Wednesday 30 November 2011

Let the countdown begin...

Today is the last day of November, and that means that tomorrow is Advent. The start of December creates a mixed bag of emotions for me - panic that I only have three weeks remaining to get everything done, excitement that I get to open that first door on my advent calendar and expectation for what is my favourite time of year... but this year I've been challenged to re-think advent. What's it really all about, and how am I going to show that to my little girl and prevent her getting sucked into the hype, the materialism and the tacky tinsel...

I've just started a book, by John and Noel Piper, called "Treasuring God in our traditions". Its all about how we can put God back at the centre of these celebrations and teach our children to treasure what really matters - yes, enjoy the christmas tree, the easter eggs and the birthday cakes - but they are not what these traditions are really all about. So I was left with one question; how can I make this Advent time meaningful while keeping the joy and expectation?

Noel Piper asks some excellent and thought-provoking questions...
How will our home look if our celebration is a picture of anticipation and waiting for God's plan to be completed, a picture of our joy in the salvation he has begun for us? What visible things will fill our house as we celebrate what God has done through Jesus?

As I've pondered those questions over the past few days, here are some ideas I've come up with about how we can "demonstrate our gratitude for the promises that were fulfilled when God gave us the gift of his Son and anticipation of and preparation for Christ's coming again..." (N. Piper)

Advent candles
Advent candles go way back... like hundreds of years back. Four candles signifying the four weeks of Advent in the run-up to christmas. Each Sunday, another candle is lit... it signifies the hope, the expectation - the countdown that we're looking forward to a major historical event. This sense of expectation and joy is at the heart of what Advent is all about. My four candles are out on display, just waiting to be lit (the first one will be lit on December 4th and we'll probably read the first part of the christmas story as we light it). The christmas story is all about light - the light of the star that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem to meet the Light of the world...


Advent Book
I've started a new tradition this year. Every year, on the first of December, Ava's going to get a christmas book to enjoy in the run-up to christmas. As children, the 1st of December was always VERY exciting for us... it wasn't just the day we got to open our advent calendar, it was also the day we were allowed to pull out our christmas books, listen to christmas songs and watch christmas videos (Raymond Briggs' "Father Christmas" and "Muppet Christmas Carol" being the favourites!). An advent book can be a fun christmassy story, or something more thought-provoking that points back to the birth of Jesus. What a wonderful way to prepare children's hearts to remember the Saviour... more on recommended children's christmas books to follow!

Advent Calendar/Manger Scene
How about combining the two? Every day, hidden in the advent calendar is another artefact/figure to add to the manger scene. By the time you have Mary, Joseph, Jesus, three wise men, some shepherds and sheep, a star, an angel, a manger, an innkeeper and a tonne of animals, you can easily find 24 objects. I intend to build up the manger scene as advent goes on with Jesus being placed in it on Christmas eve. As the scene begins to build, the story can unfold as each artefact or character brings the next bit of the christmas story. After hunting everywhere for a nativity set that had 24 parts, I gave up and decided to make my own. On Sunday evening I sat down with a box of Fimo, felt and cotton buds and made the first 13 figures... more to follow!



Storytellers box
This is a wonderful idea that I picked up a while back. A storytellers box, filled with artefacts (as a teacher, I know there's nothing children love more than a mystery bag full of artefacts they can handle/touch/wear!) What a wonderful way to tell the christmas story on christmas eve as you pull out objects to help you tell the story - a globe, a scroll, an angel (the one from the tree will do!), a map, a star, a shepherds crook, some wrapped presents, a baby's blanket. Throw in some carols as you tell the story and you have your own little nativity every year. Children will love it!

Gift to Jesus
This was an idea I picked up from Noel Piper's book. What are we actually celebrating at Christmas? Jesus birthday! And yet so often, we forget the birthday person! Jesus said "I tell you the truth, whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me"(Matt 25:40), so we can use our "gift to Jesus" to bless an individual, a family, a missionary or a charity. Doing this, again, helps the family remember that it is Jesus' birthday we're celebrating, and stops it from becoming purely a present-opening festival!


Christmas Offering...
No, I'm not talking financial offering, but the fact that every member of the family, young or old, has something to bring. On Boxing Day, my Dad's side of the family has a big get-together. Over 30 of us descend on a family home and share a day of catching up, incredible food and present opening. One thing we have also always done is have some kind of performance. When us kids were young, we loved to put on shows and pantomimes - these were often times of good fun for us (and probably lots of yawning from the adults - "not ANOTHER show!") but they were also times to reflect on God's goodness as people brought songs, played their instruments, shared poems, told stories and did sketches and generally "remembered" what christmas is really all about! Advent can be spent thinking about and preparing your "Christmas Offering"... how can you help "remember" Christ's birth on the big day itself?

I hope this has given some food for thought about how we can use these next four weeks - this advent period - as a time to prepare with exciting expectation for the celebration of the birth of our Saviour, and prepare our children's hearts to understand what Christmas is really all about. And that this year, as a result of our Advent preparation, Christmas will have a little bit more meaning...

Claire x

Tuesday 29 November 2011

How far should we go in disciple making?

Big thanks to Matt A for forwarding this challenging article about what discipleship looks like in our culture...  quote of the article...
The best people who have discipled me didn’t do it through one to one Bible studies, though they greatly helped. They opened their doors to me any time of the day and night when I wanted to sort something out in my head. They gave me time. They let me into their lives. They invited me (literally) to be a part of their family.


To read more, check out;
Niddrie Pastor Blog

Let's get living it!
Claire x

That's my King...

This sermon, preached by Dr S M Lockridge, is one of the most incredible and God-glorifying preaches I have ever heard...

I am left at the end speechless, in awe and thankful, that such an incredible God could possibly be interested in someone like me - be willing to die for me, give me new life and hold me in his hands.

That's my King!

Monday 28 November 2011

Welcome Advent!

On Thursday, I'm flying out to Austria for the start of December... I can't wait! Can't wait to head to the christmas markets, crunch through the snow and catch up with good friends over Schwarztee and cake. It will be Ava's first trip to Austria and I'm excited to introduce her to so many special people. She'll no doubt get a visit from Nikolaus on the 6th too!

As I'm away from the 1 December, I'll miss the start of advent this year, so last week I packed up my autumn decorations and pulled out my winter decorations. Don't worry - the christmas decorations, tinsel and tree won't make an appearance until my return, but my advent candles are out and my mantel is looking very christmassy!

Enjoy browsing!


Picked up the cute trees in Norway, the frame cost me £2.50 from the charity shop and was then a scrapbooking job and I got the candles on sale... bargainous!


Felt hearts were a Panduro purchase (I love that company!), as was the lace ribbon round the candles

 This is our book basket... I'm starting a christmas tradition. Every advent, Ava will get a christmas book in the run up to christmas. I've bought her two this year to get her started, but she's not allowed to open them until the 1st of December.




I jazzed up our lampshade with some silver ribbon wrapped around so it matches with everything else, and our little gnome appears for autumn and winter every year... she gets to stay out for 2 seasons!!


The finished mantel!

Happy advent everyone!

Claire x

Friday 25 November 2011

Sneeze - face!




I love catching this girly's sneeze-face on camera... I'm sure she'll not thank me when she's older... but it's just TOO CUTE!

Have a great weekend!

Claire

Thursday 24 November 2011

Goodbye Autumn...

That crunch as you walk through the leaves, crisp sunny mornings, roast chestnuts, pumpkin soup and harvest thanksgiving... I love the autumn. It's actually my favourite season of the year... its such a wonderful time to be out in the great outdoors.

However, I love celebrating Autumn indoors as well and I thought, seeing as how its time to pack up my autumn decorations and get ready for Advent, I'd share some of my seasonal touches with you before I say goodbye for another year!

Decorating to the season is something I picked up in Austria when I lived there back in 2005/2006. I love the way it makes my home feel fresh and new all year round without having to actually do any DIY! This year, I undertook a number of projects to turn my lounge into a celebration of all things autumnal!

I got these wire leaves a few years back - they're brilliant for wrapping around lamp stands and candles and immediately give anything that autumny feel!

This year, I set myself the task of making an autumn wreath - normally reserved for Christmas... I came across this design and tutorial at Homestories A to Z - it just had to be made. The hard bit actually isn't making the flowers - its the hour you spend winding wool round and round and round the wreath base. It looks so cute when its finished though and a wool wreath is definitely something I'll try again for the other seasons!


Another project I undertook a few years ago was to make some autumn leaves out of Fimo... Fimo is amazing stuff - you can make anything with it and its so flexible and easy to use!


The last project I started this year was my "autumn leaves" board - I wanted a centrepiece for my autumn mantel and my friend Lisa gave me these wooden leaf coasters a couple of years back. I used them, a bit of MDF I'd painted and some wooden letters that I had stored away in a drawer somewhere and voila! My Mantel was ready...











Tomorrow Advent moves in!

Claire x

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Brilliant Bookstart

I love reading... I always have...  some of my earliest memories are reading through classics with my mum in the evenings after my sister had gone to bed - Little Women, Heidi, What Katy Did, Enid Blytons galore. It's a love I want to pass on to my daughter, and already we have been sitting down reading together. She's so taken by bright pictures and will sit for half an hour looking at book after book after book...

Today I took a trip to the local library on the way home from meeting up with the NCT girlies. It was the first time I've been in since Ava was born and they were wonderful. Ava now has her own library card and we signed up to a wonderful program called "Bookstart". Ava received a special "Bookstart" bag with some lovely board books, a nursery rhymes card and some other information inside it. When I told them she was being brought up bilingual, they offered me free board books in Norwegian and German as well. We came home and read through our new books straight away.

I'm so excited to read to my little girly, to meet Mary Poppins, walk through the tree house of Swiss Family Robinson, laugh at Jo March and solve mysteries with the "Five Find-Outers". We may be only on the board books for now, but watch this space!!!


And for those of you who have little ones, ask your local library about Bookstart - pure brilliance!


Tuesday 22 November 2011

All I have is Christ...


Over the past few weeks, we've introduced this new song at Church and I love it... the song just summarises the heart of our response to the Gospel. The lyrics are amazing and I just feel so challenged every time I hear these words.
Praise God for Sovereign Grace Music and the stuff they're producing at the moment and praise God for the grace that enables me to sing this song...

Monday 21 November 2011

Books I'm Reading...

For our wedding anniversary/my 26th birthday, Dave bought me a Kindle this year... this little gadget has been BRILLIANT for those long hours on the sofa when you're nursing your little one (and has also proved an excellent tool for keeping me awake for the 4.30am feed, which I'm glad to say has now finally disappeared!) Since getting the Kindle, I have been working my way through a tonne of books, and in case you're after a good read, thought I'd share some of them with you...!

1. The Help: Kathryn Stockett (Putnam Publications)
I can honestly say this is possibly the joint best work of fiction I have ever read (the other contender is the Harper Lee Classic "To Kill a Mockingbird"). The Help is the story of a group of women in 1960s Mississippi who overcome the race barrier and learn to respect and support each other, against all the odds. I absolutely zoomed through this book and was devastated when it was over. It made me question what prejudices and assumptions are present in our society and I admired Skeeter for her bravery and brilliance, wondering whether I would have been prepared to do likewise...

Cannot recommend this one highly enough - seriously good read! (Also desperate to go see it in the movies, as its just been released, but how does the mother of a two month old do that?!)


2. Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen (Penguin Classics)
I LOVE this classic, and am now reading it for the third time. I just love Lizzy - she is so fresh and real and NORMAL and thats what I love about this book - Jane Austen's characters are almost tangible! Mr Darcy's haughtiness, Miss Bingley's snootiness, Jane's goodness and Lydia's stupidity are just so lifelike and I'm whizzing through this one too (this has been my middle of the night feed favourite and has got me through some tough early-bird sessions!)

For anyone who hasn't read this, it is a MUST (and afterwards you need to watch the 1995 BBC adaptation - pure brilliance!)


3. Creative Counterpart: Linda Dillow (Thomas Nelson Publishers)
 I try to read at least one book a year on the family (be that marriage/motherhood or a bit of both!) and have read some brilliant books over the years (Doug Wilson's "Reforming Marriage", Carolyn Mahaney's "Feminine Appeal" and Josh Harris' "Boy Meets Girl") and this one is definitely up there at the top! I love Dillow's style of writing, so readable, and I've been really challenged to reassess my priorities and be purposeful in transforming those priorities on paper into priorities in my day to day life.

Really good book for any wife or mother.


4. Generous Justice: Tim Keller (Dutton Publishers)
This book was recommended to me not only by my husband's words, but by a seriously noticeable difference in his thinking and life after reading it. He had to read it as part of the lads reading group he is part of at church. When a book has changed your husband that much, you'd be stupid not to read it, right?! I've only just started this one, but its all about God's heart for justice, for helping the poor and vulnerable and reaching out in our neighbourhoods. A real challenge and I can't wait to read the rest!


Well, there's some food for thought... I'm currently scouring Amazon's Kindle store for their latest selection of free books! I'll keep you posted!

Happy reading!

Claire x

Saturday 19 November 2011

That first glimpse of Jesus...

I've recently discovered a new band called Enfield who write great stuff for corporate worship, but some really good reflective, personal stuff too. This song "Arrived" reduced me to tears the first time I heard it and I've listened to it on repeat ever since. Sometimes heaven seems such a far cry from the life I'm living here on earth - at times I long for it, other times I find it so hard to comprehend that it's easier not to think about it.

This song is wonderful - it paints a picture of heaven and has made me long to be there once again. Thanks Enfield for writing these incredible lyrics and for serving the church so well...


Claire

Friday 18 November 2011

Austrian Blessing

This week we were blessed to have my good friend Simone staying with us. She braved the house of horrors and brightened up the place for a few, too short, days. Yesterday morning, as we sat enjoying breakfast, sharing the work God has been doing in our lives, reading the Word and praying together, I was reminded what a blessing it is to have christian friends who encourage, challenge and cheer us on in the race.

Simone is heading abroad in 53 days as a missionary. It was so refreshing to spend time with this godly young woman and be refreshed and encouraged by her faith, her passion and her calling. It reminded me to question again the direction of our lives... are we where God wants us? Are we actively pursuing his will for our lives? Am I so comfortable that I'm failing to seek his guidance and direction?

All good questions to ponder over the next few days, but for now, I just feel so privileged to have had my wonderful friend here and look forward to seeing her in Austria soon one last time before she heads away.

Praise God for christian brothers and sisters around the world who point us to the Saviour

Claire x

Wednesday 16 November 2011

House of horrors

This past weekend has been a weekend of sickness... just about every possible ailment you can imagine has hit this house - we've had vomiting, colds, coughs, headaches and sore throats - joy of joys! Sickness has always been something you just have to deal with, but let me tell you, bringing a 3 month old baby into the equation adds a new level of the fear-factor...

Friday night had us ready to rush the little one into hospital for fear of dehydration until, seconds before we left, she produced the longed for wet nappy. After that, Ava refused point blank to feed, which resorted in teaspoons of water being thrust at her. There is nothing so scary for a mother, as seeing your little one suffering and not being able to do ANYTHING about it.

Sunday, I came down with the dreaded bug. Dave was brilliant and ran the show with Ava, only bringing her in for a feed before allowing me to return to bed to sleep off the queasiness...

Then, guess what? The bug hit David! Joy of joys! A household of invalids! Thankfully I was feeling better by that point, although the day involved a visit from the Health Visitor AND a trip to the Doctors!!! Turned out, Ava now had a sore throat, which explained the refusal to feed!

Lessons to be learnt from the House of Horrors weekend? Yet again, that I am NOT in control... but that how much control means to me. I can happily plod along if I feel in control, the minute I'm not I hit panic mode. Its been a great weekend for re-realising my reliance upon God - he has been so faithful in answering prayer (one night, she was point blank refusing for half an hour and I prayed that she'd just take 5 minutes of milk - within seconds she took 15!)

I need to learn to rely on my heavenly father as much when things are good as when they're tough...

Oh, and we're all well again thanks!!!

Claire

Monday 14 November 2011

Hooked...

I have recently become victim to an incredible and dangerously addictive website called "Pinterest"... I am hooked on it and have spent silly amounts of time, that should have been spend hoovering, cleaning, hanging out the washing etc, drooling over amazing decor ideas and cool crafts that I want to try my hand it. It is just so COOL...

Here are my top 5 finds...
1. I simply LOVE this - a wooden ladder as a display shelf? What a brilliantly, original idea! I immediately thought of the wooden ladder we have in our garden and planned to paint it and put it up as a shelf in the lounge, but unfortunately, I think it's too long (plus, it would mean we had no way to pick our apples!) SO sadly this is a project on hold until I hunt down an appropriately sized ladder... but watch this space!


2. I know we're a while off school with Ava, but I plan to do this for her when she starts playgroup/nursery. Every September (right up until she's 18 if she'll let me!) I'll trace her hand and watch her grow from year to year. A lovely memory to keep and help her see herself growing up! Cute idea, huh?


3. There are SO many great ideas with scrabble tiles at the moment - cute pictures, like this, coasters, necklaces, door signs... the list goes on. I'm now scouring every charity shop in the neighbourhood for a £1 game of scrabble, just so I can take all the letters and create pretty things around the house!


4. I'm definitely making this one - Met - Married - Live. What a lovely present for the husband, or even as an anniversary present for some good friends/parents etc. All you need is a map, a cute frame and a pair of scissors... another present on a budget. Who thinks up these cute ideas???


5. This is my ABSOLUTE favourite - isn't it amazing? Stocked up with little hand-sewn and wooden food items. Forget paying £60 for a plastic kitchen that will keep your girlies amused for half an hour, instead, use cheap IKEA shoe racks, some wood and a bit of material to create this amazing shop! My sister and I LOVED this game growing up, and I'm hoping Ava will do likewise. I simply LOVE it and intend to make one for the girly in a couple of Christmases time!!!

So, I have officially been "pinspired" and I intend to keep surfing (with a time limit!) because somewhere in this world are some incredibly creative people who have amazing ideas that I can steal!!!

Signing off to go and make something!

Claire x

Friday 11 November 2011

Remembering

Today is Remembrance Day... 93 years ago the "war to end all wars" was officially ended. Sadly, it wasn't the war to end all wars and even today, there are many nations at war with each other.


This day always takes me back 12 years to 1999, when I went on a school trip to the trenches. We spent three days traipsing through muddy trenches, gazing over an ocean of white crosses, researching those who gave their lives and digging up bits of shrapnel that, nearly a century later, still lay undiscovered in the mud. That whole week I soaked it in, somehow feeling that I owed these soldiers my time, my research. I was amazed, shocked, overawed, overwhelmed and it was only when I get home that the emotions surfaced. Sitting down with my parents when I return, my Mum asked me to tell her about the trip. I burst into tears and sobbed out some story about a 14 year old boy who was my age who had been killed in the trenches.

I find it utterly fascinating - this generation of young men felt such loyalty to their country, and such pride in their nation that they CHOSE to enter the closest thing to hell on earth. I don't think our generation has anything like that kind of pride... but I thank God that they did.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Norwegian Haven


We had a lovely break in Norway with my husbands fam... long walks along the fjord, sitting cosy by the log fires, wrapping up in hats and scarves and gloves, catching up with family and inhaling fresher air than even exists in England. It was the perfect week and Ava coped so well with all the chopping and changing. I had been nervous about the 2 hour flight and the 5 hour drive that followed, but our little princess slept pretty much the whole journey! What a precious little girl she is!!! (Of course, she would have been precious even if she'd screamed the whole way, but you get what I'm saying!)

Time in Norway is always a time of reflection for me. A time to slow down, to think about what God is teaching me, to analyse what direction our lives are going, to consider my friendships, use of time and energy. It is precious time that I cherish, and I always see Norway as a bit of a haven... stunning views and space - so much space - just to be, to pray, to think...

It was particularly precious time as I haven't had much thinking time as a mother of a two-month-old... what do I want for my little girl? How will our parenting reflect that? It's so easy to get caught up in her success; of course I want her to be well-behaved, polite, fun-loving, confident, clever, wise, beautiful... what mother doesn't? But actually, I'm more concerned with her inner-beauty... ultimately, my hearts desire is that she loves Jesus and commits her life to him while she still young.

So now for the practicalities of working that out... over the next few years, how will our love, our discipline, our guidance lead this little girl to the feet of our Saviour?? It can't... it is purely the grace of God, and so what is the best thing I can do for my Ava? PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Yes, discipline in love, yes, encourage, yes, guide, but ultimately her soul lies in the hands of my heavenly Father and no amount of "perfect parenting" (which I am incapable off anyway) will bring her to the foot of the cross.

So my moment of reflection in Norway hasn't brought me home with lots of top parenting tips and good ideas, but rather a realisation, once again, that God is sovereign, he is my Provider and Redeemer and my little girl can be in no better hands than his!