Week 2 — Sunday, December 4

By Focus on the Family http://www.thrivingfamily.com

This week, light the first and second purple candles of your Advent wreath.

Scripture reading: Exodus 11:1-7; John 1:29
Activity:

Have your kids write a list of all the firstborn sons in the families they know. Include relatives, church friends and neighbors. Ask your children to imagine that those families would lose their eldest sons if they didn't follow certain instructions. That's exactly what happened during the first Passover in Egypt.

We often think of the Israelite homes as having escaped death. But really, death came to every home. For God's people, a lamb died in place of the firstborn son. This was a picture of how God would send His Son, Jesus, to be our Passover Lamb.

For more: This week only, download and enjoy part one of "Back to Bethlehem," an Adventures in Odyssey audio drama about Jewish customs in the days before the first Christmas.
Tell your kids that you are going to temporarily appoint their oldest sibling as a "go-between." Whenever you need to say something to the other…more


For Daily Activities Throughout the Week....... 

Put a washcloth in a bowl filled with water. Have your children take turns soaking the cloth and squeezing it into an empty glass. Who…more
Tie a small piece of red yarn or ribbon around each of your children's wrists. Ask them to think of one thing that the red string might remind them…more
Wrap your wedding ring in gift wrap. Then put a Christmas bow on a large empty box. Put both packages in different corners of the room…more
Cut a few crowns from thick paper covered with tinfoil. Encourage your children to wear the crowns, and discuss what decisions…more
Play hide-and-seek for a few minutes, allowing your kids to hide every time. After repeatedly finding your kids' hiding spots…more

Martha Stewart Kids, Holiday 2003
Craft Idea

 "The littler the better" is the philosophy of these presents -- and it's easy to make a bunch quickly. Kids can give them to friends and classmates, adding a small treat, such as a holiday note, candy, or trinket.
Matchboxes are available in bulk at grocery or discount stores. For a standard-size matchbox, cut a 33/4-by-2-inch band of decorative paper. Glue band around box; you can attach more paper to box ends. Embellish with string, stickers, or a thin strip of paper glued around box.

To make a card to go inside, cut a 2-by-21/2-inch piece of paper; trim edges with pinking shears, if desired, and fold in half.

"Blessed is the home where each puts the other's happiness first."

 

ADVENT

Week 1 — Day 1 — Sunday, November 27

by Focus on the Family

Begin with God's Word: Romans 1:20
Activity:

Lead your kids into a darkened room to read Genesis 1:1-26. (You may need a small flashlight.) When you arrive at verse 3, turn on the lights. As you read through the remaining verses, pass around items that offer glimpses of God's Creation — a leaf from a plant, magazine photos of fish and wildlife. You can challenge your older kids to research short videos online. Images of the planets and wildlife can be very inspirational. Explain that the Bible says we can see God's power and know He is real by all the things He has made.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. 

Peppermint Eggnog

Serve kids eggnog, jazzed up with peppermint extract, in candy-rimmed mugs.

Martha Stewart Kids

• Yield Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons more sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups whole milk
• 12 peppermint candy canes, broken into pieces
• 3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Peppermint sticks, for garnish

Directions

1. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and the extracts in large saucepan over medium-low heat until combined. Pour in milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking until fully incorporated. Raise heat to medium. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. Pour milk mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Set bowl in ice-water bath; let mixture cool completely. Transfer custard to an airtight container, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
3. Process candy canes in a food processor until finely crushed. Sift in a strainer to discard dust. Transfer to a shallow dish.
4. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let cool 5 minutes. Dip rim of each cup into melted chocolate, then crushed peppermint. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove custard from refrigerator; set aside. Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; mix on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into cold custard until combined. Fill cups with eggnog. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint, and garnish with peppermint sticks; serve.

"Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good and His love endures forever."

I Chronicles 16:34

 

Heart aches are never fun.  And this week has been rough on my heart, marking the 2nd anniversary of Mike's passing.

The time that goes by from last talking with him.  Since last being held in his arms.  From hearing his comforting voice........bleeds out my heart.

I miss his presence.  I miss his sense of humor.  I'm miss his friendship.  I miss the way my heart leaped when I saw him coming home to me.

I loved becoming grandparents together.  I loved how we played in the yard chasing those babies around and falling in a heap together in the grass, giggling.  I have so many sweet, precious memories, and cherish them with everything inside of me.  But... there are moments when I feel the void so deeply, it just plain hurts, seeing my children and grandchildren without Mike.

I played with both of my grandson's and granddaughter's this week.  With the boys, I purposely spoke of their PawPa "She-She."  I wanted them to remember his love for them.  And I wanted them to remember that heaven is a place where we all can be together again, if we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and receive Him as our Lord and our Savior one day.

They are young and still need time to completely see their need for a Savior, but Mike would be sharing this message and the Christmas story with them every Christmas morning, if he could...and I vow to follow in his footsteps.

Though loss is painful, I'm deeply grateful to God, for His love and provision for me.  He has brought a sweet and tender man into my life, to be a friend and companion, the remainder of our lives together.  It didn't come exactly as I had expected.  It certainly hasn't been easy at times, either.  But, Glenn has been such a blessing to me and I love him.

I'm not the only woman who has placed her faith and trust in her Lord, even when life, or the future, didn't make sense right away.  I'm just one of many in the Bible, who kept trusting, feeling unworthy of God's love and forgiveness.

I'm a broken vessel, full of holes.  I'm not bold or courageous...nor am I filled with fancy words or talent.  I'm only human, placing all my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sins. With that I receive His free gift of saving grace, and the promise of spending eternity in heaven with Him.

I have made many mistakes along the way in my life...and know I'm not perfect.  But I can honestly say, I have done my very best to do His will, to trust Him with all aspects of my life, confess my sins, and bring His name glory and honor.  I have never intended to hurt or offend anyone with sharing my heart. 

I have spent the past three years using this blog as an avenue to update everyone on Mike's health, progress and decline.  It has also been therapeutic in helping me walk through this broken road, but I'm beginning to feel this blog may have fulfilled its purpose and should close, or take off in a different direction.

Thank you for your prayers, for all of your cards, gifts and help.  There is no way I can possibly ever make that up to you.  I was undeserving, but humbly grateful.  I hope it suffices to know, it was always deeply appreciated, even if the pain of these last two years, kept me from sharing my heart the way you had hoped or expected.

Now, I need to move forward, the only way I know how.  One step at a time.  I pray God brings you love and blessing to the fullest.  I hope your holidays are filled with every joy.  I also pray you never have to walk this difficult journey ever, and that if you do, you are met with as much love and support as I have.  God has been good to me.

Mike, I will always love you with everything inside of me.  Lord, thank You for your unconditional love.  You are everything to me.

****************************************************

 Soaking up a little lovin...from my grandbabies recently.

My Four Legged Children

And I know these next couple of pictures may look like I've lost my mind, but...because of my pups skin problems recently, we've needed to shave them and they get cold and shiver.  So....everyone (Glenn's dogs included) got a little coat to wear...even though it isn't easy to get 4 dogs to pose for a picture!

Update on My Foot

I saw the orthopedic surgeon today in LR.  I broke two bones in my right foot last June while moving, and despite having the plaster casts and walking boot on for 10 weeks, it is believed they are still broken.  I have gotten by with walking on the outside of my right foot, keeping the weight off the ball of it.  One sesamoid bone may have fused to some degree, but xrays make it appear the other bone is still quite far apart.  So a CT scan is scheduled in LR, Dec. 5th, to determine what is actually there.  It is almost definite pins will be inserted during surgery, or the bones in question will be excised (or removed.)  So that's the latest on that! :-)  Should be good as new eventually!

In Loving Memory of Mike

November 20, 2009

 Missing you!