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In 2007, I began my original website, Sonshine's Haven. In 2007, it was turned into a blog and used to keep family updated on my first husband's fight with liver cancer. He passed away November of 2009. We were married for 34+ wonderful years and this journals some of that grief process I've gone through.

I have since remarried another widower, but Mike is missed dearly, and will always be a big part of my life.

At times, all of us will be called to act as witnesses to the suffering of another. We will be unable to affect the outcome physically. Words will fail us. Prayer will seem futile. And yet, the act of bearing witness to someone else's trials is a sacred sorrow that offers and astounding glimpse of eternal joy." by Ginger Garrett

"Being willing to stay with a loved one throughout their travail, can be difficult....YES! But offering yourselves as faithful companions on a dark and dreadful journey can be an unmeasured blessing." (paraphrased by me)

12.20.2011

"Wintersong"
by  Sarah McLachlan 

The lake is frozen over
The trees are white with snow
And all around
Reminders of you
Are everywhere I go

It's late and morning's in no hurry
But sleep won't set me free
I lie awake and try to recall
How your body felt beside me
When silence gets too hard to handle
And the night too long

And this is how I see you
In the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
As you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by

Oh I miss you now, my love
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Merry Christmas, my love

Sense of joy fills the air
And I daydream and I stare
Up at the tree and I see
Your star up there

And this is how I see you
In the snow on Christmas morning
Love and happiness surround you
As you throw your arms up to the sky
I keep this moment by and by
 
 
Advent Calendar-  ThrivingFamily.com
 
Monday, December 19
 
Joseph and Mary's trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem was more complicated than a holiday road trip to see relatives. The total distance they traveled was only about 80 miles, but since Joseph was walking and Mary (pregnant with Jesus) was riding a donkey, it took them almost a week to make the trip.

Activity:
To help your kids better understand Joseph and Mary's journey, use an atlas or online program such as Google Maps to plot the way to a destination about 80 miles from your house. If your children were traveling on foot, what obstacles might they face along the way? Where would they sleep? What would they eat and drink?


Tuesday, December 20

Cut out the shape of an angel, no more than 5 inches high, in a piece of dark construction paper. Then help each childcut an angel shape in his own paper. Give everyone a flashlight and dim the room. Using your flashlight, read Luke 2:8-14. When you get to verse 9, shine the flashlight beam through your paper so that an angel appears on the wall. When you read verse 13, have the whole family project their own angels onto the wall.
Angels are God's messengers. Throughout history, they have delivered important messages to various people. But a "great company" of angels announced the most important event since the beginning of the world — Christ's birth! 


Wednesday, December 21

Encourage your children to dress up like shepherds. Help them put on a bathrobe or large towel secured with a belt. Place a smaller towel on their heads, and hold it in place with a bandana or headband.
Explain that shepherds were considered unimportant men. So it was a surprise that God chose them to be the very first to hear the message of Jesus' birth. This surprise announcement showed that baby Jesus was a gift for all people, not just for the rich and famous.


Thursday, December 22

The Magi were distinguished men from the Far East who traveled a great distance to honor Jesus after His birth. They followed a star that eventually
led them to the Christ child.

Activity:
Take your children on a journey throughout your home, searching for the hidden star in each room. These could be star ornaments, stickers or simply stars drawn on paper. Conclude your search in front of your Christmas tree, and consider allowing each child to place the star of his or her choice on the tree as a symbol of your (and the Magi's) journey.


Friday, December 23

Jesus was born in a stable and was laid in an animal's feeding trough. While this isn't the place you would expect a king to sleep, it was allJoseph and Mary had available on this miraculous night.

Activity:

Using bedsheets, create a "stable" big enough for the family to huddle in. Use a flashlight for a lantern, and choose stuffed animals for the animals that may have been present when Jesus was born. Talk with your children about the sights, sounds and smells of the stable. This humble dwelling was the birthplace of our Savior and King.
For more: Sing the classic Christmas carol "Silent Night" together.

Advent ends on Saturday, December 24, at midnight. The following is an activity you and your family can do to begin your Christmas Day celebration!
Scripture reading: Matthew 2:7-12; John 3:16
Activity:
On Christmas Eve, after your children are asleep, place the Jesus figurine from your Nativity scene in a beautifully wrapped box. Put this box in front of all the other presents under the tree. On Christmas morning, have your kids open this present first. Thank God for His perfect gift — His one and only Son — as you lay the figurine in the manger. Discuss the amazing truth that this gift is not for just a few select families, but for every family in the world — past, present and future.
 Celebrate Christ's birth as you light the white candle and sing your favorite carols. Merry Christmas!
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