My Favorite Christmas Book

This week I'm going to share with you a few of the books I've been reading recently for various reasons--either on my own or with my kids, but for now I want to share with you the one our family is breaking open today. It's called, "The ADVENTure of Christmas: Helping Children Find Jesus in our Holiday Traditions" by Lisa Welchel.

Seeing as it is December 1, we are going to take a walk through this amazing book this month. I went through this book with my kids quite a few years back, but they were preschool age then. I decided to dust it off and re-visit it again this year because I think my kids will get more out of it this time around.

It is a book full of the different traditions of Christmas and why we celebrate them. Many people think alot of the Christmas traditions are secular in nature. What this book helps you see is that they really got their start from people seeking to celebrate their Savior's birth. I love that there are 25 different traditions with a simple history and then an equally simple activity to do with your kids. You can take this book and read it in its simplicity or you can expand it beyond measure. I am looking forward to going learning through this book alongside my kids because Christmas and the reason we celebrate it is certainly worth celebrating!

Scripture Prayers - Siblings

Today I found myself searching out a prayer for my children that relates to siblings and their relationships with one another. Maybe it's because I have no gauge for what is normal in sibling relationships so any amount of bickering and I am driven to my knees asking the Lord to give me some insight and for Him to fill in the gaps where I lack. Begging Him to show them how to get along. More on my sibling thoughts later this week...

Lord, may my children understand that their sibling relationships are the jumping point for the purpose You have in mind for their life. Our family is the place in which you have given them to learn how to get along with others. Teach them that the greatest among them will be a servant and that if they are faithful in the training ground of our family, you will be pleased and entrust them with much bigger things in life. Make our home a good and pleasant place, where brothers and sisters live together in unity.

This prayer was written with the many things I have swirling around in my mind that I am learning about siblings, but the main ideas stemmed from Matthew 23:11-12, Matthew 25:21 and Psalm 133:1.

Holiday Baking

I've written before about our holiday tradition of gathering with some family friends to make pies. My children absolutely love this, however I am intimidated by pies. I tend to be the picture taker and let them learn from my friend, Mo, who is a master pie maker. Here are some pictures of the process to enjoy . Since I am pie-deficient, I have included one of our favorite Fall recipes instead. Hope it warms your home, like it does ours.

Pumpkin Chocolate Scones

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp flaxseed, ground

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup honey

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups pumpkin

2 cups chocolate chips

Cinnamon-Sugar mixture:

3 tsp cinnamon

4 tablespoons raw organic sugar

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, allspice, flaxseed, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until it's fluffy, then slowly add in the honey. Once it's blended in, add the eggs and pumpkin. Now slowly mix in the dry ingredients.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand, then use a tablespoon to drop the mixture onto cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each scone. With the back of the spoon (my daughter uses her fingers), flatten the scones.

In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon-sugar mixture and sprinkle it on top of each scone. We have left this step off before and it was fine.

Bake the scones for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets, then use a spatula to move them to a wire rack to cool for 10 more minutes.

I am Thankful...

As I sit here thinking about what to write on this Thanksgiving Eve, I can't help but take the time to reflect on what I am grateful for. I fear it may be forgotten in the fury of hosting both sides of the family for the holiday. I have challenged myself to go beyond the generic thank yous. These are not in order by any means, just as they flow from my mind.

I started out my day by listening to a powerful message and it reminded me that the rest of the world lives on $2/day. We look at them as if they are odd, but the reality is that we Americans are the odd ones. We say we are broke, but in reality we are nowhere near broke. Even when we have no money in our pockets, we still have much. For that, I am thankful. I am thankful for the bounty He has given me.

I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful that he is my best friend, a great husband, a good father and that he makes sure our marriage stays spicy! I am thankful that he knows me so well, even my flaws and still continues to love me. I am thankful that he believes in me more than I believe in myself--he is the wind beneath my wings. I am thankful that he works so hard to make sure I feel loved and to keep the lines of communication open. I am thankful that he loves what he does and works so hard to provide for our family. I am thankful he has a job and that it brings in a steady income.

I am thankful for my children. I am thankful for all of their shoes and toys that I trip over while walking through my home because it means that I have them--children. Many people in the world would give anything to have a child and I am fortunate enough to have a quiver full. I am thankful that for all of their dirty clothes I must wash because it means they have a choice of clothing to wear each day.

I am thankful for the character of my children and how their personalites are so different. They bring me joy and laughter. They challenge me and make me dependent on my Lord. They teach me things I never knew before because I did not have siblings. They flesh out the stuff of me that I need to change and are ever-patient with me when I am a less-than-stellar mom. There is nothing like one of their hugs, kisses or whispers of their love for me. I love those moments when I finally sit down on the couch and they fight over who is going to sit next to me because they all want the best seat in the house--the one next to mom. Sometimes I grumble about those moments because they always want me to rub their back, but when I really think about it...I am thankful I have their backs to rub.

I am thankful for good health--in myself, my husband and my children. I am thankful that in those rare moments that we do get sick, we bounce back and it's not life-threatening. I am thankful that we have one another to comfort each other in our sickness. I am thankful for kleenex to wipe noses, band-aids to cover wounds and that medicine is readily available if we need it.

I am thankful for extended family--that the majority of them live in town. What a blessing to be able to rely on one another or to just "pop in" for a visit. Although holiday family gatherings can be stressful, I am thankful that we bother to gather and remember where we came from. I'm glad we can share a meal with them because gathering around a table conveys a message of acceptance. I'm thankful to have families that offer unconditional love to us.

I am thankful to not only have an abundance of food on our table, but to also have a pantry full. I am thankful to have a choice and a variety when we eat each meal. I am thankful that we can eat 3x per day and sometimes even snacks in between. I am thankful to live in an area that has bountiful produce and farmer's markets that we can access on a regular basis. I am thankful that I have the skills to cook healthy meals for my family and that I enjoy doing it! I am also thankful for such easy access to clean water to drink.

I am thankful that we not only have a car to travel in, but that we have TWO of them! I am thankful that our family car is large enough to carry our whole family and still bring a few friends along. I am grateful for gas in my car. I am grateful we have bikes to ride, if we choose--that we even have that choice! I am thankful that we have these modes of transportation and do not have to walk everywhere.

I am thankful for having a shelter over our heads and that we can call it home. I am thankful to have a heater and air conditioner that work. I am thankful that there is furniture in our home and that each one of us had a bed to sleep in. It strikes me that many of us Americans think it is a right of our children to each have a room of their own. In many countries they share a bed--if they even have one at all. Hmm, I'll be satisfied that my children are gaining a wealth of experience by sharing a room and that they have a bed to sleep in with warm blankets. I am thankful for electricity because when the power goes out, it makes me realize how much I take it for granted.

I am thankful for good friends--friends who know me and still want to be my friend! Friends that encourage me, allow me to confide in them and to pray alongside me through this journey called life. I am thankful for friends that know my husband and his favorite topic and love him anyway too! :) I am thankful for the laughter and good times. I am thankful for times away with friends to sip a cup of coffee or to knit and crochet together while the kids run wild around us. I am thankful for friends that embrace my family and never seem burdened by my children or the size of our family. What a blessing to have friends that I don't hang out with as often, but we pick up in a heartbeat because they are "lifers." What could be better than friends who share their bounty and work together to create a community that feels like family?

And for those out there who believe in me by reading my blog. Thanks for thinking I have something to offer and for encouraging me to press on. Thanks for asking me questions and believing I might really have an answer! And thanks to those who actually leave comments so that I know I am not writing to myself. I am thankful for you. May you hold your head up and a smile be on your face as you celebrate the holiday of thankfulness because you, my friend--just like me, have much to be thankful for.

Even if none of these things I listed existed, we all have something to be thankful for--we have a God who loves us and created us for a purpose. He knows us by name and we bring Him pleasure. We have a God who sacrificed His Son so that we can boldly approach His throne and have a personal relationship with Him. AND FOR THAT, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH WORDS IN THE WORLD TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE.

Praying for Your Children

Every Monday I have been trying to post some of the prayers I pray for my children. I do it for you, but I also do it for me. You see, praying for my children is an area that I have been weak in. I have wanted to do well at this, but have never been able to be consistent about it, nor did I ever know what to say. I have always wanted to be that mom that stands in the doorway of her children while they sleep and prays over them or the one that lays her hands on them and prays for them while they're sleeping--and her children wake up and feel comforted by that. The reality is that that is not me.


I have read a good many books about praying for your children over the years in an effort to succeed in this area, but none have really helped until this summer. A friend of mine was reading "Praying the Scriptures for Your Children" by J*die Berndt and it drew me in and it has made a difference. I'm not really sure the reason why this one has impacted me, but here's a few guesses.


First, its message is simple. Pray for your children and use scripture to do it. It has 20 different areas to pray for.


Second, it has scriptures laid out in which you can insert your children's names. Just what I need since I tend to be at a loss for words when it comes to praying for my children. I just can't seem to conjur up what to say beyond, "Dear God, I pray that _____ does well today, is nice to their friends and ummm...I pray for their future. Amen."


Lastly, the prayers are short. I don't know about you, but the books I have read in the past, usually had long prayers so in an effort to save time I would insert the phrase, "my children" instead of their individual names. My children each have their own personalities so it makes sense to me that I would pray for them each differently.


Maybe because of its simplicity, it inspired me to dig out a blank journal I had laying around. I divided it into 6 sections (because I also created a section for The Driver) and began to write out a prayer for each person in my family as I read through each section. It probably helps that I have forced myself to relax as I've done this and not insert my perfectionist self into the mix. I have set no agenda for time to complete it. I try to open up the book and journal a prayer each week and then pray that over the next week, but if I don't, I don't beat myself up like usual. I just pick up where I left off and continue in my pursuit to fill the journal with prayers of love.


I'm not a big journal writer for fear of someone finding my real thoughts and reading it, but this is a journal that I do not have to fear what someone thinks. If someone in my family ever reads it, I think they will see right into the heart of their praying mom and feel the love I have for them. What do I have to lose by customizing and writing out the prayers I have for my children?


So I hope that as I work to improve in this area of my life and I share it with you, it will encourage you to do the same...pray for your children. I believe it will make all the difference for your children and draw you in closer to the heart of their Father.

Scripture Prayers - Jeremiah 29:11-13/Psalm 139:13-16

We all seek to find the purpose and meaning for our life. I have seen many an adult that is still wandering in an effort to figure out why they are here. I don't know about you, but I don't want that for my children. I want them to be confident that God knit them together perfectly and that He has created them for a specific purpose. If I have that clear objective for them in mind, why not start praying now instead of when they are 34-years-old, still living at home and can't seem to keep a job?

This scripture is easy to read through without really thinking about what it means, especially if you've heard it a zillion times, but it's powerful when it's prayed from the heart of a mother for her child.

Lord, you know the plans you have for my child, plans to prosper her and not to harm her, plans to give him hope and a future. Cause my child to call upon you and come and pray to you, and then to listen to her, Lord. Let her seek you with all of her heart, and find you when she does seek you.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

I love this one since I've been doing so much crocheting lately. I think about each small stitch that is made to create an amazing work of art when I am done--exactly as God has done with each one of our children (and us!).

Lord, may my child understand to the depths of his inmost being that you intricately knit him together. Cause him to have confidence in the works of your hands that are wonderfully made. If he doubts, let him remember that nothing is hidden from you and that you wove him together with purpose. May he never forget that all of his days were written in your book before even one of them ever came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

A Bit Much

I've been doing really good at mapping out time for myself to write every week day. However, I am going to step back until Monday. I'm crocheting like crazy to sell a few items at a boutique this weekend, prepping to host an "If You Were Mine" Adoption Seminar at our church on Saturday and throwing a baby shower on Sunday for a friend who is adopting from Ethiopia. I think it's a bit much--so you, my friends, will have to be patient until I can gather myself back together on Monday. See you then! Bring some coffee because I might need it!