Joyful Heart

What we are listening to…

I absolutely love this Christmas CD! From the traditional Christmas songs of ‘Come All Ye Faithful’ and ‘Joy to the World’ to the contemplative ‘While You Were Sleeping’ and the praise song of ‘Christmas Offering’, we have been enjoying this for a couple of weeks now.  May it help to focus our hearts and minds on Christ.

“We bring an offering of worship to our King.
No one else on earth deserves the praises that we sing.
Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due…”
from ‘Christmas Offering’ on the Peace On Earth CD by Casting Crowns

No, not these…

these sweet little ones, hiding behind their art….

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Psalm 118:29

went to the market.

This little piggy stayed home.
This little piggy had roast beef.
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy said weee, weee, weee, all the way home!

With the start of the Olympics, our children have stayed up late to watch all of the Opening Ceremonies, watched at least a half hour of Olympic coverage every night, read factual books about China, watched a video about life in China, and have even been listening to us read about Eric Liddell (a famous Olympian and missionary to China).  However, we just HAD to participate in our own Olympics to make the experience come alive!

So, look out world!  We have some record breaking Olympians on our hands, right in our own backyard– well at least when it comes to pillowcase hops, spoon and ball races, water relays, and Beanie Baby balancing =)

~~~~~

The night before, we had each chosen a country to represent.  We located these on our globe and colored a flag to wave in our Opening Ceremonies.
We wore another flag from our respective countries on our back as well.(Yes, even the baby.)

We colored in our Olympic coloring book before breakfast.  Then, at our ‘breakfast of champions’, Daddy read some facts about the torch, colors of the Olympics rings, the medals, reason for the games, etc.

We worked on our memory verse throughout the day…

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Here are some of our events..

Spoon and Ball Race

Hurdles

Balance Beam

Water Relay

Pillow Case Hopping

At the end, everyone was awarded a gold medal for participating with joyful hearts, helping others, being encouragers, doing their best, trying to learn their Bible memory, etc.

And to round out the full experience of the games, we even ate Chinese food for dinner using chopsticks =)   A fun day for all!

Here are some more fun links to another family’s  Olympics…
The Fairy Olympics
Preschool Olympics – Throwing and Catching
Backwards Olympics

My response would have probably been a firm ‘No.’   However, I was not the one in position to execute the decision and so I left it up to him.   I heard his voice gently speaking to them.  A little later, I heard the clanking of bowls and spoons.  Some, looking in on this scene, might have said that he had given in to them and that he was showing them that they could get their way when they complain loudly enough. 

But I saw a loving father demonstrating God’s grace in a tangible way.

The loud complaining was a ‘But, Daddy!’ and tears – over something as simple as not being able to have a snack before bed.  A request that is sometimes answered by a yes and at other times, due to the lateness or other circumstances, receives a “No, not tonight.”   Yes, they responded poorly to our answer and should have been disciplined appropriately and not have been able to have a snack.  

And so enters unmerited favor from their daddy.   After talking with the girls and explaining that they should not have a snack becasue of their poor response, he then extends grace by forgoing punishment and allowing them to have a small snack.

This showing of grace points me to Christ and His grace that was extended to us.  May their earthly daddy’s small acts of grace towards them point our little ones’ hearts and minds to their Heavenly Father as well.

For it is by grace you have been saved,
 through faith—and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. 
Ephesians 2:8-9

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.   
Romans 3:23-24