Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: On This First Sunday of Advent

What a beautiful tradition in the christian church, the celebration of Advent.  A time we set aside to truly dwell on what "was" to come:  that the King that we have waited for was born, and He was called Emmanuel, because it means "God with us". 

As a part of our family Christmas this year we will take time each Sunday to light the Advent candles and read about how we can further experience the story of Jesus.  I'm especially excited about this new tradition as it is a liturgy that I find particularly beautiful.

We don't actually posses an "Advent Wreath", so I had to get a little creative...at the Dollar Store.  I tried to remember the general look of wreaths that I had seen before as I shopped, and I came away with a beautiful Christmas plate, a small wreath, a pack of votives (you need 4) and some votive holders, and a slightly bigger candle (of which you will only need 1).

The wreath had a small bow on it, which I removed, and then it was a simple matter of arranging.  I didn't go with traditional purple, but I love what we came up with and feel the importance lies in the meaning.

Tradition dictates that Advent be celebrated on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.  I found the weekly readings here, but you can find what works best for you and your family.  I love the emphasis on "waiting"--as a child it seems like it can take forever for Christmas day to come so that we can see what is waiting for us beneath the tree, but how much more expectant and hopeful is the wait for a Savior.

November 30- Waiting for the Shepherd

Psalm 80:1-7

In this Psalm, we join the people of Israel as they invite God their Shepherd to save and to restore them.

Isaiah 40:1-11

This passage looks ahead to the coming of the Lord, who will care for his people like a shepherd.

Revelation 7:9-17

Like God’s people before the coming of Christ, we also look ahead to the time when Christ, who is both the Lamb and our Shepherd, will finish his work and “God will wipe away every tear” from our eyes.

We are praying that our hearts will be pierced by His word, and that the Jesus will make Himself known to us even more richly during this holiday season.

Read about how the Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas came about here.

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas

Last year on Halloween night we were sitting at home.  Gabe was just a few days old, we were in complete survival mode, and as the doorbell began to ring we realized that we had completely forgotten a holiday that most children adore.  Y'all know I don't get too beat up about Halloween and Piper didn't realize she was missing anything , but I began to fear that her experience of Christmas might be the same as we continued to fumble our way through this new stage of life, living on little sleep and even less energy for anything other than basic needs.  Thus, the Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas was born.

I sat down with a calendar.  I filled in what we already had reserved in December with church events, work parties, family get-togethers, and the like, and then I filled in the rest of the days with fun, but manageable Christmas themed activities.  The items on the list ranged from "read a Christmas story in our PJs while we drink hot chocolate before bed" to "pile in the car to drive around and pick your favorite Christmas light displays" and "decorate a Gingerbread house together".  This year, I have come up with a similar calendar and with a little more time to prepare, have been able to plan for daily readings from the Jesus Storybook Bible- you can find a guide here.

There are only 2 rules when it comes to the Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas:
1.  In everything we do, we look for every opportunity to point our children and ourselves to Jesus.  We would be remiss if our Christmas festivities didn't focus on our reason for celebrating.  This doesn't mean that we shun Santa or Christmas trees, we are just always looking for ways to redeem our time and celebrate the gospel.  I would love to expound on this later.
2.  We are flexible.  If I've learned one thing as a parent it's that where there is no flexibility there is no fun.  I've wasted many an hour crying over what didn't go perfectly, and missed opportunities for sweet family time.  We definitely didn't get to everything on our list last year, and we probably won't do everything on our list this year.  The important thing is, we are fixing our eyes on Jesus and creating memories with our family.

It is my hope that I'll get to feature some of our activities during the month of December.  I'll share what goes right, what goes terribly wrong, and hopefully, the ways the Lord uses this season to draw us closer to Himself.

In light of the coming holiday...

Pardon me while I rant for just a moment.  I resent the fact that people hate on us Christmas lovers; claiming that by enjoying the Christmas lights that were hung by our neighbors a full week ago and the familiar sounds of crooners seranading us with "chestnuts roasting on an open fire", we are neglecting Thanksgiving and are therefore not thankful.  I can't think of Christmas without feeling grateful, and I love Thanksgiving as a vital part of the holiday season. That being said...

Today and I am thankful for a God that provides, in so many ways.  When we hear that "God is our provider" we can tend to think of physical needs and monetary gain, and he is certainly that.  It is amazing to look back on those scary moments when Zach and I were newlyweds learning how to provide for ourselves and see that God, in every circumstance, was the one who filled our every need.  In times where we said, "We need just a little bit more, God.", he provided, often by giving us that little bit more, but more often by showing us His sufficiency.  We have never gone hungry, never been without a roof over our head, and never wanted for anything that we needed.  Praise God.

But God as provider is so much more, because God as provider means that He made a way for us.  He gives us grace and a means to know Him.  He gives us fellowship with other believers and with His son, Jesus.  He gives us encouragement and mercy for each new day, and He gives us hope that will see His goodness in the land of the living.

So, while I may already be listening to "jingle bells" and watching "Elf", I am thanking the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness each day and each year, and looking forward to sharing that sentiment with loved ones on Thursday.  This year I'm responsible for desserts, so look for some recipes soon.

 

for Marion Piper-- a late birthday letter

You are three years old, and have sass for miles.  My dear Marion Piper, I vividly remember the moment when I discovered you were growing inside me; when the technician told a very surprised Daddy and I that you were a girl; the months I spent wondering what you would look like and who you would be; and then the moment I first held you.  

We were recently talking with friends who described you simply as "Piper".  There's really no other way to say it.  We've spent these past few years growing in our love for you, giggling uncontrollably with you, and praying for your soul.

You and I have had a tough year, learning what it means to be mom and daughter.  They say that children are sponges, soaking up every bit of knowledge they encounter, but I'm certain that I've learned the most as we've transitioned into toddler-hood with you.  Forgive me for my impatience.  I need grace every day to love you as God would have me to, and to share the gospel with you in word and in deed.  Thank you for accepting my tearful "sorries" and thank you for learning to say "sorry" yourself.  

I love your vibrant take on life and the way that you excitedly share the things your experiencing with us.  Your favorites are, of course, princesses, but I love to see that your play is branching out--doctoring and mothering your toys and others around you.  Your energy seems endless, until bedtime when you love to cuddle with "gaffy" and Daddy. 

Did I mention that you are a wonderful big sister.  We've done a lot of learning about what it means to be gentle with Gabriel, but no one can make him laugh like you.  I love the way you sing to him when he's crying, and tell him he's a rascal when he's getting into stuff.

We love you, sweet Piper, more and more each day.  Our prayer is that God would call you to Himself and that you would live a radical life enjoying His rich gospel.

never grow up

"All children, except one, grow up.”
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan 

I never realized how creepy some of the elements of Peter Pan are until I planned a "Neverland" themed birthday party.  I mean, he says some weird stuff.

I'm excited to spend time with family and friends, and even some little friends, for Piper and Gabriel's birthdays tomorrow.  But how are we already here?  I don't always feel like a grown-up myself, and somehow I'm responsible for these little lives and hearts.  

Alas, my children are growing.  And we are celebrating. But first, I am remembering the feeling of holding each of them for the first time, and praying that I never lose that memory. 

Marion Piper.  November 2011.

Gabriel Paton.  October 2013.

a love for the saints

The realization that we are wrong is earth-shattering.  It can make us retreat to our inner-selves where there is no one to challenge our carefully crafted walls.  It can make us stumble around in the darkness, and even deny logic if only it would mean that we don't have to admit defeat.  It can make us hardened to the truth.

At some point in my early adult life, after being privileged with sitting under the very richest of Bible teaching and embracing doctrine that opened my eyes to the unfathomable beauty that is God's plan for redemption, I began to realize that I was wrong. 

I recently heard our pastor talk about two opposing human responses to receiving a gift:  1.  We are filled with gratitude to the gift giver, praising him for his goodness.  OR 2.  We begin to believe that there is something praise-worthy in ourselves, and the giver of such gifts is doing so because we are most deserving.

Unfortunately, upon receiving the gift of a new understanding of God's glory and goodness I became puffed up with knowledge.  I thought that the little understanding that I had gave me the corner on truth.  I turned from the giver of all gifts, and His word, because I thought I had it all figured out.

The results were a lonely, discouraged girl who had managed to isolate herself.  I began to realize I was wrong, but took the most difficult approach in course-correcting.  I retreated.  I justified.  I maintained that my behavior was right, because I still believed my thinking was right.  I hardened myself towards those who seemed joyful in their service of Christ and His church.  His church.

It was then, that the Lord broke in and showed me His love for His church.  He began to unravel the tightly wound cords that composed my self-centered idea of what Church should look like.  He rearranged my list of priorities in the Church.

Ephesians 5 is your typical wedding passage, instructing husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.  How did He love the church?

24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,…

Christ gave Himself up for her, His bride, and I discarded her because of doctrinal differences. 

These days, my mantra has changed.  I've learned to love truth because of the way it puts God's glory on display and sets His church free.  And I'm learning to love community with the saints of God, knowing that without it we might not make it.

Hebrews 10
²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Halloween

Halloween is my least favorite holiday, and it is definitely something we awkwardly dance around.  Neither Zach nor I have many childhood experiences with Halloween, and therefore we aren't really sure exactly what to do with it.  We don't necessarily find it right or wrong, we are just indifferent about it.

But having a three year old certainly gave us some inclination to participate and while we didn't go all-out, I did thrift some costumes together and we may or may not have visited a "Fall Festival" at a sister church. 

The results were completely adorable, and we may just quit turning out our lights and hiding under the blankets every last night in October.

Piper was Sheriff Callie from Disney Junior.  I cried at how this picture turned out, because she looks like such a "little girl".  We had most of these things on hand, but I spent a few bucks on that pink, foam cowboy hat (which I glued cat ears to) and a pink bandana.  I used a brown paper bag for the vest, and voila!  She had no idea that I didn't drop 35 bucks on a fancy Princess gown.

Gabe was a monkey!  He was so cute and so compliant.  I found this costume in perfect condition at a local thrift store for 4 dollars, and little did we know how chilly it would be.  His digs definitely won the award for the warmest!

Until next year..

Resting

We are in the middle of an exciting and busy couple of weeks.  Weeks where things that are good have potential to become distractions that divert our eyes from Jesus and His mission.

My prayer for myself, and my husband, and our children is that we would rest.  That there would be physical rest in the midst of a hectic schedule, and that we would rest in the promises of our heavenly Father.

As my [almost] three year old loves to remind us at bedtime, "Mama, guess who doesn't sleep!?"  And then she whispers in a tone of awe, "God."  A simple truth we shared with her one night when the darkness was closing in and restless dreams were making empty threats.   Desperate for sleep ourselves, we shared an attribute of our protector not knowing that it would have such an impact.
    
     He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
Psalm 121:3-5 

As the days get busy and we are moving from one event to the next and I'm worrying about being late or what we will wear or who will show up, may the Lord remind us to rest in His goodness and faithfulness.  To rest, because He doesn't.