The True Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner--how could we not know?  Wal-mart already has its Christmas tree up...Of course, Hobby Lobby has had Christmas decor out since August...Holiday commercials are already playing on TV.  Its hard to not be reminded that the holidays are near~

My resolution for this Christmas season is to remember above all else---the REAL reason we celebrate.  The gift of our Savior and what his birth meant for the whole world.  Salvation.  Redemption.  Eternal Life.  Life is created by and for Him...and the best news we could ever hear is that he has created us with purpose: Bringing glory to His name!  Living our life in complete surrender because of how much he loves us... He is the reason we celebrate Christmas.

The last couple of years I started creating Christmas ornaments that communicate the true meaning of the season.  This year I decided to make an ornament of Baby Jesus in the manger...here is the finished product!  I am very pleased with the way it turned out--and how it keeps the theme of the ornaments I made in the previous years. 

The Nativity is the very first ornament I made--Christmas 2009.

Here is the one I made in 2010...the 3 Wise Men.

I'm excited about the tradition of making these ornaments every year...I'm hoping to create an ornament that tells part of the story each Christmas.

I would love for all of my followers to own one of each of these ornaments!  If you are interested in purchasing one, please go to my Etsy and I will be glad to send one to you just in time decorating for Christmas!

Happy early Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday to my dad--the most amazing Father in the world!

Bearing the Stamp...A Look Into My Sister's Heart

I'm dedicating this post to my beautiful sister, Kristin, who lives in South Africa and is using the gifts God has given her to make His name known there.  Her blog has so inspired me that I decided to post some of her photos and comments on mine.  She is definitely inspiring me to know Christ more through the thoughts and experiences she shares. 

I hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse of my sister's heart.  And it is big.

"...more than anything, i want my heart to be broken for the people of this land...so it will be all the more pressing that i share w/ them the hope that i have been given...that i have been entrusted with..."

"...to know that you have the hope she needs. the answers she's looking for. the rest and peace that she can't find no matter how hard she tries. no matter how many times a day she prays. or bows down to an idol that cannot save...

...to sit in her home only a few feet away from her and hold this message of His HOPE...it makes me catch a tiny glimpse of understanding at Isaiah's words when he said 'your word is in me like a fire, burning away at my bones, and i am weary of holding it in.

indeed i cannot.'

His words of life just waiting to be unleashed. waiting to be planted. "

"So, during our trip down there, we got to witness Grant and a local pastor baptize some of those new believers! They did teaching on baptism...how the water doesn't save you, only God does...and they also had a discussion about the charms the people were wearing...telling them that since Christ was now their Lord, there was no need to carry on the superstitions the charms represent.

So, as we made our way down to the water, the believers took off their charms and were then baptized! It was so awesome to see the Spirit at work in their lives!"

Jesus is worth losing the comforts of this world...so other people can know.

Dear Kristin,

Talk about "Outliving Your Life"...Your story has encouraged me and so many others to do the same.  Thank you for trusting Christ enough to allow Him to do the seemingly impossible.  Your love for people truly "outlives" your human capacity to love.  All of us can learn from your humble and willing spirit--I pray that you feel the weight of eternal blessing that is awaiting for you at the feet of Christ. (2 Timothy 4:8) 

I can't wait to serve with you this summer.  Looking forward to seeing more of what the Lord does through in and through you during your time in SA. 

I love you.

Michelle

My Newest Creation

The older I've gotten, the deeper my passion for creating has grown.  I love teaching Art because I am forced to always think of new ideas for projects--I learn new things all the time!  I also find it thrilling to discover ways to turn "trash" into "treasure"...easy on the pocket AND on the eye.

This week I thought of an idea for a piece to hang in my dining room.  I had several small canvases I bought at a garage sale early last fall ($.50 a piece!).  They had cheesy quotes on them so I primed and painted over them.  Then I found a scrap piece of wood at school and painted/antiqued it.  Finally, I glued the paintings to the wood--done!  I am really pleased with the results...I love how the colors go with the colors in my house.  Each canvas is a letter that spells "Jesus", which serves as a reminder to Buster and me to make Him the Center of our lives...in our home, our marriage, our job, everything.

I hope to continue creating--but not just for the purpose of creating.  My prayer is that the Lord would use my gifts to make His name known, and that I would be open and willing to respond to this call no matter the cost. 

What it Means to Love

I heard this song the other day by Meredith Andrews called "What it Means to Love"...she wrote it after a mission trip to Haiti that changed her life.

How could I forget your face 

When all it took was just one day?

For me to see it wasn't ordinary

I could never be the same.

You took my hand and led the way

I didn't even know your name

But something happened deep inside me

And I knew life would have to change.

So how could I go back to life as usual?

And how could I return to who I once was?

I just want to take your story to the world

'Cause you have showed me what it means to love.

You healed the sick, You calmed the sea

But Your heart was for the least of these

You came to love the lost and broken

Your cross has set the captive free

So how could I go back to life as usual?

And how could I return to who I once was?

I just want to take your story to the world

'Cause you have showed me what it means to love.

Now I no longer live for myself

Your words are so clear

Help me live it loud enough

So they can hear

I've decided that I want the message of this song to be theme of this season of my life.  The Lord is doing some amazing things within our church (Pinelake) and we are being challenged to claim the call of Christ on our lives to "Outlive our Lives" for the purpose of making His Name known.  Our lives are fleeting vapors...what we do with our lives should be about Eternity because the only things that matter in this world are of eternal value.  Taking the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, Living sacrificially, Being a part of a Godly community, Loving people, Seeking the face and heart of God daily...this kind of life is of eternal significance. 

I got spend this weekend with my closest friends from college.  What a special gift from the Lord to have friends whose hearts are set on knowing Him deeper.  Right before we left to go our separate ways, my friend Katie challenged us to think of a word that we hoped would define the year 2011.  Meredith chose the word, "Heaven"...wanting this year to revolve around having an eternal mindset, not living for the pleasures of this world, but for eternity.  I pray that this would be the theme of the rest of my life...that my eyes would be set on heaven--that my heart would be stirred for things that only matter for eternity.

My heart echoes the words of Paul in Philippians 3,

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For this sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."

Christmas 2010

I must say that the Christmas holidays--however stressful and crazy--are the days I look forward to most all year. Ever since I was a little girl, putting ornaments on the tree was my absolute favorite part of Christmas (other than the presents of course!) I guess because setting up Christmas decorations meant mom and dad were done with teaching for the semester--so we got to watch It's A Wonderful Life, drink hot chocolate, and sing Christmas carols before bed.

My inspiration for these ornaments displayed comes from Mom and Dad's tradition of giving us children special ornaments on Christmas Eve. Each year Mom would find the best ornaments that truly represented who we were and she would date them. So my first Christmas as a married woman, I had 22 ornaments to start the decorating on mine and Buster's first Christmas tree!

Last Christmas I made these nativity ornaments inspired by the true meaning of Christmas. Every single one of them was either given as a gift or sold. And so--because of the popular demand (and with the advice of a dear friend), I decided to add to the collection series, the three Wise Men.

I'm excited about this series--the glazes I used are the same and the design for the Three Wise Men is very similar to the Nativity ornament.