A Purposeful Christmas

Strep Throat is the devil.

I spent the week- the entire week- before Thanksgiving in bed.  Unable to talk, it was an unexpected way to see my Red Cross certified babysitter in action with his younger siblings!

Even after I was off my “death bed”, energy was in short commodity.  We spent the last days before Thanksgiving reading books on the covered porch of the teeny cabin that is our family’s place of respite.  Each child brought a favorite, Over the River and Through the Wood is a sturdy board book, so it was safe even in little Clara’s lap.  The kids each chose a favorite breakfast to learn to cook and I supervised from my resting spot on a nearby barstool.

And on Thanksgiving Day, I gave thanks for Strep Throat.  It slowed me down enough to enjoy these simple things with my family.

I am also thankful Christmas is coming.  I heard a quote this morning, “What if the most important, life-changing, world-changing, universe changing, most joyous thing of all time were on the verge of arriving?”  Remember- that’s what we’re celebrating!  Jesus was born, snuggled, swaddled, and laid in a manger.  Emmanuel- God with us.

I think most Americans have an unbalanced view of the Christmas season. We feel obligated to the loud, glittery part of the story.  We run around shouting the angel announcement, “GlorytoGodinthehighest! AndonEarth, peaceandgoodwilltomen” – so rushed we can’t appreciate the meaning of our own lives.  We hurry from kids’ cookie exchanges to pictures with Santa to parties we’re hosting… Don’t forget to squeeze in a visit to a live nativity, St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights, help the children make special gifts for family, see The Nutcracker and shop for Secret Santa at work, buy an angel tree gift… and that’s just the to-do list up until this part of the month!

The angels didn’t appear to the shepherds to set a precedent with their amazing display!  They served a purpose.  They led men in need to the “important, life-changing… most joyous thing of all time…” to a baby in a manger.

Purposeful parenting this month means choosing what makes it to your calendar.  It’s about having enough time to enjoy peace on earth and to extend goodwill to men, starting with your own family.  Merry Christmas.  Make it count.

This article was originally published in The Creekline.

An Advent Letter {from a dear friend}

I am so grateful to have Tina Farewell in my life.  She is my cousin’s MIL, which is close enough to being family in my book.  Tina and Bob… I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words… they have a clear insight into what is important in regards to family.  And their heart is to encourage, share, uplift and see growth in families.  They’re willing to invest into people and I’m fortunate to have benefitted from their loving care.

You can, too!  Their website is at the end of the letter I’m sharing {below} and you can subscribe to encouraging notes.

About Advent.  13 years of Christmasses (as a married woman) and I still haven’t settled on the one way to keep Christ central.  I think that may be because there isn’t one perfect way to keep Christ central.  We tried Jotham’s Journey (mentioned below) last year but it was too scary for our young children.  Other years we’ve read the simple, beautiful passage from Luke about Jesus’ birth.  I do have several favorite stories and audio books we listen to annually and love. 

If you’re looking for Advent insight, maybe this letter from Tina will help:

What’s Advent? Why Celebrate?
~~ From Tina Farewell,  December 3, 2006

Dear Friends,

Wow! It’s the first night of Advent…and not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse… I hope!

Bob and the children are back from their deer hunts in Oklahoma and North Carolina. They harvested several, so we’ll process the organic meat in jars this week and make some into sausage and give some as Christmas gifts.

Hearing the beautiful Christmas music at Becca’s piano recital yesterday reminded me I haven’t shared my heart about Advent with you! Even though Advent starts today, it’s not too late to learn about it!

With Christmas music playing everywhere, Christmas must be coming!

But Advent comes first! Though you may have never heard of Advent, most liturgical churches celebrate it in order to focus on the profound meaning of the coming of Christ. The celebration of Advent is much deeper than the popular Advent calendar with its 25 cute little windows to open! Advent is a rich and meaningful time—making Christmas very, very special!!

~~ WHAT IS ADVENT? ~~

Advent is the special season that comes just before Christmas. The word Advent comes to us from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “coming.” Advent is a beautiful and worshipful way of preparing our hearts and minds for the celebration of the first coming or birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and a time of preparation as we look forward to His Second Coming.

Celebrating Advent helps our family focus on Christ’s coming and not on material gifts. We gather every evening to read from our chosen devotional book for the season. Then we move to the dining room where our Advent wreath is displayed on the buffet with a lovely mirror in the background—perfect for reflecting shining candles and smiling faces.

Bob chooses one of our excited children to light the candles. Then we sing a favorite chorus about Jesus being the Light of the world, each of us prays aloud, and we sing again as the candles are extinguished. Then we’re off to bed! It is very short and simple, but truly anticipated and extremely meaningful.

~~ ADVENT WREATH AND CANDLES ~~

The lighting of the candles on the Advent wreath begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which is often the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Advent begins this year on Sunday, December 3, 2006.

The Advent wreath is traditionally used to celebrate this wonderful season. Though traditions differ regarding candle colors, the order of lighting them, and the meaning of each one, you are free to develop your own family tradition. We light a purple candle each of the first three Sundays of Advent. The fourth Sunday a pink candle is lit. And we light the white candle on Christmas Eve.

We adorn our wreath with greens and Brazilian pepper (which is the only thing that is red and green in Central Florida at this time of the year!) It may also be left unadorned, but will still be lovely.

Though you can purchase Advent wreaths, it is very simple to make your own. Simply place four candles in a circle and put one candle in the center of the circle. Some families use tapers, others use votive candles.

You can use the traditional candle colors of purple, pink, and white, or you can create a new family tradition in the way the Holy Spirit leads you! I know a family that uses four white candles, symbolizing purity, set around a large red and white striped candle, symbolizing the blood of Jesus and His stripes for our healing.

~~ THE BLESSING OF ADVENT: A TESTIMONY ~~

Because Advent has always been a part of my life, I didn’t realize the deep impact that the season could have on families celebrating it for the first time. Dave and Lisa Baughn’s family of Tennessee had such a rich experience that they can’t wait to share it with others! Here is their testimony.

“Every year on Christmas day we suffered from the heart- sickening knowledge that we weren’t glorifying the Lord, His precious birthday, or focusing on Him as much as we could.

“We were good at sharing Christ during his season of birth, but we always had the disconcerting feeling that something was missing. We had an empty, aching longing for our Savior. Our lives focused so much on Him, but somehow were we missing Him?

“This year our hearts are being filled as we celebrate Advent! We ordered JOTHAM’S JOURNEY and on the first Sunday of Advent, we hastily pulled together a wreath and candles.

“That first night, with candles glowing, singing carols, and reading the Bible, we began to fill the ache of many years. The single most exciting thing in our lives is celebrating Christ in Advent each night!

“We had read and memorized many of the prophecies, we knew the carols, we knew the story, but now when we sit in our candlelit house each evening, it is all new, it is fresh, it is like Christ is about to be born in a few days, yet we celebrate His birth two millennia ago!

“I cannot express how wonderful this entire celebration is, and how it is further melding our family together.

“Now I am on a mission to share with friends and family the treasure of celebrating Advent. We Christians are missing out. Growing up without Christ, I thought Advent was a countdown to Santa. It is on my heart to develop an Advent wreath for next year, to order several books, and to have an `Advent Party’ Thanksgiving weekend. We will give our friends a wreath and book, and show them how we do it, probably by doing an actual night of Advent with house aglow. This will be their Christmas present, and, God willing, it will be their new family tradition for years to come!

“Had you not taken the time to show us how to celebrate Advent, we would be well into another Christmas season with that aching longing for something more.”

~~ READING, OUR ADVENT TRADITION ~~

Throughout the Advent season our family reads many wonderful books—an Advent devotional book, many favorite picture books, and one longer read aloud book. Reading aloud adds a delightful and important element to our family’s “museum of memories,” as Edith Schaeffer would say. I’ll share more about these in another newsletter.

~~ FAVORITE ADVENT DEVOTIONALS ~~

While there are many Advent devotionals, we have a few favorites.

The first we discovered was Wanda Sanseri’s poignant book, ADVENT FORETOLD: A December Devotional for All Ages It is a fabulous resource for all ages.   ADVENT FORETOLD features daily Bible readings centered on the Messiah’s coming. Old Testament prophecies regarding the birth of Christ are the focus for December 1-16, while the readings for December 17-31 are from the New Testament and reveal the precise fulfillment of each prophecy!

Discovering that one Person fulfilled all these prophecies really strengthens our faith in Him! Wanda suggests Christmas carols to enhance each New Testament reading in her insightful book.

THE ADVENT BOOK by Jack and Kathy Stockman is perfect for families with very young children, though the whole family will enjoy it. It is beautifully designed and illustrated.

It is an oversized board book of 25 pages; each page has a door that opens, revealing an appropriate Scripture and picture—all part of the Christmas story. The authors “suggest that each night, before opening a new door, you reread the text under all the preceding doors. This practice gives the story continuity and encourages memorization.”

What a blessing to read the book, light the candles in your Advent wreath, and worship and pray.

If you are a fan of Handel’s Messiah, you are sure to treasure the beautiful HANDEL’S MESSIAH FAMILY ADVENT READER by Donna Payne and Fran Lenzo. The devotional readings in this gorgeous book feature the Scripture texts Handel used to create Messiah.

It is filled with fine art, pertinent photographs such as the original musical score and the organ keyboard Handel gave to a hospital chapel, and wonderful heartwarming stories which highlight facts behind many Christmas symbols. The “Read More About It” section in the back of the book contains even more details, meanings, Bible readings, and ways to dig deeper for wisdom and understanding pertaining to each devotion.

This makes a splendid gift for musicians and music lovers alike! And a CD is included in the book so you can play the music to go along with the devotion!

~~ OUR FAVORITE ADVENT BOOKS ~~

Because our society today is so far removed from the culture of the Jesus’ time, Biblical historical fiction is an incredible learning tool for adults and children, and is much more enjoyable than dry academic textbooks. This genre helps the sometimes overly familiar Bible stories come to life for us—through the eyes and pen of an author who vividly portrays the people, background, culture, events, and setting of the Bible. Excellent Biblical historical fiction can truly change our lives!

Although there are many books available for celebrating Advent, our family favorites are three by Arnold Ytreeide—JOTHAM’S JOURNEY, BARTHOLOMEW’S PASSAGE, and TABITHA’S TRAVELS.  The plots are fascinating and filled with rich spiritual insights.

Arnold Ytreeide’s books are not namby-pamby sweet portrayals Of life in Bethlehem. Instead they are narrations of the tensions of grim and turbulent times under Roman occupation—making the birth of Messiah such an answer to prayer! However, because of the adventure and detail in these books, some families of young children find it best to read them in the morning.

The readings for each day in Advent are comprised of a cliff- hanging historical fiction section, a devotional section, and a prayer. Instructions for making an Advent wreath are included, as well as a very helpful chart showing the dates Advent begins on for about the next 70 years.

With each book in the series, our children jubilantly chanted Bob to “read more, please!” Of course, if he did so, he would be reading the next day’s section, so he didn’t relent, but the enthusiasm for this series never waned.

JOTHAM’S JOURNEY begins when ten-year-old Jotham runs “away from his father’s tents in a moment of anger…As he journeys through Palestine in search of his nomadic home, Jotham is helped by a fool, a priest, a zealot and a wise man. Chased by a gang of thieves, thrown from one `foster parent” to another, Jotham slowly discovers the miracle of the first Christmas, and some miraculous things about his own life and his own family…” A fantastic book!

BARTHOLOMEW’S PASSAGE: A Family Story for Advent is the next book in this spellbinding series. “Follow  Bartholomew as Roman soldiers destroy his village and disperse his family, through his enslavement to a tyrannical master and his escape with his new friend Nathan [to Qumran—remember Nathan?], to his reunion with his family and a wonderful climax in Bethlehem. Along the way Bartholomew makes a new pal”—Jotham!!

TABITHA’S TRAVELS is the final book of the Ytreeide Advent trilogy. “Curious, competent, and courageous Tabitha is the daughter of Eliakim, a shepherd who is taking his family on caravan to his birthplace. Along the way she meets and becomes friends with Jotham and Bartholomew, watches as Romans take her father prisoner, spends time with Zechariah and Elizabeth, rescues her father, helps Mary and Joseph just before Christ’s birth, and ends her travels with the wonderful climax at the stable in Bethlehem.” Obviously Tabitha is a strong character who will open a lot of family discussion. We loved it!

In each of these books you are sure to find a supply of material for great family discussions. We hope you enjoy the books to their depths.  Remember to pray for a worthy publisher for them so you can purchase them next year!

~~ CELEBRATION PLANNING ~~

Having a book to help you plan your holiday celebrations is as valuable as a good cookbook. Here are a few of my favorites First, I must share an incredible quotation I found in the beginning of George Grant’s book, CHRISTMAS SPIRIT: The Joyous Stories, Carols, Feasts, and Traditions of the Season! This is definitely a picture of our family and maybe yours too!!

“For some of us, reading is a required tradition during the Christmas season. I don’t mean ordinary books that we catch up on during the holiday vacation. Rather, we long for an ambience that evokes that timeless sense of magic and holiness that is often called ‘the spirit of Christmas.’ Of course, we need to reread the nativity story to savor its pure essence, yet we hunger for more. With nearly two thousand Christmases behind us, nostalgia must be satiated.” (James S. Bell, 1952-)

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT is a wonderful little gift type book, although it is also very useful in leaning about “our most cherished holiday traditions, observations, and rituals and includes the observations of the wisest men and women of the ages on the essential leaning and significance of these customs. Here are the whys and wherefores of mistletoe, plum pudding, Christmas trees, jingle bells, Pascha, wassailing, Twelfth Night, twinkling lights, Noel, gift giving, and Saint Nick. While these customs and traditions have long been common, in far too many instances their meaning and significance have been forgotten or misunderstood.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT is an attempt to recapture the delightful essence of the season by gathering in one place a sampling of all the elements that contribute to the joyous spirit of the Christmas season.” This book is filled with prose and poetry, traditions, carols, and hymns and the stories behind them. It also has readings and prayers for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, as well as recipes and ideas to make this time of year very special!

Epiphany is the twelfth day after Christmas, January 6, and is traditionally celebrated in honor of the wise men’s visit to the Christ Child, thus extending of the gospel to the Gentiles.

A SIMPLE CHRISTMAS by Alice Chapin gives hundreds of suggestions for celebrating Christmas simply and more effectively. “Are you looking for simpler ways to celebrate Christmas and seeking festivities that mean more and cost less? Do you want your activities to release the real spirit of this best-loved holiday that often seems to go sour with frantic buying and selling? You are not alone! Many people are declaring, ‘No more fake Christmas!’ But few know how to find the real Christmas. That’s why I wrote this book.” It also covers Advent wreaths.

Martha Zimmerman affirms in her book, CELEBRATING THE CHRISTIAN YEAR: Building Family Traditions Around All the Major Christian Holidays, that we should do a lot of celebrating. And because our American holidays have become so commercialized, we have an even more important work to do—showing our families and our world God’s Truth within the celebrations!

CELEBRATING THE CHRISTIAN YEAR is sure to “help you discover new ways to live what you believe, help you plant the Word of God in your life, help you make it an exciting adventure to be a follower of Jesus throughout the year, and provide meaningful memories for your family that will last a lifetime.

The book includes 18 Christian celebrations: Thanksgiving, Advent, St. Nicholas Day, Christmas, St. Valentine’s Day, Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter, Pentecost and more! You will learn the history behind each event and how to best celebrate it in a family.  Resources, ideas, and recipes are included. This book will give you not only why, but also how!

We can make so many rich and joyous memories with our families at this time of year! I pray you wisely choose resources to draw your family closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and leave the world behind!!

In His Name and for His sake,

Tina

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http://www.BobandTinaFarewell.com

What Can I Give??

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The Next Gift!!

This December, there were a lot of family traditions we had to skip. But there was a very special one we kept this morning!

When someone has the privilege of opening a gift, they then get to choose the next one to *give*.

It blesses my Mamma heart to hear the children ask, “Can I give the next gift?!”

9:36. Stockings were pilfered, gifts given, breakfast shared and now a full day available to make memories. Like reading the rest of the Christmas Story from Luke around the fire. Those are the memories that count!! Merry Christmas, friends!

What Can I Give?

> A Rice Krispie Pop!

Timothy wanted to make these yummy gifts for his brothers and sisters. It was the perfect thing because he is old enough to stir & melt the marshmallows and butter, mix in the krispies, and have a lot of fun decorating the “pops”.

We added popsicle sticks to the rice krispie treats to mix it up a bit. I’ve seen them dipped in or drizzled with chocolate as well, but the faces he made from dried fruit are so Timbo!!

Whether you’re wanting to make a last minute treat or gathering ideas for next year, try this one! Kiddos with allergies can also make this treat- we even have a healthy version that is sugar free & uses brown rice syrup to sweeten & bond. We didn’t use that one.

Merry Christmas!!!

What Can I Give?

> A Reindeer Ornament!

This simple ornament is special because it records the size of your child’s hand- I imagine unpacking this next year and hearing Andrew exclaim, “Wow! I’m big now!”

It’s pretty much a no-brainer, so I’ll just list the supplies you need & let you go from there.

*Cardboard or Card stock (to trace hand on)
* Brown Pipe Cleaner for antlers
* Red button, pom pom, paint (etc) for nose
* Googly eye, black marker, sequin (etc) for eye
* Single Hole Punch & Ribbon to hang

One craft book suggested covering the whole handprint in felt. Or you could paint your little one’s palm and press onto the cardboard. Or leave it plain. Or decorate it. Or cut it out of the tanned skin of a recently-bagged deer. What? You forgot to tan yours? Hmm- look for road kill? No? Okay, maybe we should just stick with paint.

Traditions

What Can I Give?

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Have you ever seen such a cool bookmark?

(Shake your head “no”!)

Timothy made these last year and I think they’re pretty special. They’ve held up well, so we won’t be making them this year… because that would be redundant. Unique, long-lasting, and beautiful. Email me a picture if you make them- I’ll post it here for others to see!

:How To:
1) Have fun with watercolors on white paper. Let dry.
2) Cut card stock (any color) into desired bookmark size.
3) Cut the dry watercolor into strips, blocks, hearts, lines, or whatever your Picasso wants!
4) Glue the watercolor shapes onto the card stock.
5) Write a message on the back. Young children can dictate and sign. Don’t forget the date!
6) Laminate. I took ours to School Aids and had it laminated for a couple of dollars. You could buy contact paper and do it yourself, but only if you have no school supply store within a hundred miles… it’s cheaper & easier & lasts longer if they do it.

Give with a good book, in a Christmas card, or wrap it!

Scrooge was Right!

Return your Operation Christmas Child and Angel Tree gifts!  Cancel all cookie deliveries to fire stations.  No parties, no shopping, and please- do not serve a meal at the homeless shelter!!  Scrooge was right- Bah Humbug!!

The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are among the busiest of the year.  Who has time to decorate, cook, entertain, shop, be a friend, be a daughter, bring snacks to school, be the gorgeous (and brilliant!) wife at the work party, and dress the children in perfectly coordinating outfits for the Christmas Eve service?  No thank you.  It’s just after Thanksgiving and I’m throwing in the towel.  Pass A Christmas Carol and a glass of eggnog.

Are you nodding in agreement or shaking your head in dismay?  I’d like to commend my favorite Christmas poem to both crowds*.  Yes, it’s a Christmas carol- but not Scrooge’s.  I’m taking my cue for Christmas 2010 from A Christmas Carol by Christina Rosetti. The last stanza reads:

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

Even with a recessed economy, Americans are far from poor.  Oh, but how I can identify with this stanza!!!  I often say yes to so many “good” things that I have little left to offer the King of my heart.

So the truth of it all is if I have to choose between all of those holiday activities (which are wonderful, really) and quieting my soul long enough to appreciate the essence of Christmas, well I’d have to join Scrooge in shouting, “Bah Humbug!”

I’m not really wiping my calendar clean this December.  The ghost of Christmas present shows me a picture full of hope!  I have the opportunity to choose wisely, keep my priorities in line and celebrate the birth of the Savior!  Quieting my heart is a gift I can give to myself, my family and my God.  Praying, reading Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth (chapters 1 & 2) and remembering His purpose in coming- to redeem sinful people, to redeem me!- are part of the relationship that makes Christianity unique among all religions.  What a God!  What a gift!  Merry Christmas.

This article was originally published in The Creekline.

What Can I Give?

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What Can I Give?

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You can give a friendly Greeting!

There are many ways to share your life with friends and family far and near. A perinneal favorite (made better when accompanied by food or photos) is the Christmas Card!!

Now, over the years I’ve observed three camps of Christmas-card-writers. There is the “traditional card signer”. Your Aunt Isabel picks out a lovely card in a foil-lined envelope, signs her name (and the chihuahua’s, too) and considers her duty fulfilled for another year. Lovely on the wall, these are somewhat lacking in the “personal touch” department.

The second camp would be the “letter writers” camp. Your cousin, who homeschools her twelve children out on their organic farm, writes a brief four-page update of their life over the past year (pausing mid-letter to put the bread in the oven and give her 14 year old a calculus test). It is accompanied by a bookmark hand-embroidered by six-year-old Grace. Lovely. Truly… lovely.

You know the third group- the “family photo” in an envelope. You love seeing the fam but wish there was at least a “Merry Christmas- Love you!” handwritten on there somewhere!

This year, Shutterfly is offering a family photo greeting card- making your Christmas Card duties easier than ever. You pick the photo (or photos) to share and have room inside for a handwritten note. It has the personal feel of a letter but brings none of the guilt to your readers…

I’m trying to decide between the card at the top of the page and a quicker (but still striking) flat stationary card like this.

I’ve given Shutterfly photo books as gifts in the past and been very pleased with them. And I thought of doing a mug for my coffee-loving Dad. They cover it all! But I’m for sure going to be mailing a sweet photo card because they’re offering a great promotion for bloggers to earn free cards!

Look for your Olsen family card in the mail this year… and I hope my letter never made you roll your eyes and want to burn it. My goal is to share some laughs and show Christ’s sufficiency in every event in our lives! I’m glad I could find a photo card to hopefully accomplish the same purpose. Here’s to one more way to say Merry Christmas!