Garden of the Good Shepherd Week One

This year as part of our celebration of Easter as a season, we've been using the Garden of the Good Shepherd by Peter Mazar and illustrated by Tomie DePaola (I bought mine here for $6 or Waltzing Matilda also has free printables for those who didn't order the sticker book in time!). This large laminated scene with stickers serves as a calendar with a scripture passage and devotion for each day.

The first week's theme centers around the Jesus as the Good Shepherd, where we learn how Jesus promises to watch over us as a Shepherd does for his lambs and many other references to sheep in the Book of John.

Week Two we gather around the Table, reading Scriptures from the Old Testament of hospitality and feasting that evoke the Last Supper, the Emmaus Meal, the Eucharist, and our heavenly banquet. We continue throughout the 50 days of Easter to read Scripture of the sky, the sea, the garden and tree, the city and the animals. Each week helps us to see God's gifts all around us, the world "charged with the grandeur of God."

To help this fit with the celebratory tone of the Easter season, we are having a special treat and sometimes a craft or picture book to go along with the Scripture Reading. The kids have loved it and I'm so glad we have something to make this time memorable. The style of the devotions has been a refreshing change and have given me much food for thought during the week as the theme built.

This week as part of our Scripture memory and hymn study we worked on memorizing and singing Psalm 23, also with Keith Green's version and this new one.

We decorated our "altar" for the theme of the Good Shepherd with the children's Good Shepherd icon, a gift at their baptism last year, and lamb figurines we've picked up over the years at Easter.

On Easter Monday, we had breadsticks shaped as crooks and dipped in cinnamon sugar for breakfast! On Easter Tuesday, we ate popcorn to represent sheep and watched a movie on the Story of Jesus. On Easter Wednesday, we made these little treats to represent the gate of the sheepfold:

On Easter Thursday, we ate these lamb chocolates and made ewes and rams with cotton balls.

On Easter Friday, we had so much fun with Miss G's special friend making these sweet lamb cupcakes. The girls both 5 were able to decorate all by themselves!

On Easter Saturday, we had wolf paws to go along with John 10:11-12! Little Man dipped them in the chocolate and I made the claws with white icing. The favorite of the week to be sure!

 All of my ideas have come straight from Waltzing Matilda and Shower of Roses, so I claim no creativity in this project and when you see their pictures, not much skill either! Both of these lovely ladies have now set-up a party for each week with food themed for all of the lessons which seems like a great idea for those who would like to use the devotional each day but only do the crafts and food once a week. I think this is where we'll be by the last few weeks of Easter Season but for now the daily is working for us!

They are also hosting a link-up at Catholic Cuisine for more ideas; go check it out!

Practicing Resurrection: Living out the New Commandment of Maundy Thursday

Each year on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday in Holy Week, we pause to remember the "New Commandment" given to us at the Lord's Supper. "...the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English, and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet."(Wikipedia)

We participate in a foot-washing ceremony at home.

Husband following Christ's example in an act of humble service:

"If I then your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you...If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (John 13:14-17)

By practicing this rite in the domestic church, we allow the children a chance to participate as children.

Sticking dirty feet into the air,

 

 getting up close to watch it done

We are knitted together in new commandment. Father loving and serving children.

Children basking in the glow of Daddy's love and understanding more of the Father's love.




We partake of the Agape Meal, a simple dish with Bread and Wine, remembering on this night Christ gives us a new way:

As Christians we no longer eat the Passover Lamb on this night but now feed on His Body and His Blood. As Paul wrote, "Christ our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast" (I Cor. 5:7). St. Athanasius in his Easter tetter of 332 A.D. writes,

"Now the pictures and shadows and types have all been fulfilled and accomplished. So we, dear brothers and sisters, should no longer consider the Feast a figurative one. We do not go up to the earthly city of Jerusalem to sacrifice the Passover. That ancient Jewish practice is no longer suitable. If we followed their practice, we would be celebrating the Easter season inappropriately...Since our Savior was making the change from the type of shadow to the spiritual reality, He gave them the New Covenant promise. That is, He promised them that they would not eat the flesh of a lamb anymore, but His own: 'Take, eat and drink; this is My body and and My blood' (Matthew 26:26-28)." (The Resurrection Letters of St. Athanasius)

And so now that we have entered the church season of Easter we seek to live out this "new commandment" in the power of this "new covenant" by all that was accomplished on the cross and by the resurrection of our Lord.

What are the disciplines of this Easter Season of fifty days? Though there are many ways to answer this question, Maundy Thursday answers

A Family Loving and Serving. Feasting and Celebrating.
Not in mere picture, shadow, or memory but a new spiritual reality.

"From that day [Easter], until Pentecost we keep holy day through seven weeks, one after the other. As we set our minds properly on all that this season means, we will be prepared for the eternal realities behind them." (The Resurrection Letters of St. Athanasius)

May we all come to know these eternal realities more this Easter Season!
Amy

Nature Study: In Search of Spring!

With the near 70 degree weather on Thursday, we left dishes in the sink, the kitchen floor unmopped (yet again) and headed to the Tyler Arboretum in search of spring.

We picnicked:

Had time to run free and explore on our own. Do you see baby?

Miss G is currently learning about rocks in science so we brought along our magnifying glasses.

We kept baby occupied with her own set of rocks and magnifying glass.

We also looked for new flower blossoms since our last visit:

All of these flowers are featured in our Flower Fairy Book so we were able to read the poems when we got home.

The little ones took a long nap. What a great way to spend the day!

St. Patrick's Day: The happy day when troubles we had not!

We had a fun day dedicated to St. Patrick and the Irish!

With the delicious colcannon and other Irish-inspired treats, we join the Irish in singing:

"Oh, wasn't it the happy days when troubles we had not,


and our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot?"

It was hard to tell if RJ or the baby loved it best--they both gobbled it up!

The Clover Hunt:

 

Lunch was Shamrock sandwiches and green veggies:

Storytime with Dad:

We made Shamrock Junior Mint Cupcakes 

(Inspired from here and here.)

 

(We started the green beverages early.)

Miss G placing Junior Mints in the center of the unbaked cupcakes:

 

Mr. M sorting the green m&ms and gumdrops:

 

The Irish Soda Bread before baking:

The Colcannon, we join in singing its praises:

 

Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from


lovely pickled cream? With the greens and scallions mingled like a


picture in a dream. Did you ever make a hole on top to


hold the melting flake of the creamy, flavoured butter that your


mother used to make?


Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.


And the more I think about it sure the nearer I'm to cry.


Oh, wasn't it the happy days when troubles we had not,


and our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.  

Building Fairy Houses

This nice weather has led to many hours outdoors and the children have loved making fairy houses:

 
Inspired by the book Fairy Houses by Tracy Kane, the children follow the rules carefully:

They see nature with a new eye. Sticks, leaves, pine cones, nuts--that could be a bed!, that could be a blanket!, that could be a table!

When they play they are focused, quiet and careful. They also ran around cleaning up their outside toys, because they were afraid the man-made objects might scare the fairies away!

I highly recommend this book for the hours of creative play it has given my children and inspiring a deeper love of nature!

I also came across this post from A Handmade Childhood today on the Fairy House book!

Sabbath is for Growing Fat Souls

When we finally stop the hurrying, the busyness, and put the to-do list down, we have the space for love and affection.

While this can be difficult for us in every stage of life, Scripture seems to indicate that the young wife must be taught how to go about it (Titus 2:4 "and so train the young women to love their husbands and children," noting that many translate this mention of love as the "affectionate" love). Why? Does it not come naturally? Perhaps, but while I may not exactly count as the "young wife" anymore (!), I know it is still easy for me to get so caught up in the loving care of my children that I often don't leave time or energy for that affectionate love. A Sabbath Sensibility, finding a rhythm of rest and work, gives the needed time and energy for affection. And so, what better moment then the Lord's Day for us all, not just the "young mother," to learn the lessons of Charity:

"Is [the living room] not a picture in ordinary terms of what families are all about; namely, that these few people, thrust together and bound by the odd ties of flesh and blood, are given the chance to begin to learn the one big lesson that all men are given to learn--the lessons of Charity? That is, we were made for love, we are commanded to love, and since it doesn't come naturally to us, we have to learn to love. The family situation is, as it were, the elementary schoolroom where we start learning in small, easy, and natural ways to love--that is, to discover that self-giving, freedom, and joy are all one thing" (Splendor in the Ordinary, p. 47)

As we bask in self-giving, freedom, and joy are souls expand, bringing life and peace.

"All the loving attentiveness [the parent] gives [their] children is food for their souls. When the child is a small baby, all those smiles and kind words, the laughing and playfulness, and the [parental] delight and pride in each new accomplishment is used by God to prosper the baby's soul. And it continues as the child grows. Even the smallest gesture, if done in love and kindness, is nourishing. We want our children to have fat little souls, to be healthy plants, as in Psalm 144:12: "that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth."...We cannot think that a prayer at bedtime and reading a Bible story to them occasionally will counteract the damage done day in and day out by the foul air the children breathe in the home day after day all year long...By the grace of God, [parents] can provide peaceful and joyful feasts which nourish both body and soul. Listening to your children, taking them on your lap and talking with them, and being affectionate and loving to them will of course take time. Just as preparing and serving good food takes time, so feeding our children's souls take time...We cannot see how reading this story one more time will be like a second helping of mashed potatoes but it is. God uses all these things we do, when we render them unto Him by faith, to strengthen, nourish, and grow our children up into men and women with fat souls..." (Building Her House, p. 62-63).

*These pictures were taken by Amy on a Sabbath Day in September 2009.

Worshipping with Little Children

I came home exhausted from yesterday's Ash Wednesday Service.


Getting ourselves there, along with an injured friend who needed a ride, in a presentable fashion after proper warnings about behavior and expectations, was difficult enough. But then a few minutes into this quiet, somber service my littlest one decided to try out her voice echoing in the large stone sanctuary. Perhaps some parishioners thought this was sweet, but unsure I quickly went to spend most of the service in the nave, with a baby who alternated between chattering loudly and fussing. At one point she became worried for her sister and began calling her name loudly over and over!


Though I could hear strains of the service, I was only able to participate in the imposition of ashes and the Eucharist itself.


Later that night, I asked my husband in doubt and fatigue, Was it worth it--participating in those rites when I missed the rest and wasn't really in the presence of mind I had hoped for? Was it worth going at all?

He comforted me by speaking about the importance of entering into the ritual, year after year after year, so that it becomes part of the very fabric of my being. And how the beauty of the Church Year is that each year we get to participate again, learning a little more, growing a little more. It is a slow view of sanctification but true, at least in our lives, nevertheless. But it is only in bringing ourselves as we are in the present, rather than waiting for some ideal perfection, that we can hope for this sanctification to occur.

As George Herbert writes in his poem Lent,

It's true we cannot reach Christ's fortieth day;
Yet to go part of that religious way,
Is better that to rest:
We cannot reach our Savior's purity;
Yet we are bid, 'Be holy ev'n as he,"
In both let's do our best.


This view also seems so important to me in light of Lent, I may not be able to keep my disciplines perfectly as Christ did but the Church stands true. My weaknesses only serve to reveal my dependency on His Grace and His Church. And so we enter the disciplines of Lent--fasting, penitence, and prayer--knowing it is not our work but His. But we do so with the hope that

Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone,
Is much more sure to meet him, than one
That travelleth by-ways:
Perhaps my God, though he be far before,
May turn and take me by the hand, and more:
May strengthen my decays.

RJ and I have also been discussing lately the gift of the Church that exists without us and yet invites us to participate. It reminded me of the words from Eucharistic Prayer D from the BCP, "Countless throngs of angels stand before you to serve you night and day; and beholding the glory of your presence they offer you unceasing praise. Joining with them, and giving voice to every creature under heaven, we acclaim you, and glorify your Name..." (p. 373). Though I was distracted in my worship, the Church was not. Though I was caught up in the moment of my child's unruliness, the Church continued in its ceaseless praise. 

And then, RJ finally comforted me that I also do not know what good came from our children's attendance. Though they are young and easily distracted, the life of the Church is becoming part of their life too. They were so proud of the ash crosses on their forehead and G shared with her Dad about how happy she was to take communion for the second time. G also told me that the church we were at (we did not attend service at our home church) was "the most beautiful place she had ever been."

And as a testament of the good that comes from bringing our children to worship with us, I was able to rejoice in hearing from my friend Allie this morning in the comments to a previous post, that her 5 year old daughter asked to receive Christ into her life after the imposition of the ashes. Praise be to God!

Allie writes,

"[Olivia] got very upset when I started to explain the dust to dust quote after they put the ashes on her forehead. And so we had to go out of the service to talk about it. During the course of the conversation she decided that she wanted to except Jesus as her Savior and so she and I prayed right in the lobby of the church. We are so thankful that we went to the service tonight because it was the first time that we had been able to get to church since Christmas Eve due to travel, illness and snow. And after we prayed she really wanted to go back in the service to "pray and sing", so it was an awesome spiritual night for our family."

Here is an amazing example of where Allie and Abe could have decided it was too much trouble to take their little ones to a night service. Or they could have bought into the idea that little ones can't get anything out of the adult service but should instead be entertained in a separate classroom. Or Allie could have just grown impatient with Olivia's behavior in the service as I had done with little C. But instead they entered into this ritual and the Spirit was with them, leading their daughter further into a life with Christ. How blessed for Olivia to be saved in her home church, surrounded by her family, at a time when around the world people were praying,

"Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (prayer during the imposition of ashes from BCP, p. 265)

And though I was distracted, impatient and tired, mine was one of those prayers too, as I know were many of yours. Thanks so much Allie, for sharing and letting us all be a part of this awesome spiritual night!

Happy Valentines Day!

Last year I felt much more inspired to write about Valentine's Day so I thought I would just link to a couple of posts from then if you are interested!


A Valentine Memory : remembering the first Valentine's Days when my husband and I were dating!


Redeeming Valentine's Day: how to see this now mainly secular holiday in a Christian light.

Our Valentine Card from last year, my how they've grown!

And then a couple of my posts that focus on the love I have for my husband:

Early-Morning Date Nights: Finding time together any way we can!

Love's Austere and Lonely Offices: Learning to appreciate my husband when he was sick!

Our Tenth Wedding Anniversary

And for a great list of links for family activities and to learn more about St. Valentine, check out Kerry's post at a Ten o'clock Scholar.

A Sabbath Sensibility

We have struggled in our attempt to observe Sabbath as a family. At times, it has been difficult to stop just because the calendar says it is Sunday—the mountain of work looms, the interferences are many. Then when we first tried to truly carve out time to rest, it was hard to know what actually we should do with the time. Jean Vanier writes in The Broken Body, “Rest, relaxation and discipline are important. I am surprised, at L’Arche and elsewhere, that many people do not know how to rest. They are like rolling locomotives, fuelled by anguish, and perhaps by the fear of stopping. And when they do stop, it is just to sleep more or to potter around, not knowing what to do. Each one of us must find our own secret rhythm of how to rest, relax and find re-creation, for each one of our bodies is different…This is all the more important for those of us who are called to live with much tension and to carry great stress. This tension and stress that we experience as we live with wounded people can prevent growth and stimulate anger and exhaustion…” (p. 120).

By seeing Sabbath as a practice has helped us begin asking the right questions about what to do and how to go to learn how to enter into God’s rest for our souls. For us, we begin on Saturday night with a special meal, Scripture and prayer. As we light a candle it is a signal, the time for rest is now, the time for delight is here. We quiet ourselves and hear from God’s Word, the passage for the Sunday sermon. We then are more prepared as we go on Sunday to worship at our church, entering into a beautiful rhythm of prayer, praise, confession, teaching, and feasting. Then home for a family meal, sometimes with friends, sometimes just our family. Especially since we have little ones, we then find a period for napping or resting with music or a book is restorative. Back when we watched television we began to realize that for us we were not restored or uplifted after watching and we turned it off on Sundays during our Sabbath. We like to go on walks when the weather permits…or find other activities which will help the children to play quietly or have family time with a game or a favorite read-aloud. And then with our Sunday dinner meal, our Sabbath is over which gives us time to clean-up and prepare for the week ahead which becomes much different in light of a Sabbath rest. It is just what our family needs, but perhaps yours might look quite different.

But as we attempted Sabbath a new problem arose, in deciding that the Lord’s Day should be a place for restoration, other areas begin to suffer. At first resting on Sunday meant an overwhelming Monday, so much laundry, dishes, and dirt it was hard to begin again. I then began to prepare more on Saturday but then this became a crazy day of preparing meals, cleaning, running errands so that we all collapsed on Sunday and found it hard to enter into an attitude of worship and delight.

This is where Norman Wirzba’s explanation of Sabbathobservance is helpful:

“…we have grown used to thinking of Sabbath observance as an add-on to the end of a busy week. Sabbath is a time for us to relax and let down our guard, to pause from the often anxious and competitive patterns of daily life. This is not what the Jews, those who first gave us the teaching about Sabbath, thought. In their view, Sabbath observance is what we work toward. As our most important and all-encompassing goal, it frames and contextualizes our planning, much as the desire to achieve a specific objective—a championship, a masterful performance, an exquisite meal or party—will require that we take the proper steps all along the way. Sabbath frames our entire life, helping us set priorities and determine which of our activities bring honor to God." (p. 22-23).

That is how an understanding of Sabbath became more and more life-shaping,changing our habits and sensibilities of what our work each day should look like. Why are we so exhausted by Sunday? What is my house such a mess? Why can’t I let go of the anxieties of my week? Why am I so drawn to escape during this time rather than experience true quiet and rest? How can I, in this present season of my life, deadlines from work nearing, or the parent of young children with constant demands, or requirements of serving in a particular ministry on Sunday, or…

And that is again where Vanier is so helpful,

We must learn

not just to free ourselves from tension and fatigue

on the Sabbath day, our day of rest.

We must also learn

as the mother must learn

in front of the never-ending needs of her children,

how to respect our energy

and relax in all the moments of our day

filled as they may be with arduous work

or often tiresome meetings,

and crises of all sorts,

and the hundred and one things-that have-to-be-done.

To do this we must discover how to harmonize

the active and the passive in us.

If we are just doers,

feeling terribly responsible and serious,

we will crack up one day.

We must nourish the passive part of us,

our hearts made for personal love,

learning to listen to others,

to marvel at nature,

to rest a moment in the presence of Jesus,

to receive the love of those around us

and be nourished by their trust,

enjoying the little things of each day,

not taking ourselves too seriously,

accepting to become like little children. (p. 121)

Candlemas Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

Preparing the Dinner

 

 

G rinsed the fruit and cut the strawberries

M gathered ingredients and helped with the mixing.

Making the Fruit Kabobs. She washed and cut the melon balls all by herself.

Grandma Gigi and Little C having some (keeping baby out-from-under-foot-time) bonding time

so we can work!

Our Feast

 

 

 

The Coloring Pages for Little Ones who Feast Quickly!

Becoming a Story-Formed People

 Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus on their way to the Temple

 

Little Sister was the Turtledove!

Devout Simeon

I was Anna but no one ever takes pictures of me!!

Hope you enjoyed a better glimpse into a home seeking splendor on an otherwise ordinary Tuesday night in February.