Giving to the Least of These

Last night I was reading Ann Voskamps blog post called The Grateful Christmas Project.  Her words and attitude really hit home with me.  As a five year old child, her son had asked what Jesus would get for his birthday.  Why don't they give up things so that they could give to Jesus on his birthday.  That changed Ann's family that Christmas and every Christmas since.  Now they look for ways to give to others in Jesus' name.  To show love to the least of these and bless them, to bless Jesus.

I want to do that with my family.  We have all we ever need.  All we could ever really wish for.  We don't need more things.  Things that make us discontented and just want more.  I want to change my heart this Christmas and find ways to give to those around me.  To give Jesus a gift for His birthday.

So I read through Ann's blog post with my family.  The girls also wanted to find a way to give a gift to Jesus this Christmas.  Right away the girls said that they wanted to raise money to buy an animal for a poor family.  We talked about what that meant.  That mommy and daddy were not just going to buy an animal that they picked out.  I challenged them to pick an animal they wanted to buy and then raise the money for it.  Bekah said that she and Hannah could raise $200.  We encouraged them to maybe try to raise $25 or even $50, but Bekah would not be persuaded.  She is set on raising $200.  So we are going to support her.  God can do mighty things through the least of these.

Then we looked through the World Vision Catalog to see what we could get for a family in need.  They choose a goat for $75 and a sheep for $126.

Why we choose a Goat

Give a goat. Goats nourish hungry children and families with healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt. Goats also give a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market.

A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens. 

Why we choose a Sheep

People love to give sheep. One healthy ewe gives highly nutritious milk for essential protein, vitamins, and minerals, plus plenty of wool to knit warm sweaters and blankets. Sheep often give birth to twins or triplets, which can be sold for income or bred to produce a whole flock of woolly grazers. Plus, sheep’s milk is up to twice as rich as cow’s milk in nutrients like protein, calcium, and B vitamins that growing kids need. It’s the perfect gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus—the Lamb of God. 

And the Birthday Child tells us what He wants: Give to the least of these and you give to Me

How can children, my children, raise this money?  

The girls are learning to bake and cook in the kitchen and are doing a great job.  They will be working very hard over the next month to bake cookies and sell them to raise money for their goat and sheep.  They will make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brownies (not GF).  They will sell 3 cookies for $2 and a brownie for $1.  Would you like to help them?  Help them to change the world one family at a time.

This Christmas, we are looking forward to focusing on giving Christ gifts.
 Focusing on blessing others to give to the One who gives us all things.

  “When You give to the least of these — you give to Me.” 

We are having a family birthday party for Jesus and are inviting you to be a part of it. 

 

Turning a Disappointment into a Beautiful Gift

 Today Hannah and I drove to the library.  This is a special time for her.  She gets new books and CDs to listen to.  She gets to play big girl games on the library computer.  

 However, today we arrived and found out that the library is closed the whole weekend because of the holiday on Monday.  My little girls head dropped and tears were gathering in her eyes.  Her whole body reflected her disappointment. 

 At that moment I decided to turn this sorrow into a beautiful memory for both of us. 

So we went on a pretty leaf hunt.  

The sun was shining, the smell of autumn was in the air and there were leaves making a path for our shoes-crunching under our feet.  Hannah was in heaven finding handfuls of leaves. 

 I kept remembering a phrase that Anne Voskamp often writes-the Hurry Hurts the  Kids.  So instead of hurrying on our walk, I slowed down and just enjoyed the moment.  So many times I almost told her to hurry.  I almost refused to smell each and every flower that we past.  But I didn't.  I kept my mouth shut and a smile on my face and I was blessed with a beautiful time with my daughter.

Hannah worked on reading the sign.  She did a pretty good job too.

For you mommy!!

Take the time today to just be with your kids.  Don't hurry them.  Don't think about all that you have to get done today.  Just be there 100% with them.  Smell those flowers and accept the gifts and smile and laugh and hug and love them.

Bekah is Seven!!

My Dearest, Sweetest Girl,

These last seven years of my life have been such a blessing because I shared them with you.  I prayed for you and dreamed about you.  When I knew that you were coming into my life, I was super excited.  You arrived on October 15, 2006 at 11:16 am.  Daddy and I couldn't stop smiling and looking at your beautiful face.  Now you are ever so much more than your 6 lbs 6 oz you were on your first birthday.  It is wonderful to see you growing up and doing new things everyday.

Bekah, you are so full of life and smiles and sunshine.  You are a sweet girl and I love you so much!  This last year has been a great one.  You have learned how to read and you love it.  It is so fun to cuddle next to you on the couch and have you read stories to us.  Each day you are writing more and more.  I enjoy reading the little notes that you write to me and everyone else.  You love to color intricate patterns with lots of colors.  Chocolate and ice cream are your favorite things to eat (and you would enjoy them every day if you could.)  I am so grateful for all the time that I get to spend with you:  time playing at the park, cooking with you, reading to you and every other moment I have.  They are precious moments and I thank God each day that I get a chance to spend them with you.  

You are loved and will be forever.

We had a fun time celebrating your birthday. 

 It was a super fun day and I'm glad we all celebrated together.

                                                  Happy Birthday, my sweet Bekah!!!

Hannah's 5 Years Old

My sweet, darling Hannah, 

I so love you.  You are my little cuddle bug.

  Every day you bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart. 

 When I come home from work, you run into my arms screaming, "Mommy!  Mommy!  I missed you!"  You cover me with kisses and hug me till I can't breathe. 

 I am so fortunate to have you in my life. 

 The last five years of my life would not have been nearly as wonderful and exciting without you here by my side.  

Today you celebrated with all the heart that you have. 

 Daddy took you out for donuts and you got to pick two of them.  After playing your new game of Hissss with daddy and playing on the IPad, mommy and you got to make dollies with your new craft.  Then we went to the dollar store and you picked out color changing froggies and salamanders, a loud horn and bubbles.  After a lunch of crackers and cream cheese and fruit, we danced in the sunshine and blew bubbles.  We took a nap and snuggled.  After nap time daddy and you got to read in the hammock, you and Bekah painted with side walk chalk and we had dinner.  

Dinner was grilled cheese, jello and yogurt.  Hannah's request.

The favorite part of her day was opening her presents.  I loved how every present she opened was super exciting.  She would hug it to her chest and tell me how much she loved it.

Hannah loved her new sheets.  They look so cute on her bed.  Night, night-my darling girl!!

DIY Wooden Signs: Rustic Flag

So I have pinned so many great signs and things I want to make on pinterest.  I wanted to make something great for my house.  When I see things like this in stores, I won't buy them because I know I can make it.  And then I don't.  Until now.  

My sister is actually the inspiration for all that I am making.  She made some wooden signs for her house and I begged her to make me one as well.  When I visited her a few months ago, she made one of the signs with me that I wanted.  I headed home, wanting to do it myself.  

My friend and I drove all around Sonoma county looking for old fence boards that we could have.  I finally found one house with a ton of broken up fences next to their house.  I asked the family for some of the wood.  This was their firewood, so the husband didn't really want to give it to me.  I asked for just a few pieces of fence and promised to make her a sign out of part of it.  She graciously gave me four parts of the fence.  (Don't worry, they still had lots for their fireplace)

After the wood sat all summer, I finally got around to making something out of it.  

My husband showed my friends and I how to use a chop saw safely.  Yeah, we managed to cut what we wanted and had all fingers intact.

We took a hammer and chisel to the wood to help "age" the wood a bit more.  This was fun!!  

Making our signs a bit more weathered and beautiful. (to us.  My husband just doesn't get this)

 I had pinned this Rustic Flag Sign awhile ago and both my friend and I wanted to make it.  So we watered down some paint (making it look weathered and rustic, right?) and carefully painted red and white boards.  We painted them first, assembled them, screwed them together and had a cool looking sign.

All assembled and ready to add the star.

I put two screws in each of the wooden boards. 

 Then I put a wire between them to hang up my sign.

I couldn't find a good start template on line,

 so I took a star off of my fence and traced it onto my sign.

I used little nails and a very manly hammer (I hope to get a cute pink one someday) to make a star design on the flag.

I made each of the nail about a centimeter apart.  In retrospect, I would have left them a bit longer and made sure they weren't aimed in at all.  It is harder to get the string wrapped and staying put when they are short and not straight.

Tie the string around one of the nails.  Leave a long piece at the end.  It will make it easier to tie off at the end.  I left mine way too short and it was harder to do.

We used a very thin yarn to make our star.  I wrapped the outline of the star.  Each time I changed direction, I wrapped the yarn around the nail once and then kept going.  I am going to add a few drops of glue to the outside of the star.  This will keep it in place even if a little child's fingers find this sign.

All ready to tie it off.  I tied the end of the string to the beginning tail of the string I left.