A Star to Behold

Yesterday we decided to make some stars of our own to decorate our home, and to help the Magi find their way to Jesus.

 This technique is called corn syrup painting- it produces a standard picture, but the paint looks glossy when dry.

You will need: 
Paper
Black crayon
Corn syrup
Food coloring
Paint brushes

 The recipe is simple: add a little corn syrup to several drops of food coloring to a small dish. More food coloring makes a darker color, less makes lighter. You can do a lot of neat things by swirling colors together as well since they talk a while to combine completely. Regular paint brushes work well for this project, but you may need to soak them in some water before they come completely clean again.

 Take a black crayon and draw your picture on paper. Glossy paper looks extra neat, but regular paper works well too. Remember to make your drawings "coloring book style," because you'll be painting inside the lines.

Then, use the corn syrup paint to color your drawing in! Use a lot of paint for the best effect.

In honor of Epiphany, we drew a bright star in the night sky, with wise men at the bottom. Be creative- yours may be different.

 Some of us didn't get the memo about Christmas being over :), so a few Christmas trees were done as well. I included this picture so that you can see the gloss of the paint. So fun!

This is my two-year old's finished product. Use your imagination here, folks: yellow is the star, dark blue is the night sky, and red in the corner are the Magi.

Leave them to dry for a long, long, time. Where we used the most paint it took a solid 24 hours, so put your masterpieces somewhere they won't be bothered for a day or so.

Epiphany is coming!

Epiphany means different things to different people (after all, we are Episcopalians!), but for the most part we in the Anglican tradition celebrate it on January 6th and we commemorate the magi arriving in Bethlehem to see- and recognize- the newborn King.

So, how can we celebrate this special event in our homes? I've listed a few ideas below, and included a couple of links for you to check out. There's sure to be something that will fit your family's needs.

*Try baking a coin or small (heat safe) item into a cake. Eat the cake (carefully!) as a family and whoever finds the coin in his or her slice gets to be king/queen for the night. You can call it the Kings Cake.

*Since some denominations celebrate epiphany with the exchange of gifts, you might have a gift "unwrapping" party. Wrap a gift several times with paper, and sit in a circle with your family. Play music, and stop it at intervals just like you would if you were playing musical chairs. When the music stops, the family member who is holding the gift gets to unwrap one layer. Whoever unwraps the last layer gets to keep the present.

*This idea was one to be done in church, but I think it could be adapted for home use as well. Each family member gets a ribbon  or bow, symbolic of his or her gift to God. Take a few minutes to think together about the gifts that you have given God over the last year, or the gifts that you intend to give Him in the New Year. Put the ribbons up somewhere in your home as a reminder of your pledge.

*In order to commemorate Christ's "manifestation to all nations," have an ethnic dinner week! Eat a dish from a different area of the world each night this week as a reminder of Christ's importance worldwide.

(Preceding ideas adapted from Anglicans Online. Visit the link for more ideas!)

*Go through the Christmas cards you were sent this year and pick out ones with pictures of the magi. Cut them out and decoupage them onto a serving tray your family will use for years to come. You can even serve your Kings Cake on it!

*Reuse some of the Christmas wrap kicking around the house- make a special treasure box just like the magi might have brought to Jesus. Reuse a gift box and glue or decoupage wrapping paper, tin foil, stickers or other embellishments to make the box "fit for a king."

Check out this link for some more kid-friendly craft ideas. I'll be doing a few of these over the next week and will post the results.

What are some ways that your family celebrates Epiphany?

Photo Credit

Top 10 reasons to be an Episcopalian

Did you know that Robin Williams (the comedian) is an Episcopalian? I didn't until I read his top ten reasons why our faith is so great. I agree with each and every reason he gives... and it brought such a smile to my face that I had to share this with you.

Try sharing this with your older children- do they understand each of the references? If not, what a great, light-hearted conversation starter. If so, then have a good laugh together!




10. No snake handling.
9. You can believe in dinosaurs.
8. Male and female God created them; male and female we ordain them.
7. You don't have to check your brains at the door.
6. Pew aerobics.
5. Church year is color-coded.
4. Free wine on Sunday.
3. All of the pageantry - none of the guilt.
2. You don't have to know how to swim to get baptized. 

And the Number One reason to be an Episcopalian:
1. No matter what you believe, there's bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.

Episcopal pride, folks! (Do we need a cheer for ourselves? Hummm...)

Have you taken down your Christmas decorations yet?

I admit it, I have. Taken down my Christmas decorations, I mean.

I don't think I've ever done it so quickly, but this year the advent wreath was made so early, and the tree fell down so many times prior to Christmas... well, it felt like we were hanging on by a thread at the end, so I must admit that it was a bit of a relief to get all of the dying greenery out of my house.

That isn't to suggest that I want to dispense with thoughts of Christmas- quite the opposite, in fact. I want to linger, to remember, to cherish these warm memories of family, generosity, peace, prayer, tranquility and belonging for the rest of my days. There is something magical that happens at Christmas- beyond the presents and the day off from work- something so silent and so powerful that we can't quite describe it. Something- or someone perhaps?- comes into our hearts to gently draw us to our knees in awe of one another, our world, of creation, of our God...

So here's a glimpse of our family's memories. I am keeping out our nativity because of course the wise men haven't yet arrived to see our newborn king. For the next week they will journey closer and closer, even as Christmas becomes farther and farther from us, to continue the miracle which was begun yesterday. In our family we will continue to read a story and say a prayer by candlelight each night to remind us of the great miracle that happened so many, many years ago...

...and to keep the memories of Christmas, and all of the miracles that happen each year on that day, close to our hearts for just a little bit longer.

Merry Christmas to you all.

'Twas the Night of Jesus' Birth Story and More

Tony at Ministry-To-Children has generously shared a few free resources that families may find helpful, or at least fun, this Christmas.

Here he has re-written 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to be 'Twas the Night of Jesus' birth. It's a free download and might be a fun read for the family on Christmas Eve!

Here he has posted a "Jesus brings peace" coloring page.

Note: the King James translation of Isaiah 9:6-7 is as follows:
⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
 ⁷Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Below, he has provided some Angels and Shepherds coloring pages, also for free!

Thank You Card Templates

Ministry-To-Children has posted a free set of great thank you card templates for kids to use this Christmas.

I printed these out to use with our children because they are cute and small- not too overwhelming for younger kids, but still a wonderful way to reinforce the concept of gratitude!

Happy card-writing!

The Joys of the Season?

This is a wonderful time of year. It really is. We are blessed to spend time with family and friends, to live out our traditions, to pay forward a bit of joy in our communities and watch smiles spread across the faces of strangers. There is nothing better than getting into the Christmas spirit, is there?

On the other hand, there are the hardships at this time of year. How many cookies do I have to bake? The Christmas lights aren't working? Another Christmas party? How much are these presents going to cost? How far do we have to drive to visit the family? The list goes on, doesn't it? It can be hard to remember the feeling of joy that we, as Christians, are supposed to feel at the pending birth of Christ. It can be very hard to remember how blessed we are that God sent Jesus to us, and that His coming was to be the end of our sorrows and strife. It doesn't feel like that when Junior has a cookie swap tomorrow at his Boy Scout troop which he didn't mention until right now...

But we owe it to ourselves, our families, and most of all our God to remain joyful (or at least hopeful until those cookies are done). We are doing important work as we go through even the more stressful of the holiday traditions. What we are doing matters on a larger scale than the success of one or two cookie swaps, holiday parties, or gift wrapping marathons. We are celebrating our Savior's birth, after all, and what could be more cause for celebration than that?

Still...feel free to take it down a notch. Really! We are teaching our children how to celebrate Christ's birth, and they will emulate what we teach them. So, remember that while God initiated celebrations to show Him favor (check out Leviticus if you don't believe me), He never said that we should kill ourselves to do it. What God asks of us is to show Him favor, to worship Him beyond all others, and to show one another love in His name. If that means baking cookies to you, then do it. If that means going to a neighbor's Christmas party, do it. If that means traveling, crafting, caroling... then do it. He is worth it, and so are the little ones in our lives whom we are teaching to love and respect Him.