Homemade Christmas Gifts

It makes a mother's heart glad when she sees her daughters putting little homemade gifts together for people they love.

Before Sam, Carrie and Rose left for PA two weeks ago, Carrie was making homemade lip balm, and Rose was making molds of goat soap--for each of their girl cousins back there, the littlest one included.
Then you can see how they tagged and bundled them,
just small gifts, but so much love and joy wrapped up in them.

I spent many hours addressing Christmas cards--to so many friends, new and old, and this pile is just one  of the piles I sent or gave out.
And everyday is a blessing to receive cards in the mail.
I still love actual cards in the mail!

The girls made a jar of cocoa mix for some one. I loved the layers of brown, pink (peppermint candy crushed) and white marshmallows.

Dear little Hannah put together three care packages for the girls to drop off at a Christian Aid Ministries drop-off near my relatives back east. It did my heart good the Sunday before when Hannah had earned quiet seat prize at Kids Club, and she was searching through the box of prizes. The other child had chosen quickly and was gone already, and I thought Hannah was spending too long and urged her to hurry. Finally she chose something--crayons!

She said, "To give!" And I realized she wanted them for one of these care packages for children in a needy country.

She spent her own money for all these things--and she didn't have much to start with!

God bless my little girl!

I always pray my children will be cheerful givers--and they already are.

 

Other joys this Christmas season for us have been being able to attend a beautiful concert at Village Seven Presbyterian Church at the beginning of December. Jonathan's parents told us about it, so we went one of the nights it was performed. It was mostly good Christmas carols and the second half was the Messiah, read and performed. It was outstanding!
One blessing there was how many friends "happened" to surround us in our corner of the balcony--homeschooling friends, Carrie's violin teacher and children, and others. One staff member from Caring for the Heart recognized us from down where he'd been sitting, and he came up to greet us. We had the pleasure to introduce our children to him.
Another friend was playing in the orchestra.

It is in worshipful times of quality music such as this that we can "drop an anchor" of faith in the bustle of the season.
Matt Chandler of Desiring God shares,
"In the swift-flowing river of commercialism and consumerism this Christmas season, in the hustle and bustle of buying and traveling and gathering, we need to drop an anchor...
That’s the real (and subtle) war this Christmas. It’s not some debate about political correctness, but it is a focused and passionate effort to make the most of this season — instead of being swept away by the decorations and gifts. Instead of falling for the feelings of Christmas, we’re learning to truly enjoy the child."

So we enjoy the Child--now grown, crucified, resurrected, and ascended,
and interceding in heaven for us!