CHRISTmas Traditions to help out the elf on the shelf...or the Grinch.

On Sunday our Pastor tried to make a joke as he was talking about the Adoration of Christ during the Advent Season. He said the month of the December our culture just expects people to talk about Jesus and that, as Christians we should saturate our traditions in the Gospel so that everything we do points to Christ, and then he said, "make the elf on the shelf point to Jesus." No one laughed. Honestly, I think it was more poingent than it was funny. He said, "Our culture has dropped Christ from Christmas because WE have dropped Christ from Christmas"

I LOVE Christmas and I LOVE the movie elf. I LOVE the movie elf ALMOST as much as I love Christmas.

My husband thinks I'm absolutely nuts because I draw in my bible. Granted, I have a Journaling Bible which allows me to work specifically in the margins but...sometimes I draw right over top of the scriptures. I use colored pencils so I can read the text underneath....but he thinks it's insane. He also thinks it's a little anal for me to try to find godly meaning in our Christmas traditions. I am generally given a tight budget to spend on Christmas Ornaments, so my dream of owning Ann Voskamp's "Greatest Gift" Paper Ornaments are pretty much out of financial reason and so is my fantasy of owning hand blown ornaments representing the symbols of the Jesse Tree attached with their perspective bible verses. The hubs thinks hand blown ornaments are "tacky." I tell him he's a Grinch.

 The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

Seriously, our Christmas personalities are like this:

ME

THE HUBS

While the hubs likes to put on a facade that he doesn't quite care, he spends hours cutting out my little Ann Voskamp printables with an exacto knife to finish off our Family Jesse (Christmas)Tree. He sits around the dinning table with me as we ice the sugar cookies and requests Gingerbread Houses to be made just like his mom did.

I really feel like he's secretly like this:

          

             So Cute!

My Hero!

How do we soften our hearts among the presents and the wrapping paper and the cookies and the parties? How do we spend the month pointed towards a helpless baby: The King of Kings. How do we teach our children that what our culture does should have no bearing on what we do in our homes, and how we share the story of the gospel with those God brings us in contact with.

Wouldn't it be great if on Christmas Day our kids were like: 

JESUS!!!!!!!!!! I KNOW HIM!!!!! I KNOW HIM!!!!!!!!

I want the kid to KNOW HIM! KNOW Him know Him. Like "I see you!" in the movie Avatar. 

God WANTS us to Know him like that. He WANTS us to have the same relationship as Adam and Eve had with Him in the garden before the fall.

If I KNEW Him, shouldn't I be SO excited for Christmas? Shouldn't I spend my weeks before Christmas anticipating the arrival of the Christ Child? Shouldn't I celebrate to remember? 

'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. Exodus 12:14

They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. Psalm145:7 NIV

'Then on the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work, and you shall observe a feast to the LORD for seven days. Number 29:12

Go Tell it On the Mountain

Ummmm....exactly Buddy.

So Christmas comes, and it's okay to be excited about it! It's okay to be excited that the a Child is born to us THIS day, even though it's not THE day. It's our day of remembrance, our memorial, our feasting to the Lord, our eating and our drinking, and our giving. Give abundantly and Cheerfully.

and instead of being anti-materialistic anti-secular anti-X-mas help people feel like:

How do we help our Kids KNOW Him during this Christmas Season?

In the midst of baking cookies, and wrapping presents, and decorating, I want my heart to worship the one who all of this is for, I want to KNOW Him. I want to ENGAGE WITH Him. I want to GLORIFY Him, and I want to GROW to be more Like Him.

Check back in tomorrow for "4 Ways to Help them Know Of Him" and then "4 Ways to Help them Engage with Him" and then "4 Ways to Glorify Him" and finally "4 Ways to be Like Him"



I know this is weird.....but this song could definitely serve as a prayer.

32 Ways to Celebrate Lent in 2015

God usually leads me to some sort of intentional worship of Him throughout the season of Lent. While what you choose to do is between you and God, and maybe your husband or a close mentor, it's always nice to have some ideas at the ready to consider and pray over. 

Check out my previous post for a little more information about Lent. 

Fasting 40 Days (Fasting and Prayer)

1 Forty Days for 1,000 Days
2 Daniel Fast (This actually takes a lot of preparation) 
3 40 Days on the Makers Diet

Prayer

4 40 Days of Prayer for Survivors of Sex Trafficking

5 Book of Common Prayer
6 Prayer Walking
7 Transform your Mornings
8 Read a Book
9. Devotional
10. iLent.org
11. Sacred Holidays

Praise

12. 40 Days of Worship Music 
13. Write in a Gratitude Journal
14.40 Days of Beauty Treatments to Honor Gods Temple: Your Body

Giving

15.40 Days of Community
16. Love 146
17.Habitat for Humanity
18. Give of Your Gifts
19. Give of Your Cooking
20. Give of Your Time

For the Kidinkles

21. Create a Forgiveness and Fresh Start Place
22. Easter Passion Tree
23. Lenten Prayer Garden
24.A Repentance Box
25. Resurrection Tree
26. Hands on Experience of the Resurrection 
27. DIY Resurrection Eggs
28. Kindness Jar
29. An Easter Garden
30. Countdown to Easter
31. Un-Easter Baskets
32. Memory Verses for Kids

14 Ways to Share God's Love this Valentines Day

 THE OFFICIAL FIRST POST FOR WHATEVER IS LOVELY!

My sister-in-law and I swapped Valentines Day stories the other day. We were each talking about how stressed our husbands get over presents and the pressure to be romantic. 

As I left my apartment today, on the dry erase board by our door was a little drawing. It said "I <3 you!" With a little arrow going through the heart. 

"I love you too!" I thought with a smile and a skip in my step as I floated my way down the stairs. *sigh*

The hubs is most romantic when he doesn't feel the pressure. 

While I sit planning, and scheming for The Kiddo, and The Hubs, about how I am going to make this "THE BEST VALENTINES DAY EVER!!!!!" The hubs makes my day by drawing me a picture. :)

Last year, I got a giant poster board with foam hearts pasted all over it and "I Love You" written in marker in all different languages. He got over 8,000 calories worth of candy that he ended up giving to his co-workers in the ER. 

While we work so hard to be romantic, and to take out time for our significant others, I think it's the little things throughout the days that really mean something. 

I think that's how God romances us too. In the still, quiet spaces of our lives, he envelopes us with His love in the a glimpse of the sunset, a single flower blooming in a field of nothingness that caught your eye, a cup of hot cocoa sprinkled with cinnamon and rimmed with marshmallows, a desperately needed encouraging note from a friend, little bodies snuggling up against you for an, 'almost not quite there, I just need to be sure of you' moment while reading a book or watching a movie, or a stolen kiss on the shoulder from your husband as he buries his head into your neck, with a muffled "I love you." 

God loves us through these gifts, through the people he has put in our lives, and he loves others through us as well. 

This Valentines Day, forget about the hype, and think about the True Love that flows down on us and through us. Let the love of God flow out of you and spill over onto the people God places in your life every day. 

And so... without further ado... 

And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33 ESV)

Neighbor is an interesting concept.

“And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37 ESV)

Do you even know your neighbors?

Our literal neighbors are probably none to happy with us right now due to The Christmas Tree Incident, and The Early Morning Screaming Kid Fiasco.

1. What would you like this Valentines Day? A Card? Some Chocolates? A flower?  

How can you bless your neighbor with these same gifts this Valentines Day? 

Hatred stirs up strife,

but love covers all offenses. (Proverbs 10:12 ESV)

2.  Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Is there someone you have held a grudge against, or have not been very kind to. It seems to work, that even though you DO NOT feel very loving, when you commit acts of love, God seems to soften your heart. What can you do this Valentines Day, after you ask God to change your heart, to drop your guard, and do something kind for someone you hold negative feelings against?

3. While your at it, encourage your kidinkles to do the same. You know, when you were a kid addressing Valentines to all the kids in the class, didn't you pick the BEST valentines for your BESTEST friends and leave the ugly ones for the kids you didn't like so much? Wow. How young our hearts turn to sin. :( 

Chances are your kids are thinking the same thing when they are making their cards. Talk to you kids about what the bible says about hate, and loving your enemy, and help them make decisions with their cards that are loving to those that are sometimes hard to love.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

(1 John 3:16-18 ESV)

Oh wow! THE HARDEST!

As I learn about church history I am amazed that the first century church basically made government programs obsolete because they were doing such a great job of helping those in need! They would go out to the fields and save children left out to die, they would feed the poor, and heal the sick! I'm listing a few ideas here that you can take on yourself leading up to Valentines Day.

4. Donate Blessings Bags to the Homeless

I LOVE FREE PRINTABLES!!!! Check out Mique's printables for this project. She also has a lot of links to ideas to complete this project. Basically, you make up kits with food and necessities for the homeless who stand on the street corners.

5. Donate Night Night Bags to Children in Shelters and Foster Care. 

Here's the idea.

but you don't even have to go through the program, you can construct them yourself and drop them off and shelters and Agencies.

6. Join Knots of Love and Make Chemo Caps for the Kiddo's or Blankets for Babies in the NICU, drop them off at your nearest Children's Hospital.

7. Join or start initiatives with your church to serve others in need.

Let the Children Come to Me

13Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  Mathew 19:13-14

8. Love on your kidinkles and let them know how much Jesus Loves them. Get out your Jesus Storybook Bible, and read through your favorite bible stories with your kids. (If you don't have one, get one. It's great for adults too! I have it on my nook, the narrator is GREAT! The Kid will listen to the stories in the car when we can't read to him.)

9. I LOOOOVE Kim at Not Consumed. I just LOVE her blog. She's got this great idea for a little valentines Gift Basket for  Kidinkles I'll be doing for The Kid. She has a whole roundup of Scripture based valentines as well. Check it out

I also read a lovely blog recently that has some great ideas written by Kendra 5 Easy Ways to Show Kids Love on Valentines Day

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: (1 John 2:4-5 ESV)

10. Write God's word in your home. I try to have scripture in every room of the house. We have a picture frame beside the television that we decided to switch out scripture printables every month to help The Kid memorize scripture, and to keep it up. There are plenty of printables and ideas you can find on pinterest. I LOVE this from Amy at Positively Splendid. And we are using this printable beside our television. I really like Missie's Printables at LostBumbleBee.

Let's talk about the Hubs. No pressure here, but Valentines Day isn't just about you. It's about him too, and he doesn't have to make it a win this Valentines Day for you to show him how much you love him!

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your love is better than wine; (Song of Solomon 1:2 ESV)

11. Oh Solomon, you risque man you! (Seriously, when you start to realize what he's talking about it is almost downright embarrassing) We are called to SUBMIT to our our husbands, and THEY are called to LOVE us!  WOW! I find that it is much easier to submit to someone when you love them...but that topic is for another day. Use Valentines Day to love on your husband in your cute girly ways. Leaving him notes in his lunch box, writing messages to him on the mirror, sending him emails and texts throughout the day....

12. and let him know your ready for his kisses in the evening...;) Text him hints throughout the day, and check out the Dating Diva's for great creative ideas for celebrating Valentines Night with your Hubs.

Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

13. Your greatest Valentine is the Love of God. Spend the month of February reading everything that John wrote in the bible. He LOVES to tell you how much God LOVES you. 

14.  Take a bubble bath light some candles, put on some worship music (I perfer to listen to Plumb, Lauren Daigle and Chris Rice) and get naked. I love doing this periodically. There is something about being completely bare, and comfortable in front of God and just spending time worshiping and speaking, and listening. Take time out this Valentines Day to spend time with the one who loves you the most. Let him love on you, and show you how romantic He can be.

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)