I like having a clear demarcation for starting afresh, making new plans, dreaming new dreams. In years past, I’ve made resolutions — who hasn’t? — planned goals, compiled reading lists, made a mondo-beyondo list, started blogging. . .
This year, instead of resolutions or goals, I’m planning my 2009 Projects. I’m borrowing this idea from Sherry at Semicolon (thanks, Belinda, for reminding me who introduced me to the idea of “projects.”) Periodically throughout the year, I’d like to assess how each project is coming along and see what needs to be tweaked to meet our project ideas.
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Projects for 2009
Connecting in Community Project
We live in Florida and we have for the past 3 1/2 years. But I’m just now feeling settled — even though another move may be on the horizon. Still I want to live connected with people in our community, not just our immediate, local, and church families. In that vein, I’ll continue to volunteer with the Wellness Community, start participating with the ThinkTank philosophy club, and get to know my neighbors more.
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Calvin Quincentenary Project
Those who don’t attend reformed or presbyterian churches may not be aware that 2009 marks John Calvin’s 500th birthday. So the other day I was playing with the idea of what we might do in celebration. . . Wouldn’t you know, today I heard that several people from church will be reading through and discussing the Institutes this year? I don’t think I want to quite take that challenge. Instead, for my Calvin Quincentenary Project, I’m planning on reading a biography of Calvin (any good suggestions?), listening to the David Calhoun’s lectures again, and reading parts of the Institutes of the Christian Religion.
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Homeschool Habits Project
Hubby has directed the boys’ schooling the past few years, and we’re now transitioning again to both of us carrying that responsibility again. We’re still working on exactly what this looks like. . . In part, however, the boys will be required to more closely track the work they do and the books they read. Along with that, I want to get back into the habit of reading aloud to them each night. We’re pulling more ideas this semester from Ambleside Online, and working with the boys on narration and composition.
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Regular Reading Project
If George W. can keep up the busy schedule of a president and always have a book at hand, why can’t I? If Megan can keep reading while busy with four girls, then how can I blame my four boys from keeping me from good books? I skimmed most of, but didn’t actually read any, of the books on my ‘08 targeted booklist. I used to be an avid reader, and still am in my self-conception. I want to be that person again. My regular reading project is going to include actually listing the books I read and skim, along with writing mini-reviews.
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Family Fitness Project
Spend more time outside together, playing tennis, letterboxing, hitting baseballs, taking evening walks. . . Keep more fresh fruit and veggies in the house. . . Do a 5k fun run together as a family, in memory of Grampie. . .
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More Music Project
The boys usually get one “big” present at Christmas, and this year the theme was music. We gave them speakers for the kids computer and an MP3 player with music and audio books downloaded. Also, we gave them the same piano book I had as a little girl with a promise of a piano as soon as the right one shows up on craigslist. (We’ve had several leads, but not the “right” piano yet. . .) Music can nourish the soul, and we want to feed them good music while they are young.
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(Okay, okay. . . the alliteration is a bit much. But after the first two, I couldn’t help myself!)
Posted by TulipGirl | Under Around the World
Wednesday Dec 31, 2008
I’m finally reading Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country. It’s one I have to put down pretty often, almost crying but not quite.
I haven’t read much about South Africa since the early 90s when I went through a phase of Biko / Cry Freedom, The Covenant, and thought that Buthelezi was pretty cool because of his strong stance against communism (and his name is fun to say.) Though, in all honesty, I know that I don’t really understand the nuances of South African culture and politics.
Still, my heart is moved when I get glimpses of the struggles in people’s lives there. And once again I’m reminded of this truth and so I pray.
The unlikely, the unexpected. . . God wrapped His glory in the form of a frail baby, lived a life like ours, and somehow managed to both be fully God and fully man. That fills my heart to overflowing. Overflowing, and yet the words to share my joy often don’t come as freely as they are felt.
When J12 was little — probably just 4 y/o or so — his favorite hymn was “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” He sang it with gusto, and we sang it throughout the year because he asked us to sing it almost every time we had family worship.
Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
The Incarnation. . . beautiful. . . Veiled in flesh the Godhead see / Hail the incarnate Deity / Pleased as man with man to dwell / Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Calvin painted a tender picture, For who even of slight intelligence does not understand that, as nurses commonly do with infants, God is wont in a measure to “lisp” in speaking to us? And wasn’t it Tim Keller who said that the Incarnation is Deity for Dummies?
R9 opened our family worship with prayer and included “And keep us from worldly commercialization. . .” I didn’t even know he knew that word, much less the concept.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
*
We talked about the shepherds. R9 (who also lit the candles this week) piped up about the shepherds being not well regarded. We talked about how Jesus came for both the lowly and the wise, announced His coming to the shepherds and the magi. Hubby spoke about Jesus, the Good Shepherd — and how we are his dumb, wandering, shepherd-needing sheep.
And while it may may go better with the fourth Sunday in Advent, and while our voices are not glorious, we closed by singing,
Angels we have heard on high,
singing sweetly through the night,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their brave delight.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why these songs of happy cheer?
What great brightness did you see?
What glad tidings did you hear?
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Come to Bethlehem and see
him whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the firstregistration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went upfrom Galilee, from the town ofNazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Today we light the second candle on our Advent wreath, the Bethleham candle. We remember that what may seem insignificant to us — a small town, a young woman, a poor carpenter — the Lord works in ways that can seem insignificant and yet changes the world. Today’s sermon was from I Samuel 1:21 - 2:10, not a passage traditionally tied to Advent. And yet, the message dovetailed so beautifully with what we are remembering with Advent. (The sermon is now online — please listen.)
We couldn’t decide on which Advent hymn to sing this week, so we’ll be singing two — and both of these echo the message of our sufficiency in God alone, whose plans are glorious though may not appear so at first.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!
How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.
O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
As I shared before we are using a wooden calendar as part of our daily Advent time. I printed out these verses (page 1, page 2), and have them behind each door, along with yummy candy. (Last year, we also had fun activities hidden behind some of the doors.) Part of the boys’ morning routine is singing our Advent hymn together, reading the verses together, and enjoying the candy.
I told Hubby the one thing that I wanted for Christmas was this song — and he found it! *giddy* I’ve looked the past few years, and couldn’t get it online. I get so sentimental. It just doesn’t feel like the holidays without the Leprikonsi.
Tonight we assembled our Advent wreath. Along with tapers purple and pink and a pillar of white, the boys have arranged magnolia leaves, spanish moss, acorns and bits of grass. We turned off all the lights in the house, and were goofy for a few minutes in the dark. Then I lit a candle that I was holding, gave it to one of the boys, lit another, until we were each holding candles. We took our candles outside and saw how much even our little candles brought light to the dark neighborhood.
We returned to the table, and my oldest lit the first candle, the prophecy candle.
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We talked about why we observe Advent. We talked about light, darkness. We talked about prophecy and the incarnation. When I told the boys to look up hymn #194, my oldest got excited, “I love that one!” We’ll be singing it together each day this week.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
O come, thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O come, thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Advent has become a special part of our family’s tradition. It looks a little different each year, grows, changes. . . I’ve shared bits of it in the past, but wanted to gather in one place what Advent looks like in our home for a reference for the future and for those who are curious. What we do changes each year, and so I’ll share what we’re doing this year.
Why does our family observe Advent?
Advent is a time of anticipation, preparation. Advent is looking towards the coming of Christ, both His incarnation and His coming again. It is a time of expectant waiting. When I was about 8 years old, I remember making an advent wreath at the Base Chapel on Adak. My mom has told me that as a child, it was important to me to have the rituals and traditions of faith.
Advent is a tradition, not a worship practice that is directed by the Bible. Yet, the Bible is replete with both prophecies looking toward the future–to the Incarnation and our salvation–as well as enjoinders to remember what God has done for us in the past.
For me, traditions are a catalyst for remembering, for refocusing. As an adult these are important to me because they direct my heart and thoughts to the Lord, as well as help me take special time with my boys. The holidays can be stressful. . . observing Advent is a way for me to focus on the Lord and not be swept up by the commercialism, the frantic pace, and the distractions around me.
If you are new to the idea of the Advent season, this article is a good overview. If observing Advent prompts your heart to worship, that is a good thing. But please remember this is not something that all families do or need to do to celebrate the Incarnation.
Advent Wreath
We make an advent wreath each year. Advent wreaths usually have four candles around a circle, one to light each week, with an additional candle in the middle to light on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Each Sunday in Advent is focused on a specific theme, and the corresponding candle lit that Sunday (and possibly each day of that week.)
Our wreaths tend to be rather non-traditional, as we started using an advent wreath and lighting the candles when we were in Ukraine and had to be creative with what we had at hand. One year we used a small mirror as the base with four votive candles in the corners and a pillar candle in the middle. The boys were quite small that year, and I wanted something I could easily put out of reach of little hands, and this one fit on our small shelf. Another year, we made one which was more traditional, using live evergreen branches to make the wreath. The past few years the boys have gone on a nature walk and gathered greens and other outdoorsy items, we’ve arranged them on a plate, and affixed the candles to the plate with a bit of modelling clay.
Each Sunday in Advent, we gather around the table, light the candle, sing Advent hymns, read Scriptures and pray together. Some years we do that each evening, some year we do that just on Sundays. Since we have four boys and there are four Sundays in Advent, each boy gets a turn lighting the candles. I’ll be posting our hymns and readings each week. You can also find Advent readings online:
In addition to lighting the candles on the Advent wreath on Sundays, we’ll be opening a door on our wooden advent calendar this year. (This is the one my MIL has, ours is a little different.) I have meshed our weekly candle lighting and readings with daily door-opening and reading Bible versesI printed out. Each little compartment also had either four pieces of candy or an activity written on it. Activities are things like drink hot cocoa together, make homemade playdough, watch a holiday movie, bake cookies. These are activities I want to remember to do this holiday season, but tend to happen only if I plan ahead. This little calendar helps me plan ahead as well as be a surprise to the boys. I also have a few small gifts that go along with the calendar and activities — things like speciality instant cocoa, Christmas mugs for each of the boys (bought on clearance last year!), microwave popcorn to go with the movie. Obviously those don’t fit in the little compartments, but I put a little note behind the calendar door and pull them out of the closet when they open the door. Like I said, I have to plan ahead to do these fun holidayish things, and this helps me actually do fun things with the boys that otherwise fall to the wayside when I get busy.
Other families observe advent in ways that we aren’t this year. When our boys were little, we had a Jesse Tree that was passed along to us by Auntie L. Several friends use these ideas for Jesse Tree devotions. Other families use books like Jotham’s Journey or Christ in Christmas. Some of these ideas may work for you — or none of them might be right for your family this year. Advent can be a catalyst for preparing our hearts for worship, but if it becomes another holiday stress than its purpose is defeated.
A friend from church called up the other day, and in the conversation mentioned that she’d been reading my daily “giving thanks” posts. I shared with her that I chose to post the short lists of things for which I’m thankful each day, in part because I’ve been very anxious recently. It’s not situational, it’s not unusual environmental stress. Instead, it’s just been extra tension, extra anxiety.
And for me, I knew that refocusing on God and His gracious gifts would calm my anxious heart.
“. . .do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
– Phil 4:6-7
Not that I think this is a magic bullet, a formula to follow, a substitute for medical aid. . . But for me, I know that I needed to spend time meditating on how good the Lord has been to me, being thankful for all His kindnesses, for the amazing generosities and small details of goodness that have come from God. And I am thankful that He has calmed my anxious heart.
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* My immediate family
* My extended family
* God’s faithfulness this year
* Singing with joy
* Brothers and sisters at St. Paul’s Missionary Baptist Church
This year my parents and sister will not be coming down for Thanksgiving, breaking with a not-quite-tradition which we hadn’t quite established. Last year we had a casual, immediate family only Thanksgiving dinner with the kids pitching in a lot. This year we’ll continue with the low stress theme, but probably have a few guests. To keep it low key, however, we do need to do a little bit of planning ahead. These are my notes, to access as we go along and to refer back to next year — not advice for anyone else’s Thanksgiving! Though, feel free to share your keeping it simple Thanksgiving ideas with me!
Tentative Thanksgiving Dinner Menu Dad’s Roast Turkey and Stuffing (I’ll make, my Dad’s recipe)
Gravy
Green Bean Casserole (R9, make ahead)
Red Mashed Potatoes
Green Peas (C7)
Corn (C7)
Dinner Rolls (baked from frozen) Cranberry Sauce (make ahead)
Hot Mulled Apple Cider (T10)
Pumpkin Pie
Ambrosia (J12, make ahead)
Bailey’s Irish Cream (continuing a Kyiv tradition)
Maybe. . .
Green salad? Pumpkin dip? Appetizer?
Other things to keep it simple. . .
Remember to check the oven is on “bake” not “broil”
Remember 10 am Thanksgiving service at church
Remember to thaw the turkey
A glass of wine while cooking
Do as much ahead of time
Kids participate
Peaceful music
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* Peace, not as the world gives
* Cowboy songs and stories, as delivered by R9
* Low key holiday shopping, online and in person
* New neighbors, a foreclosed house sold
* Simple Saturdays
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* Being still and knowing He is God
* Blank books
* A friend who lets me grump then helps me laugh
* Old Bisbee Roasters coffee
* Long distance phone calls
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* Positive feedback from some of Hubby’s job feelers
* The ability to type and think and write papers
* That I’m okay with myself not being able to pull all-nighters like I used to do
* Good neighbors
* Yummy tea when I’m out of coffee
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* A working washer and dryer
* A working heater
* The financial means to pay large library fines
* A Paris lithograph for the dining room, a gift from Hubby
* Energetic boys
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* Hot tea for sore throats
* A cabinet full of OTC meds
* Boys who are extra snuggly when sick
* Hubby who takes good care of me
* Student Office Software Suite
Cultivating a thankful heart, looking to God as provider and sustainer, each day this month I’m posting that for which I’m thankful. . .
* Five family birthdays in November
* A fresh haircut
* SIL’s fab haircutting skills
* The good pressure of having deadlines
* Great weather for being outdoors
. It’s one I have to put down pretty often, almost crying but not quite. 
, 
, and thought that 
