Advent Day 13 - Shoot from Jesse - Isaiah 11:1-5

          The theology of the Tree, of the Cross, always seeks the presence of God in the belittled gifts of the world.

          

          The small Babe of Bethlehem, the dismissed Son of God, the stripped and beaten Messiah hanging exposed on the Tree -- He begs us to spend the attention of Advent on the little, the least, the lonely, the lost.

         Because in the rush, in the hurry, in our addiction to speed -- it might just be a bit like stepping on the shoot that sprouts from the stump. 

  

         Advent, it is made of the moments.

          This slow unfurling of Grace...          (The Greatest Gift - Ann Voskamp, pg. 5)

All is grace, 

Carie              

Isaiah 11:1-5

The Message (MSG)

A Green Shoot from Jesse’s Stump

  11 1-5 A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stump,
    from his roots a budding Branch.
The life-giving Spirit of God will hover over him,
    the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength,
    the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God.
Fear-of-God
    will be all his joy and delight.
He won’t judge by appearances,
    won’t decide on the basis of hearsay.
He’ll judge the needy by what is right,
    render decisions on earth’s poor with justice.
His words will bring everyone to awed attention.
    A mere breath from his lips will topple the wicked.
Each morning he’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,
    and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.

Advent Day 12 - A Candle in the Darkness - Isaiah 9:2,6-7

Today has been one of those days. ..

Where world closes in and shrinks to size of tiny rooms lived in. 
Where Littles lie, push, shriek, cry, whine, disobey and say "Mama?" a billion times.
Where Lil' Peach is fed entree after entree and nothing satisfies and the tantrum continues until I fantasize throwing food in her face and growling like a not-so-cartoonish beast "...then go ahead and STAAAAARVE!"
Where pain is physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - all rolled into one giant snowball gaining soul-momentum...blowing everything in its way out of proportion, leaving chaos, destruction and heart-break in its unforgiving wake. 

Today was a land of deep darkness.

And the thing about these days? Everyone has them, and they can come out of nowhere. One minute you're blissfully happy in your perfect life with your healthy family and cozy home anticipating all the joy and celebration of the season... and next you're wondering how you got there and can you ever escape?

I've always loved a quote by Helen Keller: "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow." But what do you do when the fog is thick and soupy and heavy, hiding any trace of light?

Just because you cannot see the sun, does not mean it is not there. 

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord, and rely on your God.  Isaiah 50:10 (NLT) emphasis mine

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12 (ESV) emphasis mine

He is the sun - The Son - our source of light. Just as we never doubt the sun's presence - even when we cannot see it. The Light of the world is always there...

Our God who breathed stars into the dark - He breathed Bethlehem's Star, then He became a Baby with lungs and breathed in stable air. We are all saved and rescued from the hopeless dark because God came with infant fists and opened wide His hands to hold yours...

And it doesn't matter how dark the dark is - Jesus comes to the darkest places so you can see His light the brightest.  (Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, pg. 87)

Like the flaming of a candle in utter darkness, Isaiah's words pierce my soul-shadow with hope:

For me this Child, this Gift was born! For me!
He is ruling this crazy chaotic world...
He is Wisdom, and Strength, and Eternity
The Prince of Wholeness...

Ever reminding me that
All is grace,
(Especially when it doesn't feel like it)

Carie

Isaiah 9:2

The Message (MSG)

2-7 The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
    light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
    you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
    Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
    sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
    all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
    as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
    along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
    a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
    the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
    the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
    Strong God,
Eternal Father,
    Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
    and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
    over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
    and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
    beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
    will do all this.

Advent Day 11 - David - 1 Samuel 16:6-12

Sassy twirls and dances on tiny-tip-toes singing at the top of her lungs and admiring her moves in the reflection of the television screen, completely captivated by what she sees there. 

Does it begin so young? I wonder. This early captivation with reflections, with the swirling twirling beauty of the external. The sparkle, the shine - it captivates us young. The inner parts of our heart that long for eternal beauty, but mistakingly settle for concrete mirages instead. 

These things, these mirages and titles? Here today and gone tomorrow...

The custom home. The newest phone. The perfect hair. The shiny toys. The bright red to-go coffee cup. The vacations, and hobby pursuits and fancy jobs and trendy clothes and Pinterest-worthy crafts and on and on until we are blinded to what is real. What lasts.

I am so guilty of it. This snap judgment of whether something is worth my time - whether it's worthy. And shamefully this guilt extends to people. As quick as my eyes can look, my mind judges:

cute

frumpy

friendly

old

tired

grouchy

lazy

beautiful

put together

trashy

stuck up

adorable

handsome

And yet, "for all our skin, people are really souls." God doesn't judge as we do. His eyes pierce deeper to the heart of the matter, the soul of the person. O, that I would see others through His eyes! That the Great Surgeon would fix not just my heart, but these eyes that see but never truly.

It's strange how it affects us -- From housekeeping to soul-keeping: if it's mostly the surfaces that absorb us, then we're mostly superficial. When my priorities aren't the things seen - when my priorities are rather all things unseen - it's only then that my life begins to have substance and weight.  - Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

Lord, I repent of my sinful preoccupation with the shiny exterior of things - and people. The world is too dear to my heart and I have missed your silent presence, blinded by my judgements. Open my eyes that I may see you and the evidence of you, in and around me - and especially in others. For your glory. Amen  

All is grace,

Carie

1 Samuel 16:6-12

The Message (MSG)

6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! God’s anointed!”

7 But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”

8 Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, “This man isn’t God’s choice either.”

9 Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, “No, this man isn’t either.”

10 Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.”

11 Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?”

“Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.”

Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.”

12 Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking.

God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.”

A New Christmas Tradition - The Jesse Tree

Jesse Tree Advent Calendar from BabyWhatKnots
Available HERE

There are certain things you remember from your childhood, yearly traditions that bring a touch of nostalgia when your senses journey back with notes of a familiar melody, whiff of pine or bite of baked yumminess. Maybe its Grandma's cookies, or Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas", or maybe its just the simple joy of Christmas tree hunting - arriving home pink-nosed and chilly, but heart and arms full of the soft scent of pine and the anticipation of finding place after perfect place for treasured ornaments.

I can distinctly remember certain snapshots of holidays...

Mom patiently making tray after tray of Christmas cutout cookies,

begging to be the one who got to set up the old-fashioned nativity scene,

hushed holiness of a Christmas Eve candlelit ceremony

lying underneath the decorated boughs, just staring for collective hours up into the sparkled branches while I listened to Nat and Bing and Vince on the record player. Truth be told, I'd still lay with my head under the branches if I didn't think my family would send me directly to Looney-ville, or the ER because I finally poked my eye out like Mom always said I would.

As I became an adult, I started thinking about what traditions I would want to carry into my own family. For years I wanted to add an Advent element to the holiday festivities, but never remembered until we were in the thick of it all and then promptly forgot until the middle of the following December.

Thankfully, this year I was finally able to think ahead. I had read an article in Ann Voskamp's blog about a book she had just published called Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, a family advent devotional, and figured it would be a great addition to our Christmas book compilation. Plus, it was on sale on Amazon. Yay! (Still is, by the way.)

I had also been eyeing an adorable advent garland that my friend had made for her family and toyed with the idea of creating my own. But seeing as even the simplest sewing projects sometimes always end up at my mom's house for the finishing touches, I decided trying to assemble an intricate 25 piece garland was probably not the way mom wanted to start her holiday.

While there are companion printables to Unwrapping the Greatest Gift as well as a ceramic ornament set, the first would have been loved to pieces within a few years and the second was a little too fancy for my taste. I wanted something the kids could touch and enjoy decorating with, but that would hold up over the years, eventually becoming an heirloom my grandchildren could treasure. So I shopped around and ended up with this darling set from the Etsy shop BabyWhatKnots. After reading each day's devotional from Voskamp's advent book and corresponding passages of scripture, the kids will get to find that day's ornament and put it on their very own Jesse Tree.

Ann's book starts where most people wouldn't think the Christmas story began - at the creation of the world - and then follows the heart of God as he weaves the pages of history into a tapestry that foretells the coming of the Savior, ending on that glorious night when he became Immanuel, "God with us." 

I'm so very excited about this tradition, because while I grew up knowing Christmas was about Jesus, I don't think I consciously linked the stories of the Old Testament with the gift of the New. Not in this way. Not deliberately and with great thankfulness and expectancy. 

Those are the very things I realized I want my children to take away from this season. Expectancy, thankfulness...and not just a little bit of WONDER.

I hope you take this journey too. Maybe with a Jesse Tree of your own, or a walk through the pages of your family bible as you revisit the forethought and love of a Father who moved heaven and earth to be GOD WITH US.

And if you have never known the beauty of the true Christmas Story, it's ok. I will be posting each day's reading for you. So grab that dusty Bible off your shelf, head to your local bookstore or google the scripture readings...Meanwhile, I will be praying that the Light of the World reveals himself to you in a transforming way this holiday season. 

All is Grace, 

Carie

4 months pregnant with our little Bubba.

There will always be something magical about freshly blanketed Christmas lights.

Bubba's first taste of WONDER.

1000 Gifts...And counting

Almost two years ago I began reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I friend of mine recommended the book and since she has great taste (thanks Francie!), I decided to check it out. Although I read just about anything I can get my hands on, I am not really into what I would call the "self-help" books - even the Christian ones. But I can honestly say there has never been any book - other than the Bible - that has as deeply and profoundly impacted my life as One Thousand Gifts. 

One Thousand Gifts is about Ann Voskamp's journey to discovering real joy and experiences with grace in the midst of the chaos, craziness and heartache of every day life. Her earliest memories in life are of witnessing the tragic death of her little sister at age four...later she struggled with severe anxiety, depression and cutting. Finally, a friend encouraged her to keep a journal and write down one thousand things she was thankful for - one thousand gifts. And it changed her life. 

Her book centers around the greek word eucharisteo which means to be grateful, feel thankful and give thanks. I have absolutely fallen in love with this word. It's like a little Russian nesting doll of meaning. Eucharisteo is comprised of two greek words, charis and chara. Charis is the greek word for grace but also contains the derivative (chara), meaning "joy". So eucharisteo, the giving of thanks, has grace and joy as its very roots. Eucharisteo is the key to joy. 

And who couldn't use more joy?

I'm a perfectionist. I love need lists. I like order. And rules. Plans. Thrive on met expectations and goals succeeded.

Mothering and wifery (if midwifery is a word, then wifery should totally be a legit word) are the last jobs that lend themselves to perfection, order and succeeded goals and expectations. Put simply, it can be hard to find joy, let alone the keys. Or snuggy-bear. Or sanity. 

There have been many times, especially since the arrival of kids, that I have found myself restless. And if you asked me why I was restless, I don't know that I could have given you an answer. It forever eluded me, like that extra hour of sleep on a Saturday morning. 

Maybe it's the lack of "me" time. Maybe its that today I feel ugly. Or unloveable. Or like I'm living someone else's life. That I should be, have been someone else. 

The answers would change with the moments, like a chameleon changing it's colors. 

But as I started reading about eucharisteo, things started to change. As I took up the challenge to become a seeker of grace, I started to really live. I began noticing things I hadn't before... 

Light playing across scratched eighty-year-old hardwood floors. 

That one long lock of hair falling just so across Sassy's face. 

Breezy lullaby blowing through wedding-gift chimes on my front porch. 

Exquisite luxurious long cool shower on hottest of summer days.

I began noticing grace. Gifted by the creator of Grace. The original source of Joy.

My heart began to awaken and unfurl, like the first crocuses of spring, stretching up stiffly through the hard frozen ground that had held it imprisoned for so long. And as my heart petals unfurled, I began to sense my great purpose...the meaning and joy and reason that had eluded for so long.

THIS. 

This is what I was made for.

This is why I am here. To seek grace wherever it may be found and to give thanks to the Great Giver, and in doing so to reap joy. 

Grace. 

Thanksgiving. 

Joy. 

These are Eucharisteo. 

What better time than now - this very moment - to begin your search for grace, to start giving thanks, to reap JOY? It's already built into this month for you. But instead of stuffing yourself with turkey and pie and Black Friday fillers of the soul, why not fill yourself to overflowing with thanks? Fill yourself full, then empty your cup into the lives of those around you and fill up some more?

If your life is dark and meaningless, the giving of thanks is a match lit upon the tinder of a joyful blaze. 

If your life is day after day after day...why not start noticing the little things that separate those days, making them memorable, making them count?

If your life is good, why settle for good when you could have great?

There is always more Grace. There is always more to be thankful for. There is always, always more Joy to be found my friend. 

And who couldn't use more JOY?

Sun's rise...that rises and rises and rises.

A hug.

Frozen sparkling tiny work of art. 

Tiny girl with big girl dreams.

First encounters.

Now you may say this is NOT grace. HECK NO.
But if you had been a fly on my wall and seen the spider-killing episode, you would have fallen on my crumb-strewn floor rolling with laughter, tears streaming, belly heaving - and would have certainly concluded the moment was so CHOCK FULL of grace you could hardly stand it. 

So PLEASE. 

Search for Grace. He is there. Waiting for you to notice. To give thanks. To enter into fullness of JOY.

I promise you,

All IS Grace,

Carie

One act of thanksgiving,

when things go wrong with us, 

is worth a thousand thanks when things

are agreeable to our inclinations.

Saint John of Avila