Christmas – Page 8

Waiting For Jesus Christ

December 23, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, Nativity 1 Comment

We are anxiously awaiting the birth of Christ. On Christmas Day, the children will add Baby Jesus to the Nativity Scenes in our home, that do not have Him present. He is the true gift of Christmas!

mantle – Fontanini Nativity

tree topper

living room side table – Jim Shore Nativity

kitchen calendar – Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

bookshelf – Dollar Tree Nativity trinket box

papi – Oriental Trading Nativity

altar

schoolroom – Oriental Trading Nativity

entry table – Fontanini

piano in Holy Room (on display year-round)

snow globe nativity

schoolroom calendar – Seton Homeschool

front yard

not pictured: bedroom nativity sets, veggietale nativity, little people nativity, cloth nativity, …..

more nativity scenes can be viewed at the Nativity Parade.

Marian Ornament

December 7, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Humility, Little Flowers, Marian, Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Laboure

This ornament was made for our last Little Flowers meeting. It is in honor of Mary, the Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Laboure and humility.

Supplies:

Tacky Glue (it’s thick and will not run)
Ornament Ball (we used plastic balls found at the Dollar Spot at target)
Scissors
Glitter
Pencil
Miraculous Medal Transfer image
Tape
Sharpie (for free hand transfer)
Ornament hook
Ribbon

Directions:

Prep:

slightly cut the top of the glue tip. do not expose the hole.
stick a pin through the tip to create a small hole/opening for the glue.

this step will ensure that the glue will not come out too quickly or create blobs.

trim transfer image
tape transfer image, face down to ornament
rub pencil on back of transfer
trace over the transferred imaged to give you a more defined image

-OR-

freehand the image onto the ornament using a Sharpie

trace the transfer image with glue

generously cover the glue image with glitter (we used rolled painters tape to secure the ornament and prevent rolling while the girls glittered their ornament)

tap the ornament until all the excess glitter is removed

let dry. insert ornament hook. embellish the ornament with a coordinating ribbon.

+++

Back Side of the Miraculous Medal (Ornament)

The cross can symbolize Christ and our redemption, with the bar under the cross a sign of the earth. The “M” stands for Mary, and the interleaving of her initial and the cross shows Mary’s close involvement with Jesus and our world. In this we see Mary’s part in our salvation and her role as mother of the Church.

“Now it must be given to the whole world and to every person.” ~ Blessed Mother

Necklace for Charity

December 6, 2010 by Lena {JOYfilledfamily} Filed Under: Charity, Christmas, Glass Tile Necklaces, Water4Christmas

In preparation for Christ’s coming, Christmas, we are finding ways to give what we have been blessed with. However, at this time, we are unable to purchase goods for those in need. We are able to give from what we have. We were blessed to be able to purchase a nice stock of tile necklace supplies last year.

We long to help those in real need. So when we heard of Water 4 Christmas from Meg, we knew it was an answer to our prayers. Water for Christmas is a grass roots movement bringing both awareness and real "on the ground" change to Africa’s water crisis.

We are people…Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters. United by the desire to keep our eyes and hearts open. To increasingly live for things bigger than ourselves. So, we’re going to give up something. Big somethings. Little somethings. Going without so the people in Liberian villages can have access to clean water…the Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters.

All money donated there goes directly to charity: water who in turn uses 100% of their donations to drill for fresh water.

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of the money goes to direct project costs. With the help of exemplary organizations on the ground and individuals here, we can drill wells and provide people with this basic, essential need.

+++

Water 4 Christmas opened an etsy shop. Our donation is listed here. Many other items are also listed. Go check it out and make a purchase. All profits go directly to building wells for safe water in West Africa.

All orders made this week are guaranteed to be delivered by Christmas.