An Encounter

I was at Target the other night, picking up a few Christmas gifts to deliver to family over our Thanksgiving break. The girls and I were taking our time wandering the toy aisles; seeing what there was, pushing buttons and giggling lots. That's when we saw her. She looked like a very busy mom, bustling through with her cart loaded and a list longer than my arm. She had her bluetooth in her ear and seemed rushed and stressed. She stopped close to us to look at a toy cash register and commented to me how this one was better than the one on the next aisle, how it's on her son's Christmas list. She said, "That's what he wants. I just want it to be over."

With that she sped off, leaving me overcome by two feelings: sadness and exhaustion. The Christmas season hasn't even begun and she's ready to be done with it. It is so easy to miss it, isn't it? To miss the heart of Christmas because we are distracted by all the things that come along with the season, things that God never intended as we celebrate the birth of his son.

Matthew 11:28-30 gives us an invitation. It says, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." I believe that's what God has in mind for us, especially during this Christmas season. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time finding rest and remembering the heart of Christmas. I like to decorate and shop and bake, and have things just so for my home and my family. Those things are good, but they distract me from the main thing.

In the midst of that I hear God calling me back to a place of rest and remembrance. He is inviting us not to a Christmas event but to a Christmas encounter. An encounter with him this season that leaves us different, full of peace and rest. I think of the people we've come to know in the story of Christ's birth: the shepherds, the wise men, the evil King Herod, even Mary and Joseph, and so many more. Not one of those people came away unchanged after meeting Jesus. He made an impression, even as a small baby. He's still making impressions today; but we're usually too busy to notice, too busy to hear his voice calling us-inviting us to a life changing encounter with the Living God.

This season I want to answer that call, I want to trade all the pageantry and events of Christmas for an encounter. A meeting with God. That is the heart of Christmas, I pray that we don't miss it.

edited: just a reminder to go over and check out the inspired room for some awesome holiday ideas. there's great stuff on every aspect of celebrating this time of year.

Christmas Garland, take two

Inspired from the success of the living room garland, I took off for the kitchen in hopes of working the same magic there. Armed with loads of garland, some wire and cutters, pine cones, berries and unbreakable ornaments (and a few "helpers") I got to work.

Since we don't have a curtain rod here I just tied the garland around the top part of blinds, the one that attaches them to the window frame. I would have taken a picture but that would have required more hands and my "helpers" were busy splashing in the kitchen sink.

So I wired the ornaments with floral wire to twist around the garland.
And I couldn't find white berries so I spray painted a fall wreath I found on clearance.

And then I hung it all up and stuck and stuffed all the stuff in.

Then it was done.

Well, it wasn't really that simple, on account of my "helpers." A small flood and lots of messes slowed me down considerably. I would have taken a picture but they were busy playing in their My Little Pony panties. I do want them to be okay with me in their teenage years, so I'll just tell you about the silly things they do.

Oh, and one thing I learned: just use the floral wire to wire the pine cones in. Every time I open or close the blinds I get pelted by pine cones. It kind of hurts.

Hot Wheel Christmas Tree

Melissa over at the Inspired Room is giving us all a place to post and find cool Christmas/holiday ideas. Go check it out and browse through all the fun links-there's some seriously cool ideas out there.

Over at our house, we love to add a bit of Christmas to every corner of the house. Mostly, it's the twinkle of the lights, or I guess the soft glow because the little lights, they aren't twinkling.

Christmas Vacation aside, I've always tried to make the kids trees kind of special. This year I discovered the ease of Hot Wheel tracks and cars.
All you've got to do is wind the track around the tree, using the bendable branches to tuck around and hold the ends of the track in place. To add the cars I used a small piece of floral wire threaded through the windows and twisted around behind it on the track. Easy as pie, and so worth it to hear to the squeals when he got home from school. You could do this with Thomas tracks and trains too.

The request for next year has already been made: action figures. Cool, we can totally do that.

Christmas Garland

Welcome Christmas.

A simple garland welcomes you into a room and adds just the right touch of holiday coziness. But, sometimes store bought garlands are a bit sparse or just too much-too much fluff or too much moola to dish out.

Here's an easy fix for that. Take your simple garland, add lights and whatever extra greens you happen to have. In this case I took some natural looking berry bushes and snipped them apart then stuffed them into the garland.

Hang it up and wa-laa. If you don't have a mantle to drape it over think of other spots that would benefit from a bit of a boost. Around a window, or a door, wrapped up the stairway, over a sideboard, or down the middle of your dinning table. Well, that's if you don't live with three munchkins who usually make for about four spills per meal. Otherwise you would just have a soggy, wet garland. And that just isn't pretty.

I usually just tuck and cram the other greens in, since it's not permanent I can do something different next year or reuse the other greens somewhere else. Since I've hung this I've added some green and silver ornaments in, watch for more pictures soon. I wasn't interested in falling down while precariously perched on a wobbly stool to get 'em.

Adding natural elements makes for simple but cozy look, and it's easy to transition from season to season with them. I'm loving all the greens and browns I'm seeing for this Christmas. Check out these looks from Better Homes and Gardens and Pottery Barn.

Also, head on over to the Inspired Room and The Nesting Place for more great ideas.

It's all about the sliding, or the effort of sliding. We took advantage of warm weather this weekend to hit the park.

And we're also back from a bit of a technology break. I gotta say it was nice-more quiet does a girl good and it was a great reminder to keep a balance in our technology habits. I guess that's life isn't it? Finding balance in the midst of it all.

In the meantime I've been busy, I took the quiet time to work on some projects and start thinking about Christmas. Every year I think I should start on getting the house ready earlier and earlier. So bit by bit it's coming out.

Oh, another cool thing I did was host a baby shower for a good friend. It was a fun time and so neat to be able to do this for her and her little boy that's coming soon. I tried my hand at a diaper cake, a fun idea and really pretty easy too.

Check back soon for some fun Christmas ideas (cool garland ideas) and a few scrapbook projects too.

3.ten.76.dare

reduce noise, hear God

until 11.eighteen.08

3. 10. 76 is for march 10, 1876-when the phone was pattened. life has been getting louder ever since.

we've dared our youth to give it all up. all unnecessary media: phones, Internet, TV, music, movies. can we do it too? see you on Tuesday with some thoughts on how it all went.

this is my HOPE and that will never CHANGE

My HOPE is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.

"You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my HOPE in your word." Psalm 119:114