Thursday, November 18, 2010

Planning For Christmas

A quick pre-holiday post as I scrape dried food off my space bar. This is what happens when I leave my laptop at the kitchen table.

I'm in the middle of Christmas shopping. Normally I'd be done or nearly done, but not this year. I've pledged not to get all stressed out about it - I have great gifts already for Jamie and Micah - and the rest are falling into place. This year Micah's big gift from us/Santa is an "early engineers" train set. He's also getting a neat puzzle/train toy I found at the Holiday Show and some crayons. We're only doing three gifts this year (it was good enough for Baby Jesus ;-). Plus, with 7 grandparents, we have to actively engage in toy control.


We also like to get Micah a Christmas book every year. My goal was to always select a book that tells the real meaning of Christmas. We did that last year with What Is Christmas? by Michelle Adams, but this year I could not resist Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney. We are in love with this series and all things llama. In fact, Nana Santa told me Micah might be getting the stuffed llama toy from the series.



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One thing I've learned through my Motherwise Bible study this semester is the power and importance of praying for my children. I've always prayed for Micah, but not in the ways this study has challenged me. It never occurred to me to pray that he would become a Christian early in life; that he would desire the right kind of friends and be protected from the wrong friends; that he would be protected from evil - spiritually, physically and emotionally; that he would be kept for the right mate and saved from the wrong one. There are so many things to pray for, and I just love doing it! It's a humbling reminder to me who he really belongs to, and it's also such a simple thing I can do for him that makes an eternal difference.

2 comments:

The Foltz's said...

Oh how I wish I was in Motherwise with you guys!! Love and miss you guys too. Lets plan a get together after the Holidays slow down. I keep waiting to see "that post" from you guys too. We are thinking that it may happen sometime soon but not quite there yet!!

Anonymous said...

You are such a good "praying-out-loud" kinda girl too! Micah is going to have a wonderful Christmas and I like you 3 toy rule! I might have to check out the Llama Llama Holiday Drama! Such cute books!! I'm with you! I have learned to not only pray when I need some help but to praise and to pray for my boys' futures. I pray now for their wives, their decision-making, and other things I never thought about praying for before Motherwise. MW is such an awesome study! Love it!!!!