What an utterly delightful EARLY Christmas present! Wooo hooooo! One of the articles I had the privilege of writing for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, has made it to Crosswalk.com, How to Plan Wisely for Holiday Feasts and Fun!
Wow!!! 2008 has been an incredible year for my writing!
Thank you Lord!
If you are one of those brave souls that goes out the day after Thanksgiving, scouring the ads and showing up at Chick-fil-A’s special bargain shoppers breakfast at 4:30 am, here is the site for you to get the BEST holiday deals in advance!
Black Friday 2008 ads are daily being added at http://www.blackfriday.info/ If you have always wanted to know what was for sale BEFORE Thanksgiving day, so you can plan your trip (with gas prices lower, planning is still prudent!) according to what you need the most, this site can propel you to the front of the pack. See ToysRus, Home Depot, Office Depot, Kohl’s, Kmart, Sears, Macy’s, Target, Lowe’s, Staples and more!
Shop with a budget. Use cash, you spend less. Make a list. Pray over it.
Knowing over a week in advance gives you a chance to mull over things and really consider whether they are appropriate or not. Question things.
Do you ever notice how you can really, really want something for about 24 hours, obsessing over it. But by the third day, the absolute desire to buy it (or give it) fades.
Last year our neigbhors got some amazing deals, especially for their daughter in college. A super cheap microwave oven, fridge, and other things that would be helpful for a dorm room full of girls who are struggling to work, go to school and do clinicals as nursing students.
Great information if you can use it with wisdom and prudence! Remember the list, cash, comfortable shoes, a cleaned out car, and patience.
Joyful Resurrection Day!
We hope you will rejoice that Jesus is RISEN, and that He is our Passover lamb, the Savior of the world! Below are a few recipes to make the Resurrection come alive in your home this week.
Resurrection Cookies
You need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
Zipper baggie
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible
Preheat oven to 300 F. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Resurrection day Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.
Resurrection Eggs
1 dozen plastic eggs (or you can put these in plastic containers of any type)
While they were eating Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples.”Take and eat it,” He said, “This is My body.”
2. (Silver Coins) Matthew 26: 14-15
Then one of the twelve disciples, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him.
3. (Purple cloth, representing a purple robe) Mark 15:17
They put a purple robe on Jesus. . .
4. (Thorns) Matthew 27:29
Then they made a crown out of thorny branches and placed it on His head, and put a stick on His right hand; then they knelt before Him and made fun of Him. “Long live the King, of the Jews!” they said.
5. (Scourge-a small piece of rope or thick string) Mark 15:15
Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free for them. Then he had Jesus whipped and handed Him over to be crucified.
6. (Cross) John 19: 17-18a
He went out, carrying His cross, and came to “The Place of the Skull,” as it is called. (In Hebrew it is called “Galgotha.”) There they crucified Him.
7. (Nails) John 20:25b
Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in His hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His side, I will not believe.”
Above Him were written these words: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make Him drink it.
10. (Spear) John 19:34
One of the soldiers plunged his spear into Jesus’ side, and at once blood and water poured out.
11. (Rock) Matthew 27:59-60
Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a new linen sheet, and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had just recently dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.
He is not here He has risen just as He said.
These are a few of the things we have done, over the years, to make the Resurrection story come alive with our kids, in their younger years.
As our children got older, and can understand more, we have also listened to Kay Arthur’s excellent CD, where she explains many of the physical things that Christ went through, from a medical perspective, going line upon line through scripture. We have also been able to see it on broadcasts of Precept Upon Precept, from Israel. We have watched “The Passion of the Christ,” Mel Gibson’s movie, which we find exceedingly difficult to watch. All of these things bring little pieces of the scripture alive for kids, helping them to understand WHO Jesus is, What He did, HOW He suffered, HOW it was done, and most importantly WHY we are saved through His precious blood.
We serve a risen Savior! May we walk wisely and purely through the life He has given us with His shed blood.
Invite someone to church this Sunday!
I got this off a list I am on - excellent! Good job Carla!
My kids and I got stuck in Walmart for a few hours after picking up a screw in a tire. This little Easter video is what come out of our boredom. I hope that maybe someone can use it constructively sometime in the next few days.
http://www.youtube.
Carla Hardwick
Creation Sensation
I wonder, my dear sisters in Christ, if you are struggling this fine wintery morning. As the sparkle of frost dances across the trees and glitters on every surface, it is easy to see that Christmas is a week away, here in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee. I wish you could see the view from my window, as the smoky fog curls up from the lake, moving silently as the sun rises. The blue mountains in the background stand still, quiet and stalwart in the distance. As the sun crests the hill and moves higher into the sky, the frost sparkles one last time, before it begins to melt in the coming day.
Dear sisters are you feeling like the frost on this glittery winter morning, alive and bright until the light of day melts you as the weight of your responsibilities overtakes you. Ahh, but the plans we started with this Christmas season always look different than the paths our lives somehow take. Beginning with the best of intentions to embrace simplicity, to slow down, to let there be days of no activity, to do Advent every single night…do you notice that even simplicity is a “to do list?” We have to make a “to do” list just to slow down! There are blank spots on our calendars, surely that must be a mistake and they beckon to be filled as the month goes on. The most frightening thing of all is the massive “COULD DO” list dancing merrily in our heads! We COULD do this and we COULD do that, and wouldn’t it be nice to cram one more Christmas memory in.
As our plans for a simple memorable Christmas focused on the Savior seems to be slipping away, remember, it is not too late. We have a week to put Martha in check and become more like Mary, worshipping at the feet of our Savior. A week! We can turn aside from the busyness and sit at His feet. Oh join me dear sisters, and please send this on to other women you know who are struggling through the season!
Prayer: Wonderful, merciful Savior, we praise you for creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in it. We thank you so much for sending your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin, on that Christmas so long ago. You are the only reason we celebrate, yet the season of your birth gets so wrapped in a flurry of activity. Forgive us for getting caught up in it all. Lord here we are again, at your throne begging for grace. Help us redeem our time, looking toward You in love and thankfulness and letting go of the “to do” and “could do” lists running in our heads. Help our focus to be squarely on you. We thank you for coming to earth to save us, for your sacrifice and your love. We love you Lord. Amen
Yesterday, I wrote this….
Well, Christmas is 8 days away and I haven’t made a SINGLE thing for the Baughn family unit that I live with! So or should I say SEW…this week is a flurry of pajama making and we are having one of Em’s friends over Friday to teach her how to sew PJ’s. I had hoped to do a CW outfit for each - but those are all about FIT and we can’t really do fittings on elaborate outfits without them knowing! In-between that is convention stuff, BMITS stuff (our computer consulting biz), various biz dates and responsibilities, etc, a friend of ours is taking us to lunch etc, etc! And I must do our annual tradition of Christmas Baking for Dave’s work and as a thank you to our clients. And we are working diligently on the Prudent Wife website for our Jan launch. Oh and we are planning a beautiful ceremony with Em and giving her a purity ring - and creating a whole thing around that. Lord willing, that will be a sweet, sweet night that she can hold on to for years. And Dave is after me about doing the caroling party - which is always the weekend before Christmas, so I shall decide on that tomorrow! Nothing going on here, nothing! It will all get done, it always does.
I CORINTHIANS 13 -A CHRISTMAS VERSION
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I’m just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and
arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love to my family,
I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home and
give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.
Author Unknown
Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the Politically Correct Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a “
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe’s the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears
You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate “Winter Break” under your “Dream Tree”
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!
LET’S KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!!!!!!!!!
I am not sure WHO wrote this, so I cannot give credit. If you know the author, I would happily include it!
Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.”
–Estonian proverb
The unthankful heart… discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! –Henry Ward Beecher
Thank God every day when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.
–Basil Carpenter
O Lord, that lends me life, Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness! — William Shakespeare
One distinguishing mark of an unregenerate man is ingratitude. — E. J. Conrad
Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now. — A. W. Tozer