Archive | December 2013
Mary Did You Know?
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Introducing Little Isabel-Little Isabel’s Christmas Joy Part 1
Friends have asked for more Isabel stories and since I am still working on the sequel to The Vision of a Mother’s Heart, I thought it would be fun to write stories about “Little Isabel,” a prequel of sorts. Isabel was born in 1914 so the stories will take place prior to 1924.
In case you missed the Little Isabel Christmas stories from my first blog, I am re-posting them on my personal blog. There are several parts to Little Isabel’s Christmas Joy. So enjoy!
(I have posted a preview of the sequel to The Vision of a Mother’s Heart. Look in the archives for The Watch which is taken from the sequel, Hope Beyond The Sunset.)
Isabel’s Story
By Katherine Hinchee Purdy
Isabel’s curls bounced as she jumped and clapped her hands. “Papa’s coming, Papa’s
coming,” she sang while skipping into the kitchen where Mama was taking out a tray of ginger
bread men from the oven.
“Isabel,” Mama softly chided the child, “you will be out of energy before we trim the tree if you
keep that up! Besides, Papa and the boys have work to do before they bring the tree into the
house. Climb up on the stool and help me decorate some of the cooled cookies.” Mama
walked around the kitchen work table, tied Isabel’s hair back with a ribbon, placed Isabel’s
Christmas apron over her head, and tied it in the back. “Have you washed your hands?”
“Yes ma’am,” Isabel said as she picked up a flat butter knife and began spreading frosting on a
butter cookie. “I’ll bet baby Sylvia wishes she could help too!”
Mama looked at the baby in the cradle in the corner and smiled. “Perhaps next year she can
help. Maggie is only three years old but she did a wonderful job helping with the first batch of
cookies.”
Isabel looked over at her sister napping on the cushioned chest against the back wall, covered
with her favorite quilt. She envied her sister but refused to give in to the urge to nap since she
had declared herself “too old” to nap on her fifth birthday. Besides, if she napped she might miss
something and this little girl didn’t want to miss anything.
Mama turned to the stove and gently used the spatula to remove the cookies from the pan and
placed them on a cooling rack and then stepped into the back porch and returned with a napkin
holding a disc of cooled dough for another batch. While Mama’s back was turned, Isabel quickly
ran her finger around the bowl of icing and quickly popped her finger into her mouth just as Mama
returned to the kitchen.
“Save the icing for the cookies Isabel or you’ll ruin your appetite for supper.”
“Yes ma’am,” Isabel whispered and lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry, child. I did the same thing this morning. The temptation was too great. Just
one more taste and then you can put a ribbon hole in this last batch of gingerbread boys so that
we can hang them from the tree.”
“Mama,” Isabel said as she carefully used a small dowel to place a hole in the last gingerbread
boy’s head. “I wish we could cel-eeee”
“Celebrate” Mama said with a smile.
“Cele-brate Christmas every day!”
“That would be lovely dear but we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We only have one birthday each
year. Besides, if we celebrated every day, don’t you think you would get bored?”
“Oh no,” Isabel said with a smile, revealing a space where a new, permanent tooth was just
beginning to show. “I can never get tired of Christmas.”
Just as she placed the last ribbon hole in the gingerbread boy, the back porch screen door
squeaked.
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Monday Musings – Christmas for Mom
This gallery contains 10 photos.
Ruby Video
Check out a new video of Ruby playing like a kitten!
http://www.missycatandfriends.blogspot.com/
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One Little Candle
One Little Candle
One little candle burning bright
Warm and welcoming source of light
Bright speck in the dark and gloom
A spot of light within the room
Its waxen arms seem to raise
Little hands in a sign of praise
Will we be like that candle bright?
A warm and welcoming source of light?
Lighting the way so others may see
The True Light, the Life, the One who sets us free
Will we be a bright speck in the dark and gloom?
A spot of light within the room?
Do others see us praise the King?
The Maker and Ruler of everything
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Used with permission from the Author.
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Christmas Tree Gospel
Hello, friends. It is hard to believe it’s Christmas time again. As we trim our Christmas tree, I like to remember the lesson I taught children through the years with a Christmas tree, lights, ornaments and my Bible. The Christmas Tree Gospel. I am reposting the post from last year.
How do you share the Gospel at Christmas?
Christmas Tree Gospel
Have you ever considered using your Christmas tree as a witnessing tool? I used to love using a small Christmas tree to present the Gospel to children.
- First, we discussed the evergreen tree which reminds us of eternal life. It is ever green with sap running through it (before it is cut down)
- The shape of the tree points to God.
- Of course, the tree must be in a stand to remain upright, as we need The Lord Jesus as our firm foundation.
Next, I would do (especially in Awana at night) is to have someone turn out the lights so that the room would be dark – just as the darkness of sin. The world was in darkness until the Savior came. I would then turn on the tree lights. White lights because they shine brighter than red, blue, green or even yellow lights.
- The lights on the tree remind us that Jesus is the Light of the world. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
- The lights also remind us that we are to let Him shine through us ”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
- The lights also remind me that there will be no need of sun or moon in Heaven; for Jesus is the light. “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it; and the Lamb is the light thereof.” (Revelation 21:23)
- Gold decorations & tinsel remind me of the streets of gold in Heaven. (Rev. 21:21)
- Red decorations remind us that Jesus was born to die. He shed His blood that we may be saved. He paid the penalty for my sin. (John 3:16)
- White on the tree reminds me that he washed me white as snow.
- The star reminds us of the Bethlehem star which signified the birth of the King of Kings and was a guide for the wise men to follow that they may find Him, and worship Him.
- Angels remind us of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2)
(In the Bible, Angels appear as men. They are not portrayed as beautiful women in slinky or fancy dresses with wings and a halo. They are messengers of God. They came to announce His birth and to Worship Him! We are to worship Him and not the angels.)
- Ice-cycles hung on the tree reflect the light – just as we are to let The Light of the world reflect through us. When I was a child, the Ice-cycles were silver tinsel cut into long strands. Granddaddy always insisted on hanging them on the tree one by one so that they would hang perfectly. (I must admit to giving into the urge to take a hand full and fling them on the tree and allowed them to fall where they may. They often landed on the floor!) Today I use crystal or clear plastic. When the light shines on the crystal ones, we can almost see a rainbow reflected on the wall!
- The tree skirt reminds me that He has clothed me with HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
- The gifts under the tree remind me of the greatest gift of all. Salvation wrapped in love. The perfect gift from God – His only begotten Son; the lamb of God who was born to die for us. Our virgin-born Savior, wrapped in swaddling clothes was the best gift ever given!
When doing the Christmas Tree Gospel presentation, sometimes I gave each child a card with a verse to read as we came to the appropriate moment/decoration. Of course, each was given the gift of a candy cane to take as a reminder of God’s wonderful gift to us.
Please excuse the family pictures as I haven’t decorated our tree yet this year and didn’t have a suitable photo of a Christmas tree to use. I would love to hear how you share the Gospel at Christmas. Please feel free to give us your stories in the comment section. Have a blessed Christmas season this year!
Love,
Kathy
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Put Christ back in Christmas!
Katherine H. Purdy 