O Come Let Us Adore Him: Advent Devotionals

For my first post in my Christmas Traditions series, I wanted to tell you about our Advent Devotionals, since Advent officially begins on Sunday.  My husband created one last year that we did as a family.  We quickly realized that it simply wasn't kid-appropriate because it wasn't hands on or easy to understand.  So this year, he has revamped it a little and we're doing it together, as a couple.  We started early, knowing that we'll be out of town right before Christmas.

I absolutely love it.  There's nothing better than reading scripture and praying together with your husband every night, especially during the Christmas season.  Tonight, I want to do our devotional in the living room, which is freshly cleaned and vacuumed, with the tree up and decorated for Christmas.  If you're interested in participating with us, you can find his devotional here on his blog, To be so Heavenly Minded.  Be sure to read the comments too, for other great suggestions on Advent devotionals.

You can also download a new Advent devotional from John Piper, through his free e-book Good News of Great Joy.

I've done an Advent devotional of some kind nearly every year since college, and it's a great way to prepare my heart and focus on Christ during the Christmas season.  Even if all you do is simply read parts of the Christmas story every day for a week or two leading up to Christmas, I think you'll find that you have a much better perspective towards Christmas and all that it holds for us as believers.

O Come, Let Us Adore Him: A Christmas Tradition Series

It's the last day of November, and if you're like me, you're already ordering your Christmas cards, checking your gift list, and getting that tree up. 

But in the middle of the busy-ness of all the parties and fun, as moms, many of us are trying to be intentional about the Christmas holidays too.  We don't want it to be just about the presents, Santa, or baking cookies.  We want Christmas to be Christ-centered. 

My oldest child is turning 4 this month, and she's finally at an age where she's really getting it.  Easter was so special, and I'm glad that we spent time and energy to make it all about Christ's resurrection.  I can't wait to see what we can do with Christmas. 

I'm starting a series devoted to Christmas traditions, and every week, I'll share a quick post or two about how we're celebrating Christmas.  But before we start, here's what you won't see in this series:

• Elves on Shelves.  There are entire websites and Pinterest boards devoted to it.  You don't need my ideas, especially since my babies seem to have stolen any creative brain cells I ever possessed.  And anyway, I don't own an elf!
• Santa.  The guy in the big red suit isn't talked about much at our house.  It's not that we're anti-Santa; we just want Christmas to be about Christ.  In our view, Santa is a little bit of a distraction from our primary focus, the birth of our savior.  So celebrate Santa if you wish, but I'm just letting you know now that I don't have any traditions to add in that area.
• Perfection.  Color-coordinated trees don't happen here at our house, but if you're looking for messy floors and a mommy who loves her kids and wants to lead them closer to the Lord, then pull up a chair.  You're in the right place.
• A longer to-do list.  Don't take my ideas and think "Ugh! More stuff that I've got to do."  Some of these ideas have actually been on my radar for a couple of years now, and I'm only just now getting around to them.  Why?  Pregnancy.  Morning sickness.  Babies.  Lung surgeries.  Life.  So I totally get if you're not in a stage of life where you can add anything else.  I just like to approach every holiday by asking what can we change, add, or improve upon to make this holiday more meaningful and Christ-oriented, so that's my goal.  And if your traditions are working for you and are effective in focusing the hearts of your family around Christ during the holidays, then keep doing what you're doing, and please share your ideas with us.  I love learning from other moms.
• Super Crafty Stuff:  Why?  'Cuz I'm just not that good!  Sometimes I attempt a quick and easy craft, but these days it's rare.  I'm just trying to get tacos cooked for dinner, y'all!  So while I want to do cute little hand-made felt things or homemade ginger bread houses, I just can't right now, and that's OK. 

It has taken me 3 babies to finally learn that there are seasons in life, and we've got to accept the season we're in.  I'm not in the clever and crafty season.  Perhaps that will come in time.  Perhaps it won't.  Regardless, I want a meaningful, Christ-centered, family-oriented Christmas season, and in this series, you'll see what we're doing this year.

None of these ideas are especially novel or creative, and I've taken them from my own childhood, from books, such as Noel Piper's Treasuring God in Our Traditions, or even from a conference hosted at my church with Kim Weir and Pam McCune, who spoke on Redeeming the Season.  Some take very little time, but it is my hope that by being intentional as I enter every holiday season, my children will look back with fondness and warm memories, as I do.  And most importantly, I want our entire family to grow closer to Christ as we celebrate His birth.

Along the way, I'd love to hear what you're doing at your home, so please share your thoughts, ideas for improvement, and your personal traditions.  I look forward to hearing from you.  If you're a blogger, I'd love for you to share links to your own posts about Christmas traditions.

Care Packages for the Homeless

I've never been so excited to see a homeless person.

It was the shopping cart that caught my eye first, and he was pushing it into the woods in an area near the railroad tracks where I hear that lots of homeless people live.

He was tall and lanky, with white hair, sunglasses, and stooped shoulders.  A black dog sat in the front of the shopping cart, and the rest of it housed what might have been all of his earthly possessions.

As I spotted the homeless gentleman, I immediately pulled over in my black minivan with my three kids.  I quickly stepped out of the comfort of my leather seats and grabbed a care package from the backseat, where my 3 year old sat, wondering what was going on. 

We exchanged a few words as I gave him the goodies, and he seemed to appreciate it.

Then he walked back to his shopping cart, examining the gift with interest before heading off into the woods.  I got back in my van and drove home, back to my world of heat, warm food, full bellies, and bills that will be paid.  My 3 year old and I prayed for him on our way back home.  We prayed that he would know he is loved by us and by the Lord, that he would have opportunities for a job and a home, and more than anything, we prayed that he would come to know Christ. 

Care Packages for the Homeless

A "friend" gave me a supply of several care packages to give away as I run into homeless people.  I know that she wouldn't want you to know who she is, so I'll just continue to call her my friend.  She has thought about doing this for a long time and finally decided to just buy all the supplies and make it happen. 

I was at her house when she was putting the care packages together, and several of us joined in the assembly line to build about 20 or so care packages.  She gave me three to keep in my minivan, but now we're down to two. 

Here's what she put in her care packages:

• Warm socks that can be cut and turned into gloves.
• Chapstick
• Tooth brush
• Tooth paste
• Bottled water
• Granola bar
• Wet wipes
• A small Bible from the Gideons.
• $5 bill.  There was much discussion about the appropriate way to provide a simple meal for a homeless person.  She'd considered purchasing gift cards to a fast food restaurant, but if there wasn't a nearby location, she didn't want the homeless person to have to walk across town to buy his meal.  Instead, she decided to give them cash and simply trust that it will be used wisely.  And if it's not, she's OK with that too. 

I really love this idea.  I think it would be so easy for a group of friends or a Sunday School Class to put together these care packages so that the homeless would know they are loved.  And that's really the bottom line.  So many times, I feel like my hands are tied when it comes to reaching out in our community.  But this is one small way that even I, as a mom with 3 little bitty kids, can show a homeless person that they are loved by their creator.

What are some ways that you are able to reach out to others?

Music: Matthew Smith's Goodnight, and the Sadness and Hope of Death

Last night, my husband and I heard our favorite band play a very small concert at a church in Bossier City, LA.  If you've never heard of Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace, then you're missing out.  We've been enjoying their music for nearly a decade, ever since my cousin and his wife gifted me with their Pilgrim Days CD at my college graduation party. 

Matthew Smith takes old, often obscure hymns and rewrites them into modern music.  The Indelible Grace sound is very folksy, almost country.  Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken are two of their more well-known artists, but even Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay has recorded with Indelible Grace. 

The hymn writers seem to understand the depth and beauty of God as well as the ugliness of this earth, so to me, hymns seem to be both more worshipful and more real and honest, all at the same time.  I also find their view of God, their theology, to be so much bigger and so much richer than most of us grasp now in the 21st century.  So for me, I'd rather sing along to Indelible Grace than just about any modern worship song I can think of.

Many of you know that my step-father passed away two months ago.  It's been a hard two months with lots of tears.  That's one reason I find it hard to write anything "real" right now, beyond my tips and tricks of motherhood.  I've also been trying to keep my focus on my kids and my home, and figuring out how to manage and balance it all.  In the past few weeks, my love for homemaking has been rekindled, and I'd much rather cook or clean than blog.  So that's just where I am right now, and I'm also trying to decide how a blog fits in with that, and how to use it to honor God.   

Last night, I heard a song that was especially comforting for me right now, since it was a beautiful depiction of death, from the perspective of a man dying and speaking to his loved ones.  Matthew Smith introduced it by talking about the world's advice and admonishment to those grieving death.  The world often says that it's just a part of life, but as he pointed out, death is the exact opposite of life.  I found the song "Goodnight" to be incredibly comforting because it talks of both the sadness of death and the hope of what is still to come. 



Here is an interview with Matthew Smith about the song. 

   

Pinteresting Fridays



Here's the latest recipe I tried from Pinterest.  

 

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Goat Cheese

 

I think it was actually one of the first things I pinned back when I joined Pinterest a few months ago.  We all loved this salad.  The kids picked what they wanted out of it, leaving the spinach behind.  I also served the salad with dinner rolls for the kids.  I loved the salad so much that I didn't want a roll.  My husband wasn't thrilled with the dressing, so he poured his own favorite vinaigrette over it and chowed down.  I thought the dressing was OK and ate it as it was.  Next time, I'll try making some changes to the dressing for better flavor.  We had to skip the pine nuts because my son has a nut allergy.  We traded feta for goat cheese, since my store didn't have any goat cheese.  The salad was wonderful and heart healthy.  In fact, it's on the menu again tonight for dinner.

 

I've been in a cooking rut lately, so to shake things up a bit, I go to my Pinterest food board first when meal planning. 

 

What's something you've tried from Pinterest lately?  Please share with us!

The Elusive Naptime

Lately, a lot of people have been asking how in the world I manage to get all three kids down for naps together.  Most of my friends only have their toddlers or infants home with them during the day, since many kids go to Mothers Day Out or pre-school somewhere.  My kids span from 3 months to 3 years, and they're all home with me.  All. Day. Long. 

I love it, truly I do, but grocery shopping, doctor's visits, and naptime can get a little crazy.  But since I plan on homeschooling, I'm in it for the long haul, and I've got to think longterm with how I'm going to make life work with all of my littles at home with me.

While it's doesn't require any magic to take naps together, it does require some planning.  But it's totally worth it for my sanity. 

Here are the logistics and details to consider:

• Andrew is 21 months.  He needs a nap.
• Isabelle is almost 4.  She naps once or twice a week.
• Alexandre is 3 months.  He needs a nap, but his are shorter and (gasp!) unscheduled.  He can nap on the fly.  And yeah, I know I'm slacking and need to have some sort of routine for my baby, but life has been crazy.  He's fat and happy, so that's all that matters to me at this point. 

With all that in consideration, I've determined that Andrew's schedule dictates naptime.

At some point after lunch, we sit down for story time.  One or both of the older kids will pick out a story or two and we read together.  I put Andrew down in his crib.  After that, Isabelle goes to her room for what I like to call her theoretical naptime.  She likes to declare "But I don't want a nap, Mommy!"  And then I remind her (it's like a script of written dialoge that we say every day):

"You don't have to nap.  But you do have to stay in your room and play quietly while your brothers sleep.  You're tired and you need rest."  And so does mommy.

Sometimes, like yesterday, we hit the jackpot and she takes a nap.  But most of the time, she has birthday parties for her stuffed animals in her bed or makes up some crazy game with her toys.  She usually stays in bed. 

When she first started skipping naps from time to time, when she was 2, our rule was that she had to stay in bed, and she got in trouble if she didn't.  Sometimes I would read a book or work on my Bible study on the floor of her bedroom while she played in her bed, just to make sure she didn't get up.  But now that she's older, I've relaxed that rule and the new rule is that she must stay in her room.  I provide consequences every time she gets out of her room. 

She stays in her room for the duration of naptime, which is two hours.  If her brother sleeps longer or doesn't go to sleep quickly, then I bring her a fun toy and ask her to continue playing quietly while her brother sleeps.  This is a special toy, like her LeapPad, her toy laptop, lacing cards (to practice fine motor skills), or magnetic dress up dolls, something I don't let her have for the rest of the day.  Or we do schoolwork during this time.  She loves school.  Often, I might bring a game to her room for us to play together, something like memory that's hard to play when Andrew is running around.  This makes for great one-on-one time while the boys sleep.  But our goal is to keep the house quiet while the little ones nap. 

As for Alexandre, my 3 month old, well he and I also enjoy some one-on-one time while the others nap.  We make googly eyes at each other or play pat-a-cake.  And then he falls asleep again.  I love this easy stage of babyhood. 

And Mommy?  Mommy reads, naps, works on Bible study, does laundry, catches up on the phone with a friend, meal plans, starts dinner, blogs, plays around on Facebook, reads her favorite blogs, or shops for Christmas gifts online.  I try not to spend too much time cleaning.  I need some rest or play time to help me recharge for the rest of the day.  And sometimes, every so often, I play Angry Birds.  True story.

How do you make naptime work?  And more importantly, how do you spend your naptime?

The Perfect Naptime Music

My husband bought this CD when I was pregnant with our first baby. We completely fell in love with it.

Fernando Ortega's The Shadow of Your Wings

You can buy it directly through his website by clicking here.

When our first baby entered toddlerhood and went through that fun stage where she had a hard time winding down for naps, we started playing this CD for her. If we had guests over and were concerned that the noise would keep her awake, we'd play it for her. It became a bedtime ritual for her.  Now our second baby is in that same stage of not wanting to nap, and Fernando Ortega is once again on our bedtime playlist.

What's not to love about it? It's gorgeous piano music that is soothing and scriptural. I love Fernando Ortega, and both Vince Gill and Alison Krauss sing with him on a couple of songs as well.

Here are the lyrics to one of his songs, Let the Words of My Mouth.  It's a combination of Psalm 19:14 and Philippians 4:8.

Let the words of my mouth
Be pleasing to You, pleasing to You
The meditation of my heart
Be pleasing to you, pleasing to You
Oh Lord, my strength
And my Redeemer

Whatever is true
Whatever is pure
Whatever is lovely
Whatever is worthy
Think on these things
Think on these things

Let the words of my mouth
Be pleasing to You
Pleasing to You

At 21 months, Isabelle would ask for "Peace" at bedtime, since the first song on this disc is "Grace and Peace." She could tell you that whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is worthy, "sink on dese tings" (think on these things). What a great message for anyone! And if I needed to rock her to bed, I could feel my frustrations easing as I listened to and meditated upon the Biblical lyrics on this album.

When we travel, we make sure we always have this music with us on either the ipod or on CD.  It's that wonderful!  We hit play and the kids conk out in the backseat while listening to "Grace and Peace."   

Bonus reason to love anything by Fernando Ortega:  I once commented on a blog he had written about songwriting.  I simply thanked him for his beautiful, biblical music and told him about Isabelle quoting his songs as a toddler.  Did he comment back on his blog?  No.  He found my blog on Facebook and commented personally so that I would see it!  He said that he and his wife got a kick out of my comment.  Such a classy guy.

And if you're like me and you love Fernando Ortega, you'll really enjoy this video.  This song isn't on The Shadow of My Wings album, but it's a lovely tribute to Ruth Bell Graham, Billy Graham's wife.  Warning:  You will cry.