On St. Nicholas

Growing up their was one occasion in December that we as kids anticipated almost as much as Christmas Day. And that was the eve when St. Nicholas came! On December 5th, at our house, St. Nicholas “would come” and we would receive treats and toys in our stockings.

After reading this on Wikipedia, it makes sense why so many did this in WI. Given our German heritage and protestant background it’s no wonder. We also hide a pickle ornament on our Christmas tree…do any others do this? Friends of ours recently had a German exchange student and unfortunately this is an entirely made up American thing. No German ties whatsoever.

Last year I wrote about our thoughts on Santa, and while they remain the same this year, Alex and I would both love to continue the tradition of St. Nicholas. And no, their will be no thought that St. Nicholas really came, it will be more of a purposeful and fun learning opportunity of who the real St. Nicholas was and how he gave gifts to the poor. Hopefully as Elizabeth grows this will also allow for a great opportunity to give as well.

After polling Facebook I came away with these great books to help our learning of St. Nicholas to grow. I haven't’ read any of them yet but look forward to searching them out and reading through them.

1. The Secret of St. Nicholas

2. The Legend of St. Nicholas

3. Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend

So join us tonight in hanging your stockings and teaching your kids about the real origin of Santa Claus:) He originated through the story of St. Nicholas, the saint who took gifts and set them in the shoes of children.

Great post on The Art of Simple on St. Nick and why and how to celebrate. Hits all my sentiments on the head:)

http://theartofsimple.net/st-nicholas-the-real-santa-claus/

thoughts on mother’s day

today is my first real mother’s day with a real live baby to cuddle and love. and I’m terrified of the emotions that have come with it.

every day I feel blessed to be elizabeth’s mommy. to hold her and snuggle her and teach her and love her. she’s still and always will be an example of God’s incredible kindness towards us. we don’t even come close to deserving her.

but the emotions that found me leading up to this day frightened me. my first real mother’s day and expectations that I began to put forth in my mind from the world. I remember when we were waiting and expecting having a better mindset on mother’s day. Yes, mother’s do deserve to be celebrated but it’s still just another day. because when you are waiting and hoping and grieving this day seems to be viewed with better clarity.

one year in the waiting I remember the elder or pastor, not our main pastor, asking all the mothers to stand up. to stand up. and to this day I can remember the emotions. tears flowed instantly and out I ran. I can remember thinking “all I want is to be able to stand up.” that was my worst experience with mother’s day to date.

but this year…it began to feel like it needed to be a day all.about.me. How would Alex celebrate me. What pinterest inspired craft would he come up with to show his love (seriously, what was I thinking…what men go on pinterest to make a craft for their wife?). Satan got ahold of me. And last night as I sat with my husband I went full circle with all my emotions.

Yes, I need to hear from him that he’s proud of me and yes, I need to hear that the job I’m doing is worthwhile. But I don’t need to hear that I’m perfect (far from it), that I’m the world’s best mom (I’m not), I don’t need to hear how I’m a saint for doing my job (again, far from it).

funny how a heart can be so fickle. in the waiting I longed for this day and made it less than what it should be and on this side I longed for this day and made it more than it should be.

and I know so many for whom this day is hard. they get to be celebrated but they are unable to celebrate their own mothers. they don’t get to stand up but they have mother’s to celebrate. and some are unable to do either.

why do we do this? I’m still baffled by all the emotions and how the world can make one day so puffed up. what a good reminder to keep my head in the Book. to remember where the best accolades will come from. where to keep hope.

One day I’ll hear the greatest words, “well done” and all the cards and worldly accolades will be rubbish in comparison.

just thinking this all through and trying to find the happy medium.

happy mother’s day…

from our love bug

everyday is a good day to spread some love

the days ahead

my heart is so fickle.

everyday is a new chance at balancing its affections. pulling back, opening up, growing in grace. finding its home in the One who never changes.

today marks the beginning of lent. my heart needs lent. i need to see and savor the One who gives me grace upon grace. i find so often i tend to consume myself with grace but what is grace without the torment and agony from calvary. how can i rightly forsake, ever so unintentionally, the blood stained hands.

“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Hebrews 12:2-3

and the advent reading begins, to point me to the one who gave, who endured, who was despised. i'm praying my heart will see and savor…will turn from the things of the world that so easily play for my affections, and that we will together, consider him.

consider Jesus.

CONSIDER the blood stained hands

CONSIDER the suffering of Christ

CONSIDER the beating of branches and the cutting of thorns

because as hebrews says, he endured, SO THAT we will not grow weary or fainthearted.

SO THAT we can beckon the throne of grace and find mercy

SO THAT we could stand before the throne and not be cast down

SO THAT we would be forgiven. stains removed

incredible mercy. incredible sorrow. incredible suffering.

so that we could experience incredible joy.

in these days ahead, will you join me in walking through lent with hearts so desiring to remember, to contemplate, to consider him who bore the sin of the whole world.

consider Jesus.

*our favorite lent devotional can be found here*

 

Making a list

 

 

Every year someone asks us for a list of gift ideas, either for Christmas or our birthdays. For years, I would scramble last minute to try and figure out what on earth I should ask for. It was pure craziness. What ended up on my list were things in the aftermath I would look at quizzically and wonder what I was thinking. So for the past few years we’ve been taking a different approach.

I know so many people still make hand written lists, don’t give gifts, make a board on pinterest, etc. but we utilize the list feature on Amazon. Each one of us in our little family of 3 have a list. And all year long I add to them things that we think would be good ideas for gifts. I love that I can delete and add at my discretion and it definitely makes giving gifts easier.

You might wonder, but what if something I like is not offered by Amazon? Well, I downloaded their “Universal Wish List” feature to my browser bar. With the click of a button I can add things to any of our lists from any website. That makes things so much easier. I also have the Amazon app on my phone so I can scan things in the store, see if Amazon carries them, and if they do add them to the list. If they do not carry it, I just snap a quick picture to add online later. And if I didn’t have the app, then like I did for years on end, I just snap pictures in any store of the items I want to remember and then come home and manually add them to the list. I do this all the time with books I want to reserve at the library!

Amazon is not giving me anything to talk about this…I just love it! Plus I love how almost everything is cheaper on Amazon than in the store. So we can give great gifts and save money. My parent’s love it too because they can get us things we like and have them shipped usually for free. When you send so many gifts to those out of state, postage can add up quickly!

Living far from family, I wish everyone made Amazon lists. It would make it so much easier to buy gifts that need to be sent and it would help ensure that the recipient would not receive duplicates. That’s a bonus to…when someone buys something, it gets removed from your list. How great is that!

So I’m curious as Christmas gets nearer by the day, how do you try and stay organized with gift giving? Do you use Amazon lists?

Father’s Day is Upon Us

This heartwarming video from Shutterfly had me wanting to call my dad as soon as it finished to say “I love you”.

And here’s a great way to celebrate dad…send him a FREE card from Shutterfly!

Looking Ahead

I cannot wait to be back in a house in time for Christmas!  I’m already looking ahead and thinking of where our Christmas decorations will go.  I don’t go all out and most of my decorations are rustic in style, but none the less, I’m excited.  Especially for our tree to go up!  The past 2 Christmas’ we haven’t put a tree up; there just wasn’t enough room.  So this year, it’ll be up right after we move in!

I know there are a lot of people who don’t want Thanksgiving to be lost amongst Christmas.  I’m in that camp too…especially since, like this year, my birthday will fall on the holiday.  But at the same time, it’s still fun to start dreaming of Christmas.

This year I’m racking my brain on how to display the Christmas cards in our house.  Normally they just reside in a bowl on the table for people or us to peruse through.  But this year, I’d love to do something different.  I’m thinking a garland of sorts to display our cards. 

What do you do to display your cards?

And speaking of cards…anyone order theirs yet?  I’m swooning over all the seriously adorable designs and I think we’ve landed on a couple of favorites! 





Not sure which one will win out, but can’t wait to hear what you have all decided on.   Are you a card family?  Or do you save the cash and do something else?

Don’t forget to hop on over to Tiny Prints to see what’s new.  All the above designs are from there and my favorite part about their site…you can add something to the back of the card for FREE!  That’s something I love to hear!

Happy card perusing! 

And don’t forget to inspire me with how you display your cards!!

Memorial Day 2011

*A big thank you to all the veterans, men and women in service, and all who have fought, served, and died to bring us freedom. Especially my Grandpa.*

I love Memorial Day weekend.  It’s the unofficial start of summer, at least for my family.  There are years of memories, spending this weekend with my family up at our cottage on the lake.  This year many of them are there, but Alex and I stayed back.  We *wish* we were there!

Weekends like this bring up the two things I miss about not living in a house:  the ability to grill and to have lots of people over to eat, drink, and play games.  Although we are not with my family, we are lucky enough to have the hubbies parents joining us for a yummy lunch complete with cards and fun!

Here’s our menu this year (recipes to come):


                        Have a safe, fun and very enjoyable Memorial Day!

preparing for Sunday

In three days it will be Easter Sunday. 

We’ve been trying to prepare for this.  To not let the day go past or the days leading up to it be forgotten.  We’ve been praying God would help us to see what a glorious day this is.  The day that our Savior took on all of our sin, bore it on the cross, and rose again victorious over Satan and Hell for our sake. 

We’ve been using this book:  Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross by Nancy Guthrie and this site to walk through the days leading up to the Crucifixion.  Easter is a time to rejoice; there IS victory in the cross but also a time to reflect, ponder, imagine what the Lord went through to reconcile us to the Father.  The blood, the sweat, the honest and humble petitioning of the Father to take the cup, knowing all the while that He was placed on the Earth for this moment.

Every morning when I pray or am reading my Bible I want to remember, to count it as an honor, that I can petition the Father directly.  That the Spirit of God lives within me.  That Jesus has torn the curtain in half.  We have access to God because of Christ.  And it was not free.

I want to remember my Savior as He was when He took all my sin upon His shoulders.  I never want to take it for granted.  And I will.  I’m a sinner.  But I pray earnestly that I wouldn’t and you wouldn’t.  The greatest gift we’ve ever been given was on Calvary.

Do you know Him?  He knows you.  Your name, your past, your failures.  Everything.  And He longs to know you more, to reconcile you to the Father, giving you a new heart and a new hope.  He is Yahweh. God almighty.  Savior.  Friend.  And our only hope.

Calvary.  What a place.  What a Sacrifice.  What a gift.

Remember Jesus.

happy president’s day

  

Right after the Superbowl I was watching intently on TV to hear about the National Anthem disaster by Christina Auguilera.   On the View they were talking about how it was an honest mistake, the nerves, the tricky lyrics, cutting her some slack.


I was very glad they were.  I muted the TV to see if I could sing the entire National Anthem without messing up.  I hate to admit it, but I stumbled a little myself.  I do know the pledge of allegiance though, must be the 12 years we recited it in school.


But what I found interesting on the View was the fact that Elizabeth Hasselback actually sings the National Anthem with her kids before bed almost every night.  It’s one of their favorites.  One Bible song and the National Anthem.

If that’s not intriguing enough, they also learn the names of all the President’s in order.  They have a President placemat.  This feat is one I know I cannot do and I’m slightly ashamed.  But here’s to all the Presidents, for our freedom, for our country!

Can you name all the President’s in order?

xoxoxo

Ultimately love is from God.  The greatest love we will ever know was nailed to a cross, the God-man offered his life as a fragrant offering.  Because of this love, I know love.  I can show love and be loved.


I’m thankful for this man, this husband of mine, who though we are imperfect and sin much, we can in part see, know, and experience the love of God.  Our marriage should picture Christ and his infinite love for us.  With grace and forgiveness, love is possible in this temporary union here on earth.  He showers me with love and for that I am grateful.

But love goes beyond marriage.  Love is for others, love involves self-sacrifice, love involves putting aside our desires for another.  Love itself is messy, it is hard, it is so worth it.  Love brings joy to the heart. 

On this Valentines day, we wish you love.  Love from the Father of lights, love from our Savior Jesus, that you would feel and know how much you are loved.

Because you are. 
You are worth being loved. 
For you were created in His image. 
And He loves his creation.

”God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

1 John 4:8b-10