Happy Resurrection Weekend!

Alright, alright.  So I know I'm a little late in the game, but we JUST pulled out our Easter stuff at the beginning of this week.  With normal housework, homeschooling, testing last week, and just LIFE in general, Easter kind-of snuck up on me.

But it's Friday, and Sunday's coming!

So here's a look back at this week and all the fun things we have done to prepare for Easter:



Seriously.  2 dozen hard boiled eggs.  Eaten up in 24 hours.  Crazy!





Sophie was so happy to be dyeing her own eggs!



I just couldn't resist this sweet, sweet smile from Joseph!



Why Easter eggs?  They represent new beginnings.  A new life transformed by the resurrecting power of Jesus.





Out came the books.  The Resurrection Eggs.  The Jesus Film movie.  My kids LOVED reading, and telling (and retelling!) the Easter story.  Even Sophie.  Too cute!



Every year we do our own Passover dinner with our family.  It has become something our kids talk about all year.  We retell the Exodus story, letting the kids act it out as we go.  Waving the palm branches, painting the doorposts, and parting the Red Sea with a staff.  We talk about how each part of that familiar Old Testament story points to the New Testament Jesus. 



Making Resurrection Rolls!



 

And......eating them. :)



The kids put together a little Easter basket to take to Mimi this morning.  Cute little Easter bunnies making a delivery.  Made alot of people smile. :)



Love this picture!





I so, so badly wanted to make an Easter garden with the kids this year.  Wasn't on the ball enough to plant early though.  Instead, they collected sticks today and made these for our front planter.  Love! 



The eggs, the books, the baskets......they're are well and good, but it's all just a means to an end.  To point to Him.  Traditions that we've created for our children in hopes that they will lead them to Jesus, our risen Lord, who conquered death and rose again on the third day.

Our family has had a taste of this death-conquering Jesus this year.  There IS power in His name when we cry out to Him.  Power to heal the sick.  To make blind men see.  Even to resurrect from the dead.  All we must do is believe. 

Believe in the One who created the universe.  Who spoke life into being.  Who sent His only Son to die on a cross.  For our sins.  For my sins.  Whose blood was spilled, so that I may have life eternal.  And who, on the third day rose, in all power and glory. Conquering death once and for all, for all who believe.

That is what Easter is all about. 

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

~Romans 10:13

I'll leave you with a song I've had stuck in my head all week (you will have to pause the music player at the bottom of this page before playing the video).  Happy Resurrection weekend!

                       






Kirsten

A Perfect Christmas

I always have the desire to want holidays to be perfect.  Don't you? 

A clean house.  Beautifully wrapped presents.  Tons of delicious foods.  Picturesque decorations. 

Everything.  Just.  So.

But this year, as I trim the tree and bake the Christmas cookies, I feel the anxiety beginning to build.  Slowly, at first....and then faster as the holiday approaches. 

Now, I am truly, TRULY thankful for family coming to visit.  I am SO excited, I cannot contain myself.  Really, I am.  I LOVE having people to our house, especially at Christmas time.  But, our house is teeny, tiny, and our extended family, is, well....big. :)  17 of us altogether under one roof for ten days to be exact.  And my need to control, and maintain order and perfection kicks in.  How will I possibly keep my house clean with that many people?  Where will all our STUFF go?  Where will we all sleep?  And so on and so on.

But you know what?  That first Christmas?  The one that took place in a STABLE??  The one where a poor, pregnant teenager was confined to give birth in a smelly barnyard?  A feedbox full of scratchy hay for a cradle?  A murderous king out to find and kill the newborn baby?  Yeah, that story.  Well, that one wasn't perfect either.  It wasn't even close.  And yet, something about it was, and still is, beautiful.  After all, 2,000 years later, we are still celebrating. 

Perhaps it was the simplicity of it all.  The fact that is was so ordinary, so relatable, that makes it beautiful.  Perhaps it was the love story of a God who so desperately loved His creation that He entered our world.  Emmanuel.  God with us.  I'm quite certain it was all of the above.

Growing up, holidays weren't always Hallmark-approved either.  Oh, they were wonderful alright, but often times they felt more like that first Christmas than the spreads I see on the cover of a Better Homes and Garden magazine.  Some of my fondest memories of holidays, however, were around my grandmother's table.  Or tables....depending how you look at it.  Her home was modest, but every year the dining room table was busting at the seams with people.  And when that table filled up, there was card table, after card table set-up extending into the living room.  Family. Friends.  Even strangers graced our table a year or two.  Never once would you hear Mimi say, "No room at the inn."  Anyone who needed somewhere to go was invited.  All were welcome.  And, it too, was beautiful.  Just like that first Christmas.

I am certain that it was the love that abounded.  The relationships that were formed.  The room that we made, not only in our homes, but also in our hearts for others.  It isn't the perfection I remember so much, as the imperfections. 

Are we more concerned with perfect table settings this year?  Things being "just so" on the outside?  Tons of gifts, perfectly wrapped?  Inward beauty taking a back seat to outward perfection?  I'm hoping not.  I'm praying mine is a home of laughter this year.  Of joy.  Of the pitter-patter of LOTS of little feet.  Relationships.  Food in the oven.  Fire crackling.  Christmas music playing.  Oh, I'm certain there will be messes to clean.  I'm even certain that on the outside, it may not look all that "perfect" to you.  But that's OK, the perfect is found in the imperfection. 

I cannot wait!!  A house full of life, and laughter and children.  Hearts set in anticipation of the One whom this celebration is all about.  An absolutely perfect holiday.

Looking for a place to spend Christmas this year?  I may just be able to scrounge up an extra seat or two at our table. ;)




Kirsten

'Tis the Season

Christmas is such a special time of the year for our family.  I'm sure it is for many others as well, but for us, it holds some very beautiful memories.  Take a look:

~Charles and I were engaged December 19th of 1999.  The following week, we were spending Christmas together with his whole family in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

~A year later, we got married on December 16th, 2000.  We spent our first Christmas as a married couple together on our honeymoon in Hawaii.  Instead of a Christmas tree that first year, we had a Christmas pineapple!!  Mele Kalikimaka. :)

~Fast forward three years, and we found out ON CHRISTMAS MORNING that I was going to be a mommy.  Literally peed on a stick before my husband woke up and then wrapped it up as a present. :)  Merry Christmas to us!! 

~As if THAT weren't enough, on December 24th, 2007, our third child, Jackson decided to enter the world.  That's right!  My water broke in the church parking lot as I walked into the Christmas Eve service that night.  The next morning, my husband and good friend of ours loaded up the car with gifts and kids and brought them into the hospital room.  I got to spend the morning watching my kids open their presents from the comfort of my hospital bed.  I honestly could not think of a better way to spend my time there! 

~AND.....two Christmases later, on December 18th, 2009, we welcomed our youngest daughter, Sophia, into the world.  THAT time, we were home for Christmas!!

So, as I prepare for the Christmas season this year, it causes me to pause and reflect on all of God's many blessings.  Both tangible blessings in the life of our family, as well as the free gift of grace that was given to the world in the form of a baby 2,000 years ago.  Thankful that HE CAME HERE to rescue the world from sin.

"The Word became flesh and lived for awhile among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." 

 ~John 1:14

So much to be thankful for this year.  He is so good.  And so worthy to be praised.  Won't you join me this Christmas season in lifting our eyes and hearts in praise to the One for whom this holiday celebrates?

Oh Come, oh come Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appears

REJOICE! REJOICE!

Emmanuel
Has come to thee O Israel.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart

prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and nature sing

And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

O Holy Night

the stars are brightly shining.

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world, in sin and error pining

till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth.

A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices

for yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees

Oh hear, the angel voices

Oh night divine

Oh night....when Christ was born

Oh night.....divine

Oh night.....O holy night.



May HE be first in our homes and hearts this Christmas season!

Kirsten

Got Thanks?

It’s that time of year again!!  I don’t know about you, but our week has been filled with finishing up all our school work so that we can move onto all things Thanksgiving.  Pilgrim and Indian costumes are being pulled out, Thanksgiving books are being dusted off and read, names like Squanto and William Bradford are being thrown around at the dinner table.  One new activity we did this year was to make our thankful tree (or our variation of one).  Take a look:



I particularly love it because I used our new laminator to laminate the leaves, so they can be wiped off and re-used next year.  Score!!



But as I reflect on the holiday coming up and all that it stands for, I am humbled by the lack of gratitude in my own heart this week.  Oh, it’s there alright on the outside.  As I’ve said, I’ve done my fair share of TALKING about being thankful this week with my kids, but does my heart reveal something different?  Was that a spirit of thankfulness welling up in my heart when my (almost) 2 year-old took marker to my couch?  Or when the kids were fighting…..AGAIN?  Or when I felt entitled to some “alone time”?? 

Then this…..Enter Matthew 5.  The Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”  Nope, not me.

“Blessed are the meek.”  Not me again.

“Blessed are the pure in heart.”  Ouch.  That hurts.

“The peacemakers…..the merciful.......those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  You get the idea. 

And there I am  left.  Again.  Realizing that that little ole Pharisee in me is having a field day.  Like so many things in life, it is a choice.  Do I CHOOSE to be thankful?  Even when things don’t go according to plan?  Even when my so-called “rights” are infringed upon? 

And so again I remind myself…..

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his mercies never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

~Lamentations 3:22-23

~

Or, in some cases, every waking moment of every single day.  And THAT is something to be thankful for. 

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful that HE sent His Son, His only Son, to die in my place.  Thankful that He came to this earth to wash away all sin, even the sins of the heart.  The ones nobody else sees but me. Why?  Because it was the only way a sinful man, like myself, could one day be in the presence of an Almighty God.  Thankful that it is nothing that we can DO on our own.  We cannot earn our way to Him. It is a free gift called grace.  And it is available each and every moment of the day.  Even when we don’t deserve it.  Even when we are ungrateful for that gift and turn away.  It’s still there.  Beckoning us to come.  To sit.  To bask in the wonder of a King who would step down from His throne in heaven to take my place. Our place.  Totally unwarranted grace.  All we must do is receive it.  And I’m thankful for that.

So today I've resolved to start my week of thankfulness (again), after already having started it again a couple times. J  Based on my leaves on the tree, can you guess how my week began?? J 

Thankful for new beginnings.  Thankful for His grace.  Thankful that He loves us so incredibly much.  Just plain old thankful today.  And that’s a good place to be.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kirsten

Easter Plans

So, I'm afraid that Easter has kind-of snuck up on me this year!  Most years I like to take the couple weeks prior to Easter and spend them reading the Resurrection story with my kids, dying Easter eggs, making crafts, participating in a Passover meal and just looking for as many opportunities as I can to share the Good News with them.  This year??  Nothing.

Oh, wait!  There was the one afternoon I pulled out the Resurrection Eggs with Jackson.  Does THAT count??  :)

So THIS weekend, we're making up for lost time!  Besides the traditional egg-dying ritual, here's a look at what we've got planned:

Passover Meal:

Every Passover week, our family attempts to re-create the Passover meal with the re-telling of the Exodus story.  It is a tradition that my children have grown to look forward to every year.  It has been a great tool for us to use to show how the Old Testament points to Christ as the fulfillment of the prophecies.   Here's a look at our Passover celebration in year's past.

Resurrection Cookie Recipe:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these fun cookies!  Each ingredient helps to tell the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.  After making the dough and plopping in onto the cookie sheets, simply tuck these into the oven overnight and seal it shut (we use tape!!).  In the morning, when you  break open the cookies, they are hollow on the inside.  The tomb is empty!

Resurrection Cookies

You will need: 1 cup whole pecans 1 teaspoon vinegar 3 egg whites a pinch salt 1 cup sugar a zipper baggy 1 wooden spoon scotch tape Bible Instructions: These are to be made the evening before Easter. Preheat oven to 300F. *** (this is very important --- don't wait until you are half done with the recipe). Place pecans in zipper baggy 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 teaspoon 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: Psalm 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: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3 Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read: Matthew 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: Matthew 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 16:20,22 On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read: Matthew 28:1-9

Easter Egg Hunt :

 Join us THIS Saturday for an Easter egg hunt at Everybody's Playground from 10:00 - 11:30 am.  Three separate egg fields for hunters of all ages, inflatables and music!!  Come out and join us!  It's gonna be a blast!

Our Favorite Easter Books:

God's Easter Promise

The Parable of the Lily

The Tale of Three Trees



 

I am so looking forward to a fun-filled weekend with family and friends!  I hope you are also planning out your celebrations as you look for ways to honor the King.  Happy Easter!!

Kirsten