We began our Christmas movie marathon yesterday with three great ones: Miracle on 34th St., The Grinch and It’s a Wonderful Life. We watched Elf a couple weeks ago but I’m sure it will play a few more times throughout the season. We seem to be starting early this year with just about everything. We did the majority of our Christmas shopping online on Black Friday. I like to get all the shopping and planning done early so that there is more time to relax and enjoy a peaceful season. The boys and I will be making our annual advent chain this afternoon as well as compiling a list of our favorite traditions and putting them on the calendar to ensure we don’t miss anything important to us.
Every year we work to be intentional, not to get sucked into the commercialism and to focus on what truly matters. Overall, I feel like we have created a good balance but there is much room for improvement. I love that my boys don’t make Christmas “wish lists” a mile long! They typically only mention 2 or 3 things they would like to have and their requests are quite reasonable. Both boys focus much more on what they want to get for each other and how to bless other family members.
One of our goals this season is to focus on God’s graciousness and His very apparent blessings in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for and are blessed beyond measure. What more could we want or need?
for awhile now. I originally started checking out her blog for her beautiful and amazing photography but over the last few months her writing has been profound and thought provoking. I am so inspired by her response to the shocking news of her husband’s diagnoses of a large and inoperable brain tumor.
“As a Christian, we should lovingly and sincerely have concern for many people and their many circumstances. Our hearts should ache for the pain and trouble that others experience in life. This concern should compel us to speak truth into their life, which can include everything from pointing out sin to giving wise counsel, and intercede for them before God in prayer.
Still, as a Christian we cannot take responsibility for everyone and everything for which we have concern. As finite beings, there is only so much we can do and we must discern whom God has called us to help and how God has called us to help them. When we take responsibility for people and things we ought not, we are sinning by taking off someone’s shoulders a load God has called them to carry and sinning against our own health, family, and priorities by offering to carry it for them.
I envision that everyone has a backpack with responsibilities that God has given for him or her to carry. Some people’s backpacks are big, and others are small. Nonetheless, God has called us each to fill up our pack with specific responsibilities. Some people are lazy and try to take things out of their pack and get others to carry them instead….
“Tragically, for many, the whole definition of someone being loving, godly, and spiritual is that they are willing to carry the loads God has called others to carry. This is not ministry. This is co-dependency, co-idolatry, and sin.”
First of all, I must say that nine is not my favorite age. For both of my boys it’s been rough. Lots of attitude, lots of pushing back, lots of pretending to not hear instructions. Caleb is right in the thick of it. My sweet, snuggly, sensitive baby boy has become brooding and cranky at times. Several times I have found myself wondering how to get to his heart, how to love him back to a place of tenderness and obedience. Overall, I know it’s just a stage and that we are incredibly blessed. The boys are really, really great kids but there are moments that I look at them with a “Where did you come from?” look.
Today the boys were in desperate need of a break from each other and a little down-time in each of their rooms. I didn’t really care how they spent time during their break as long as they were apart and there was no conflict. After a little while I checked in on them and found Sean reading and I could hear Caleb playing his guitar from upstairs. When I told them their break was over, Caleb wanted to show Sean and I the song he wrote while he was in his room. I wasn’t prepared for what he began to softly sing as he played his guitar.
“Lord I know that you love me more than anything in this world.
You gave me more than I could ask for and all I can do is thank You.
Oh, Lord you died to save me.
I open up my heart to You because I love You.
Even though you discipline me I know You love me.
You are my God and that will stay as I wait for that day.
When I am down You lift me up because You love me.
When I am wrong all I can give to You is a simple song to say I love you.”
It is so encouraging to know that no matter what happens, no matter how much my boys push limits and test boundaries, they have a strong foundation. They belong to Jesus and for that I am incredibly grateful. What I want more than anything else in this world is for my boys to really know the God who created them and loves them more than their dad and I ever could.
This is the final message in the Peasant Princess series from Mars Hill Church in Seattle. I have learned so much and been challenged each of the last 10 weeks through the study of The Song of Songs. I had no idea how much that little book had to say about dating, relationships, marriage, family, forgiveness, and parenting. This entire sermon series has been so good and this message was one of my favorites. It is full of very practical and helpful parenting instruction– especially for those parenting daughters.
Cam and I spent Friday night and half of today at the Biblical Parenting Conference, hosted by Mars Hill Church in Ballard. We learned so much and a were reminded of some things we need to work on. God spoke very personally to each of our hearts about areas that need some attention. The speaker, Tedd Tripp, wrote the book Shepherding a Child’s HeartLeui ting jin ging divx
. I read the book this summer and have found it to be full of wisdom and very practical. I would highly recommend the book and the content from the conference which will all be posted soon and for free on The Resurgence websiteUnfaithful dvdripdownload Two Tigers
Cory went back to Guatemala for another few weeks. He is working at Kairos House and The Potter’s House ministries. We are really proud of Cory and his heart to serve. He has a huge heart for little kids and is very generous and compassionate.
Kairos House cares for children and families who need long term care at the hospital but do not have a place to stay while they are seeking treatment for illnesses- mainly cancer. The Potter’s House ministry reaches out to the children and families living in the Guatemala City dump.
Please join us in praying for God’s protection and provision for Cory and these ministries.
He let me record him playing the song but I haven’t really figured out how the newest version of imovie works so I will have to post it later. 