Life. Crazy, Chaotic, Ours!

Sunday Share : Prayer...it can be simple.

 

As a small child, prayer was easy.  It was a simple prayer recited at bedtime or the Lord's Prayer I had learned from my parents and Sunday School and then there were the responsive prayers at church, where the Pastor said who/what we were praying and the congregation would utter a statement in agreement...thanks be to God, O Lord hear our prayer, Amen, ...

I was always amazed to hear specific, intentional prayers led by leaders 'off the cuff'.  You know, when a small group is huddled or on the Christian radio show as someone calls in with a prayer request, and the words just flow from the prayer leaders mouth.  And they make sense and they hit the nail on the head.  It sounds just like it was written ahead of time and words leap from my devotional book from their mouths into our hearts and God's ears.  Yet it was completely unrehearsed.  And I am amazed.  And then I find myself saying, "Amen" because I am so moved by their ability to put the emotions and requests into words that He will hear.  And afterward I think, "Wow.  I will never been able to pray that well."

But you know what I have figured out? 

There is no right way to pray.  In fact, the only wrong way to pray is to simply not do it.  And I'm pretty certain that all of us have prayed somewhere along the way, whether we realize it or not.

How do you pray when you don't want to go with something written or one of the recitation prayers we learn in church or childhood?  It's simple.  You talk to God.  Really, prayer is just a conversation between you and Him.  It can be simple or complex; short or long.  Just talk.  Honestly, I am not a get-down-on-the-side-of-my-bed-and-kneel-with-hands-folded Jesus girl.  I am more the pray-in-the-moment-sometimes-hands-folded-sometimes-looking-up-sometimes-eyes-closed-just-doing-it-because-it-feels-right-and-i-need-it Jesus girl.  And you know what?  I am pretty sure He is okay with that because ... well, because I am talking to Him.

What's in a prayer?  Well that just depends on what is in your heart and what's in your head at that given moment.  My prayers are often short throughout the day.  Some are motivated by emotional need or thought or concern for a loved one.  Some are motivated by joy and gratefulness.  Sometimes they are even just out of a fleeting thought.  Honestly, if they are too long, I get lost and confused and particularly if they are before bed, I fall asleep long before the prayer finishes.  But you know what, He knows what's in my heart even when I don't finish the words.  It is okay. 

THE ONLY FAST AND HARD RULE TO PRAYER IS THAT YOU DO IT.  Just like the Nike logo, "JUST DO IT."

And when you don't know what to say or how to go about it, just invite Jesus in and He will guide you:  "Dear Lord, you know what is in my heart and what my needs are, please guide me."  Something like that.  It's so easy.  "Hear me, God."  "Help me, God."  He will know what you need.  Sometimes it is hard to see His answer and He doesn't always answer our prayers the way our hearts would want, but He is always there, with us, guiding gently in the manner in which He deems appropriate.  I know this to be true.  Seriously, I never prayed to get sick; in fact, the prayers uttered from my mouth (sometimes silently) since the second I became a mama were always, "Dear God, please keep me and Scott safe and healthy so we can be here for our kids."  Isn't that every parent's prayer and hope?  So I got sick...not exactly something I prayed for.  But you know what, in those dark nights when I prayed, particularly the ones after the immediate diagnosis when we didn't know what the next day would bring and we honestly had no clue if I would be around at all in the future or even make it out of the hospital, I knew God was with me.  I knew He heard me and I can still see where He was with me every step of my life.  Many nights I just said, "Dear God, be with me and my family and help us."  There is no wrong way to pray.  Just say something and reach out.

There are numerous resources available to help guide your prayers.  There are specific prayers to pray for specific circumstances and prayers that people have prayed over their children or their marriage or a sick loved one.  They are great and I do read them, but this is what I know that is more truer than what those wonderful people have written:  it does not matter what you speak of or omit in prayer.  If your heart is true and if you are faithful to the Maker, He hears the silent and voiced cries you have.  Your prayer doesn't have to be in 'correct form'.  You don't have to quote Bible verses or remember everything that you were ever taught about religion.  We are truly saved by grace through faith alone ... it is nothing you have done or can do, as cited in the book of Ephesians.

So, pray a little today. and tonight. and tomorrow.  That faith alone, that conversation alone, will give you the strength to make it through your many challenges...the big and the little...and it truly helps you focus on the big picture a little better.

If you really want specific prayers for specific circumstances, people or events, do a quick google search to find what you're looking for.  Sign up for a Proverbs 31 daily devotional.  I can't say enough about Lysa Terkeurst or Stormie Omartian.  They are two prayerful women who put their faith into words all of us can understand and benefit from.

Another thing that is sometimes helpful is to jot down your thoughts and who/what you want to pray for.  I have done this with the kids when I'm afraid we will forget something during our prayers.  We have small notebooks around the house and I use one of them or a sticky note to jot down what we need to pray for from time to time.  It's okay to look at a list while you pray.  It's okay to pray together and just have everyone talk out something that comes to their mind as you are praying.

And don't be afraid to pray in public or with friends.  Chances are someone else wants to do it or needs a prayer, yet they don't know how to go about it.

And, lastly, since I'm a visual person and definitely a music girl, here's some inspiration about prayer.

 

Sunday Share: Transfiguration and the Other Puzzle Pieces.

 

I am certainly not trained or schooled to be a preacher but I don’t think that interferes with sharing the Word.  I am simply a girl who has always been rooted deeply in her faith.  No, I haven’t always gone to church each Sunday or actively moved according to God’s plan.  However, at a very young age, as in maybe 7 or 8 years old, my goal in life was to become a Sunday School teacher.  It wasn’t really until Caroline was about 4 years old that the Holy Spirit actually encouraged me to get moving in that direction.  It was one of those, ‘well you’ve been saying you want to do this, the opportunity is smack in your face, raise your hand’.  It happened at a planning meeting for Vacation Bible School that I was attending (kids in tow).  I had originally planned to ‘help out’ in the craft team.  At the end of the meeting, Andrew (then 10) asked quietly, “Ah, Mom, did you really just raise your hand to be in charge of the program?”  Yep, buddy, I think I did.  Talk about things that make you go ‘hmm’. 

 

I do believe in divine intervention.  I don’t just say it like many people.  It isn’t just a phrase to toss around when things go my way.  Truly, I believe in it and that is exactly what happened that evening.  The Holy Spirit stirred within and made me raise my arm…not in a bad way, mind you, but in the way of ‘you’ve talked about this long enough, you know, sharing your faith; let’s move now’.  Accountability…something all of us good use a little more in our life and He was holding me to it.  And so, I jumped in and took my family along for the ride.   In addition to leading the Vacation Bible School since then, I also assisted with our elementary age Bible studies and mentoring our students who were studying for the Rite of Confirmation.  What a joy and incredible experience this has been.  If you think that you don’t love pre-teens and that they are completely whacked, spend one night a week with them throughout the school year and you will find that they are so much more than crazy kids with potty mouths, stinky bodies and drama.  And, you may just stumble upon your inner child as well.

 

I don’t know exactly how this brings me to the season of Lent, but it does.  It all begins with Epiphany, which falls on January 6 and commemorates the arrival of the three wise men at the stable following Jesus’s birth.  And here’s an explanation of how to tie everything together beginning with today…

  ...and remember, I am no expert...I may not have every detail or all of the facts, but this is the general sequence of celebrations.  Feel free to dig deeper into your Bible or with a clergy person for more information.

TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY.

For those who don’t peek into their Bibles often and read the New Testament or go to church on a regular basis, you may be wondering what exactly I am talking about.  Transfiguration Sunday is celebrated today…the Sunday of the week beginning the Lenten season.

Transfiguration is a noun and, according to the dictionary, means:  “a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.”

The accounts of the Transfiguration of Jesus occur in three books of the New Testament:  Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36.  You can read the accounts of the disciples in those books at www.biblegateway.com if you don’t feel like flipping through the paper Bible.

Briefly, the story involves Jesus and three of his disciples (Peter, James & John).  The disciples had seen Jesus perform miracles.  They had heard him teach.  Peter (often known as the “lead disciple” or spokesman for the group) even declared Jesus was “the Christ” when Jesus questioned him as to who they thought he was.  Jesus had previously predicted his death to the disciples and Peter rebuked him for this.  These events lead us to the transfiguration.

WHERE:  Jesus takes three of his disciples to a high mountain.  (Peter, James & John)

WHAT:  Jesus is transfigured (see above definition) right before them.  The scripture says his clothes become a dazzling white.  He was changed from a person who is special but solely human into a clear and unmistakable incarnation of God.  To be clear, he did not die and rise again.

WHO ALSO APPEARED:  Moses and Elijah and they were talking with Jesus.

WHY IS THIS SIGNIFICANT? 

• Moses predeceased Jesus by many, many moons.  Remember, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land in the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus (the second book of the Bible).  Moses was the one person whom God entrusted enough to give the laws for humankind to…the Ten Commandments. 

• Elijah was a prophet.  His works and life appear in the Books of King and Malachi.  Specifically, with regard to the transfiguration of Jesus, it is prophesied that Elijah would return "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord." (Malachi 3:23).

• Both men, Moses and Elijah, also had God reveal himself to them on mountains.  The appearance on the mountain of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, next to Jesus, the divine authority over all.  God then appears as a cloud over the disciples and shares, “This is my Son, whom I love.  Listen to him!”  God is showing the fulfillment of the Law (commandments) and the prophecies in the Old Testament.  The transfiguration can be viewed as a preview to Jesus’s future glory as the King of Kings. 

• Jesus then tells the disciples not to say a word of this to anyone until after he is raised from the dead because he knew man was not ready to believe that he was, in fact, the Messiah prophesied about. 

FAT TUESDAY (aka Mardi Gras Carnival, if you want to say it in French). Shrove Tuesday.

How does this relate to Lent?

WHAT IT IS:  Commonly, this day refers to the inhaling/enjoying/feasting on fatty, rich foods the day before the season of Lent begins.  “Carnival” is derived from a Latin root meaning “removal [or farewell to] of meat”, hence the use of this word 24 hours prior to the Lent season of 40 days, which begins at midnight on Ash Wednesday.

A LITTLE HISTORY:  The Carnival season begins with Epiphany (as noted above) on January 6, 12 days after Christmas as we celebrate the wise men’s visit to the stable.  Many people begin their carnival celebration at this time and have parties leading up to Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras).

MARDI GRAS:  literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French.  Fat Tuesday is also referred to as “Shrove Tuesday”, meaning to hear confessions, referring to the period of prayer, fasting and reflection for the 40 days of lent.  Traditionally on Fat Tuesday, people would indulge on rich foods and fatty foods, before the fasting period of lent began.  Pancakes became a traditional Fat Tuesday food in order for people to use up their dairy products.  (In our home, we always have pancakes on Fat Tuesday and, usually, donuts…for dinner.)

 

ASH WEDNESDAY.

Fat Tuesday literally rolls us into Ash Wednesday…the beginning of the Lenten season.  Oftentimes the ashes used for Ash Wednesday are those from the burnt palms handed out on Palm Sunday.  Ashes smudged on a forehead on this day are intentional and are there as a reminder of our sins and frailty as humans…’from dust we came, from dust we shall return’, all at the hands of our Maker, in His time.  In ancient times, ashes were a symbol of mourning; thus they are applied today as an expression for sorrow over our sins and faults.  Fasting is also a symbol of repentance during this time.  Traditionally, many give up meat on Fridays and/or a specific sweet or favorite food during the entire period of Lent.  This practice of foregoing something great is a great idea, if, and only if, one realizes the deeper meaning and reflects that they are giving up something as Christ gave His life on the cross for us to have eternal life.  As I have shared with my children and friends, I believe you don’t necessarily need to give up something just to give it up.  If you reflect on exactly what was given for you and do your part to acknowledge forgiveness of sins and share the Good News with others, do you really think that God is dancing up and down for the chocolate you abandoned for 40 days every year or do you think He is more grateful for the fact that you were, indeed, a fisher of men, walking the Christian walk and bringing that faith and goodwill to those around you?  As for my family, we will not be giving up certain foods in remembrance of Jesus’s 40 days of temptation by Satan in the desert or any other multitudes of sins in the Old Testament by humankind.  Instead, we will meditate over the teachings of the Messiah, what God gave the world and the amazing grace of eternal life and favor we have received when he went to the cross on Good Friday.

So here’s the puzzle and the pieces so you can figure out the whole picture…

WHO?  The One True King and humankind.

WHAT?

• Epiphany.
• Transfiguration. 
• Shrove Tuesday.
• Ash Wednesday.
• Maundy Thursday. (or Holy Thursday; the day celebrating the Last Supper on Passover Jesus shared with the disciples before going to the cross.  This “Last Supper” is the basis for communion in Christian churches.)
• Good Friday. (The day Jesus was crucified on the cross.  Why “Good” you ask?  If Jesus didn’t die for our sins, we wouldn’t be saved from our transgressions and wouldn’t have eternal life, i.e. the good thing.)
• Leading to Easter Sunday. (The empty tomb and the risen Jesus Christ, sitting at the right hand of God, the Father.)

WHERE?

• In a stable.
• In a desert.
• At a table.
• On a cross.
• In a tomb.
• In the heavens.

WHY?  So that we may receive the grace of our Lord, forgiveness of sins, and live in eternal peace and in the presence of our Maker.

WHEN?  Any time, any place, if you believe and acknowledge Him.

 Just a few little details to ponder as you see the jelly beans, chocolates and basket grass in the stores.  As people ask you what you are giving up for Lent, ask them why they are giving something up and see if they can explain the significance.  If they cannot, be a fisher of men...cast out your net and share with them.

Sunday Share: Some Scrappy Layouts

Fighting the fatigue urge to do nothing and ignoring the "photo a day/week spread" approach to Project Life, I have actually found myself getting back into the craft of paper creating.  Creating cards, stamping images, using watercolor pencils and making a few 12x12 layouts.  The very things that got me into the world of papercrafting.  It's a good feeling.

(part of the written text on the above card was 'lifted' from a Project Life card shared on Pinterest.  I added a bit to it to fit in with my needs.)

Being "hermitfied" keeps me out of the crafting stores and that's a good thing also.  I am finally feeling like it is okay to use those perfect embellishments and papers I've been clinging to forever.  You know those items that you hold on to waiting for the perfect memory to come along to use hte product for.  Seriously...is one memory more perfect than another?  If you are documenting something, clearly it is perfect for some reason to you.  I'm thinking my hoarding of crafting supplies and Christmas gift wrap was for a purpose that I was unaware of.  Kind of like I knew "luke" or something similar was going to sneak up and prevent me from shopping for a long period of time.  Sure, I still online shop here and there for crafting items, but I am nowhere near purchasing the amount of items I did pre-luke when I walked into a store.  It's so easy to pick something up with intentions that you will use it and then put it aside and forget what you wanted to make with it.  I have come to realize that there is no better time than the present to use up some of these prized papers and embellishments.  So, I began digging through the scrap room and playing with larger layouts again.

Since my scrapping is for our family's enjoyment and I'm not on a design team or submitting for publication, I don't sort my product by manufacture.  I do know that the above layout consists of papers from DCWV and Studio Calico.  I only know this because they are purchases made within the past few months.  A simple layout using two favorite photos of Scott and I taken on Christmas Day.  Both photos taken by our son on my iPhone.  The sunflare in the photo on the right shining in on Scott and I reminds me of God's presence in my health crisis and His hand in building our relationship over the years.   While technically there are many things wrong with this photo (like the branch of the Christmas tree shooting out of Scott's head), emotionally this photo speaks volumes to me.

 

 

 

This page idea came to me as I was purging a few things in the basement last week.  I came across a boxed set of The Lion King on VHS that I had gotten when I worked at the Disney Store.  The Lion King has always been one of my favorite Disney movies and it was Ben's favorite when he was a toddler for many years.  In fact, Scott and I used a few of the songs at our wedding reception, including the theme song, "The Circle of Life".  It's one of my 'life anthems'.  I was thrilled to discover the parchment lithograph with a stanza of the lyrics and knew it was perfect to use on a scrap page to document our family after our rough walk of the last year.  Photo was taken on Christmas Day and it will always be special to me since I was in the hospital the Christmas prior to this past one.

And then I created a layout for each kid.  I have so much I want to document for each of their personalities and lives.  I'll never be caught up here because "life is a wheel in constant motion".  So poo to those who say they are caught up.  That is impossible!

Caroline's layout is a little Muppet love.  The patterned papers used are part of an old SEI kit that I don't even believe is available now.  I love looking at her excitment over the Muppets, her pj's as we traveled in the car and the bright colors of this layout.  It's just happiness.  And that is exactly what she and I felt the day we found these guys at the Disney Store!

Ben has a little obsession with video games; specifically, the Skylanders game.  He plays it a lot and I think part of the obsession with the game lies in the character collection that he is accumulating. He loves collecting groups of things and has to have as many as possible when he really gets into something.  Skylanders have taken over his bedroom dresser and are a big part of the reason he spends a lot of time in his "Hobbit Hole" formerly known as our basement.

Our caped crusading, drumstick wielding 15 year old.  Andrew.  Our time with him home is closing in fast.  He's already looking at colleges and talking about post-high school dreams and plans.  Last summer, the younger kids at summer camp dubbed him "Batman" and the nickname has stuck.  He plays into it and loves everything Batman now.  

For both Ben and Andrew's layouts, I found some clipart online and created a simple journaling text box in Word to jot down the details I wanted to remember for the specific page.

Lastly, a few cards to send:

And I even took a little time to get reacquainted with my watercolor pencils and stamps:

I love the song, "What Does the Fox Say".  More importantly, I love to torment my kids by singing the song regularly.  I knew I had to get the February stamp of the month from Close to My Heart when I saw it had a fox stamp!  So glad I did and can't wait to play some more.

So while the fox may only say "ring ding ding ding...", this girl is holding tight so saying, "create, create, create, create" because it makes me feel good and I will leave my kids with many snippets into their lives as they get older.

Sunday Share : Little Christmas & Epiphany

Merry Christmas!

It is Sunday, December 29, 2013, the fourth day of Christmas, so, yes, I say Merry Christmas!

As many prepare to take down the decorations for the 2013 Christmas season on New Year’s Day 2014, our family is still decorate and the celebration will continue for a while yet.

We will not take decorations down prior to January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas.  The day we celebrate as Epiphany.  I’m not talking about “epiphany” as in I had a revelation or discovery of something cool, but rather the Epiphany of Christ, which, too, is a revelation but a Christian festival of celebration of the gift of everlasting life through Jesus, most notably, the incidences in Christ’s life that marked His mission.

EPIPHANY

(1) (capitalized)  January 6 observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ

(2) an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being

(3) a (1)  a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

        (2)  an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking

        (3)  an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

     b  a revealing scene or moment

 

Originally, the Epiphany Festival of our Lord commemorated three events in Christ’s life:

The visit of the Wise Men (the Magi). (Matthew 2:1-12)

The Baptism of Jesus. (Mark 1:9-11)

The Miracle at Cana. (John 2:1-11)

January 6, Epiphany Day, marks the arrival of the wise men in Bethlehem to worship and greet Jesus.  This is the day they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh after following a star that rose in the sky to mark the birth of the King of Jews.

The first Sunday after Epiphany marks an observance of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.  On this occasion, the words of God and the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came out of the water.  This revealed Jesus to be God’s true Son.

The Transfiguration of Jesus, also known as the Miracle at Cana, occurs on the last Sunday of Epiphany. 

The Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36).

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” ³⁶ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

The Transfiguration is considered to be the greatest Epiphany of Jesus until the resurrection from the grave on Easter, the conclusion of the Epiphany season.

So you see, while Christmas Day marked the miracle of Christ’s birth, there are still miracles to celebrate: Epiphanies of our Saviour that occurred following His birth and cementing the fact that He is the one true Son sent to give us everlasting life.

Take down your decorations before 2014 if you must, but keep the gifts of the Magi close at heart and celebrate the wonder of the Way, the Truth and the Life that came down on Christmas Day long after you pack up your boxes and return them to the attic.

My friend's family celebrates January 6 as "little Christmas".  This is the day they open the gifts in their stockings.  What a neat tradition!  In our home, it is the day that the Wise Men finally make their journey to the manger scene and we simply talk about the Wise Men's journey to Bethlehem and the awe and wonder of Christ's birth during dinner.  (Assuming I actually remember that the date is January 6...sometimes the discussion is a bit later.)  Regardless of how you decide to celebrate Epiphany, may the awesome gift of the season keep your heart and mind focused on the greatest gift we will receive.

SUNDAY SHARE / ADVENT: A Multitude of Angels & Immanuel.

Nearing the end of the Advent season and Christmas is upon us in just a few, short days. 

Have you prepared your heart and mind to accept the love that was sent to us many years ago on Christmas morn?  As we prepare to receive this gift, the symbolism of the advent wreath helps reinforce the gift of the season:

The circular form of a wreath represents God’s never-ending presence in our lives.  God has no beginning and no end.  He is with us always.

The evergreen branches that make up a traditional advent wreath are representative of the new life that God bring to us.

The four candles are, quite simply, representative of the four weeks of Advent.

The unlighted candles represent the dark times before Jesus’s birth.

The lighted candles represent that Jesus is the light of the world.  As more candles are lit and the weeks pass, we are reminded that His coming is closer.

We light the fourth candle of advent this week.

The fourth Sunday of Advent can have two meanings, depending upon whether or not you light the center candle of the advent wreath.  Our family’s Advent preparation this week focuses on the angels who announced the good news of a Savior.  The angels were the messengers sent by God.

 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  (Luke 2:10-14)

Angels are not only found in the Bible or times of yesteryear.

A favorite country song of mine growing up was by the group, “Alabama”, “Angels Among Us”. 

 

I truly believe in the lyrics of this song:

 And ain't it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road.
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.

Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with the light of love.

They wear so many faces; show up in the strangest places.
To grace us with their mercy, in our time of need.

This Advent week, we are reminded of the angels that shared the Good News with the shepherds so many years ago.  However, on my heart also, and pressed upon the hearts of our children (by me), are the angels of our everyday walk through life.  Oftentimes, you do not realize that there are angels beside you until you reflect back on a period of your life.

Oftentimes, you do not realize that there are angels beside you until after their job is completed.

Oftentimes, you do not realize that you are an angel to someone in need.

Oftentimes, you will never fully realize the impact of your ‘angel wings’ on someone.

And, oftentimes, if you keep your eyes and heart opened, you will see that your loved ones, who have passed on to eternal life, are walking with you to guide you through your earthly travels.

I certainly know that my family, and myself, are very blessed to say we have seen angels in so many stretches and walks of our lives.  Quite honestly, I cannot even be sure that I could count and name every single one, for fear of missing someone or a special message that was sent.  Indeed, they surround us.  In our time of need, in our time of joy, in our every.single.day.of.living.time.

God sends us these angels, just as the song and Bible say, as guides of love, beacons of light and signs that He is ever present with us.  Keeping our hearts and mind set upward, during this season of hope, peace and love, and keeping our eyes open to the everyday wonders surrounding us, will keep the Christ alive in us the other 364 days of the year.

Immanuel.  God with us:  the literal meaning. 

Immanuel.  The meaning of Christmas.

Immanuel.  What we will celebrate next week and what I consider the end of our Advent season and the beginning of our year.

Immanuel.  The Gift of God...His only Son...the gift of everlasting love, life and peace.

Peace to you and yours this Christmas season, Godspeed and Immanuel.

 

Sunday Share / Week 2 of Advent: Peace

(image via walldime.com)

PREPARATION:  the act of getting ready.

Many of us are deep in preparation right now. 

Getting ready for the big day:  December 25.

Preparing by shopping, baking, wrapping, addressing cards, squeezing in work and family time.

PREPARATION.  Christmas is coming, whether or not we finish the shopping, baking and wrapping; but are you truly PREPARED?  Is your heart prepared?  Your mind?  Your spirit?

Preparation in the Advent sense is to prepare your heart and your mind to welcome Christ as your king, your one and only Saviour. 

“As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.‘ (Luke 3:4-6)

For Week 2 of Advent, we light the Candle of Peace.  Peace...a tranquil, calming noun that is used often this time of year.  The peace of our Lord is an everlasting peace, much different than the "peace" we desire among nations.  The peace we seek during Advent and throughout our walk with Christ is that of eternal life. 

"And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” ” Luke 2:12–14, ESV

...PEACE among those with who he is pleased.  Is he pleased with you?  Do you praise him?  Call on him regularly?  Is he foremost in your heart and mind?  Do you disciple?

⁶ For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7  New International Version (NIV)

Preparation.  Peace. 

As we move closer to Christmas Day, we should prepare our hearts and minds to receive the greatest gift of all.  With that gift comes a peace unlike any we have ever know.

I have felt that peace many times over the last year throughout my journey.  It is a calm and peace that is hard to describe but it comes to you in your time of need as long as you call out. 

Peace is a gift from God.  However, you have to give a little to receive this miraculous gift:

 Philippians 4:6-7  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Present your requests with prayer and thanksgiving to the Lord and the peace of God will be yours.  You have to talk and walk with God to receive the gift of peace.

It is the season of advent.  A time of preparation.  A time to focus on the hope and the peace we have in Jesus as we go forward to celebrate the greatest gift we have been given:  eternal life through God's Son.  Someone was sent to take away our sins so that we can be forgiven.  In your lifetime, haven't you wished there was someone to take the blame or your place when you were in a sticky or unpleasant situation?  All of us have.  Jesus took that place for us for eternity when he was placed on that cross.

Christmas.  The decorations are pretty, the packages are exciting, and certainly the food is plentiful during this season, but the love of God is forever and should remain foremost in our hearts as we share His Peace, through the birth of His only son, with our neighbors daily.

Spread some love.  Share some peace.

Sunday Share / Gratitude Wrap & Hope: Week 1 of Advent

...and that's a wrap - on Thanksgiving.

It was simple.  Just the 5 of us.  And we broke out the good china.  (Caroline wondered when we got it; ah, yeah, that would be nearly 20 years ago when Scott and I got married!)

It was yummy, oh so yummy, and we were all so.very.grateful.  For the fact that Mommy was home and healing, that we have a warm and cozy roof over our heads, and the blessings of wonderful family and friends who have helped us through the last 11 difficult months.

And then there was Black Friday.  And we stayed in.  Had our traditional lunch with Aunt Ginny, Aunt Michelle and my Mom (my Dad always goes hunting) and did a little online shopping...ON FRIDAY...NOT ON THANKSGIVING.  I have serious issues with that...open at midnight, but not on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is for family and counting blessings...and football, parades and holiday movies.

And today, there was a turn of the calendar, Christmas music on the radio and the boxes of decorations came down from the attic.  Andrew marched in the town's Christmas Parade and we have entered the season of Advent.

ad·vent  (noun)

definition:  the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.

 

Advent

defined in the Christian calendar:  the first season of the church year, a period of preparation for the birth of Jesus. Advent begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 and continues until Christmas. Viewed as a penitential season, it is also considered a time of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. The origin of Advent is unknown, but it was observed as early as the 6th century. In many countries it is celebrated with popular customs such as the lighting of Advent candles.

While Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season to many with the hustle bustle and urgency of shopping, today, Sunday, December 1, marks the beginning of the Advent season for 2013.  It is a time for our family to prepare our hearts and minds on the gift of Christ and his second coming.  Sure we partake in the sights and sounds of the season:  the baking, the decorating, the giving and receiving, the elf, the sparkles and twinkles, but at the heart of that celebration is the babe in the manger and a promise for peace, love and eternal life.

 

The first week of advent is traditionally known as the week of HOPE.  A purple candle is lit on the advent wreath and this candle is also known as the Prophecy Candle.  It reminds Christians that we have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises He made to us.

“And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:12-13)

Hope (noun)

definition:  a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

 While the Advent season is celebrated by Christians, certainly a week of hope is something to be shared by all faiths and beneficial to everyone. 

My hopes for this week of advent are:

• That people are more intentional in their actions (or inactions) toward others.
• That we are more appreciative of the love we share.  Remember the saying, “love is not love until you give it away”…love on someone today by giving something…doesn’t have to be grand, just a small gesture really.
• That we pause to remember the greatest gifts we are about to receive have nothing to do with the dollars spent in a store or online, but are the ones surrounding us at all times, in good and bad…family and friends and the love of God.

 

The first day of Advent also marks the arrival of Santa’s elf, Cocoa, in the McD home.  Cocoa is a fun little elf who doesn’t create bad mischief, but gets into a little of silly situations.  He usually goes home on December 24.  This year, he brought an elf advent calendar with him.  The littlest McD was thrilled to see his return after she came home from church and has written bunches of love letters to him already. 

So fun to begin the season of wonder, excitement and anticipation with a mix of faith, family traditions and meaningful moments.  Afterall, CHRISTmas is about Jesus Christ, and if you can't remember to keep and reflect on CHRIST in Christmas, then exactly why are you celebrating the holiday?  Certainly, there is more to life than gifts and cookies.  Thanksgiving, followed by the month of Advent are good seasons to reflect on our miracles and blessings as we trim our homes, drink hot cocoa and enjoy peppermint sticks.

Sunday Share / Storytelling, Documenting, Project Life

No secret that I love the Disney movie, Up!  It is one of my favorites.  I cry-every single time I watch this movie.  I love it.  I love it so much that I want to hug Mr. Frederickson and share adventures and srapbooks with him.

Caroline and I were coloring the other day and she picked the Up coloring book and assigned me the above page.  After coloring it, I knew it was perfect for a scrap page.  (Caroline and I love to color with crayons.  My Dad does too.  He has colored with both of us for as long back as I can remember.  I learned to color in the lines and shading from him.)

I'm thinking this may be the title page for the next Project Life album I create.  The title reads, "Stories of Our Lives".

My creative focus has been a little off lately.  I've made a few cards and organized some things, but I have (and always will have) a ton of memories to document.  Thankfully, I have always kept a very detailed calendar and have some fun facebook statuses to help jog my memory for recent years.  I also enjoy writing.  In fact, the storytelling part of scrapbooking is the most appealing part of the process to me.  Yes, I am one of those girls who actually enjoys journaling.

My memory keeping system is always evolving.  I am a storyteller.  I am not a chronological or event girl.  I think events are important, but I want to capture life and the people in it.  Scrapbook pages of birthday photos just doesn't do it for me.  I want the viewer to feel the emotion behind the pages they are looking through.

I take lots of photos.  Especially since the advent of digital.  I was scrapbooking before it was declared a hobby.  My old scrapbooks are still intact for the most part and still take me back to a particular place and time...exactly what I hope my scrapbooks will do for our kids when they are older.

I would describe  my documentation as a blend of Stacy Julian's "Big Picture" theory and Becky Higgins' "Project Life".  I create everyday layouts in Project Life format as well as personality and relationship photos in Big Picture pages.  A few vacation have been documented digitally via Shutterfly.  I am way "behind" as chronological scrappers would say and I would love to have more of our memories documented.  It is what it is.  I was a working Mom outside of the home for 15 years before I got sick and the memory-keeping products weren't so readily available when my kids were super little.  With this illness comes more time but a lot less focus.  I do my best and that's all any of us can do.

I have photos sorted chronologically through 2009 in photo albums and photos specific to people (grandparents to me and Scott, for example), personalities or relationships sorted and tabbed in photo boxes.

Currently, I am working on a 2010 Project Life album to get a grip on those photos and document our memories from three years ago.  I am also using the Becky Higgins' old "School Years" kits to document each child's education. 

I still have journaling left to do in this album.  Eventually, it will get done.  My kids don't care.  They enjoy looking at the photos.

I intend to scrapbook additional years and photos from my and Scott's childhood using Project Life.  I certainly have enough product to do so:

And I will tell many stories with individual pages specific to person and events.  I have found a happy blend of scrapbooking that is working for me.

I am, first and foremost, a storyteller.  I enjoy remembering and telling the stories of our lives.  The photos I take help tell the story.

The journaling on my Up page reads,

"Words and photographs become the stories I want to remember forever and share with our children.  Holidays, birthdays, and special events are worth documenting, but it is the every day relationships and real life I strive to capture because, as Russell points out in Up, '...the boring stuff is the stuff I remember most.'"

The boring stuff.  That part is life.  That is the story I want to tell.  The ups, the downs and the in between.  Some days are good, some are bad but they are all of proof of our existence.  And that story, for each person, is worth writing.

SUNDAY SHARE / Crayons & Camps & Board Games, Oh My!

**iPhone photos are not cooperating with posting to the blog.  All are loading sideways.  So sorry that you have to tilt your head for full effect!

Playing Disney Headbands!  One of our favorite games along with Fibbers.  We play both regularly! 

We had lots of plans for a fun summer of crafts and outdoor activities!  The operative word in that sentence?  Yep, plans.  I had lofty goals and ideas and “Luke” did not like them.  My body made me slow down and with that came lots of board games and down time with the kids.  They still had a great summer, don’t get me wrong!  They attended their favorite summer day camp for two weeks.  It is Andrew’s last year attending as a camper; he will be a junior counselor next year!  He earned the nickname, “Batman”…no clue why, and allowed some young girls to host a writing contest on his arms.  Ah, the life of a (now) 15 year old  boy!

 

Ben enjoyed basketball day camp for a week and turned 12 just after school let out!  His school band also played at the Aberdeen Ironbirds game in late June!  Too cool!

 

Caroline enjoyed a week at  Girlee Gurlz day camp with her girlfriend, Rachel. 

 

{Thank goodness for family and friends who volunteered to shuffle the kids since I can’t drive yet.  They were still able to enjoy some normalcy during this year of recovery!  We are so thankful to everyone!}

While my steroids were still pumping through my body, and while I had lofty hopes of doing a craft a week, Caroline and I managed to play with crayons and create a really cool Pinterest craft.  I must say it was one of the easiest and most fun crafts we have done!  Certainly easier than then stinkin’ Rainbow Loom we’ve been crafting with lately. (Okay, so chemo brain here totally misread the directions and that’s part of the problem.  I am a VISUAL learner.  I have a hard time with written directions.  And, the little colored rubber bands do require a bit of dexterity and thinner fingers.  We had rubber bands shooting off all over the place!)  I digress…

ah, see...we totally mastered the Rainbow Loom...just look at her arm!

Here’s our cool crayon craft. 

Materials:

• Crayons (preferably newer ones with points)
• Canvas (wait until your local craft stores puts them on sale and snag them then!)
• Hot Glue gun
• Hair Dryer
• Paper or newspaper to cover work surface (to protect against crayon splatter)

 Super easy and limited instruction necessary:

 
Our crayon selection.

When you glue the crayons down, be careful not to use too much glue or the crayon will start to melt.

Once you  have hot glued your crayons, tips down, to your canvas, break out your electric hairdryer.  You will want to move across the line of crayons, not staying in one place too long or your crayon will melt super fast.  It splatters and you don't have a ton on control on the path the melted wax takes, but it's really cool.

My canvas...

and Caroline's canvas:

At some point, we'll make more, including shaping the crayons into different patterns and maybe some monochromatic ones!  Super easy, not so messy and definitely quick!

SUNDAY SHARE / Mus-tache These Summer Memories...

As a preface to the mustaches, last year during dinner conversation, we got to talking about Andrew learning how to shave and mustaches.  Ben announced that he thought a “mustache” was there because everyone “must stash food for later” when the crumbs get caught in it because they may get hungry again for the same thing!  Ingenious and only Ben! :)

 {PS:  Whenever I refer to A,B,C…that means Andrew, Benjamin and Caroline…my three amazing kids.  Scott is my awesome husband as a refresher also!}

                 Tuesday was the last day of school.  We officially have a sophomore in high school, 6^th grader (this is a transition to middle school) and a 3^rd grader in the house!  I caught a shot of each of them as they walked through the door and made my first scrapbook page in…forever!  My sweet husband understood my creative needs and moved a desk upstairs to make it easier for me so I have a very simple set up until I am stronger and want to delve into lots.  A simple, old school layout, created with stamps, white cardstock, a glue stick, punches and photos.  It was supposed to be quick, yet nothing is for me these days…but I love it.  The perfect documentation of the fact that we now have children in three different schools and you can see the relief on their faces of another accomplishment under their belts!

So, the layout, "In the House"..sweet, quick and simple, but perfect to me!

 

 (I decided to use a Project Life box to store my layouts for the moment since I don't want to clutter the upstairs with a ton of scrap supplies.)

                The mustache photo was taken just before dinner on the last day of school.  GG (my Mom-in-law) picked up Monsters, Inc. cupcakes to celebrate after dinner, but we had a little fun on the deck celebrating prior!  They are so excited for Summer vacation…and so am I!  We discussed our Summer activities, which are quite different this year due to my bone marrow transplant.  We worked on our charts and I decided to use Becky Higgins' Project Life Rad Dad digital printables via AC Digitals to document easily on the fridge this year.  My new motto since the transplant is K.I.S.S. <Keep It Simple, Sweetie>!  We overthink, overdo, overrun so much…I am keeping it simple and have learned to enjoy sweet, little, everyday moments.  We have had much more elaborate Summer activity charts, but when Summer is over, I intend to simply slip this year's into our 2013 Project Life album with the photos documenting the specific activity (if possible) and remember the happy moments.

 

Our list of fun activities includes:

• Family movie night*
• Daddy’s famous homemade shakes*
• Swimming with friends*
• Vacation Bible School
• Play Croquet as a family*
• Drive-in Movie Theater
• Beachmont Christian Day Camp (A,B,C)
• Board Game Night*
• Basketball
• Football
• Ladder Ball Night
• Volleyball
• Badminton
• Video Games
• Card Games
• Swimming
• Bike Riding
• Walking
• Jogging
• Frisbee
• Library Summer Reading Program
• Family Nerf Gun Battle in the basement
• Silhouette Photograph of Kids at Dusk in Backyard
• Make funnel cakes
• Frisbee Golf
• Mini-Golf
• Make Smores
• Movies with special friends
• A – Europe Trip
• A – Percussion & Marching Band Camp
• B – Basketball Camp
• C – Girlee Girls Camp
• B & C – Ocean City with GG & Mr. Tom
• Swimming @ Ms. Cheryl’s*
• Swimming @ Ms. Anne’s*

*Those activities with *'s will likely occur multiple times this Summer!  Hooray for family and friends supporting us and helping shuffle the kids during my Summer of healing! Love you all!

We also created our Summer Chore Chart and hung it on the fridge so everyone would be reminded of our daily schedule for chores, faith time, “brain” time and  Mommy Must Do’s (for healing).  Everyone in this house is a visual learner/do, so having everything jotted out really helps us.  We also like to keep moving, so we rotated the different subtitles under each of our major activities for the day.  We are beginning the “Brain Time” (which is focusing on some of our school skills for 30 minutes each day) on July 1, after B & C get back from the beach and Andrew returns from Europe.  I am, however, extremely proud of how well they have done with their chores and faith time just the past few days.  No grumbling, little reminding…and they are always ready to help me with anything I need right now.

I also used some more of Becky’s Rad Dad kit and some inspiration and printable from Pinterest to create some easy, but cool Father’s Day gifts for my Dad and Scott, my awesome husband.   Again, Keepin’ It Simple, Sweetie…

 For Scott:  ...a basket full of his favorite sweet treats.  (He’s getting another fun gift, which has yet to arrive...ugh!)

                It was a good return-to-creativity week for me!  I am so glad that part of my brain didn’t decide to go ‘chemo’ on me.  Of course, there are times, in the middle of the night, when I wish the ideas would shut off so I could sleep, but, really, it feels so good to have part of the ‘old me’ back!

                 Make it an awesome Father’s Day … for all of the male role models in our lives, your emotional, moral and time commitments to younger people cannot be measured and it is truly valued.

                 A few photos from our Father's Day to end...because I obviously didn't add enough photos above! ha ha

(with Scott...note the feet..two pairs bare, one pair shoed and one pair with crazy socks)

(with my Dad who brought over donuts for breakfast)

Scott enjoyed breakfast yesterday with his stepfather and, sadly, his Dad, Jim, passed away last night (they were supposed to have crabs later today) from his 6-month battle with leukemia.  He is spending this Father's Day with his Dad and up in his eternal home and while we miss him tremendously, we are thankful for the memories and that he is no longer in pain.

 

The last photo is my of my cute parents this morning.  We were chatting and realized that my Dad has been a "Dad" for 44 years.  He quickly held up his fingers and this is what I got:

Love it!