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Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
The 19th Day of Advent - The Gift of Music
One of the greatest gifts is music! Music has become so much a part of worship services and of Christmas especially. Interestingly, "music" and "worship" were not synonymous in the Bible as they are often used today. In Acts 2:42, we are told that the believers in the early church met and "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (NIV) In other places in the New Testament, detailed descriptions are given for spiritual gifts, teaching, leadership, and organization within the church. No "worship ministers" or "song leaders" are listed, and yet these are huge parts of our church today. And yet, we do know that the early Christians sang as part of their worship. Ephesians 5:19 says to "speak to one another with psalms" (literally the Old Testament songs from the book of Psalms, which they would have used like we use an old hymnal today, and which probably would have been sung with instruments), "hymns" (which I believe were a cappella songs), and "spiritual songs" or "songs from the Spirit" (which pretty much covers anything else - probably songs contemporary to their era and possibly written by the church members). So they sang a mix of old and new. We also see songs being sung in the following verses:
Matthew 26:30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Mark 14:26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Acts 16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
1 Corinthians 14:26 What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
Colossians 3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.The Old Testament has a great deal more content about music, from the lyrics of the songs to the instruments used to the entire families assigned to concentrate their efforts on making music in the Temple. So while music was not the focus of early church services as it often is today, it is a beautiful gift God has given us to express emotion and praise to Him that would be difficult to express with words alone. It is a gift He gave us which we can give back to Him in the form of singing praises and playing instruments to His glory. This is a wonderful gift to use year-round, but I especially love the music at Christmas!
I have so enjoyed seeing my children involved in musical presentations at Christmas over the years. The video above is "Sleigh Ride" from the Christmas concert by the Johnson City Community Concert Band, where my daughter is playing the flute. Below is my son's a cappella group, Herd Mentality, singing "Ding-A Ding-A Ding." Well, except they are not singing a cappella here!
Digital Scrapbooking Freebies for today:
You can find wonderful daily freebies, including a great deal of Christmas content, at www.dailyarthub.com. Today's freebie is a set of baking clipart, and if you start a membership, you can also get this great "Ice Queen Clip Art Set"!
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 16, 2019
The 15th Day of Advent - Why Do We Give?
We are now right in the middle of the hectic month of December, just 10 days before Christmas. When you are in the middle of the hustle in the big box discount store, searching for a parking spot at the mall, or getting your toes run over for the 15th time by kids playing in the toy store, do you sometimes think, in the middle of all the craziness, that we should just put a stop to this whole gift-giving thing? I do. I mean, what kid doesn't already have enough toys? Hasn't the commercialism and the materialism gotten in the way of the real meaning of Christmas? Hasn't it all gotten way out of hand?
The answers to the last three questions are, in backwards order, yes, yes, and no kid that has access to be reading this post on a computer!
For just a moment, however, let's consider why we should keep on giving.
II Corinthians 9:7 says, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (NIV) The context of this verse is that Paul was collecting gifts (presumably monetary gifts) for the needy in churches in areas of persecution. Chapters 8 and 9 are all about the practical side of dispensing the gift: how Paul had gone to various churches to talk about making an offering, how even churches in need were rising up to help others in need, and how Titus would collect the offering and be accompanied by men of good standing. Clearly, this passage is not about overly materialistic giving, but about helping people in severe need. There are several things to note here. First, Paul does urge the people to give and to give generously. The Corinthians, living in a port city, probably were among the wealthier people of that time period. Since they have been blessed immensely, Paul urges them to share their blessing. He even admonishes them in chapter 9 verse 6, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously." Since these people are able to give, they should give. At the same time, however, Paul says it should be a voluntary gift, not a gift given under compulsion. In chapter 8 verse 13 he says, "Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality." We are to give generously when we are able, but it is not meant to be a hardship.
The Bible speaks in many places about the importance of giving (mainly giving to God and giving to the needy). For starters, read Psalm 37:21, I Timothy 6:17-19, Proverbs 21:26, Deuteronomy 15:10, Matthew 6:1-4, Proverbs 11:25, Proverbs 3:9, and I Chronicles 29:9. Then there are all the verses about tithing and offering the first fruits to God in Leviticus and Malachi. It is clear that God wants us to be giving people.
What the Bible never tells us is to give more than we are able. Giving might be a sacrifice, but it should not be stressful. It should not put you in debt. It should not break your bank. Perhaps this is just my opinion, an argument from silence. I am not saying we should not make big sacrificial gifts, especially big gifts for the glory of God. Many people have made "faith promise" gifts to support missionaries or church projects, where they simply said, "I don't have this money right now, but if God will provide it for me, I will give it." And God has provided in amazing ways. People who have made a commitment to give have found they were able to give more than they could have possibly imagined. This kind of giving - to those in need, to God, and for the glory of God - is miraculous and wonderful and is a testament to the power of God to provide when we open our hearts and our bank accounts to Him. Yes, sometimes we can give more than we are able, because God is able.
What I am saying is that if you are stressing out over the bills that result from giving to extended family and giving your kids the "perfect" Christmas and it will take you six months to pay it all off, this is not really in keeping with the kind of giving God teaches us about in the Bible. It is not meant to be an expectation that results in out-of-control commercialism. Giving should be a sharing of our own wealth with others. If you are in America reading this post, you personally may be in a good financial situation or in a not-so-good financial situation, but Americans in general are among the wealthier people in the world. I have seen people in true need who are still willing to give to others, and I would say that most of us can adjust our budgets so that we can give.
So if we are supposed to be giving to God and to the needy, should we still be giving gifts to our own kids, extended family, and friends? I think so. It was noted in an earlier blog post this month that gift-giving has been part of religious celebrations for centuries. Mordecai charged the Jews to celebrate Purim by giving gifts to each other. The Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus. Giving gifts is a way to show God's love, to celebrate in community, and to build relationships. When children are young, they understand concrete things like physical gifts better than abstract concepts like love. Gifts are a wonderful way to help them understand that they are loved and that they should show love to others.
So how can we make Christmas a season of giving without falling into the trap of materialism? There are a number of practical ways:
1) Budget. Give within your means and do not feel guilty for not giving more than you are able to your friends and family.
2) Think outside the gift box. Gifts do not have to cost a lot of money or even be material goods. Homemade gifts, baked goods, service projects, and the gift of your time can all be more meaningful than an expensive bauble.
3) Teach children the joy of giving. Children become spoiled and do not learn the joy of giving when they are always on the receiving end. Teach your children to give to others. Let them pick out a toy for a needy child, fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, or go caroling at a nursing home. Help them make gifts or cards for others in the family.
4) Teach children why we give. Children may not understand abstract concepts when they are young, but they cannot mature without making the transition in their thinking. As you go through the Christmas season, use every opportunity to teach them that the reason we give is because we love, and because God first loved us. In fact, He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us and to be raised to life again.
5) Keep the focus of Christmas on Christ. Holidays, or "holy days," were always a time of teaching in the Old Testament. Celebrate the holiday, point out the memorials, and teach your children as you go. The point of all the celebration is to remember Christ and to remind our children and teach them about the true meaning of Christmas. Gifts are a tool to use, not the object of the season.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:5-9 NIV)
So enjoy this Christmas season. Do your Christmas shopping, wrap the gifts, and spread God's love around with a smile on your lips and joy in your heart. Give to others because God gave us the Greatest Gift - Jesus!
For your digital scrapbooking gift today, scroll down to the next post, "Share the Memories."
Merry Christmas!
New Share the Memories FREEBIES!
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Sunday, December 15, 2019
The 14th Day of Advent - Homemade Gifts
I am the world's worst at daily blog posts. Even when I try to schedule them all ahead of time, I still don't get it all done. For the 24 days of Advent, I had 12 days of posts about gifts and 12 days of digital scrapbooking freebies, and then for the 12 days of Christmas from December 25 through January 5 we will be doing our annual Kindle lapbook 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. Well, I fell behind quickly, but we will still try to get it all in. I just won't promise to not miss any days!
The truth is, Gifts are not my love language, but they are for other people whom I love, and they are such a big part of Christmas. I chose to write about them this year because I think there are a lot of people who, like me, struggle with the dichotomy of gift-giving and yet avoiding materialism during this time of year. My next post will deal more with why gift-giving is important, but today I would like to share some of my favorite home-made gifts. Most of the ones I'm sharing here are ornaments, since they are a great gift at Christmas.
A long time ago, I read a "Dear Abby" letter from someone who was tired of friends and relatives being "cheap" by giving home-made gifts, especially home-made wedding gifts. I was shocked. The home-made gifts I received for my wedding 24 years ago were among my favorites and the ones I still remember the best and probably use the most. Of course, people getting married do need a lot of practical items, but I often cannot remember who gave me the various kitchen utensils, linens, etc., and many have worn out and have been replaced by now. But every time I look at a gift someone made me, I think of that person. My aunt made me this beautiful, detailed cross-stitch of the 23rd Psalm. She started it for my high school graduation. When she could not complete it in time, she continued to work on it for my college graduation. She finally finished it in time for my wedding! We have moved 13 times in 24 years, and this decoration has hung in every house in which I've lived but one, where we lived for only one year and didn't put any nails in the walls for hanging items. It reminds me of the heritage I've received from my family, and how even when we are far apart, God is with each one of us.
These ornaments, as well as the one at the top of this post, were made by another college student from my husband's ministry. She purchased clear glass ornaments and coated the inside with paint. After it dried, she painted the designs on the outside. These are simple but artistic and are some of my favorite ornaments.
This similar ornament was made by a friend of mine who is also a military wife, and we have been stationed near each other multiple times. Though we are now far apart, I have a number of beautiful things she has made for us over the years that remind me of her. For these ornaments, she also coated the inside of clear ornaments with paint. For the outside design, however, she did monograms of all my kids' names in vinyl with her Silhouette.
Here is a beautiful angel made by a friend with beads and safety pins. You can buy kits to do this.
And then I have some really talented friends who can do this beautiful woodwork. My friend's husband made us a whole set of these wooden ornaments with Christian symbols that he designed.
Here is one of my very favorites. My husband's cousin is very talented with woodwork. He made this beautiful ornament with the communion table, bread, and chalice inside. The detail is exquisite. It always holds a prominent place on my tree where it can remind us that the reason Christ came into this world as a baby was to give Himself up and restore our communion with God.
And lastly, at least for tonight, we have all the home-made ornaments my own kids have made over the years that I treasure. This one is made by taking a colored glass bulb, having the child dip his hand in white paint, and then having the child wrap his hand around the bulb to leave the handprint. Each finger, including the thumb, makes a snowman. Add the facial features, hats, etc. with pens or paint.
While any crafter can tell you that home-made gifts are NOT always the cheapest option, those who are creative or spend a lot of time on Pinterest can make lovely gifts that will be treasured for years without breaking the bank.
Since we are talking so much about ornaments tonight, let me give you Days 1 and 2 of the digital scrapbooking freebies, some ornament papers. These were made with CU designs from Daily Art Hub. See their site for daily freebies! Click on images for download.
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Share the Memories FREEBIES!
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Knowledge@Kindle - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas! And A FREEBIE!
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