Thrifty, but Meaningful, Chirstmas

I know it isn't actually Thanksgiving yet and the Christmas season has NOT begun despite what every retail establishment has been telling us for weeks.  However, over the past couple of weeks, I've been in some conversations with friends about Christmas and Christmas gifts and how it all goes around here on the Farm.

A few of the conversations went the way of "Christmas is so crazy with all the gifts and stuff and running and blah, blah, blah.  I'd love for it to be simpler so the true reason for the celebration isn't lost."  A couple of others were more along the lines of "How do you get gifts for others and your passel of kids without breaking the bank?"

I've opinions on those questions to fill several blog posts, but here's my short answer.

In order to keep Christmas about Christ and his gift, you and your spouse have to think and talk about it now.  It's not too late, even though all the stores have been proclaiming Christmas is here already for the past month. In your talking and thinking, you need to decide what the holiday will look like for your family.  Not your neighbor's family or your sister's family...just YOUR family.  Remember you have your OWN ruler.

When you've got that vision...stick with it!  If you decided to get one gift for each kid, get one gift and don't be tempted by all the great deals on other things your child would like, too.  If you decide five gifts works for your family, just get five, not ten.  Maybe it's one family gift and a few smaller gifts for each kiddo.  Or, gasp, one family gift and no individual gifts.  Just decide and stick to it.

We tend to lean towards the one larger, which is a very relative term, gift for each Young'un with a few smaller gifts thrown in for fun and good measure.  It is such a JOY to give good gifts to our children.  I love it!  However, the joy of the giving would be robbed for us if the gifts we gave threw our budget out of whack and put financial strain on our family.

As far as giving gifts to extended family and friends, things lean towards small, meaningful or unique and sometimes homemade.  Again, giving brings us joy and we try to make up with thoughtfulness what might be lacking in the cost of each gift.

My plan is to share some of our ideas with you in the next few weeks.

Stay tuned for the Thrifty, but Meaningful, Christmas

Verse of the Week

This is going to be harder than I thought...

I am sad to say, my poor brain is failing.  Psalm 150, which I had memorized a few weeks ago, seems to have large gaps it in now.  Sigh.

So, this will AGAIN be a review week for the Verse of the Week.  Going for quality, not quantity here on the Little Farm.

If you are interested in reading through the texts from this past Sunday, you can do so here.  We're still in the season of Easter.  Did you know that Easter lasted for longer than just one Sunday?

Verse of the Week

This week is the Fifth Sunday in Easter and the lectionary texts remind us that Christ came not just for the Jews, but for all. Thank heavens!

The artwork is a photo of a poster in Bejing, China. The text of the Verse of the Week is written in English and Chinese on the bottom of the poster. I think it's so interesting to see how a graphic artist in China depicts Christ. That artist's Christ has a different look than the drawings of Christ I've seen here in America.

The verses I working on this week are from John 13:34 & 35. They are familiar words and I could tell someone the jist of them, but have never put the to memory. We'll see how it goes.

John 13: 34 & 35

(Jesus is speaking)
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Good, but hard words.

How about you? Are you putting anything to memory this week?

Verse of the Week

I did it! Psalm 150 is in my arsenal, so to speak.

If your church follows the Church year (or if you do so on your own), you know that today was the Fourth Sunday of Easter or Christ the Shepherd Sunday. You've probably guessed that means the lectionary texts (see them here) have to do with Christ being our shepherd. This, of course, means that we are sheep.

In our discussions today, our six year old, Ellie, asked, "So, does that mean that sheep are special?" The Big Guy and I did our best to explain what an analogy was an how Christ was the Passover Lamb and also the shepherd. I think she got some of it.

Her question gave me some food for thought though. "Are sheep special?" The first thing that raced through my head when she asked her question was, "Sheep are actually really dumb." The actual animals are not the bright and we, in the whole analogy of Christ being our shepherd, well, we're not that bright either.

How many times have I doubted the Shepherd's care for me? How many times have I not followed him and gotten into trouble? I know he's the Good Shepherd, but I don't act on the knowledge. Hmmm...not too bright.

This week's Verse of the Week is Psalm 23 - such great words for those times when I start to wander away from my Lord, the Shepherd.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still
waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil,
For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

I feel like I'm cheating a bit, because I know these verses for the most part. I've helped the kids memorize them over the years. However, we could all use some brushing up on it so it'll be a family project.

Verse of the Week

Well, it's going to be tougher than I thought. I didn't get Psalm 150 completely memorized. Not the best way to start our a new habit, but I'm just keeping it real.

The kids are always working on memorizing various Scripture, poetry and speeches for an Elocution class which met this past week. I listened to all of these to help them get ready and my brain was a bit muddled. (However, I do have a good handle on some verses in Colossians.) This whole sharing my brain with 5 other people is taking its toll.

So, I'm going to use this week to get MY memory work nailed down and then move on. You can see what I'll be working on again here.

I'll be posting about some of our favorite tools for memory work soon!

Verse of the Week

I'm challenging myself to put more Scripture to memory. It's something I've been thinking about for a while, but never quite get around to actually doing. Isn't that sad? I've procrastinated memorizing the Holy Scriptures like I procrastinate doing the dishes or starting a load of laundry. Well, it's time to get off the couch...

I'm going to attempt to memorize at least a few verses each week. Part of my previous procrastination had to do with coming up with what I should be memorizing. I mean the Bible is a pretty big book, full of lots of verses, where should I start with my memorizing? Isn't it silly? I let the process of deciding what I should be doing get in the way of actually doing it like when I think I can't open our home to others because I don't have it all perfectly decorated and in order. Sigh...

That's all over now. I'm just going to do it.

I'll get my weekly verse(s) from one of the texts assigned to the current Sunday in the Revised Common Lectionary. The Lectionary is a list of readings/texts that are meant to be used in church services for every Sunday of the year. They follow the church year, ie. Easter, Pentecost, Advent, and so on. I didn't grow up in a church that followed the lectionary or did much with the church year. Did you know that Christmas doesn't actually start until Christmas Day and that it lasts for twelve days? The song "Twelve Days of Christmas" makes a lot more sense now. But I digress...

I've learned to appreciate all of this as I've gotten older and the Big Guy has worked on me.

So, this week I am going to memorize Psalm 150.

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with stringand pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

It is a bit scary to be throwing this "out there," but maybe having the world know my goal will keep me a bit more accountable.

I'd love some company in my challenge. So, what do you think? Are you up for memorizing a verse or more each week?

The link is to the Revised Common Lectionary site put out by Vanderbilt Divinity Library. It is a great resource. We are currently in Year C of the Lectionary which is divided into three years which means you'd hit most of the Bible over the course of those three years. You can find the texts for each week. Each week also has a great photo of some wonderful art that relates to one of the texts of the themes of the week. Give it a look!

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

This is an amazing hymn about the most amazing event. Read the words first a few times and then listen to it.

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted
by Thomas Hardy

Stricken, smitten and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He!
'Tis the long expected prophet.
David's Son, yet David's Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
'Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See Who bears the awful load!
'Tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,
Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost.
Christ the Rock of our salvation,
Christ the Name of which we boast.
Lamb of God for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall every be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

See the words and download a midi file of the instrumentals of the hymn if you want to sing along here.

Listen to the song being sung here.

Doing Our Job

The Triumphal Entry

Luke 19:28-40

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it? tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them "Why are you untying the colt?"

They replied, "The Lord needs it."

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for the miracles they had seen:

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

We can't let the rocks do our job!

Neglected Blessings

Here is a portion of one of the corporate prayers from church this morning:

we confess that we have failed to admit that we have sinned against You in
our thoughts, words and deeds. We have denied our faults to You, to our neighbors and even to ourselves. We have wandered away from Your will and rule; we have taken Your blessings for granted. For Jesus' sake forgive us, renew in us a desire to please You, and restore us to the path You would have us take in our life's
journey.

Different things strike me on different days. Do you see the part that got me today?

We were confessing the fact that we had taken for granted blessings in our lives given to us by God. We were saying "sorry" for not having hearts full of gratitude. Ouch.

I don't really need to confess that, do I?

While washing up the lunch dishes after church, I started feeling grumbly as everyone else had scattered and I was left to do the work alone...again. But wait, the fact that I was washing dishes meant that we had just eaten food and not gone hungry. The fact that I was washing seven plates and not just one meant that God had blessed me with a husband and five children. The fact that I was turning on the faucet to fill the sink meant that I have a home...with running water none the less. Such blessings and I was missing them all.

I have taken your blessings for granted.

I confess my sin Lord. Thank you for your grace and mercy.

Scripture Sundays

I am no theologian, nor do I play one on TV. I do sleep with one every night...but I digress.

In this season of Lent, when we remember the sufferings of Christ, Sundays are still meant to be joyful celebrations of His resurrection. I've heard some wonderful music in the past two days (thanks Tim!) and this Psalm keeps coming to mind.

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him
in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise
him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the
trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with
tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

We're each called to give God praise (you are breathing, aren't you?)...
whether we can sing or not!