Rosilind Jukic's Blog, page 84

Called to Be a Family!

We sat at a small table on the terrace of the church property with our Whoppers, fries and a large cola. She would ask me probing questions and I felt a certain safety in knowing that I could lay my heart and soul bare before her without judgment or condemnation. My pastor’s wife had graciously agreed to mentor me my third year in Bible school. While it was a requirement for my third year program, it came at a time at the lowest point of my spiritual walk with the Lord. We met twice a month; I’d pick up lunch and she would kindly, but firmly, reveal to me from the Bible what God’s purpose was for my life. She always brought it back to the Word.

I am over at Missional Women today sharing about discipling women! Read the rest here


Growing up in a pastor’s home afforded me a glimpse into an underworld of the church that to this day grieves my heart. It is a world, though termed ministry, is not so different from corporate America.

Absentee fathers in the home.

Mothers too busy for family.

Latch-key kids longing for attention.

And it is not frowned upon so much because it is all in the name of ministry and church.

I am also at Marriage, Motherhood and Missions talking about raising functional families in ministry. Read more here. Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

I Almost Stopped Blogging!

Yes, it's true.

I almost quit blogging.

As we turned over the calendar to a new year - 2013 - I was deeply entrenched in writer's block. That dreaded feeling where you want to write, you need to write, but no matter what you write - if you can find even one word worthy of writing - it sounds forced, shallow, and completely uninspiring.

I would sit here for hours with this blank blog template staring back at me as if mocking me....taunting me with it's blank, white nothingness.

I would get up and clean while desperately searching for that brilliant first sentence that would usually cause the rest of the words come tumbling out like beads on a string.

Nothing.

I would make myself a hot cup of fragrant herb tea and light a candle - my inspiration inducers.

Nothing.

One glance at my posts from last January only offer further proof of the fact that I had exhausted my store of inspiration and was scraping the bottom of the barrel.

So I took a break.

It was during this time that I considered closing the doors on A Little R & R.

I was done.

Empty.

Void of ideas.


But the thought came to me: Would I still write? If I had a blog or not...would I still write?

The answer to that was simple: Yes! A thousand times yes! This is the girl who would open up Word documents and pour out thought after thought to no one but herself. Oh - yes, I wrote in my pre-blog days. I have dozens of files that no one has yet to see.


Then one day in prayer the Lord prompted me to write about 1 Corinthians 13.  My first thoughts were: Trite. Overdone. Worn out. Not unique. 

But what came out of that experience not only changed me , but it changed the entire course of my blogging.

As I started the first post in that 14-day journey of blogging everyday - an undertaking I have never done before or since - I decided to allow the Lord to speak through me - write through me - as never before. The outcome was a look at 1 Corinthians 13 that I have never seen or heard before: a look at the chapter from the perspective of the church, not marriage or romance.

And it was like a dam exploded in me.


2013 brought me experiences I never dreamed possible:

1. I published my first book

2. I joined the Missional Women contributor team

3. I started Missional Call - a resource and fellowship center for missionaries

4. I was asked to become a content partner for SpiritLed Woman eMagazine - a division of Charisma Magazine.

I launched 5 series this year.  Besides 14 Days of Agape , which became an ebook, I blogged about the cross for Easter, then I began to delve into topics Beyond the Grave - perhaps one day I will finish this. As we moved into summer, I felt the Lord prompting me to blog through Titus 2:4-5, and that took me to my fall missions series: Answer the Call.

2014 will bring some needed changes around here First of all, I'm sure you've noticed the new look. Do you like it?
There is still some construction to do. I will be redoing the pages and buttons. But that's not all.
A Little R & R (formerly known as "Random Thoughts of a Missionary Mom....Musings of a Work-at-Home Missionary Mom....and at least a few other titles), started off as a mommy-blog, mainly to rave and brag about my firstborn, who was quickly joined by my second born. I really did jump on about every mom blogger bandwagon there was: from blogging about our cloth diapers and home remedies, to our preschool activities and "Wordless Wednesday" (where I tried out my creative skills with my point-and-shoot, until every picture turned blurry because my sons are seriously the most active kids on planet earth and never stand still....ever.).
But I discovered that my passion for writing just doesn't flow along those lines. I am a faith blogger at heart. So, I will be doing a lot of housekeeping around here in the months to come. I will be blowing the dust off and polishing up old content, writing some new stuff, and adding some giveaways. 

I have also joined the contributor team for Marriage, Motherhood, and Missions (formerly Simply Helping Him). My first post is up: "Raising Functioning Families in Ministry".
I want to leave you with this bit of encouragement:

Have you reached a level of emptiness in your writing? Do you feel you lack the inspiration you need to go on? Do you feel like you are scraping the bottom of the barrel?  Are you tempted to close the door on your blog?

Ask yourself: If you didn't have a blog, would you still write? When the writer's block is over, and you feel that exciting surge of inspiration, will you write? Would you still open a Word document and spill your thoughts out on page?

If your answer is "yes" to these questions, keep going.

Then, get down on your knees and seek the source of all inspiration! Seek the Lord's face! 

Perhaps you're not a faith blogger, as I am. He can still give you inspiration and direction for blogging about mommy-ness, recipes, crafts, or whatever it is you blog about! He is an unending store of inspiration for every topic! If you don't believe me - look at creation!

Let Him speak through you and write through you.

You never know where it will lead!

And with great anticipation I look forward to what 2014 will bring!   Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Quiet Time Ideas for Busy Moms

“How have you been doing with your devotions lately?”, my dad gently asked one day while we were chatting on Skype.

My throat closed up and I could barely get the words out as tears began to course down my cheeks.

I felt like such a failure!

Today I am over at My Joy Filled Life for Mom to Mom Mondays writing about 5 Quiet Time Ideas for Moms of Littles Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

2014 Is All About...The King

I don't know about you but it always seems to me that New Years Day is a day of reflection. What did I do the previous year that I set out to do? Though I really don't do the whole New Year's Resolution thing anymore frankly because putting my goals in that light seems to always set me up to fail. However what I think about most on New Years is it is the hope for a new beginning. A clean slate to better myself and to draw even closer to God. So I thought I would give you a few ideas to do just that.

Spend the day with a prayerful mind and spirit: What is it that God is putting in your heart? Maybe it is working less and focusing on your family more. Or how about supporting a missionary family ? The main thing is to keep your heart and mind open so that you can hear what it is God wants from you.While it is still fresh on your mind plan out a rough draft of your goal: My goal last year was to make more time for myself so that I could blog more. So I started out small 30 mins a day. I then just built it up little bit by little bit till I was able to not only blog on my own little corner of the internet world. I could even make time to blog for other great bloggers. This in turn is helping reach others in their walk with Christ. Do the same with the goal God sets on your heart. Then watch it grow into something amazing.Set a little time daily to talk with God: On New Years Day I put away my previous prayer journal and I start my new prayer journal. It is just like the New Year blank and ready to be filled with all the amazement, trails and triumphs the New Year is going to bring. I also enjoy looking at the previous years journal entries to see just how far my family and I came with God's help. Having a prayer journal also helps you remember to make time for just you and God.Keep your eye on the price: All through this new year you will face trials and temptations. After all you allowed God to help you pick the goals for this year. Trust in the vision of your goal. Know that as long as you are doing God's will you will succeed and don't let anything crush that knowledge. Cling to your Savior!!I Pray that each one of you reading this will have a great successful 2014 as you make this year all about the King. That you will grow closer to God and develop a relationship to Him like none other. I hope that you enjoy the journey that God puts you on this year and that through this journey you learn to rely on Him solely and completely. Know that you are not alone and that above all you are loved. Until Next Time Just Keep Soaring 4 Him, Bridget is a blogger over at Becoming A Godly Wife. There she shares her journey has a help met to her soul mate of 13 years, mother of their 4 children and child of God. You can also find her on FB , Twitter and Pinterest .

 
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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Time Warp Wife, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Christian Fellowship FridayClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Clothes Pin Snowflake - a Fun Winter Craft

This is a fun winter craft to do with kid’s ages preschool and up. My kids (ages 3 and 4 years old) love to paint, so they enjoyed this craft. It’s also a fun craft to do by yourself.

What you will need for one snowflake:8 clothes pinsWhite paint with paint brushesGlitter or glitter glue (your choice of color)Glue gunPaper (to protect your table)Wax paperSimple medium suction cup
Step one:Take clothes pins apart (remove the metal spring)


Step two:Glue the clothes pins “back to back”


Step three:Place paper on table and paint all sides of the clothes pin then let dry on wax paper. If you use plain paper, the paper will stick to the wet paint. Wax paper will not stick.


Step four:Once the paint is dry, place a drop of glue on the top corner of the head of a clothes pin then press another clothes pin head into the glue. Refer to photo for guidance.


Step five:Once 4 clothes pins are glued together, glue the remainder 4 in each corner. Refer to photo for guidance.


Step six:When all 8 clothes pins are glued together, then go ahead and have fun with the glitter!



Step seven:Take the suction cup (remove the metal hook) and glue it to the middle of the back of the snowflake.



Turn over the snowflake.


And ta-dah! All done and ready for your wintery window. I love this because where we live we have to drive an hour or more if we want to see snow. We only get good snow about once every other year or so. So this decoration helps us see past our wet, rainy winter “wonderland”. I hope you enjoy this fun winter time craft.

A little about Tiffany:
Hello! I'm Tiffany Angell. I've been blogging a little over 3 months and I'm really enjoying it. I just celebrated my 5 year wedding anniversary with the love of my life. We have 3 beautiful kids, Michael (4), Emily (3) and Sam (1). Being a 28 year old stay at home mom of 3 young kids, I don't have a lot of down time to write. But I've always enjoyed writing (even though I may not be very good at it). I write mostly about life. I enjoy God, my family and the company of good friends.
Blog: My Life (so far)
My Life (so far) Facebook Page


14 Days of Agape:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/14-Days-Agape-Rosilind-Jukic-ebook/dp/B00BF2ABBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386926870&sr=8-1&keywords=rosilind+jukic

PDF: https://payhip.com/b/XUrY

Live Worship:
Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/Live-Worship-Rosilind-Jukic-ebook/dp/B00BWSW1FQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386926870&sr=8-2&keywords=rosilind+jukic

PDF:https://payhip.com/b/EwIP

2 Book Bundle: https://payhip.com/b/QiJM

 
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  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!


 
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Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Merry Christmas From A Little R & R

I don't think it's any secret around here how much I love Christmas.
I have blogged and blogged and blogged some more about Christmas.  And no matter how much I write on the subject, I always seem to find more to say.
Here is a collection of some of my favorite articles...

HINT: click on the graphic to read the article




Here is a guest post I did this  year for Beauty Through Imperfection








Here is a guest post I wrote for Simply Helping Him






Home {Alone} For Christmas - 10 Activities To Do With Your Littles On Christmas - See more at: http://www.littlerandr.org/2012/12/ho... Home {Alone} For Christmas - 10 Activities To Do With Your Littles On Christmas - See more at: http://www.littlerandr.org/2012/12/ho...

Home {Alone} For Christmas - 10 Activities To Do With Your Littles On Christmas - See more at: http://www.littlerandr.org/2012/12/ho... {Alone} For Christmas - 10 Activities To Do With Your Littles On Christmas - See more at: http://www.littlerandr.org/2012/12/ho...   And yet another guest post I wrote for Beauty Through Imperfection



 

  
Photo by Fracesco Marino
 
(Photo by Fracesco Marino)

14 Days of Agape:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/14-Days-Agape-Rosilind-Jukic-ebook/dp/B00BF2ABBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386926870&sr=8-1&keywords=rosilind+jukic

PDF: https://payhip.com/b/XUrY

Live Worship:
Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/Live-Worship-Rosilind-Jukic-ebook/dp/B00BWSW1FQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386926870&sr=8-2&keywords=rosilind+jukic

PDF:https://payhip.com/b/EwIP

2 Book Bundle: https://payhip.com/b/QiJM

 
Would you like to receive my free ebook?  Become a subscriber to A Little R & R!
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Don't forget to link up with A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party!

  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!


 
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Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Christmas Craft - Homemade Ornaments

 
Christmas Card Ornaments!   A fun craft for the kids this holiday season.
I am excited to be able to show off a craft that I learned years ago in Elementary school, which makes this perfect for school age children to help out. It also puts to use those countless Christmas cards you receive during the holiday season. These Christmas Card Ornaments can adorn your tree, or better yet, add them to the packages under the bows as an additional gift that is virtually free.

Items You'll Need:

Along with a variety of:(you'll only need the front of the cards)
Step 1:Unless you are a master at free hand designs, you'll need a template. I found the following picture online and simply printed it off. (Just right click to "Save As" and then once it is saved, right click again to print.) *Side note, the larger the image, the easier it will be to cut it out. Image found here at I'm Topsy Turvy

Step 2:You'll need 8 pieces for each ornament, so the more simple a design, the easier it will be for little helpers to assist. Once you have enough cut out, fold them in half.

Step 3: Time for the glue. Add glue to one half of the back side, then attach another piece to it until you get half of one ornament (4 pieces) glued together.

Like so...(2 halves pictured below)
Step 4:
Clip a piece of thread to glue to the inside in order to hang on the tree. Add the second half of the ornament, then repeat with the other end of the string on the other side. *Could use ribbon instead of thread if you have some laying about.


Step 5:Let dry then hang on the tree.

As you can see on the ornament on the right, we only used 4 pieces and instead of gluing the thread inside the ornament, we hole punched it. So the options are endless and like snowflakes, each ornament will be different in some way.

Sarah is a housewife and stay at home mother of three. From cooking to crafts to hilarious positions she finds herself in day to day living in the house with Blue Shutters. She blogs at: Blue Shutters - This Mommas House and you can find her her at on Facebook and Google +.



14 Days of Agape:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/14-Days-Agape-Rosilind-Jukic-ebook/dp/B00BF2ABBK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386926870&sr=8-1&keywords=rosilind+jukic

PDF: https://payhip.com/b/XUrY

Live Worship:
Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/Live-Worship-Rosilind-Jukic-ebook/dp/B00BWSW1FQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386926870&sr=8-2&keywords=rosilind+jukic

PDF:https://payhip.com/b/EwIP

2 Book Bundle: https://payhip.com/b/QiJM
  Would you like to receive my free ebook?  Become a subscriber to A Little R & R!
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Don't forget to link up with A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party!

  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!


 
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Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Finding Peace + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #33

When you hear the word “Peace” it evokes certain feelings that most of us are longing for.  Feelings of calm, quiet and tranquility.  But, where do those elusive feelings come from during a time of year where chaos reigns supreme?

I love this time of year, don’t you?  It’s my favorite, but it can become the hardest time of the year if we let it.  We are always rushing around searching for the best Christmas gift, making sure we have all our Christmas cards mailed and planning the perfect day.  Our to-do list is never ending.

Come on…admit it…you know exactly what I am talking about!

So…where can we even begin to find some quiet in the storm?

Are you ready?  The answer is JESUS!  Jesus is our shelter, our Prince of Peace, and our only way to everlasting calm. 

It’s not checking off one more thing or finally finishing up all our shopping, but instead, our peace comes from a small, little, baby that was sent to Earth, on a special night, to cover all our sins and to give us refuge from all our earthly problems. 

Jesus was sent to Earth to die for our sins.  Sent here for our salvation.  That ALONE should offer an abundance of peace.  Jesus sacrificing his life, so that we may live eternally in heaven, is one of the most amazing things anyone could do for us.  All anxiety over our future should melt away knowing this. 

The peace that Jesus can offer you is nothing that you will find from material items or from anything found in this world.  Hebrews 13:5 says “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have....”  Please take this to heart, especially during this time, that no matter what gift you buy it will never give you, or the person receiving it, the peace you are searching for.  Only a relationship with Jesus can do that.

During this time of year we celebrate the birth of our savior.  We celebrate by searching all over town for the perfect presents and making sure that all the decorations we have in our house are what would impress the house guests we have.  It’s hard keeping up with the Joneses.  We go to so much trouble trying to please everyone else thinking that once we are all said and done we can just stop and breathe.  But that time of being done never comes.  There is always one more thing to add to our to-do list.  During this time, instead, how about slowing down and impressing the one that can give you the peace you are searching for.  Strive to impress Jesus.

Finding true peace is all about having a relationship with Jesus.  The peace he can offer is unending and will always be there whenever you want it.  During this time of year, pause and remember that only a relationship with Jesus, whose birth we are celebrating this time of year, is the ONE and ONLY way to everlasting peace.  He was named Prince of Peace for a reason.  How about taking a few minutes out of your day and finding out why.
Merry Christmas to all.

Bethany


Bethany is a child of God, wife to her wonderful husband, imperfect mother to her kids, and a country girl through and through.  She is filled with hope from God’s always abundant grace and wants to encourage other women to find their grace as well.  She loves being a bible study group leader for Good Morning Girls as well as working to help develop their children’s studies.  If you want to get to know her more you can find her blogging at Graceful Country Diva. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter!






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  Due to the holidays, this Linky Party will last through January 7th!!  Feel free to come back and link up  more posts until it's done!!
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4. Visit the post just before yours

The party runs through next Tuesday evening!
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Celebrating the Season with Joy

 


When Collin was 4 years old, our family celebrated our first Christmas after he had accepted Jesus as his personal Savior.  At that time our family was living in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  The holiday traditions culturally celebrated gave honor to a person who did good for others, Saint Nicholas or Sinterklauss.  
During the holiday season, one tradition was for children to place shoes by the door at night.  Each morning they would be filled with goodies and on the final night there would be a special present. 
Collin loved going out each morning to see what treasure was inside!  It was the simplest things in the shoes that made him smile- from delicious ginger cookies and baby oranges to stickers and dried fruit. We also added a small verse to share with him each day about the birth of Jesus.
The simplest traditions yielded the greatest joy.  The genuine smiles and warm hugs were a joy to momma’s heart. 
It was a simple year for us, especially as we financially scaled down in order to pay for tickets home to the states for Christmas.  As we left the snowy streets of Amsterdam and landed in the warm sunshine of California, the weight of our own worries about the obligations of the holidays seemed a bit overwhelming. 
Within a few days of our arrival, our to-do and shopping list had grown and our time was spent making sure everything was done and all the presents were wrapped.  Each night I sank into bed exhausted while a list of what was left to do was scrolling through my mind.
Sunday morning we prepared for church and amidst the color coordinating outfits and juggling kids to Sunday school, there wasn’t a lot of extra room for a joyful heart.  Did I really feel that way?  I had been looking forward to the trip, visiting family and celebrating Christmas.  
But, I had allowed my own peace to be invade by the need to have the “perfect Christmas” that all the expectations robbed my joy and left a trail of worry and impatience.
As I stood in the pews and took a deep breath, the worship team read from Luke  2 and sang a medley of Christmas songs.  It was then that I was struck by the simplicity of the first Christmas and the great joy the angles were proclaiming.  
Ironically, the circumstances surrounding the first Christmas was also a time of great stress and expectation with many obligations to be met.  The census called everyone to their home towns and there were quite a few checklists. Mary had an extra one, as she was also preparing to have a baby too.  God knew, He provided the perfect place and perfectly prepared for his Son to be born.  
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”(Luke 2, NJKV)
The world around us is easily consumed with the hustle and bustle of the season, with the real meaning of the season forgotten.  Without room to breathe, our joy is easily chocked out and exhaustion is the remaining trademark.  
Rather, let’s take a moment to remind ourselves the “Joy” that fills the reason for the season.  As moms, we can find the joy in the simple things, take the time to slow down and give thanks for the person that has done the greatest good in our lives- Jesus.  His imprint lives forever on our hearts and our families.Let’s mark this year with a new tradition- to remain focused on the Joy and leave behind the worry and superficial expectations.  When all is done, and our calendars flip to the new year, may our lasting memories of the holiday season be filled with genuine joy.



Britt Nicholas has been married for 12 years to her best friend with whom she has traveled the world, lived in 4 countries and together have 4 amazing children under 9- each being born in a different country!   Britt can be found homeschooling, baking, crafting, exploring outdoors and always in the middle of a wonderful book!   She loves sharing about Jesus, having heart-to-heart talks over a good cuppa, and reading.  Grab your favorite cuppa and join her at www.teatimeformoms.com .Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Nativity Crafts for Little Hands

Jesus IS the Reason for this Season of Celebration but it can be hard to convey
that to young children with all the holiday hustle and bustle. Many of us don't
quite have on our happy faces with all we have to get done during this time.
It is important that we aren't unknowingly teaching our little ones material
possessions and perfection as the quality of the Christmas season.

When I was a little girl I stayed at my great aunts home on a regular basis.
She had this gorgeous nativity that she would set up each year. It was
made of ceramic and painted beautifully by I'm not sure by who. Our church
today has a similar one on our church alter. Since my Great Grandfather
was minister of our church I have a feeling that both of them came from
the same person. The figures are  intricately detailed. I remember as
a little child being enamored with that little baby. My aunt would allow me
to hold Him gently in my hands. I'd cradle the little manger. I really wantedto just take Him with me. Take that ceramic baby with me whereever I went.
I could see myself cradling Him and hiding under the table so I could have
Him all to myself. What I really knew as that little girl ,with the big brown eyes,
is that this little baby was really important. I knew early on that He would be
a big part of my life. I guess what I am telling you is that little ones comprehend
a lot more than we give them credit for sometimes. And I want nothing more
than to give those little faces a baby Jesus that they can hold and hide away
all the while storing Him in their hearts. An Idea they can hold all to themselvesand know they are valued and loved by our Creator.

Incidentally my great aunt pasted a few years ago. I have many found memories
 of her. I bought her nativity at auction. The pieces were broken and
many were crumbling from age. However baby Jesus is still lying snuggly in
his manger. I hold on to that to remember the child in me. To remember that
simple love I felt for Jesus at such an early age. Because of His great love
I give you this Jesus Nativity Craft  for you to do with your kids.

Baby Jesus Craft

What you will need:

Small basket (I bought ours from the dollar tree)
Seamless knee high nylon stockings.
Polyfiber fill
Sharpie
Yarn
Felt Square- Large enough to make a blanket for baby
or a baby doll blanket
Shredded paper you typically buy for inside gift bags or Easter Grass
Ribbon

Crafting Directions:

1. For little hands hold open the nylon sock while they stuff
it with polyfiber fill. Check desired length to your basket so
that you ensure baby fits inside.

2. Once you have the baby the desired length tie the
bottom shut. If there is excess nylon at the bottom  you can cut it
off under the knot.

3. It is good now to wrap baby in the blanket so that you
know how much face will be available to you. It is fun to
show little ones how we swaddle a real baby. If you don't know
for sure here is the directions for Swaddling4. Use your ribbon now and tie it around baby to hold on the
blanket while little ones play.

5. Draw on the face with sharpie. Help little ones so that sharpie
doesn't end up all over them . If very young you might want to do
this step for them.

6. Glue hair as desired onto babies head. Elmers glue works ok
but you won't be able to touch him for awhile. Tacky would work
better for this project.

8. Put your grass in your basket to make a soft bed for baby.
Then lay Him inside.



Our Craft is done Now what? When you are finished with the craft there are a couple of things you
can do to reinforce what you are trying to share with your little one.

1. Read the story of Jesus birth. There are a lot of great books out there
that illustrates the story to young children ,read it directly from your bible,
or better yet tell them in your own words.

2. Pray over baby Jesus. Allow your child to share their thoughts

3. Play Allow little ones to reenact the story and to act out their own versions
with the baby. Let them explore their feelings.

4. Lay Jesus under the Christmas tree through the holiday

5. On Christmas morning. Hide Jesus in the house. Let the children
go and find him before all the gift giving begins. Lay the bible story with
Him and read it to your little ones in the quiet of the morning. More than
likely if your house is like mine. The little ones wake way before the bigger
kids do. This will give you that quiet with Jesus and little Hearts too.



Warm Blessings,

Nikki


My name is Nikki Hinkle and I am a child of God. Carl and I have
been together for 19 years now. We have 7 children and home educate.
I write reviews for the Old Schoolhouse Crew and Booksneeze.  I share
on my blog ideas for teaching children from babies to adult. You can find
me writing on my blog at Angels of Heart ,
on Twitter, and on  FacebookClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .