Dear Friends,  I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years.  We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis 3 through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here! 

     Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start on helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of All. 

​Ornament: A camel (Representing the call to Abram)
Scripture Reading: Genesis 12:1-7 and  Romans 4:13-16; 
Songs: Father Abraham, Trust and Obey, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

Dear Friends,  I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years.  We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis 3 through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here! 
     Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start on helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of All. 

​Ornament: An ark & rainbow (Remind us of God's Promises)
Scripture Reading: Genesis 6:5-8, 7:17-23; 9:16 & Romans 6:23
Songs : Rise & Shine, Standing on the Promises

Dear Friends,  I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years.  We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis 3 through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here! 
     Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start on helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of All. 

​Ornament: Fruit & Snake (representing the Fall)
Read Scripture: Genesis 3:1-10, 23 & Is. 53:6
Songs: Jesus Loves Me, Just as I Am, Grace Greater Than Our Sin

    Dear Friends,  I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years.  We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis 3 through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here! 
     Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start on helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of All. 

          God is the creator of the entire world – and everything in it: air, water, plants, fish, animals…and people! This big round world we live on is GOD’S creative masterpiece. Have you seen something you think is especially beautiful in this world? What is it? God is so good!  
     Before God made the Earth, there was no light – everything was dark. There was nothing to see, and no light to see it by.
         When God finished creating the world, it was perfect. Even the people God had created were perfect at first – they had not sinned yet or done anything to make God unhappy. He had made a man – Adam – and a woman – Eve – to live in the beautiful Garden of Eden. They lived there with all the animals, and when God looked at all He had made, He thought everything was very good! 
            
     Discuss:  

• What did the world look like in the very beginning? (It was dark and not formed into land)
• Even though the Earth wasn’t formed, was God there?
• Who made the world, everything in it, and even us?
• For older kids, you can point out that in Genesis 1, we have the first mention of the Trinity (make man in our image) in the Bible!

Prayer: Father God, thank You making a beautiful creation for us to live in. We belong to You, because You made us! It amazes me that you keep track of a whole universe and yet know and care all about me. Thank you for sending Jesus as a baby, so we could know and love you. Thank you so much, Lord. Amen.

Looking forward to Christmas! 

As we come to the end of the very strange year, I have been thinking how to make a Christmas for a relative that is in a care facility and will not be able to have much contact with us at all for the Holidays that have always meant so much.  We are going to do a "Twelve Days of Christmas" surprise for them. It does mean twelve trips up the road a bit to drop a different gift each day outside with their name clearly labeled. (I did check with the staff, they are totally onboard! I suggest you do the same. Determine a PLACE you should leave the gift each day.) If your shut-in is at home, it might be easier - but watch out for those video doorbells we all gave grandma last year! Sneakiness is a plus, and my kids have enjoyed doing the "ring-and-dash" part of the equation in the past. 

It occurred to me, as I planned, that perhaps many of you have a neighbor, or a relative, or a friend who is also shut-in this year, in a new and uncomfortable way.  Some of us who homeschool have found that the comforts of home and family, and the familiar rhythms of a homeschool life still lived together, have meant that we feel almost insulated from the hardships of stay-at-home orders.  We certainly are missing our groups and gatherings, church friends, and traveling - but I know for my family, the happiness of shared movies, books, and meals makes our experience far different from the one (or the couple) who are alone when they want nothing more than to be together with extended family and friends. 

So. First - apologies for getting this printed up so late. I was honestly putting the finishing touches on my planning when it occured to me to share this. I hope you don't feel that the time is too late. You can start this at any time this season. Traditionally, the twelve days begins 12/25 and runs through 1/6 of the New Year.  I like to begin early (on 12/14) and end on Christmas day when we do this, and my tags reflect that fact. It would be an easy task to simply change up the poem for different days. My tags are also built around the legend of the "Twelve Days," with each day standing for some part of the Gospel message. Of course, you could alter also if you prefer not to include that.  

I'm going to upload the file for my twelve tags down below (totally free, no anything required) for you to print. If not, PLEASE, feel free to borrow and ammend my silly poems to your own gifts & days.  You should not feel limited by calendar or budget. This can be as simple as making sugar cookies and delivering a few each night, perhaps shaped or decorated to go with the night's theme. If you don't bake - you could have your children create a picture for each night, or make a small Christmas ornament. Really, the possibilities are endless and do not need to be either expensive or time-consuming.  It truly IS the thought that counts! 

My nights & gifts are as follows: 
1st Day-12/14 (Mon)  - Partridge in a Pear Tree - a small basket of Pears w/gold bow
2nd day-12/15 (Tue) - Two Turtle Doves - Dove Chocolate Candy  ( OR  Dove lotion, bathsoap)
3rd Day-12/16 (Wed) - Three French Hens -Popcorn & movie
4th Day-12/17 (Thur) - Four Calling Birds  - 4 cds of Christmas music (OR  4 CANS OF CHICKEN SOUP !)
5th Day-12/18 (Fri) - Five Golden Rings - 5 GOLDEN DONUTS (or five gold napkin rings around something?)
6th Day-12/19 (Sat) -Six Geese a-laying - 6 Plastic Eggs filled with nuts/seeds 
7th Day-12/20 (Sun) - Seven Swans a-swimming  - 7 Specialty Coffee packs in a mug  (OR 7 Scented soaps, Or Schwans ice cream bars)
8th Day-12/21 (Mon) - Eight Maids a-milking - 8 Hot Cocoa packets
9th Day-12/22 (Tue) -Nine ladies dancing - Socks & 9 small Candy Canes (or Pink Lady Apples)
10th Day-12/23 (Wed) -Lords a leaping - Ten Gingerbread Men Cookies on a festive plate
11th Day-12/24 (Thur) - Pipers piping - 11 Piroulini Cookies (OR Biscotti OR Breadsticks OR anything “Piping” hot…)
12th Day-12/25 (Fri) - Drummers drumming - A drum of holiday popcorn or a "drum" of fruitcake..or anything else they might enjoy, but in one of those cute Christmas tins ...er, Christmas drums!

I guarantee that your family will have AS MUCH fun doing this as your recipient does finding the little gifts. We have "revealed" ourselves some years when we have done this; other years we have just kept the secret to ourselves. We have given "bigger" gifts (socks, dvds) and we have given tiny gifts (an ornament or cookies) and have found they are received with equal delight. 

I challenge you - find someone who is alone this Christmas, and brighten up their season!

Noli Timere!