My Nativity Scene ( and last day to win give-away )

 Our family celebrations of Christmas are full of gift-giving, Christmas tree decorating, stockings hung on the fireplace mantle to be filled with little treats from Santa after Santa has made a special appearance in our home to talk to the grandchildren, the excitement in anticipating what will be under the tree Christmas morning, sharing Christmas dinner with family and eating all the special foods of the season....yet this is the focal point in our living room, our nativity scene.

"What child is this , who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping ? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet , while shepherds watch are keeping ? This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary."  hymn 'What child Is This ?'  ~traditional English melody set to text by William C. Dix

 

The nativity scene might be the focal point of our living room during the Christmas season , more importantly though is that Jesus, the Son of God , our Savior , is the focal point in my heart and life. I don't need a Christmas tree, Santa Claus, presents, or a nativity scene to know and celebrate Him. Jesus, the babe in the manger we celebrate at Christmas grew up and He said in Matthew 11:28~ 30 "Come to Me ,all who are weary and heavy-laden , and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you for I am gentle and humble in heart and you shall find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy , and My load is light."

 

Do you want an opportunity to win a pair of Wee Little Sheep * ? Tonight at midnight I will have my husband draw the names of any leaving comments on my blog out of his Santa hat. Your name will be entered for every comment left on my posts ( limited to 1 comment per post ). I will post the name of the winner the 21st.

 

 

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year ! (And a GIVE-AWAY )

It is the most wonderful time of the year, the month of December when our family celebrates Christmas. Yes, I do mean the whole MONTH ( plus ). Decorating usually begins just after Thanksgiving but our family plays Christmas carols year round. ( Picture above is of me and our daughter's three youngest children.)

I spent the last 9 days with our daughter and her 3 youngest children on a trip of her choosing, her birthday present to herself in celebration of a milestone birthday. I am honored she and my grandchildren wanted me to accompany them on their trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios. This was a gift for me too since she paid my expenses. We drove 20 hours each way ( not including stops for gas and rest-room breaks) to get there and back.

Do you like my mouse ears ? It is hard to see them in the picture because they match the tree ornaments, but my mouse ears light up and the lights blink showing snowflakes. I will be wearing them a lot this month.

I am happy to be home now and getting ready for Christmas festivities. In honor of this month of giving I am offering a give-away. I will be sending a pair of Wee Little Sheep* to the winner. I will enter anyone who leaves a comment on my blog beginning today through the 20th of December when I will draw the name of the winner out of Santa's hat. I will enter your name every time you comment ( limited to one comment per day ).

For our family Christmas is especially dear because our faith, our lives, our very being , rests in the person this holiday season is based on ~ Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour of all mankind who put their trust in Him. ( John 3:16) Yes we know He was probably not born on this day of this month and many Christmas festivities trace their beginnings to pagan roots. Yet my husband and I grew up celebrating Christmas with the knowledge we were celebrating the birth of our Saviour Jesus. We joyfully celebrated Him with our children and now celebrate with them and theirs. I am eagerly looking forward to this month and sharing good times with family and friends, including you, my blogging friends. Bless you all !

He Was Born To Die

This picture was taken a little more than 3 years ago of our youngest grandson being held just after his birth by one of his big sisters. She could not take her eyes off him, and when she did.. ...she could not help smiling with joy.She positively beamed every time she was near him.The whole family was joyful and this little boy is very happy & healthy. We have hopes for him, he already has goals & dreams of what he will do when he grows up. (something to do with cars and trucks I am sure) Have you ever considered the birth and future of the precious baby Jesus, who's birth we celebrate at Christmas by marveling at His miraculous birth ? His mother and family were every bit as happy at His birth, yet Mary knew His future. I must say, I used to try to forget His future when reading through the Bible,for it was a terrible death on a cross. Yet without the cross there would be no reason to celebrate His birth. He was born to die. "Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted, but He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4,5 "Jesus was born to die...so that I could be born again to new life. It is the miracle of a violent grace; God securing for us the priceless treasure of His grace -" 'A Violent Grace' by Michael Card * I will be playing with my grandchildren this week during their spring break, and have decided to not go near a computer until after Easter. May you all have a glorious celebration of His resurrection, which gives us the hope of eternal life in Him! John 3:16

If He Had Stayed

If He Had Stayed

If He had stayed where tender, caring hands had put Him, Wrapped around with linen and aromatic preparations, Stayed enclosed in the cool, dark rock, to sleep on, decayed and forgotten, while eternity rolled away into forever-ness. If He had stayed imprisoned behind the Roman seal, soon to be but another set of bones added to the numberless skeletons bred of earth, If He had stayed down where tradition laid His head, done with sight, and touch, and voice; Oh Beloved ! If He had stayed...excruciating contemplation! Hopelessness behind doom ahead, no gathering here today. Yet here we are, and it can't be said without enough power, not by human voice anyway; No, imagine it ringingly proclaimed by heaven's angelic hosts... ( He didn't stay ) He is risen ! poem by Audrey Yeager

"...and if Christ has not been raised , your faith is worthless; you are dead in your sins." I Corinthians 15:17 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable..." I Peter 1:3

Sorrow Becomes Joy

Our son's 4 daughters were able to travel to this side of the mountains for a glorious week with us and their 4 cousins ( our daughter & her husbands' children) who live close-by. As a grandma who loves to share her faith with them how could I resist spending every day with all 8 of our grandchildren? I decided to have a week long Vacation Bible School here, complete with fun crafts and of course leaving time for the 8 cousins to play together. Our Bible lessons centered on Jesus' triumphal entry on a donkey colt into Jerusalem, His last supper, His betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. On the day of the Butterfly Tea party ( previous post ) we watched an animated DVD of this Bible story after we had lunch. Above is a picture of one of our sweet granddaughters' reaction to the abuse Jesus suffered just before His crucifixion.

All 8 of the children ( and we adults too) became very quiet at the animated scenes of His crucifixion , some of the children hid their faces...

...but happiness and relief as we remembered He did not stay in the tomb. He's alive !

I taught Sunday School for many years and over those years I noticed the story of Jesus' death began to disappear from the Sunday School curriculum, instead focusing almost exclusively on His resurrection and the delights of spring time . The crucifixion was greatly minimized and sanitized so as to hold little or no importance at all. One curriculum went so far as to explain that we should not disturb the children with such sadness. I ask you, what then is the purpose or point of our faith ? Where is the hope,miracle, and joy of resurrection if there is no death? (Please know I am not speaking of graphic pictures and descriptions for little children, but a knowledge of the Bible story as it reads). ~"Fifty years ago, when some underground Christians in the church in Germany were asking many of the same questions about the cross, a man who would become a martyr asked, "How could something become cheap which cost God everything ?" Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave his life to remind us that the cross of Christ will forever remain the center of our faith. From the greatest of negatives flow all the positives of our new life in Christ : from conflict, peace ; from pain, healing ;from death, life." ~Michael Card- A Violent Grace "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations," Luke 24:46,47 "

I'll Fly Away One Day

"He will swallow up death in victory;and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off faces." Isaiah 25:8

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life" John 3:36

"And there is salvation in no one else ; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by that which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 "Truly, truly, I say to you he who believes in me has eternal life." Jesus~ John 6:47

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." Jesus ~ John 6:40

(pictures taken during a visit we and our grandchildren made to the cemetery in Tacoma where my father, a U.S. Army veteran of 2 tours in Korea, and 2 tours in Vietnam, is buried)

Easter,Day Of Celebration Because He Lives!

"Jesus said to her (Martha) , "I am the resurrection and the life ; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies , and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." John 11:25, 26

The Baby That Changed The World

In all the busy-ness of this time of year it is so easy to forget why we have set aside this time for celebration. I know our family tries to remember it is for celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. He was most likely not born in December , and so many more aspects of the commonly told 'Christmas story' are a bit different than scripture tells us, but one thing is sure. Jesus was born of a virgin and is the Son of God. He was raised by His earthly father, Joseph, and His mother Mary. He was crucified and arose from the the grave to be with His Father, as a Mediator and Savior for us all, we need only ask Him for salvation. It is so simple and yet so hard....because we need to admit we are in need of repentance and salvation, and that is a hard thing for so many of us. We so want to earn salvation OUR way, and in OUR time, in OUR conditions. Yet, He is merciful and righteous and sometimes we are able to forestall the inevitable and given time to slowly realize He was, is, and will eternally be God, Savior, our Redeemer, the Prince of Peace, Immanuel.... "...for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior , who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign unto you; you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2: 11,12

If He Had Stayed....by Audrey Yeager

~Trilliums growing in the woods at Cedar Pond~ ~If He Had Stayed ~ If He had stayed Where tender, caring hands had put Him, wrapped around with linen and aromatic preparations Stayed enclosed in the cool, dark rock, to sleep on, decayed and forgotten, while eternity rolled away into foreverness, If He had stayed imprisoned Behind the Roman seal, soon to be but another set of bones added to the numberless skeletons bred of earth... If He had stayed down where tradition layed His head, done with sight, and touch and voice... Oh,beloved! If He had stayed... excruciating contemplation! Hopelessness behind doom ahead no gathering here today Yet, here we are, and it can't be said with enough power, not by human voices anyway; No, imagine it ringingly proclaimed by Heaven's angelic hosts...( He didn't stay) He is risen! poem by Audrey Yeager