Do you value "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle ... "

"The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."  How often do we hear these words?  Often enough for them to totally loose their impact. As a full time stay at home Mom it's so easy to loose sight of the true value of our positions.

Last night I joined a group of five mom's for a night out to see Mom's Night Out. It was a gentle nudging reminder that "I am His master piece and that is enough."

"You all spend so much time beating yourselves up it must be exhausting. Let me tell you something Girl.  I doubt the good Lord made a mistake giving your kiddo's the Mama He did. So you just be you, He'll take care of the rest." - Bones (Mom's Night Out)

The movie scene of Ally & Bones was the scene of the movie that hit home the truth of the depth of the Father's love for us Mom's and just how much time we loose each day in beating ourselves up.  He finishes up saying "It's a beautiful thing to watch one of God's creation just doing what He made it to do. Just being ... and that's enough." - Bones.

Think about it.  It's a beautiful thing to watch something just being what it was created to be and do.  We do not need to be like the Mom next door or on the next blog.  We need to be who we are.  Just be. It's only hard work to be something you're not ...

Mama take some time to really BE who you are.  Rest in who you are and who He created you to BE.  Stop striving to BE someone else you will never succeed.

You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.  In Him you live and move and have your being.

Be blessed and enjoy BEING who He made you Mama and the children whom He blessed you with.



After the movie last night we looked up the words for The Hand That Rocks The Cradle and were impressed with the poem it's from.

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

Cradle Song
Artist Rudolf Schweitzer-Cumpana

The Hand that rocks the Cradle
Is The Hand That Rules The World
Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace,
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Infancy's the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mother's first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow--
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.


Woman, how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky--
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.

--William Ross Wallace

Raising a Delinquent or Saint

Today in the car I heard this poem which really got me thinking

12 Rules for Raising Delinquent Children

1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living. 
2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he’s cute.
3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let "him decide for himself".
4. Avoid the use of "wrong". He may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.  
5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility on others. 
6. Take his part against neighbors, teachers, and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child. 
7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they won’t be so shocked when the home is broken up later.  
8. Give the child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own
9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that his every sensual desire is gratified.
10. Let him read any printed material, and listen to any music he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.
11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize to yourself by saying, "I could never do anything with him."
12. Prepare for a life of grief. You will likely have it.

Taken from a pamphlet entitled Twelve Rules for Raising Delinquent Children distributed by the Houston Police Department. 1959.(Source Snopes)

When I was googling the words for the poem I came upon a Father Alexander who wrote the following.

Although the list above certainly provides thoughtful and detailed guidelines on how to flunk at parenthood, I felt, somehow, that the conclusion was depressing, to say the least. Consequently, I wrote the following "Positive Response" - since it's not easy to be the parent of a juvenile delinquent, others might be encouraged to choose a method of parenting which, though equally arduous, is at least more positive and rewarding. 

 I do confess I agree with him.  He then wrote the following:

How to raise an Orthodox Christian, and, possibly, a saint

1. When the child is yet young, begin to train him/her in sympathy and consideration for others and in unselfishness. By these means he/she will grow up to understand that the material things of this world are not the most important things for Orthodox Christians. Your life-style and example will be the greatest influence on your child in this matter
2. Teach your child how to chant the psalms and the hymns of the Church. This will encourage him or her to learn to love the holy services, and to reject the foul language and immodest songs that are so widespread today in our society. Your example in this will have the greatest influence on your child.
3. Never cease from finding occasions to train your child in spiritual matters and in the love of God and others, and always bring them to the Church. When we were small, we were never asked "if" we were coming to church - or anywhere else, for that matter. The fact that we were going to church was a foregone conclusion. Your child must learn this from the very earliest years. If you wait until your child reaches adolescence, it will already be far too late
4. Teach your child the meaning of the words "right" and "wrong," "sin" and "virtue," "truth" and "falsehood" ; also teach your child to know the Church's Faith, and to recognize erroneous belief. In this manner, your child's understanding and spiritual discretion will grow as the years go by, and he/she will be prepared for the future, even if he/she has to endure hate and persecution for his/her convictions.
5. Give your child spiritual duties appropriate to his/her age and understanding. These could include such activities as reading the Lives of the Saints written for your child's level, or reciting some of the evening prayers together with the rest of the family, or fasting and making prostrations, or helping out in church if he or she is old enough.
6. Aside from providing your child with plenty of Orthodox spiritual literature appropriate for his/her age, make sure that material of an impure or inappropriate nature is not in your home. Unfortunately, today this includes most of television programming. Remember: whatever goes in, comes out. Your example in this matter will have the greatest influence on your child.
7. Your own life-style, your personal tastes, your words, the books you read, the music you listen to, and the things that draw your interest and attention will all speak louder to your child than anything else. Hallow your child's eyes with the holy icons. Sanctify his hearing with the holy hymns, his sense of smell with sacred incense, and his entire body and soul with the holy Mysteries. If your home is a haven of spiritual sanity, love, and peace, your child will know where to turn when he or she inevitably encounters the blasphemous, shocking, and sordid things that fill our society. Teach your child the Jesus Prayer. In connection with this last matter, I remember the following story:
   
   Some twenty years ago, on the Greek island of Oinoussae, which lies opposite the large Aegean island of Chios, there was a married priest who served the spiritual and liturgical needs of the sacred Convent of the Annunciation there. This clergyman had four or five children, and every morning he lined them up for a "review." He interrogated them to learn if they had, upon arising from bed, made the sign of the cross, said their prayers, washed their faces, brushed their teeth, scrubbed behind their ears, and dressed nicely and appropriately. Then he would wave his prayer rope in front of them and ask "And now, children, what is this?" Holding their prayer ropes in their hands, the children would lift them in a salute, and cry aloud "Our weapons!"
8. Instruct your child in alms giving and compassion towards those who are in need. And teach them also that they should help in house duties and, if they are old enough, that they should labor at various odd jobs, so that they may learn from an early age that, as the Holy Apostle Paul tells us, one who does not labor should not eat. Idleness and affluence together have, in our society, destroyed countless young people and led them into sin and even an early death. Never be ashamed to say to your child: "We can't afford it."
9. Teach your child by your own example - and by the examples found in the Holy Scriptures and the Lives of the Saints - that abstinence from food and drink and personal comforts is a noble and beautiful thing, taught to us by our Saviour Himself and by the Saints. Aside from being good for our souls, austerity is also good for our little planet. Whenever I visit our parish of Saint Nectarios in Seattle, there is Divine Liturgy every day. After the service on weekdays, a group of us usually go to a nearby restaurant to have a cup of coffee, a muffin, etc. Over the years, the waitresses have learned about our fast days - "Oh, okay, it's one of those days," they say, when our orders are particularly small. "Yes," I reply, "it's a Low Environmental Impact Day."
10. Be fair if it should ever happen that your child gets into a dispute with another child, or with teachers, or with other authorities. If your child is wrong, he/she is wrong, and show him/her, together with your love and support, why he/she is wrong. Your child will learn something of God's justice from your example.
11. As the years pass, if you persist faithfully in these matters, as you must, you will discover, much to your surprise, that you have grown spiritually also. Saint Paul was quite serious when he said that "a woman shall be saved by childbearing"-and we know and understand that, especially in a society such as ours, both parents are essential for the proper kind of Orthodox Christian spiritual nurturing that is needed.
12. Prepare yourself for a life of spiritual struggles and prayers. You and your children will need them and the grace of God, for we are not living in the world as God originally created it. We are living in occupied territory-a land occupied by the enemy. But, by our holy Faith and God's grace, we are nonetheless a free people, living in hope and expectation of our deliverance in our true and everlasting country. And if we are heedful in these matters, we will have the boldness to say to our Saviour in that last day, "Behold me, your servant, and the children which Thou hast given me."

Orthodox Christian Witness, St. Nectarios American Orthodox Church, Seattle, Washington 10300. October 27, 1996

In particular I am greatful for the 12th encouragement.  It has been a difficult few months around here as we learn new boundries and grow in relationships with eachother.  It has been bone warying at times.  I needed these words of encouragement.

I pray you will feel encouraged today too.
Blessings
Chareen

NBTS Blog Hop - {Week 2} Curriculum.

Welcome to Week 2 of the Aussie NBTS Blog Hop.  This week we are sharing our curriculum for 2012!

Last week you met my three children Mr T, Miss J and Sir N who have all been homeschooled.  Mr T and Miss J have completed their education with me and the only student I have at present is Sir N.   This is a new experience for me educating an only child so each day is a little different to what I 'know' from then.

Our major family experience will be returning to South Africa for a 10 year Family Reunion in




We will be spending the majority of our time in Hoedspruit which is where Paul and I met, married and were blessed with our first two children.  We are looking forward to some great rest and fellowship with Paul's parents up at Trackers.

This will be a summary of what I would like to do with Sir N this year. For a full breakdown you can have a look at our Curricula for 2012 page.

I would summarise our style as Sonlight at the core and Eclectic. Please note I do not use every single item in it's entirety.  I use what we need and ditch the rest.

For our spine we are using Sonlight Core A with Grade K Readers - 5 - day.  This core is all about Exploring God's big world! It's about aquiring a very broad overview of world history and exploring different cultures. I LOVE my IG (Instructors Guide) it is my saving grace.  It keeps me on track and moving forward because I can take many scenic routes and follow one too many rabbit warrens in my schooling.  You can have the first 3 weeks from Sonlight IG emailed to you just select which Core, Language Arts & Science.

Time Line

• Historical Time Line Figures from Homeschool in the Woods.
• Sonlight Time Line Figures A

Bible

• Ergermeier's Bible Story Book
• Leading Little Ones to God.

History

• Sonlight Core A  
• The Story of the World Volume 1: Ancient Times.

Geography

• Sonlight Core A 
• Expedition Earth: A Journey through God's World

Read Alouds

• Sonlight Core A 

Readers

• Fun Tales
• Learning Language Arts Through Literature Blue Book
• Fitzroy Readers
• I Can Read It!

Language Arts

• Language and Thinking for Young Children
• Go for the Code
• Learning Language Arts Through Literature Blue Book

Science 

• Sonlight Science A - 5 Day 
• Sonlight Science P4/5
• During our trip to South Africa we will be living on a beautiful game farm with Dave Rushworth who pioneered outward bound education.  He is a fountain of knowledge and a wonderful mentor and amazing naturalist.  I love watching him impart his wisdom and knowledge and look forward to Sir N spending time with him for two months.
• Paul is a wonderful source of Natural information and generously imparts his love of nature with Sir N daily. (this weekend he found a frog and gecko and brought them in for us to see)
• I would like to incorporate Nature Journaling this year and spend at least an hour each week outdoors looking at nature (The Outdoor Hour).

Art & Art appreciation

•  Usborne ART Treasury.
• The World's Greatest Artists Unit Study

 Music

• Classical Kids
• Hide em in Your Heart by Steve Green.

Math

• Abeka Arithmatic 1

Notebooking

• The Notebooking Fairy
• Last In Line

Handwritting

•  A Reason for Handwritting Level K

Whew it's quite a list !  I felt overwhelmed writing it and wanted you to know that we do NOT do everything everyday. More on that in week Four of the Not Back To School Blog Hop.

Writting this list certainly took me down memory lane and inspired me to write a Time line of my homeschool journey.  Come back on Monday and see a little of my journey over the last 15 years in the wonderful world of Home Schooling.  The things that have influenced my choices and kept me moving forward. 

Don't forget to hop over to Our World Wide Classroom and read what other Australian homeschoolers are using this year in their homes.  There are excellent links and summaries so grab a cup of coffee (or two or three ...) and hop around Australia.

Till Thursday when we will all be sharing about our Learning Spaces.

Blessings
Chareen

This post is linking to: Our World Wide Classroom NBTS Blog Hop

Ten ways to Love

I remember a few years ago reading The 5 Love Languages and being so excited to learn about the ways in which we express love and read expressions of love so we feel loved. ( I highly recommend this book to any couple it will open new avenues and broaden your understanding)
A few days ago on Facebook I came across this list and as I read it again today I realized that I had shifted my focus to expressing love via the love languages and had not used the tools available in the Word to express love more deeply and fully in my day to day activities.

I wanted to share it with you because it is a list of love in ACTION. Love is not a noun it's a verb. I like this list because it is taken from all over the word. 
10 Ways to love

1. Listen without interrupting (Proverbs 18:13)
2. Speak without accusing (James1:19)                     
3. Give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26)
4. Pray without ceasing. (Colossians 1:9)
5. Answer without arguing. (Proverbs 17:1)
6. Share without pretending. (Ephesians 4:15)
7. Enjoy without complaint. (Philippians 2:14)
8. Trust without wavering (1 Corinthians 13:7)
9. Forgive without punishing. (Colossians 3:13)
10. Promise without forgetting. (Proverbs 13:12)

Source: FACEBOOK - Faith Alive Page

1 Corinthians 13 says love expresses itself this way:

1. Be patient (verse 4)
2. Be Kind (verse 4)
3. Not envious (verse 4)
4. Be modest and quiet. (verse 4)
5. Is polite and respectful (verse 5)
6. Forgives and keeps no record of wrongs. (verse 5)
7. Rejoices in truth (verse 6)
8. It protects (verse 7)
9. It Trusts and is ready to believe the best of every person (verse 7)
10. It perseveres. (verse 7)

Making this list has encouraged and equipped me.  I have been feeling very weary of keeping on keeping on in a situation and I see that love perseveres.  I feel like I have many more tools in my toolbox available to me now.

How do you express love in your day to day living ? What do you use as your plumb line and guide ?

Blessings

C.H.A.O.S. and burn out

I have been really feeling burned out, overwhelmed and just plain awful with very low energy levels.  I am really tired of being tired and over whelmed all the time !

I have realized that part of the cause of my burnout is that in this past year I have been suffering from C.H.A.O.S. (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) {blush}. As I poked around the net about clutter and C.H.A.O.S. I read this over at Thinking Out Loud Blog:

“clutter is more of a physical expression of our emotional condition than it is about our organizational skills.”

I must agree that this statement is true for me. I have really been struggling to keep on top of life and it feels like everything is spinning out of control. Well this week I decided to grab the world and make it stand still so I can catch up.

It feels so good to be regaining my life a little bit at a time. So far I have conquered the wash pile in the laundry (now to tackle the pile of ironing before midnight!), Sir N's room, I need to do the other rooms in the house. Well the rumpus I am avoiding till I can work out what to do about it. ...... and on the to do list this coming week is the office space.

I have decided that slow and steady needs to be my motto for this task ....

I went looking for some inspiration on the net.

Here is what I found:

Fly Lady

Fly Lady

I discovered the FlyLady about 10 years ago and I love her practical ideas which make her system achievable.  Her main philosophy is: Baby Steps.  The main item you need is a kitchen timer and you are ready to start:

• Step 1 Join The Fly Lady and read her Welcome Letter.
• Step 2 Begin Your Flying Lessons.
• Step 3 FlyLady 31 Beginner Baby Steps
• Step 4 Get connected: BlogTalk Radio, Twitter, Facebook
• FAQ about FlyLady.net
• Why should I Fly?
• Who is the FlyLady ? Marla Cilley  

I must confess I do not subscribe to the emails anymore as I find there are just too many for me to read on a daily basis.  So when ever I need inspiration I visit her website.

31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way.

Back in October I shared with you in New Beginnings- about 31 Days to Clean.

Sarah Mae is the author of 31 Days to clean. She inspires and encourages you to look at having a Martha house the Mary way. Each page takes less than 5 minutes to read and each day has small things to do.

• The book is $4.99 to purchase as a Kindle, PDF or Nook
• Sample Chapter - Day One Why clean ?
• Who is Sarah Mae ?
• About the Book
• Monthly Martha Challenges.
• Contributors to the book.
• 31 Days to Clean Blog
• Book Reviews

31 Days to an Organized Home

I was having a poke around and saw this button which piqued my interest :

The title grabbed my interest so I went over to have a look.  What a neat way to start the new year. Kelly is your host over at The Complete Guide to Imperfect Home Making.

This is what Kelly has to say about why to become organized:

I organize my home because I believe that when we clear out the things that don't matter, we make room for the things that do. Because our hearts and minds can only take so much chaos. And life has enough chaos of it's own. Because we need a daily refuge from the clutter and the noise and the blaring messages that wait on our doorstep. Because an uncluttered space creates an environment where we can learn and explore. And because when we clear out stuff, we make room for people. What are your reasons for wanting to organize and de-clutter?

31 Days to an Organised Home

Day 1: Why become Organised.

Day 2: An Organized Coat Closet
Day 3: The Three Baskets Tip
Day 4: How to Apply Contact Paper to Drawers 
Day 5: Fabulous Pantries 
Day 6: A Peek Inside My Kitchen 
Day 7: DIY Pocket Organizer
Day 8: Defining Clutter 
Day 9:  Permission to Let Go, and to Keep
Day 10: Sometimes you Just Have to Live With It
Day 11: Kids' Socks
Day 12: Kid's Clothes (The Rule of Three)
Day 13: Kids' Closet Inspiration
Day 14: Sock Drawer 101 
Day 15: Master Closet
Day 16: A Place for Everything
Day 17: Command Centers
Day 18: Create an Action File 
Day 19: DIY File Basket
Day 20: Manuals and Warranties
Day 21: DIY Magazine Files
Day 22: Electronic Odds and Ends
Day 23: Pretty Tidy Desks
Day 24: How to Make Labels using Picnik
Day 25: Bathroom Storage
Day 26: Linen Closets
Day 27: It's Linky Party Day!
Day 28: Laundry Room Organization
Day 29: Sentimental Items
Day 30: My craft Closet
Day 31: Staying Organized

I am inspired to start off my new year becoming organized and in control of my home.

How will you be starting your new year ?

Blessings

Pasta Salad

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My friend Mrs S used to make this and I got the recipe from her.  I ♥ the simplicity and tastiness of this recipe.  It is great to take to a barbecue and is simply delicious.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 250 grams Pasta (OR gluten free pasta)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 Cup ready made garlic pasta sauce (I use Stomboli Pasta Sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano

Optional

• 2 spring onions
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 stalk celery
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup cubed cucumber
• 310 gram can of whole corn drained
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Method

• Cook the pasta
• In a bowl mix the remaining ingredients.
• Add in your choice of optional ingredients.
• Drain the pasta and add warm pasta to the sauce.
• Chill and serve.

This salad tastes better if made the day before and allowed to mature.   I have made the sauce the night before and left it in the fridge to mature as a different option.

Blessings

Be True to Yourself.

This weekend while spending time with my sister she encouraged me saying: “Be true to yourself.”   

I have really been struggling with feelings of insecurity, yes even after 14 years of homeschooling! 

As I went through my week my heart kept reaching for His.  “Lord why do I feel this way ?” 

and His reply kept echoing.  “Be True To YOURSELF”  

Click here to read the entire post at Princess Warrior Lessons  

While over at Jo's place take a look around.  Her blog is full of rich lessons learned from the King.  

Lessons that will inspire and encourage you.

Blessings

Christmas Traditions

Making Christmas real to our Children.

Psalm 77: 11—12
I will remember the deeds of the Lord, 

I will remember your miracles of long ago.  

I will meditate on all your works, 

and consider all your mighty deeds.

As I read my bible and journeyed through  the Old Testament I noticed that every time the Lord did something great for his people He created a memorial for them to remember.  Memorials are reminders of God’s faithfulness, His sacrifice, His leading, His provision etc which in turn became traditions practiced for generations.

Traditions:

• The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation,
• A mode of thought or behaviour followed by a people continuously from generation to generation, 
• a custom or usage. 
• A time honoured  practice

Dr. Dobson says:‘The great value of traditions comes as they give a family a sense of identity, ‘belongingness’. All of us desperately need to feel that we’re not just a cluster of people living together in a house, but we’re a family that’s conscious of its uniqueness, its personality, character and heritage, and that our special relationships of love and companionship make us a unit with identity and personality.’

Traditions can be created on purpose or evolve over time, they create our family identity and teach our children something of the reality of God in our lives.  Special moments don’t just happen they are planned on purpose.  Consider creating links between generations so that our children understand the heritage that is theirs.  The Lord says I will bless the righteous unto a thousand generations.

So what does Christmas really mean?
The Collins Concise Dictionary defines Christmas as:
1-a. The annual commemoration by Christians of the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec 25
  -b. also called Christmas Day, Dec 25, observed as a day of secular celebrations when gifts and greetings are exchanged
2- Another name for Christmastide (Old English Christes Maesse MASS OF CHRIST)

It is interesting to note here that even the dictionary makes a distinction between the Christian commemoration and the secular celebrations that take place on Dec 25.

Some Ideas for you to choose from:

Nativity Trek. A friend of mine shared this idea with me. They have a nativity calendar made of a square of material with 25 pockets on that have the numbers 1-25 on them. Each morning they take turns removing a cardboard candy cane from a pocket and reading the instructions written there.

Most of the instructions pertain to their homemade Nativity Set (a knitted one made over several years!). On Dec 1st they set up the manger where the tree will be, put the shepherd and sheep in a nearby ‘field’, and place Mary and Joseph somewhere ‘far away’, and the Wise Men somewhere equally ‘far away’ but in the opposite direction! Most days there are instructions to move a figure(s) somewhere, e.g. ‘Move Mary and Joseph from the piano to the TV.’ Other days there are things like ‘Make Christmas biscuits for the neighbours’.
Whatever journey the participants take, Jesus does not turn up in the manger in the stable until Christmas morning. This way the children’s attention is not so much on “What did I get?”  but on “Is Jesus there yet?”.

Setting up the tree :We also talk about what Christmas means to us with the children and specially how the symbols we have today can point us to Jesus.  I do this every year.  This tradition is especially dear to me as I know no matter where my children go in the world each time they see any of these colours they will think of these things. 
Eg: Christmas tree-

• Evergreen to symbolize the eternal life we have in Christ and God’s eternal love for us demonstrated in sending His Son
• Red—represent His blood shed for you and me. The price He paid.
• Gold—This is His crow in glory as the Son of God
• Purple- His royal robe.
• White - His purity.  The Lamb without blemish.
• Star- the star over the manger
• Lights- stars in the heavens at the time of His birth or He is the light of the world.
• Angels- for the heavenly host who sang
• Silver—His promises fulfilled
• Blue– Creation In the beginning He made the heavens and the earth

Advent  means ‘coming’ and the activities are a time of preparation for the coming of Christ. We use a series of Advent story books as the centre for our advent celebrations. They are complete with instructions and historical notes and calendars to know when to start Advent each year. The first book is called ‘Jotham’s Journey’ by Arnold Ytreeide and is available in most Christian book shops. Generally an advent wreath is used which basically has five candles and you light one a week and burn it each night as you read the story.

Other people burn a dated candle (one section a day), read a bible passage and sing/pray together each evening as a way of preparing the stage for Christmas Day

Hand Wreath You can also make a Christmas Hand Wreath. Keep red and green card handy by the front door and have every guest who visits your home over the month trace and cut out their hand and label with their name. You can then put them all together!
Or… keep a jar of jaffas and spearmint leaves by the door for friends to have when they leave

Christmas Cards Keep all the Christmas cards you receive and then start to pray for each family one card at a time from New Year on! Once you have prayed for a family put the cards in a box for the children to use for Christmas craft the next year

Jesse Tree The Jesse Tree is a centuries-old family Advent devotion that has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in recent years.  It has particular value since it helps both the children and adults a like to locate Jesus, the Messiah, within the lineage of the shepherd boy who became King of Israel--David, son of Jesse.

 The whole idea of the Jesse Tree comes right out of a classic Advent passage from the prophet Isaiah: "A shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit" (Is 11:1).  The Jesse Tree is hung with ornaments representing Old Testament people and events and lead up to Jesus.  The traditional symbols hung on the tree are based on the genealogy of Jesus as recounted by the first chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew

Set up a tree or branches with or without leaves.  For the ornaments, you can either buy a Jesse Tree kit or just craft them yourself.  Traditionally, there is one ornament for each day of Advent.  You start at the base of the tree with Adam and Eve.  At the top of the tree at the very end of the season comes a crib representing the baby Jesus.  There's a brief scripture reading for every symbol (see below).  If you read these readings and contemplate them and the symbols to which they are linked, by December 25th you and your family will have a much deeper understanding of the history of salvation and the meaning of Christmas.

 The World is Created – Globe – Genesis 1:24-28
Adam and Eve – Snake and Apples – Genesis 3:1-24
Noah and the Flood – Rainbow – Genesis 6:11-22; 86-12; 9:11-17
Abraham – Camel – Genesis 12:1-7:13:2-18; 18:1
Sarah – Baby – Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7
Isaac – Ram – Genesis 22:1-14
Jacob – Ladder – Genesis 27:41-28:22
Joseph – Multi-coloured Coat – Genesis 37:1-36
Moses – Burning Bush – Exodus 3:1-10
Miriam – Tambourine – Exodus 15:19-21
Samuel – Lamp – 1 Samuel 3:1-21
Jesse – Branch – Isaiah 11:1
David – Harp – 1 Samuel 16:14-23
Solomon – Crown – 1 Kings 3:3-28
Isaiah – Throne – Isaiah 6:1-8
Jeremiah – Tablets of Law – Jeremiah 31:31-34
Angels – Angel – Hebrews 1:1-14
Malachi – Trumpet – Malachi 3:1-4
Zechariah and Elizabeth – Baby - Luke 1:39-45
Mary – Angel – Luke 1:29-35
John the Baptist – River – Matthew 3:1-6
Joseph of Nazareth – Hammer/Saw – Matthew 1:18-25
Bethlehem – Star – Matthew 2:1-12
Birth of Christ – Crib – Luke 2:1-7

** I am in the midst of making a couple of Jesse Tree's and will be posting another post with links for you to make your own.  I will update with a link here soon.


Box of Blessings The original idea for this came from a Focus on the Family magazine. Each day, Dec 1st through 25th, the children open a small gift.  There is a spiritual gift attached to each item that should be mentioned. Sometimes this leads to a good discussion, sometimes not, but it will give opportunity to think about what we are really celebrating.  There are many variations you can do with the “Box or Basket of Blessings”. The original one is to use common household objects to illustrate things we can be thankful for example:

• penny—God’s provision, 
• Photo of the family—Our family, 
• plaster—our health, 
• small doll—our friends etc.

A variation is to use the attributes of God:

• heart—love, 
• glasses—omniscience, 
• watch—eternal, 
• scales—justice etc.

Or you can use the story of Christmas:

1. Angel—Luke1:26-29 Gabriel's appears to Mary,
2. Crown—Luke1:30 prophecy of Jesus as king, 
3. Earring—Luke 1:34-38 Mary the bond slave of the Lord, 
4. Ring—Matt 1:18-21 Joseph trusts the Lord and marries Mary, 
5. JESUS—Matt1:22-25 Meaning of Jesus name, 
6. Tax Form—Luke 2:1-5 Trip to Bethlehem for census, 
7. Clothes—Luke 2:6-7 Jesus born and wrapped, 
8. Sheep—Luke 2:8-9 shepherds are frightened, 
9. Hay—Luke 2:10-12, Fear not,
10. Music tape/Gloria—Luke 2:13-14 Angels praise God, 
11. Map—Shepherds find their way to Bethlehem, 
12. Heart—Mary treasures these things in her heart, 
13. 2 doves—Offering made for Jesus, 
14. Glasses—Simeon has watched for the Messiah,  
15. Sword—Simeon’s prophecy, 
16. Perfume—Anna prayed and fasted, 
17. Horse—Magi search for the king, 
18. Crown—Herod threatened by Jesus the King, 
19. Calendar—Herod determines when Jesus will be born, 
20. Star—shows Magi where Jesus is, 
21. Gold—Gifts given to Jesus, 
22. Pyramid—Joseph takes his family to Egypt, 
23. Home—Joseph takes his family home to Nazareth, 
24. Tape Measure—The child grew strong, wise and in the grace of God, 
25. Candle—Jesus is the light of the world.

Other Ideas

• Photo’s of absent family members put them on your tree, pray for them
• Watch family movies, look at family albums
• Have communion on Christmas Eve / Morning
• Read the bible account  in Luke 2
• See the lights in your neighbour hood ( You could make it extra special by sending your children to bed at the normal time then surprise them when it is dark and get them up and follow it with a special Christmas supper and hot drink when you get home.)
• Write a Christmas prayer as a family to read before opening presents on the day. Have it focus on thankfulness.
• Donate Toys to a charity every year
• Bake for your neighbours,
• Have a special ornament for each child that they put on the tree each year.
• Get dated ornaments
• Go carol singing around the block or at a local Retirement Village

The lists are endless and you could feel very over whelmed by what others around you are doing. We do NOT do all the things on this list.  These are ideas I have gathered through the years.

The thing that is important is to find what works for your family and do that well.


It is far better to choose one or two things and do those things with excellence and passion than to do ten things with mediocrity and no passion.

May you be blessed this Advent season

Blessings

This post is  linking to:

• Woman Living Well Wednesdays over at Woman Living Well Ministries
• Hearts 4 Home over at Our Simple Country Life
• Teach Me Tuesdays over at Growing Home
• Barn Hop over at Homestead Revival
• Home Made for the Holidays day 6 over at Luv Laughter & Happily Ever After.
• Domestically Divine Tuesdays over at Far Above Rubies.  
• Our Families holiday traditions over at Three Thinking Mothers

Scripture and our children.

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119: 9 –11(NIV)

The above scripture got me thinking about how and why we should be hiding the word of God in our hearts and the training our children to hide His word in their hearts and thereby creating a life long store house of His goodness.

Who does God hold responsible for the training of our children ?

Parents Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord

So, what is the ultimate goal of parents in child-training ?

“To raise morally responsible children who reach adulthood knowing right from wrong, and make wise choices based on biblical knowledge. To accomplish this goal, we need to develop a moral conscience that comes from the Bible and to do this we must place it in the hearts of our children.” (Joey & Carla Link Mom’s Notes )

“We can raise our children to be successful by the worlds standards—but if their hearts are not turned toward God, we will miss the mark by God’s standards. While the world may judge our children against the standards of intelligence, appearance, money, power and fame, God will judge them by their hearts— “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” As their parents, we are raising our children for God’s approval.” (Clay & Sally Clarkson Educating the WholeHearted Child)

The Word of God says:

Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.
Matt 12: 35 The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.

Psalm 119 : 11Thy word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.

Definitions:

Often times we take for granted that we understand the common words that we use every day and because of this I some times like to look up the meanings and that in itself is a tremendous encouragement as it opes up for me the depth of the word. Here are a few from the above scriptures:

• Treasure - riches accumulated, a treasure is a store of wealth
• Accumulate To become greater in quantity or number; increase
• Heart The vital or essential part, by memory, The centre of mans personal activities, the source whence the principles of his actions derive their origin.
• 
  

Why:

• Eph 6:11 Put on God’s whole armour—the armour of a heavy-armed soldier, which God supplies—that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and deceits of the devil.
• Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.

By hiding His word in our hearts we will be successful to stand against the evil one and his ways and most importantly we will not sin against the Lord.

What:

• Eph 6:17 … and the sword the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
• Deuteronomy 6:6-9 These commandments that I give to you today are

We need to be teaching our children the whole word of God including the old testament which contains His commandments.

Who:

• Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ...to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.

Firstly the word needs to be in my heart and then I am to impress them on the hearts of my children.

When

• Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ...Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up

By the standard of this verse its a daily everywhere you are.

How

• Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ...Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
• I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8
• And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15

The Lord encouraged His people to have scripture everywhere before their eyes to help them remember.

Benefits of memorization:

• Memorization helps children learn what is right (wisdom) from what is wrong (foolishness)
• It encourages children not only to obey Mom and Dad but also to obey God (our highest and ultimate objective)
• It helps them realise it's not because Mom and Dad say to do this or that but ultimately it is the Lord we are in obedience to. It is His standard not ours.
• It helps them learn about our majestic God, His wonderful ways, and His unconditional love for them.

So what does this look like for us?

• 1. Start as soon as they begin to talk. Don’t underestimate your child! Before 2 years of age most children can memorize a whole verse, and before 3 most children can memorize a whole psalm such as Psalm 100.
  2. Do it consistently. Set aside time daily for new learning and for review of prior learning.
  3. We need to establish in the minds of our children the authority of the Bible, God’s written word.
  a. Teach them to respect the bible.
  b. Teach them to love the bible “ Oh how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day” Psalm 119:97
  c. Teach them to like the bible, don’t use it as a form of punishment.
  4. We need to read the bible to our children on a consistent basis. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
  a) Take your toddler and say ‘Come it’s your special time with God’ and cuddle up and read a toddlers bible with them and on occasion a verse or two together from your bible.
  b) Don’t stop reading to your children when they can read for themselves.
  c) Have family devotions. It doesn’t have to be long say 10 min after a meal before everyone goes their separate ways. When using material to supplement your devotion use books that use the Bible as it’s guide. Ask questions get family discussion going for the older students. For the younger ones use stories to illustrate the point.
  d) Teach them to have their own devotions and to use a note book to record their journey.
  5. Time spent in the Word needs to be fun.
  a) The manner in which we present the Bible to our children shapes their attitude for life.
  b) Use age appropriate bibles
  6. Have a plan for practically incorporating scripture in your family.
  a) Target a topic per month eg honesty. Plan lessons around this
  b) Don’t push beyond their capacity to learn. Be realistic in your expectations but at the same time don’t underestimate their ability either.
  7. Identify goals of personal Christian growth which you hope your child will accomplish by the time they leave home
  a) Having a consistent quiet time on their own.
  b) Knowing how to lead some one to Christ on their own
  c) Knowing how the basics of mentoring a new Christian.
  8. Identify your doctrine/beliefs which you hope your child will learn as part of the Christian life view before he/she leaves home.
  9. Identify the character values you want your child to have in their lives.
  a) Galations 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
  10. Teach your children about the history of the Christian faith.

Memorization:

• Always teach the reference along with the verse.
• Consistency is the key.
• Review is critical. Use Meal times, traditional times, creative time, child initiated times, when he is getting dressed in the morning, getting ready for bed etc.
• Affirmation and reward is critical to your success.
• The process needs to be unique to your family. Try one of the following ideas:
• Use sign language as you say your verse.
• Repetition. Some children enjoy jumping so have them jump on the tramp or skip practicing their verse.
• Write up the verse on a white board and as you learn erase out a word till all the words are erased.
• Pictorial memorization. Write the verse and substitute words with pictures eg a heart with a heart !
• Or a scripture to song music CD. Find your family’s unique way and go for it!
• Jessica over at Our Family for His glory has a great post on scripture memory: Top 10 ways to memorize scripture

Source documents:

• Creative Family Times Practical activities for building character in your preschooler by A & C Hadidian and W & L Wilson
• Mom’s Notes by Joey and Carla Link Volume 4 Using the bible in the training & instruction of your children.
• Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay & Sally Clarkson.

Thy word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee.

Psalm 119 : 11

This post is being linked to:

Blessings