped suddenly with my trip as I was preparing to leave and so exhausted when I reaturned. Then I just decided or believed a lie that it wasn't worth it...no one cared anyways and I should cut myself some slack and sleep in like so many other moms of young children do. I still stayed in the word, finished reading the bible in one year, and continued on for a 2nd round doing 100 days in the word with the women from my church. But my relationship with the Lord dwindled and He felt so distant. I was feeling more and more like I had done something wrong...so I continued in believing lies and sinning and going down wrong paths and making unwise choices (with money, friendships, parenting, being a wife). I have been drowning and overwhelmed trying to be a good parent and wife. My husbands long hours at work have been pulling us a part and its so hard to find time to connect when we have such small children that require so much of our time. In my heart, I know that we just need more of Jesus in our every day lives...putting ourself aside and doing what He wants...but we both continue to listen to and believe lies or half truths that the WORLD is telling us. I have to keep reminding myself to see what the word says...not what the TV, my friends (even good Christian friends), radio, input from others, etc say.
Things have come to a climax this past week or so. The anxiety that I thought I had under control, has been controlling me. I want to run away sometimes because I get overwhelmed by loud noises (due to the anxiety)...my heart palpitations are back as well as some spurts of insomnia and excessive sweating. I even had a rash and weird break outs! I have been feeling so out of control. I decided to try getting up early again. So I set my alarm and Monday I did it...worked out and showered and ready for the kids and we had a really great day again. I know that this is not the answer to my problems but it certainly helps and I know that is what God wants from me. I knew it three years ago when I started doing that and saw the many changes He brought on in my life because of it.
I honestly have some deep scars and wounds that I need to deal with from the past 6 months - many that I cannot share at this time. I have realized there are many other things from my past even back to my childhood that I have just not dealt with and it's time. It is likely that I will go to counseling although I am not sure where (I did research over the summer but then never committed). I know that my ultimate counsel comes from God alone and He will work and comfort me in ways that I cannot understand. I am leary to seek counsel and not have it come from the word...even good Christian counselors can give their own opinions and as we have seen...I am gullible and often believe what others say or others opinions.
Shortly after I was married (nearly 7 years ago), Brock and I attended a marriage conference where I purchased a book called "Lies Woman Believe and the Truth that sets them free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. They had ran out of the book at the conference but assured me they would mail it to me and took down my info. I never received the book. So back in January, I found it through a used bookstore online and purchased it. I was studying for my doula certificate and doing another study at that time, so I added the book to my library knowing I would read it some day. I talked to a friend about the book who advised me not to read it alone...to find a partner or do it as a study. Last week, I had another friend confide in me some things going on in her life that are very similar to mine. I told her about the book and we agreed to do it together. If anyone would like to join us, please let me know. It will be more like we read a chapter over a week period and discuss once a week over the phone or meet up if it works out. I have already read the first couple of chapters and I can tell it is definitely a book every woman needs to read. Not all woman believe in the same lies but we are all vulnerable to believing lies and half-truths from Satan...It's in our make-up...the way God made women...we can see that it started with Eve. Satan knows which things we will believe and he targets us for those. In the book, she gives many different lies we might believe and gives us the truth - what the word says about each of them - replacing the lies with truth. Memorizing these truths in my heart and mind will help me to destroy those lies from my brain! I remember writing about Eve this summer and how weak we can be as women...and I continued to be deceived. We can't do it on our own strength...we need the truth and word of God to help us. I know in my heart that this book has been placed in my lap at just the right time...although I do regret not reading it before this and possibly sparing me from some hardships. But God's timing is perfect and He is sovereign.
I'll leave you with a quote from the book by pastor Thomas Brooks: "Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss; he promises life, and pays with death"
The last 6 months to a year have really been rough for me. It all started with my trip to Costa in June. I guess I expected so much to happen to me because of that trip but I am still struggling to see why God had me go. I still feel like I haven't been able to process the trip and I feel like it is so unfair to my experience. I know that is a selfish thought, but that is how I feel. I went to bed feeling like a missionary, and woke up a mom and wife who felt very unappreciated for her efforts. I guess that should just be expected in the season of life that I am in, but I just thought it would be different.
The summer continued to go downhill for me. I had for the past 3 years, religiously (no pun intended) gotten up early to get my exercise and quiet time done before the kids got up. I was unselfishly always ready for the kids when they got up and things almost always ran smoothly. I felt great doing that and it stopped suddenly with my trip as I was preparing to leave and so exhausted when I reaturned. Then I just decided or believed a lie that it wasn't worth it...no one cared anyways and I should cut myself some slack and sleep in like so many other moms of young children do. I still stayed in the word, finished reading the bible in one year, and continued on for a 2nd round doing 100 days in the word with the women from my church. But my relationship with the Lord dwindled and He felt so distant. I was feeling more and more like I had done something wrong...so I continued in believing lies and sinning and going down wrong paths and making unwise choices (with money, friendships, parenting, being a wife). I have been drowning and overwhelmed trying to be a good parent and wife. My husbands long hours at work have been pulling us a part and its so hard to find time to connect when we have such small children that require so much of our time. In my heart, I know that we just need more of Jesus in our every day lives...putting ourself aside and doing what He wants...but we both continue to listen to and believe lies or half truths that the WORLD is telling us. I have to keep reminding myself to see what the word says...not what the TV, my friends (even good Christian friends), radio, input from others, etc say.
Things have come to a climax this past week or so. The anxiety that I thought I had under control, has been controlling me. I want to run away sometimes because I get overwhelmed by loud noises (due to the anxiety)...my heart palpitations are back as well as some spurts of insomnia and excessive sweating. I even had a rash and weird break outs! I have been feeling so out of control. I decided to try getting up early again. So I set my alarm and Monday I did it...worked out and showered and ready for the kids and we had a really great day again. I know that this is not the answer to my problems but it certainly helps and I know that is what God wants from me. I knew it three years ago when I started doing that and saw the many changes He brought on in my life because of it.
I honestly have some deep scars and wounds that I need to deal with from the past 6 months - many that I cannot share at this time. I have realized there are many other things from my past even back to my childhood that I have just not dealt with and it's time. It is likely that I will go to counseling although I am not sure where (I did research over the summer but then never committed). I know that my ultimate counsel comes from God alone and He will work and comfort me in ways that I cannot understand. I am leary to seek counsel and not have it come from the word...even good Christian counselors can give their own opinions and as we have seen...I am gullible and often believe what others say or others opinions.
Shortly after I was married (nearly 7 years ago), Brock and I attended a marriage conference where I purchased a book called "Lies Woman Believe and the Truth that sets them free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. They had ran out of the book at the conference but assured me they would mail it to me and took down my info. I never received the book. So back in January, I found it through a used bookstore online and purchased it. I was studying for my doula certificate and doing another study at that time, so I added the book to my library knowing I would read it some day. I talked to a friend about the book who advised me not to read it alone...to find a partner or do it as a study. Last week, I had another friend confide in me some things going on in her life that are very similar to mine. I told her about the book and we agreed to do it together. If anyone would like to join us, please let me know. It will be more like we read a chapter over a week period and discuss once a week over the phone or meet up if it works out. I have already read the first couple of chapters and I can tell it is definitely a book every woman needs to read. Not all woman believe in the same lies but we are all vulnerable to believing lies and half-truths from Satan...It's in our make-up...the way God made women...we can see that it started with Eve. Satan knows which things we will believe and he targets us for those. In the book, she gives many different lies we might believe and gives us the truth - what the word says about each of them - replacing the lies with truth. Memorizing these truths in my heart and mind will help me to destroy those lies from my brain! I remember writing about Eve this summer and how weak we can be as women...and I continued to be deceived. We can't do it on our own strength...we need the truth and word of God to help us. I know in my heart that this book has been placed in my lap at just the right time...although I do regret not reading it before this and possibly sparing me from some hardships. But God's timing is perfect and He is sovereign.
I'll leave you with a quote from the book by pastor Thomas Brooks: "Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises profit, and pays with loss; he promises life, and pays with death"
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