Christian faith

Can a Movie Change Your Life?

March 23, 2015 by Amy 1 Comment

Can a movie change your life?

Chad Burns sure hopes so.

His new movie, Beyond the Mask, is a revolutionary new kind of Christian movie. It’s an action-adventure, and it has more sword fights, explosions, and chase scenes than I’ve seen in popular mainstream movies in the same genre. Beyond the Mask is jam-packed full of enough action to energize the most enthusiastic of teens but enough drama and straight-talking theology to please the pastors. It’s a mix I’ve never seen before, and I sure hope that the Burns’ have many more ideas, because we need more movies like this.

What’s it really about? Check it out:

The leading mercenary for the British East India Company, Will Reynolds has just been double-crossed and now is on the run in the American Colonies. Working to redeem his name and win back the affections of the woman with whom he’s never been fully truthful, Will now hides behind a new mask in hopes of thwarting his former employer. As his past life closes in on him, Will must somehow gain the trust and the help of his beloved Charlotte – as well as Ben Franklin – while he races against time to defuse a plot of historical proportions. Coming to theaters Spring, 2015, Beyond the Mask is a revolutionary new family film that brings history to life in a faith-filled adventure celebrating grace, liberty, and the true freedom that can only be found in Christ.

Beyond the Mask is all that and more. Set against the beginnings of the American Revolution, it’s full of fascinating historical information. No viewer will realize that he’s on the receiving end of a history lesson, though, because he’ll be too busy watching stuff blow up – and, who knew? Benjamin Franklin not only identified electricity, but he knew how to harness it and create generators – and that pyrotechnical knowledge is put to good use in this movie. You won’t find any educational video anywhere that will excite your students more.

And that’s not really the point – at least, not to educate us about history and science (although as a homeschooling mom, I’m happy to find those lessons wherever we can). The basic tenets of the Christian faith are woven tightly into every element of this movie. It’s not tacked onto the end of scenes or proclaimed in teary reunions, but instead it’s there and natural and basic.

The action makes it edgy and the drama keeps the tensions high. Unlike most of those other movies that you’ll find, though, it’s clean – completely clean. There is no foul language or smutty scenes, which I would expect from a Christian movie, but the Burns’ went a step further. They made an action-adventure movie that’s not scary or gory but will keep you on the edge of your seats from the first scene until the last. The cinematography is amazing: although you’re watching duels and death, there is very little blood. The camera chases the action but leaves the consequences of the thrusts and punches to your imagination. You see bruises and blood on fingers, filling up scratches, but no gratuitous violence.

That’s why you should see this movie. The faith lessons are vital. The educational ones are fascinating, and they’re all wrapped up in a suspenseful, exciting package that will entice even elementary viewers.

Unlike other movies, you can’t go to your local theater and purchase a ticket. Beyond the Mask is being distributed via a different marketing model, and so the only way to see it is to click here and purchase a ticket online.

Want to know more? Watch the trailer here.

The Burns’ have released a companion book called Secrets of the Past, and you can download the first chapter for free here. This book shares the backstory of the movie and tells about the Colonial American history portrayed in Beyond the Mask.

Bible Journaling with Kids: Going Deeper

February 17, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Last week we talked about Getting Started with Bible Journaling with Kids. If this is something you’re considering, you may want to go back and read that post.

But looking forward, after you have some supplies in place, what do you do?

I think this can go one of two ways.

First, you could let your child go it alone. Let him/her see you reading and studying your Bible and branching out artistically from that time, but don’t do anything else. Let your example lead.

That has worked for us in multiple things, including creating a desire to read the Bible originally. Both of my kids wanted their own Bibles to read at young ages because they saw me reading mine.

If you have especially young children, this free rein approach could be great for encouraging art exploration and Bible expression.

If your child is old enough to learn how to study the Bible independently, however, a specific, joint journaling time could have the added benefit of teaching ways to study scripture.

There are great curriculums out there for this, as well as neat methods like SOAP and such; but here are some simple ideas that you can do with ordinary stuff to dig into scripture deeper – and enhance that Bible journaling experience:

Journal a story or series. Not sure what to study? Use stories of Bible heroes or major Biblical events, like the creation story or the story of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt. Plan to journal only a few verses at a time, and use some of the following ideas to take your journaling experience deeper.
Use a dictionary. Look up the definitions of words that seem important or that are standing out to you. Be sure to ask your child which word(s) that is for him/her. Discuss these words together. Put the definition of the word into the verse for clarification.
Map it. Most Bibles have historical maps in the back. Trace traveling routes on the maps. Figure out the distances traveled, length of time on the road, and maybe even research climate conditions. Would this have been a winter journal or a summer one? Hot or cold? Was it a safe one?
Read the footnotes. Study Bibles have all sorts of information at the bottom of the page. Read the notes out loud to your kids. Talk about what that additional information means. Often it can help put the scripture into the appropriate cultural and historical context.
Use the concordance. If your Bible has additional verses listed, look’em up. I recently had a great conversation with a group of kids about the ‘underwear of truth’ while we were learning about the ‘belt of truth’ discussed in Ephesians 6. You never know where it will lead you!
Use all your senses. Think about what it must have felt, looked, tasted, smelled, or sounded like. Remember that this was before running water, flush toilets, deodorant, or vaccinations! It might seem silly, but I’m betting that life had an earthier quality to it than most of us Americans can imagine, and thinking in those terms might help us see the scene more vividly.
Ask questions. Many Bible stories have elements that seem outlandish to me. Why was a plague of frogs thought to be so bad? Was Eve surprised when the serpent started talking? What would I have said if some angel popped out of nowhere and told me I was going to have a miracle baby? What would I have done if….? Encourage your child to ask questions, because their natural curiosity is in there churning them up. Then take them a step further: what can I do about it NOW? How can I help people shocked by disease? What can I do for that new mother at church? The Bible isn’t a dusty book whose only inspirational actions are past; it’s now. Allow those questions to spark discussions and journal pages about how to react to scripture and real life situations now – and then go and do.

Bible journaling is a fun and creative practice, but in the end it’s not about the art – it’s about the Bible and the One who inspired it.

What are your favorite ways to interact with scripture with your kids?

“Beyond All Dreams” by Elizabeth Camden

February 14, 2015 by Amy Leave a Comment

Anna O’Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across the baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. Thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help.

Luke Callahan was one of the nation’s most powerful congressmen before his promising career was shadowed in scandal. Eager to share in a new cause and intrigued by the winsome librarian, he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship. Opposites in every way, Anna and Luke are unexpectedly drawn to each other despite the strict rules forbidding Anna from any romantic entanglements with members of Congress.

From the gilded halls of the Capitol where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation’s finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they’ve ever dreamed for their futures?

Anna and Luke are first-class characters. Opposites definitely attract, and these two spark like lightning – but the story isn’t just about their romance. Luke is walking a serious emotional and spiritual journey, while Anna fights against loneliness and struggles to unravel the mystery her father left to her. Their lighthearted romance balances the heavier emotional issues well.

The characters’ personalities aren’t even the strongest part of this story. Anna’s father’s mystery is suspenseful and moves the plot along quickly. I loved the angles and intrigue inherent in it, so while it’s not exactly a thriller, it’s definitely a cut above your normal historical romance.

The setting pushes this story up into yet another category. You couldn’t move this story into any other city or time period and have it work; the details of time, place, and world history put a unique shine onto Against All Odds. Since this book falls squarely between two of my favorite time periods, it is one of which I know less than I’d like, and I feel as if I learned quite a bit of history simply be enjoying the story. Quite frankly, I love history, but this is by far my very favorite way to learn it: by story. This would be a fantastic book for a student to read while studying this time period.

Come to think of it, there isn’t anything I didn’t like about Against All Odds. Camden is a fantastic writer, and it shines through this story brilliantly. If you like historical fiction, be sure to read it – this is one of the best.

Click here to read other reviews on this bloggy hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Elizabeth Camden is the author of six books and a RITA and Christy Award winner. With a master’s in history and a master’s in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. Elizabeth lives with her husband in Florida.

Find Elizabeth online: website, Facebook

I received a free book in exchange for an honest review.

Do Ministry Leaders’ Kids Get Special Privileges?

February 13, 2015 by Amy 1 Comment

I co-lead a children’s program at church with a friend. We plan and lead events for the elementary children of the church, including opportunities for the kids to serve the community, invite people in, and do mission projects. Recently that friend received a complaint because another adult in the church saw one of our younger children accompanying us during a regular program night. She was upset because her too-young child couldn’t come to the event and was angry because another was there.

Basically, she was saying that the kids of the ministry’s leaders – our kids – were getting special privileges.

Is she right?

I can’t speak for my friend, but do my kids get special privileges at church because I help lead their youth group?

YES. THEY DO.

What are those privileges?

I can’t speak for other ministry leaders’ kids, and I can’t imagine what PK’s lives must be, but here are some ‘advantages’ my kids get because I volunteer at church:

They get to come to most events several hours early. No, there’s nobody at church to play with, and they’re not at home with their toys, and it’s often too cold to be outside, so they pack books or puzzles and hang out, when they don’t have to…
Help me move furniture. Somebody has to get equipment and materials set up, so that’s us. If I did it by myself, we’d have to come even earlier, so they help. They’ve become expert table- and chair-movers. They know where everything goes, including traffic ones.
They place and put away traffic cones. Because the parking lot is between the playground and the church, block off part of it with traffic cones for the kids’ safety, and that job usually falls to my kids.
They eat a packed dinner at church, alone, before the event starts. There’s no time to eat as a family when we have to be at the church to set up before the DH even gets off from work, so the kids get a packed dinner and they eat in the kitchen while I get materials ready. Usually this involves frozen burritos that I make in big batches ahead of time or sandwiches and fruit. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s a healthy meal, but I feel guilty leaving them to eat alone before each event.
They get assigned special jobs at most events. Church leaders always need greeters and door holders, and since my kids are always the first ones there, they usually get one of those jobs handed to them.
They (sometimes) know in advance what’s happening – and so the surprise is gone. Sure, they get ‘inside info,’ but they also don’t get the big surprise reveal that the other kids get.
Clean up afterwards. It’s not enough to set up, but we have to put everything away, too. That might include washing tables and chairs, moving furniture back, or running the sweeper. They help with whatever needs to be done.
They get to go home last. Of course, we can’t leave until everyone has come to pick up their kids, and for other moms and dads that’s a fun and social time. After that, then, we (see above) go to clean up the room, so we often head home about an hour after the event ended. Combine that with coming 1-2 hours early and an event lasting 1-2 hours, and you’re looking at 3-5 hours of being away. No, it’s not horrible, but it means later bedtimes, sleepy kids, and a schedule that must take all of this into account.

Are there real advantages to being the kid of a ministry leader? I hope so. I think that means that our kids know that we’re trying to be obedient to Jesus. That we’re willing to work hard to serve others. That sometimes we do those hard things even when we’re tired or other people aren’t nice. That people are important because Jesus loves them and wants us to love them, too.

In the end, it’s not always easy being the kid of a ministry leader. Please remember that they’re only kids, and in the case of my friend, he was a kid who was trying hard to behave during an activity that was geared for older kids. It wasn’t easy for him, and it’s often hard work.

Those are the privileges my kids get. Would you be jealous?

Bible Journaling with Kids: Getting Started

February 10, 2015 by Amy 2 Comments

For a long, long time I’ve gotten pictures in my head when I read. I see scenes, characters, clothes, or whatever’s being described well – so when my dad took me to Bible study as a kid, one of the first pictures I ‘saw’ was of Pharaoh with a frog happily perched atop his head. For the past year or so, I’ve been drawing out those pictures. Sometimes it’s a complete picture, like the froggy and the Pharaoh, but more often than not it’s a mixture of words, colors, and letters. It’s enough to give me something creative to do with my hands while I ponder the scripture and pray through it. The kids have been watching this process, and now they’re interested in Bible journaling, too. We’ve done several things with it: we’ve talked about how to draw and highlight scripture in their Bibles so that they can interact with it while still keeping the text legible. We’ve also purchased simple sketchbooks so that they can make separate pieces of art in there. At first, we journaled together. We began during Advent and journaled our way through the Christmas story. After reading the scripture for the day, we read the notes in my study Bible, talked about what specific words meant, about relevant customs of the day, or anything else that popped up. Then we broke out our supplies and got to work. We still journal in this way at least once each week. We really enjoy the time spent together in scripture, and the artistic endeavor is relaxing. While we don’t stress about the ‘professionalism’ of the finished product, it is fun to pull out all sorts of art supplies and get colorful. Sometimes it’s all about the background, others it’s the lettering or a picture, but always it’s about the Bible. So what do we use? You don’t need anything special. You probably already have art supplies around the house that will do really cool things. It is fun, though, to have materials that do new-to-you, special, or unusual things. With that in mind, these are our very favorite supplies to share among us – and why. These simple Crayola Twistable Crayons – not the pencils – are hands-down my favorite new thing. I wish I had known about these years ago. They’re perfect for adults AND for kids for several reasons: they apply very smoothly to the paper. That makes them easy to blend to achieve a variety of shades easily. More importantly, though, you can get great color on the paper and still read the text behind it. That makes these Twistables perfect for drawing or highlighting in your Bible. You can sketch in a picture and still be able to read the scripture that inspired the art. Colored pencils are a basic thing, but you can do great things with them. My favorite is to color in words that I’ve bubbled or to add shadows or highlights to words. They’re not too expensive, easy to erase, and easy to sharpen. Now, to get a little fancier … I’ve always thought of Sharpies as indelible – and they might be, on your clothing or on plastic, but most Sharpies are not waterproof. This kind, though, IS. That means that you can use it to outline a drawing, do some creative lettering, and also use in the same piece of art …. Waterpaint. Waterpaints in the little tubes are a blast to use because you can control the shading and the amount of pigment much more easily than you can the little cakes of color in the plastic trays. Those will certainly work; but if you’re going to splurge on supplies, the tubes are very fun and they make kids feel as if their artwork and their thoughts are extra important. Gellyroll Glaze pens are new to use, but we’re having a lot of fun exploring with them. You can use these special, sparkly pens by themselves and enjoy the ink colors, or you can use them (again with the waterpaints) to make a resist. Basically, you write or draw whatever you want, and when it’s dry, you paint right over top of the whole thing. The glaze ink pushes the water out of the way, making the ink stand out. My kids consider this to be almost a ‘secret message’ kind of ink, and they love using it in their Bible art. (If you’re going to do resists, then white is the most fun color to have.) We keep all of these special supplies in a basket with our Bible and journals, so that we can easily grab it and get to work. Do you journal scripture with your kids? Want more? Hop over here to find Six Ways to Turn Scripture into Art. Shared at:

Bible Journaling with Kids: Getting Started @ A Nest in the Rocks

Lenten Devotions for Young Children

January 27, 2015 by Amy 15 Comments

**I am excited to share this new subscriber freebie with you. Read on for details about how to get your copy of “Lenten Devotions for Young Children” FREE!

Each year we talk about how we’re going to recognize Lent as a family. Usually we each choose different things that we feel called to fast from for the duration of the Lenten season.

I didn’t realize that this had such a big impact on My Big Helper until she started talking about Lent immediately after Christmas.

She talked about it so much, sharing all her ideas for things that she could give up, that finally My Little Man, who doesn’t seem to remember much about this season yet, said, “What is Lent, anyway?”

As I got ready to answer him, he quickly added, “And will we have more special devotions like the Jesse Tree with Advent?”

He stumped me with that one, because while we try to have a family devotional time each night, we’ve always just continued with our regular devotional book right through Lent.

But he really liked the Jesse Tree format, and he seemed to get a lot out of the stories, so I decided to create our own Lenten devotions centered on the Jesse Tree format and the idea of Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

Each devotion comes with a scripture reference, an objective, a simple lesson, a prayer, and the matching ornament.

We’ve printed ours off – cut out the eggs, glued them onto triangular banners, and we’re going to attach one each night to a string over the mantel or a doorway after completing that devotion. You could also just go with the square shape as is – it would certainly be easier to cut out – and hang them from a branch like the Jesse tree, or maybe just look at them and skip the crafty part altogether.

But for the next 46 days we’re going to walk through Lent this way – each sacrificing something important to us, praying our way through the wanting-it times, remembering how very much more Jesus gave for us.In case there are any other curious four-year-olds out there, I thought I’d share. And if you choose to use any or all of these devotions, I hope they bless your family.

Because this is such a large file, I’ve struggled to find an efficient way to share them with you, and I think I have it figured out! These devotions are now a subscriber freebie here at A Nest in the Rocks. Just sign up on the right side of this page, and you’ll get a code in your next Nest update that will allow you to download the devotions for free.

Do you recognize Lent as a family? If so, how?

Looking for a great set of devotions for yourself? Check out this devotional that Candace Crabtree has written!

Shared at:

Happy Birthday, Adventures in Odyssey!

January 13, 2015 by Amy 1 Comment

Did you make any resolutions or goals this year? Perhaps you made personal resolutions, or maybe your goals are family-focused. If one of your goals is to find your kids or grandkids a safe place online to have fun and to learn more about biblical truth, consider that checked off your to-do list! The Odyssey Adventure Club is celebrating their first birthday, and to celebrate, they’re offering a special promotion!

The Odyssey Adventure Club is a safe, fun environment where children can explore, create and imagine, all while developing their faith—the perfect platform for your kids to explore while they’re stuck inside this winter.

Anyone who signs up during January (promo code: BIRTHDAY) will not only receive their first month for only $5, but they will also get three Last Chance Detective audio dramas and an Odyssey Adventure Club post signed by cast and crew members.

Members receive:

—24/7 streaming access to more than 750 Adventures in Odyssey episodes (a $1500 retail value).

—A new, members-only Adventures in Odyssey episode every month.

—A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine.

—A web quest of video stories and online activities reflecting the biblical theme of that month’s episode.

—On-the-go access with the OAClub mobile iOS app.

—Growing access to Odyssey books, a daily devotion, access to select Radio Theatre dramas and more.

In the coming months, members will also be able to look forward to:

—An exclusive, downloadable, cut-and-fold Odyssey character craft.

—In February, members can sneak a peek at the second Candid Conversations with Connie book.

Additionally, a portion of each Odyssey Adventure Club membership benefits Focus on the Family partner organizations, such as Carry the Cure and Mission Aviation Fellowship, providing parents with an opportunity to teach children about the value of serving others. The Odyssey Adventure Club hopes to spend another 25 years hand-in-hand with parents seeking to teach biblical truth to their children while inspiring the theater of their imagination.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org
, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Recycling Christmas Cards: Praying through the New Year

January 5, 2015 by Amy 2 Comments

I love getting Christmas cards. We excitedly check the mailbox each day, and then tape up all the cards on a door in the kitchen. We look at them as we walk past all through December – and then comes January. What can be done with all of these beautiful cards, many of which show pictures of our friends and family?

So a few years ago we started putting all of these special cards into a basket. (You could also hole-punch them and put them on a ring.) We store the basket on our kitchen table, and then each day at breakfast we take turns choosing one card from the basket. We pray for the family on the card, and then we put that card in the back of the basket. We continue working our way through the basket throughout the year, praying for everyone who has sent us a Christmas card.

At the end of the year, we go back through the basket one more time, all at one sitting, and choose some cards to keep for sentimental reasons and others to save for art projects.

What do you do with your Christmas cards?

Changing the World, One Candy Cane at a Time

December 20, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

When we’re young we think we can change the world. We plan to join the Peace Corps, stop world hunger, end poverty, and write the Great American Novel. We think that we have all the answers needed to exact change on our hurting world.

Maybe we don’t. But maybe we do.

Every year our family spends a day out and about together just before Christmas. This began as a way for us to serve in some sort of missional capacity, while also having some quality time together. This tradition has become very meaningful for us – but it isn’t always easy to plan.

We live in a super small town, and some opportunities are rare. We want to serve a meal at a shelter at some point, but that’s permanently scheduled here. Usually I come across an opportunity while scouring the local news sites, but nothing popped out this year. We always look for people who might be able to use a Blessing Bag, but we wanted to do more than that.

So … we bought a few boxes of candy canes and printed out “The Legend of the Candy Cane” on small tags. We cut and taped the two together and filled a bag with candy telling about Jesus, and then we headed out.

Our first stop was to a small, liberal-minded town with a fun new park. We hiked and had boat races in the river before heading to a locally-owned restaurant for lunch. The kids handed out candy canes liberally and watched the wait staff beam with delight with each candy.

When we left that town, we headed to nearby Chapel Hill, where we stopped in at the Carolina Inn to see the Gingerbread House competition. As we left, the kids handed out candy to each of the valets and doormen – and one was so excited that he asked the kids to wait for a minute while he ran – literally – into this fancy hotel. After a few minutes, he returned with cookies from the Inn’s snack shop. Bubbling over with a warm chocolate cookie in hand, both kids wanted to know why this young man – perhaps a teenager or a student at UNC – would be so moved that he would run to purchase snacks for them.

This gave us all the opportunity to talk about people in service positions – those people whose work is invaluable but often goes unnoticed. People like bus drivers, janitors, cashiers, etc. They do important work, but how often do we take the time to thank them for it? We discussed the importance of serving others, as Jesus said to do, and the importance of recognizing others doing so.

Later we ended up at Bass Pro Shop. The kids love to visit the Winter Wonderland display – and this reindeer needed his photo taken! Before leaving, each kid passed out candy canes to several of the cashiers and customer service representatives. All of them immediately asked for the child’s name and reached out to shake his/her hand. This might not seem like a big deal, and it’s not much of one for my gregarious Big Helper, but for my quieter Little Man, this is huge.

See, to give any of these people a candy cane, we first had to approach them – out of the blue, with no prompting, and usually no interaction first. The kids walked up to each person and offered the candy with a simple “Merry Christmas,” and it was always well received – but it was a ‘cold call,’ so to speak. My Little Man was really scared to do this at first, but he gained confidence throughout the day, and by our last stop, he was eager to pass them out.

And the staff at Chick Fil-A was happy to receive them – so much that when the kids tried to trade in their toys for ice cream, it was up-sized to a much larger portion than the one usually given to the kids. And the woman who was cleaning the lobby while we ate? She talked up a storm from the time she accepted her candy cane until we walked out the door. She smiled and chattered and cleaned, no longer the Invisible Woman.

Will our simple candy canes end world hunger or kick off the beginning of world peace? No, but they did prompt a lot of smiles. They caused people to pay forward these simple acts of kindness. They made my kids search for people in need of a bit of kindness, and the excitement they received in return gave them the confidence to try again – and will make it easier to perform a random act of kindness later. Since each tag told the symbolic story of the candy cane, which is all about the salvation offered by Jesus, dozens of people read this message, because the very first thing that each person did was to read the tag.

Candy canes may not cause any cease fires, but they could change someone’s outlook, and thus, his life. Passing out this candy certainly made a difference to our family – and who knows how it might affect our kids as they grow, or the candy recipients in the future?

How do you teach your kids to give?

Christmas Tour 2014

December 10, 2014 by Amy Leave a Comment

Welcome to the Nest! I love decorating for Christmas with my family. A few years ago, though, I was completely overwhelmed with small children, a demanding holiday party schedule, and too much baking, decorating, and wrapping expectations – all put on me by me. I spent a few years trying to figure out how to simplify it all so that the ‘stuff’ was meaningful and fun for everybody (me included) and this is what emerged.

The fireplace is my favorite part of our living room. It’s very traditional and is fun to decorate. My husband builds fires for me on the coldest nights of the year, and so I snapped this picture to show you the best of the best. Normally, the four stockings are spread out on the hangers, but we move them so they don’t singe on fireplace nights. And the pictures? Yes, they’re all crooked. I can’t hang anything straight to save my life. My Big Helper is good at that, and soon she’ll be tall enough to take over that task. Until then, I’ll keep adjusting.

Our tree is the fullest, fattest tree we could find in town, although not the most shapely. It’s decorated with ornaments that have been passed down through my husband’s and my family, as well as the ones that we’ve collected and made ourselves. Each one reminds us of someone or something important. We have white lights on the tree, and it’s topped by an angel to remind us of that special angelic announcement after Jesus’ birth. (My Big Helper especially likes the way that she turns colors when turned on.)

The entire tree is standing on a platform made of a full sheet of plywood placed on three short sawhorses my grandfather made years ago. It’s covered in white cotton and surrounded by red cloth, and on it we arrange our Christmas village each year. I nearly stopped this tradition when the kids were small because it’s a lot of work, but it’s also beautiful. We love pulling out the buildings and the decorations and inventing stories to go with each. “The mail man must go over here because he has a package for the kid in that house. The cow should go outside the fence near the barn because she got loose and is running away!” While there’s no deep meaning for this, other than tradition, it reminds me of that: family. Of watching the houses and the cars as a small child and being in awe of the lights coming from within each one. I still turn on all the lights each evening and again early in the morning, while I read and study my Bible by the light of these decorations. It feels peaceful and expectant to me.

When my husband and I were first married, I bought this ceramic nativity set. While not especially historic, it is heavy and detailed, and the kids and I set it out and arrange it each December. I’ll put Jesus in the scene early Christmas morning, and the kids always run and cheer his ‘arrival.’

We display the nativity on my great-grandmother’s sewing machine. Papa bought it for Grandma for Christmas back in 1933, and it’s a special piece in our house – as is the bell also on it, which belonged to another great-grandmother who used it to call her students to class. With these important people gone, I use these pieces of their lives to tell their stories, much as we use the nativity to tell part of Jesus’ story.

When My Little Man was small, we made this simple nativity together. It’s made out of three small flowerpots, a golf ball, and some scraps of yarn. I don’t know that he remembers making it anymore, but he knows that he did, and he proudly arranges it on the table each year.

Behind this nativity is our advent wreath. Though not traditionally green, the carved wood is beautiful, and it’s tall height allows it to function as our light at dinner on special Advent evenings.

There you have it – you’ve now seen the biggest part of our Christmas decorating. Do you decorate for Christmas? How?