Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: The Fourth and Final Sunday of Advent

It is the final Sunday of Advent, and I can already feel my mind and my heart wandering.  We are just a few days away from that most precious and most busy of holidays.  I find myself wandering if I have enough things to give, when I should be asking if I have given enough of myself.  I'm beginning to fret about all the places we need to be and when and how the kids are going to nap.

This morning, even as we reviewed I began to feel less awed by these things.  Advent means..coming.  Who is coming?...baby Jesus.  First candle:  God is our Shepherd.  Second candle:  Jesus brings forgiveness.  Third.  Wait with joy.  All things I recited in the least joyful of mindsets.

But God.  He breaks in.  He tugs at our hearts.  He grabs us by the shoulders and begs us not to settle for simply feeling warm inside and opening nice presents that are all tied up with string, when the King of Glory is within our grasp.

Today we are reminded who is coming.  We are waiting for the Son.  He was fully God and fully man.  Fully God's son and fully born of Mary's womb.  For the Believer, He is our Hope--and the reason that we fight for more than just delighting in the things we have this season.

Today we read:

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-37, 46-52

A celebrating of God's covenant with David, which is fulfilled in Jesus.

Isaiah 9:1-7

Deliverance is promised through a king that is born of David's line.

Luke 1:26-38

Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel, and he tells her good news, that she will bare a son who is called Emmanuel, for He will be with us.

We are praying that even as we enjoy exchanging gifts with one another, and watching our little ones tear into new toys, we would be ever mindful of the Son.  With baby Jesus' first coming, a promise was fulfilled and God's redemption plan was set into motion.  Now, for the believer, we can look back on Jesus' first coming with hope in His second coming.  Amen.

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Christmas Cheer!

One thing I love about this season is getting snail mail from friends near and far in the form of Christmas cards!  I love to display them and see how peoples' lives have changed and children have grown over the years.  This year I have taken particular time to pray for each of the people in the cards we have received, and it has been a wonderful time of remembering the ways that each of these people has been a part of our lives.  I must, however, give credit for that idea where it is due.

You may know my friend and mother-in-law, Cathy Baker, who writes at Fragrant Ink.  She is in the middle of a fantastic blog series called "Simple {Meaningful} Ways to Celebrate Christmas, which gives daily doses of the Christmas spirit.  My favorite post so far was this one, where she encouraged us to pray for the people in who sent Christmas well wishes as we received them.  All the other posts are wonderful, and take very little time in reminding us to pause to remember what this season is all about.

What a joyous thing it is to know that we live in community and can send up prayers on one another's behalf.  I should note that when I posted a similar notion to social media, several asked if they were still being thought of despite not having sent any Christmas cards.  The answer is a resounding YES! 

Here is our Christmas cheer display.  It's sits right above our dining room table so we can stare at it often. 

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Fixing Our Eyes

Things have been a bit quieter on the 'ole blog this week, but it's not for lack of Christmas spirit.   It's busyness--but good busyness.

This past weekend, Zach and I got to sneak away to Charleston for a night to celebrate the gift that God has given us in marriage--5 years of marriage to be exact.  Is it cliche' to say that I love him more than I did 5 years ago?  And so much more than I did 11 years ago when he asked me to be his girlfriend on a frisbee field?

We laughed at ourselves upon deciding that while it is weird to say, "We got married 5 whole years ago.", it is far more strange for us to say, "We got married 2 whole kids ago!"

December 12, 2009

The trip to Charleston was a last minute surprise from Zach who knew that, while our planned "staycation" would have been wonderful as long as we were together, a night away would give us more time to connect.  It was wonderful-- as is evidenced by the view from our hotel room on the river.

In addition to an anniversary, we are also celebrating the holidays with church friends, family, and Zach's co-workers this week. We are fighting the "Christmas crud"; because what would a holiday season be without runny noses and coughing?  We are crafting--I wish I could share with you guys but I'm pretty sure that about 90% of my readership (ie grandparents) will be receiving said crafts as Christmas gifts, and I don't want to ruin any surprises.

Gabe is always the trooper, even when he spends half the night coughing.

But mostly, the Lord is making Himself known to us more and more.  Our girl loves to read about and talk about Advent.  She loves reciting the reasons that we light each candle.  And I love to say it out loud again and again:  We have HOPE this season because of God's great plan for redemption, that started with a baby that was called "Emmanuel".  Fixing our eyes on that truth has been so encouraging, and gives me no cause for concern that Christmas is 8 days away and I have purchased nary a gift.

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: The Third Sunday of Advent

Happy Advent; a time where we look forward to the coming of Christ as a baby--the Savior of the world--and the second coming of Christ when He will make all things new.

So far, we lit a candle to celebrate that Jesus would come to "be our Shepherd", and spent the first week of Advent reflecting on what a wonderful thing it is the way that God looks after those who are His.

During week two we remembered that the baby Jesus came with a very specific purpose, to bring forgiveness for our sins--that the Shepherd who cares for us also humbled Himself and became the

lamb who was slain.

Here we are, this third Sunday of Advent and we will focus on:  Waiting with Joy!  I would encourage you to follow the link to read what Mark D. Roberts has to say about this season, and the joy we have in particular.  I am learning and soaking in just as much as our wide-eyed 3 year old this season, and I find that by placing special emphasis on the Advent of Christ (I mean more than your typical reading of Luke 2 before your tear into your gifts on Christmas morning) it has truly brought Christ to the forefront of our holidays, and sent commercialization to the background. 

This week we read scriptures that speak to the joy we have in placing our hope in God.  It brings about joy within us, even during trials and while facing a sin-sick world, because we know that our hope is in a sure thing.  Praise the Lord!

Psalm 126:1-6

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Philippians 4:4-7

"Today we remember the joy of waiting, because we know how the story ends!"

      -Mark D. Roberts

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Parade

If you've ever met me you know that I love a good parade, which is why I was disappointed that our small town Christmas parade fell on the weekend when the kids and I were supposed to be traveling.  I shared yesterday how our weekend plans fell through due to illness, and what a needed break it was during such a busy season.

One other redeeming factor of the weekend was that we got to continue the tradition of my dragging my husband to do something he particularly hates as I giggle like a school girl.  It was particularly important for me to be there for this year's Simpsonville Christmas Parade because, Lord willing, from here on out when we get to attend this event it will be as visitors to this town.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, we feel that God is doing great things in Greer, a city up the road, and we are praying that he would have us there by this time next year.

That being said, I soaked in every moment of this afternoon.  We got to watch our Alma mater's football team lead off the parade, fresh off a win in the state championship game this weekend.  The weather was perfect and windy--some may disagree, but I think you should always have to bundle up a little for a parade. Piper eventually succumbed to being cold, as is evidenced by her refusal to cooperate for a picture below, but was initially very enthusiastic, and Gabe was happy to point out everything he saw as long as he had a snack in hand.  And Zach was glad to comply once he had a bag of boiled peanuts (and was able to swipe some of the candies that local businesses were throwing out).

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Stolen Time

This weekend was an unexpected blessing wrapped in a horrendous stomach bug that took out both of our children.

The plan was for the kids and I to visit family for a Christmas get-together, something I look forward to all year.  When Piper woke up feeling ill on the morning we were to leave, I even told thought that we still might be able to make the trip, but I was kidding myself.  Zach had some plans of his own, house projects and guy time, that were put on hold to spend extra time with our sickies.

The truth is, I was really bummed about missing out on a chance to get out of town for the weekend and spend time with many family members that I won't have the opportunity to see again until next Christmas.

But instead of the things we had planned, the Lord gave us a weekend of rest and put the busiest time of the year on pause.

We exhausted our stack of Christmas books, listened to some of our favorite Christmas hymns, lingered on the couch with some of our go-to flicks, never changed out of our PJs, and of course, did a lot of extra cuddling.  There was also a lot of saltines and ginger ale, but you guys don't really want those details.  The kiddos are feeling better-ish and we are wiser about our need for time-outs during the chaos.

Isn't it wonderful the way that God transforms terrible things, like stomach bugs and our sin, into things that are righteous and redeemed.  He is good.

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: The Second Sunday of Advent

This week as we have gone about our days, we have taken time to be thankful for baby Jesus who came to be our Shepherd.  You can read here about how we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent.  Piper asks to light the candle every time we are at the table, and I'm loving the truths she is learning about God's faithfulness as we have coupled our weekly Advent readings with daily ones from the Jesus Storybook Bible.  We are all benefiting from the daily reminder of God's BIG plan for the redemption of His people for His glory.

The first week we were waiting for our Shepherd.
This week we are "waiting for forgiveness".

The Advent of Jesus was so much more than a miraculous birth, or the coming of a King; it meant that forgiveness for our sins had come.  Forgiveness that we so desperately need is within our grasp.  Forgiveness comes from our Father in heaven, and requires that He become a part of us that He might fully know our struggles and fully defeat them.

This week we read:

Psalm 130:1-8

The Psalmist makes a supplication to God for forgiveness.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

God promises the New Covenant.  Praise be, He will remember our iniquity no more.

Luke 1:68-79

Zechariah's prophecy, after the birth of his son, John the Baptist.  He will prepare the way for the Lord, who is tender in His mercy and will make a way for our salvation.

^{Jeremiah 31 31} “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, ³² not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. ³³ “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ³⁴ They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

We are praying that God continues to change us through His story, that we might know Him more with each passing day, and that we would receive fully the forgiveness that He gives us through Jesus Christ. 

Read more about why our family decided to be intentional about the way we celebrate Christmas with our children here. 

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Paper Chain Garland

Well, I told you that our Christmas activities would be simple, and simple they are.  We started out with paper chain holiday garland.  It is impossibly simple, wonderfully festive, and requires just the right amount of hand eye coordination to be slightly challenging for a 3 year old.

I will not insult your intelligence with a "tutorial".  It is the same paper chain that you learned to make in kindergarten, I just added the word garland because it's Christmas time.  I repeat, there is a heavy emphasis on "simple" around here.  We used old wrapping paper that I got from the dollar section at target a couple years ago.

As for Piper, she got a bit frustrated.  I find that I'm not always the most patient of teachers, and struggle to articulate simple tasks like fashioning a strip of paper into a loop.  There was turmoil at first, but hearing Piper shout, "Mom, I did it!", will never get old.  Gabe on the other hand loved this project, and I'm still finding tiny bits of paper that he shredded all over the house.

I know it's not the most impressive Christmas craft, but it's ours and we spent time together and I love looking at it each time I walk by the door way. 

Is it just me or is December flying by?

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Our Peace

Would you believe that it is only the bloody fourth of December, and I'm already getting that sinking feeling?

The one where I'm getting stressed about the events to get to, and the things to get done, and the presents to buy, and realizing that my heart is prone to wander from the real magic of this season.  I told you that I would share the good and the bad during this month, so here it is.

We are doing a "smaller" Christmas this year.  Circumstances that we are very thankful for have made it so.  I'm actually looking forward to simplifying.  But the enemy has wasted no time in telling me lies that I have believed.  Our family will only know our love for them by a dollar amount.  We won't have as much fun if there isn't as much to open.  Our kids will somehow be missing out if they have homemade or thrifted gifts.  What kind of parents are we saying that our little ones don't get to pay 12 bucks a pop to wear their pajamas and sip cocoa with a guy in a red suit.

We are using this plan to read about God's redemptive plan in bringing His son to Earth to save us all.  Today we read about how God used Noah, and made a promise, and foretold His greater plan.  Its been a great vehicle for telling Piper about the "big picture".  But I may need to skip ahead in the story today.  For times when I struggle to see the "big picture", God in His infinite goodness gives me His word and the Holy Spirit.

Micah 5² “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
³ Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in labor has borne a child.
Then the remainder of His brethren
Will return to the sons of Israel.
⁴ And He will arise and shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will remain,
Because at that time He will be great
To the ends of the earth.
⁵ This One will be our peace.
When the Assyrian invades our land,
When he tramples on our citadels,
Then we will raise against him
Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.

He will be our peace.  How beautiful the thought, which echoes louder each time I start to believe that Christmas is about gifts.

Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas: Teachable Moments

One thing I heard from all of my professors as I was earning a degree in Education was you should always take advantage of "teachable moments".  These are times when you are teaching your students and a question or subject comes up that is not in your plans, but has relevance to the material you are covering or life in general.

As I said before, the number one rule of the Gilliam Family 25 Days of Christmas is that we are always looking for ways to fix our eyes on Jesus, and encourage our children to do so.  We are just a few days into December, and already I'm learning that the "teachable moments" are much more effective in pointing out the reason we celebrate than are the plans.  I'm so encouraged by the way that the Lord reveals Himself to us in the nitty gritty moments, and we are praying that the Lord would use these moments to draw our children into His fold.

Speaking of "folds", the talk of Shepherds has brought about teachable moments.  The first Sunday of Advent we talked about how we are "Waiting for our Shepherd" (you can read about it here), and every time we are at the table where our Advent wreath sits we have reviewed with Piper.  What does "advent" mean?  What our we celebrating and hoping in as we light the first candle?  God is our _______?  I'm finding that repetition is key with a 3 year old, but as we reviewed I realized that she had no concept of a shepherd.  So we spent time this morning talking about and looking at pictures of shepherds and sheep and comparing them to the way that God cares for us.  I read her Psalm 23 with new eyes.  I pray that she heard.

Perhaps my favorite moment has come as a result of our advent calendar.  We were gifted this children's Advent calendar with a character or animal for each day of December that sticks to a nativity scene, with the last character being the baby Jesus in a manger.  Piper and Gabe have both become enamored with it, and while he just went for it, she kept asking to choose her favorite characters.  Repeatedly.  From the moment it came out of the Christmas box.

As I said, "No, you have to wait until December" for the hundredth time I realized that WAITING is what the Advent season is all about.  Now when she asks to pull all the people we are able to have a meaningful discussion about how Jesus'
coming was promised long before it actually happened.  God's people waited for Jesus to come to Earth as a baby.  He did.  He died on the cross for our sins, and He rose from the dead.  Now we are God's people, and we are waiting for Jesus to come again.

Oh, that she might know and love the story that is God's plan for redemption.  Amen.

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