Thursday, December 6, 2012

Mary & Elizabeth

I just have to stop for a minute and just reflect. There is one sweet thing about a woman, and it is becoming a mother. There are those that God blesses with biological children, and then through the beautiful blessing of adoption. I pray continually for the day that God allows my husband and me to adopt. It is such a stretch of the heart that I want to experience. An experience of His gospel right in your home. It makes me cry; what a huge topic of emotion.

Mary and Elizabeth shared such an intimate period of their lives together. Two pregnancies that would be a game changer for all of man kind. I have experienced three pregnancies. The first, I was young and alone. The second, I was young and felt alone though surrendered by many.  I lost that precious baby. It still cuts me, today. There are only two sets of Mary & Elizabeth... All's grace. The third I had many friends along the same bridge.

We complained together, laughed, and complained some more. :)

Two women experience pregnancies that carried two men that would live a life of danger, two men that would carry the same message, one a messenger for the Messiah, and the other God as man.

You know the saying, God will only give you as much as you can handle. It doesn't sound right at all in this situation. No, God will only give you what He can handle. Think about that. You may realize that 1) You aren't in control. 2) He can give you so much more than what you could ever imagine because He can handle EVERYTHING!

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He kicked.

Those hiccups feel so weird.

Elizabeth, how can a mother the Son of God?

Mary, what will happen to our boys living such radical lives?

Elizabeth, how will Joseph accept this boy? Will he love them like his own?
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The worst thing a parent can go through is seeing their child die before them. I've heard that. I've witnessed it with my best friend.

Elizabeth was older in age. Did she witness her son being hunted down, beheaded, and served on a platter to a jealous king's wife and daughter?

Mary saw her son not be understood by his other siblings; she saw Him followed and abandoned. She witnessed Him being dragged on the streets up to a man that would judge His faint. She would weep as she heard the nails being driven into His wrist and ankles, weep as He hung naked in sweat and waste, and weep as He announced, "It is finished!"

Friends, relatives, sisters...

Holding on to one another because the path of their present was ever so sweet, but their future was not what they imagined they would be.

So much thinking due to two paper dolls, that's God working in our Advent season. Remember Him, His Cross, and His Hope!

Mary is making her way to Bethelem

I love this season. I have to figure out a way to keep the excitement of Christ all year round in our house.



Isaac was the sacrifice. Oh, but the real sacrifice found in a ram stuck in a bush. The ultimate sacrifice a pure lamb, Jesus Christ. What a story that needs to be told!


Zechariah silenced for his disbelieve, but he was ever so faithful.



Gabriel (The Messenger) and Mary (Christ's Mother)
*Do you see the sketch? My six year old drew out his pattern, 
and he asked me to cut out the fabric. I think we are a good team.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Flood and the Rainbow Promise with The Crown of our Prince of Peace

DAY 4

DAY 2
"Truth in the Tinsel"
*The boys' crowns weren't painted. We used colored paper of their chose.
cleaner alternative :)

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Truth in the Tinsel

We are doing a new book this year, "Truth in the Tinsel". We do this in the morning, and Ann Voskamp's devotional in the evenings with daddy.

These have been very precious moments with our boys during this Advent season. I am so blessed to have this tradition starting in our family because our only true hope and promise is in Him. Why create the false character in Santa Claus, when we have the real thing in Christ Jesus.

Here is our season so far:

NOV 29

NOV 30

DEC 1


DAY 1 Truth in the Tinsel