Blanket

This morning I had a baby blanket in my box. It is a soft, flannel blanket made for Quinn by my grandmother. We all had these soft blankets when my brothers and I were little and my grandmother made them for all of my children, even making extra, planning ahead for the time when she wouldn't be able to sew or crochet anymore. We talked about how wonderful it is to have a soft lovie blanket like that, that someone special has made for you.

When Mary and Joseph left on their journey to Bethleham it is unclear whether she knew she would be delivering her baby during the journey or not. Clearly they were unprepared for how long it would take to get there in her condition, or how crowded the city would be. What we do know is that she did bring soft strips of cloth to swaddle her new baby, to protect him, and comfort him in the dark of the stable. My hope for our children, is that they constantly feel God's love around them like a soft blanket, as something warm and comfortable that they know is always there for them. No matter how dark the night or how loud the storm in good times and bad, we are swaddled in God's love.

Here are two of the ELP II Chapel Songs we sing at Christmas.

Mary Had A Baby Boy (Sung To: Mary Had A Little Lamb)

Mary had a baby boy, baby boy, baby boy
Mary had a baby boy, his name was Jesus Christ
He was born in a manger, in a manger, in a manger
He was born in a manger, among all the hay
Mary had a baby boy, baby boy, baby boy
Mary had a baby boy, his name was Jesus Christ
The shepherd's came to visit him, visit him, visit him.
The shepherd's came to visit him, the angel told them to.
Mary had a baby boy, baby boy, baby boy
Mary had a baby boy, his name was Jesus Christ
Three wise men came and brought him gifts, brought him gifts, brought him gifts.
Three wise men came and brought him gifts, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
Mary had a baby boy, baby boy, baby boy
Mary had a baby boy, his name was Jesus Christ

The Baby in the Manger (Sung to: The Wheels on the Bus)

The cow in the manger went moo-moo-moo, moo-moo-moo, moo-moo-moo, the cow in the manger went moo-moo-moo, all through the night.
The hay on the ground went crunch-crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch-crunch, crunch-crunch-crunch, the hay on the ground went crunch-crunch-crunch, all through the night.
The baby in the manger went waa-waa-waa, waa-waa-waa, waa-waa-waa, the baby in the manger went waa-waa-waa, all through the night.
His mother Mary went shh-shh-shh, shh-shh-shh, shh-shh-shh, his mother Mary went shh-shh-shh, all through the night

Angel

There was an angel in my box today. It is a small terra cotta angel, posed seated and holding a real candle. It came from my grandmother's house. It stayed outside in the garden during spring and summer, and moved inside during colder months where it could be found perched on a bookshelf, or the mantel or by the hearth. At times my grandmother called it her guardian angel, and growing up I remember always looking for it as she liked to move it around from time to time, so you never knew where it might turn up.
While my angel is childlike and lovely, the angel Gabriel must be fearsome to look upon, for he generally starts his messages from God with "Do not be afraid". I reminded the children that the Bible tells us that the story of Jesus begins with the angel Gabriel bringing God's message of hope. And while the respected priest Zechariah did not believe Gabriel's message for him, the young Mary simply accepted it, opening her heart and saying "Here am I, servant of the Lord". Like Mary, we should all keep our hearts open and ready, waiting for God to show us what is needed of us. We all should be ready to answer God's call with "Here am I, servant of the Lord".

Candles

This week there was a candle lighter in my box. Think of all the special occasions when our children see candles: family dinners, birthday cakes, the candles in our jack-o-laterns and of course, the candles in church. In the chapel I lead each week for our two-year-olds, their favorite part is when I light the candle at the beginning, and when we count to three to blow it out at the end. Each week I remind the children that we light the candle to remind us of the light of God that is shining within us, but that even when we blow it out, God's love surrounds us just as the smoke from the candle fills the room.

During advent, many families make an advent wreath with candles to light each week to remind us of the importance of preparing our hearts for the birst of Christ. In our family we use the advent wreath as a way to force us to slow down, enjoy a family dinner at the dining room table and share time with one another. What are your family traditions this advent? Take some time to light a candle and remember that God's light is always there for you.

5 Ways to Keep Your Family on Track during Advent

1. Attend church as a family. This may sound like a given, but too many families allow work and social holiday events to come before worship. Church, Sunday school, the Advent Fair, caroling and other events at St. Mark’s can help you to remember the reason for the season and help you keep Christ at the center of your life.
2. Limit what you do. Focus on the things that matter, and it will be a lot easier to say “no thanks” to things that don’t make your priority list.
3. Include quiet time for just the family. Block off some time on your calendar just for quiet time at home, and guard it just as you would a social obligation. Use that time to watch old movies, read Christmas books, and talk about Christmases past.
4. Focus your charitable activities. It sometimes feels as if we try to cram a year’s worth of charity into one month. Decide as a family what one or two things you want to do to give back and do those together.
5. Don’t get caught up in excess gift buying. It is easy to think our family members need everything on their list. Focusing on one or two gifts that are truly meaningful is much better than buying things just to have another wrapped gift under the tree. Also, look for gifts that give back: purchases that donate some or all of their proceeds to charity

This week I brought a blessings bowl to chapel. It is a simple wooden bowl filled with acorns. Starting this Thanksgiving, we are going to pass the bowl around the table and ask everyone present to take as many or as few acorns as they want from the bowl, until it's empty. Everyone should end up with at least some acorns. We will then pass the bowl around again and each of us will give thanks for something or someone for each acorn we have taken. Once the bowl has travelled around the table again it will be full of our blessings.

We have been given so much, a beautiful earth to inhabit and care for, loving families, and a caring community in which we live. It is important that we remember to stop and give thanks for all the blessings God has showered down upon us. Hopefully our blesssing bowl will become a regular tradition in our home, and not just saved for Thanksgiving. Perhaps it can become a part of your family traditions as well.