Check out my Beautifully Rooted post here.
St. Patty's Day Books
St. Patrick's Day is next Thursday. You can learn more about this Christian saint here. We especially love this children's book by Tomie dePaloa. It tells the story of St. Patrick and then also about several legends and stories that surround him.
One story that I especially love is how St. Patrick used a shamrock to teach people about the Holy Trinity. One day, while he was teaching, the people were having a hard time understanding how the Trinity worked/functioned/existed. Patrick looked down at his feet and saw a shamrock. He plucked it up and explained that the Trinity is like the shamrock: Each leaf represents one part--father, son and holy spirit--but they all share one stem are and are one being.
Consider making shamrock potato prints to illustrate the concept with your little ones.
Also, just want to use this opportunity to say how great dePaola's books are....here are a couple of other Irish-themed books.
Tutorial: Shamrock Potato Prints
St. Patrick's Day wouldn't be complete with out some shamrocks (or potatoes for that matter).
Supplies:
- potato
- small heart cookie cutter
- knife
- green paint
- paper for stamping
Cut about 1/4 off the length of the potato. Then insert the heart cookie cutter as deep as it will go. Use your knife to cut cleanly around the heart shape.
Dip your stamp in some green paint and you are in the shamrock business! Three hearts make a shamrock. Add a stem using a paint brush.
Learn about how St. Patrick used shamrocks to teach about the Holy Trinity in this post.
My Easter Soapbox
Easter is a big deal to me. You could say it's my soapbox. I preach "celebrate the season" to anyone who will listen.
I wasn't raised in a church that celebrated Lent. But in the last five years, it has become very significant to me. I'm not sure how it all started. I think it had to do with teaching my first-born Anne what Easter was really all about. I began to realize how little time and focus was given to Easter, particularly in the evangelical Christian community. I knew I would have to be intentional and get creative about practicing Lent in my home with my little sprouts. And that's how my Lent journey began.
So here it is....my Easter Soapbox speech. Hold on, let me climb up here and get the mike adjusted....
WHY YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE LENT
For many--and likely most of us--Easter involves one day, perhaps one weekend if you are traveling and dying eggs on Saturday night. Yet, Easter is the foundation of our Christian faith.
Consider: We take a whole month to celebrate Christmas. Advent calendar, anyone? It involves gifts, decorations, books, movies, songs, activities, parties. You name it, and at Christmas time, we do it.
What about Easter? We get the Easter bunny, egg hunts, chocolate (a very key factor), church on Sunday morning, family dinner after. Maybe, maybe some other Easter-related events, which usually take place at Sunday School or church or MOPS, but not really in our homes.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. I am all about God sending Baby Jesus down and giving us such a precious gift. But if Jesus just came and lived and that was it, our faith would be empty--really nothing. What sets Jesus apart is that he not only came, but that he lived a sinless life, died a horrible and shameful death on the cross for our sins (not his own)... Then, rose again on the third day--not only conquering our sin, but death itself.
As Saint Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14, "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."
Can I get an "AMEN!"
Without Easter—without the resurrection of Christ—there would be no Christian faith. Christ's resurrection is the proof of his divinity.
This is what Lent is all about. It's about taking a season (really just a little over a month) to reflect and celebrate. Don't you think it deserves some time on our calendars?
Now, I'm not trying to guilt anyone about into celebrating 40 days of Lent, fasting, giving up something on Ash Wednesday, etc. That's not where I'm going with this at all. I just want to encourage all you mamas out there to think of some simple, but meaningful, ways you can do just a little bit more during this season to teach your family about how incredible Easter is...making it a little more special, more anticipated, more meaningful.
Check out some books at the library.
Serve others in need.
Bake some special goodies.
Give gifts.
Talk to about sin, sacrifice and grace. (Even the youngest can begin to understand this Truth.)
Make some stuff.
Act out the Easter story.
Sing songs.
Have a party with friends.
Decorate your house.
Come, on mamas. Let's get our Easter on!
Ash Wednesday 2012
Today is the first day of Lent...the first day of 40 on the journey to Easter.
Today was a hard day...one where exhaustion wears heavy on bones...the kind where piles of dirty clothes loom large and energy is low. (Can I give up doing laundry for Lent?) I've been thinking all about this first day of Lent. I put on my Easter music mix and began to pray and ponder what lies ahead in the next 40 days.
Easter is a big deal to me. It's my soapbox. I wasn't raised in a church that celebrated Lent. But in the last five years, it has become very significant to me. I'm not sure how it all started, but I think it had to do with teaching my first-born Anne about what Easter was really all about. I began to realize how little time was spent on Easter versus Christmas, for example.
I desired to be intentional about taking a season to celebrate Easter with my children. And, as with many areas in parenting, the Lord refined me in the process. He spoke to my heart about how I would honor him in the 40 days.
And so we step into Lent 2012. I don't plan to give up something specific for Lent. But as I was praying today, the Lord told me he wanted me to be nearer.
I look up "draw near." And this appears:
"...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:22-23
Uhhhhh...yeah. Okay, that might be fitting for my Easter season.
I feel His calling to me to draw near, spend time with him. I've been doing my Bible Study and praying, but to be honest it's been half-hearted at best. Squeezed in, interrupted 5 times by kids, checked off the to-do list. I've not be drawing near.
And now he tells me to draw near...come close....spend time with me....listen.
This will mean I need to get up before the kids. It means I will have to go to bed and not watch episodes of Downton Abbey until 11:30 p.m. If I am to draw near, there are some things I will need to do or not do so that I can peel open my eyelids in the early a.m. And so there is a taking away of something, I suppose. A giving-up of sorts this Lent.
But I expect in the giving up and drawing near, there will be much gained.
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Get a free Easter/Lent devotional from Ann Voskamp.
I love this bowl-of-flour idea, also from Ann.
Other Mustard Seeds posts having to do with Lent:
Come meet some new friends
I'd love for you to come and meet some new friends. Come and visit Beautifully Rooted. It's a new blog community created by Rachel and Heather.
It's a place where we can celebrate the journey that God had us on. There are four categories: Believe (faith journey), Create (creative inspiration), Nurture (parenting) and Nourish (home/food). There is a group of about 27 real women (like you) who will write posts for these categories. I'll be there too, contributing to the Nurture section.
I'm gonna quote Heather here cause she said it best:
"A site dedicated to helping you become deeply and Beautifully Rooted in Christ so that you can unlock your journey through Him....Whether it's through writing, singing, photography, art, knitting, crafting, baking, cooking, parenting; the list of ways to create just goes on and on. We think those God-given talents should be celebrated, supported and continually fueled..."
Posts change about three times a day so check it frequently. You can like it on Facebook, too, so you can see when the posts are updated.
Come, visit, enjoy. I am so thrilled to be a part of this special place and to get to know these other women. Won't you join me? Let's get rooted.
What is Advent?
Okay, I know Thanksgiving is still to come, but it is time to start thinking about Advent.
Advent means "the coming" or "the arrival" and is marked by the four weeks leading up to Christmas. This year Advent begins on Sunday, November 27.
As with Lent at Easter, Advent is not just about one day of celebration. It is about a season of anticipation, expectancy and excitement for the big event at the end. It doesn't mean that we get even crazier, adding more to our Christmas plate. It's the reverse. Getting back to the simply (but momentous) significance of Christmas: the birth of a God-child sent down to earth in order that we (through his later death and resurrection) could be restored in relationship with the Lord.
“Even we—who genuinely love Christmas—often miss the point. Content with candles and carols and good food, we bask in the warmth of familiar traditions, in reciprocated acts of kindness, and in feelings of general goodwill. How many of us remember the harsh realities of Christ's first coming: the dank stable, the cold night, the closed door of the inn? How many of us share the longing of the ancient prophets, who awaited the Messiah with such aching intensity that they foresaw his arrival thousands of years before he was born?” ---Watch for the Light
Advent is not only by a time of preparation to celebrate the first arrival of Jesus as a baby in a manger, but to look ahead to the second Advent--his return to earth.
There are many wonderful, simple and practical ways to share anticipation of Advent with our Children: books, play, decorations, music and more. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing those ideas, in hopes that you can "prepare" now, and more fully enjoy the season.
Scriptures for Prayer Cards
I thought I would share some of the scriptures I'm praying for my family. Take the verses and insert the names of your family members and stick them on your prayer cards (see tutorial).
MY KIDS:
And this is my prayer for you, Jack: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Phil. 1:9-11
Help me to discipline Jack for in that there is hope; do not let me be a willing party to his death. Prov. 19:18
Help Jack to be self-controlled. Let him show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose the gospel may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about him. Titus 2:6-8
Father, give Beth the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that she may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:16-1
Clothe Beth in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col. 3:12
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, Anne, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience... col 1:9-11
Clothe Anne in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Col. 3:12
Help Anne, Jack and Beth to listen to their father’s instruction and not forsake their mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace Anne, Jack and Beth's head and a chain to adorn their neck. Prov. 1:8-9
Help us discipline Jack, Anne and Beth, so they will give us peace; so they will bring delight to our souls. Proverbs 29:17
I pray that Anne, Jack and Beth will choose their friends carefully, for the way of the wicked lead will them astray. Prov. 12:16
Count Anne, Jack and Beth as your people, and be their God. Give them a singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear you for their own good and for the good of their children. Make an everlasting covenant with Anne, Jack and Beth. Never stop doing good to them, and inspire them to fear you so that they will never turn away from you. Jer. 32:39-40
Surround Anne, Jack and Beth with friends who will sharpen them as iron sharpens iron. Prov. 27:17
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MATT & ME
Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90: 12-17
Finally, sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—help me think about such things. Phil. 4:8
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe Matt and me with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Let us bear with each other and forgive one another if any of us has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave us. And over all these virtues let us put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Col. 3:12-14
Lord, where Matt and I lack wisdom, we ask you, God, to give it generously without finding fault. James 1:5
Give Matt understanding, so that he may keep your law and obey it with all his heart. Direct him in the path of your commands, for there he finds delight. Turn his heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn his eyes away from worthless things; preserve his life according to your word. Psalm 119:34-37
Let Matt call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, for if he looks for it as for silver and searches for it as for hidden treasure, then he will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:3-5
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For more on praying scripture for your kids, check out Jodie Berndt's Praying the Scriptures for Your Children.
Tutorial: Prayer Cards
I've been feeling God's calling to pray more DILIGENTLY for my family. While I've kept a journal with names and requests for many years, I felt I needed something more tangible for my prayer time. I was inspired by a woman in my small group who has a note card for each of her family members with requests written on the back. So I took the idea and ran with it.
I wanted to see the faces of the people I'm praying for, so I used my Shutterfly.com account and printed out 4x6 photos to put on the front of my cards.
But I've also been feeling called to specifically pray scripture. So on the back of my prayer cards I have scriptures that I pray specifically for that person.
Then, I decided to make sets for each of my kids. They can learn to pray for others, too. Their cards don't have anything on the backs, just the pictures of family members and their friends. Some day I hope they look back on the cards and remember praying for their friends, Annalise or Ben, when they were only 5 years old.
Are they a little time-consuming? A little. There is definitely some prep involved--collecting and printing out pictures (luckily most of mine were already uploaded to Shutterfly), selecting scriptures, etc. BUT I have to say, it is TOTALLY worth it. These will be used for years to come.
The tutorial below is a guideline but here are some variations and suggestions:
- I used actual photos, but you could consider just writing the name of the person on the front of the card.
- Have your child draw a picture of the person.
- I laminated the cards so they would last for the long haul, but I have added un-laminated notecards behind the photos so I can write requests (and praises for answered prayers).
- I made custom covers for the front of the card sets at www.picnik.com. Just upload your photo, write over it using their fonts, save it and then print it out.
Materials:
- 4x6 index cards
- 4x6 photos of family members
- permanent spray adhesive
- verses/scriptures printed out (you could also write them by hand)
- hold punch
- binder rings
- scraps of fabric and ribbon (optional)
Outside (a well-ventilated area), spray your photos with the adhesive and place them on one side of the card.
Then, do the same with the verses you have printed out, placing them on the opposite side of the cards.
Laminate the cards (if you wish).
Then, punch a hole in the corner.
Put them on your ring.
Using scraps of fabric, riboons, twine, etc. decorate your binder ring.
Knot the ribbons around the ring.
Lovely!
Jack's boy-ish "ribbons" (leather strips and twine).
Here is my set of cards. I opted not to decorate the ring because I want to be able to flip the cards completely around the ring while I am on the treadmill.
I'll do a post tomorrow sharing some of the scriptures I'm praying for my family.
And here are my cards in action. I have been using them on the treadmill in the mornings. But the laminated cards are also helpful when I spill my coffee at the breakfast table.The great thing about these sets of cards is how easy they travel--to the gym, in your purse, on a trip.
Baby Bag Lady
My baby loves handbags. I mean LOVES. About a month a go, I found her crawling around the house with this little purse on her arm. She literally crawled around with it for about an hour. Anytime she finds my purse or one of Anne's around the house, she grabs it, lugs it up on her arm and goes for a crawl. (No officially walking yet.)
The other day at Target, she sat in the cart and held her little purse practically the whole time we were in the store. Love my little shopper.
