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Showing posts with label The Giving Tree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Giving Tree. Show all posts

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Christmas Picture Books & Paper Trees

Cover art
Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree
Came by special delivery.
Full and fresh and glistening green--
The biggest tree he'd ever seen.


That was the trouble. The tree was so tall, it couldn't stand up straight in his parlor. Mr. Willowby asked his butler to chop off the top of the tree. What happens to the treetop? Where will it be for Christmas? Snuggle up with this story and follow along through a forest full of friendly creatures who get to share in a bit of Easy DIY Tabletop Christmas Tree DecorationsChristmas joy. After reading Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree, make some of your own trees to share with others.



☆  Ten paper Christmas tree crafts for kids of all ages -even adult kids. :) 
  DIY Patterned Paper Trees.  Paper christmas trees craft christmas merry christmas christmas tree christmas pictures christmas crafts christmas ideas happy holidays merry xmas
Day-1---tree   Christmas tree from strips of wrapping paper - pinned to a styrofoam cone.
German paper enthusiast making Christmas decorations and wrapping solutions since 2007. Click through to see his "endless" ideas ;-)  Simple Christmas Craft Idea
Click on the pictures to go directly to the links that show you how to make each tree.

Enjoy~
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Friday, December 6, 2013

Faith produces perseverance

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

I have this love/hate relationship with the book of James…

              So, stretching… so revealing…

                          Yet… so full of truth and life…

Faith produces perseverance…

               Let perseverance… PATIENCE

Finish its work…

                   So that I can be mature and complete, not lacking anything…

If I lack wisdom… I need to ask… because He will give generously and without finding fault…

            Without pointing fingers or reminding me I blew it somewhere…       without condemnation.

WOW…  truth…     life giving wisdom

But…

when you ask… do not doubt…

           do not be double mined and unstable in what you do, say one thing but act as if you do not believe…

So, I am on this journey of discovery….

             a journey of not focusing on the lacking… of not living out of the lacking..

Lacking...

without something necessary: without or with not enough of something that is needed

missing: not present or available

Not living as if something is missing or not present…

                        not living as if I do not have enough…. As if He is not enough…

                                                 that He is not available…

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I asked for your perfect timing… just like the house and you gave it to me… and it was perfect… not without trial or stress… but perfect in timing and you were producing perseverance…

Going for another round… with finances and waiting for Jubilee $.  And the answer came… with delays in the jubilee funds…  but you are answering…

You answer…         In your perfect timing…    I do not see the perfectness of this timing yet…. I will not until it comes…

You are giving me my hearts desire…  to have a stress free (peace filled), Giving Christmas… to enjoy it.

That can be done … just by changing my attitude…  by changing my focus…

Give as planned…   give with what we have.

do not be stressed… do not worry… do not look at the lacking…

                    focus on the giving… focus on the gift...

Enjoy… the season… the decorating… the working together… family… friends…. The Gift

             Attitude…

                      personal view of something: an opinion or general feeling about something

What is my view or opinion of my situation…. Is it one of stress…. Is it one of lacking…

or…

                Is it one of seeing the blessings… Is it one of fullness…

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

Consider it pure joy…

Pure…

not mixed: not mixed with any other substance

free from contamination: clean and free from impurities

complete:

Joy… not mixed with fear…

            Joy… free from worry…

Joy… Complete

          Complete… not lacking anything…

Because of Him…

My Shekinah Glory….

          The one who brings….    the one who invites the presence of the Lord….

                        His indwelling presences…

she came and nestled beside me …. on the couch pressed up against me…

looking at boxes of Christmas decorations…. New (but old) decorations sent from Nana…

            She whispered… we are so blessed…

My heart leaped with Joy…     as I said, "yes, we are, we are so blessed."

                 Pure Joy…        Complete….      Not lacking anything.

So our journey begins…     a season of giving…     giving our Christmas away…

      Join us on the journey…   of Discovering…   The Gift through giving.

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

The Giving Tree

 

For the past handful of years we have tried to find ways to give our Christmas away. To give instead of receive, to cultivate the habit of giving instead of receiving. This year we wanted to tie in our Devotion tree to our Giving, as a symbol or reminder of Christ – the true gift, to the gift given in His name. Our Devotion tree will be transformed into our Giving Tree for the season as we celebrate Him… His birth… God’s gift to us…

During the weeks leading up to Christmas – the celebration of His birth we will be reading from The Giving Tree Devotional, placing the ornament of His name on our Giving Tree… a reminder of who He is and reflect on Him as the gift… the giver, the one whose name means… anointed one… the one who was given to all mankind… the who was poured out for us. After taking time to prepare our hearts by receiving Him, we will become the gift by completing and giving the suggested gift in the Devotion, in His name…

He doesn’t give us gifts for our gain because a gift can never stop being a gimageift—

                     it is always meant to be given.” (from One Thousand Gifts)

The devotional has been  adopted from Worthy of the Prize. 

I have created a download PDF File with The Giving Tree Devotion imageimage

and The Giving Tree Devotional Journal and Ornaments

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We print our ornaments on the back of Christmas Colored Scrapbook paper. I will be posting pictures later this week of our devotion tree, basket and the ornaments made.  You can check out other Devotions we have done using our Devotion Tree here:

Thanksgiving Devotion Tree

Pictures of our Devotion Tree and Basket

Here is an insert from Day 1:

The Giver: I am Emmanuel …

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 Emmanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Emmanuel happens to be one of my favorite names of Jesus, particularly at Christmastime. It means, "God with us." And that is exactly what Christmas is all about, the very essence of the season itself. The Son of God did not have to step down from his throne in Heaven, but He did it to save us (Philippians 2:5-8).

"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."

(Matthew 1:21)

The Gift: Make Nativity Ornaments for Elderly – Visit Convalescent Home

This ornament just needs wood clothes pins, twine, glue, craft wire and a saw. Check your local craft store for wood stars and you'll have everything you need to make these "nativity" ornaments! Glue the "Mary" and "Joseph" clothespins next to each other, tie some twine around the "baby Jesus" clothespin and glue him to "Mary's" "arms", add the star with a bit of craft wire, make a hanging loop from twine, glue together.

Share the gift of Emmanuel with the lonely … give them a reminder that God is with them.

We will also be taking pictures and recording our journey in an 8 x 8 scrapbook.

The Giving Tree

Giving CHRISTmas Away

Hear Jesus whispering it…

“When you give to the least of these — you give to Me.”

 

Giving to the one who is CHRISTmas

A Season of Giving Christ away…

­­­­­Cultivating the habit of giving-

Developing a life of giving…

Looking forward to growing and giving~

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