A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #13 Big Sister

1st Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Oh, those annoying siblings. They interrupt you, annoy you,  wear your clothes, get into your things, and do thing that get on your nerves. From reading this verse we are supposed to love them? Our love can cover a multitude of sins? Oh shucks, that doesn't apply to me, does it? Um, yes! Think about it. If we are called to be imitators of Christ. We can't do that if we are not showing that to our siblings. Remember what I said: they watch everything we do. They copy us with precision. Than they get annoyed by each other and the cycle continues. You can also think of this another way: If we show love to each other that we can easily forget those little things that bug us. Yes, those petty little things. 

I challenge you to keep showing love to them unconditionally. Be an imitator of Christ and show His love.

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #8 Big Sister

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to do it.

As big sisters we are faced with decisions about using our time. We can use it wisely with our siblings and a wee bit of me time or we can use it for ourselves and have a wee bit of family time. We often focus on ourselves instead of others which leaves us with cranky siblings. We are then withholding good from our siblings. When we show the love and kindness they are more ready to listen. This will be short, sweet and to the point. I'm not going to elaborate as usual. If you are able to do anything for or with your siblings: do it! 

I challenge you to do something like what I'm about to do. I'm about to go play a board game with my sisters. I've found when I do something like a board game they are happier, focused and in a way more willing to listen. Serve your siblings a slice of your time now.

34 days till X'mas

My sister (6) is trying to earn enough money to buy Christmas presents.

She is very excited to only have $1.50 left to earn.

I set up a bank for her, she is earning $7.56. She spent a $1.08 on present.

She is very excited with the prospect of buying presents.

She made herself a list with the person's name and the present she wants to get.

You can easily do this with your family.

My sister is having a blast. And she is learning about tax and a little math too.

What do you do kids that want to buy gifts for people?

36 days till X'mas

Traditions! (I love that song from The Fiddler on the Roof!)

Our Christmas traditions begin on Thanksgiving. After all the visitors leave, we watch "It's A Wonderful Life." The weekend after Thanksgiving we get out Christmas tree. We bundle up, and go out to Mexico NY to chop down our own. We have our favorite Christmas tree farm that we started going to a few years ago. After we get the Christmas tree, we put on Christmas music and send my sisters to bed. Mom, Dad, and I decorate the Christmas tree. We put on white lights and red ribbon first. The red ribbon reminds us of the story of Jesus' birth, how it wove in and our through prophecies in the Old Testament. 

We then put on our special ornaments like the ones we get for the year we were born. 

Then we finish with icicles and snowflakes. Every year we get a new snowflake to add to our collection. One year we had a homemade one. 

We also put up our homemade stockings from my Aunt over the top of the corner cupboard as my family exceeded the space on the fireplace. The kids wake up the next morning and are so excited to see the tree looking so pretty and special. During this time, I create and make Christmas presents for my four sisters. 

We go to Lights on the Lake sometime early to mid-December. 

We started the tradition of putting on a Christmas performance for nursing homes with several of my friends. I am the leader of the group. Some sing, some dance, and some play an instrument. We have fun spreading Christmas cheer. 

Towards Christmas we get out a plate of plastic cookies and a little sign that says "Cookies for Noah". When one of my sisters was little, she had just talked about Noah's Ark in Sunday School, so when Santa was popping out all over the place, she thought he was Noah.

On Christmas Eve, we get ready and dressed in our pretty Christmas dresses and go to Church. The Church has dimmed the lights and we each get a candle to hold. We sing Christmas carols like Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard on High and Joy to The World. Then my Pastor retells the Christmas story. We finish by lighting our candles and singing. After we drive around looking at Christmas lights. We always go by the tree Downtown. My sisters love to see it's pretty lights twinkling. We head home and each open one Christmas present. Then my sisters go to bed, and we pull out all the Christmas presents out of hiding spots. We set up the Little People Nativity while Dad starts chopping up fruit for breakfast.

The next morning we can open our stockings but no other presents till Mom gets up. Dad and I finish getting food ready for our Special Christmas brunch. We have fruit, like pomegranate, kiwi, starfruit, mango, and more. We also have cheese like apple smoked Gouda, cheddar, Colby Jack. We bake brie in a pastry and have a loaf of french bread. We snack on the leftovers until we have dinner. After we finish breakfast we get to open our presents. Then we get to play/use them. We like to invite my Great Grandma over and we spend the evening together. My family has many wonderful Christmas traditions, these are just a few. Christmas is our favorite time of year.

What are your Traditions?  

P.S. We are getting our Christmas tree next weekend!!!!

(Last year's tree!)

Let me tell you about

Let me tell you about my day.*

Lets see, I got up and made Jesus breakfast, oatmeal.
Then I put Jesus' laundry in the washing machine.
Then I rocked Jesus to sleep.
I got Jesus a snack.
Then I put Jesus' laundry in the dryer.
Found some clean clothes for Him to wear.
Then I made Jesus lunch of peanut butter and fluff.
Then I helped my Mom put Jesus to bed for a nap.
After that Jesus helped me with my Algebra..........

Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-45

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25:31-45

I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

That is what Mother Teresa's outlook was. 

My Mom and I recently read a couple books about her. 

What an AMAZING woman after God's heart.

I thoroughly recommend reading about her. 

So when I get mad at my sisters, I get mad at Jesus. 
When I do the laundry, I am doing Jesus' laundry.
When I forgive one of my friends, I forgive Jesus.
When I chat with my friends at dance, I chat with Jesus.
When I dance, I dance for Jesus.
When I clean, I am cleaning Jesus' house.

This is the life I want to live. 

I want to live for Jesus by serving him, by serving people.

I think this song sums it up: Good to be Alive

"I wanna live like there's no tomorrow

Love like I'm on borrowed time

It's good to be alive"

 
(Mom, I'm stealing your lesson from Chapel!! :~D)

Christmas Countdown: Day 48

A cute Christmas present idea!!

(Can't take credit, saw it online! :~D)

Once a Month Book Club

Every month your child/sibling's unwraps a package that has a book.

We are going to do ours every 25th of every month.

Every month till the following November they get a new book.

The kids benefit from the books, and, if your like me, you local bookstore will too. I get my kids books at the library's book room for $0.25 apiece. (Plus tax).

So I am very excited about this project. And if you think of the cost I will get them at, the total project will cost: $3.24 cents for every 12 books!

So I am excited about this.

This will be one of the best presents I've ever gave!

What I needed to hear

I am taking a fast from email this week.

Which is hard, because that is how I access my blog, through email.

I do this every now and then. It really refreshes my outlook through God's word and how I see and chat with my friends.

Email is my form of communication. No Facebook, no cell phone, no texting, no Twitter.

I wanted to write a blog post.

Why, I have no clue.

I pulled up my email to access my blog.

And I saw I had a new blog entry to read from "A Holy Experience", written by the author of "One Thousand Gifts".

And I read it.

And her post talked about something I am dealing with.

PERFECTIONISM

I have a pendulum.

It swings one way: I AM IN PERFECTIONIST MODE
It swings another:   I AM IN WHO CARES MODE

I try to do one or the other. And I am never happy where I am. And then it struck me.

I am fine.

I help out around the house.

I help my Mom.

And then I think.....

:~D ....the rain is falling. But the Son is shining!

I had no clue what to write.

But now I do.

I am going to write my goals.

1. Continue my skim through the Bible, reading about God's holy women.
2. Straighten the library like I promised Mom.
3. Start my French book. And do some math.
4. Think of dinner, because its been a long day for Mom.
5. Work on repairing an antique blanket.
6. Take costumes to the dance studio. 
7. Work on my clothes of Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, Patience, and Love. (Colossians 3:12&14)
8. Have a tea party with my sisters. 

I have nothing to worry about. 

If my bed isn't perfectly made, the cat who was sleeping on it won't care, that is okay.

If my sisters aren't perfect, that is okay. 

If my outfit isn't perfect, that is okay. 

If my hair isn't perfect, that is okay. 

HAVE A MARVELOUS RAINY DAY! THE SON IS SHINING! 

Munchie Monday: Cinnamon bites

Your siblings or children will adore this super easy treat.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Bread (I used plain old sandwich bread)
• Cinnamon and Sugar mix

Tools

• Frying pan
• Butter knife
• Flipper (What is a thing that flips pancakes called? Spatula??) 
• Bowl

Turn the frying pan on Medium

Butter both sides of the bread (1 piece for little kids 2 for big kids or adults).

Cut it in squares or rectangles.

Fry on one side till golden brown, and flip.

You can make as much as wanted or needed!

Might be yummy paired with Hot Chocolate....have yet to try....

My Homage to Mr. Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

"For Fred, perhaps the earliest prototype of a true .neighbor. took the form of an elderly woman who lived in his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She was his grandmother.s age, and everyone called her Mama Bell. Many times five-year-old Freddy (as he was called) would amble up her back-porch steps looking for a snack. He would arrive strategically on her back doorstep because it led straight to her kitchen, where she often made him his favorite treat.toast sticks. .Come for toast sticks, Freddy?. she would ask. One day Mama Bell asked Freddy if he would like to make the toast sticks on his own. Imagine his delight at being able to master what seemed like a grown-up task, as well as his pride at being entrusted with Mama Bell.s specialty. He was prompted to put the bread in the toaster, allowed to slowly butter the toasted slice, and then top it off with a dollop of jam. Mama Bell even let him carefully cut the toast into four long sticks.
Very soon after that encounter, Mama Bell got sick and died. Many decades later, Fred wondered if somehow Mama Bell had known she was reaching toward heaven and wanted Freddy to have this experience as a comfort to him, as a reminder of their unique friendship. Even though she was gone, he could now make toast sticks on his own, and he would always think of Mama Bell as he made them. Toast sticks may seem like a simple legacy, but they had a profound effect upon a young boy."

( http://amyhollingsworth.com/3.html)