Colossians Advent Baskets

I put together advent baskets to thank the ladies that help with childcare during our mom's Bible study. Since we were studying Colossians this fall, I wanted to tie that in. Here's what I came up with:

Day	Gift	Verse
1	dove gingerbread cookies	1:2b
2	little seed pots (or seed packets)	1:3-8
3	Record child saying this verse	1:9
4	fruit (orange)	1:10
5	candle	1:13-14
6	Gingerbread man	1:15-20
7	Paper snowflakes	1:21-23
8	Chocolate coins	1:24-29
9	crochet heart ornament	2:1-2
10	treasure (pots of gold chocolates)	2:2-3
11	tree in a box	2:6-7
12	chains	2:8-10
13	mini bottled water	2:12
14	nail	2:13-15
15	cheese/crackers	2:16-17
16	chocolate	2:23
17	cotton ball (cloud)	3:1-2
18	Lifesavers	3:3
19	lotion	3:12-15
20	Christmas carol	3:16-17
21	Ojo De Dios Christmas ornament	3:18-4:1
22	notebook/prayer journal	4:2
23	spices	4:5-6
24	picture of fully grown tree from day 11	4:12
25	it's a boy!	1:15-20

Day 1 - Dove Gingerbread Cookies Colossians 1:2b

Day 4 - Orange Colossians 1:10

Day 5 - Candle Colossians 1:13-14

Day 7 - Paper Snowflakes Colossians 1:21-23

A helpful video about taking snowflakes to the next level. 

Day 8 - Chocolate coins Colossians 1:24-29

Day 9 - Crochet hearts (Husbandly's Madre made these) Colossians 2:1-2

Day 10 Pots of Gold (treasure) Colossians 2:2-3

Day 11 - Tree in a Box

Day 12 Chain Tinsel (found at Michaels) Colossians 2:8-10

Day 13 Mini Bottled Water Colossians 2:12

Day 14 - Nail Colossians 2:13-15

Day 15 - Cheese and Crackers Colossians 2:16-17

Day 16 - Chocolate Colossians 2:23

Day 17 - Cotton Ball (Cloud) Colossians 3:1-2

Day 18 - Lifesavers Colossians 3:3

Day 19 - Lotion Colossians 3:12-15

Day 20 Christmas Carol Music Colossians 3:16-17

Day 21 Ojo de Dios Colossians 3:18-4:1

Day 22 Prayer Journal Colossians 4:2

Day 23 Spices (I went mostly with Steak Rubs  expect for a special friend who I knew loved Cardamon)
Colossians 4:5-6

Day 24 - Picture of Mature tree from Day 11 Colossians 4:12

Day 25 - It's a Boy announcement (I found the charms at Michaels) Colossians 1:15-20

Training in Self-Righteousness

Today we were at a play area at the mall. A little boy brought three trucks to play with. Sweet Pea went over and picked up one of the trucks that he had set on the ground. He got very angry with her and grabbed it away – his little face was so contorted and ugly. I explained to her that she needed to ask before she played with other kids’ toys. Later, I talked with her about how that little boy hadn’t learned to share and how I was proud of her for sharing her ball and toys with a little friend who had been over to visit last night. As I was driving home, I realized that I was training Sweet Pea to be self-righteous. She and I are no better than the selfish boy from the play area. We all three need Jesus to give us new hearts that aren’t selfish. Even if Sweet Pea learns the outward behavior of sharing, what I really want her to learn is to have an unselfish heart… the good news is that Jesus can give us unselfish hearts. We desperately need Him.

God is the One who does the work

Yesterday I was feeling really hopeless about parenting. I felt like I was spanking Sweet Pea all day and it wasn’t very fun. And I don’t feel like it’s making a difference. I was sharing with Husbandly how I felt like I’m going to mess her up and he said something very profound:

You are not going to mess her up…. and you’re not going to make her awesome. God is the One who does the work.

That was a good kick in the pants. I love having a husband who is able and willing to speak truth to me.

I’ve also been learning a lot about being patient. I need to start asking myself a couple questions before I react in anger or frustration:

1) Why am I mad? Is it because I feel like my rights or my comfort is getting stepped on? Is there some way that Sweet Pea is sinning against me?

2) Am I concerned about Sweet Pea’s spiritual wellbeing or am I concerned about appearances?

3) How can I best teach and instruct in this situation?

Look Papa! A train!

I often wonder how much Sweet Pea is able to understand. Is it unfair to require obedience for certain tasks? Today Papa, Sweet Pea and I were playing with the train table in the doctor's office waiting room. Sweet Pea wanted to eat a cracker, and we kept reminding her to sit down while she was eating. Papa had taken the cracker away because she had jumped up to play. In an effort to have the cracker and play at the same time, she handed Papa some very cool train engines and lunged for the cracker. If she's capable of coming up with a plan to distract Papa so she can eat her cracker standing up, I think she's capable of obeying to sit down and eat that same cracker.

Bath Tub Song

A good friend shared that she has songs that she sings to her children at certain times of the day. I decided that I would share one of my favorite hymns with Sweet Pea during bath time.

I usually only sing two verses and the refrain, but I'm trying to learn the more verses...

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:

O precious is the flow

that makes me white as snow;

no other fount I know;

nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace:

nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my righteousness:

nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What songs do you sing to your kids?

Shepherding a Child's Heart

My husband and I have been reading through Tedd Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart. We're first time parents and it's a little overwhelming to think about the task we've been given to raise up our daughter (and hopefully future children) in a way that glorifies God. I was searching to find a blog where parents have shared their experiences of shepherding the hearts of their children, but my search came up empty. So, I've decided to start sharing my experiences as a Heart Shepherdess. I hope you'll share your stories too!