Nativity

Christmas is almost here.

I'm not sure how the year has gone by so quickly.  It truly seems like yesterday I was creating the ornaments for our Jesse Tree.  And now, here we are half way through our Advent celebrations this year!


Last year I wanted to buy a nativity scene for our home, but have you seen the price tags on some of them?  They are SO expensive!  I wanted something my kids could play with, but not be destroyed in one season.  I found all sorts of ideas on line for creating nativity scenes out of paper or felt, but none that I fell in love with.  That is until I saw this on Pinterest...

Adorable right?? 

So I decided to make my own. I found the FREE printable that I really liked on this website.   Armed with the  blocks of wood from Lowe's (which my husband lovingly cut down to the right size), a little sand paper, my Mod Podge, the print outs and my craft scissors I was ready to take on the nativity project!  

And I could not be happier with how they turned out...

My children love them, I love them, they are sturdy, fun and I don't worry about the kiddos breaking them.  The BEST part?  This project cost me pennies on the dollar for what I would have paid to purchase a pre-made nativity scene!

I paid a little less than $7.00 for the wood (though I'm sure you could find it for cheaper than that. I chose to use "hard wood" from the lumber section of our local Lowe's.) I had the rest of the items on hand.

May the rest of your Advent be slowed, peaceful and full of the joy that this season of giving brings!

New Traditions; the end is the beginning

A dwelling place for God...

Son of a Carpenter

The long journey

The coming of the King is HERE!

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

  It excites me to think that this is truly just the begining.  More amazing than His coming, is His life and how He lived it.  Let the anticipation continue as we seek Him in the coming of the new year!

New Traditions part III

Advent continues as the Day approaches...

Our tree is brimming with promise

Day 17 of our journey is a reading from Isaiah which promises a New Kingdom

(ornament not pictured)

Obedience insisted...

Using the House of Bread which was so small for something SO big!

Coming before the King...

Watching, Searching, Longing for all that truly matters...

Miracles preparing the way for him to prepare the way...

Water of repentance...

Only a few more days my friends!

(The squeals in our house have raised an octave...!)

New Traditions part II

With awe and wonder the story continues each night...

Laws given in hopes of restoration...

A woman who through sorrow shows dedication to God and family

and continues the line...



And she, despised yet chosen to play a very important faithful role...

A new king, anointed...

The shepherd becomes King so that one day the King would be our Good Shepherd...

The prophesy that points to the Light...

And the competition that affirms yet again His greatness...

Can you feel the anticipation building?

New Traditions

Created in Love...

Separated by sin...

Righteousness rewarded...

Faithfulness...

The "impossible" made possible (with much laughter involved)

His provisions seen clearly...

The House of God seen...

Crazy circumstances worked for His bigger purpose and plan...

...and the story goes on...

(join us for more as the season of Advent continues)



Anticipation

I asked my six year old what the word Anticipation meant.  She mumbled something about obeying her mom and dad, and while her answer made me smile, I gently explained the idea of waiting with excitement.  She immediately grasped the concept and has been "anticipating" much since then.

And me?  This is what I've been anticipating... The Glorious Coming!  It's funny how in this World Wide Web, we can make "friends" that we've never met, yet we feel like we know so deeply and profoundly.  This year our family will be creating our Jesse Tree for the first time.  I'm so very excited to begin this beautiful tradition for our family.  I will let Ann gracefully tell you about it as she is both the author and more eloquent than I could ever hope to be!  (The link above on the title of the book will take you there!)

Thank you dear friends for the blessing you are, and it is my prayer that you are blessed this Christmas Season...

Christmas Season

As we enter into the Christmas season, I get so torn by emotions. Part of me really loves Christmas and all that it symbolizes. Though I'm not Catholic, I've been contemplating the idea of advent and what that really means and how to observe it. The coming of our Lord and Savior into this world is truly something to celebrate.

And then on the other hand I really hate the commercialism that has become "Christmas". "What am I going to get so and so, because I know they're going to get me something." "Oh he's so hard to buy for, because he's got everything already" Sound familiar? Or what about on Christmas morning, when I very distinctly remember telling my oldest she couldn't play with her new toys until she had opened all her other presents... how ridiculous is that? This is what I'm talking about. It's not something you intend to buy into, it just sorta happens.

What to do about it? It's a quandary for sure, but I've always envisioned something like this... or this. And yet, it never quite comes to pass.

A few weeks ago in Bible Class, I made a comment that, even as I said the words, struck a chord with me and I convicted myself. "My relationship with my children and how I parent stems directly from my relationship with Christ." When I am doing well, and in step with Him, I do well in life. When I am selfishly out of sync with my spiritual disciplines something goes drastically wrong with my parenting. (oooh those poor children. If they turn out well it will be in spite of me, not because of me!).

I think this holds true for the Holidays as well. Where is my focus? Have I set up the precedent that Christmas is about Christ, or that it's about Santa, presents and Frosty? I'm ashamed that I'm 30 years old and I've never pondered the deeper things of Christmas beyond "He's the reason for the season." I'm ashamed that my children up until this point, have not been trained in the tradition of truly seeking at Christmas.

This Christmas, I pray will be the change. This Christmas as we sit around our Christmas tree on Christmas morning I hope my children will know that it's not about the gifts waiting to be unwrapped, but about the Gift that was wrapped so tightly so many years ago...

Works for Me Wednesday~ Christmas Gifts

Frustrated by the constant bombardment of commercialism?


This Holiday, give a gift that will do more than gather dust, it will make a difference in someones life.


Today's Works for Me Wednesday is one that reaches down deep. Click here to find a gift for that someone who is hard to buy for because they have everything. Why succumb to the pressure to purchase something that they will inevitably not use?

This Christmas give.