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WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT Learn more about Jesus! Let the Bible show you how to fix your life! Enjoy Christian words of encouragement from the Bible, inspirational Bible stories, Bible verses to live by, and sound Bible teaching. Learn how to homeschool and prepare healthy easy recipes.
by Linda Hull
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- Linda Hull
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"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" Galatians 4:16
Letter from the Editor...
Hello!I love the Christmas season celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Unfortunately Jesus tends to get lost in the excitement of the shopping frenzy. This Christmas I want to concentrate on Him and lose the world's bad habits. It's a tough decision because we are so entrenched with the world's traditions. Serious effort is required. The pressure is on! Making Christmas memories is so much fun! Plan to spend some quality time with the family and friends. Check out the party recipes to help you get started. Discover the real Christmas timeframe and its symbolism and learn the principle of true success. Begin reading Words of Encouragement by clicking to continue for the first article... or just scroll down to In This Issue. Enjoy! Linda
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IN THIS ISSUECLICK ON THE LINKS TO TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO AN ARTICLE
| Making Christmas Meaningful |
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Copyright © 2010 by Linda G. Hull
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"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." 1 Peter 2:1-10
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I was saddened to read in the news that people had been trampled in their quest to reach the latest sales just inside the door of a city department store. How sad that the celebration of the birth of Jesus, Christmas, has become a time to fight and grab for the latest bargain. Christmas as it is celebrated today has lost its holy reverence for the coming of Christ as a babe.
"Christmas" or December 25th was originally a pagan celebration commonly associated with the winter solstice. Jesus was not born in December according to Bible scholars. They believe that Jesus was actually born during the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot celebrated during the month of Tishri (October), the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, on the 15th through the 22nd.
During this harvest time, the Jewish people built booths outside of reeds and branches and lived in them for a week as a remembrance of the wilderness travels of their ancestors when they were delivered by God out of Egypt. There is much symbolism in the use of booths. The word in Hebrew is translated booth, cottage, covert, pavilion, tabernacle, and tent. The booth served as a temporary shelter offering protection from the elements. It was not meant to be a long term shelter for the Jews were traveling to the Promised Land.
God ordained this observance of the Feast of Tabernacles in the giving of the Laws to Moses, recorded in Leviticus 23. Booths are also mentioned in earlier times. In Genesis 33, we read about Jacob constructing booths or shelters for his cattle in a place he called Succoth meaning shelter.
Unlike the flimsy booths used in the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt or those used for animals, we have a permanent shelter. Our life on this earth is temporary. When our physical bodies die, our spirit lives to face God. Unbelievers will go to the place of punishment. Those who have believed and accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord will go to be with Jesus. For Jesus is our permanent shelter, our protector, our savior, and Shepherd. How fitting that Jesus would be born in a stable or booth inside a cave; the permanent replacing the temporary.
Also celebrated in this same month on the 10th is the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). What can atone for sin? A blood sacrifice of a lamb or a goat, but that was temporary. Animal sacrifice helped people to form a picture of the price that must be paid for sin. The final solution to our need of atonement as sinners is Jesus, God's Son, who died on a cross as our atonement for sin. Think about it, the long awaited Messiah who came to make atonement for our sin was born during this God ordained time when the people were commanded to offer an atonement for sin. Separated from our heavenly Father by our sin, we have no hope of reconciliation except through faith in Jesus. Jesus paid the only atonement price needed for our sins. Through Him we are now reconciled to God.
Not only did Jesus perform the atonement we needed to be spared from God's punishment, but He also was resurrected, proving that there is life after physical death. It is again appropriate that Jesus would have been born during this time. The Bible calls Him the "firstfruits" in 1 Corinthians 15:23, meaning the first resurrected. In this passage we learn that through sin, all people will perish, but as a result of our acceptance of Jesus as our Savior, we too will be resurrected for our eternal life.
During the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, there were two ceremonies the Jews performed that are not mentioned in the Bible. These ceremonies probably originated through tradition rather than ordinance.
First, the people would light torches around the Temple to symbolize the light that the Messiah would bring to the Gentiles. We read in John 8:12:
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Second, the priest would take water from the pool of Siloam and pour it into a basin by the altar with a prayer for rain for the crops yet to be harvested. In John 7:37-38 we read:
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"
These symbolic gestures remind us that Jesus is our Light, showing us the way to the Father. Jesus is our Living Water, giving us eternal life and forgiveness of sin and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the one the Jews looked for. Jesus fulfilled the ancient prophecies. Jesus is the one we wait for. He is coming again.
The coming of Christ is far more than gift giving until we're in
debt or eating until the scales tip. Christmas is a celebration of the
coming of the Savior of the world. Let us bow down and worship Him who
alone is worthy of honor and glory.
Read more about it:
http://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/feasts/tabernacles.htm
http://shatteredparadigm.blogspot.com/2008/12/holiday-that-foreshadowed-christs-birth.html
http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefeastsandholidays/p/feastofbooths.htm
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday5.htm
http://www.bible-truth.org/Feasts-Tabernacles.html
http://shatteredparadigm.blogspot.com/2008/12/holiday-that-foreshadowed-christs-birth.html
Back to In This Issue
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For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." 1 Corinthians 8:5-6
The Condemnation:
"Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." (Isaiah 1:4-9)
The Plea:
"And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 1: 15-20)
The Remedy:
"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53)
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"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Making Christmas Meaningful
Putting off the old ways...
Over the years our family traditions have evolved as we have learned more about the Savior and come under conviction to turn away from the world's ways. As a child I was a faithful worshipper of Santa Claus, loving the traditions of free gifts given to good children. I loved the tinsel and Santa songs. I loved school Christmas parties and sharing gifts with friends. Of course, let's not forget special meals with delicious treats. The beautiful decorations and beautiful music and the parades all fueled the fervor of Christmas, until at fever pitch, I couldn't wait for Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought.
After I became a Believer in Jesus as a young teen, I wondered how Jesus fit into Christmas. I knew Christmas was about His birth, but I couldn't reconcile the connection between Santa and Jesus. It was a huge contradiction to me. In my mind, I preferred the Santa celebration. The birth of Jesus hovered in the background, reserved for Church services.
The reality is that Santa is a wannabe competitor with Jesus. Santa really has no place in our Christian celebration of the birth of the Savior. In effect, we have combined two belief systems into one. In a sense we are practicing religious syncretism, adapting our worship of Santa to coincide with our worship of Jesus. We could be accused of fostering idolatry. It is difficult to separate the two. Our family traditions need to be redesigned, but letting go of the old and greatly loved traditions is difficult.
Our family has been trying to break away from the commercial celebration of Christmas for years. My husband and I refuse to incorporate Santa into our holiday festivities. Santa is just a big lie that is difficult to explain away when the children are old enough to understand the difference.
Our philosophy came into practice when our boys were small and untrained in the faith. We did not want them to be confused or entrapped by the world's celebration.
Gift giving was another adjustment. We wanted them to understand that the giving of gifts was a joy and a sacrifice given as a token of our love for them. Rather than overspend, we choose to generally give inexpensive gifts or limit our dollar value with a few exceptions. Love is not measured by a dollar value. We strive to remember to be good stewards and avoid debt.
New Ways...
We found new ways to make celebrating Jesus' birthday a special time. We delighted in holding a birthday party for Jesus. It was a festive time of treat bags, cupcakes and candles, and games. We even sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. This was something the boys could understand.
A delicious dinner with friends and family has been the foundation of our Christmas celebration. We enjoy fellowshipping with likeminded believers to celebrate the coming of Jesus. Our usual desert is a chocolate cake covered in vanilla frosting with red sprinkles. The chocolate symbolizes the darkness of our heart before we receive Jesus as our Savior. The vanilla frosting reminds us that we have been cleansed, as white as snow. He remembers our sin no more. The red sprinkles are a reminder that Jesus' blood was the necessary cleanser required to wipe away the guilt and the shame of our sin.
Reading the Christmas story in Luke or viewing videos of past Christmas pageants can be a good reminder of why we are celebrating. It is important to remember how God humbled Himself to come as a baby, Jesus. The story never grows old or stale. Supporting the reading with a video helps to imprint the message on the hearts and minds of our children.
Attending a special Christmas Eve service to worship our King is so important to us. We have never lived close to our families, so joining with our Christian friends is a special time. Singing carols of old and praying with thankfulness for His blessings and seeking His will for the coming year are key elements in our celebration.
Decorating is so much fun and work! Christmas trees are mentioned in the Bible as a heathen practice in Jeremiah 10:1-4. This was quite a surprise, discovered as I was reading through the Bible some years ago. This has been difficult to relinquish. We love the Victorian Christmas themes, and love the beauty of a Christmas tree. Usually we settle for a simple nativity and a small Christmas tree. Some years our tree has been small with lights and a few natural decorations such as pinecones, plastic holly and silk flowers. In other years, we have the large tree with Christ-centered ornaments. Candles in the window are a beautiful reminder to a lost world that Jesus is a light to the lost people of the world, desiring that none should perish but all should receive the gift of eternal life, paid for with the blood of Jesus.
There are many tracts available that explain the meaning of Christmas. These can be left with a sales clerk, on a table with a tip, or enclosed in a gift card to a friend, family member, or service provider.
Sharing with others out of our bounty keeps us from becoming greedy of all the good things the Lord has provided. Let us remember that when we give, it is not to be the leftovers or the things we no longer want, but good gifts we would not be ashamed to own.
There are many ways to share Christmas with others:
*An invitation to share the Christmas meal around the family table
*A basket of goodies for a shut-in
*Singing carols in the nursing home or neighborhood
*Providing shopping trips for those who no longer drive
*Babysitting so young mothers can make their family preparations
*Helping to serve a hot meal
*Donations of good gifts for those without gifts
*A birthday party for Jesus to celebrate His birthday
This year I hope you will decide to de-commercialize Christmas. We need to remember that God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus. Let us give thanks for His sacrifice and rejoice in His coming. Let us look forward to His return.
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"Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God." 1 Corinthians 7:23-24
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." 1 John 5:21
Most of us are more interested in pleasing people than in pleasing God. Given the least bit of resistance, we will start back peddling, trying to maintain our neutrality. God didn't call us to be neutral about Him. When we accepted Him as our Savior and Lord, we entered into a covenant relationship, a personal relationship with Him. When we deny Him, we betray Him and prove that our love for Him is weak. It is a natural human reaction to retreat under fire. But those who are strong in faith can withstand the pressure to conform to the world's ways.
In the Old Testament book of Daniel we read the account of the three Hebrew young men. Their Babylonian names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They, along with Daniel, purposed in their heart to obey God rather than men. When the powerful King Nebuchadnezzar built an elaborate image of gold and ordered his subjects to bow down and worship it, these three valiant men disobeyed the King's edict at the risk of their lives.
Everyone who was subject to King Nebuchadnezzar worshipped the idol as commanded. They suppressed their opinions and they subjected themselves to the King. None but the three had the courage to obey God rather than the King. When everyone else bowed down and worshipped, they did not.
Their seeming rebellion against the King did not go unnoticed, for these three were in places of authority and influence over all the land. Someone reported their conduct to King Nebuchadnezzar. He was astonished by their behavior! How little he understood them. Amazing! Their devotion and love for God was no secret. He knew them to be Hebrews who worshipped the Lord God Jehovah.
Upon questioning, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego reminded the King of their faithful service to him and their respect for his power and position. Then they told him they could not worship his god. What courage and boldness these brave young men exhibited. Under pressure of death, they refused to worship another. Their love for God was their strength, and their knowledge of the truth sustained them in this terrible confrontation.
I imagine the King was speechless. You see his pride was great. He never dreamed that a subject of his would dare to disobey and embarrass him as these three had done.
What choice did the King have but to have them put to death in the fiery furnace? Much was at stake. with such tremendous pride, King Nebuchadnezzar could not back down before all his people. In his empire it was illegal to reverse laws. His commands must be obeyed or the people would revolt thinking that he was no longer powerful.
When the three were thrown into the fiery furnace, all those closest to the furnace opening perished because of the intensity of the heat. Yet these three did not die. Shocked, the King observed a fourth person in the flames of the furnace; he called him the Son of God.
God was with them in the fiery furnace. It was God who was able to deliver Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the hot flames of the furnace. They came out without injury or even the smell of smoke on their clothing.
In light of this miracle, King Nebuchadnezzar issued a new decree:
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the King's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort." Daniel 3:28-29
Learning the lesson...
The lesson for us is this: we must not bow down and worship other gods. Our God is the almighty creator, the Lord God Jehovah, father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob whose Son, Jesus Christ died on a cross so that we might be saved from eternal damnation for our sins against God.
Our gods are everything that is more important than our Lord. We smile when we read of the idolatry of Bible days, but we are worse. We are heavily influenced by television programming, movies, music, internet, and magazines. We are self-centered and self-absorbed, content in our sinful ways. Sin is pleasant for a season and then we reap what we have sown.
If you think you are pure in this matter think about it...feng shui decorating, occult, mysticism, contemplative, social justice (redistribution of wealth and property), witchcraft (Harry Potter), sexual immorality (television, movies, music), divination (ouija board, fortune telling, astrology), nature worship, humanism etc.
It is so easy to be deceived by false teachers who promote a message that is contrary to the Word of God, the Bible. We must resist the attempts of others to introduce false doctrine into our churches. These creep in with subtlety and guile and are pressed upon us by familiar names and faces who lull us into complacency. Think feel good messages that have little foundation in the Bible or consider the many self-help messages that never lead to the cross and Christ. The root of our trouble is our sin. Unless God changes our heart, our minds will not be persuaded. We don't like being put on the spot and having our sin exposed.
We must resist the teachings of other religions as well, for they too have become prevalent in our culture. We must not be accepting of every religion that does not name the name of Jesus as God's Son. What "fellowship can we have with the unfruitful works of darkness?" Paul reminds of this in his letter to the Ephesians 5:11. He says, "...rather reprove them." Embracing the tenets of other religions will pollute our understanding of the Bible. Do not be deceived when they call their gods by "god" because despite the name, their gods are not the Lord God Jehovah. We do not worship the same God. If we do not remain separate, we will find ourselves slowly tolerating the differences, then accepting them as equal to ours, then ultimately embracing them wholeheartedly. God called His people to come out from among them because he knew that familiarity would lead to friendship and fellowship.
How do we resist?
*Know the Word so that you will not be deceived with false teachings
*Compare every teaching with the Word of God
*Do not incorporate false teachings into your lifestyle
*Resist the attempts to make false religious teachings into laws
*Pray for discernment and wisdom
*Refute false teaching with the Word of God
When you do, you will not be popular. You will be going against the norm. You will be resisted and mocked and ridiculed for your legalistic doctrines and intolerance to others. If we do not resist, then we will soon find ourselves under the oppression of our enemy and under the correction of our Lord.
No compromise...
Dr. Paul Jehle* speaking about the lessons we can learn from the Babylonian empire says that the three young Hebrew men were successful because they were willing to go into the fire rather than compromise. To them, the outcome of life or death did not matter. It did not matter if others agreed or were supportive. Dr. Jehle reminds us "true success is the ability to stand alone."
"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." 2 John 7-11
Let us remain faithful to the truth of God's Word, obeying Him from our heart. Let us separate ourselves from the idolatry of our time and culture and keep covenant with God to honor Him as Lord of our lives.
*Taken from Dr. Paul Jehle's talk on What Every Christian Should Know About the Babylonian Empire at Vision Forum Ministry's 2006 History of the World Mega-Conference presented by Vision Forum. View clip at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_z2zdlAxbo
Photo of Lois Rebecca Brice (1880-1918)
"Inspired by great-grandmother's scrapbook, compiled before 1918."
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name,
O Savior of mankind!
O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah, this
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus, our only joy be Thou,
As Thou our prize will be;
Jesus be Thou our glory now,
And through eternity.
O Jesus, King most wonderful
Thou Conqueror renowned,
Thou sweetness most ineffable
In Whom all joys are found!
When once Thou visitest the heart,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanities depart,
Then kindles love divine.
O Jesus, light of all below,
Thou fount of living fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
And all we can desire.
Jesus, may all confess Thy Name,
Thy wondrous love adore,
And, seeking Thee, themselves inflame
To seek Thee more and more.
Thee, Jesus, may our voices bless,
Thee may we love alone,
And ever in our lives express
The image of Thine own.
O Jesus, Thou the beauty art
Of angel worlds above;
Thy Name is music to the heart,
Inflaming it with love.
Celestial Sweetness unalloyed,
Who eat Thee hunger still;
Who drink of Thee still feel a void
Which only Thou canst fill.
O most sweet Jesus, hear the sighs
Which unto Thee we send;
To Thee our inmost spirit cries;
To Thee our prayers ascend.
Abide with us, and let Thy light
Shine, Lord, on every heart;
Dispel the darkness of our night;
And joy to all impart.
Jesus, our love and joy to Thee,
The virgin’s holy Son,
All might and praise and glory be,
While endless ages run.
-Anonymous
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Translation by Edward Caswell. Public Domain.
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"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
HOME SCHOOL TIPS
Homeschool Christmas Memories
Our first homeschool Christmas was a real memory maker! I was determined to make every minute count, even if it killed me. When Christmas break rolled around I was ready for a rest. Newby's take the hint, don't go overboard like I did.
A key project was making homemade Christmas ornaments. I had always envied the crafty ladies who could whip something amazing from basically nothing. I never had that gift. Attending craft fairs for that special gift is a highlight of my Christmas shopping. What could be better than handmade? Hence my desire to make those cute dough ornaments that were too pricey to purchase. I found a good dough recipe online and purchased Christmas themed cookie cutters. Special paints completed my list. When the day arrived, I don't know who was more excited, me or the boys. We rolled out dough and cut shapes and baked. The really fun part was the painting. When the ornaments were finally finished, complete with a dusting of ancient angel dust left over from my old attempts at being crafty. Then each was hung with care on a small tree especially for the boys. The boys fostered their artistic skills, and I redeemed myself with some seeming potential for arts and crafts myself. All in all, a good time was had by all!
Who can forget making stained glass windows? I think I was trying to cram in as many Christmas crafts and art projects as I could to meet our art requirements. There were days I wondered why I was attempting involved projects with three little lively boys. My favorite word was "wait". Wait for me to tell them what to do next, so they didn't jump ahead. Wait for me to pass out supplies rather than grabbing. Wait for me to help. "I'll be finished with your brother in a minute." Makes me tired to think about it! The stained glass window project was my attempt for simplicity. I had a pattern for the window and all the boys had to do was color in the window glass. Then we added a frame and smeared oil all over the colored sections. Unfortunately the oil seemed to be everywhere by the time we finished. Yuck! Tough mess to clean up.
I decided to do something for the poor freezing birds outside our window. On this particular day Dad was home from work. Thank goodness! He proved to be an invaluable and patient helper. We gathered pine cones from the yard, then covered each one in peanut butter and then bird seed. My idea was to spread the peanut butter on each leaf of the cone with a knife to keep it from being messy. Alas, it was still messy. Unless the pinecone was completely covered in peanut butter, the birdseed wouldn't stick. So my patient husband helped the boys cover their pinecones with peanut butter, while I tried to keep the brightly colored hanging ribbon on the pinecone. Then the trick was to corral little boys covered in peanut butter before they touched the leather couch or anything else. The entire process took longer than expected, but the birds loved their special treats and so did the boys! You can't lick the peanut butter off your fingers without getting a little birdseed.
One year our homeschool support group sponsored a plate decorating event. Each child received a melamine plate that they colored with special markers. Once they were finished, the plates were collected and sent off for baking. Now I knew going in that these would become family collectibles so I encouraged the boys to do a really good job. By the time they waited for their particular color, ate snacks, and played with the other kids they were bored with painting a plate. Their job was finished rather quickly. I guess I hoped for something a little more creative... Oh well, we still value these special Christmas plates, if I could just find them.
After Christmas projects were equally fun. Dad proved once again to be invaluable. This time the boys wanted to make gummy worms with a kit one of the relatives gave them for Christmas. I really couldn't take any more crafting, having exceeded my quota for life. So in stepped Dad. By the time the process was complete, the boys were chowing down on lifelike worms. I couldn't bear to watch.
I am amazed that I can still remember most of the fun things we did. There was the paper Christmas tree in 3-d, Christmas cards for the grandparents complete with cinnamon scent, and more besides. Some of our projects were successful and some weren't, but it didn't matter in the end. It was the bonding and discovery of new skills for all of us that made it special. We had a lot of fun!
This leads to another question... What to do with all the wonderful arts and craft projects? Give them as gifts!
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HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES:
When we began our homeschooling journey, there were few resources to help us get started. We too struggled to find information, resources, and support for our journey. Homeschooling is more mainstream today, and for that I am truly thankful.
Still, there are times where reading about another's journey and gathering from the experience of others can inspire and be a help in time of need. To ask questions about homeschooling please contact me!
My new booklet is available to help you on your journey:
Homeschooling:
The Modern Day One Room Schoolhouse.
>>>Just click on the book cover or the link above to go directly to the secure store site to order.
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Click on my Homeschool Squidoo Lens icon for more homeschool info:
Check out my Homeschool Encouragement Designs store for products geared to kids and homeschooling!
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TRY OUT THESE HELPFUL PRODUCTS! >>>Just click on the logo to go directly to the site.
VISION FORUM provides wonderful homeschool resources!
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This is a free downloadable program for all your record keeping needs! I have used it successfully for years! Record keeping couldn't be easier or quicker!
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"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:9
THOUGHT PROVOKERSHoliness...Thoughts from "Holiness: The Heart God Purifies" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
"God's Word has the power to protect us from sin and to purify us when we do sin."
"In addition to its cleansing properties, the Word has the power to renew our minds, to transform us into the image of Christ, and to infuse us with Christian graces."
"Reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture--these disciplines provide weed control and fertilizer for the garden of my heart, guarding and purifying me from sin and stimulating growth in grace."
"No believer can withstand the assault of temptation and the encroachment of the world apart from a steady intake of the Word of God. (Nor can we feed on a diet of unholy reading material and entertainment and expect to have pure hearts or to grow spiritually.)"
"And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give yu an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." Acts 20:32
DeMoss, Nancy. (2004). "Holiness: The Heart God Purifies." (pp. 130-131). Chicago: Moody Publishers.
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"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." 1 Corinthians 2:12
"And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." I Timothy 6:6
Click on the links below to go to a recipe or the tip of the month or scroll down.
"Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." Matthew 15:10-11
* More recipes can be found at Free Recipes or Free Cooking Recipes.
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3 cups sugar 1 cup sour milk 3 eggs 2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cut butter 8 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Cream sugar and butter together. Beat in eggs. Sift dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to sugar, butter, and egg mixture, alternately with milk. Blend together first on low spend while adding flour mixture and milk. Then mix at medium speed until well blended. Chill dough. After dough is cold, roll out on floured pastry surface. Cut with half moon cookie cutter. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Makes approximately 160 cookies.
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1 8 oz. package cream cheese
6 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons minced onion 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 cup finely
chopped pecans Place cheese in small mixing bowl. Let stand at room
temperature until cheese has softened. Add onion and Worcestershire Sauce.
Blend at low speed. Beat on medium speed until cheese mixture is fluffy.
Cover and chill for 8 hours. Remove from refrigerator. Shape cheese
into 1 ball. Roll in pecans.
TIP OF THE MONTH - Pet Proof Your Christmas
* Keep chocolate and caffeine products away from your pet. Eating
chocolate or caffeine can lead to a trip to the vet because chocolate and
caffeine contain theobromine. Theobromine causes nausea, vomiting, increased
stimulation of the central nervous system and cardio vascular system.
Toxicity levels vary depending on the size and weight of the pet and the kind
and amount of chocolate eaten.
* Do not allow your pet to chew leaves and stems from plants such as
poinsettias, mistletoe, and holly. Some can cause mouth irritation,
vomiting, and severe stomach problems.
* Keep Christmas tree icicles above pet's reach.
* When guests are visiting, make sure your pet has a quiet place to hide
until ready to meet the newcomers.
* Do not wrap food items and place under the tree.
* Do not give a pet as a gift unless the prospective owner has agreed and
understands the level of commitment needed for a pet.
* Maintain your pet's regular diet, avoiding leftovers, bones, and sweet
treats.
Christmas can be a distressing and possibly dangerous time for your pet.
Always check with your vet if you suspect something is wrong with your pet.
However to avoid trouble, check out these helpful tips to keep your pet safe and happy:
Thank you and God bless you!
The
Believer's
Mission...
