I am wondering if eventually I will have to close down this post. My life has changed in the six years since I started this blog. This coming school year, I have to teach at our little school. It has 9 children, but 8 different grade levels. Some of the classes I can keep kids together, but some I cannot. As the only teacher — although I have parents helping — I have a huge time commitment.

Over the next few weeks, I will continue to do this post and see how it goes. I might not write a lot, but I will share the sheets I have prepared for my ladies’ Sunday School class. We have been studying the names of God using the book, Lord I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur.

Even though we are using that book, I look through several other books for my preparation, and I use some of the information from those books as well as from our main book to prepare a weekly handout.

The first name of God that is studied in Lord, I Want to Know You is Elohim.

Did you know that the name commonly used for God in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word Elohim and that Elohim appears some 2,750 times in the Old Testament?

It’s the very first name by which God chooses to reveal Himself to us. That’s significant! It means “supreme one” or “mighty one.”

El means “mighty” or “strong” and is used for any reference to gods, including Almighty God. It displays God’s sovereignty and power.

Him in Hebrew has plural ending indicating more than one. It is a plural form of a word paired with singular verbs and adjectives. Elohim is the one true God who is also the three persons of the Trinity.

When I study the Bible, I like to see what I can learn and how I can apply it to my life. Here are some applications we can make from the study of the name of God Elohim:

• Why did He create us? We were created by Him for His glory.
  “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” Isaiah 43:7
  Here the word glory means “to give the correct opinion or estimate of.” We are to live in such a way as to give all creation a correct opinion or estimate of who God is.

“Your life is meant to show the greatness and glory and, in fact, the very presence and existence of God.” Catherine Martin

• Why did He create us? We were created for His pleasure. We were created to have a personal relationship with God.
• Every person is created by design and has a purpose in life.
• When you feel like God is not real or you doubt His nearness, go look at God’s creation. He created it and He made us in His image!
• When you find yourself in an impossible situation, call out to Elohim:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God (Elohim); in him will I trust. Psalm 91:1-2

You can print out the handout I made here:

You can also print out these little cards HERE.

I printed them on cardstock every week and handed them out to the ladies in my class so they could put them in their Bibles or on their refrigerator.

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

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We’ve been reading the book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss as a ladies’ book study.

Most of us have an older edition, but a few of the ladies have this newer edition, and I have discovered that she has changed it quite a bit. A new chapter was added and so a few new “lies” were added, there is different formatting to the book, and some of the content has been changed.

Even with the new information, we have still been able to follow along with each other and have a great book study. I have made printables that go with the older version of the book, but I am hoping to borrow someone’s book when the book study is over and add printables for the new edition.

The chapter we will be going over this next week is
Lies Women Believe . . .  About Circumstances

I think the lie that resonated the most with me from that chapter was Lie 39:

LIE 39: I just can’t take any more.

I know that I can get overwhelmed. It is 1:20 a.m.; I have a busy VBS day tomorrow, and I am finishing this post. I can feel like I can’t take any more at times. But look at this beautiful truth:

TRUTH 39:  Regardless of what my emotions or my circumstances may tell me, God’s Word says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” His divine resources are available to meet my need — no matter how great.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

I also liked Lie 40:

LIE 40: It’s all about me.

TRUTH 40: I exist to live for the glory and the pleasure of God. It’s all about Him.

Even though I don’t usually think, “It’s all about me,” I also don’t always remember that it’s all about Him. Many times, it’s about my kids, or my responsibilities, or my church. Even though those are great things, my first focus should be to bring Him honor and glory with what I do.

Nancy shared this Latin phrase:

CORAM DEO

Living all of life in the presence of God under the authority of God and to the glory of God.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11

If you want to see more of the lies about circumstances, go HERE to get the printable sheet. It was a convicting chapter to read!

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* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

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For the ladies book study at our church, we are reading the book Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. On last week’s post, I shared some highlights from chapters 2 and 3.

I have made up worksheets for chapters 4-6 as we just covered chapter 4, and I will be out of town for two of the chapters. If you want to get any of the handouts, you can print them out HERE. I still have to finish chapters 7 – 11.

Here are some of the highlights from Lies Women Believe, chapter 4-6.

• Chapter 4 discussed Lies Women Believe . . .  About Sin
  One of the lies that women believe is that my sin isn’t that bad, and another lie that some women believe is that their sin is so bad that that God can’t forgive it.

Two opposite lies — yet for each lie we have to go to the cross. If we look at how Christ died for each sin we do, then we realize that our sin IS bad. It put Him on the cross. That thought should make us want to repent of that sin, forsake it, and desire to live a holy and righteous life. Then we also go to the cross when we think our sin is so bad that God can’t forgive it. We look at the cross and remember how His blood covered our sin when we repented and put our trust in Him. He had already paid the price, whether or not we can accept it. It wasn’t so bad that He did not die for it.

• In chapter 4, there was also a discussion on how the closer we get to God, the more we see our own sinfulness. This thought went along with the lie, “ I cannot walk in consistent victory over sin.”

The truth that went with that lie is, “I am powerless to change myself; however, through the finished work of Christ on the cross, I can live in victory over sin. I have been set free through Christ.“

When we see our own sinfulness, we need to turn our eyes onto the Savior and see His awesome power and how He can give us the victory we need over that sin. I loved this quote that was in the book called The Valley of Vision.

• Chapter 5 was titled Lies Women Believe . . .  About Priorities. I liked this quote from Nancy:

Frustration is the by-product of attempting to fulfill responsibilities God does not intend for us to carry. Freedom, joy, and fruitfulness come from seeking to determine God’s priorities for each season of life, and then setting out to fulfill those priorities, in the power of His Spirit, realizing that He has provided the necessary time and ability to do everything that He has called us to do.

If you struggle with prioritizing your life, here are a few suggestions from Nancy about how to figure out what are truly the things you should be making a priority:

1. List the activities in which you are involved on a regular (daily/weekly) basis.
2. Consider the activities that are “negotiable.” Does each of these activities fit in with your (and God’s) priorities? Why or why not?
3. Prioritize each of the negotiable activities by ranking them with numbers. Are you tending to the top priorities? If not, what can you do now to simplify your schedule and your life so that you are acting on what is most important? Ask God what adjustments He wants you to make in your schedule, so that you can be sure you are glorifying Him and fulfilling His agenda for your life.
4. What do you need to do in order to be able to go to bed each night and say, “Today I finished the work that the Lord gave me to do”!

• Chapter 6 was titled Lies Women Believe . . .  About Marriage. I loved this quote from that chapter.

“The Truth is that contentment is not found in having everything we think we want but in choosing to be satisfied with what God has already provided.”

If you haven’t read the book, you should give it a chance! I think you will really enjoy it

Next week, there will be no Thoughtful Thursdays post. Have a great Fourth of July!

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
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Since my shoulder is healing (I can go without my sling as long as I am careful to not do things I should not be doing), I am back to the very busy lifestyle a mom of five always has. I am also leading two book studies for ladies over the summer and two book studies with my kids.

One of the ladies book studies is Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss (or Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth).

I have read the book many years ago, but it is good for me to go through it again and see how I might have changed or fallen into a bad habit.

As I go along in the book, I am making a handout for each chapter that lists the lies along with the truths and verses from God’s Word that go along with each truth. That way, the ladies can have a cheat sheet for when they are struggling with a certain lie. They can run to the sheet, remind themselves of the truth and read God’s truth that will combat the lie.

I am doing all of the sheets in Google Docs on one document, so the document is a work in progress as we will do chapter 4 together next week. You can use what I have done so far HERE or come back at the end of the summer for the complete set. Each handout eventually will be a one 2-sided sheet.

Here are some highlights from chapters 2 and 3:

• Chapter 2’s lie, “God is not really enough,” really made me think, “Is God enough for me?” Would I be content if He took everything away from me like He did to Job? Would I feel complete in Him if I were to live without all the Western civilization comforts that I now enjoy?

I don’t know if I can say that He definitely would be enough in those situations, but I want Him to be enough. I want to be able to say the truth, “God is enough! If I have Him, I have all I need.” Colossians 2:9-10 says:

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

This verse made me think of the song Complete in Thee by Ben Everson. I love the words of the following verse of the song.

• In Chapter 3, Nancy quotes a line in the companion guide from Elisabeth Elliot. The line was, “The longed-for thing is material for sacrifice.” I thought, “What does that mean?” So I went and looked it up. I found a devotional that Elisabeth Elliot wrote that contained that quote. I loved the devotional. Here is part of it:

I had been praying for something I wanted very badly. It seemed a good thing to have, a thing that would make life even more pleasant than it was and would not in any way hinder my work. God did not give it to me. Why? I do not know all of His reasons, of course. The God who orchestrates the universe has a good many things to consider that have not occurred to me, and it is well that I leave them to Him. But one thing I do understand: He offers me holiness at the price of relinquishing my own will. “Do you honestly want to know Me?” He asks. I answer yes. “Then do what I say,” He replies. “Do it when you understand it; do it when you don’t understand it. Take what I give you; be willing not to have what I do not give you. The very relinquishment of this thing that you so urgently desire is a true demonstration of the sincerity of your lifelong prayer: ‘Thy will be done.’” So instead of hammering on heaven’s door for something that it is now quite clear God does not want me to have, I make my desire an offering. The longed-for thing is material for sacrifice. “Here, Lord, it’s yours.”

Elisabeth Elliot

Isn’t that good? I hope that will enrich your soul like it has mine.

Here are some great posts that have been linked up to the last month of parties:

• I liked this quote that was in Soul Survial’s post, “When People Hurt Us.”
  Nothing happens to us that isn’t first filtered through God’s hands.

• You can get some FREE Printable Bible Devotional Worksheets from The Inspired Prairie.

• Siblings Of Special Needs Kids Get The Short End Of The Stick from An Ordinary Mom’s Musings might be a post that you need to read.

• I liked the quote on meekness that was on A New Len’s post, “Wrestling with Meekness.”
  “Meekness is the acceptance of the Master’s hands on the reins without fighting.”  

• The post, “When rest is best,” by Healthbeat is great for expectant mothers.

• Advice to My Younger Self from Jennifer Lambert is a great post.

• Disappointed Again from Being Woven

• Principles of Spiritual Warfare? from Christine Malkemes

• 5 Gifts to Give your Children from The Common Place — these gifts may surprise you.

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
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4. If you wish, please follow Creative K Kids by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media.

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Next week, I am starting a book study with the ladies in my church. We are doing the book Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. There is an updated version, but we had many copies of the 2006 version, so that is what we are using.

The whole premise is that Satan is a master deceiver, and we have bought into his lies; but if we turn to God’s truth, His truth can set us free.

The companion guide’s first verse that Nancy asks us to consider is John 10:10:

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I want to have that abundant life!
Don’t you?

To have that abundant life, we have to stay centered and focused on God’s truth and not the lies our world and culture that is Satan’s playground would like us to believe.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

I want to know the truth! I want to be set free!
Don’t you?

We must then “continue in” His Word so that we know His truth!

Here are some verses that talk about the true nature and the deception of Satan:

• Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44
• In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Corinthians 4:4
• And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14
• Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:11-12
• Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: I Peter 5:8

“Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honor, and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure, and pays with pain; he promises with profit, and pays with loss; he promises life, and pays with death.” Thomas Brooks

But we have the truth! God is truth!!

• Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:5
• God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
• That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Hebrews 6:18
• And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14
• But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Jeremiah 10:10
• In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2
• And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 1 John 5:20
• He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. John 3:33

We don’t need to fall to Satan’s lies! God is greater than Satan. He will overcome in the end, and we can overcome in this world if we hide the truth in our hearts. God has said:

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. I John 4:4

How do we not fall prey to Satan’s lies?

Get into God’s Word! Study it!! Ask God to guide you into all truth!

• For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. Psalm 33:4
• Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17
• Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
• Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalm 119:160
• Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11
• Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

These verses and thoughts go along with the Introduction and Chapter 1 in the Lies Women Believe Book. If you would like a handout that I used for the Introduction and Chapter 1, CLICK HERE. Next week, I will hopefully share what I learned in Chapter 2.

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

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I know we are all busy! Let me share my busyness with you!

I am doing 4 book studies this summer. To do that, I need to be studying the books NOW! So I bought the books and all the guides (if they have them), and I am starting to read them. For a couple of them, I want to make printables I can hand out weekly to help the group stay on track.

Here are the books we are studying:

• For a ladies’s book study, we are doing Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free. I have studied this book before, but the ladies in my church hadn’t. It’s easy to find this book in thrift stores  or to buy it used on Amazon, so that is a plus. For myself, I bought The Companion Guide or what is now called The Study Guide. Since I am leading the group, I like to see what the authors thought was important to include in the discussion. 
• For my 2 youngest girls, I bought Lies Girls Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free. This summer, I want to go someplace special with them once a week — whether it is McDonalds or a local park, and go over one chapter with them. I haven’t been able to take the time to disciple them like I want to, so I want to make that a priority this summer. For me, I bought A Mom’s Guide to Lies Girls Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free. I’m really excited about this book study. I’ll let you know how it goes!
• For my older two girls, we are going to do some of I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. They will also do the curriculum spiral-bound workbook, and this will be an elective Apologetics/Bible credit for both of them when they finish it. If you buy the workbook, there is a link on the inside of the front cover where you can get a downloadable answer key for the workbook and downloadable tests. For myself, I bought The Official Study Guide to I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, as I thought it might help me direct the conversations we’ll have about what the girls have read. Both of them will be attending a local secular college in high school to get dual enrollment credits, and I want them to know what they believe and why and also to see the error in what they might hear in their classes.
• For the ladies’ Sunday School class, we are going to be doing the book Lord, I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur. I have read this book in the past, but most of our class has not done this book. It is an excellent in-depth study on the names of God.

Next year, my responsibilities are growing at our little church school — plus I am changing History curriculum next year. I have done Mystery of History and Story of the World for the past two years, with Mystery of History being my main spine. I have loved it! But I want to teach some American History, so I am switching to Sonlight for one year. I have ordered it and am trying to wrap my mind around it. I am doing History 120 and Literature 130 for my 7th and 9th graders, and going to let my 5th grade son sit in on the History portion. I will teach the History portion, with the older students reading a few of the books on their own.

Since I want them to do some of the Literature work on their own, I have ordered the three older students their own literature guide. I am going through and making up vocabulary worksheets based on their history and literature guides. Now they can fill in the definitions and study those sheets for their weekly quizzes.

I will still do a discussion with the three students about the literature reading a couple of times a week, and only my ninth grader is doing the language arts/writing portion of the curriculum. The 7th graders will continue to use Bob  Jones Grammar videos and workbooks that they are used to doing. I may change a few of their writing assignments to coincide with Sonlight’s writing assignments.

I have already done vocabulary worksheets for one half of the year. I did not include every word that Sonlight put in their guides. If there were too many words, I tried to pick words that I thought the students might hear more often so they should know what it means.  There may also be some mistakes as I didn’t proof every single sheet. If I get quizzes made to go along with these worksheets, I’ll let you know! If there is a (H) behind the word, then that means it is a vocabulary word that is in the history guide. If you are only do literature, then you would want to just disregard those words.

If you are teaching the Sonlight 100 program (American History and Literature) , then you can download these Vocabulary sheets for your child.

Click HERE to print out the vocabulary sheets!

I love it when someone does work for me. So since I need to do it for my kids; hopefully, it can benefit someone else as well.

I am working on making fill-in-the blank worksheets for when I teach History. Sonlight uses A Story of US by Joy Hakim as their main spine, so these are the books for which I am making the worksheets as well as a couple of other books that I will teach in our history class.  I am making sure that the worksheets include the information they will need for the tests that can be bought to go along with the books. I know some homeschoolers don’t do tests, but I want something very concrete for my highschooler’s transcript.

The other thing I want to do this summer is do printable worksheets for Saxon Grade 1 daily math meetings and for ABeka’s Kindergarten and 1st grade phonics. When I have to teach all these subjects in just a few hours, it helps if I don’t have to be writing all that information on a board. I can print it out and they can do it right on the paper. If I have time, I can laminate them to use over and over for future students.

All of this is very ambitious, but if I can get it all done, it will make next school year much more manageable.

How do you stay organized with your busy life?

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

* homemaking * homeschooling * devotional or Biblical posts * Christian in nature * family/marriage * inspirational *

1. 1. Do NOT link up recipes, reviews, giveaways, diy, or crafts.
   2. Link up to three posts that have not been linked up to this linky previously!
   3. We would love it if you visited a couple other posts and left a comment or shared/pinned the post!
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If you link up, we would love if you put this button somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, or party page) or provide a text link so that others can also find these great posts.

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How many of you make yearly goals?

I used to. In fact, I had a linky party I hosted monthly where I would share my progress with my goals and the new goals for the next month.

Goals are good. They help us focus and make priorities. However, for me they became overwhelming. They reminded me of so many things I needed to do with so little time.

The last couple of years, I made just a couple of goals; and I don’t think I kept them. So this year, I am not making hard and fast goals. My life dictates what a lot of my goals have to be. I teach daily in the school year; I take my kids where they need to go; I make dinner and do laundry. I have a full life with just regular duties.

I struggle with finding time for exercise and my personal time with God. I can make goals, but I haven’t kept them in the past. So how do I make these necessities a priority? Instead of making goals, I found a few verses that I want to focus on to help me keep some Biblical priorities this year. If you haven’t made any goals yet, maybe these verses can help you know where to focus in 2019.

Here are six good verses that can help us to make Biblical goals:

This year, I want to make sure my thought life stays focused on things that will help me be positive. That will help me to live a life that is pleasing to God. Our daily walk with God starts with what we focus on! Let’s think on these things.

I want to delight in God in 2019. I want to trust in Him and His Word, and leave my way to His leading. I know if I take time to delight in Him, He will direct me and help me to know where to prioritize my time. In stead of going through a systematic reading plan of God’s Word, I am studying in depth the Sunday school lessons and book studies I have to teach this year in my personal devotional time.

I want to try to live a life that is without offence in 2019. That when people see my life, they will know that I am sincere in the way I live my life. I don’t want to be a hypocrite. So I need to approve those things that will uplift my spiritual walk; things that are excellent. This includes how I spend my free time which includes the things I watch, read and listen to.

I want to continue running the race. To do this I need to keep my eyes on Jesus and not get distracted with all the cares of this world. I need to make sure I don’t waste my time on things that don’t really matter.

I want to be a better witness this year. As I go about my days, I want my normal lifestyle be one of praise to God so much so that those around me see God and all that He has done for them. I want to be more bold in my witness to those I meet and interact with that live in my community.

I can get tired and negative in my attitude. I want to live a life that is full of praise and thanksgiving to God for all that He has done.

If you think these verses would help you this year with your Biblical goals or priorities, you can print out the sheet below and display it somewhere.
Go HERE to print it out!

You could copy this sheet onto a magnetic sheet, cut the verses apart and put them on your refrigerator. The sheet can also be laminated and cut into individual verses that can be placed on a car dashboard or a mirror. If we are serious about running the race, we need to keep our priorities in front of us! I know I need all the help I can get to help me keep my focus!

How do you make your yearly goals? Have you made any goals for 2019?

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A couple of weeks ago, I shared some ideas on how to keep Christ in our busy Christmas celebrations.  This past week, I was making the gift bags up for our Wednesday night kids’ program, and I wanted to find a way to give them a gift that was Christ-centered.

I only needed to do 24 gifts, but since I was making the gifts personally, I had to do relatively inexpensive gifts. I gave each child some chocolate covered pretzels, a hot cocoa mix in a Styrofoam cup as well as some marshmallows, Hershey kisses, a mint, and a Rolo candy in a plastic bag.

I wanted to attach a hot cocoa poem that had some religious significance, but I couldn’t find any. Instead, I stumbled across several candy cane poems. I was pressed for time, so I was going to buy a printable on Etsy, but Etsy was saying my account was going to have to be confirmed. I didn’t have time to mess with that, so I just typed up a poem I found on Pinterest. I looked first to see if the pin led to a printable, but the pins I saw just led to a picture or to a website sharing the pin but no real link.

Here is the printable I made.

I quickly typed and printed out this printable, attached a candy cane with tape on the right hand side where there is some white space (I didn’t get all fancy with ribbon), and stuck it in the goody bags along with the hot cocoa mixes. There are two poems on each 8″ x 11 1/2″ piece of paper.

Here were my goody bags ready to go to church!

I just love this poem.  I could not find the original source, but the message is simple enough for children to understand:

The Candy Cane

It’s just a little Christmas treat, but also (did you know?)
It represents our Savior born so long ago.
The shape is like a “J” to symbolize His name.
The white is for His life, holy, without blame.
And the stripe of red is for His blood so pure and freely given
That we may spend eternity with our Lord in heaven!

Praying that you have a great Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior!

The thoughtful topics for your posts could be related to but not limited to the following topics:

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Christmas can be a hard season for many.

As I went through my Facebook feed tonight, I saw a news article about 5 Marines who have been declared dead after a midair crash near Japan last week.  There families are going to have a sad Christmas.

Every Christmas, I think of my friend whose husband died after a ATV accident on Christmas day a couple of years ago.

An older lady pulled me aside at church on Sunday and asked me to pray for her as Christmas was very hard for her as she had no family with which to celebrate.

Not only are many sick or remembering family members who are no longer with us, there are many other life circumstances which can make Christmas a difficult season. Financial difficulties can make some traditions impossible. Some people may find them separated from family at Christmas time. Most certainly, Christmas is a hard holiday for many people who live around us.

So how do we help those who are grieving, discouraged, sick, or helpless? Here are three simple ways that we can comfort  and help others this Christmas (and all year long!):

• We can help by being patient or offering a kind word and a ready smile.

I have been a little stressed and running around like crazy the past couple of weeks. In my hurry to get done what needs to get done, I forget that I am passing those who are hurting. People are more important that my to-do list. Maybe that cashier or store clerk is having a terrible time in her life, and she needs my patience and kindness. I know I need to think of this more as I go about my day and life responsibilities.

• See if we can help support those who are grieving or alone.

Maybe all they need is someone to pray with them. Maybe sending them a card or giving them a call so that they know they are not forgotten is all they need. If you can, invite them to your house for Christmas dinner. Take them with you to a ladies event. Think of how you would want to be included if you did not have a family.

• Take time to come apart and get alone with the Lord.

I have been so busy that I have not been as committed as I should be to my daily time with the Lord. So do you know what happens? I get testy and short. I say things I should not say. I have a bad attitude that spills over onto others.

My husband just preached a sermon from Luke 4 where Jesus did some amazing things: He stood against Satan’s temptations, He teaches at his local synagogue where his own villagers try to kill Him, He casts out a demon, He heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, and He heals many people. After all of these wonderful miracles and events, it says in verse 42,

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place:

He got away from everyone to take time to rest and to commune with His Father. We need to get rest. And we need to take time to commune with our Heavenly Father. If we do not rest and get time alone with God, we will not be able to help others.

There are many other ways we can help others who are hurting at Christmas. Let’s keep our eyes open and our hearts tender towards those who need our help this Christmas season.

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