10 steps to a pretty good Christmas pageant part 3

7.  Have a videographer and a photographer.  

Preferably this person will not be a parent or a grandparent of one of the pageant participants.  You want to get pictures of everyone - not just one or two of the kids.  :)  But you want to record this event for posterity's sake and for future reference when recreating the pageant.

8.  Love the kids.

These tips are not in order of importance by any means.  It is our primary job to love Jesus and to love our children and connect them to each other.

Kids from all kinds of different backgrounds with all kinds of baggage.  Again, our goal is not to present a perfect performance but to tell this most wonderful of truths - that God loved us and sent His Son.  

Be patient with your kids quirks, their misbehaviors, their failure to listen.  We want to make this whole thing - from start to finish a GOOD memory in their little hearts and minds.

9. Say thank you.

Thank the parents, the grandparents.  Thank the kids.  Thank your pastor.  Thank your teachers, your helpers, your tech team, your church secretary, your family, your musicians, your costume makers, your partners in ministry.  Say it verbally, say it often.  And when it is all said and done - send out thank you notes.

10.  Lists help eliminate stress.

I am a consummate list maker.  There is nothing more satisfying to me than making a list and checking it twice.  And checking everything off of it.

Here are some of the lists I made:

• people to contact
• props needed
• costumes needed
• practices scheduled
• communications to send
• music to procure
• sound and lighting needs
• snacks for practice time (gluten, dairy, sugar and peanut free)
• details to talk to my co-laborer about

That is just a small sample of my lists.  I needed a list of lists!

But when December 9 and 10 rolled around and we had done everything that we could possibly think of to do - we sat back and watched the most amazing story unfold.

A story of a Great God with Great Love for all the people.  Told by children.  

We think we are teaching them about Jesus.  Well, they taught us.

Part One here.

Part Two here.

10 steps to a pretty good Christmas pageant part 2

 4.  Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Our situation at our church may be somewhat unique in that we have a Saturday night service and a Sunday morning service.  As a result we never had all the kids in the pageant together at the same time.  Not even at dress rehearsal because some were missing and because we did not include the nursery kids in the rehearsal.  They are going to do what they want anyway,😂 so we decided to let ourselves be surprised.

Our nine foot tall stable on wheels, the model is my 2 year old granddaughter.

We began sending home communications.  We had a 'Save the Date' note that told of the pageant's rehearsal date and performances dates.  We sent letters, emails, texts, put articles in our monthly newsletter.  We made calls, we talked face to face.

And still we had parents that didn't know what part their child had, or when the pageant was.  I don't know how we could have been any more clear in our communications, but it showed me how busy our young families are and some, many are barely managing to keep on track with their normal lives.

You can't communicate too much.  Some people regularly check some platforms of communication while others hardly ever check.

My advice?  Keep communicating by whatever means possible.

Our 'no room at the inn door' .  It took 3 of us to move it into place.

5.  Save, save, save.

With the wonderful props we had built for us, we have done every thing we can to make sure they don't end up on someone's burn pile (as last year's stable and inn door did - ~sob~).

Make sure you have a specific storage room at church or a basement of some generous church person's home and store everything together, clearly labeled.

The angel costumes, wings and halos are together sorted by size and labeled.  The shepherds tunics, headscarves and belts are together and labeled and sorted by size.  (Pro-tip - use thin elastic headbands to secure the headscarves.

If you don't have costumes, use white men's tee shirts for little angels.  Bathrobes for shepherds.  But if you have good and generous sewists in your church, they can knock out a ton of costumes during a fun Saturday sewing frenzy.  Plan this for September or October.  Encourage and bribe them with snacks.

I had thrown out last year's script which had lots of helpful notes on it. I will not repeat that mistake.

I have a list of what we borrowed from who this year so we can start with calling on those people again.

Just yesterday, another area church borrowed our shepherd costumes.  I made a note of this and told 3 other people where the costumes are.  Just in case I lose my mind between now and next December.  It could happen.

6. Have a sense of humor.

Years ago, at another church, the lady who was in charge of our pageant.  She had gorgeous costumes which she kept stored at her home in a temperature controlled environment (kidding).  She was a perfectionist with a CAPITAL P.  This dear woman wanted to glorify God by presenting a PERFECT PAGEANT.  The result, I don't remember, but I do remember the tension, stress and hurt feelings that resulted.

When you are working with kids, crazy and funny things happen.  Kids cry.  They refuse to perform.  They have accidents.  They pick their noses.   Roll with the punches.

True story: During our dress rehearsal, the three wisemen went behind the stable to pick up their gifts for baby Jesus.  A fight ensued.  All three of them wanted to give Him the gold.  So we had to have a little talk. It was a teachable moment and I'm thankful it happened during the dress rehearsal and not during the pageant.

Several people told me the highlight of the pageant for them was the little boy who could not reach the microphone and could not bend it down close enough to him.  He stood on his tippy toes, leaned his head back and shouted his line in the general direction of the mic.

Professional?  No.   Adorable?  Yes.

Kids praising Jesus.  That is what we are going for.

Once again this has gotten long.  More next time.

Part one here.

Part three here.

10 steps to a pretty good Christmas pageant part 1

Over the next several days I want to share some of the ideas/strategies we used for our Christmas pageant.

While this may come across as a 'how to', it is really specific to our church but adaptable to yours.

1.   Choose the best story.  While The Greatest Story Ever Told has already been taken as a title, the best story ever is worth telling again and again and again.  And again.  Use the one in the Bible.

As mentioned previously, we chose this pageant.

It has a clear script, is narrator-driven which helps those with speaking parts know when to say their lines.  It has ideas for set decorations; some we took, some we didn't. 
It lasts 15-20 minutes which is perfect to perform during a worship service while still allowing the pastor time to make a few remarks or do a devotional.

It has traditional carols included which the congregation is encouraged to sing with the cast.

It is faithful to Scripture (the Best Story!) although my kids were really bummed - especially the three who played the various innkeepers - to learn that there are no innkeepers mentioned in either the Matthew or the Luke accounts.  Of course, 'no room in the inn' implies innkeepers.

2.  Pray.  There is really not much point in presenting a pageant unless it is bathed in prayer. 
 Pray for your kids who are preparing, 
Pray for those who will be attending.
 Pray for this to not add one- more -crazy -Christmas- time -thing -to -schedule, but that it would be a respite from the chaos and a reminder of the true meaning. 
Pray for your ministry team.
Pray for your children.
ESPECIALLY pray for the single parents of your kids.  I know this added extra stress to some of our single parents.  We need to affirm and support our single parents.  Sometimes ex-spouses can try to thwart the good intentions of others so we gave extra grace to these children (not making practices mandatory for them, etc.)


3.  Have a great team.

Our pastor is our greatest cheerleader. I appreciate him so much. 

 Our associate pastor was also a great encouragement.  He is my son and I appreciate him too.  Smile.

 The senior pastor's  wife is the children's ministry director and I am in charge of children's church.  She and I have totally different personalities and energies levels.  I am old enough to be her mother.  IMO we made a great team.  Her energy combined with my phlegmaticism (is that a word?) helped us get things done without as much stress as there could have been.  Was there stress?  Yes, but not between the two of us.

We have amazing builders in our church One of them built a bullet proof door (kidding, but it took 3 of us to lift it) for the innkeepers to pop in and out of.

Our stable was 9 feet tall at the peak and on wheels to make it easier to move around and on and off the platform.  It was amazing.  I hope Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus had as good a quality stable as we did.

We are in a new sanctuary this year.  It is modern.  The rustic/modern trees the decorating committee had built were a perfect backdrop to the stable.

Our tech team is second to none.  They blow me away everytime.  They think of things I would never think of in a million years.  Not only could folks hear what was going on, they also added special lighting to great effect.

We have a great team of children's church workers and nursery workers.  Our nursery crew brought 10-15 little 1-3 year old lambs up to the front of the church during each performance.  No one threw up, no one cried, no one pitched a fit.  It was so sweet.

AND we could not have done this without our junior helpers.  We encourage our junior high/high school kids to help.  And they do!  They seem to love it.  A few of them will often pop in to children's church to ask me if I need help. They are incredible kids.  


~~~~~~~~~~~

This is getting kind of long.  More tips next time!

Part two here.

Part three here.

Christmas pageant

I'm recording here, mostly for my own benefit the process we went through this year in preparing our Christmas pageant.

It happened this past weekend and I couldn't be more thankful for the way it turned out.

We used the script from The First Christmas Pageant.   We actually had performed this last year on a Sunday evening.  Those in attendance were primarily parents and grandparents.  But this year our pastor asked us to perform it during our worship services.  We have a service on Saturday night and Sunday morning.  FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH.

The dual services presented us with our first challenge.  I will address that in future posts.

I recommend this pageant.  It is simple, stays true to Scripture.  We did it with about 20 kids last year, but this year had twice that.  It uses traditional music, nothing new to learn.

It faithfully tells the old familiar story of how much God loves us.  So much that He sent His only begotten Son to earth as a vulnerable baby.  

Though so familiar, it never ceases to amaze me.

88 days til Christmas

  

It might be 88 days until December 25, but we are having our family Christmas at Thanksgiving this year.  

Which means 49 days until Christmas.

Which means 49 days to make a stocking for the newest family member.

Which means I need to spend some time in the basement unpacking and unearthing my sewing supplies.

But first, a review of today's Bible study lesson.  John 1.

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."

Ancient, mysterious words full of meaning and truth.  It is a delight to ponder these words and discuss them with a group of beautiful, godly women.  We meet to study God's word each Thursday afternoon.  How I look forward to this time!

Staying grounded in these truths will help us not corrupt the true meaning of Christmas.  

And each stitch in this stocking will represent a prayer for this newest little grandson of ours who is expected to arrive after Thanksgiving and before Christmas.

The most wonderful time of the year!

family Christmas

Happy New Year!

I did not intend for such a long time to pass before I posted here.  The month of December was busy with sewing, wrapping, baking and fudge making.  It was great fun preparing for Christmas - we were heading to northern Illinois to meet all the kids and grands.  The only missing person was Daniel's fiance, Laura.

We went to a wonderful Christmas Eve service at Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, IL.  I cried.  They had a beautiful song - complete with singers from all over the world on the video screen.  The message was moving; but what really did me in was having Pat singing next to me, Jon singing behind me and Nathan singing on the other side.  Surround sound from my guys (Daniel had responsibilities at his church and couldn't join us until Christmas night).

Here are a few snapshots of our time together:



Nate cuddling with 3 month old Lainey -click on the picture to see the look in her eyes. "Who is that man?"





Lainey sleeping in Grandpa's arms.







                                                    

Josh and Sadie sitting on a couch I made for the girls (I made Josh's pj pants too - they are very wide - wish he lived close enough for frequent fittings!)









A thoughtful Sadie (sorry Sades - didn't mean to cut off the top of your head!) modeling the blouse I made for her.



Kudo, Nate and Michelle's long suffering dog. She is not a fan of little kids, but quietly and peacefully moped in various corners of the house until we left.









The uncles with the nieces. From left to right: Sadie, Nathan, Lainey, and Daniel.



Sitting on the little couch I made watching Larry Boy. This reminded me of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Anybody ever see that?

Three on a couch watching Veggie Tales. Mesmerized.



Jon, Kristi and the kids.



I failed to get any pictures of Nate and Michelle together.  Also none of the whole family (somebody was always napping, crying, or running to the store it seemed).  The ten of us were only together for 36 hours once Daniel arrived, but it was a very blessed 36  hours.

So very thankful for our family!

Hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and that 2012 will be a year filled with blessings!

Martha and Mary moment #16

my little Sonshine choir singing 'Jingle, Jingle Happy Bells, JESUS IS BORN!'

There was a Christmas, perhaps you had one too, the perfect combination of gifts and loved ones. We were at my maternal grandmothers and I recall sitting on the floor under her tree. Around my neck were long coveted pop together plastic pearls, draped across my shoulders was a faux mink stole. A little pink plastic cupboard with dishes completed my wonderful fantasy Christmas. I was June Cleaver in miniature. I looked up at the ceiling and marveled at the intricate patterns the twinkling lights made. I was content and happy.

There was a Christmas, perhaps your children had one too, the perfect gifts combined with time slowing and parents who were completely attentive. Each of the older boys had received their dream Lego sets - one a castle, one a spaceship. I spent the day helping Jon build the castle, Pat helped Nathan with the spaceship. We looked around at each other and the beautiful, fresh, fragrant tree. We were content and happy.

There was a Christmas, perhaps you have heard...a young mother gave birth to her first born son. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. She looked at her husband; they looked to their Heavenly Father. They were content and happy.

And amazed. This tiny baby embodied the Creator of the Universe. A child, yet also: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Only through Him can we find contentment and happiness. He is our Greatest Gift, this and any CHRISTmas.

Merry Christmas to each one of you. May you know His joy.
~~~~~~~~~
Here is my last Martha tip for this season.
Hope you enjoyed the projects this month!

I'll be back to blogging sometime next week.

Martha and Mary moment # 15

"As He spoke to our fathers,

To Abraham and his offspring forever."

Luke 1:55

from Mary's Magnificat

"And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Gen. 17:7

"But God said, No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him."

Gen. 17:19

"The LORD has sworn to David,

A truth from which He will not turn back;

Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne."

Psalms 132:11

"What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.

Gal. 3:17

It is amazing to look into these portions of the Bible and see the marvelous plan that God had to redeem mankind. A plan set in place from before time began. A plan involving a young peasant girl. A plan to redeem you. And me.

This post ends my search through the Magnificat in Luke chapter one for the references to passages scattered throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

As I have pondered these passages I am once again in awe of the intricate mysteries of God's ways.

On this bright moonlit (sleepless) night, I consider what happened in Bethlehem centuries ago and worship - Christ the LORD, the newborn King.

~~~~~~~

Happy Birthday today to Dad! We are celebrating Dad's birthday today by going to the doctor for a routine appointment. Woot! 81 years old and still walks 3 miles or more every day. You are the best, DOD!
~~~~~~~

Here is another cute idea from Lady Farmer's blog.

Martha and Mary moment #14

finished and mailed!

Luke 1:53

"He has filled the hungry with good things;

And sent away the rich empty-handed."

Psalm 107:9

"For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,

and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good."

That would be my prayer for all (both of?) my readers. That your soul would be satisfied with what is good.

So many distractions these days. Take time to stop the noise and fill your soul with good things.

Our Christmas program is tomorrow and I am enjoying meditating on the words to the music we are singing.

Have a wonderful weekend!

~~~~~~~

This is a wonderful Christ-honoring way to decorate your tree.

Martha and Mary moment #13

"He has brought down rulers from their thrones,

And has exalted those who were humble."

Luke 1: 52

"So that He sets on high those who are lowly,

And those who mourn are lifted to safety.

Job 5:11

In college, I first became acquainted with the idea that the Kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom. The first shall be last, the last first. The Messiah King came as a little baby. The Savior is the Servant.

Mary's life reflects that as well. A humble peasant maid in an obscure village carrying the Son of God in her womb.

This reminds me of the powerful words in the song 'Mary Did You Know':

Mary did you know, this child that you delivered would soon deliver you?

I hope you will take time with me this season to ponder some of the amazing things God has done. He sets on high those who are lowly. He exalts those who are humble.

And would you please pray for my friend J. and me? She is the one who held the Christmas tea last weekend. We are taking two of the gals out to lunch today. Pray that our conversation would be glorifying to the LORD.

~~~~~~~

Two more nativity ideas:

Here is one cute idea for nativity blocks.

And here is the other. This gal will even email you the images if you leave your email address in her comment section. I received mine in less than 24 hours.

I finished the stockings! Pics tomorrow.

Martha and Mary moment #12

Psalm 118:15-16:

The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

The right hand of the LORD is exalted;

The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

Centuries later Mary spoke of God's strength and power - echoing the sentiments of the Psalm:

'He has done mighty deeds with His arm

He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

Luke 1:51

This knowledge of God's power and His ability to do mighty deeds, valiantly, gave her the strength to do the incredible task He had set before her.

Awesome to think that same power is available to us.

~~~~~~~~~~`

We are iced in this morning. .25-.3 inches of ice coat the area. No walking for this girl. Travel is treacherous. Officials are saying 'STAY HOME!'

Yes, sirs. I will. I hope to finish the stockings this morning and them make some fudge for a gift for our 'hairapist' Harriet. All while listening to Christmas music and sipping hot cocoa.

There are widespread power outages in our area. Trees and power lines down. Best get my jobs requiring electricity done while we have power!

Here is a cheery embroidery project. Pattern is free with purchase.

Looks like someone did a good job of thrift store shopping

for an ugly Christmas sweater for his party last night

Martha and Mary moment #11

I'm almost done...

"He has done mighty deeds with His arm..."

Luke 1:51a

"O sing to the LORD a new song,

for He has done wonderful things,

His right hand and His Holy arm have gained the victory for Him.

Psalm 98:1

The Bible contains many examples of the mighty deeds God has done with His arm. Do you think Mary realized to what extent she would be involved ?

Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and recount the mighty deeds God has done in your life. Prepare to be amazed and blessed!

~~~~~~

Though they are few and far between, my favorite craft/ decorating ideas during the Christmas season are those that reflect our Savior's birth.

Here is a nativity banner that would be great to do with the children in your life.

Martha and Mary moment #10

4 still stitching

"But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord's love is with those who fear Him,

and His righteousness with their children's children."

Psalm 103:17

What a comfort this verse is to this grandma! And it must have comforted Mary as well, as she realized that God had chosen her to be part of His plan to change the world:

His mercy extends to those who fear Him,

from generation to generation.

Luke 1:50

~~~~~~~

Today's craft/decorating idea looks cute and easy. You may as well stock up on terra cotta pots!

Martha and Mary moment #9

work-in-progress - Christmas stockings

I want to finish them and get them in the mail by Friday

The past several days have been busy, but wonderful. Our choir banquet on Friday night was beautiful. 8 different women brought in in their Christmas dishes. We decorated 8 tables with these sets of dishes. They were all unique; all beautiful.

Although the fellowship hall is a cement block room with tile floor, the effect of all the different tables and centerpieces was quite elegant.

I was in charge of the entertainment and second in command to the remarkable SHB. Great job S!
For the entertainemt, I had a list of 22 Christmas carols (secular and sacred) with alternate titles.

For instance: Amalgamated inverted clappered cups.
What carol is that?

I read several of these to the choir and guests and they shouted out the (usually) correct answer.

After this I handed each table a card with the alternate name of the carol. They were to consult amongst themselves and then perform that carol for the rest of the group. The table that gave the most creative performance would get bragging rights and the opportunity to hit the dessert table first.

It was a hoot! My personal favorite was the lovely rendition of 'winged messengers from splendid empires'.* The choir members from that particular table did a beautiful job of singing and harmonizing and the non-choir member participated by occasionally inserting 'fa-la-la-la-la's' - off key and off beat. It was both gorgeous and hysterical (especially since this guy is a very low key person AND the words fa-la-la-la appear no where in this song).

~~~~~~~
Saturday's Christmas tea at my friend's home was lovely. She is not putting up a tree this year since they will be traveling, but the Christmas decorations she displayed were simple yet festive.

Since lady farmer asked if I would share the devotions, I will give you a snapshot of my talk here (it was about 10 min. long - too much for an already long blog post).

My theme was 'time'. During the month of December there does not seem to be enough time to do everything we want to do. We have too many activities to fit into the first 3 weeks or so of December. Not enough time to decorate, bake, shop, attend concerts and parties.

On the other had, there was one year when time d-r-a-g-g-e-d for me. Nathan, our first-born was due on November 7. November 7 came and went. No baby. November 8. No baby. November 9. No baby. November 10. No baby. November 15, 20, 25, 30. No baby. December 5. No baby.

Finally on December 6, I went into labor. Off to the hospital we went. After several hours they sent me home because my labor had stopped (~sob~).

December 10. No baby. FINALLY on December 13 Nathan decided to make an appearance. He was worth waiting for and has always lived up to his name 'gift from God'.

(And by the way - HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN! Have a wonderful day - wish I could be with you!)

Sometimes time moves too fast, sometimes it drags. But there was a time when the perfect timing coincided with the most wonderful gift.

In the fullness of time, God sent His Son. Gal. 4:4

God's perfect timing....God's perfect gift. Jesus Christ.

I then shared my response to this wonderful gift - accepting Christ as my Savior - and invited the gals to do the same. Afterwards three of the ladies indicated an interest in participating in a neighborhood Bible study. We sang a few Christmas carols together and then went our separate ways.

A very nice way to spend a Christmas Saturday together.
~~~~~~~~

*Let me know if you'd like the whole list....and answers? Do you know the two I mentioned?

Martha and Mary moment #8

our trees in the breakfast nook at night

Continuing on with the discovery of Old Testament passages in Mary's Magnificat, we find that verse 48 of Luke 1:

"for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant."

was foreshadowed here:

"Though the LORD is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar."

Psalm 138:6

How grateful I am that I don't have to be rich or famous or rocket scientist smart or movie star gorgeous to be looked upon by GOD. He knows who I am, He know my inmost thoughts, He made me, He redeemed me, He loves me. Plain, ordinary little old me.

Certainly, something to be celebrated all year long!

~~~~~

Got yarn? Here are lots of suggestions for pom poms over at the long thread. Have fun!

Busy weekend here - I'm kicking into Martha mode, but hopefully not neglecting my Mary side.

Friday:

• Set tables for the choir Christmas dinner (setting tables with various ladies' Christmas dishes or china)
• Go early for the dinner, put finishing touches on food
• Direct the evening entertainment for the dinner (more about this later)
• Clean up
• In the afternoon, sew every chance I get and practice piano when I get tired of stitching

Saturday

• morning meeting
• afternoon Christmas tea, bringing a devotional and playing some Christmas carols
• bake brownies for Sunday's lunch for choir kids
• sew every chance I get and practice piano when I get tired of stitching

Sunday

• teach Sunday school with Pat
• bring our angel tree gift to church
• sing in choir
• stay after church for children's lunch
• children's lunch followed by dress rehearsal for children's program
• sew every chance I get and practice piano when I get tired of stitching
• return to church at 4:45 for bell choir dress rehearsal
• 6:00 children's program with the bell choir performing 3 numbers at the end

Praying that none of my little munchkins :

1) pick their nose,

2) lift their dresses over their heads or

3) have a hissy fit.

It looks like a lot, but I am looking forward to every bit of it. .

Enjoy your weekend!

(no blog post tomorrow....)

Martha and Mary moment #7

Luke 1:47:

"and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"

The phrase 'God my (our) Savior' is found in several different places in Paul's writings in the New Testament.

1 Timothy 1:1:

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior

and of Christ Jesus our hope."

1 Timothy 2:3:

"This is good, and pleases God our Savior."

Titus 1:3

"and at the appointed season He brought His word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,"

Titus 2:10

"and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive."

Titus 3:4

"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He save us,"

Jude 25:

"to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

Mary reflected the teachings of the Old Testament as she spoke her inspired words.

She also pointed ahead to the teachings of the New.

Jesus Christ, LORD and Savior, His Birth, the pivotal point between the Old Covenant and the New.

Just think.

GOD - the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Creator of the universe.

My (our) -personal, knows our name, loves and cares for us.

Savior - redeems, rescues and saves me (us) from our sins.

No wonder Mary's soul rejoiced. I feel some rejoicing coming on in my soul too!

~~~~~

On a more mundane Martha note, the recipe file box is much lighter. I threw out recipes from magazines and food boxes, figuring these would be available online. Worth keeping are hand written recipes from family and friends.

Like this one:

Crab Rangoon

6-8 Imitation crab legs (chopped fine)

8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

2 green onions (chopped fine - include tops)

1 T. sugar

dash pepper

Mix together with a little milk. Makes a great crab dip served on crackers.

OR... wrap a spoonful in a wonton skin (follow package directions) and fry in a little oil until golden brown.

Hint:

Keep wonton skins wrapped in a damp paper towel. They dry out easily.

Martha and Mary moment #6

Verse 47 of Luke chapter 1 contains Mary's proclamation:

" and my spirit rejoices in GOD my Savior,"

This phrase is found in two places in the Old Testament.

"Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in His salvation."

Psalm 35:9

"Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stall,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD

I will be joyful in GOD my Savior."

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Beautiful passage, verse 17 informs verse 18. This is not a rejoicing when everything is going right. This is a rejoicing when everything is going wrong. Very wrong.

Hard? You bet. But what a gift to be able to rejoice in GOD my Savior.

No matter what.

~~~~~

Today's Martha tip, at least for yours truly is: clean out your recipe box. I wanted to share a recipe with you today, but I can't find it. It is what I plan to bring to our Bible study potluck tomorrow. I've already purchased the ingredients, but can't find the recipe.

So, here is another to enjoy while you go 'a wassailing':

Wassail

1 gallon cider

1 C. orange juice

1/2 C. lemon juice

1 1/2 C. water

1/2 C. Honey

2 sticks cinnamon

4 slices ginger

6 cloves

6 whole allspice

Simmer one hour.

Strain and simmer 30 more minutes.

Martha and Mary moment #5

Mary says, in Luke 1:46:

" My soul exalts the LORD"

or as another translation reads:

"My soul praises the LORD".

Perhaps she was quoting Psalm 34:2:

"My soul will boast in the LORD

let the afflicted hear and rejoice."

alternatively translated:

"My soul shall make its boast in the LORD

The humble shall hear it and rejoice."

Psalm 34 is a beautiful Psalm on which to meditate. I lingered on verse 5.

"Those who look to Him are radiant

their faces are never covered with shame."*

Mary, faced with the staggering privilege and responsibility of carrying the Son of GOD in her womb - and the shame of being pregnant before marriage - looked to GOD. She praised Him; exalted Him. Despite and because of her circumstances.

Based on Psalm 34:5 we know her strength came from the LORD and was reflected in visible, radiant joy. Her soul exalted the LORD. What a wonderful example she has set for us!

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The phone rang yesterday. On the line was a friend from Bible study. She wanted to minister to her neighbor ladies during this Christmas season. Her idea was to invite them over for a Christmas tea.

"I'd like you to come give a short devotional and play a few Christmas carols so we can sing together." she said.

How could I say 'no' to that? (I couldn't.) We had to find a mutually available date and agreed on this Saturday. On my way to choir last night, a detailed devotional outline 'happened' to pop into my head. I love how the LORD works! I fleshed it out during some sleepless moments during the night and will polish it today.

I think her idea of sharing Christ with her neighbors is a wonderful one, that maybe some of the rest of us can copy. Kind of a Martha/Mary moment combo.

And here is another idea, of the crafty variety. Our blog friend Lady Farmer made a cute, cute, cute Nutcracker out of terra cotta flower pots. Go see~

*see also Exodus 34:29-35

Martha and Mary moments #4

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with everything we want to cram into the Christmas season. Shopping, baking, decorating, concerts, programs, shopping, baking...

A young mom confessed her 'overwhelmedness' to me a week or so ago.

"I have to put up five trees in my house for Christmas!" she said.

"No, you don't, honey" said I.

Another gal is in charge of our choir dinner this coming Friday night.

"How can I help?" says I.

"Oh, I'm fine, I' m only cooking 2 turkeys and two hams and setting the tables for 48."

"I'll do some of the cooking," says I.

"No, that's okay."

"Then I will come help you set tables."

"Oh, well, okay."

Some are overwhelmed because they choose to be, they have hopped onto a runaway train and don't want to get off. Some are overwhelmed because of circumstances that have happened to them.

One advantage of getting older (okay...old) is that, hopefully, you learn to make wise choices and to pace yourself.

This week will be a busy one. Three rehearsals, one Bible study Christmas potluck, one choir dinner, one dress rehearsal and one performance (did I mention I am now officially a dingaling? I'm having a lot of fun in the bell choir!), a new piano student comes on board this week. I need to do some shopping for gifts for some needy children in our area (our Sunday school class tradition). And cooking ....for a lunch for the kids's choir and potluck things for the Bible study potluck and the choir potluck. Oh, and put up the trees. Only two - and they are small. And practice my accompaniments for the bell choir soloist (O Holy Night) and the kid's choir. And take Dad to his eye surgery on Wednesday.

It may sound like a lot, but I have a plan to conquer a little bit every day. To keep it simple as much as possible. And to nurture my 'Mary' side as much as my 'Martha' side.

I love the simplicity of this young mom's idea. Don't go out shopping for a bunch of stuff to decorate your house. Use what you have!

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Our pastor mentioned yesterday that the Magnificat (Mary's song of praise to the LORD after she met Elizabeth - Luke 1:46-55) has 30 references to other Scriptures. I knew there were some references, but I didn't realize there were that many. Over the next several days, I'll see how many I can find.

It is amazing to think that this young Jewish girl - quite possible illiterate - would know so much Scripture.

"My soul praises the LORD

and my spirit rejoices in GOD my Savior"

is reminiscent of Hannah's song of praise to God when she dedicated her miracle son Samuel to the service of the LORD.

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;

in the LORD my horn is lifted high"

Both woman were given amazing gifts and responsibilities from the LORD. Their immediate reaction was to lift their voices in praise to Him.

We should do no less.

Martha and Mary moments #3

There are many benefits to being involved in the choir at church.

Friendships. Laughter. Sharing of burdens. Music - that is both up-lifting and thought provoking.

Our choir director requires that musicians in small groups memorize their music. The older I get, the harder this is. But I enjoy the discipline and spend time writing and re-writing the lyrics of the songs I am committing to memory.

Here is a verse I am contemplating this weekend. The tune is lively and joy-filled. The words also give life and joy.

You are Messiah, the Savior, Redeemer,

born of a virgin in Bethlehem's stall.

A humble servant exalted forever

You reign as King over all, over all.

(Kirk and Deby Dearman)

or another:

O Hope of the world, Emmanuel,

God here with us forever,

Shine, shine through the dark, into our hearts,

Jesus You are the Hope of the world.

(Gary Sadler and Jamie Harvill)

Consider choosing a Christmas hymn or sacred carol to meditate on this month, in addition to your regular devotions. It will help you focus on the One Who made Christmas, Christmas.

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It is supposed to be rainy and chilly here this weekend. A perfect time to whip up some of these recipes from Pioneer Woman. You could make something new every day from now until Christmas and not run out of ideas. There are even gluten free recipes!