Advent Bible study: The Road to Christmas

From one of my vintage Christmas carol books

Again this year I am doing an Advent Bible study.  This one is "The Road to Christmas" from Love God Greatly.  As I glanced over the reading guide for the four weeks, I found myself wondering just how meaningful this was going to be.  The readings included some from Genesis -- not verses where the Savior had been promised, as one might think, but verses from the life of Tamar,  Judah's daughter-in-law.  Well, after having completed the first week,  I must say I am finding this study very meaningful indeed.

It begins with Matthew 1 with the genealogy of Christ.  Interestingly, this genealogy includes the names of several women in addition to Mary.  It includes Tamar in verse 3, Rahab and Ruth in verse 5, and Bathsheba in verse 6.  As you consider this list, you notice that these women (including Mary) were not women who led neat, tidy, problem-free lives.  In fact, several of their lives were downright messy and fraught with difficulty.

What stood out to me was that God used ordinary people, living ordinary lives, as part of the family line to bring Christ to earth.  As I read Tamar's difficult story, I was encouraged by the reminder that God chose to use this sordid situation on the way to bringing about the very best good for mankind: the birth of a Savior!

On Friday I looked at the account of Elisabeth and Zacharias in Luke 1.  Their story was very different, as you know. They were "both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (verse 6)."  By this point they were old; they had no children because Elisabeth was barren.  They had apparently been praying for years for a child.  As Zacharias ministered in the temple, an angel appeared to him and said, "Fear not, Zacharias; for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John (verse 13)."

This is a good reminder to me that we can be walking with God, seeking to live for Him, and to obey His Word -- and yet that is no guarantee that our lives will be free from problems.  This couple had some serious heartaches (and in Elisabeth's case, the reproach and shame of being childless).  God had allowed this situation to go on unchanged for many years.  Yet Zacharias, at least, had apparently continued to pray, for the angel told him his prayer was heard.

And in God's time, when He was ready to bring John the Baptist on the scene, He answered that prayer.  As I concluded my study of these verses from Luke 1, I thanked God for the encouragement of how He answered prayer long after an answer seemed possible.  In the seeming deadness of that situation, His glory shone out brightly as He did the impossible to work out His perfect plan.  I am reminded that He can do the same today in our difficult situations!

My best tips for easy meals during December

From my collection; my mother baked from one of these.  Notice the price!

 December is such a busy, festive month!  I'm sure we can all think of ways to simplify the season, and maybe even ways in which we could make our lives less busy, but we always have to eat, and to find something good to feed our families.  I have a couple of tips which some may find helpful.

1.  I first read this quote from a subscriber in the December 1995 issue of Cook & Tell.   I think of it every year about this time and try to heed the advice.  Laura White's mother was one wise woman!

"... As Christmas started to approach, my mother used to make a huge batch of escalloped hamburg, a gigantic stew, a couple of meat loaves, and soup from the Thanksgiving turkey.  They were to 'sustain' us, while she did the cookies and other Christmasy things which left her no time for creative meals.  Not a bad system."  ~ Laura White

I wholeheartedly agree!  Other things that I have found to work well are a couple of pans of lasagna, to be cut in squares and warmed as need, or a big batch of macaroni & cheese; sometimes even a large batch of potato salad to accompany sandwiches.  If you happen to find turkey or ham on a great sale, get one and cook it.  Now you have some meat for sandwiches or other quick meals.

2.  The crock pot is your secret weapon during this busy time.  I just put a tray of chicken thighs, sprinkled with seasonings and barbecue sauce, in the crock pot.  The chicken will cook happily and be ready to serve with easy accompaniments and leftover baked beans at supper time.  And the oven will be freed up for baking Christmas cookies.

Here's a post I did a few years ago on this very topic:  Recipes to Simplify the Season.  One of my favorite ways to simplify meals is to serve a soup from the slow cooker and bread from the bread machine.  This post includes a bunch of stew and soup recipes and one bread recipe, but here are 2 more bread recipes for your enjoyment!
Cheddar Cheese Bread

Cranberry Oat Bread

I hope you find these tips and recipes helpful!  They sure have been a blessing to me!

A sweet remembrance

Have you ever thought about buying something Christmasy when you are on vacation, even in the middle of the summer?  I have heard of people doing this and I think it's a great idea.  Lots of small souvenirs would make interesting ornaments -- or you could visit a Christmas shop or the Christmas corner of a gift shop and find something suitable.  It need not be an ornament; it could be a candle, coasters, a tea towel, or something else.

Several years ago we visited our daughter and family in the fall.  We visited a lovely country shop called The Two Olde Crows in Elko, Nevada.  They happened to be having a Christmas sale -- I believe they called it a Christmas Gathering -- and served hot cider and treats.  So much fun!

Photo from The Two Olde Crows

Photo from The Two Olde Crows website

I purchased a couple of tea towels -- one for harvest and one for Christmas -- and enjoy using them in seasonal decorating.  I'm sharing the Christmas one with you at the top of the post.  Isn't it sweet?  A lovely remembrance of one of our visits with loved ones out west.

Still helpful: Christmas traditions for the empty nest

This is an older post that I wrote some years ago for my Christmas blog.  It may be on here too, I'm not sure.  But I decided to repeat it because of a comment I received last night on the 2007 post.   The lady who left the comment noted that she had been struggling with this situation and that she was so encouraged to see some positive suggestions for dealing with it.  With that incentive, I'm going to publish this post again, and I'll add in a few newer ideas as well.  It may be, as I noted back then, that someone is facing their first Christmas as an empty nester.

Sometimes it can be really traumatic when all of the kids leave home and  things are just not the same as they used to be at holiday time.  It's unrealistic to expect them to stay the same, however.  Even if your married children live in the same town as you do, they should be encouraged to begin their own special traditions as a new family.  If they live in another state or even another country, they should not ever be pressured to "come home for Christmas".  Maybe they want to make that a part of their own holiday tradition -- and hooray if they do! -- but we shouldn't pressure them to do so.


I have heard so many stories of families that traveled through the night, on iffy roads, in aging, cantankerous vehicles, with cranky, tired children, just to get home because Mom & Dad (usually mostly Mom) wanted them "home for Christmas". 

I have found that beginning some new traditions of our own (and tweaking some older ones)  as empty-nesters has been really helpful in keeping the blues away at holiday time.  Here are a few ideas:

*  On the day of the first significant snowfall in our area (usually sometime in November) I bake the first Christmas cookies of the season to freeze.



 *  In recent years, because of a job change, my hubby will often have a weather-related day off.  If he has a day (or more) like that in December, he has found that he enjoys spending that time in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies!

*  I decorate to my heart's content!  Lots easier without little kids underfoot.

*  We had bought a clearance artificial tree which had clearly been used and turned out to be way too narrow for our living room.  We decided not to waste it and not to go to the hassle of returning it.  Instead, we set it up in our bedroom.  Now it's a traditional part of our Christmas decor!  The tree is pre-lit and the soft lights are very soothing.

*  I often plan special pre-Christmas gifts for my married kids and their families.  I include Christmas books, foods, decorations and crafts to enjoy throughout the coming season, often things they might not spend money on to buy for themselves.

*  We always do some of our Christmas shopping at a very special group of shops (in an old mill) where we traditionally visited when the kids were younger.  We like to go in the evening when the street lamps are lit, carols are playing, and a light snow is falling.  Sometimes we will go out to supper at a favorite diner and just walk over to the shops.

*  I pack Christmas boxes to send to those family and friends who are far away.  It is so much fun to plan what goodies to include.  I just want the box to say "Merry Christmas!" when they open it.

*  Many years, my husband and I fill Christmas stockings for each other.  This is lots of fun and something special to look forward to on Christmas morning.  We usually get useful items and candy at the dollar store.  Invariably I find under the tree a wrapped gift that wouldn't fit into the stocking, labeled by my hubby, "This is a stocking stuffer."


*  And speaking of gifts, we don't give large gifts to one another - just the stocking stuffers.  We save the money we would have spent on gifts and use it to take a few days' getaway at a later time.

*  We enjoy our traditional Christmas Eve Soup whether we have company or not.

 *  If your family can't come for a special meal over the holiday, try and find someone among your friends or neighbors who will be alone, and invite them.  Consider a get-together just with other empty-nesters.  We've done that at Thanksgiving and it is really fun!

*  I make a special breakfast on Christmas morning -- usually including an egg bake of some sort (prepared the night before and baked fresh that morning) and a coffeecake or muffins I've baked ahead.  We might enjoy the oranges or clementines from the toes of our stockings, or I might make a fruit salad or ambrosia.

We plan to have "Christmas" together with all of our kids and grandkids whenever we can all be together, no matter what time of year it happens to be.  The times all together are so rare we want to savor them fully.  One year, all of our kids and grandkids were in New England in the fall.  We took a long weekend at a log cabin on a lake, and one of the things we did was to draw names and get dollar store gifts for one another.  We brought along a little decorated Christmas tree and also a string of Christmas lights for the fireplace.  It was so much fun and made some great memories!

Well, those are just a few thoughts.  But above all, let's not forget that "leaving and cleaving" is biblical.  Once our married kids leave home, they are a new family and we need to set them free to function as such in every way.

And -- if your grown kids should happen to invite you to come have Christmas at their home, go, and have a wonderful time!

My vintage shadow box

The other day when I got out the easily accessible Christmas decorations, I had completely forgotten about this shadow box.   I made it several years ago from an old wooden silverware tray (already painted red) and lots of vintage or vintage-look things.  I'd been wanting to do this project for the longest time, and finally carved out the time to just jump in and do it.  If you'd like to read about how I did it, you can find the step-by-step here:

Making a Christmas Shadow Box

The side compartment

One of the vignettes -- all vintage!

 It's not really a tutorial, but I think you can follow what I did well enough to make something similar.  Hope this idea inspires you to create something of your own with bits and pieces of Christmases past!

The ribbon board is up!

As I described over on my Christmas blog, yesterday I managed to get most of the fall decor taken down and put out a few of my simpler, more accessible Christmas decorations.  In the hallway, I hadn't found time to really change out the ribbon board I use to display paper treasures.  I had taken out the fall board and hung up the green and red one, but that was it.

When I got home from my eldercare responsibilities,  I found a few minutes to add many of my favorite vintage cards to the board.  I just can't stand keeping these vintage treasures packed away; they need to be where people can see them.  (I have scanned most of them, so the images are accessible for crafting, blogging, etc.)

Here is a little closer look at some of the cards:

If you should be interested in making a ribbon board of your own to display cards (old or new!), here is a post where I share how I made mine:

How to Make a Simple Ribbon Board

Hope you are all having a splendid December so far!

December Goals

Vintage card from my collection.  Mailbox images are some of my favorites!

Wow, where has the year gone?  Neither my hubby nor I can believe it is December already.  But it is ... the calendar doesn't lie. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I hope to post each day in December, both here and in my Christmas blog, Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen.  The posts will be different in each blog, so be sure to check them both out.

My first order of business in any new month is to set some goals, so here are my goals for December:
* Read through the December portion of the One-Year Devotional Bible.
* Finish questions for You Are Loved summer Bible study  -- I've already finished the daily Bible study, just need to finish answering the questions
* Complete an Advent study: The Road to Christmas
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones.
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook
* Keep up with my Sunday School study -- The Heart of a Woman Who Prays
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times.
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night.
* Limit sugar.
* Drink enough water each day.
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week.
* Attend Christmas events at church
* Do some special Christmas activities with grandchildren
* Take down fall decor and decorate for Christmas
* Attend a Christmas party for Mr. T's work
* Post in both of my blogs every day if possible
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently
* Spend several hours updating my A-store.
* Finish 2 handcrafted Christmas gifts
* Purchase remaining gifts
* Plan a getaway with my hubby
* Wrap Christmas gifts
* Mail Christmas gifts to faraway friends and family
* Send Christmas cards
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family.
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal
* Plan and begin my Christmas baking
* Plan for and carry out plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad
* Sort out and declutter my dad's attic
* Transfer important items to new computer
* Finish typing some family history for my mother-in-law

DECEMBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Walking/nurture creativity

WORD FOR 2014: BALANCE


So here is how November went:

* Read through the November portion of the One-Year Devotional Bible -- DONE!
* Finish questions for You Are Loved summer Bible study  -- I've already finished the daily Bible study, just need to finish answering the questions -- not done, though I did continue working at it
*  Read 4 chapters in The Power of a Godly Grandparent -- not done
* Continue to implement some of the ideas from the above book -- not done
* Finish re-reading Say Goodbye to Survival Mode -- not done
* Begin to implement some of the ideas and strategies from the above book -- not done
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones -- DONE!
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook -- DONE!
* Keep up with my Sunday School study -- The Heart of a Woman Who Prays -- DONE!
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times -- not done, though I managed quite a few times
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night -- not done
* Limit sugar -- managed this for part of the month
* Drink enough water each day -- never enough, I'm sure
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week -- not done consistently, though I managed pretty well
* Participate in our church's missions conference -- DONE!
* Post in both of my blogs as often as possible -- DONE!
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently -- not done
* Spend several hours updating my A-store -- not done
* Do research for setting up an Etsy shop (I've already joined Etsy) -- not done, now tabled till the new year
* Finish 9 handcrafted Christmas gifts -- finished 7 of them
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- DONE!
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal -- DONE!
* Make gift tags from last year's Christmas cards -- not done, now tabled till the new year
* Plan and begin my Christmas baking -- not done
* Plan for and carry out plans for Thanksgiving dinner -- DONE!
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad -- DONE!
* Sort out and declutter my dad's attic -- not done
* Do some baking for my expectant daughter's freezer -- DONE!
* Transfer important items to new computer -- not yet done
* Type some family history for my mother-in-law -- begun but not finished; I may be half done

Hoping for a productive December!