advent – The Bless Your Heart Blog

I Heart Heart Day

I know I’ve mentioned it before – I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day! Hate all you want; I think setting aside a day to really go out of our way to show someone we love them is a fine way to spend our time. Who doesn’t love that?!

For Fun Friday, the kids helped make cupcakes!

Decorating them is obviously the best part…and I always feel like SUCH a good mom afterwards because it really pushes me outside of my comfort zone. I’m not the biggest fan of messes or 501 little, round sprinkles all over the place but I do it because I love them. And it’s fun.

Yep, those are the ones... — Yep, those are the ones…

And, of course, Wryder had to be rewarded for his efforts…

Our sweet friend/mail lady, Pam, brought goodies to the house in the form of chocolate bars (which Wryder inhaled!) and mail from friends. We sent her home with a cupcake, too!

On Saturday, I woke up to this gorgeousness…

I LOVE getting flowers! I vow not to be the woman who thinks they’re a waste of money because all they do is die. They are life and they bring life – I’m a big fan. 🙂

I loved the balloon, too! I remember when I was growing up that I always, always wanted a helium, mylar balloon, though I don’t know that I ever asked for one. It was either my tenth or twelfth birthday, my parents got me several and I was over the moon! I kept them deflated and pinned to my bulletin board until I left for college. I kinda wish I still had them…

Wrexy knew my love for them and surprised me with a huge one! Wryder and Sawyer though we should practice letting the cat jump through the center. I vetoed that. *ahem*

We were saving our steak dinner for Valentine’s day so I decided to make heart hamburgers (with bacon, of course) for lunch.

Nothing says love like beef... — Nothing says love like beef…

The kids LOVED this! Especially the bacon part – a treat around here!

Sawyer, of course, dressed for the occasion – heels and all!

Sunday, we went to church and ate a little chinese food for lunch…

We found out Sayble REALLY likes ice cream like her PaPa!

Oh yeah...that's more like it! — Oh yeah…that’s more like it!

Then we came home to check on the gentlemen working on our shop and barn. The shabby chic will soon be no more as we’re getting tin put on. The shop is almost done and then they’ll throw the sides of the barn on.

I'm afraid I may miss this guy's worn, weathered look... — I’m afraid I may miss this guy’s worn, weathered look…

We have scrimped and saved and my hubby has worked his tail off so we could do this little project; we are so excited that it’s getting closer to done! It’s gonna look pretty fancy around here…or at least a little less shabby.

It was a good weekend! I posted this on Facebook but I’ll post it here, too.

In the midst of all of our Valentine shenanigans, Sawyer made a crown and hung it on the wall at our dinner table.

She said it was so we would remember that Jesus loves us.

My heart delights that she knows this already and I pray she takes Him at His word. He LOVES us…without condition or premise…and despite our past (or even our present) situations!

He IS the lover of our souls; the lead role in the greatest love story ever told. We can’t outrun His love, friends – it will always find us… Let him…

Easter Advent: Saturday

Busy days and bad internet connections have made me a bad blogger. Forgive me. Regardless, I pray your Easter weekend has been full of Jesus and full of those you love and who love you back!

Buried in a Tomb

Read: Verses in activity below or Matthew 27:57-66 Mark 15:33-47 Luke 23:50-56

Do: Make resurrection rolls!

Ingredients:	Supplies:
1 cup pecans	Ziploc bag
1 tsp. vinegar	wooden spoon
3 egg whites	wax paper
pinch of salt	cookie sheet
1 cup sugar	tape
	Bible

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300^oF (this is important to do before you start the mixing).

Place pecans in Ziploc bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Romans soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.
Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Go TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! He is risen!
On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Pray: Thank you for bringing hope to the world! Thank you for loving us! We worship you!

Easter Advent: Thursday

***Find previous Easter Advent entries here, here, here and here.***

As Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was full of sorrow. He knew the excruciating pain he was about to suffer as we would take the punishment for every wrong thing anybody had ever done (or would ever do). He knew the weight of what His shoulders would hold and of the heartache that stemmed from all of the sin, brokenness and pain in people’s hearts.

With death awaiting Him, He could’ve prayed a thousand different things – most, probably selfish in nature. Wouldn’t you? If you knew death was knocking on your door, wouldn’t you be pleading or screaming or flat out running away? In that moment though, Jesus prayed with a heart full of trust and submission…“Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Wow. So often we pray differently, don’t we? Our sinful nature likes to pray things that we deem ‘best’ for us, not necessarily what the Lord has for us. His way is always best and we should trust that truth, just as Jesus did.

Garden Prayer

Read: Mark 14:32-42 Luke 22:39-53

Do: Memorize scripture.

—Not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42

—Sing it, eat a piece of candy for each word, create a hand motion for a set of words – whatever it takes, memorize it!

Pray: Lord, thank you that we can pray to you about everything. Help us to pray for Your will to be done in every situation.

Easter Advent: Wednesday

We’re on day four of our Easter Advent series and I hope you and your family have been blessed by this experience. Parts 1, 2 and 3 are still up so feel free to go back and do them or just pick up here!

A Time to Remember

The Last Supper was a beautiful symbol of what was to come in the life and death of Jesus. He knew His death was imminent and even though His disciples didn’t quite understand, He wanted to make sure they would always remember Him and His sacrifice.

While they were eating the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke it and gave it to the disciples saying, “Take it and eat, for this is my body.” Then he took the cup and gave thanks. He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, for this is my blood poured out to forgive the sins of many.”

This same act is a wonderful reminder to each of us of Christ’s sacrifice and love…

Read: Matthew 26:17-30 Mark 14:12-26

Do: Have a time of remembrance.

— Break bread and drink juice together and talk about how Jesus’ body was broken and His blood poured out for us.

—Really take time to remember how Jesus has saved us eternally and how He’s saving us daily from our sinful selves.

Pray: Lord, thank you for loving me enough to die for me. Help me to always remember Your body that broke and Your blood that was poured out.

Easter Advent: Tuesday

For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.

That was the first Bible verse Sawyer ever learned (and before she was two years old, to boot).

Humble Servant

As Jesus and His disciples met in the upper room before the Passover Feast, He put that service into action. Knowing His time was near, He got up and performed a job that was usually done by the lowliest of servants…He washed the disciples’ feet.

My sister/friend Tredessa and I have given free pedicures to some of inner city Denver’s inhabitants as part of a city-wide outreach and it was a pretty humbling, and sometimes uncomfortable, experience. Feet aren’t always the prettiest, neatest, cleanest parts of God’s creation. Can you imagine the feet of the disciples?? They couldn’t have been any better, yet Jesus washed them and dried them and showed them great care…and His actions ran deeper than just His physical touch. He knew they needed to be washed clean in their hearts.

Through this selfless act of service, Jesus set an example for us to follow. The King of Kings acted as the lowest of low and asks us to do the same.

Read: John 13:1-17

Watch: Jesus washes the disciples’ feet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmtAMUuFfkk

Do: Wash each others’ feet!

— Get a small pan of water and take turn serving each other by washing each others’ feet. Talk about how Jesus did this very thing and think of ways that your family can humbly serve others.

Pray: Lord, teach us to be more like you. Let us be sensitive to ways that we can serve others every day.

**Sidenote**

My favorite part of this whole exchange is when Peter all but refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet.

John, 13:6 starts: He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

And so Peter answers, “Then Lord, not just my feet but my hands and head as well.”

In that moment, he got it. If this is what it takes to be a part of You then I submit all of me to you; not just what you’re asking…all of me. So beautiful. Lord, I wanna live a life like this…

Easter Advent: Monday

**If you missed yesterday, do not fret! Either backtrack and do two lessons today or just pick up here!**

Extravagant Love

Love makes us do rash things sometimes, doesn’t it?? Wrex and I stayed up waaaaaaaay too late last night visiting and as we discussed it this morning he said, “We’ve have had the problem since the day we met, haven’t we?” (Insert big, cheesey grin here.) It’s a true statement. During the beginnings of our relationship, we’d spend time together until the dorms closed and then we’d talk on the phone to each other well into the morning…morning as in, time to go to class. We were just so enamored with each other and we threw caution to the wind when it came to logic/rest/responsibilities the next day. The same could be said of Mary of Bethany…

In the days that followed, Jesus went about His teachings. While in Bethany, Mary got a wild hair and anointed the feet of Jesus. She took an expensive perfume, broke open the jar, poured it on His feet and wiped them with her hair. Can you even imagine?! What a incredible, and somewhat crazy, gesture!

Those around them grew angry that she would waste something so expensive; they thought she should’ve sold it and given the money to the poor. Jesus came to her defense and told them what a beautiful thing she had done. Her actions remind us that following Jesus sometimes means throwing caution to the wind in overwhelming outpourings of love and compassion – extravagant, extreme love.

Read: Mark 14:1-10 John 12:1-11

Watch and Do: Worship the Lord

— Show Him love by taking time to worship Him with song and dance! Take the time to prepare your hearts and rid the room of distractions…clear 15 minutes of your schedule JUST to praise Him. (For moms, that IS extravagant, yes?!)

We chose to worship to Hosanna, Jesus is Alive, and Amazing Grace.

Pray: Lord, we love you! Help us to love you extravagantly and without caution – You are so deserving of that kind of love because that’s how You love us.