Spurred on

Eight hours on my knees crawling through my front yard digging up sandspurs. That was how I tackled last week. Being new to this sandy soil & dry climate, I had been warned to tackle these when they were small before going to seed, but I don't know how to differentiate them from the grass until the thorns are visible. Now, my land was infested. Some sandspurs were growing low and discretely, while others stood tall and waved their thorns wildly.  Some were small and easy to pluck from the ground. Others were large and digging them up left big pits behind. Sometimes it took me two hours to clear ten square feet, and sometimes I covered ground more quickly. The work was hard and hot, because it seems these spurs only grow in the sun -in the dry and weary land where there is no water. I was thankful to have gloves to help protect me from the thorns I could see and the hiding ones that still tried to attack through the leather covering.

Unfortunately, by the end of the week, the grass was starting to drop seeds. I had run out of time and had no choice but to mow and bag the clippings hoping to capture some of the thorny fruit before it settled into the soil waiting to cause more harm.  This task required asking for help, because I couldn't do it on my own.

The experience reminded me of struggles -sin and brokenness. Things that grow, settle in and proceed to steal our joy and our freedoms. Sometimes they take root and grow unchecked before we ever realize they aren't benign. Once present, some are big, some little. Some quick to take care of and some time intensive. Sometimes you can do the really hard work, and somedays you can only handle to take the shortcut and survive. Sometimes you have to ask for help.

BUT if you are moving forward with your eyes on Jesus, you win! Every step closer to Him is victory. Never forget He's with you and protecting you. A little like the gloves (but in more of an infinite, all-powerful, ruler-of-the universe, lovingly-numbering- the-hairs-on-your-head kind of way.)

Don't give up. Move forward. Lean hard into Jesus. Count your wins.

Dresses for the Dominican Republic

Service Project/Handicraft

For Your Winter Break

A friend sent me a text in October about a Home Economics class in Cy-Fair that made dresses and sent them to Africa to be used as school uniforms. Inspired by this story, we set out to find a place that could benefits from similar dresses. We reached out to a ministry in Rowanda and to a local church, but there wasn't a need that we could fill. Finally I called my sweet friends who are missionaries with AIM International. They have spent several years in the Dominican Republic and confirmed that these dresses would be a blessing down there. On our family trip last year to the DR, my girls fell in love with the country and the people, so it seemed like a perfect project.

We would like to invite you to join us as well. Winter holidays feel like the perfect time to work on sewing skills, and these dresses are incredibly simple.  All you have to do it make a dress and get it to me by January 15. Local friends (West Houston) can work out a time to meet. Others are welcome to mail them to me. Comment below for my address.

Here is a link with ideas on how to make your dresses. There are many different ways and styles. You can pick any one.  This one just seemed easy because the double bias tape on the arm hole was easier for my littles to sew.

Tutorial from Dress a Girl Around the World 

Here are the cliff notes for the instructions above. These helped me visualize it and have a quick reference for buying supplies.

We've been working on a few and had a sewing party today with another family to work on some more.  The two-year-olds played, but everyone else got a chance to sew. 

Let us know if you'd like to join us in our sewing project this winter.  We'd love to see pics as you enjoy working on your dresses.

Valentine's Day

 

With Valentine's day only a few days away, think about who could use a word of encouragement.  Great places to take valentines that your children make would include:

• Veteran’s hospital – Valentines for Veterans

• Nursing home, Convalescent center

• Church staff

• Star of Hope

• Food pantry in your area

• Neighbors

 

Crafty idea –

This year my children put a little sign on some valentine's gummy bears that said, “Thank you beary much for teaching us about Jesus.”  Then we gave them to our Sunday school teachers.  Something so simple could bring a little love to someone on Valentine’s day.  We hope to make a few cards for our neighbors too.  Since Baby Boy could be here any day, we will probably give them all out early so we don’t miss our chance by being in labor or something. 

Christmas Service Opportunities for Children

Christmas Service Opportunities

 

Here are some ideas about ways to get children involved in serving and get the focus off Santa and personal presents.  I’d love to hear your ideas as well.  Feel free to share your own great ideas in the comments. 

 

Happy Birthday Jesus party

For the past several years, we have hosted a Happy Birthday Jesus party.  My girls love birthday parties and a birthday party for Jesus really helped drive home the idea that we were celebrating Jesus’s birthday.  It also gave us a chance to get the focus off of presents and onto Jesus. 

What we did at the party:

1.     Reenacted the Christmas story - Dressed up in colored sheets, tied tinsel around our heads for halos, carried a plastic bowl filled with rose pedals and whatever else we could think of to do that would allow our little ones to reenact the story of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, shepherds, and wise men.  Sometimes we had 15 angels and no shepherds, and we always had to do it several times to let more people be Mary.  We just had fun with it.  Someone read the story from Luke and the kids just listened and came in when the Bible talked about whoever they were dressed up as.  Sometimes we’d sing a Christmas song if the kids knew one. 

2.       Lit candles on a birthday cake and sang happy birthday to Jesus.  I bought some tiny manger scene ornaments at the dollar store one year and cut the string off them.  We would put those on the cake or cupcakes.  All the guests brought food as well, so we had a little snack time to celebrate.

3.       Made Christmas cards for a local nursing home.  These usually consisted of an ornament shaped or tree shaped piece of foam that they put Christmas stickers on.  I printed little labels that said Merry Christmas and they stuck those on as well.  The next day or later in the week, anyone who wanted to join us could meet us at the nursing home and pass them out.  We called ahead and scheduled with the nursing home to get the best time to show up. 

We always had a great time and had a little moment to truly celebrate Jesus and serve others.  Our kids were all pretty small so the activities were geared for ages 2-5.  I am sure this same kind of party would be fun for all ages if you just altered the activities a little. 

It appears we won't be able to host a party this year, but we hope to get to attend or help plan one somewhere else. 

 

Giving Tree –

This outreach is sponsored by KSJB.  They have a link on their page that you can browse to find a family with needs you can meet.  You can click on a drop-off location close to you.  Then browse the families and pick which family and which need to fill.  It could be fun to pick children that are similar ages as your own.  Then let them help pick out gifts for them.  Go to the drop off together to bring the presents. 

http://www.ksbj.org/GivingTree-2013

Angel Tree –

This program is similar to the giving tree, but you usually find a church or business that has a tree set up.  On the tree will be strips of paper that tell of a need.  You get the paper, fill the need, and return the gift to the tree location.  These trees are usually for children whose parents are in jail, families in need, elderly people or special needs adults.  I was not able to find specific links to locations of trees this year.  Let us know if you know of any. 

Christmas Carol –

 

Like Elf says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”  Why not learn some great carols and take a group of kids caroling.  Some ideas of where to do this would include a hospital, children’s hospital, nursing home, assisted living center, and convalescent center. Be sure to call and schedule before you go. Most places have an activities director that would be glad to get some outside help.

Shepherd’s Pouch –

My children came home from church with a Shepherd’s pouch.  The idea was new to me.  The insert gave instructions.  It said to remind children that Christmas is about Jesus’ birthday.  We usually give gifts to people on their birthday, but how do you give an invisible Jesus a gift? Mathew 25:40 – “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” We give to Jesus by serving others. 

Get a stash of dollars or change ready.  Every time you see your child serving someone, put some money in the pouch.  (As a homeschool mom, I’d like to interject that this could be great practice counting money.) On Dec. 24, count all the money and give the money to God. 

Their suggestions for places to give the money were:

·         Church offering on Christmas Eve

·         Heifer International

·         Living Water International

·         Church Benevolence Offering

·         Lottie Moon offering for international Missions

·         School for the Zabaleen in Egypt

This idea came from The Children’s and Preschool Ministry at Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy, TX. http://www.kingsland.org/

 

Hand out Christmas cards –

In the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it is easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged.  Someone walking into your space and telling you Merry Christmas can be very uplifting.  A child handing you a card and saying Merry Christmas can brighten your day.  Great places to hand out cards would be church staff during the week, convalescent centers, pregnancy centers, any non-profit service type organization, schools, to people who are too sick or old to leave their home, neighbors, and really just about anywhere.  Think about people who are serving others and take a moment to serve them back with a smile, a little card, and a kind word.  You may also be able to hand out cookies or candy or small gifts.  Ask first before you go.  Many places have people with varying health issues and possibly a lack of teeth.  It will be best to consider those things when deciding what to bring. 

Gift wrapping  –

Krause Children’s Center is a center helping children from age 12 -18.  They posted on their webpage that they can use gift wrappers to come help wrap the presents donated to the center.  http://www.krausechildrenscenter.org/volunteer-2/ 

Decorating –

We may have missed it for this year.  It appears places were decorated for Christmas long before Thanksgiving, but there may still be a chance to help.  Churches, nonprofits, and elderly people may need a little extra help to decorate.  Contact your church and find out when they are decorating or call someone you know who may need assistance with their decorations.  This could include elderly people, new moms, single moms, families that husbands are deployed with the military and many others. 

 

Christmas Blessing bags–

I posted in March about making blessing bags to hand out to people experiencing homelessness that you encounter as you drive around town.  http://houstontimeframes.blogspot.com/2013/03/loving-others-project-1-goodie-bags-for.html  Why not add some Christmas cards for the Christmas season?

 

Gift Donations –

Let your child pick out a special gift to buy and donate to a child in need.  Or have them look through their own unopened presents after Christmas and decide if there are any they would like to donate to bless someone else.  There is a Texas Children’s Hospital branch here in Katy that will accept new unopened gifts to bless their patients with.   Gifts intended for Christmas should be taken by the second week of December.  Here is the volunteer page with contact information and additional information.  Be sure to look at for instructions if you are intending to write cards.  There is also a list of good gifts by age group.  https://waystogive.texaschildrens.org/document.doc?id=352 They must be gifts that can be enjoyed by children in their rooms unsupervised. 

https://waystogive.texaschildrens.org/page.aspx?pid=1731

Ideas for Texas Children’s Hospital –

There are some great ideas listed on the Texas Children’s Hospital webpage.  I copied them from https://waystogive.texaschildrens.org/document.doc?id=352 for you to be able to scan quickly. 

“New Non Toy Items

 Care kits including: travel size toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, soap, disposable razors/shaving cream, comb/hairbrush, and lotion.   

New clothing such as plain colored pajama pants, elastic waist shorts, t-shirts, socks, slippers, underwear and onesies. Accidents happen. 

 Fun colored blankets and pillows to brighten patient rooms.   We cannot accept flowers, balloons or edible items of any sort. 

Activities and Handmade Items

 Craft Packets that include pre-made craft supplies that patients can work on in their rooms unsupervised. Examples include door hangers, nametags, or small crafts. Place all items in a ziplock bag with simple instructions a child can follow.   

Activity Books that contain a few coloring pages, word finds or crosswords. Make packets with 5 pages, hole punch one corner and connect with a ribbon for a customized, possibly seasonally inspired, activity packet.  

Food Tray Mats on 8 1/2 x 11" bond paper of any color. No markers, buttons, ribbon or glitter may be used. Crayons may be used. Lamination is acceptable, but not necessary. The patients prefer something interactive such as a crossword puzzle, dot-to-dot or trivia games. We prefer a large number of these at once (100+).  

Decorated pillowcases to brighten hospital rooms- tie-dye, fabric paint, or sewn from fun child friendly fabrics.   Homemade blankets and quilts.

Hand sewn items such as teddy bears, gingerbread men, and a number of items that may assist with long term patient care. For advanced sewing projects please contact Volunteer Services for more information. “

 Military Care Packages -

There is still a few days left to send a care package to Afghanistan.  http://houstontimeframes.blogspot.com/2013/11/make-care-packages-for-military-now-dec.html

 

 

What ideas do you have?

Please share in the comments.

Thanksgiving cards for church staff or Advent activity of appreciation

       We passed out Thanksgiving cards to the staff at out new church.  We have done it so many holidays for so many years, that it just seems normal.  However at the new church, they were surprised.  They were very kind and grateful.  One pastor wrote about it in his blog and another took time to write an email to me later thanking us for stopping by.  Although I was a little embarrassed at all the attention, I was excited to know that it really does matter to people when you take time to thank them for what they do.  Plus my kids were thrilled to be "on the internet" in the blog. (I was on TV during an interview at the fire station as we made ribbons for the fallen firefighters in Houston earlier this year.  Now we are even to my five-year-old, because she's on the internet and I was on tv. She makes me laugh.)
     It may be a little late to get Thanksgiving cards out this year, but it is not too late for Christmas or New Years cards.  This would be a great project for one day in December as part of an advent activity schedule or just an activity to help prepare your hearts to look outward instead of inward during Christmas.  A simple card of appreciation can mean so much to someone, especially in the hustle and stress of the holiday season.  Have fun.

Make a care packages for military. Now - Dec. 4 - Katy Drop-off

Help Support our Troops Now through December 4thLacey Oak Boutique will be sending Care Packages to our troops overseas for this Holiday Season! Drop Off at: Lacey Oak Boutique 5708 3rd Street Katy, TX 77493 (281) 574-0888     Drop Off Hours: Tuesday - Saturday   10:00AM - 6:00PM This Holiday Season Lacey Oak Boutique will be carrying the season's spirit overseas to support our deployed troops in Afghanistan.  What better way to show your love and appreciation than to send our soldiers a little piece of "Home" and a Christmas Card, letting them know we are thinking of them & how much we appreciate all they do. Thank you all for your help! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families too! Here are a few ideas of what our soldiers would love to receive... Special Requests: Coffee - Soft Sealed Bags ( No Large Cans Please) Disposable Hand / Foot WarmersFood, Snacks and Drinks: (***Please no expired or canned food***) Candy: Small Individual Packs (No chocolate please) Snack Bars: Protein bars, granola bars, power bars, cereal bars, cliff bars and etc. Powder drink mix: Gatorade, Kool-aid, Crystal Light Tuna & Chicken Salad: In foil pouches or ready-to-eat kits (No cans please) Beef Jerky / Slim Jims Sunflower Seeds / Pumpkin Seeds Cheese & Crackers / Peanut Butter & Crackers Cookies: Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Fig Newtons (small packs) Trail Mix / Dried Fruit / Granola / Fruit Roll Ups / Fruit Gummies Toiletries: (***Please no hotel samples, they will not accept them)  Lip Balm / Chap Stick / Carmex / Blistex Body Wash & Facial Cleanser Combs / Brushes  Hair Gel (For females to pull hair back) Deodorant (Trail Size) Shaving Cream in Tubes / Shaving Soap (*No cans of shaving cream)  Hand & Body Lotion (Travel Size) Sunblock SPF 45 / Vitamin E / Aloe Vera Gel Bug Spray / DEET / Skin-So-Soft Mouthwash (Travel Size) Breath Mints / Breath Strips Lozenges / Cough Drops Loufa Sponges / Buff Puffs Nail Files / Emery Boards / Nail Clippers Feminine Hygiene Products Shoe Insole Cushions (Gel kind is best) Tylenol / Motrin / Advil / Aspirin Packages Eye Drops / Nasal Spray Vitamins (These are always needed, please check expiration dates)Entertainment: iTunes Gift Cards (Top requested) DVD Movies: new or used - recent releases please Xbox Games, PSP, PS2 & PS3 Games (new or used) Computer Flash Drives & Camera Memory Cards Handheld MP3 players & head phones Electronic Handheld Games Small Handmade Gifts: reminders & comforts of "home" Day Planners / Small Pocket Calendars Game Books: Crossword Puzzles, Word Search Books, Sudoku, Etc. Board Games (Travel size is best for shipping) Magazines: all kinds but recent editions keep them up to date of whats going on at homeOther Items: T-Shirts: Cotton, green & tan color undershirts ( Sizes: M, L, & XL) Socks: Black, Olive Green, White (Cotton or wool) Small Christmas / Holiday Decorations Blank Christmas / Holiday Cards: to write family and friends back home

It's not too late for Operation Christmas Child/ How to plan a packing party

Operation Christmas Child. 

It's not too late to pack a box.  If you want to deliver your box to Lifeway, tomorrow is the day.  If you are going to bring it to another drop-off or mail it in, you have time. 

We planned a party with a few moms and their kids from the homeschool group.  It was easy and fun.   Here is a quick how to organize a party if you want to get one together. 

 

We combined it with a Thanksgiving feast, so each family brought food as well.  If you did not want to bring the food, just leave it off the email.

1.  Send out an email and see if anyone is interested in coming.  Include the location date and time so they can check their schedules.  Have them respond by a certain date with the number of kids they have that will be packing a shoebox.  If you are doing it now, I'd send it today and have them respond by Monday.)

2. Send another email.  When Tuesday comes, send out an email to all the participating families.  It needs to include:

The number of children attending

The gender and age group for the boxes

A sign up for items to bring

Link to the list of suggested items

Location, date, and time of party

Plans for getting shoeboxes

Plans for paying for shipping/getting labels

Plans for wrapping boxes

Plans for writing letters to the recipients of the boxes(optional)

Plans for who will deliver boxes

 

We had 12 kids coming and decided to pack all boxes for girls age 5-9.  Most of our kids were girls, and we thought an older child might write us back after they get the shoebox.  There are so many ways you could decide to do things, but here is an idea to get you started. 

Here is a sample of the email. 

"Dear Friend,
Thanks for wanting to participate.  We have twelve kids coming to pack boxes.  We will be buying items for a girl 5-9 years-old.  You will need to decide what item you want to purchase and bring 12 of that item.  If you have two children packing shoeboxes, you will need to decide on 2 things you will bring and bring 12 of each.  For example, we will pack 2 boxes so we will bring 12 jump ropes and 12 balls. 

Here is the link to the suggested items to purchase.  http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/

Shoebox Items -
Family 1- jump rope and ball
Family 2-
Family 3 - ( I would write the last name instead of family 1)
Family 4 -
Family 5-

Snack Item -
Family 1- drinks
Family 2-
Family 3 -
Family 4 -
Family 5-

To reply, just copy the two lists.  Push REPLY ALL and paste the list in the body of the email.  Update what you are bringing.  Make sure you reply all so everyone knows. 

Please bring a shoebox for each child packing a box.  (I actually bought little Tupperware boxes from the dollar store for each child to pack and provided them at the party.  Or one person could go to a shoe store and get boxes for the whole party.  Whatever works best for your group.)

I will bring wrapping paper, tape and rubber bands to decorate and close  the boxes.

Bring a check for $7 per box for shipping or go online before the party and pay.  Then you can print a label with a tracking number for your box.  That way you and your child can see where the box goes. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/follow-your-box-iframe/  Either way, make sure you print a label for each box you are sending and bring it to the party.   

We are going to write a letter and include a family picture in each of our 2 boxes.  If you would like to do this, please have your letters ready before the party. 

After the party, Family 2 will deliver the boxes to the drop-off location on Date and Time.

We will meet at Location on Day at Time

See you there,
Me"

3.  Show up for the party with all your stuff.
My family actually missed the party due to sickness, but we brought our stuff by and the other families assembled the boxes for us.  It appeared to be great fun.