Jesse Tree: Day 25

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Read: Luke 2:1-40, John 1:1-18

What it's about: How God became flesh

Picture idea: dove, manger

Scripture snippet: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5 NKJV)

This concludes the Jesse Tree series. Thank you for participating in this with us. May God continue to richly bless you with His Word and His manifest presence.

Jesse Tree: Day 24

Read: Matthew 2:1-18

What it's about: The Magi (I know we haven't read about Jesus being born yet, but I thought I'd save that good news for His day)

Picture idea: star, candle, telescope

Scripture snippet: When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:9-11 KJV)

Jesse Tree: Day 23

Read: Matthew 1:18-25

What it's about: Joseph

Picture idea: hammar, carpenter's square, awl

Scripture snippet: As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1: 20-21 NLT)

Jesse Tree: Day 22

Read: Luke 57-80

What it's about: John the Baptist's birth

Picture idea: scallop shell, baptism, locusts and honey

Scripture snippet:“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. (Luke 1:76-80 NKJV)

Jesse Tree: Day 21

Read: Luke 1:5-7, 21-25, 39-45

What it's about: Elizabeth

Picture idea: mother and child

Scripture snippet: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. (Luke 1:41-44 NASB)

Jesse Tree: Day 20

Read: Luke 1:26-56

What it's about: Mary and Gabriel's announcement to her

Picture idea: white lily

Scripture snippet: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:26-29 NIV)

Jesse Tree: Day 19

Read: Luke 1:5 -25
What it's about: Zechariah is told God will give him a son in his old age
Picture idea: pencil and tablet, slate
Scripture snippet: Zechariah said to the angel, "How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel, God's servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to." (Luke 1:18-20 CEV)

Jesse Tree: Day 18

Read: Nehemiah

What it's about: God enables Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem's walls

Picture idea: city wall, stone wall, any wall

Scripture snippet: Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18 NKJV)

Jesse Tree: Day 17

Read: Habakkuk 1:1-2:8, 6:15-16, 13:13-22

What it's about: God's word to the prophet Habakkuk

Picture idea: watchtower (or something to get the idea across)

Scripture snippet: I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint. (Habakkuk 2:1 NLT)

Jesse Tree: Day 16

Read: Jeremiah 1:4-10, 2:4-13, 7:1-15, 8:22 - 9:11
What it's about: God's word to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah

Picture idea: tears, water droplet
Scripture snippet: I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears so I could weep day and night for casualties among my dear, dear people. At times I wish I had a wilderness hut, a backwoods cabin, where I could get away from my people and never see them again. They're a faithless, feckless bunch, a congregation of degenerates. (Jeremiah 9:1-2 MSG)

Jesse Tree: Day 15

Read: Isaiah 1:10-20, 6:1-13, 8:11-9:7

What it's about: prophecies God gave to Isaiah

Picture idea: fire tongs, hot coal

Scripture snippet: And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." (Isaiah 6:3-7 NIV)

Jesse Tree: Day 14

Read: 1 Kings 17:1-24, 18:17-46

What it's about: God's prophet Elijah

Picture idea: stone altar, oil, flour

Scripture snippet: Then Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. "For thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth.'" (1 Kings 17:13-14 NASB)

Jesse Tree: Day 13

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-17:58, 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 7:1-17

What it's about: David, Israel's great human king

Picture idea: shepherd's crook, harp

Scripture snippet: So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep."Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16: 11-13 NIV)

Jesse Tree: Day 12

Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-21, 7:1-8:22, 9:15-10:9

What it's about: Samuel's anointing by God as His prophet, beginning of the rule of kings over Israel

Picture idea: crown

Scripture snippet: But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." (1 Samuel 8:6-9 NIV)

Jesse Tree goof

Please see this post if you've been following the Jesse Tree readings, as I messed up the schedule. Sorry for the confusion!

Jesse Tree: Day 11

Read: Judges 2:6-23, 6:1-8:28

What it's about: God's selection of Gideon to defeat the Midianites

Picture idea: water pitcher, clay jar

Scripture snippet: It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. (Judges 7:19-22b NLT)

Jesse Tree...Ooops!

If you've been following the Jesse tree days with us, we hope you've been enjoying this walk through the Old Testament. As I mentioned in the inital post on November 24 about this activity, I modified the reading schedule to be able to do one reading per day between December 1 and 25 (versus following the days of advent which change annually). Recently, I realized I messed up the order of the readings (at least based on what our family did) since I had lost the sheet I used for reference the previous year.


In the grand scheme of things, this probably doesn't matter since the point is to read from the Bible daily. However, to keep everything on track, I'm going to revise the readings from Day 4 through today so I get us back to the reading schedule I originally set up for our family.


If you're not totally confused by this point, I hope the revisions will make sense once you see them. If you've been doing these readings daily, the revisions will mean you're only one day behind in the readings. But maybe it will be easier just to see what I mean...

To get the revised readings, go back to Day 4 and then proceed from there. I deleted the originaly Day 5 which talked about Abraham's almost sacrifice of Isaac.

Sorry for the crazy amount of confusion!

Love in Christ,

Andrea

Jesse Tree: Day 10

Read: Joshua 1:1-11, 6:1-20


What it's about: God brings the Israelites into the Promised Land and flattens Jericho

Picture idea: ram's horn, trumpet, rubble

Scripture snippet: Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. "You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. "Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. "It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead." (Joshua 6:1-5 NASB)

Jesse Tree: Day 9

Read: Exodus 19:1-20:20

What it's about: God descends on Mount Sinai and gives Moses the 10 commandments

Picture idea: stone tablets, scroll

Scripture snippet: And God spoke all these words: (Exodus 20:1 NIV)

Jesse Tree: Day 8

Read: Exodus 12:1-14:31

What it's about: the Passover and Exodus

Picture idea: lamb

Scripture snippet: On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance. (Exodus 12: 12-14 NIV)

Jesse Tree: Day 7

Read: Exodus 2:1-4:20

What it's about: Moses and God's calling Him to lead His people out of Egypt

Picture idea: burning bush, fire

Scripture snippet: And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. (Exodus 3:2-6 NKJV)

Jesse Tree: Day 6

Read: Genesis 37, 39:1-50:21...this is a long one, if you have little ones like we do and you're reading the passages aloud, pick out the passages from within the reading that tell the main outline of the story

What it's about: Joseph (the one in the Old Testament), from his dreams to God's fulfillment of those dreams

Picture idea: grain, wheat, colorful coat, sack of grain/wheat

Scripture snippet: Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said: Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. Don't worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives. There has already been a famine for two years, and for five more years no one will plow fields or harvest grain. But God sent me on ahead of you to keep your families alive and to save you in this wonderful way. After all, you weren't really the ones who sent me here--it was God. He made me the highest official in the king's court and placed me over all Egypt. (Genesis 45:4-8 CEV)

Jesse Tree: Day 5

Read: Genesis 27:41-28:22

What it's about: Jacob and his flight from his parents home, hears from God in a dream

Picture idea: ladder, stairway

Scripture snippet: Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28: 11b-15 NIV)

Jesse Tree: Day 4

Read: Genesis Gen 12:1-7, 15:1-6, 22:1-19 - this is the change to this date...I combined the orginal readings for days 4 & 5
What it's about: God's promise to Abraham
Picture idea: stars, lots of people/children
Scripture snippet: And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, This man shall not be your heir, but he who shall come from your own body shall be your heir. And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars--if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be. And he [Abram] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God). (Genesis 15:4-6 AMP)

Jesse Tree: Day 3

Read: Gen 6:11-22, 7:17-8:12, 8:20-9:17

What it's about: Noah and the flood

Picture idea: rainbow, ark, lots of water :)

Scipture snippet: Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17 NLT)

Jesse Tree: Day 2

Read: Genesis 2:4 -3:24

What it's about: How sin enters creation through Adam & Eve

Picture idea: A fruit tree (I chose a generic tree since we don't really know what type of fruit they ate)

Scripture snippet: Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:9-13 NASB)

Jesse Tree: Day 1

Read: Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
What it's about: God creating the heavens and the earth
Picture idea: something the represents creation to you

Scripture snippet: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27-28 KJV)

Jesse Tree Tradition...Starts Tomorrow

Look for the first of the Jesse Tree posts tomorrow! Check out the November 24 post for details on this tradition.

Love and joy in Jesus,
Andrea

The Spirit of Giving Thanks

Since tomorrow is a day for giving thanks and we are entering the season of joyous giving, I wanted to share a few websites that provide easy opportunities to change lives throughout the world, if God has given you a heart for helping those primarily outside our country.


The first one, Soles for Souls is one that I recently came across. This organization collects new and gently used shoes and distributes them to those in need around the world. The effort started after a tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004 but really took off after Hurricane Katrina a year later - an event that hit somewhat close to home for us! Right now they're trying to get 50,000 shoes donated in 50 days. If you want to learn more, visit, http://www.50000shoes.com/. I learned of this effort, through a blog I read...here's the entry if you want to check it out: http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/2008/11/50000.html.

The other two sites that I've come across are www.worldvision.org and www.heifer.org. Both Heifer and World Vision provide opportunities to donate livestock and trees/seeds to people in need around the world as an income and food source. World Vision also has additional donation opportunities for things like clean water sources, food, clothing, training, healthcare provision among others.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Submitted by: Andrea

Ever Decorate a Jesse Tree? (December Activity)

A Jesse Tree? What's that, you ask? Well, it's kind of like a Christmas tree, only decorated with pictures or symbols which correspond with a Bible story from Genesis up through the stories of Jesus' birth. We came across this concept a few years ago and since it was an answer to prayer that we would find family Christmas traditions which kept the focus on Christ, we decided to try it out.

It's been a beautiful tradition and one we look forward to sharing with our children every year, so we thought this blog would be a great forum for sharing it with you. Here's a few more details so you can know what to expect to see from December 1 through December 25:

Why is it called a Jesse Tree? Here's a clue from Scripture: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1-10 NIV)

How does it work? Every day we will post a Scripture passage that is to be read aloud that day. Accompany the Scripture will be a picture that symbolizes what is going on in the story. These are the pictures that we printed and framed for hanging on our Jesse tree, but you can color or make your own picture as the Spirit leads. If you have children who like to do crafts, consider getting them involved in the ornament making.

How are the Scriptures selected? In short, we're not exactly sure who originally decided what stories to read. In our research, we came across a website that we used as our model. Here's the link (which also contains a more detailed explanation of the Jesse Tree) http://www.crivoice.org/. Under the "search this site" link on the bottom of the left-hand column, type in "Jesse tree".

Since it was too confusing to use the chart based on Advent Sundays, we modified the readings so we would have one reading per day from December 1-25. If you prefer to stick to the what is probably the liturgically-correct way, click on the above link and follow the chart at the bottom of the Jesse Tree section.

How will this work? Every morning, beginning December 1 and continuing to Christmas Day, we'll post the day's Scripture reference, a picture and idea for creating your own picture and a snippet of Scripture using different Bible translations.

About the Scriptures. Since many of the Scripture passages are long, we'll include a snippet of the passage. We used http://www.biblegateway.com/ to get the different translations. If you don't have a Bible on hand, feel free to use this free resource to print out the entire Scripture passage, or use the Bible translation with which you are most familiar.

About the pictures. We used Microsoft Office Clip Art Gallery to download these photos as it is a free service when using it for personal use. If you like the idea of photographs, consider checking out that resource to find and print your own photos.

We pray the Jesse Tree tradition will capture your interest and imagination in the days leading up the day commemorating Jesus' birth. If you try it out, or have already tried it in the past, we would love to hear your comments. Please include any thoughts in the comments section of this post.

Love and joy in Jesus,
David & Andrea

Hope

Through one of the blogs I read, I came across a blog of woman who was pregnant with her fourth child. This may not sound so remarkable, except this woman (and her husband) were told their son would surely die upon his birth, if indeed he made it full term. Not only did he make it full term, he also was born miraculously healed with just a tiny signature from God that he indeed had been sick.

I don't want to say too much as it's more powerful to read about this miracle on this woman's blog. To read the post from his birthday, please click here: http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/10/we-have-another-brother.html. You may find yourself reading other entries to...both leading up to his birth and now in the first few weeks of his life.

As we approach the day when we celebrate the miracle of Jesus' birth, this seemed a fitting thing to share. For indeed, God does continue to perform miracles, both large and small. Sometimes we have to look a little harder for them and sometimes He overwhelms us with the working of His mighty strength.

I also pray that it offers hope to those of you who are going through difficult times, or know others who face a scary, uncertain future. Perhaps you are facing a life/death situation where the doctors say death is emminent. Perhaps you are walking through unemployment in an economy that says you're going to need a miracle to get a job. Maybe it's something else. Regardless of the situation, believe God for that miracle. Believe Him for working on your behalf. Pray without ceasing that it would be so. And pray for the strength, that if His answer is "no," that His peace which surpasses all understanding will carry you through.

If you have any thoughts you'd like to share related to this post or any prayer requests, please add share them in the comments sections for this post.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you 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. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:17-23)

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB)

Your Contributions Sought

Since it is our goal to make this blog a dynamic and interactive forum, we invite your contributions. Hopefully, this will make it even more interesting instead of hearing from just one or two people. :)

If you have a contribution that fits with the theme of this blog - sharing the gifts God has bestowed upon you through the Holy Spirit - please email it to The Editor at bea813@cox.net. All contributions are reviewed and may be edited before being posted to the blog.

The types of items we are looking for our...reflections on how God speaks to you, moments where you've glimpsed Him, prayer requests, photographs, recipes, thoughts on current events/social issues and how they relate to faith (though it is not our intention to turn this blog into a forum of debate), poetry and anything else you feel impressed to share.

Even if you are not a member of St. Peter's church, we invite your participation.

May the love of Christ shine through you,

The Editor

Celebrating Jesus' Birth - Reflection and Outing Idea

During Advent, we're supposed to pretend we don't know that Jesus' birth is going to happen as God's plan for our salvation. We're supposed to wait in expectation not knowing exactly what we're waiting for to occur. Our family tried doing this last year and switching our focus to celebrating between Christmas and Epiphany. On reflection, it felt kind of weird, especially since most people were in post-celebration mode by that time and trying to keep that "Christmas spirit" going was like trying to perform PCR (post-Christmas resuscitation). Plus those 12 days went by way too fast.

So, at least for me, I'm back to my pre-"traditional Advent" thinking of anticipating Christmas as most of us do when we are expecting the arrival of a new life into this world. It helps that I've been through this a few times myself! :)

I think about what Mary might have been thinking as she awaited Jesus. I wonder what God must have been feeling. In human, time-bound terms, He'd been waiting an eternity for this. Mary just had to wait nine months. He must have been so excited to reveal this great surprise. Why do I think so? Because of the great company of heavenly host that appeared to the shepherds and were praising God. Keep something this good bottled up for so long and it's hard not to declare it mightily to the world!

I've also reflected on the practical things we do in expecting a baby... preparing the room, telling those we know and love of the good news, selecting a name, getting our affairs in order before the world as we know it changes. And, as much as this has to do with external matters, I'm also beginning to see it's as much about preparing our hearts that really gets us ready for Jesus. Whether it's anticipating the celebration of His birth or awaiting His return to earth.

This year, I'm going to try a new/old approach...decking my halls the day after Thanksgiving (vs on Christmas) and decking myself, my soul with gladness; looking for ways to tell the good news of Jesus birth (and part two of His story...the Resurrection) to those who may now know it; examining my heart with God's help to see where I need to "get my affairs in order" and prepare Him room to do a great work in me. As far as selecting a name, well, God has already done that for us. Immanuel, God with us.

How do you view Advent and Christmas? What traditions have you tried that fizzled? What ones have become dear to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments section to this post.

Here are a couple upcoming/current events to check out in the Cleveland area which celebrate this joyous season:

• Stan Hywet Hall in Akron is currently showcasing a display of more than 40 nativity scenes in its Manor house. The display will be available through December 28. Visit between December 12 -30 and they'll have decked their halls. Go to http://www.stanhywet.org/ for more information and details on hours, cost, directions.
• Frostville Museum in the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks: during the last two weekends in November tour this living museum. It's all decked out for the holidays and you can buy raffle tickets and baked goods to help support the museum. Please visit http://www.olmstedhistoricalsociety.org/ for more information.

Submitted by: Andrea

Thanksgiving

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word, "thanksgiving." I am chagrined to admit, that "turkey" pops right up. And not just the word, but a visual image of a finely roasted bird, with stuffing, gravy and all the trimmings.

Why the chagrin? Because I learned from children's book we borrowed from the library that the Pilgrims whom we traditionally associate with celebrating the first Thanksgiving (as we imagine it), actually referred to thanksgiving as a day they set apart to thank God for their blessings. What a concept!

Not that I don't think God appreciates a turkey cooked to perfection...after all, He created the concept. He even included a fellowship offering as an acceptable sacrifice to Him among the ancient Isrealites, and of this type of offering, ceremonially clean Isrealites were expected to partake. However, I have an inkling that keeping our minds more on Him and less on our stomachs is more in keeping with His idea of thanksgiving.

I'm not sure how this concept of thanksgiving with change my outlook on that day. I think it needs to marinate in my mind a little more. But I am curious as to your reactions. Is this a new concept for you? If not, how have you kept Thanksgiving Day sacred to the Lord? If it is new, do you think it will change how you approach "Turkey Day?" Please post your thoughts in the comments section to this post.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 110:4 NIV)

Community Meal Dessert Recipe

Every second Tuesday of the month, our church participates in the city-wide Community Meal program. We feed somewhere around 100 people each month, providing nourshiment for the body and soul, not only for those who are our guests, but for the volunteers as well.

Last month (October), we not only served the meal, but provided guests with a bag of apples picked from a local orchard. In keeping with the apple theme and perhaps as something to try for your family this Thanksgiving, here is a recipe for the Apple Cake we've served at the Meal:

Apple Cake
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. walnuts, chopped
2 C. apples, peeled and diced

Beat together sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stir in nuts and apples. Bake in a 9x13 greased pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes.


Simple and tasty! If you've tried it, consider sharing your thoughts in the comments section for this post on this culinary delight and any interesting twists you might have added to personalize the recipe.

Cast Your Vote...The Mug Shots Contest

Click here to see the original Mug Shots Contest post. Deadline is October 31, 2008.

Music Note

The music for this blog was made possible through Project Playlist (www.playlist.com). It's a service that is easy to sign up for and free. According to the playlist site, royalties are paid on the music so it is not violating any copyrights, but check out their site for a more detailed explanation of how it works..

We selected music that best represented the music you might hear at St. Peter's, though nothing can beat the real thing...the organ or our amazing adult and children's choirs. If you scroll to the very bottom of the blog, you will see the entire playlist. Note the name of the singer of "Jesus Loves Me"...Keith Owens. Though the name is similar this is not, in fact, our Rector. G. Keith Owen. We just couldn't resist adding this to our selection given the similarities in name. :)

Happy listening!

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 5:19-20 NIV)

Mug Shots Contest - Cast Your Vote!

Below are photos from our "Mug Shots" contest - photos taken by parishoners with their St. Peter's trendy red travel coffee mug. Browse the photos and then cast your vote for your favorite by commenting to this post. The winner gets a $50 gas card.

As an incentive to vote and to try and ensure only one vote per person (we're using the honor system and believing that God sees everything :) ) we'll do a drawing for a $5 gift card to your favorite coffee shop from among the voters (for US residents only). If you want to be entered into the drawing, please be sure to indicate which photo you are voting for and leave a valid email address so we may contact you if you are the winner (and don't worry, we won't spam you with future emails, but remember everyone who reads this blog will be able to see your email address).

Votes must be in by October 31, 2008 and winners will be contacted shortly thereafter.

Thanks for voting and feel free to invite others to participate in the voting fun!

(If you are unsure on how to leave a comment, please contact bea813@cox.net for instructions, though it should be quite easy to post a comment even if you've never "blogged" before.)



Photo 1






Photo 2






Photo 3






Photo 4






Photo 5

At a Waterway in Florida - years ago

The quietness is huge, the space
is not impressive, but
whatever it is about a waterway
it’s banks, the flow of the tides,
the overall effect is

Quietness
and calm with
skies that cloud and clear, first
threatening rain then
bright blue with sun shining
from behind soft white clusters of clouds.

Unimpressive palms bending
characteristically
with a mild, warm breeze -
not wind - just barely a breeze.
FM radio and the classical music
station first broadcasting flute then
brass contributing to the feeling
of serenity and peace.

Can brass instill calm serenity and peace?

Phyllis

Ready to Garden!

With planting season in full swing, I had to share this picture of Reese holding his birthday carrot seeds. It's mind boggling how God determined that a tiny seed which could be mistaken for a piece of dirt would be the perfect container for providing us with food. That we would all recognize the lowly state of our "containers" and yet the great potential we hold for nourishing others when we allow our Creator to work in and through us.

for His glory,

Andrea

What else in God's creation amazes you? Share your thoughts in the comments section for this post. If you have a picture which captures this concept, please email it to the editor at bea813@cox.net.

Recipe: Minestrone Soup

This is a wonderful recipe and a slight departure from the typical minestrone which often contains pasta. Minestrone means "big soup" and this makes a lot! Plan about 40 minutes to chop all the veggies and put together the soup - it's worth it! For a family of four can get 2-3 meals from this depending on portion size. It freezes well so you can always have some on hand.

2 T olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
2 c. coarsely chopped carrots
4 stalks coarsely chopped celery
2 c. chopped tomatoes
4 1/2 c. water
2 small zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 c. green beans in 1-inch lengths
2 medium potatoes cubed
3 c. coarsely chopped spinach
2 c. small white beans
1 T sea salt (more to taste if needed)
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp fresh basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried rosemary

Optional: rind of parmesan or romano cheese or few tablespoon grated

In stockpot, heat oil and add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until soft. Add tomatoes and cook a few more minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil then simmer about one hour. Taste for seasonings and add additional if desired. Great with fresh bread.

Ditching the Disposables

God increasingly has convicted me of how much garbage we throw away in this disposable society. As parents of three small children, one of the most consistent and prolific forms of our garbage was disposable diapers.

When we were expecting Brianna, we looked into a cloth diaper service, even had the first batch ordered and ready to go. However, the first time we used one, she soaked it through with sweat (it was August) and it seemed bulky and awkward. The fact that the hospital provided us with disposables which lasted for the first two weeks of her life, and we had gotten used to them, didn’t help much. At the time, it seemed the only thing to do was stick with the disposables.

And so it went for two more children and four plus years, until finally, God revealed there was another way. First, one of my cousins with a daughter about the same age as Luke had been using cloth diapers for almost a year. She showed me what it looked like and affirmed she liked them much better than the occasional disposable she used when they had an outing. That planted the seed.

Then, in a conversation with another mom at St. Peter’s, I learned of a whole new generation of cloth diapers…and a new vocabulary with it. Just Google “pocket diapers” and you’ll come up with a gaggle of fun names – Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heiny’s, BumGenius, all of which offer the Generation Next of cloth diapers.

After doing much research, I decided it was time to take the plunge and order them. So far, we’ve been pleased with how relatively easy they are to use. Sure there is a little extra work on the laundry side of things, but since a mom who doesn’t like to do laundry designed them, it really is not that time consuming. And your contact with, um, poop, goes up marginally, but you can’t avoid that reality even with disposables.

However, the benefits far outweigh any downsides...knowing we are reducing landfall waste, huge cost savings after the first year (the inital cost outlay for us equalled what we spent in one year for diapers) and saving money on diaper creams (you can’t use them with these diapers). Even the laundry detergent recommended for cleaning the diapers is environmentally friendly because it’s vegetable based and you only need a half tablespoon per load!

If you are interested in learning more about these diapers or our experience, please feel free to email me at christianlifecoach@cox.net.

For His glory,
Andrea

Have you ever tried cloth diapers? If so, what was your experience like? Any helpful tips for parents new to the experience? Post your thoughts in the comments section under this post.