The Celebrated Family

So what's your big call?

2013-06-05T10:37:00.002-04:00

My last blog post ignited a flurry of phone calls and texts from friends. "What's your big call?" People had some pretty comical ideas. I also had a wonderful email from a dear sister in Christ, Katie.
Her message began:

Your blog hit close to home today (well - as usual) - but I have to tell you about what God did when I ran away in February. I had plans just like you - and, also like you, God showed up! and I am thrilled to tell you that the Lord has called us to the very messy, scary, risky, crazy business of ADOPTION!

People, seriously, be very careful about wishing to run away. God will show up! Well Katie had hit the nail on the head, or at least pretty close. The call I received was about hosting a Ukrainian orphan for the summer. My friend Michele and her family had decided to host a teenage girl and there was one other girl that didn't have a host family - would we do it? Meanwhile Michele's husband and Pete were talking, and Pete sent me a text saying.

I'm open to being a host.

Okay, so you see how this was the end of the peaceful portion of my weekend? Adoption has long been a topic in our house, and close to our hearts. Pete was adopted. Emily thinks we need to "get a baby." I have felt for years that there are supposed to be more children in our home - but how, I'm not sure. While Pete and I started talking with the group running the hosting program, another call and an email came to us in the next three days. Both of them, very different situations, were about bringing children into our home. We were very open with our girls about these situations, and together as a family were praying for clarity. As usual, our big picture clarity came through one of them.

Sarah said, " You know, we're a really good family."

She's right. We are a really good family. So that was my big answer to the several opportunities that had come our way. We are a good family, we can share the love of Christ, and we have an extra bedroom. Next came the question of how to know what to do about each of these three situations. The first opportunity, hosting the girl from the Ukraine, needed to be dealt with first, as we had only a few days to make a decision. As we learned more about the program, its requirements and expectations, it became clear that we were not the family to host her. This is a program geared toward families with one parent at home, which is completely understandable. Our role in this situation is going to be Aaron and Hur to my friend Michele and her family as they host this summer. ( Exodus 17:12) One of the two other opportunities we are pursuing and I will write about that more later.

As I have spent the last two weeks praying through these opportunities. The Lord has been so gracious in speaking to me through His word. One of the scriptures is:

"Be strong all you people of the land. This is the Lord's declaration. 'Work! For I am with you.'"

Haggai 2:4.

This was written in regards to the rebuilding of the temple. People were busy making their own homes lovely while the temple lay in ruins. The Lord told them, "WORK!" Often the work the Lord calls us to is, as Katie described it, very messy, scary, risky, crazy business . It is inconveniencing and hard. It is work. And the Lord doesn't mince words about it, it's going to take away from the time, money, and energy we may be planning on using to make our own homes lovely. This is not the plan for some people, it's God's plan for all His people. We have to WORK! There are orphans to love, hungry to feed, lost to find. There are immeasurable needs in our fallen world, and each of us is called to address part of it.

So while I appreciate your texts and calls wondering what my big call was, I give the question back to you my friends. So what's your big call? I would love to be praying for you and your family as you wade into the work the Lord has called you to.

Just in case you were thinking of running away

2013-05-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Never fear, I did return from my Run Away Momma trip last week. I had a wonderful two days. I ate at restaurants of my own choosing. I spent a really long time in an art museum. I found this garden and wiled away an entire morning sketching. Alone. Alone. Blissfully Alone.

I listened to this book and thought complete thoughts without interruption of work, little girls, or regular life. Alone.

I spent several hours praying through three specific opportunities/ideas I had for this summer. I made a lovely chart of the pros and cons of these ideas and wrote out scripture ... yes scripture.. to support them. Alone.

And about three seconds after I took this photo, documenting my lovely peaceful morning ... it was so peaceful.. my cell phone rang ... it was God calling to thank me for the large amounts of humor I was providing Him with my cute little chart. He barged right into the prayer time I was having Alone. God liked my chart for its humor purposes, but if my life was a bad Sunday School cartoon, my journal would have blown up into a little cloud of smoke and God's voice would have been heard from the cloud saying,

"Wendy, Wendy, your chart is stupid. Your plans are small, and so is your faith."

Okay, God would probably not say stupid and it was not Him calling on the phone. (That would have been a really fantastic culmination of my trip!) No, He used my friend. She was calling to ask me to do something that would require a LOT of faith this summer. Something messy and difficult and totally outside my comfort zone. I explained my chart. My chart held three pretty little ideas. Ideas that I was trying to choose between - because surely in my busy life I couldn't do something nutty and pick two. There was just room for one. She laughed, (sort if manically actually), and wished me good luck with my chart.

So that was the end of the peaceful portion of my trip. It was also the beginning of the genuine part of my trip. You see I had told Pete I wanted to go away and be quiet and pray about what God's will is for me in this season of my life. But I had lied. I wanted to go away and think about what I wanted to do in this season. There is a big difference. It's easy in Christian culture to say cute phrases about prayer and the will of God, when you really mean "thinking" and the will of ME. It's easy to get away with living a life where you are risking nothing, over analyzing everything, and worshiping your "quiet time" because what really matters most is keeping life as smooth and peaceful as possible. I had planned a weekend Alone, but I didn't get it.

I can try to put on all the trappings of The Good Christian Girl's Life and walk smoothly in my own self-serving plans. But then God shows up, out of His great and mighty love for me. He reveals a better plan, a messier, bigger plan than would ever fit on my little chart. For have any of God's plans ever fit on a little chart?

So just in case you were thinking of running away to have a weekend Alone, I thought it would only be fair to warn you who might show up when you get there. And that is the grace of God. That even when we plan a weekend Alone, we are never left there alone.

Runaway Momma

2013-05-16T07:52:00.001-04:00

I am running away in just a few minutes. My Mother's Day gift was 36 hours to run away and today's the day. Thirty six hours to think, to pick my own restaurants, and to pray about some important opportunities that have been presented to me. I have not gone away alone in seven years - that's a long time. I actually worked pretty hard to make sure that I didn't get to run away alone. I invited several east coast friends to come and meet me. I let myself get completely overwhelmed with work to the point of nearly cancelling about 12 times a day for the last week. I have tried to let the fact that our house is STILL not unpacked be a very good reason to stay home. At every complaint and concern Pete has said, "GO!" He even took a day off to work on house tasks so I could check them off my list. My friends have stepped in to say, "GO!" Sweet friends are taking my girls today and tomorrow after school. I appreciate them all kicking me out of my cozy nest. I have a new book to listen to, a new book to read, an empty journal for some brainstorming and snacks that I will not have to share with anyone.

I look forward to sharing my little adventure with you next week.

The Thorns of Mother's Day

2013-05-10T09:05:00.000-04:00

There were many years I hated Mother's Day. A strong statement for such a sweet little Hallmark day, but it's true. For the five years that Pete and I were waiting for our miracle, I dreaded the day. The church we attended had the tradition of having all the mothers stand during the service and they would be brought a long stem rose. I am sure in some pastoral meeting that seemed like a really sweet thing to do, in reality it was really a bad tradition. While all the women over 25 seemed to be standing, I sat. It was like an official announcement of my failure to produce a child. An apparently simple task that seemingly every other woman in the church seemed to be able to complete (often for some).

When I started working in church ministry I suggested (loudly) that we not do such mindless traditions. Moms know they are moms, they have been celebrated at home, let's not make a production out of pointing out all the women who are childless. Let's instead be the church that bears the yoke of our Savior and cares about what He cared about...
the brokenhearted,
the weary,
the lonely,
the orphan.
As the Director of Preschool Ministries my heart is broken for a new reason this Mother's Day. Our children whose mommas who are waiting for them in Heaven. I'll be honest, this brokenness has rocked me this week. You see in our church (and yours too) are sweet little faces with no momma here to celebrate. I can't imagine being four and trying to understand this holiday. I can't imagine being the dad who drops off your child at Sunday School to find out they are making Mother's Day crafts. This pain has to be a thousand fold what I felt sitting empty handed in my church 10 years ago, and this is a pain the church is mindlessly inflicting.

Now I am not saying we shouldn't honor and celebrate our moms this Mother's Day. By all means bring on the flowers and gifts Pete. What I am saying is as a church this weekend let us be a balm for the brokenhearted. Let us give rest to the weary. Let us include the lonely in our celebrations and let us love lavishly the orphans. It will be through the intentionality of our love, not the mindlessness of our traditions that the hope of Christ can be seen by those who most need Him this Sunday.

He's never going to quit you...

2013-04-22T18:20:00.001-04:00

Two Saturdays ago... two days before words like bombing, Boston, and manhunt flooded America's headlines and hearts, our sweet mother/daughter bible study met. God in His wisdom had given our leader Cindy the perfect verse for us to talk about.

" Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Cindy used three examples of courage in scripture.
Moses parting the Red Sea as the Egyptian army was upon them...
David volunteering to face Goliath...
Ester going to the king to save her people...

Cindy asked the girls...
Was it Moses' staff that gave him the power to part the Red Sea?
Was it David's slingshot that gave him the courage to face a giant?
Was it Ester's crown that made her brave enough to face the king even if it cost her her life?

Of course the answer was no, no and no. They were strong and courageous because God was with them. So often the tables get turned at our bible study. Our daughters become our teachers and the mothers sit with teary eyes and shaky faith, looking in wonder at these mighty little sisters of ours. As Cindy was teaching one of the girls put up her hand - she was bursting to share

"This is it," she said, "God is never going to quit you. That's what our verse means. He is NEVER, EVER going to quit you. No matter what happens. No matter what is going on, don't worry, just don't worry. God will NEVER quit you, He will be with you."

The little girls nodded, the mommas wiped our eyes. Perhaps we cried because we were so happy she knew that. Perhaps we cried because our bruised and weary hearts struggle to hold the faith of a seven year old. We ended our study time as, we always do, with a small circle of girls praying for one another. The girls prayed for safety, for happiness, for courage, and for faith for one another. The same little girl praised God that the mommies took the time to teach the lesson. I praised God that she had had the courage to teach the mommies the lesson.

Two days later, Emily and I sat in the family room watching reports from Boston. Emily reached over and grabbed my hand, "Remember mommy," she said, "God is never going to quit us, and He won't quit those people either." Amen, my little sister, amen.

Infestation

2013-04-08T16:23:00.000-04:00

Out west the moths are big. We call them Millers and they arrive from the eastern plains in ugly flocks that cover your bushes. They are so gross you don't think twice about killing them.

In our new house in Raleigh we were greeted by a few little moths. They were so slow flying and cute, I felt bad killing them. The cuteness was my downfall. Those cute little moths turned out to be what's called "pantry moths" and my benevolence led to a full on infestation this past week. Open a cabinet - swoosh - out fly five. Open the cereal - swoosh - out fly two more. While we were not paying any attention, those little moths destroyed our groceries and wrecked havoc in our cabinets. The cuteness wore off.

While I was cleaning out our cabinets this weekend I was thinking about infestations. They sneak up on all parts of life, don't they? I started out this year set on eating healthier and exercising 4 days a week. Yet little snacks, little celebrations, little stressors and little time commitments have snuck up on me and destroyed my good intentions and wrecked havoc on my health.

The more I cleaned those cabinets this weekend, the more areas of my life I assessed for infestations. I fear I found quiet a few brewing.

Family Time: a new job for me, new friendships for all of us,one additional activity for each of the girls. As I look at the next week we don't have a single night all home together. We've got a family time infestation.
Date Nights: upcoming church events, school spring fling night, starting a community group, work travel, Indian Princesses. There is not a Friday or Saturday night available this month (and next month doesn't look much better.) Wow. Infestation!
Quiet Time: waking up late, waking up still exhausted, distractions from the girls, news, work, and our move. I HATE this - but if I am really honest, the quiet time with the Lord that I cherish each day has been infested by life lately, and its bad!

These are three important parts of my life. This is the food of my heart and my soul and yet I have let my guard down. Just like those cute little pantry months, I have let distractions dressed up and called "opportunities" infest my priorities, damage what I say I value, and wreck havoc on me.

Our pantry sans shelves

Are there infestations going on in your home? Are cute little opportunities adding up and becoming a problem in your family? How is your health, your family, your marriage, and your walk with God?

On Saturday Pete and I were merciless with those cute little moths. We sucked them up with the vacuum, smashed them with fly-swatters, and sprayed them with bleach. Then, just to make sure their offspring were not lingering around, we ripped out all the shelving in our kitchen. We bleached the walls, and caulked the cracks. We were pretty radical in our attempts to get our kitchen back.

I want to be that radical with the rest of my infestations. I want my health, my time with my family, my time with Pete, and my time with God back. Distractions beware, I no longer think you are cute.

Delicious Detox: A Guest Post by Caroline at Elevate Your Wellness

2013-04-02T17:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday my friend Dana's facebook status started off ..."And the hectic pace continues."
Can you relate? I can, and most days around 2:00 I could update my status to read "I am SO stinkin' tired!" Can you relate to that one too? Today's guest post by my dear friend Caroline offers wonderful insight into healthy eating to help us tired and overwhelmed mommas. I will be joining Caroline's program starting April 10th - I'd love for you to join me too! I hope you'll take the time to hop over to Caroline's blog and explore, she and her husband have an amazing personal story and Caroline has an amazing selection of recipes and ideas.

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I’m so honored to be sharing a post on The Celebrated Family. I LOVE reading Wendy’s blog because her passion for helping parents to grow in and pass on their Christian faith to their kids is so powerful. It shines though everything she does and she makes it seem easy and approachable.

My passion is healthy eating! I love to help YOU make time for self-care and fall in love with healthy cooking and eating. I think that self-care starts in the kitchen and having more energy starts with what you eat. If you are feeling exhausted and sick all the time, it might be as simple as changing what’s on your fork. For real.

Right about now, some of you might be thinking... see you later, I hate to cook and I don’t want to hear this but stick with me...OK? If you want to have more energy so you can show up 100% for your life and the people you love, this is for you! If you are a Momma, this is especially important for you...

I don’t have space here to share my whole story today but I’ll summarize it like this... in 2009, my very healthy husband got diagnosed with colon cancer. It turned our life upside down. You can read more about it here.

During our journey to health, we realized the power of eating whole, mostly plant-based foods. We shifted our diet because we were terrified of cancer but we stayed with it because we started experiencing amazing results. Increased energy, no more brain-fog, faster recovery after working out, clearer skin and rarely getting sick became our new normal.

Here’s what I realized... by tuning into your body and making simple changes to your diet, you can feel better from your head to your toes. You can have more energy, reach your ideal weight and most importantly stay disease-free.

I also discovered that some foods are literally were making us sick with every bite. Foods like sugar, dairy and gluten might be sending your body into a state of inflammation every single day and causing everything from anxiety to constipation to cancer.

Now, I know making changes to your diet and lifestyle can be daunting. I love to help clients ease into it. So much of it is tuning into your own body and starting to listen to the signals it’s giving you. Do you feel congested every time you eat dairy? Do you crash everyday at 2pm and desperately need a nap? Do you get bloated and gassy when you have bread with dinner?

Your body is brilliant and it’s telling you everything you need to know. It’s time to tune in!

A great strategy is to ease into it or test the waters so to speak. Try doing a 10 day whole foods detox and see how you feel. You can do anything for 10 days, right?

If you want to see how good you can feel-- create your own whole foods detox by doing the following for 7-10 days:

1. Ditch the processed foods and eat mostly (or only) plant-based foods. This means eats lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Eliminate (or greatly reduce) meat, dairy, eggs and fish. Plant-based foods are easier to digest which equals more energy. Plus they are rich in fiber which helps “clean you out” so to speak.

2. Eliminate the 3 foods that are known to cause inflammation. Sugar, gluten (wheat), and dairy. These foods may be wreaking havoc in your body and causing symptoms like migraines, GI issues, fatigue, joint pain, allergies, and skin issues. I found this in myself and see it all the time with my clients.

3. Have 1 blended meal a day-- this can be a smoothie, a freshly-pressed juice, or a blended soup. This gives your GI tracts a break and lets your liver get to work detoxing your body. Plus you can pack a ton of nutrition into your blender!

Committing to a detox or cleanse is empowering. It’s your chance to SAY YES to ourself and find out how good you can feel.

If you are interested in getting support doing a detox, I offer a program called Delicious Detox that starts on April 10th. As you can guess from the title, I designed it to be full of delicious foods and easy to follow.

You’ll be achieving the 3 things I mentioned above without having to do a bunch of research or pour over cookbooks because I’ve done all the work for you with meals plans and a shopping guide.

And as a special offer to Wendy’s tribe, if you sign up...you’ll get a special bonus gift! A copy of Crazy, Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. Kris is one of my teachers and her book is full of inspiration and fantastic recipes. Just leave a comment on Wendy’s blog about signing up or email me to let me know and I’ll drop the book in the mail to you.

The early bird investment ends on Wednesday so if you are interested, check it out at:

http://www.elevateyourwellness.com/GetEnergized/

I’d love to have you join me!

Shine Bright,

Caroline

Caroline is a full-time health coach and yoga teacher. She blogs at www.elevateyourwellness.com

He died for me.. and me. and me !

2013-04-01T09:50:00.001-04:00

Here are some of the amazing pictures of families and friends remembering that Christ died for each of us! . You all bless me so much! If your family took a picture, I'd love to see it. I heard that you could not attach a picture through the contact me button, so feel free to email it to me at wendyandersonschulz@gmail.com

Good Friday was for you

2013-03-28T18:36:00.001-04:00

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Tomorrow we will remember the day our Savior went to the cross for us. For OUR sins. It was not a generic salvation plan. It was a very personal plan. He died for you and He died for me. Each year on Good Friday our family takes a few minutes to think about this amazing, incomprehensible fact: Good Friday was for us. I take each of my little girl's hands and tell them:

Did you know, while our King was on the cross,

Your face was in his eyes,

Your life was in his mind,

Your sin was on his back,

Love of you, was in his heart,

for beloved, your name was written on his palm.

Then I make a red circle in the middle of their palm and write their name across it. Over the years many of our friends have started this tradition as well, and it brings me such joy to see their children's little hands.

Amidst all the Easter hoopla, I hope tomorrow you will take a few minutes of quiet to remember that it was all for you. For YOU are God's beloved. The one he came to save.

If your family marks your hands for Good Friday will you send me a picture? I would love to see it!

Blessings to you all!

Hosanna Palms - another guest post by Janna

2013-03-12T17:40:00.002-04:00

My friend Janna from Mustard Seeds, is spending a week here at The Celebrated Family, sharing her wonderful Easter tutorials. I love this idea for creating Hosanna Palms for preschool age children. Palm Sunday is next Sunday the 24th, what a wonderful way to engage your little ones on this day. Enjoy!

Tutorial: Hosanna Palm

Palm Sunday is the day we remember Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem a week before his death and resurrection (Easter). The people gathered palm branches to wave and welcome Jesus and they laid them down at the feet of the donkey he rode on.

To get your youngsters into the spirit, here's a quick and easy tutorial.

Anne and her friends love playing with these be-ribboned palms, which I keep in the Lent basket. They make a parade (I often join them) and march around the house shouting, "Hosanna, Hosanna!"

Supplies:

A large silk palm or other greenery. Just make sure there is a long stem for proper "wave-ability."
Ribbon, raffia, extra trim you have laying around. (You don't need much.)
Scissors for trimming lengths of ribbon.
Strong glue (I use Amazing Goop. Super glue will also work. You need strong glue so it won't fall apart after much flinging and praising!)

First, remove the leave from the stem. Put a dollop of glue in/at the end of the stem and stick the leaf back on. Then, put another dollop of glue where the stem and leaf meet.

Tie your first strand of ribbon/trim on top of the dollop of glue. Just tie it once, no need to knot it. You will need to tie on each ribbon separately with a dollop of glue alternating which side you tie the ribbon on.

See here that I've flipped the palm over to tie this ribbon. One of the reasons you do this is so that there isn't a bulky knot on one side. It also adds security to the palm since you are basically adding a small layer of glue to the joint each time you tie a ribbon.

Once you have all of your ribbons tied, put more glue at the joint and wrap your raffia around the ribbons and then tie with a knot. The raffia will kind of cover up all ties of the ribbons. Let dry completely before waving your praise for Jesus.

You can download a printable version here, using this PDF.

Hill of Calvary - Guest Post by Janna Widdifield

2013-03-07T08:07:00.000-05:00

Things have been a bit quiet at The Celebrated Family, but not in our house. We are moving. Again. This time just a few miles away. My wonderful fellow blogger friend Janna Widdifield is going to be joining us for the next week sharing some of her amazing Easter tutorials. I know they will bless you and your family. Janna blogs about raising big faith in her little spouts at Mustard Seeds, go check her out!

Tutorial: Hill of Calvary

Make your own Hill of Calvary for Easter. This grass garden features the hill where Jesus was hung on the cross and a small tomb where he was buried and rose again. It makes a very symbolic centerpiece for your Easter table and it an incredible teaching tool for your little sprout.

Note: It's best to start your Hill of Calvary at least 2 weeks before Easter.

Supplies:

Potting Soil or Jiffy Mix--I do suggest picking up a bag of this. Wal-Mart carries it and it is super cheap. It is used to start seeds and has a good "mulchy" consistency that holds moisture well.
Gravel
A few small rocks
10 inch terra cotta dish
4 inch terra cotta pot
4 inch terra cotta dish
Wheatberries for the grass--make sure they are organic and untreated. I got this big bag for under 2 bucks at Vitamin Cottage.
A good spray bottle
Sticks (for crosses)
Hot glue gun
Raffia and purple ribbon (optional)

Step 1: Lay the 4 inch pot on its side in the 10 inch dish. Use smallish rocks to hold the pot in place.

Step 2: Pour in a small layer of gravel for drainage.

Step 3: Make mud! The best way to apply the soil/dirt is by first making mud in a separate container. (Sorry this isn't great picture..I was in the midst of experimenting.) Just put your soil and water in a bucket of some sort and mix it up. Your kids will love the mud pie batter.

Step 4: Take handfuls of the mud and pack it all around the pot and in the dish. You will want to create a nice rounded hill.

Step 5: Spread a thick layer of seed over the ENTIRE soil area. You may have to kind of push it into the soil a bit on the steep sides. This is very important: Don't be stingy with the seed. If you want nice, dense grass, the seed needs to completely cover the surface of the soil. (Don't just sprinkle it.)

Step 6: Cover seed with a very thin layer of your mud mixture.

Step 7: Bring your dish garden inside and put it in warm sunlight. I put mine on a metal TV tray next to our sliding door. Having it up off the ground is a good idea when you have little tots running around. Remember, the terra cotta is porous so it's going to leak some moisture. Don't just set it on your coffee table! Put a tray, plate, etc. underneath it.

Step 8: WATER! For the first 3-4 days you will need to spray and water your hill three times per day. So if you are heading out for the weekend, wait to do this project until you get home. Before the seeds take root, the soil will run off pretty easily...(think erosion) so at first you will mainly need to rely on using a spray bottle to irrigate...

Once the grass takes root and matures, you'll be able to slowly drizzle water on it, without losing your hill. Now that my hill is fully mature, I stick it in the sink, turn the water on VERY low and then use my little sprayer hose to water.

Also note that when the seed first starts to grow, it will actually "push up" some of the soil as seen here. Check out the crack above. Just drizzle water, spray and gently press the soil back down. You don't want it to dry out and just fall off.

Step 9: Watch it grow! Within 2 days you will probably see small white roots shooting out.

Step 10: Make three crosses out of collected sticks. I used hot glue to hold them in place and then wrapped raffia around to secure it and hide glue. Note that the grass will grow faster and higher than you think. Make your crosses a little bit "jumbo" sized because they will need to be nestled down in the grass and yet, you still want to be able to see them.

Other Tips:

The grass will be fully mature by day 7...and from then on out, you will be amazed at how fast it shoots up. Get out our scissors and give it a mow.

If you are using wheatberries...guess what?! You can make some juice. It's just like the wheat grass you buy at the health food store. I haven't tried this yet, so let me know if you do and you like it!

Where is Jesus?

He has risen! He has risen, INDEED!

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Lessons from the Hill of Calvary:

As you work on creating the project, watering, etc. talk about the Easter story with your child. This is wholeMustard Seed thing in action--planting God's truth--while you are literally planting.

Anne and I had a particularly good conversation as we made the crosses. She wondered why there were three crosses instead of just one for Jesus. We got to talk about how there where two other men who died on the hill with Jesus, but they had actually done some bad things. Jesus was pure and did nothing wrong. He died on the cross for OUR sins.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

The healing words of friends

2013-02-22T16:02:00.002-05:00

I haven't written about Emily and I's Mother/Daughter bible study in a few months, but this past month's meeting was so beautiful I am so excited to share it with you. Four months ago, our study leader Cindy, and I talked about me helping her lead one month. We decided before the holidays, that come February I would do my Snowflake Devotion with the girls. Only the Lord can plan things so well, as it turned out, (of course) this was just the time for this lesson.
Emily goes to a wonderful school with wonderful classmates, but even the sweetest little friendship from time to time turn a little sour. Some of the girls in the class had been the target of some hurtful words that had left their little hearts aching and their egos bruised. In spite of these tensions, our amazing moms and daughters showed up for bible study together and God in His graciousness planted some beautiful seeds of forgiveness and friendship.
The Snowflake Devotion, is a devotion I wrote a few years ago to study how God created each member of our family with unique gifts. It translates well for a group of friends. We read Gen 1:27 and Psalm 139:13-14. We talked about how God takes care to create each snowflake that falls to be unique. He takes even more care to uniquely create us, His children.

After our reading and discussion, each girl cut out her own snowflake. Once the snowflakes were finished, each mom took her daughter's snowflake and personalized Psalm 139: 13 for them.... "Emily, you are wonderfully made." Then each mother took her daughter around to write something special and unique on each one of the other little girl's snowflakes. Once we were all finished, the snowflakes were collected and given back to their owners. We sat together in a circle and each girl had a turn to read her snowflake out loud. It was AMAZING! There was not a dry momma eye in the house. To hear your daughter read the wonderful things her friends see in her, is a gift of enormous proportions. There were no two alike. The girls had written such beautiful things about one another....

.... you always let me play with you.
..... you help me with my work.
..... you have a great imagination.
.... you always say nice things
.... when I came to Trinity, you were my friend.
.... you solve problems
.... you love Jesus

What a gift each girl received to know her friends see her for who God created her to be, and that they love who she is. Cindy and I talk frequently about the power of this little Mother/Daughter bible study. We live in a society where the mean girls seem to rule, and bullying in school is expected. For moms to take the time to come to this group, to model studying the Word, prayer and Christian friendship for their daughters is amazing. This little group of moms are a quiet and powerful rebellion against the social tide, a rebellion saying we just aren't going to accept society's messages for our daughters, we are going to give them something better. We are going to show them Jesus and help them to be the friends God's desires them to be.

Into the waters

2013-02-18T16:20:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning we had the great privilege of watching Emily go forward to be baptized. That verb "watched," strikes my momma-heart, because it carries such a large truth. We did not carry or bring our daughter forward, we did that 6 years ago, no yesterday we watched as she chose to announce her own faith. Her faith in a Savior who died for her. A Savior she loves with such purity and beauty, that she amazes and teaches her mom and dad daily.

She went boldly and joyfully into the waters with a big pink cast on her arm and a smile on her lips.

Watching her I saw, that this is how we are to approach the Kingdom of God; with wiggling, naked feet that can't wait to go forth; with a heart so bursting with joy that it can't be kept from our lips; with our brokenness unabashedly on display, with nothing to offer, but that which Christ desires, ourselves.

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus... so very sweet indeed.

This year let's gain something instead of giving something up

2013-02-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

For many people tomorrow will be their last hooray before they prepare to give up something for the season of Lent ( the 40 days before Easter). While sacrifice and fasting can be good spiritual tools, it seems these days that Lenten fasting is more often about saving a few dollars (no Starbucks), or weight loss (no sugar, no chocolate).

So my friends, this year I want to encourage you to take the season of Lent to gain something, instead of giving something up. I want to encourage you to gain some more Jesus in your life by ...

....gaining the practice of reading scripture daily (alone or with your children).

.....gaining the practice of a daily time of prayer.

.....gaining the practice of regular service to the poor.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings - Hosea 6:6

For our family this will be a season of reading and prayer. We will journey with Christ through the gospels. Being reminded of His love each night as we add another candle and draw a little closer to the greatest of days, Easter Sunday.

Our family would love for your family to join us. You can print out my 40 day reading guide, Prepare Our Hearts. I pray you will leave this Lenten season with more Jesus: a stronger understanding of who He is, and a deeper personal relationship with Him, and you can even keep eating chocolate and going to Starbucks - what a deal!

I Love You Mail

2013-02-04T18:06:00.002-05:00

Don't you love to get mail? I mean real mail that arrives in the mailbox, not the electronic kind. For the past 5 years our family has given and received a flurry of mail to one another in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. We call it I Love You Mail. We each have a small decorated mailbox which sits out on our counter. For a week, we deliver small love notes, pictures, homemade coupons and even a few candies. It becomes a game to get mail into someone else's box without them catching you. It is cloaked as a fun, sometimes silly, week-long tradition, but at its heart is making sure we tell one another "I love you," "I love you," "I love you!" Kids, and moms and dads too, can never hear that enough.

In lieu of a family devotion for February, I am posting a print out of 6 scripture-based I Love You Mail cards for your kids.(Click here to download) Small mailboxes are available at Target, Joanne's, and Micheal's. These cards can also be stuck in lunchboxes or on a bathroom mirror. I hope your family will join ours in taking this next week to share with one another ....

I love you!

I love you!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Celebrating mom

2013-02-01T15:52:00.001-05:00

Today is my birthday. This is what I found waiting for me when I came down for breakfast.

My oatmeal decorated with cake toppers, a drink umbrella in my water, a gift wrapped in tin foil. Next to the table were two beaming little girls. I can't imagine a better birthday breakfast.

I named this blog The Celebrated Family, because we desire to have a family who celebrates the amazing life with which God has blessed us. In our house we celebrate special days with some basic traditions, and one of my favorites is a festive breakfast. While the girls may help decorate for their birthday parties or special dinners, I surprise them with their breakfast celebrations. This morning, who knows when, they snuck down and did the same.

In that little drink umbrella Sarah and Emily blessed me with the gift of knowing that they are learning they can celebrate others. They are learning to be the blessing instead of just receiving it. They are learning that celebrating others is not about the money you spend, it is about the love you offer, to me it's the very core of living a celebrated life.

Does your family dream?

2013-01-22T11:12:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we put an offer in on a new home, and it was accepted. There is nothing like purchasing a home to make your mind start racing with dreams of DIY projects, holidays to come, and memories to be made. Each night we all climb into Pete and I's bed to read a chapter of a book. Last night the book went MIA, but the girls were too cozy to be hurried out to their own rooms, so instead of reading I posed the question, "What do you dream of doing in our new house?" We talked about tire swings and patios, building a fire pit and a tree house, simple dreams, but beautiful ones. As the girls were sharing their dreams I was thinking, "why don't we do this more often?" We are so blessed to live in a time and place where we have the freedom to dream.

Yesterday was a good day to remember to dream as our nation honored the man who gave us the "I Have A Dream," speech and with it a vision for future children in America. Yesterday was a good day to dream as a man was sworn in as our President, a man who a few generations ago could not have dreamed that dream because of the color of his skin.

My devotion yesterday led me to Jeremiah 29:11. It was the perfect reminder that yesterday indeed was a good day to dream, but so is today, and tomorrow will be a good day as well, for our everlasting, unchanging God says,

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Does your family dream together? Perhaps a divorce, loss of a job, or a death have caused you to stop dreaming. I hope you will start again, for among the trials of life God's plan for you and your children still stands. It is a good plan, and He wants you dream with hope of the future He has waiting for you.

January's Family Devotion - We Are Wonderfully Made!

2013-01-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

This month's devotion is coming out a bit late - but with some exciting changes. Below you will find the devotion in my standard format, but you can now also choose to print out an easy to follow booklet format by clicking here or the This Month's Family Devotion button on the homepage. Enjoy!

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We are wonderfully made!

For Parents: In this lesson, we will be looking at three scripture verses that teach us how God uniquely makes each person. After the discussion, family members will each make a snowflake. As a family you will write unique gifts, strengths and talents onto each person’s snowflake. The goal is for each person in the family to celebrate their God-designed uniqueness and think about ways to use it for the glory of God.

Materials Needed:

· Bible

· A piece of 8x8 or 12x12 paper or cardstock for each family member plus one extra piece

· Scissors

· Pens or markers

· String

· Tape

Introduction: When God created the world, He made an amazing variety of creation. Did you know there are over 5,000 types of ladybugs in the world? Everywhere we look, we can see variety in God’s creation. Just look at something as small as a snowflake. Scientists believe that no two snowflakes are alike. Isn’t that amazing? If God would take such care in the creation of something as small and fleeting as a snowflake, just imagine the care that went into creating you – His child. God has made each of us in a special way. We are going to read three readings from the bible which talk about God special, unique creation of you.

Readings: There are three short readings. Read all three before moving onto the Discussion section.

Genesis 1:27 – God creates man

Psalm 139:13-14a – I am wonderfully made

1 Corinthians 12: 14-21 One body, many parts

Discussion Questions:

1. In Genesis, we read that God created men and women “in His own image”. What does that mean? Were any of God's other creations made in His image?

2. In Psalms we read that God intimately knows each of us. He put us together in our mother’s womb. What does that tell us about our unique value to God?

3. In Corinthians, Paul wrote that each one of us is part of the body of Christ. He wrote that each part of the body is important and has a unique job. Why do we need a variety of people? What would happen if everyone were the same?

Family Activity- I am wonderfully made snowflakes

Step 1: Make paper snowflakes:

· Give each person a piece of paper to create a snowflake.

· Fold the paper into a triangle three times, creating a small triangle.

· Cut out a design in the triangle, being careful not to cut all the way across a fold as you will end up with two or more snowflakes! Do not cut away too much as you need room to write on your snowflake. (parents if you are helping younger children with cutting, do not cut any two snowflakes alike.)

Step 2: Compare your snowflakes

When everyone is finished, open your snowflakes together and lay them out for everyone to see.
Compare the different designs.
Discuss how the different designs reflect how each member of your family is unique.

Step 3: Personalizing the snowflakes

Write your name on your snowflake. Write down 3-5 things that make you unique/special. (Note to parents of younger children. Ask your child questions such as “What do you like to do?” “What are you good at?” Write down their answers for them – whatever they are!)
When everyone has finished, start passing the snowflakes around so that each family member has the opportunity to add things that they love, admire or see as gifts from God in that particular family member. Each person should have an opportunity to add things to every family member’s snowflake.

Step 4: Share your snowflakes

Return each snowflake back to its owner. Each person should take a turn to read aloud everything that has been written on their snowflake. Family members can take this time to elaborate on anything they wrote on another’s snowflake.
After everyone has shared their snowflake, each family member should pick one characteristic written on their snowflake and share how can use this unique gift to serve God. (Parents – you will need to help younger children with this. Look for simple and concrete suggestions such as: “Lisa you wrote that you love to sing, you can worship God with your voice when you sing praise songs.” Or “Matthew you wrote that you love Mommy, you can make God very happy by showing your love for Mommy by obeying her.”)

Step 5: Use your left over piece of paper to write out Psalm 139: 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Hang each of your family’s snowflakes and the verse in a place where you will see it regularly. One suggestion would be to hang it on the back of the door that you use most frequently, so that as you leave the house, you are reminded to celebrate your uniqueness and go use it for God’s glory.

Prayer:

Close your devotion time in prayer, remembering to thank God for each person in your family and asking God to help you to serve Him through your unique gifts. If you wish, you can follow the prayer below.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this time together. Thank you Lord for your Word that teaches us that we are wonderfully and fearfully made. We praise you Lord for each person in our family. We know that you created us each to be unique and special. We thank you Lord for all the wonderful gifts you have given each of us. Help us to find ways to use those gifts to serve and worship you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Random Acts of Birthday Kindness - Guest Post by Cindy McCarty Grubenhoff

2013-01-15T11:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Years my dear bloggy world friends. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are getting back into your regular life swing of things. I had a little delay it getting back to blogging due to a bug in Blogger. But I'm back! To start off the New Year here at The Celebrated Family, I asked my high school friend Cindy to guest blog about how she celebrated her birthday last month. It's pretty awesome! I know it will inspire you. With my birthday just a few weeks away, I can't wait to follow her lead!

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So I had a big birthday this year. No, not THAT one. I was turning 38. What’s big about that, you ask? Well, I was turning 38 on 12/12/12! So I wanted to do something special, something I wouldn’t easily forget. I chose to celebrate my birthday by performing 38 random acts of kindness on the 38 days leading up to my birthday. I read about a woman who performed 36 random acts of kindness ON her 36th birthday, but that just sounded stressful to me. So I decided if I did one per day for over a month that would be not only more fun, but also have more of a lasting impact.

I wasn’t planning to tell anyone about my plan, after all, I really didn’t want someone to think I was doing this to get attention. But honestly, I just could NOT keep my mouth shut. I had so much fun and I felt so great that I just had to share it. I ended up posting a couple pics on Facebook and the comments came rolling in. Then Wendy asked me to write this blog post about it with a complete list. So here you go! Whether you decide to do something similar or just pick one from the list once in a while, I can guarantee it will make you feel great...even if it just makes you smile today.

1. Gave my daughters hand-me-down clothes to a single mom with three girls

2. Bought Starbucks for person behind me in the drive through

3. Gave a power bar to homeless guy on the street corner (I actually keep a stash in my car and do this on a regular basis - I feel better giving food - protein - than money)

4. Volunteered at my kids’ school to help put away the book fair books

5. Gave my plumber a cold soda when he came to check on a problem

6. Complimented strangers

7. Gave a new Mom and her baby a seat when it was crowded in church

8. Put stray grocery carts away in the King Soopers parking lot

9. Donated over 5 pounds of Halloween candy for troops overseas (my kids got over it)

10. Sent a thank you note to my kids’ teachers at school

11. Bought a hamburger for homeless man at McDonald's

12. Picked up trash and extra dog droppings while walking my dog

13. Brought baked goods and a thank you note to my favorite mechanic

14. Hid $1 bills in the toy section at the dollar store (with a note that said “Please enjoy this random act of kindness!” I didn’t want a Mom to be suspicious about where their kid got the money! (this was my favorite random act)

15. Donated clothes, shoes and household items to ARC

16. Helped a man find what he was looking for at the grocery store

17. Left a 50% tip for our nice waitress

18. Taped 2 quarters to the game machine at the restaurant

19. Made bread for a family at church

20. Bought dessert for the eyeglass store employees who always fix my son’s glasses

21. Bought sunflowers for my Mom and Mother-in-Law on Thanksgiving

22. Shared coupons with others in line on Black Friday

23. Left pennies by the fountain for wishes at the mall

24. Bought clothes, toys and shoes for a family in need at church

25. Put a quarter in an expired parking meter

26. Took home a friends child from school so she didn’t have to rush to get there

27. Left 50% tip for another waitress - another favorite since I used to be a waitress!

28. Raked part of my neighbors yard while raking mine

29. Left a note on a diaper changing table which said "You're a great Mom! Keep up the good work!"

30. Brought 8 pizzas and soda to the Emergency Department at Children's Hospital (where my husband works)

31. Brought my massage therapist and hairstylist a thank you card and doubled my usual tip

32. Left $5 taped to the gas station pump

33. Made cookies for our postal worker

34. Gave school crossing guard a $10 Starbucks card

35. Donated dog food, treats, toys and blankets to the local dog shelter

36. Left thank you note and tip for the trash and recycling workers

37. Donated 50 used children's books to our library

38. On my birthday I bought 12 lottery scratch tickets and hung them on the back of bathroom stall doors with a note saying "Is today your lucky day? 12/12/12"

The best part about doing this is that I have created a new “habit” and I can’t seem to stop. I believe each of us has the ability to make an impact on the world around us, and I want mine to be positive. Thank you for the privilege of letting me share my list - I hope to hear your ideas for Random Acts of Kindness!

Cindy Grubenhoff

Let's get away this Christmas dear...

2012-12-21T07:51:00.003-05:00

Let's get away from sleigh bells
Let's get away from snow
Let's make or break some Christmas dear
I know the place to go
How'd you like to spend Christmas on Christmas island?
How'd you like to spend the holiday away across the sea?
How'd you like to spend Christmas on Christmas island?
How'd you like to hang a stocking on a great big coconut tree?

- Christmas Island, Jimmy Buffett

We head today to our own little Christmas Island where great-grandma, the grandparents and island friends will join us in our very nontraditional, tradition of an island Christmas. Before we head out and disconnect from cell phones and reliable Internet service, I wanted to wish you a very merry Christmas.

May the joy of the Lord be present in your homes, may the wonder of the miracle, Emmanuel , fill your hearts and may you find the time in the coming days to slow down a bit and love on the children in your life.

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating that even this can be beautiful

2012-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last night I had the privilege to speak to the amazing MOPS groups at Antioch Church of Erwin. The women were warm and welcoming, and I was so blessed to meet them. I spoke about seasons in our life (from Ecc 3) through the stories of Mary and Elizabeth. The final segment of my talk was on Ecc 3:11 "He makes everything beautiful in its time." God promises us here and in Romans 8:28, that He will turn even the ugliest seasons of our life beautiful.

I was finalizing my speech this weekend. THIS weekend, with images of lost beautiful first graders and the teachers and staff who loved them. I have images of two of the parents burnt in my brain. Oh Lord, help, how can your scriptures tell us that everything will be beautiful, everything is being worked for our good? There is so much hurt, and evil, and brokenness, some days it is inconceivable to swallow these promises. But that's just it. They are promises from a God who does not fail.

Mary and Elizabeth's lives held much hardship and sorrow. Individually they faced barrenness, poverty, isolation from family, being a refugee, and both having their precious sons murdered. Yet through their lives we see redemption and times of celebration; a long desired child given, financial provision through foreign wise men, and finally - triumphantly - death overcome through Jesus. The goodness of God is so evident and it is encouraging. It gives us hope.

Our lives are so similar to Mary and Elizabeth's lives. Our struggles are different, our blessings are different, but the faithfulness of God through the good and difficult seasons is the same. Just as the celebrations of their lives are remembered and honored, I believe God wants us to boldly celebrate the goodness He has worked in our lives as well. Sometimes people feel like it is callous to celebrate one's happiness when people around us are suffering, but celebrations of the faithful are not about us, they are about giving glory to God for His goodness and giving much needed hope to one another.

I challenged the women last night to share how God has made past seasons of their life beautiful. The conversation that followed for the next hour was amazing. There were stories of greatly painful seasons that God had so graciously made beautiful. The stories were hard. Our tears were many. This life is not an easy one. Yet each story was like a candle being lighted, casting more and more light into that room. Each story shouted, "Have hope!" "Do not despair!" "God is good!" As I sat listening, I thought, "This is Christmas." To celebrate the close of a year with the retelling of stories to bring each other hope. To remember the birth of our Savior, with recounting the ways He has saved us. It was an amazing celebration.

With just 5 days now before Christmas, I encourage you to make time to share as a family the goodness God has worked in your lives. May your shared stories brighten your Christmas celebration with the radiant love of Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas friends!

An Advent for everyone

2012-12-10T12:16:00.000-05:00

This Christmas my heart goes out to my high school friend Leila and her baby girls who have just lost their husband and father. I wanted to share this posting from 2008, if you have a friend or family member mourning this holiday season, will you pass it on to them please. Blessings to each of you my friends.

  An Advent for everyone - originally posted 12/2008 As I have been writing my chippy little posts this week about fun ways to celebrate Advent, I have been plagued by the faces of my friends and family who are entering this holiday season with nothing less than dread. In the past few weeks I have cried with friends who have lost their jobs, marriages, pregnancies and parents. Friends whose children have cancer and parents have Alzheimer's. In my immediate circle, it has been a sad time. This season all the festivities seems just downright offensive for these friends. The twinkling lights, the carols, and the memories of past Christmases are all seemingly aimed at crushing the resolve of the broken hearted.
I know it is tempting to stick one's head under the sand and wish for January. The concept of honoring Advent, counting down to the very holiday one dreads, is inconceivable. But did you know Advent is dual purposed? Most people recognize it as a time to prepare our hearts to honor the birth of Christ. The second purpose often gets lost in the happy shiny messages of Christmas. Advent is also a time to prepare ourselves for the future coming of Christ. He is coming my friends! Christ will reign over our very broken world. He will reign over death, hunger, fear, hate, cancer, depression, ______________ (go ahead, fill in the blank) For me, that is the beauty of Advent. That's the Advent that is for everyone. Each week as we add the light of one more candle on the Advent wreath, we can be reminded that His reign is coming closer and closer.  The Light of the World will dispel the dark, broken world we live in today.

If your heart is broken this Christmas season, I pray that Advent will be a comfort to you. May you be comforted in calling out to God and knowing that this world is just a blink of an eye.
I really read the words to this popular Christmas carol the other day.  It is a wonderful anthem for Advent. Rejoice my friends, Emmanuel SHALL come to thee.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Mama needs some friends

2012-12-06T16:28:00.001-05:00

When people ask how I am adjusting to Raleigh they expect me to begin to weep or talking about my great loneliness, but the truth is, I am great. A big part of this is that for the first time in several years I have an amazing group of new friends and time to hang out with them. For the past three years I was homeschooling, and as rewarding as that was, it was also lonely. When you homeschool in the manner I chose to, there is little to no time to get together with other women. It was not good for me. This Mama needed some friends.

Today I was so blessed by new friends, it made me realize what I had been missing, and also what I need to be proactive about protecting. This morning as I was getting ready to head out to drop off the girls, I had a text from my friend Michelle to see if I had some time to grab a coffee. Yes, please. Off we went. One hour with one friend and one cup off coffee is worth a whole lot more than those individual parts. She had work, but she took the time to prioritize our friendship and the initiative to invite me. I was so grateful.

This afternoon Marci had invited myself and Amy to her house for lunch. Marci and I just met last month. She is new to Raleigh as well. I loved that even though she just met Amy and I, she was bold enough to invite us into our home. Marci has some mad hospitality skills. MAD! Having lunch at her house was like have lunch in a Pinterest board. But as amazing as our pretty table and yummy food was, the time together was even better. Two hours, with two new friends, and I tell you my cup runneth over.

Whether it is at a coffee shop or Martha Stewart-worthy lunch, the two things my day had in common was that Michelle and Marci were both willing to make the sacrifice of time and risk extending an invitation. Maybe you are feeling like I did a year ago. Are you thinking, "This Mama needs some friends?" Use the holidays as a reason to reach out and extend an invitation to a new friend or two. While we can all use the excuse that it's a busy season, I pray your investment of time will have you too soon saying, "My cup runneth over."

Six Ways to Put Christ in your Christmas - Take Two!

2012-12-04T16:55:00.002-05:00

Alright my friends, let's try this again. Sorry for the earlier post which had just a jumbo graphic with a comical error in it. (If you didn't see it, I'm not telling!)

Christmas may seem to have been hijacked by commercialism, but each of us as parents get to choose what Christmas will look like in our homes. I know I struck a nerve last week picking on the Elf on Shelf. I'm really not saying throw all the whimsy of Christmas out the window, but let's make sure we do keep Christ in the holiday. Here are my six easy ideas:

1. Cut back on gifts and spending: The more you shop and make Christmas about a giant haul of gifts, the less you make it possible to focus on Christ. Most families are like ours and don't have what we use to have to spend on gifts - embrace that and take the opportunity to take the focus off spending.
2. Help the Less Fortunate: More than ever people everywhere need basic help. This is a great time of year to learn that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
3. Read Scripture Daily: Be in the Word as a family daily. Check here for Advent Reading suggestions.
4. Invite others to share in your celebration: Each year my mom and grandmother have included widows, divorcees, or elderly couples without nearby children to share our Christmas dinner. There are people on your street, at work, or at church who will be alone this Christmas, set an extra seat at your table. What a beautiful example for your children.
5. Say no to non-essential invitations: Keep the craziness to a minimum. You can not be intentional about #2, #3, or #4 if you say yes to every invitation that arrives.
6. Turn off the TV and spend time together: I love the pictures we find in literature of families like the March or Ingalls families. At Christmas time they sang carols, popped popcorn, read stories by the fire, and played the fiddle. You just can't make those memories with the TV on.

Your kids deserve more than an Elf

2012-11-29T17:06:00.001-05:00

This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent. It is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ - both His birth in Bethlehem and His anticipated second coming.

I want to challenge you to consider celebrating Advent through daily devotions with your kids this year. Advent is where Pete and I started devotions with our girls. We had never done it before, but we wanted the girls to learn what Christmas was about. Each night our family lights the candle(s), have a reading, pray, and sing Christmas carols together. Each of us look forward to this season all year.

The mall is full of commercial "traditions" to buy for your kids. As you are deciding how to spend your time and energy in the weeks leading up to Christmas, ask yourself, "What am I really giving my kids? Will any of this last?" Your kids will outgrow the Elf on the Shelf, and other commercial nonsense, but Advent devotions are a tradition you can keep, one that plants treasure in your child's heart.

The truth is that your kids are worth more than the empty tradition of

cheap humor with a stuffed Elf.

(I love my friend Cindy's thoughts on shelving your Elf )

If you have never celebrated the season of Advent, or are just looking for a new option, I have listed several resources below. I would encourage you to have an advent wreath and light the candles with your children. There is something special about sitting by candlelight on cold December nights. Now don't get all Pinterest crazy on me trying to figure out how to design your Advent wreath. (Don't even do the search on Pinterest, it invoked tears and hyperventilating for me). All you need is four candles and something to put them on. If you really want "an official" looking one, most Christian bookstores carry them. (There will be no awards handed out for the best Advent wreath on your block.)

Suggested Advent Reading Sources:

For Families with young children: An Advent reading schedule using The Jesus Storybook Bible

For Families with older children: Ann Voskamp's free Jesse Tree devotional with printable ornaments.

Scripture readings:

Focus on the Family Reading Schedule: A single reading each day.

The Revised Common Lectionary: Four readings per day from the old and new testaments, psalm and gospel .

Does your family have a particular Advent book or reading schedule you follow? Leave me a comment telling me about it and be entered into this month's drawings.