Hospitality Will Make Marks

Can you guess which side got used more?

I would cringe every time we pulled out the second leaf of that table; the nicest dining table that we ever had. Normally there was room for 6, but that expanded to 9 whenever we had someone over for spaghetti or baked chicken or every-day rice. Each time we opened it up, I would marvel at the smoothness of the wood grain, the unscathed beauty, the glory of it. Any of you who have ever bought new furniture (even if it was just "new to you") have to know what I mean. And, if you have small children, you know what I mean multiplied by ten. 

You want to keep it beautiful and untouched. You want to preserve and "steward" that table, that bed, that end table as well as you can. But then, people always come into play.

Of course, furniture stores are testimonies to this!: "No food or drinks inside the establishment, no jumping on the beds, and don't you dare slide a Hot Wheel over that coffee table!"

Every time I opened up that secret middle leaf of our table, those feelings crept up. There are no glass rings permanently imprinted there. No unsightly marks from a toddler dragging her fork across the table..little sign or wear and tear. The differences between the outside and the inside are very clear. 

If I was going to get comfortable with hospitality, I was going to have to get comfortable with leaving marks. Even though my house wasn't always naturally tidy (anyone figure out how to do this well yet with little people?)...it was going to endure at least a few more scathes in the process of having people over for dinner, for play dates and for prayer.

Over the last few years, it has been a challenging process of laying down my own expectations for providing a *perfect* space for guests to enjoy and taking up the reality that "Hospitality is not about me...it is about them." I read this once, and then many times since, on a blog called Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin . It is her mantra and helped me tremendously in examining my own self-imposed ideas about hosting others.

It isn't about me. It is about them. It is about you. It is about them.

Sometimes I think about preparing too much and lose sight of the simplicity of just being with people, filling their bellies, and encouraging their hearts. 

In this season of life here in Thailand, Treavor and I have been challenged by God to keep our house open to others. If we go through a week and realize we haven't opened it and our table to others, we open up the calendar and see where we can fill it with an invitation for others to share it. I have to contentiously set aside my hesitations that "the house isn't ready!" and call somebody up to feast on curry and conversation together.

Join me? Who can you open up your (imperfect) table to this week? How have you overcome the hurdles that get in the way of hospitality? Tell me about it in the comments.

Blessings,
Alina

A Young Family's Search for a Meaningful Holiday Overseas

Who let these crazies out of the house like that?

It's that season again.

No, not the rainy season or the hot season or the cold (OK, mildly cool) season here in Thailand...the holiday season.

For us, after the rains stop drip dropping (mostly), there come cooler days and a vague resemblance of Fall.  I wake up in the morning, chilly, donning fuzzy socks and dreaming of hot coffee to warm me up.  My husband, from Illinois, would disagree with the degree that I deem this "chilly" morning/evening weather, but then he used to walk out in the snow with a t-shirt.  Hard core, I get it.  I am not.

But with the weather changing, and despite the fact that snow is something that only happens here along with pigs flying, our minds shift to the holidays; American holidays.

Suddenly, without skipping a beat, the annual Thanksgiving Day banquet is planned. My culinary contribution is usually not much, as my close friends here have that area covered much better than myself.  And, then, like in the States, the day right after Christmas brings thoughts of ornaments and cookies and carols and Elf.  You can't have Christmas lately without Elf, right?

Last year's Thanksgiving celebration at the S-clan's house

But, without being surrounded by the American culture and influence of the holidays, our little family is left to decide for itself about how to celebrate this season.  And, lemme tell ya, I am happy to be left out of Black Friday, fruitcake and the Chipmunks singing "O Holy Night" on repeat.

On the other hand, so much of what we feel during this season is all that we see and hear around us (in the States).  Neighborhoods are lit up, carols fill the air as we shop for milk, and Santa is suddenly everywhere we see in ads and decorations.

But, what do you do when we live here? In Asia. In a Buddhist nation.

With every year that passes, we realize that the holiday culture we will be experiencing is the one we create ourselves. Instead of letting extended family and TV commercials and Target toy ads determine what enjoy in this season, WE are the determining factor.

Here is what we have been doing over the past few years to make our overseas Christmas feel just right for US:

:: Food, lots and lots of glorious food.  When the temperature drops (or, at least when November hits)...out comes the pumpkins, cinnamon sticks, sugar cookies and comfort food. Over the past four years, our best experience yet in this area has been in the current city we live in.  For a price, you can get just about any ingredient to make what you need (mostly, but you still have to make from scratch).  One Christmas morning, we had breakfast tacos with handmade flour tortillas...just because when you live overseas, any special food makes it a special day...even if you don't necessarily equate breakfast tacos with Christmas!

:: Music.  Before the days of iTunes radio (we can't really get Pandora here)...this came in the form of our own albums, the borrowing of others, and YouTube Christmas play lists.  Just hearing the classics throughout our home makes us a little nostalgic, AND realize that most of the songs are so foreign to our kids.

This year, Mrs. Tawni came over to help us overload the tree with ornaments and Mr. Mike came to oversee the eating of cookies.  He had to make sure they were fit for eating, I guess.

Huy called dibs to put on the star.  He was beyond thrilled!

:: Decor, of course.  Now, I am not the craftiest or best home decorator (just ask my family)...but the only "seasonal" decor I have is at least Christmas stuff.  A few days ago, we pulled out the table-top Christmas tree, the box of ornaments we have been collecting since we married almost a decade ago, our two nativity scenes that some dear friends sent from the States, and some lights (that blink incessantly so as to make me want to lose my mind!).  For the last few years, some friends have come over to deck the tree and have a hot drink together.  Loads of fun!

:: Focus on giving, not getting.  Though we do buy a few things for our children and for each other to open on Dec. 25th, we don't have wish lists, or pretend to be Santa's middle-men.  It is so exciting to get new things given to you in this season (hey, I LOVE gifts! we aren't pretending to be non-materialistic!)...but we have tried to steer our minds towards what we can give instead.  I used to be plagued by buying meaningless or pricey junk for others in a veiled attempt to be generous...but instead of that, we try to pray about whom to give to each year and how to do it.  Some years we give World Vision gifts or items to support the eradication of human trafficking and poverty.  We visit a local orphanage on Christmas Day (for a few years now), bring some things along to bless them, and play with the children there.  Perspective can be a great teacher.  

:: Celebrating Advent/Jesse Tree. For the last three years we have been counting down December days by reading various prophetic passages leading up to the birth of Jesus.  All throughout the Bible, there are shadows and hopes of the Messiah's coming.  It has been so wonderful to draw all these stories together for us and for our kids as we prepare to celebrate Christmas in a meaningful way.  I used to use Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree devotional...but this year she is highlighting this study instead of her original one.  Also, YouVersion's Bible app has Advent reading plans to follow.  I am reading She Read's Truth's version and our family is going through the Countdown to Christmas reading plan.  

So, these are just a few ways we expats are trying to make the holidays something special to us.

What are some ways that you make your Thanksgiving/Christmas season meaningful? Expat or not, I would love to hear your traditions and ideas...feel free to comment below.

Blessings,
Alina

Dating By Motorbike

Treavor's dream bike: the Honda Phantom.  This is not what we ride!

There is nothing more fun, nowadays, than driving off into the night on Treavor's motorbike.  Usually, that kind of thrill only happens once a month or so.  Three years ago, every week on our date night, we would hop on the motorbike and ride away to have coffee, go to a movie, or induce memories of middle school by playing video games at the arcade together.  We weren't together in middle school, but you get the idea...

Moving twice and adding another child changes habits and the hunt to find babysitters every week can be rough.  Most date nights, we just stay at home and hope the kids will leave us alone after bedtime so we can have a real, uninterrupted conversation!  

With being at home most of the time with three truly precious, and sometimes difficult children; homeschooling, disciplining, potty-training, feeding, etc...most of the time all I want to do for our date night is ride off and go somewhere we've never gone before because most of my life is more. and. more. of. the. same.  

Last night, some friends offered to watch the kids for us while we went on a date.  Uh, yes!  

Treavor took me to have coffee (salted caramel, you are my new culinary love!) and dessert.  Afterwards,  he asked if there was anything else I wanted to do while we were out.  I just wanted to drive off into the proverbial sunset and not constantly check our watches.  When you ride on the motorbike here in Thailand, you begin to notice temperature changes in the atmosphere related to where you are in the city.  Near the city center, it is the same hot and sticky "normal" that it is most days here.  But, as you travel to the outskirts of the city, whipping past slow moving cars and bicycles...and eventually getting more into the country...it gets cooler.  Bearable.  Easier to breathe.  

So, we drove around near the mountains and took a "short cut" down a road we've never been down before.  Treavor's gas gauge threatened to leave us stranded on the side of the road, but my husband was sure we'd make it back to civilization before it would leave us high and dry.  He was right.  

The further down the road we got, the less the lights bombarded us on the road.  The air became sweeter, full of smells of jasmine leaves and magnolia blooms.  The pavement eventually turned to mud and we decided to turn around.  Instead of turning again onto the main, well-traveled road, we took another unfamiliar turn and decided to follow it wherever it went!  We ended up driving for over an hour and seeing a huge part of our city and countryside that we have never enjoyed before.  The night air was romantic and it was gas money very well spent.  

Ditching the car for the motorbike makes me feel younger.  It makes me feel like we haven't been married for an eternity, or, at least, that I don't feel like I am actually turning 30 next year.  For some reason, dating by motorbike makes me feel young and adventurous.  I recommend it!

We're needing some new date night ideas other than the cliche dinner and a movie.  Have any ideas to share?  Comment below!  I can sense the sparks flying already...

Wild Week Starts Next Monday - Right Here!

"Honey, have you seen my keys?  Did you steal them again?"

"Mom, I have no clean underwear!"  

"What's the answer to this math problem?"

"More milk!"  (via 2-year-old-still-addicted-to-her-morning-cup)

"What's for lunch?"

"But I don't want to take a nap!  Oh, when am I ever going to be 5?"  (at 5, Huy gets to stay up in the afternoons...maybe I should keep his birthday top secret?)

"Mooooom...tell him to stop playing 'Repeating Robot'!"

(Younger brother repeats in a robot-y voice)..."Mooooom...tell him to stop playing 'Repeating Robot'!"

Sigh...

There's a whole lot of "ordinary" going on here at my home AND here at the blog.  

So!  Because this is called Ordinary Life In The WILD, I thought I'd throw a little more "wild" in the mix and make a whole week of posts out of what is truly un-ordinary (at least for those of you who don't live here!) about living here in Thailand.  

But, if you stop in to read, I must warn you that you might get a little squeamish, or sad, or even a little confused.  Although, "wild" doesn't necessarily equate to bad...and sometimes, "wild" is even better than what we've always known...

...except for maybe living with cobras and eating rat-on-a-stick.  That kind of wild I can definitely live without!

Stay tuned!  I will be posting my first "Wild Week" entry on Monday.

I've got several themes settling in my thoughts about what I will post about - but is there anything you are interested in knowing about living here?  I'd love to know your thoughts!  Feel free to comment below:

Say Jurisdiction Five Times Fast

Eight years ago, I met a woman who introduced me to child training, discipling your kids, homeschooling and the like.  She has influenced the "why" of what I do in my home every single day.  I am so grateful for her!

One thing Lori taught me was about giving my kids (soon-to-be kids...I was a newlywed with no bun in the oven yet!) ownership in our home.  I wasn't a great house-keeper then when it was just Treavor and me, so how in the world was I going to manage all the work that being a mommy requires as well as keep us from living in a pigsty?  I definitely have NOT arrived yet, but I am working on it.  Enough about me...

So, giving my kids ownership in my home can be seen in a million different ways, but there is one thing I have started this week: Jurisdictions.  Say what?

ju·ris·dic·tion

   [joor-is-dik-shuhn] 

noun - the territory over which authority is exercised

Or, in my dictionary, the territory over which one child is responsible for.  It is different than a chore...it is more like a responsibility.

So, in the practical sense, every day except the Sabbath, in the morning and at nighttime, they are to inspect their "jurisdictions" and see if they are in right order.  If there is a need to, they might even have to teach someone in our family about how to help keep that place in order.  That's where the small ounce of authority comes in.

For instance: 

Jeshurun (the 6-year old) is in charge of sweeping off the front porch, throwing away any wayward trash that has collected there, and arranging the shoes outside the door.  In the morning, he will organize...and in the evening, he will shake out the rug, sweep, and puts things in a general order.  If someone is habitually leaving their shoes right on the welcome mat (ahem...me), then he has the authority to remind me (politely!) about where to put my shoes.

The front porch - completed!  So much more welcoming than how it usually is.

Huy (the 4-year old) is in charge of putting all the shoes in pairs on the inside shoe rack, and is also in charge of sweeping the area around it with a small hand brush and dustpan.  When I told him about it this morning, he literally jumped to the job.  For some reason, he got the "orderly" gene that skipped me.  Bummer.

Huy's jurisdiction - completed!  Ah...mental stress freedom!  (At least at the front door)

Now, I realize that even my four-year old probably can't even say jurisdiction...let alone my little toddler (who is, conveniently, exempt from jurisdictions).  Hey, for fun, you should even ask your own kids (if ya got 'em!) to say jurisdiction five times fast.  That would be funny.  But, even though my four-year old might not be able to even repeat it properly, I was so surprised to find out how quickly he would "own" it.

As I have read and observed in my home and in others, kids really love to help out!  If the job is do-able for their age, and if we parents can encourage them and point out when they complete it well, it is so motivating to them to have ownership over certain areas of the home.  And, frankly, it crosses off a few more things on my list of things to clean every day.  As my kids get older, their jurisdictions will change as their abilities change, too.  And, I just might get to prop my feet up a little more instead of wear myself out every day like I already do.  

Score one for mom.

Score one for my kids' future homes.

And, amen for a light at the end of the tunnel to having a more prepared, hospitable home.  One day!  

This definitely needs some sort of ownership.  Yikes!  One day at a time...

Do you have anything to elaborate on the subject of ownership, chores, or keeping your own space in order?  I would love to hear it!  My closest friends know I need all the help I can get.  Share your thoughts in the comments below:

What Three Years Will Get You

The day we arrived in Bangkok.  This is the best picture I could get out of my boys.  What a flight!  

Three years and a week ago, we moved here to Thailand.  To celebrate that milestone, I thought I'd compose a small list of the things that have become the norm for us.  There are probably a hundred more I am leaving out, but for me, these are proof enough to say that we have changed.  

What Three Years (living here) Will Get You:

- Not a great tan.  Surprised?  I finally understand Thais when they put long sleeves to go out in the sun. Skin cancer, no thanks!  And it doesn't hurt that for here, being pasty white is a thing of beauty.  No one has ever told me that I look sick for being so pale.  Instead of shelves of tanning lotion at the drug store, there are hundreds of different whitening products instead. 

- A stellar knack for killing mosquitoes.  My kids have started grabbing them mid-air and squeezing them in their fists.  You gotta watch out for the full ones, though - they leave quite a mess.


- Another kid.  Had to throw that one in there.  Kyla Jubilee is the coolest girl I know:

Kyla and her ridiculous hair.  

- Freedom from climate-controlled houses.  Yeah, there are some days when we have to turn on the air cons in our bedrooms or we'll keel over, but most days we're all content with open windows and doors.  I have yet to visit a house with central heat (what is a heater?) or air conditioning. Gone are the days of living at a perfect 72 degrees.  Oh yeah, and moving to Northern Thailand has definitely sealed the deal.  Finally, real seasons!  (Not just hot, really hot or sticky hot like we had in the south).


- A stronger stomach.  Is there an ant, a worm, or a stray hair in your food?  Just pick it out!  Keep on eating and keep telling yourself that your food is still OK to eat.  There won't be a health department coming to shut down the restaurant you're at.  And, you definitely won't be getting a free meal.


- Great friends.  There's nothing like moving away from being surrounded by your 20 best friends you've had since high school and college and all your family to help you be more intentional and vulnerable with new friends here.  They see the good, the bad, the ugly, the crying, the culture-shocking, the sin, the strengths, the ups and the downs.  And, they still like you.  Mostly.  


- Not so great friends: parasites (where's the bathroom?), worms (most likely have them), and weird skin diseases from sketchy water sources.  Oh, and wonderful things like Dengue Fever, Malaria and Japanese Encephalitis (three that are common here, but thankfully we have never experienced first-hand).  


- Understanding, compassion, a less ethnocentric view of the world...I could go on and on about all the deeper-issue things we've experienced since moving here.  There, I finally got a little mushy on you.



If you know us, or have ever lived in Thailand - what would be some of the things you'd add to my list? Comment below and join the conversation!

Soap Suds and Sermons

For the past several months, when my pile of dirty dishes threatens to eat my sink, my counters, my sanity and maybe even the children...I settle in for the night with soap suds and sermons.

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I washing and rinsing and scrubbing...I am also whining, complaining and despairing.  Not just over dishes, but over the day.  I have a scripture taped above my kitchen sink that reminds me to give thanks...but sometimes I look past it and give gripes instead.

Lately, my mind has been on a roller-coaster ride of encouragement and discouragement.  A mental up and down.  All the excitement is a little exhausting!  One day filled with promise and the next day, I am zoning out on the couch simply because I don't know where to start at getting through my goals and lists and promises and expectations...

And, while I spend another night washing away the grime of tonight's dinner (or...psst...last week's coffee cups!), I turn up the volume of my computer and turn down the volume of thoughts in my head.  I turn on a sermon.

Tonight I listened to this sermon at antiochcc.net.  It was all about the Holy Spirit.  And I need the rest that Jimmy Seibert talks about that the Holy Spirit gives us to deliver us from striving and working and trying to do it "all" myself.  Yes, I have been filled by Him before.  Why in the world did I think that it was enough then?  I need more now.  Now.  I can be filled anew today.

The soap suds cover my hands and the sink and the counter and my heart.  I really feel cleaner tonight.  And so do my dishes.  I can finally rest my mind and go to sleep in His presence.

How much do you need His rest today?  

Update On 2012 Resolutions...I Mean...Goals

Although my feelings change daily...His word never does. 

Are you still writing 2011 in your journal/calendar/school papers?  I am.  I crossed out two weeks of 2011's in my journal the other day.  Must be stuck in the past or something.  Or, incredibly forgetful. This week, a guy told me that his wife used to say, "with every child you birth, half of your brain goes out as well."  So, if that is true, I have 1/8th of my original brain left in tact.  That sounds about right...most days.

In looking back at the last month, and wanting to milk the accountability of my blog readers...I want to take a look at the goals I made at the beginning of this year and see what has been (or hasn't been) accomplished.

2012 Goals (condensed version) - click here for the whole post.

1(a): increase my exercise routine (walk around the neighborhood more), move from just "girl" push-ups to real ones, rock climb 2x/month.

  (b): plan more for the day each morning.

  (c): increase my morning routine (mainly time with Jesus) from one hour to two (by the end of Spring).

2.  Unplug from the Internet from 8am-after lunch on home school days.

3.  Unsubscribe from email lists that clog my inbox.

4.  Remember that I can't do it all!

So...how did I do?  Totally failure?  Total victory?  

Well...a little bit of both.

1(a) - I did increase my walking routine around the neighborhood...I added one extra time per week - and did it!  

And...I can FINALLY do one. real. push-up.  It took me a whole month of "girl" push-ups and "hands-elevated" push-ups to finally get to one traditional push-up. As I was writing this post, I did one...and then attempted the 2nd.  Guess what?  I fell flat on my face.  My husband witnessed it and laughed right along with me.  And, I did not even hit the rock climbing wall once.  Major fail.  Maybe this month?

(b) - I started writing only three things on my to-do list each day.  Only three.  Okay, sometimes I did more. But, for the most part...with advice from Inspired to Action...I kept it down to three so I could stay more focused throughout the day and not feel like a complete failure if I didn't complete my normal 20-point to-do list.  Seriously.  That's called setting yourself up for failure.

(c) - I am getting there concerning waking up earlier.  With a few exceptions, and not counting when I was sick with a bad cold (twice!), I have been waking up a little earlier each week.  I am now halfway to my goal (up 1.5 hrs before all the kids).  By April, I want to be up a full two hours before the kids are.  Hmmm...that might be helped if I learn to also get to bed earlier...

2 - On home school days (4/5 days a week), I have been "unplugged" on an avg. of 3 of those days.  Facebook and The Pioneer Woman are strangely addictive.  Surely I can give up my craving for the Internet for a measly 5 hours a day.  You would think that, wouldn't you?  Not yet to my goal of complete separation.  Working on it.  When I am weak, I have to remember that my kids (and their schooling) are so much better than an social networking/blogging fix.  

3 - I unsubscribed myself from EIGHTEEN different email newsletters.  Hello to a cleaner inbox!  Then, I did an "email sweep" to delete all of their email message cousins.  I think I am going to make this goal a regular thing.  Because, we all know that a woman living in Thailand probably shouldn't get all the Target weekly deals popping in her inbox to start a snowball of coveting happening in her heart.  Whoever that girl is.

4 - Here's where my post gets a little more vulnerable.  I tried to start the year with "remembering that I simply can't do it all."  That lasted for a few weeks, and then amnesia set in.  A few weeks ago, a huge cloud of discouragement wafted over my head and heart, and I felt like a complete failure at life.  I said to my husband, who had encouraged me that I was not a failure, "If I am doing so well, why do I feel like I am failing?"  Since then, I have had some wonderful conversations with the Holy Spirit, and some tearful worship times and bible studies (click here for the free one I am doing now!).  God is encouraging me, uprooting lies, replacing truth, giving me great feedback and direction...and I am super blessed.  Also, I have been reading this book, Grace For The Good Girl.  I highly recommend it.  It is a unique story, but it is for everyone to relate with.

How about your goals?  Have you kicked 'em to the curb yet?  Stayed strong?  Or, somewhere in-between?  Feel free to share below.  I love honesty.

Second-hand Beauty

When the New Year rolls around, we always hear, "Throw out the old and bring in the new!"  On many levels, I agree with that old adage.  But, when it comes to decorating my house, the "old" doesn't need to be thrown out, per say...but re-arranged.


Treavor's Dad, Carl, is flying here tomorrow.  He is in Vietnam visiting friends and relatives, and decided to come visit us for five whole days.  We are thrilled!  This will be our third time seeing him since we left the States.  It has been so encouraging to get to spend time with him here in southeast Asia.  We feel like a little bit of home is coming.  

Kyla, Carl, Run and Huy last year in January

In preparation for his stay here at our house, we are organizing and cleaning a ton.  I am convinced that house-guests keep my house sane.  If a house can be deemed "sane," anyway.  You know what I mean?  When we know people are coming, suddenly the piles and dust bunnies are more obvious...and we have much more motivation to make our home comfortable and beautiful.  


We have a table in the front room of our house that is one of those "catch-all" places.  It is anything but beautifully adorned.  Most days, it is piled with junk: loose change, school books, receipts, broken toys...


But, today I had a burst of energy and tried to revitalize it a bit.


As The Nester would say, I "shopped the house" and found odds and ends, brought them together, and made a little more sense out of that front table.

simple.  clutter-free.  a great improvement (too bad I didn't take a "before" picture!)

this tablecloth was a very-welcomed hand-me-down from our house-mate, Kat, when she left Thailand

this picture of us was taken by Vikki when Treavor and I were dating.  this frame was another welcomed hand-me-down from Glen when he left Thailand.  now Glen and Kat (see table-cloth) are engaged.  just a random bit of trivia for ya.  they are all generous people.

these bride and groom figurines were given to us right before we left South Korea almost 7 years ago.  they are some of my favorite things ever.

the Willow Tree new mommy was given to us by Treav's mom and I gave Treav the one on the right as a "new dad" gift when Run was born.  so sweet.

this funky vase was another hand-me-down from Kat when she left.  i told you she was generous!

these pussy-willow branches were nearly free.  i bought three bunches this week at a roadside market for $1.50.  the seller said they would last almost a year.  gorgeous!  and, so cheap!

If you are frustrated with an area of your home, try and "shop the house" and see what things you can find to bring together and bring new life to your home!  I am, honestly, a novice at this, but I am not content to just continue on in my decorating handicap.  Take a risk today!  You might be really surprised at the outcome!

Getting The Jesse Tree Ready - Advent!

Our very empty Christmas...I mean...Jesse Tree.

Today, the kids woke up to find a very empty Christmas tree on the front table.  While lots of other families are already knee-deep in Christmas traditions, we are just waking up from our turkey-coma, I guess, and thinking about the upcoming Jesus celebration.  Christmas is about Jesus, right?  Just checking...


Instead of decking the halls and throwin' up the tinsel, we will be slowly adding ornaments to our Christmas tree.  By the 25th, our tree should be full of picture stories about the greatest Story of all: how Jesus came to us weary people on the earth to bring us back to life!


Don't get me wrong, I am totally into a beautifully decorated home this time of year.  I love poinsettias (got 'em on the front porch), nativity scenes, twinkling lights and yards of shiny ribbon wrapped around everything.  I guess its all the prep that scares me a bit.  And, the cleaning.  And storing.  And buying.  And, a general flair for making your house look...put together.  That's something that is lacking in the department of my brain that, for other people, is second nature.  So, decorate your houses with freedom and bring on the bling!  Just don't expect it here when you come for coffee!  


So, our main tradition (an early one...really...this is our second year) is adding to our Jesse Tree each day.  What is a Jesse Tree?  Basically, there was a prophesy in Isaiah about how from the stump of Jesse (the father of King David), that a branch would spring up and bear fruit, bringing Hope back into the world that had been cut-off from it, like the stump.  That branch would be the Messiah.  The Messiah was Jesus!  So, a tradition was started to retrace the line of stories of God's redemptive acts throughout the Old Testament...leading to Jesus.  On Christmas Day, the last day of our study, we will read about the birth of our Messiah King.  


And, each day, at the end of our Bible story reading, we will hang the corresponding ornament (a mere paper picture) on the tree to have a visual reminder of what we're looking forward to...His coming.  Here's the first ornament:

I took the picture from our devotional, glued it onto some red construction paper (fancy, right?), and taped some silver ribbon on the back.

Scotch tape.  What can be simpler than that?

The first ornament on the tree.  See?  Easy-peasy!

Where can you get a free copy of the devotional we're following this year? Go to A Holy Experience and subscribe to their email list of posts from Ann Voskcamp, the author of One Thousand Gifts.  She has given this Jesse Tree Devotional as a "thank you" to subscribers.  Go ahead - subscribe!  Ann Voskcamp is a gem.


Happy Advent!