Monthly Archives: November 2011

Celebrating the Season of Advent… wait, What IS Advent??

Posted on November 30, 2011 | 2 Comments

December 1st. Going up on the side of the oak cupboard at the edge of the kitchen is a calendar. A small, stuffed Santa peers over the edge of the pocket in the top left corner. He waits for little fingers to move him along, finding treats and family events on the 24 day journey. I remember the calendar. I remember driving through neighborhoods, wide-eyed at Christmas lights. I remember decorating the tree, gardening gloves adorning the luckiest hands. I remember a zoo soaked in color and light, and a fireplace topped with milk and cookies for a middle-of-the-night guest.

The traditions my parents worked so hard to establish for our family when I was growing up are now treasures buried deep in my heart. And this year, I want to begin building these traditions for my own young family. But as I thought about creating an advent calendar, I was struck with the realization that I don’t even know what advent is! I remember the calendar. I don’t remember the advent calendar.

I wasn’t about to hang up a calendar that I didn’t even know the meaning of. (There’s enough of those traditions floating around during the holiday season, aren’t there?) So I looked it up.

ad·vent

1. a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season.

2. ( usually initial capital letter

) the coming of Christ into the world.

3. ( initial capital letter

) the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.

4. ( usually initial capital letter

) Second Coming.

An advent is an arrival.

Advent, for the Christian, is a celebration of three things:

1 – The past birth of Christ. The arrival of God in the form of man into the world.

2 – The future Second Coming of Christ. The arrival of Christ to redeem His own and give the final gift of eternal salvation to all who believe.

3 – The anticipation we live in now, in between these two arrivals, and the call on our lives to live in readiness, walk in humility and kindness, and respond to God with our obedience, as a result of a repentant and thankful heart for the gift of Christ.

So simple. So beautiful. And what an amazing way to teach a young family about what we are celebrating during the Christmas season. I am so excited to celebrate this Advent season and acknowledge the anticipation of the world that led up to the birth of Christ, and the anticipation of my own heart as I wait for my eternal salvation.

Advent can be celebrated in many ways. It is the heart humbled before God, in waiting, that is important. Two of the more common Protestant ways of celebrating this season are with a Jesse Tree and with an Advent Calendar. This year, we’re going with the calendar.

There are so many ways to do an advent calendar. I will just share with you how we will celebrate this year. Again, it’s the heart of humility and remembrance and anticipation that is important, whatever your celebration looks like.

We will use The Jesus Storybook Bible as our guide, reading one story each day, from Creation all the way to the birth of Christ (on Christmas morning). I absolutely LOVE this Bible! It’s a children’s Bible, but I’d be lying if I said it’s never had me in tears before! This Bible is appropriate for advent readings because included in every Bible story narrative is the way in which the story points to the coming of Christ. Every Old Testament event leads to the gift of the Savior and God’s “Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love” that caused Him to send for us, His children, a “Rescuer.”

At the beginning of each day we will read the story from this special Bible, and then draw the little gold card out of the pocket on our advent calendar. Each day is a different activity. Our activities are not necessarily synched with the reading; they are all fun things to do as a family that excitedly lead up to Christmas day and our celebration of Christ come into the world. Many of our activities are based around events happening in our own lives and community, so yours will be different, of course. But this list might help give you a jumping off point if you are celebrating with an advent calendar this season. Here’s what we’re doing:

1 – Give a gift (to a family in need, our church pantry, or local rescue mission)

2 – A special candy for Maddox

3 – Go to my husband’s work Christmas party (a family affair)

4 – Go to the tree farm and pick out our (FIRST EVER!) live Christmas tree

5 – Decorate the tree

6 – Make gingerbread houses

7 – Pick out new tree ornaments (each family member picks one new ornament for 2011)

8 – Give a gift (to a family in need, our church pantry, or local rescue mission)

9 – Go to a live nativity

10 – Go to the local Ranch for an evening of Christmas fun

11 – Electric Safari at the zoo

12 – A special candy for Maddox

13 – Make gingerbread men cookies

14 – Toddler Time at the library

15 – Give a gift (to a family in need, our church pantry, or local rescue mission)

16 – Getaway to the mountains

17 – See a local church Christmas production

18 – Watch a Christmas movie

19 – Deliver gifts to our friends and neighbors

20 – Free family day at the Fine Arts Center

21 – Give a gift (to a family in need, our church pantry, or local rescue mission)

22 – Hot cocoa for dessert

23 – Drive the city to tour Christmas lights

24 – Attend Christmas Eve service with visiting family

The 25th is not included on the calendar, but we will have our final reading that morning; the birth of Christ, and then celebrate that which we have been anticipating.

If you’re thinking of starting your own advent calendar, it’s not too late! Start the celebration wherever you are, however you can. It’s always the heart that matters.

How do you celebrate Advent? What are some traditions that you enjoy burying in the hearts of your loved ones during this special season?

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Posted in Faith, Family

Tagged Faith, Family

Ten on Tuesday :: FORGIVENESS

Posted on November 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday kind of landed me flat on my back. It was amazing, as always, but the whole family (except the hubs) was knocked out with head colds. Add a 14 hour roadtrip to Phoenix with two young kiddos, and all the preparation required, and this is why you haven’t seen a Ten on Tuesday in two weeks. Aah! Glad to be back today. And I hope your T-Day was incredible and blessed and filled with love.

Now what better word to focus on in the middle of the Holiday season than Forgiveness? I love it.

ONE :: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:14-15

TWO :: “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Luke 17:3-4

THREE :: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
Colossians 3:12-13

FOUR :: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

FIVE :: “I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.”
Jeremiah 33:8

SIX :: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Mark 11:25

SEVEN :: “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.”
Luke 23:34

EIGHT :: “”This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
Hebrews 10:6-8

NINE :: “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
Luke 7:47

TEN :: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-14

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Posted in Faith

Tagged Faith

Everyone Sucks at Parenting

Posted on November 12, 2011 | 2 Comments

I suck at parenting. And you know what? So do you.

Everyone sucks at parenting. You know why? Because not-sucking at parenting requires putting someone else’s needs before your own. And we’re all pretty bad at that.

My husband recently said to me, jokingly, “I’m pretty good at making kids. Not so much at raising them.” I had a good laugh, because really, I could say the same thing. We all could. Having even minimal success in raising our kids requires putting them first. And no one, not one person, is good at that.

If you’re feeling like being a parent is too hard, remember – it is.

If you’re feeling like you are utterly insufficient for the job, remember - you are.

If you’re feeling like every day is a war in the middle of your living room and all you want to do is find a giant rock to hide under, remember – every.single.parent.who.EVER.existed. has felt the same way.

But there is no rock to hide under. Instead, thankfully, there is a Rock to lean on.

In and of ourselves we are completely insufficient. That is why Jesus came and lived the life He lived and died the death He died. For me and you - in the middle of our wreck. In the middle of our failure. In the middle of everything that is too hard to carry and too far to reach and too big to get ahold of. Jesus came to set us free from the burden of trying to be good.

“There is no one righteous, not even one”
Romans 3:10

It is not by trying to not suck at parenting that we will stop sucking at parenting. It is in turning to Christ, and taking a step, one step at a time, in His Holy Spirit, that we will be transformed into human beings who choose to exalt the needs of our children before the wants of ourselves.

This is the grace of God. So that I can’t boast about what an awesome mom I am. None of us can. We can only boast about what an awesome God we serve.

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

We are wise parents to accept our insufficiencies, even to rejoice in them, exuberantly waving the white flag and walking open-heart onto the battlefield. Because we are covered by grace.

Grace given by the only One who doesn’t suck at parenting.

The only perfect Parent.

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Posted in Family

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Posted on November 11, 2011 | 2 Comments

I love fall. For so many reasons. Red and yellow trees along the streets in my neighborhood. Good Earth Tea in my over-sized mug. Gourds lining the windowsill. Cardigans, again, at last. And this. Roasted pumpkin seeds.

You need:
Pumpkin seeds (that’s right, from the inside of a pumpkin) – about enough to cover a baking sheet
Olive oil – just a Tbsp or two
Salt – to taste

Easiest.ingredients.ever.

Pre-heat oven to 325.

Separate the seeds from the pulp and rinse under cold water. Just get ‘em clean. I found the easiest way to do this was all over a strainer.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On goes your drizzle of olive oil.

Seeds, meet oil. Oil, meet seeds.

Use your hands (it’s dirty girl cooking) and mix the seeds around until they’re all well coated in the oil.

Salt to taste. Mix some more if you feel so inclined.

Spread ‘em out into a single layer. These babies are ready for the oven. So get ‘em in!

And then sit down and stare at your oven door. They roast faster that way.

Leave them in for 10 minutes. Then take them out and stir.

Then back in for ten more minutes. Then out for a stir. Then back in for 5 more minutes. Then they’re done! That’s 25 minutes total, in case you weren’t keeping track.

Golden beauties.

Roasty. Toasty. Ready for my mouth.

And then there’s the pumpkins…

This is what happens when you live in a house full of a bunch of freaky artists. The pumpkins get painted.

What did you do with YOUR pumpkins???

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Posted in Kitchen, Recipes

Tagged kitchen, recipes

Ten on Tuesday :: Philippians

Posted on November 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

So I admit… I TOTALLY forgot about the Ten on Tuesday post today – until right now! So for most, it will be Ten on Tuesday on Wednesday this week. Forgive me!

Philippians is an UH-mazing letter! Often labeled as the Letter of Joy, I think it’s just as much the Letter of Humility and the Letter of Friendship. I hope Paul’s words to his deeply loved partners in Christ, the Philippians, will bring you encouragement today.