I’m so excited about the Advent Calendar the kids and I have been working on. I grew up with an Advent Calendar as a part of our Christmas celebration. We eagerly opened each door to find the candy behind it. We’d read the Advent devotionals, light the advent wreath/candles each Sunday, excitedly anticipating Christmas Day and Jesus Birth.

This year I wanted to find a way to combine all of those traditions and point to the Savior each day. I didn’t care so much about the chocolate – I wanted something else to be “hidden” behind each door. I wanted the kids to seek Jesus. He is, after all, the reason for the season.

So this is the result of my quest to create the “perfect” Advent calendar. I hope you enjoy it! And I’d LOVE to hear about your Advent traditions.

To create the “scene” for my Advent calendar, I purchased a miniature Christmas tree (or will purchase one).

Under the Christmas tree, I placed 25 folded paper boxes (directions for how to make these are listed below). I numbered each box 1 through 25. So box 1 would be open on December 1st, and so on. Now I do realize that Advent traditionally begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas, but for simplicity sake, and so that we can reuse this from year to year, we’re doing it 25 days of December.

Within each box is a phrase, a Bible verse, and a symbol. I put the phrase and Bible verse for each day on the inside of the box top (i.e. Day 1 says, “We anticipate Jesus birth, just as they did many years ago.” The Bible verse, “Isaiah 11:1 Psalm 27:14” will immediately follow it.) I’m only putting the Bible verse reference on the box top – my purpose, especially as the kids grow up, is to have them look up and read each verse.

Within the inside of the box on the bottom is what the symbol for the day is (i.e. Day 1 says, “Branch.”) This reference corresponds to the symbol that will be inside. The symbol will be in the form of an ornament, which will be hung on the tree. For right now, I used clip art to make all the symbols. I cut them out in circles, laminated them, punched holes, and they will be ornaments. Moving forward, the kids and I will be on an ornament quest to find all of the proper symbols for each day in miniature to be made into an ornament.

Beginning on Day 18, we’ll build a Nativity Scene in front of the tree. So rather than ornaments, I’ll find a miniature nativity and put one piece in each box. The culmination, of course, will be Baby Jesus lying in a manger on Christmas Day.

I’m very eager to begin this tradition with my kids! We’re building and stuffing the boxes over Thanksgiving weekend. I welcome you to join me in this quest to point your children towards Jesus. Below I’ve listed each day, the phrase, the Bible verse, and the symbol. I’ve also included pictorial step-by-step directions for how to make the paper boxes. Please let me know if you decide to join me!


DAY 1: We anticipate Jesus’ birth, just as they did many years ago.
Isaiah 11:1 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Symbol: Branch

DAY 2: The Bible teaches us about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
John 1:1-2 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Symbol: Bible

DAY 3: Jesus came because we are sinners.
Genesis 3:6-7 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
1Timothy 1:15 - Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Symbol: Apple

DAY 4: Jesus paid the price for our sins.
Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Symbol: Cross

DAY 5: Jesus came because God loves us.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Symbol: Heart

DAY 6: Because of Jesus, we can have eternal life.
John 3:36 - He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Symbol: Ring (eternal)

DAY 7: Jesus came so that we could join God’s family.
John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
Symbol: Family Photo

DAY 8: Our joy comes from the Lord.
Psalm 126:3 - The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Psalm 16:11 - You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Symbol: JOY Ornament

DAY 9: Jesus wanted to show us the way to the Father.
John 14:6-7 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Symbol: Compass

DAY 10: He is the Alpha and the Omega.
Revelation 1:8 - I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God," who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 21:6 - And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
Revelation 22:13 - I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Symbol: Alpha and Omega Ornament

DAY 11: He is the Lamb of God.
John 1:36 - When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
Symbol: Lamb

DAY 12: He is the Door.
John 10:9 - I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Symbol: Door

DAY 13: He is the Good Shepherd.
John 10:14-15 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Symbol: Candy Cane

DAY 14: He is the Light of the World.
John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Symbol: Candle

DAY 15: He is the Bread of Life.
John 6:35 - Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Symbol: Bread

DAY 16: He is the King of Kings.
Revelation 19:16 - On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Symbol: Crown

DAY 17: Jesus Christ is the greatest gift.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above.
2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Symbol: Present

DAY 18: Jesus was born in a humble stable. (Begin to set Nativity Scene.)
Luke 2:12 - This will be a sign to you: “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Symbol: Manger

DAY 19: Angels told the good news that the Savior was born.
Luke 2:8-14 - And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Symbol: Angel

DAY 20: Shepherds came to worship Jesus.
Luke 2:15-20 - When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Symbol: Shepherds

DAY 21: A star lit the way to Jesus.
Matthew 2:9-10 - The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Symbol: Star

DAY 22: Wise men came to worship Jesus.
Matthew 2:11 - And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Symbol: Wise Men

DAY 23: Jesus’ mother was Mary.
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Luke 1:30-33 - The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Symbol: Mary

DAY 24: Mary was to be married to Joseph.
Matthew 1:20-23 - An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us.
Symbol: Joseph

DAY 25: Jesus, the Savior, is born!
Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Revelation 22:16 - I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.
Symbol: Baby Jesus

A few posts ago, I asked for your help in selecting Bible verses for my 2010 digital scrapbook calendar. Thanks to those of you who offered ideas! I'm happy to say, the templates are NOW DONE! If you're interested in downloading free templates to add your own pictures and papers to, they're available at my Simply Sarah Design blog for digital scrapping. Hop on over and grab them!

SPOILER ALERT:
To my family -- now is the time to TURN AWAY. There is no need to read the rest of this post. I know... why share it if I don't want you to see it, right? Well... you know how good I've never been with surprises. :) You'll see it soon enough... live and in person.

I really struggled with the templates and how I wanted to create this year's calendar. I think I tried a few different designs and approaches before settling on this one. I just haven't had time to scrap like I'd like to, which means my creative juices have built up quite a few cobwebs (similar to the back deck, I discovered). When I first put this idea to paper, I thought, man, how incredibly uncreative and boring! But, the message was getting through, and that was my priority anyway. So I took a page from an old digital scrapping friend (Glenda - I should really reach out to her again), and said, "Self, I'm done -- the memory is preserved."

As I worked on the first 4 pages and began adding little extra photos to make the pages more than just the template, I realized that the design was growing on me. Thank goodness! Sometimes the simple clean lines allow the photos to speak for themselves better anyway.

So... since I've been awful silent this week from a blog perspective (nothing to say! Sorry! OK... those who know me well know that doesn't typically happen.....) Anyway, since I've been not blogging.... I hope you'll enjoy some pictures instead. (Here's hoping Lulu.com prints them RIGHT this year.)

Wow what a gorgeous weekend! It was sunny and 70's each day. It seems like we haven't had a day this nice (let alone a string of them) since August! It was simply gorgeous.

Of course, that meant we had to take advantage of it and go play at the park.

Amara's growing up too fast -- she's losing her "little girl" look.

Dominic was all about the swings. I was scared he wouldn't hold on well, but he took a wild ride and kept asking for more!

I tried to take advantage of the leaves and get them to take a picture. However, the lighting and the attitudes were working against me. The light was waning fast, and the kids just wanted to horse around. So you get a goofy shot!


This picture is really nothing special, but I had to share it because it makes me laugh. Look in the upper right corner -- doesn't it look as if Jon can jump to the moon? He's swinging, but you'd never know it. I need to figure out something creative to do with that photo!

Hope your weekend weather was as fabulous as ours was!

I should be sleeping. But instead, I decided to answer these 50 questions. Why, you ask? I have no idea.

1. What is the color of your toothbrush?
Red & White

2. Name one person who made you smile today.
Dominic

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Folding laundry I think.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Designing a 2010 calendar (digital scrapping)

5. What is your favorite candy bar?
Junior Mints

6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Nope - no desire to either, thank you very much.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
'night

8. What is your favorite ice cream?
Hmmm..... Not a huge ice cream fan. I could give it or take it. I think probably strawberry cheesecake.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
I do believe it was a diet coke.

10. Do you like your wallet?
I bought it for myself, so of course I do! Wouldn't have bought it if I didn't.

11. What was the last thing you ate?
Junior Mints

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
I don't believe so...

13. The last sporting event you watched?
Dominic's soccer game this afternoon.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Homemade carmel corn while it's still warm and gooey -- the kind that competely sticks in your teeth.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
Sarah -- one of the kids' babysitters (unless there's texts there now -- it's up in the kitchen and has been for 4+ hours)

16. Ever go camping?
Yes - Love it!

17. Do you take vitamins daily?
No.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
We actually have been going to Saturday night church. But yes, we go weekly. And Bible Study every Monday night. We'd really like to find a family small group on Wednesdays to join, but haven't had any luck in 2 years! (Miss you, Baltimore!)

19. Do you have a tan?
Right now!? No way! I'm pasty right now!

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
Hmmm... I'm kind of sick of pizza, but not a real fan of Chinese. I think I'd have to say no.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
At restaurants, yes... But I drink pop not soda. :)

22. What did your last text message say?
I don't know about word for word... but it was confirming babysitting request dates.

23. What are you doing tomorrow?
Church. The chimney cleaner is coming. Laundry. Making boxes for our Advent Calendar.

24. Favorite color?
Probably royal blue. Also love bright grass green and red. I just love color!

25. Look to your left; what do you see?
The TV (which is off)

26. What color is your watch?
I don't know that I still have any of my watches. I don't recall the last time I wore one.

27. What do you think of when you hear “Australia”?
Hi Ruth and Jenny!

28. Would you strip for money?
No way.

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
I try not to do either! EW! If anything though, drive thru.

30. What is your favorite number?
3 and 13

31. Who’s the last person you talked to on the phone?
Hmmm... Jon? I don't really know -- don't think I was on the phone today. Last night it was Jon on the way home from work.

32. Any plans today?
Today is over -- so the plan should be to go to sleep!

33. In how many states have you lived?
SD, MI, NY, MD, OH, AR -- 6

34. Biggest annoyance right now?
Eh.... not annoyed. Not worth the headache.

35. Last song listened to?
Hmmm.... I think it was "My Prayer" with Celine Dion -- that's what was playing when I went in to check on the sleeping kiddos.

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
I used to be fluent. I think it'd take me a while now though.

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
Are you offering?

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
The shoes I wear all the time (i.e. heels to work) are FAR from my favorite. I'd live in my Nikes if I could wear them with dress clothes and not look ridiculous!

39. Are you jealous of anyone?
Nah.

40. Is anyone jealous of you?
No idea.

41. Do you love anyone?
Absolutely! Lots of someones.

42. Do any of your friends have children?
Many of them.

43. What do you usually do during the day?
Work

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
Nope.

45. Do you use the word hello daily?
I use the word "hello" only when I answer the phone. So if no one calls during a given day, I don't use it.

46. What color is your car?
Silver

47. What size wedding ring do you wear?
No idea.

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
Nope -- my mind is pretty much blank besides these questions -- sleep is calling me!

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
A few of them

50. How did you get your worst scar?
Knee surgery. ACL. Tripped on a hurdle rounding the turn on the 300s during practice my senior year. Lovely "pop" as I landed and writhed on the track in pain. Yes... a vivid memory.

I really enjoyed this chapter. The previous chapters all had me wrestling with a lot of things: how I can better serve God, how I can better serve others, am I being obedient, etc. This chapter helped me really identify those key areas and ask somewhat imposing questions of myself.

The challenge: how honest with myself am I willing to be?

The bigger challenge: what will I do about it?

I essentially used Chan's descriptions of what a person obsessed with God looks like, and I asked myself if that was a reflection of me. Join me in asking and answering the questions for yourself.

Do you give freely and openly? Do you love those who "hate" or challenge you and have no capacity to love you back?

My first reaction is of course! I'm a loving, giving, caring person. And that's true in many ways. But in considering my actions, I'm very selective about how I dole out my love, my generosity, my care. Is it love or pity that I extend to those less fortunate? And probably, it's some of both.

For me, and probably for many of you as well, it's much easier to love those less fortunate than it is to love those who have wronged you or someone you love.

I find that self-righteous anger on behalf of someone gets me every time!

A friend of ours was sharing a story about how her dad had been a faithful servant of a church for many, many, many years as assistant pastor, specifically in caring for the sick, bereaved, and elderly. He was approaching retirement, but to hear the actions of the people, how they tried to slander him and effectively push him out of the church (i.e. laying him off), then bringing him in front of the congregation to honor him and thank him for all his years of service, congratulating him on his retirement, all the while knowing that he really had no intention of retiring yet.

I scarcely know the man, but the anger and indignance I felt on his behalf was causing me to see red and spout off all sorts of things that I'd have done instead to prove that he wasn't the person he was being painted to be.

Yet his actions were to humbly stand by, pray for grace, and move on, realizing that these people were not acting in Christ's love and to stay there was poisonous anyway. His actions were so glorifying of God that I found myself deeply respecting the man, but also ashamed by my own reaction.

How often do we try to prove ourselves to others who simply aren't worthy rather than letting go and letting God?

In Romans 12:17-19, we are told, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord."

Had my friend's father defended himself certainly no one would have thought him wrong for doing so... but we aren't called to do what's right in the eyes of the court of popular opinion. We're called to do what's right in the eyes of God.

Are you concerned with your personal safety and comfort?

Unfortunately, the older I get (and the more out of shape I get), the more my answer is 'yes' -- I'm far too concerned with my personal safety. Not so much comfort perhaps, but safety. Would you believe Jon's had a motorcycle for 4 years and I've not once taken a ride with him? That said, I don't fear death, I fear leaving my kids. The thought of them living their life without me or without Jon is gut-wrenching. At the same time, I have got to stop living my life in fear that they will lose me -- or I'll deprive both myself and them of amazing experiences in this life!

Do you connect with the poor in some way?

I eluded to this a bit in my last post. I really enjoy serving. The amount of money I make or don't make has never been of huge importance to me. To be completely honest, I couldn't tell you exactly what my salary is -- I can ballpark it, but I've no idea the exact figure.

That said... I don't serve right now nearly as much as I'd like to. Nor do I serve as much as I'd like for my kids to. My husband runs a homeless center, so HE serves through his job. And part of my serving the homeless comes inherently in offering my free services for designing tools for his agency to use, as well as supporting his odd hours and stressed out evenings. But again... that's more indirect serving of the poor than really getting down and dirty amongst them. Putting a name to their face. Showing them that I value them and that God loves them. I don't do that as much as I'd like.

We've got a very unique living situation in our community. Not us specifically, but the whole community. We're what's known around here as a "vendor community" -- lots of big companies have their employees living in our general area. As a result, I've never lived in a place that's so charity focused. Every weekend there's at least one cause holding an event of some sort, and usually there are multiple. While that's good in many, many ways, it's also somewhat of a challenge. There are lots of "popular" big name charities that easily get the support. Then there are littler charities that truly need the support that don't get them because the support goes to the "popular" charities. Also, while people are out and about volunteering and supporting the cause (our family is always ALL there volunteering when my company sponsors an event), much of the actual "sacrifice" comes on behalf of the company. Admittedly that could very well be more speculation than truth -- but for every charity event I've worked in the last 2 years (approximately 12 events), I've freely given my time -- but nothing more. Not to discount the giving of time... but could I have been giving more? Certainly!

I also must add that it's simply not POSSIBLE to give everywhere. So I challenge you as I challenge myself -- find where God wants you to give. And then give with abandon. And give glory to God.

Do you consider service a burden?

As I mentioned before, I really enjoy serving. I find that when I've finished, I may have just "received" as much as those I was serving. Your inner cup is filled to overflowing with acts of service.

When I worked at Bible Camp, the sign on the door INSIDE the staff quarters (i.e. the door going to the outside) said, "Servants Entrance." I loved that sign. We should all be entering the world as servings and seeking opportunities to serve others.

My problem with serving lately is that I serve when it's convenient. And that's a box I need to get myself out of. I've allowed serving to be a burden if it intrudes on my family time or when I'm already particularly bogged down with other things. In having that attitude, I've become selfish and I fail to acknowledge all the blessings God has given to me. Again, I'm not discounting the need to refresh -- but I also assert that sometimes refreshing comes from serving.

Have you ever served so hard you thought you'd collapse out of sheer exhaustion -- but felt you had the energy and exhuberance to run a marathon? I need to get back to that place. It's a wonderful place to be!

Are you a giver or a taker? Do you think of others before yourself?

I just may be a waffler on this one. I do believe that generally speaking I think of others and am a giver. But as with how I serve -- sometimes I'm picky about who I place before myself and how I give. I know I don't carte blanche think of others first or give.

My Mom had all these little wonderful sayings she taught me growing up. Some were original, others I'm sure were passed to her from someone else. And frankly, I'm not sure which are which, so you'll just have to forgive my improper accreditation! :) But one that she always told me was JOY - the way to truly have JOY was to use those letters as a reminder of your priorities. Jesus. Others. You. To truly be happy, Jesus must be put first. But you should be self-sacrificing and put others before yourself. The road of selfishness is a lonely one.

Do you think more about heaven or the here and now.

Wow. Easy answer. But not one I'm proud of. I think of the here and now. I don't know that I think of heaven very frequently at all. Certainly when songs about heaven come on. And I do think about and talk to Jesus frequently. But my thoughts are more centralized on what He does here. I need to work on that one.

Does your love for God come above and before every other thing and being?

My answer is yes, absolutely it does. However, I don't know that my actions and words would always illustrate that to others. And frankly, if my actions and words don't reflect my love for God -- that's another area I need to spend some time and prayer on.

Are you "raw" with God, or do you mask your shortcomings?

I think growing up knowing that God knows it all allowed me to never really hide things from God. That said, I've done some pretty good convincing of myself that perhaps a sin wasn't that bad, and therefore it went unconfessed for a long time. However, I don't think I have to get all fancied up before God -- I think I show Him my imperfections.

Are you in a daily intimate relationship with God.

I'm so thankful that relationships are a process and that God has my heart. I pray that the Holy Spirit works in my heart that I may love Him more and grow closer and closer in my relationship with Him. While I have a relationship with God, it's not as strong, as close, as intimate as I'd like for it to be. I confess I don't daily make time for God. I involve myself in Bible Study and book clubs such as this one so that I can provide myself more discipline and have accountability partners. Certainly those methods of fellowship help. But I know that God deserves more of me, and I'm striving to continue to grow in my love for Him. Additionally, I'm striving to plant that seed of love in my children, so that they desire a strong and intimate relationship with the Lord as well.

Is your joy based in circumstances and environment or do you believe it's a gift that must be chosen and cultivated?

This is another of my Mom-isms that I grew up with: my Mom continually told us (and still does to this day), "Happiness is a choice." You must choose to be happy despite the situation. Now certainly that doesn't mean giddy smiles at inappropriate times. But knowing that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose," (Romans 8:28) should give us peace and hope in times of trouble and strife. The happiness we choose is much, much deeper than the result of temporary circumstances.

The last few years have been some of the more stressful ones of my life as both home and work responsibilities have increased (i.e. we had kids and I received promotions). All are blessings, all are gifts from God. But I have had times where I've struggled with how to balance it all and maintain my priorities in my life. I have had to cut things out of my life that I didn't necessarily want to cut out (and need to figure out how to work back in -- i.e. working out!). There have been many days when I haven't chosen happiness, and when I've instead opted to give into my stress.

What a short sighted and self-destructive decision! I still struggle with that. I daily remind myself that God has blessed me immensely, that giving into stress is a selfish response, choosing joy, choosing happiness, is the only healthy response there is -- for both me and my family. And certainly, it's the only response that brings glory to God.

Do you know that you will never be able to repay the Savior for what He has done for you, so therefore the best way you can thank Him is to be faithful and obedient in every aspect of your life?

The gift of our Lord and Savior just blows me away. The fact that God requires us simply to accept the gift of His Son just absolutely blows me away. The fact that He doesn't require us to complete X number of steps, courses, or chartiable hours to be worthy of His gift is humbling. And knowing that even if we did all that, we'd still not be worthy.... wow. All he asks of us is our obedience. Yet... why is that so hard to give Him?

At Bible Study Monday night, our leader was sharing a story of when her son was a young boy. He was being wayward, as young boys can be. *grin* After scolding him, he sheepishly approached her with puppy dog eyes and said, "But Mommy, I LOVE you!" Her response was, "If you LOVE me, MIND me."

She said that the instant the words came out of her month she was stopped dead in her tracks by God saying, "Exactly! If you LOVE me, MIND me."

Why is it such an easy and important lesson for us to teach to our kids... but such a challenging one to follow ourselves?

Heavenly Father, I love you. I want to grow more in love with you, I want to learn more about you, I want my heart to be bursting with that love. Lord, I want to serve on your behalf. I want others to see you through my words and actions. Lord, work in my heart in such a way that I find it impossible to disobey you. Provide me opportunities to show my love and desire to serve you, and help me to be obedient in those opportunities. Amen.

By sharing just a portion of our weekend with you each day, I've effectively been able to stretch our fun weekend for an entire week. Yay for me!

I took a bunch of photos -- far too many to share on here. But I've saved them to a slide show that you're welcome to watch at the end of this post. Instead, I'll just share with you my favorites.

We were spoiled when we lived in Cincinnati, because we were able to go to an amazing zoo pretty much whenever we wanted. However, the kids were too young to remember ever having gone. We were excited to share with them the zoo again and see the animals through their eyes. The kids were excited because... well... they love animals!

The kids loved the bronze animals as much as the real ones. They bee-lined for the elephants, which are both of their favorites. They walked on the foot prints of several animals whose pawprints were in the once-wet cement. They penguined walked to the emporer penguins and were able to see just how they compared in size to various penguin species (which are surprisingly small). They asked the tortoise keepers what kind of sounds tortoises make. They touched the pelts of three-toed sloth, tiger, bobcat. They taunted the cheetah, who was racing a zoo keeper.

Add to it that it was 70+ degrees, and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. A good time was had by all!


By the time we rounded the last corner, Dominic finally complaied that he was tired and hunger. He was given the best seat in the house as we headed to the car. Good bye, Tulsa, thanks for a wonderful weekend!



Below are the rest of the photos from the zoo. Enjoy!

The pool was a hit!

In fact, I think they'd have opted to swim instead of any of the other things we did this weekend. Their candy was quickly forgotten with the promise of a pool.

Dominic learned to "swim" with his life jacket late this summer. We worried a bit that he'd "forget" and lose his confidence. He hasn't! He swam several lengths of the pool and tuckered himself completely out by the time we were done swimming. He was jumping solo off the edge (though he wasn't fond of going under). In short, we ended the swimming fun too early for him (in favor of bedtime).

Amara was the same story. Late this summer she finally was brave enough to put her head under water -- as long as she had her mask on. We worried her fear would return if we didn't get her back in the water, but again, thankfully she went right back to being under water! This time she even got brave enough to do it with the mask off! We also practiced her flutter kicking, and she got up the guts to go under water AND flutter kick. The technique still needs work, so she didn't get anywhere. But the fact remains: she tried it!

I knew I'd have two little swimmers eventually! They can't be my kids without being water bugs!

Swimming is in their genes.

I confess: one of the reasons we chose to go to Tulsa for Halloween is to completely avoid any Halloween parties. We can never decide on costumes to wear, and frankly, I don't really care for Halloween parties anyway (or hunting for a sitter).

However, the weekend was really fabulous, and we're all very glad that we went! The Tulsa Promenade mall held trick-or-treating beginning at 4pm. We thought that was a perfect time, because it allowed us to get it over and head back to the hotel in time to swim for a bit before bedtime!

The kids traipsed store to store asking for loot. Amara didn't even really complain about her box, which by this point had been run through the ringer! It was hardy holding together anymore. She asked, "Why are people always looking and laughing at me." I assured her it was because her costume was so cute and everyone loved it -- she got SO many comments from passersby. As did my handsome little cowboy, who was deemed "the cutest cowboy they ever saw," by a couple of people.

For younger kids especially, mall trick-or-treating was wonderful. It wasn't overly busy here, because it was GORGEOUS outside. We were done with the mall in about 45 minutes or so and ready to head to the hotel.

Or we would have been... had Jon not been sucked in by Foot Locker. :)

I figure I can make a short story long and draw out the details of our trip to Tulsa. It'll give you a few posts worth of pictures and stories anyway!

Our first stop was lunch at Dave & Busters. It was actually quite dead in there for lunch on a Saturday. We had the full attention of our waitress, who was dressed in pirates attire to celebrate Halloween.

Following our meal, we headed straight for the games. It was all we could do to keep the kids focused on their food! Jon and Dominic had fun playing all the shoot-em-up games. Dominic needs to work a bit on his gun-holding technique!

Amara was more focued on winning tickets. They won right around 600 tickets, and each were able to select a stuffed animal. Amara chose a purple kitty, Dominic a blue dolphin. Think they're satisfied with their choices?

The highlight of this trip was getting to meet my friend Reese! I actually "met" her a couple months ago through the Bloom book club. She was also in Tulsa for the weekend, so we met for lunch. She's a wonderful person on line, and even better in real life!

When we were ready to leave, Jon put the kids on the roof of the van. No idea why -- but they that that was fun!


This is just the start of our weekend. Notice the blue sky. It was that gorgeous the entire time. Love southern living!