If He Remembers the Birds at Christmas Time...and Gives Hay to the Lambs...

Even the birds are remembered at Christmas time!

Hannah tried out a recipe of birdseed and peanut butter, making shaped bird treats.

(Hint--top secret! They didn't stay together very well, but they still made good bird food!)

We have lots of feathered friends coming to the feeder my nephew Samuel made while he was here.

The other day we delivered a couple of these huge bales of hay to some friends.

They were just becoming the owners of two Dorset sheep, one of which, valued at $500, their oldest daughter won in an essay contest for writing about sheep.

It was no small task to get those 750-800 lb. bales of hay off the flatbed trailer.

One, two, three--heave!

Saturday afternoon after unloading the hay, we listened to stories about raising sheep in Maryland.

Our friend had been president of a Dorset sheep organization, and had helped organize a weekend sheep and lamb festival in Maryland

to which 80,000 people have come in one weekend.

We didn't know our humble friend had been so high up in the sheep world!
The next evening, their family and ours went Christmas caroling together.
The girls had baked cookies and arranged them on plates to give out to different neighbors.

This special basket was to go to the rancher couple at Red Ink Ranch where our children work. Marsha LOVES the girls' sourdough bread, so there is a loaf of that along with cookies, fudge, home canned pickled beets (which she also loevs), and lemon bread slices.

Getting ready to head out with guitars, mandolin, violin and banjo.

Here we are caroling in the twinkling lights at Marsha's.

And here is the basket the girls made for our friends the Hagertys--a cookie mix-in-a-jar, a cocoa mix jar, and a stack of peanutbutter cups, besides a dishcloth Hannah knitted.

Despite being in a bit of a pinch financially recently, the Lord provided so we could make lots of baskets of homemade gifts.

He Who watches over His sparrows and feeds the birds of the air...

(can you spot the dove in the top left corner behind the tree branches? It had been at the feeder.)

And He Who provides hay for the lambs and sheep,

He Who provided straw for the manger,

and a Lamb for the stranger,

will He not provide all that we need?

Not just food for a Christmas Eve dinner reserved for family only this year,

but so much more?

Dare we ask for more this Christmas season?

After the Christmas Eve service late that afternoon at a fellowship we slip into sometimes, one of the men there went around handing out packages of ground elk burger!

I loved getting that kind of gift rather than more candy!

But what I needed far more was a chance to be quiet, to lay aside the work and the preparations for a happy family time that evening,

and to be still and worship. 

To remember with others how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

To make sure that in preparing to give gifts to our beloved children,

we do not forget the Child.

We took time, while supper was baking in the oven, to remember Christ.

Because of Him we can have joy all evening, watching children's eyes sparkle and hearing their happy squeals and laughter as they open their simple gifts.

(This package was for me, complete with wrapping paper that my children knew their mom would love, as I love cardinals.

Carrie had also tied these three flavors of her homemade chapstick together for me--strawberry, blueberry, and orange. Mmm!)

A gift basket to me from the girls--including a patchwork potholder, a set of cups, a dish towel embroidered by my sweet niece Amaris back in Pennsylvania, a molded homemade goat soap, a cookie mix, and a cocoa mix, a dishcloth and scrubbie knitted by one of the girls.

These are molded lotions that our pastor's wife, Holly Walker, gave me. 

Delightfully fragrant with lavendar, they feel so good!

Just pinch off a corner and rub on your hands.

 It feels so good to be remembered!

He Who remembers the birds and the lambs at Christmas time

will remember You!

Hiccups for Christmas! And God--Lover of the Lowly

We had to chuckle during a Christmas program this month when one of the youngsters singing up front ended up with hiccups!

Unabashed, the girl continued singing, the loud hiccups punctuating one line after another. 

Hiccups did not ruin the Christmas program.

Rather, of the dozens of poems and Scriptures, sermon, and songs sung,  the hiccups was one thing we remembered!

 And God knew we would not remember or be impressed with sermons, songs, poems, or even Scriptures.

So He sent--hiccups.

A Baby--who hiccuped just like we do.

God clothed with umbilical cord, swaddling cloths, and hiccups.

“Incarnation.” 

"It is not what we would expect. God comes in lowly status, born in a manger, in a far corner of the world... Chesterton captures the paradox:

The Child that was ere worlds begun...
The Child that played with moon and sun
Is playing with a little hay."  
[https://www.memoriapress.com/articles/a-christmas-fairy-tale]

 

 John Piper writes that during his first Advent at Bethlehem years ago, he "lingered over Mary’s magnificent song one Sunday evening. It is a remarkable vision of God as a lover of the lowly. He is not the least impressed by human pride or power or wealth. He loves to show mercy to the lowly who fear him."

This Christmas was pretty lowly for our family, as we cooked simple meals and made or bought simple gifts,

 attended a lowly country Christmas parade,

where lowly fire trucks, tow trucks, and other simple wagons and vehicles spread cheer and light along the street,

as we reached out to lowly community children Christmas Sunday,

and invited a teen and grandparent along with our children's own grandparents into our home for Christmas Day.
No platform activities.
No applause.
No greatness or glory or bells or stars or halos. 
(Just lassos!)

  "God is honored when we turn from fragile security of wealth to the unfailing security of trust.

  His promises are better treasure," Piper writes.

My sister Dorcas shared this picture of a simple Christmas decoration her girls had made with just what they had on hand--

greenery, red ribbon and candle, and popsicle sticks they painted red and turned into a sled!

To me, simple is best!

God is God of the lowly, not of the great.

He is God of the humble, not of the proud.

He is God of the poor, not of the rich.

He is God of the classless--not of the classy.  

He came to shepherds.

He became a Lamb.

God--this Lover of the lowly!

  

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!

Flash Mob! When Joy Surprises Us

It is Sunday night and I got dropped off again at home by the family and friends who were Christmas caroling. I was able to go a while but after a long day in Denver, I wanted to come home and be quiet! I am finally getting around to posting about this delightful surprise back at the Thanksgiving family reunion, when the young cousins were playing music together down at the chapel on the grounds.
The rest of us were getting ready for supper and decided to go ahead and get our plates filled before the teenagers came up and there would be a long line.
Just after serving our plates, Carrie came in the door with her violin, followed by Samuel with my dad's bass fiddle. They started playing, "Church in the Wildwood."
"That's nice!" I thought. "Dinner music!"

Well, suddenly a third cousin came in the door, playing his or her instrument, and then I realized that someone was coming behind me at the table--in fact, a whole row of young people with strings, coming in the other door and heading up with the others.

It was a flash mob!

Andrea's idea!

How we loved it!

They finished "Church in the Wildwood" and began "Power in the Blood."

It was absolutely delightful.

Sunday morning I captured these scenes of the first Christmas music of the season at the church Mom and Dad attend in Missouri.

Our daughter Crystal was part of Ringspiration this year, and this Sunday she had to learn Candace's part to sing in a lullaby the girls sing together, because Candace's voice had gone!

Several cousins did another strings piece together.

My sister Joella and her family also played a bell song.

My parents enjoying the music immensely.

Another string piece, including Carrie on the violin, Rose with her mandolin, and Timmy (whom you can hardly see, behind Rose sitting down, with his guitar).

Closer view of Charity, Samuel on bass fiddle, Carrie on violin, Candace with guitar, Timmy with guitar, and Rose.

Elon's and Fain's families and Crystal singing--"Who is He in Yonder Stall?"

Timmy and Ezra putting the pulpit back in place after the service.

The older girl cousins quickly getting a picture together outside the church.

Then back home to three weeks more of school before Christmas break!

Proud of Sam!

Sam has been working as a volunteer fireman for over a year and a half, and the last three months he also took EMT training.

He spent many evenings and weekends taking classes and doing clinicals.

Finally two weeks ago he finished the class with eleven other classmates--and passed both the written test and the practicals.

We were so proud of his diligence and hard work!

Good job, Sam! 

There was a Christmas Dinner at the fire station on Dec. 8th, and Rose decided to ride her horse there with her jingle bells where she'd

meet up with us to Christmas carol to the firemen and families.

Hannah and I helped sew on missing bells. 

 I finished putting a festive touch on deviled eggs, since we'd been asked to bring an appetizer.

I also made this cranberry jello salad for the occasion.

Then I was the one to ride about 5 miles an hour in our van behind Rose while she road the horse, Liberty, the 3 or 4 miles across country to the fire station, bells jingling.

It was a quiet, fun ride. I spent it praying a lot for my children.
After we caroled at the door of the fire station, Rose dried the horse off  and gave her hay to eat, and Sam got a bucket of water for her.
The firemen's kids enjoyed getting to meet the horse.

It was a fun evening. Each of the firemen received a special gift, and congratulations were given to those who had finished the EMT training.

A plaque of thanks was given to a man who had done a new sign for the fire station.

Thanks were also given to the firemen for their service, and to the families who let them serve at any and all times of day and night.

 During one of the days of clinicals, Sam was the one to administer the life-saving dose of activated charcoal to a young teenager who had overdosed on Tylenol, trying to end her life.

Within weeks, he was taking turns pumping the chest of a heart attack victim, who was gone before they even got there, but the protocol is to try to save the life. The very next day there was another call for a heart attack victim. Our family sometimes stops to pray for the people as Sam jumps into his uniform and runs to his truck to drive to the fire station.

He flew home again early from PA after finding out that a needed class for Wildlands Fire Training was happening this week. He plans to be on call at any time for deployment of up to 25 days at a time to help fight wild fires, as soon as Peyton gets their paperwork finalized and fire truck certified, etc.

He turned 21 three weeks ago.

Sam wanted pumpkin roll for his birthday meal.

 

I also found this candy bouquet 75% off the day we celebrated his birthday--and it was perfect table centerpiece for him!

There he goes right now for his shift tonight at the fire station.

Is Someone Carrying a Heavy Load This Christmas?

A few weeks ago at Elephant Rocks in Missouri, a plaque asked us to guess the weight of this rock.

I might have guessed 1000 pounds. 

In fact, it weighed over 8,000 pounds--over 4 tons!

We might never guess the weight of the rocks around us, and the weight of the loads those around us are carrying.

We may only see one load they are carrying, and in fact, there are seven other equally heavy burdens they bear. 
Who are we to think we know the measure of another's burden?
Jesus fell beneath the weight of His cross.
Must we scorn the ones, less perfect than He, who fall beneath their loads?
Ought we not to seek some way to help lift their load?
How quickly and joyously a man or woman, boy or girl, may go on their way with a little help from someone who simply cared to give a helping hand!

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
We can bring our 8,000-pound burden to the Lord, and He will carry it for us!
It is light to His strong arms.

Christmas Pears Ripen in a Dark Place

A few days ago, Jonathan brought home some pears he'd gotten on sale at the grocery store, along with this Christmas bouquet that had been marked down but was still looking lovely.

The pears looked beautiful on the outside, but they were hard and green.
Carrie remembered hearing that some fruit will ripen sooner if you put them into a brown paper bag.
Soo--this is what she came up with on top of the refrigerator.
"DO NOT DISTURB. RIPENING PEARS IN PROGRESS."

That reminded me of the quote I copied down recently.

"When you're in a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you've been buried...

Perhaps you've been planted.

Bloom."

Perhaps there is an area of hardness in us that God wants to soften, 

so He puts us into a dark and difficult situation,

 not to forget about us, .

but to soften us. 

Pears are one of a few fruits that you must pick first before they will ripen. I read that left on the tree, they will rot.

And sometimes God has to pick us off of a tree we were growing on and comfortable with,

and put us out of our comfort zone before we become soft and pliable in His hands.

I googled and found out that the reason pears will ripen sooner in a paper bag is that as they ripen, a hormone called ethylene is emitted and when trapped inside the bag, this hormone contributes to faster ripening. 

If you are in a dark place right now, 

don't feel God has forgotten you, or even that you have necessarily "blown it," or that there is no hope.

Just wait and trust that there is a purpose for what God is allowing in your life right now, and that in His perfect timing, and as you lean on Him and wait and trust, He will bring you out into the light again--

and you will be One Delicious Pear!