Wanting God in our Traditions

Last Christmas I went through the story of Jesus' birth with Isaac through some little pictures I drew. This year I wanted to figure out some more ways to focus on Jesus' coming during Christmas time in a way that would help the boys learn the story and also become tradition for our family.

I was so excited when a friend from our church, who was also my Bible study teacher, told me about the traditions she and her husband had started when their children were little. She said they were hoping to share with a younger family what they do to pass long encouragement and ideas! I was so excited and felt so very blessed when they invited us over to share and for a meal! They gave us all the information for how to do a Jesse Tree and gave us a beautiful book, called The Advent Book, as a gift. I made all the ornaments for the Jesse tree and took the boys outside to hunt for some sticks to make our tree:) Each day of December, leading up until Christmas, we read a portion of a Bible story and hung an ornament that symbolized each story. Each story points us to Jesus. Each night we also opened a new door in The Advent Book. The Advent Book has 25 doors to open. Each one has a beautiful picture and tells a small portion of the story of how Jesus came to us. Then, each Sunday we lit an Advent candle, read a portion of scripture, and sung a Christmas hymn. I am looking forward to continuing these tradtions each year! Isaac enjoyed it so much and I know Declan will as he grows and understands more;) I am just so blessed and thankful for my friend Tiffany who helped me actually put into practice what I had wanted to do for my family:) It really helped me to get some practical ideas.

Isaiah 11:1

"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit."



John 1:14
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Decorating for Christmas!

I tried so hard to get a picture that was not blurry!!! oh well:)

Dancing to Christmas music!

Fall visit with Grammy Stewart:)

We spent a day at the Zoo!!

Beaufort

Helping Daddy mow the lawn

Declan and Daddy, He was so brave and cried to get back on when his turn was over!!

Isaac and Daddy

Quote from Dostoyevsky

“I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
(Romans 8:18-25 ESV)

Making the Apple Sauce!