Christmas Ornaments

I love Christmas ornaments and decorating the tree! It is something I look forward to as soon as the tree emerges from the downstairs storage room.

When I was growing up our tree was adorned with wooden ornaments my mom had painted. We also hung the metal icicles that twirled and caught the lights from the tree. Our first Christmas we didn't have a tree, so we hung ornaments that Tom's mom had handed down to us from the railing in the hallway. It didn't quite meet my need to decorate!Once our children were born they each received a "baby's 1st Christmas ornament". After that, we continued with the "Hallmark" collection up to 5 years old. Once our children reached their 6th Christmas we let them choose their own ornaments...that is, until some very unusual ornaments were chosen.

I knew that I wanted their ornaments to go with them once they left the house...something for them to take with them to adorn their first Christmas tree, but I also wanted their ornaments to reflect what Christmas really means.
From then on, I began shopping for ornaments to give to my children at Christmas time (usually I would shop for ornaments the day after Christmas and find some great deals for the next year!) As I searched I would look for ornaments that would have a symbol of Christmas...a star, a nativity scene, a cross, etc).
I also bought them each a small Rubbermaid storage box to keep their ornaments in. Each year there is much anticipation once the boxes are in sight. It is such a delight to hear their excitement as they open up their box and dive into their ornaments. They love it and I enjoy hearing their memories from one Christmas to the next.

I also love that once they leave home, they will take the story of the true meaning of Christmas with them. Perhaps they will be able to share with a neighbor or a friend what their ornaments mean. And I hope that they will be able to begin to influence the next generation for Christ with something as simple as a Christmas ornament.

Christmas Jammies

One gift on Christmas Eve...

When Tom and I first got married we discovered that our ideas about Christmas and gift giving were different (big surprise!). My family always went to my Grandma's house on Christmas Eve. We always had potato soup for dinner, Grandma's special pies for dessert, and after all the dishes were washed, dry, and put away we would open Christmas presents. The only thing left on Christmas morning were stockings to open.

Tom's family did things quite different. They didn't open any presents on Christmas Eve. Everything was done on Christmas morning followed by a big Christmas dinner.

Well, we had to come to terms with our differences and to begin forming our own traditions. At first we celebrated with my family on Christmas Eve and his family on Christmas Day.

Once our daughter was born we started to do things a little differently. One family we knew told us they always opened one gift on Christmas Eve...a new pair of PJs. I loved the idea. We still could open up a gift, and everyone would have nice, clean jammies for pictures on Christmas morning.

The first several years all the jammies were very Christmas-looking. But as the years have progressed the PJs have started to be just new, not necessarily looking like Christmas. It is amazing how something so simple, is something that all the kids have looked forward to each year!

A Christmas Tradition? I Hope So...

A Wonderful Surprise

A year ago at Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful guest in our home. She was far away from family and couldn't make it home for the holiday, so we invited her to spend Thanksgiving with us. After a day full of fun, baking, and feasting, I went to bed tired but happy.

The next morning I awoke to a wonderful surprise. The Christmas tree was up in the living room. I assumed that my husband had taken it out and set out the kids' ornament boxes as a surprise. As I walked through the house however, I noticed things weren't just out...they were decorated! I knew that Tom wouldn't have done it...Christmas elves (in the form of three late night teenagers) had decorated as a gift. And what a wonderful gift it was!

This year I was hopeful that my elves would return. Our guest wasn't here this year, so I wasn't sure if two elves would do the job. As I walked out into the living room this morning I was thrilled to see that two elves had again visited...and this time, they made (and decorated Christmas cookies as well!)

The snow was falling outside too...so it feels like a white Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. What fun!

(I'm wondering whether once "elves" go to college if they still decorate, or if they pass on their decorating job to the younger "elves"!)

Puzzled

Have you ever tried to put something together without directions? I am usually pretty good at solving a puzzle. Today however, was a different story.

I went to church today to put together a puppet theater. It was constructed of PVC pipe, connectors, and a red & white tent top. I had seen the finished product, so I was confident I could easily reassemble the theater. I was so wrong!

I made a few critical mistakes:

1. I didn't know that the theater was put together with 3 different sizes of PVC pipe. (They all looked the same at the start!)
   
2. I didn't realize that when someone had taken it apart, some pieces were put back together with connectors that didn't belong to them.
3. I didn't have the directions or blueprints.
4. I didn't have the help from the one who put it together in the first place.

After working on it for quite awhile and becoming frustrated, a friend walked by and said, "You know, I think I saw the directions for that theater in another room. Would you like them?" Immediately I said, "YES!" She went and got the directions and I could easily see my mistakes. I now knew where the two longest pieces belonged. I saw that the structure for the tent top had been put together with the wrong length of pipe. I also saw where each of the connectors belonged. Within minutes the puppet theater was assembled and it looked exactly like I remembered it.

Isn't life so similar? We go through life knowing what we want or what we think life should be like. We try things on our own, determined we can figure it out and get the results we want. But it doesn't work that way. Trying to do life on our own is much like me trying to put together the puppet theater without the directions.

1. God has designed each one of us uniquely. There is a purpose and a plan for your life and for mine. Trying to figure out life without understanding all the pieces is frustrating.
2. There are some things in life that are not for my best. In trying to put my life together I may try to connect with some things that are not for my best. Just like the pieces that were put together by someone else, they don't belong.
   
3. In order for life to be all that God intended, we need the blueprints or directions. God has given us His Word, the Bible. When we use that as a guide for our lives, it gives the direction we need to have a life with purpose and meaning.
4. God is the designer and we need Him in our lives. Imagine how easy it would have been if the designer of the puppet stage had been with me. He could have shown me what each piece was meant for and put the stage together as it was designed. God wants to do that for you too. He designed you and knows you best. He wants to show you how much He loves you and wants to show you what is best for your life.
   

When my friend walked by and asked if I wanted the directions I could have said, "No thanks, I think I'll figure this out." But that would have been foolish. There were things I didn't understand about the design. The same is true about life. We need the One who designed life to be in our lives, giving us direction and the life that He has planned for us.

Are you tired of doing life your own way?

God designed you. He made you to be in relationship with Him. However, when we choose to do things our own way without God it is called sin and sin keeps us from God. In His plan, He made a way for us to be forgiven. That was through His Son Jesus, who came to earth to die in our place for all the wrong things we have done. Nothing we can do can get us to God. He made the one and only way through His Son.

Would you like God, who created you, to be in your life and give you the hope and help you need? It is really quite simple. It is seeing your need for God and asking Him to be a part of your life.

If you would like to have God in your life you can pray right now. You can pray something like this...
"Dear God, I am tired of trying to do life my own way. I need you in my life. I realize that you have made me and have a purpose for my life. I know that I have done many things that have kept me away from you. Please forgive me for all the wrong things I have done in my life. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus to die in my place on the cross. I receive you now as Lord and Savior. Please come into my life and make me the kind of person you want me to be."

If you prayed that prayer congratulations. God is now in your life! I'd love for you to comment below and I'd love to give you some tools to help you on your new life with God.

Happy Birthday Whitney

Happy 6th Birthday Whitney!

Your life is truly a gift from God. When I look back at your life and the incredibly tough beginning you had as a newborn, I am reminded of the grace of God. Everything seemed so normal after you were born. We held you, prayed over you, and just enjoyed new little you. Many hours later, things took a drastic change... We learned words like "respiratory distress" that soon moved into "respiratory failure". You were transported to Children's Hospital where you were monitored closely for several weeks.

We camped out in the NICU waiting room for a week, and then took turns going to the hospital to be with you, and pray over you. We wanted to hold you but you were too sick. We could touch you and talk to you, but we wanted to bring you home. It was such a joy when you started getting better and stronger. I remember seeing your eyes for the first time in weeks! Several weeks later we finally got to take you home (attached to oxygen of course!) We had to learn how to walk through the house without tripping on your oxygen tube (and how to carry you upstairs without the tube getting tangled or caught on anything. We also kept your oxygen level monitored with your "ET" light.

You were such a happy baby...Even with all the trips back to Children's Hospital to monitor your heart and lungs. What a joy when we finally got the okay to remove the oxygen tube! Looking at you today, no one would ever know the trials you experienced during your first year of life. You are indeed a blessing! We love you!

The Hidden Places of the Heart

A nearby campground was recently closed due to a hidden danger. Root rot, a fungus, was attacking healthy-looking fir trees. Trees that had weathered many storms were now a danger from something that most people would never see. Trees that once gave protection could now pose a threat to those who camped nearby. To keep people safe the trees would have to be cut down. The diseased trees would be eliminated, and not only those trees but also trees that were nearby because their roots were also entwined with the diseased trees.

As I read the article in the newspaper it struck me that homes today are in a very similar state. From the outside a home may look stable, but inside there could be something eating away at the heart and soul of the family. I have seen families that look "perfect" and later see a spouse walk away from the family. Not only does the immediate family feel the impact, but also families that are close to the one that has crumbled.

What causes such disease in our homes today? Is it pornography? Bitterness? Disappointment? Distractions? There are so many things that can be the start of a disease, but nothing is impossible to treat...unless, we harbor it in our hearts and cling on to the sin. The hidden places of our hearts is where the "root rot" can form and grow in secret and silence. We might fool others, or even ourselves, but we can never hide from God. In 1 Samuel 16:7b it says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

How can a person prevent root rot from growing in his or her life?

• Keep short accounts with God. Make a regular habit of confessing your sins and asking God to search your heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24
• Have a godly person in your life that your are totally transparent with. (Men to men and women to women).
• Stay in the Word. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

Guitar Praise

One year at Pine Cove Family Camp the theme night was "What you want to be when you grow up". Caleb chose "Astare". Here is a picture of a future Pine Cove staffer!