The church the gathering of God’s children, where they can be helped and fed like babies and then, guided by her motherly care, grow up to manhood in maturity of faith.
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#1 · December 14, 2006, 10:38 am

Posted by: hopechestnews <hopechestnews@...>

Dear Hope Chest friends,
 
I'm sure you're all in the thick of holiday preparations.  Now that our co-op classes have let out for the holidays, I'm finally starting my own Christmas shopping.  This isn't particularly quick when you have 10 kids, but we're trying to stick to the "3 Gifts Plan" this year -- one fun thing that they want, one practical thing that they need (clothes), and one inspirational thing to keep their minds on "The Reason for the Season."  So far so good.  (I confess that I peeked at the presents my brother John and his wife Dana sent to the kids, just to make sure I wasn't buying any duplicates!)  I took Ben and Naomi out yesterday so they could buy their presents for siblings -- packages of candy to split up 10 ways! 
 
At the end of this month, I'm actually flying up to see my family in Maryland for a few days -- without my husband and children!  Yes, I know I went up for the family reunion this summer with baby Melody, but I regretted later how little time I had spent in one-on-one conversations with my parents, grandparents, and sister's family.  It will be so much easier now without so much going on.  I'm looking forward to seeing my cousin Mary, too!   We're all very thankful that my Grandpa Hess has been out of the hospital for a week or so now.  And I'm so thankful that my dear husband Thad has so enthusiastically encouraged me to go spend some time with them all!   Southwest Airlines has some sweet deals! 
 
In other family news, Melody is just starting to walk -- at 16 months old!  She's still just taking 2 or 3 steps at a time, but we're making progress!  She didn't learn to crawl on hands and knees until she was 14 months old, so I guess this is no surprise.   Each child has a different timetable!  At the other end of the age spectrum, Mary, who is 19, just told me that she has accepted a full-time internship at the Daytona Beach News-Journal for next summer.  She's already booked to intern at the Orlando Sentinel part-time this spring.   As if she isn't busy enough, she went down yesterday to fill out a volunteer application at Restore Orlando (http://www.restoreorlando.org/), an inner city mission.   She was planning to work with kids just over the Christmas break, but out of the blue they asked her if she liked to write.  When they found out that she's a journalism student, they immediately recruited her to publish their ministry newsletter each month!   Oh my!  I won't complain!  I'm so glad she has found such a worthy place to use her God-given talents, and at least the mission is close to the Orlando Sentinel offices.  Our kids do grow up!  Hey, while we're on the topic, Restore Orlando has a LOT of volunteer opportunities!  How about you?
 
OK, enough about me and mine.  I have several extras and announcements for you!
  • Reaching Out at Christmas

  • Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz

  • Great Reading at Christmas
  • Answers to Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz
  • Encouragement for the Homeschool Family Conference by Steve and Teri Maxwell in Orlando -- January 30
Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
 
 
Reaching Out at Christmas
 
It struck me the other day that at Christmastime we have so many opportunities to serve others creatively.  I just wanted to encourage you to think of the people around you, and what they might need right now.  What can you do to help?
 
Many of you responded enthusiastically to the "12 Days of Christmas" idea.  One reader, Donna, who has already done this in the past, sent this link for printable tags.  http://pie.midco.net/grammalowe/12days.html   Another reader, Renee, is planning to do it this year for some neighbors who are always reaching out to OTHERS.  What goes around comes around! 
 
If you don't have the time to do 12 nights of "ring and run" you can always do just one night, and secretly drop a bag of presents on a doorstep.  Just make sure the family isn't out of town!
 
Or, if you know a family in need, but don't know WHAT they need specifically, gift cards to Wal-Mart or a grocery store are always appreciated.
 
If you want to go global, be sure to check out Harvest of Hope, which has a catalog of gifts to be given to impoverished people around the world.  Where else can you give a piglet, a clean water system, a library, or a host of other gifts?  They even have a "Kids Collection" page.  Visit http://www.harvestofhope.org. 
 
Kerry Harmon's family is hosting Vlad, a 15 year old Latvian boy for a month.  He's flying in tonight, and leaving on January 13.   A couple of weeks ago, Kerry, a mother of 9, wrote and told me about New Horizons for Children (http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org), a ministry organization based in Acworth, Georgia, which arranges trips to America for Russian and Latvian orphans.  They have a branch here in Orlando, too.    They aren't taking any more applications for this Christmas season trip, but they also do it again in summer.  Check it out!    Kerry says she thinks this is going to be their best Christmas ever!
 
My friend Nancy Couch said that her family has hosted international students over Christmas many times in the past.   We had several Indian and Chinese students join us for Thanksgiving about 5 years ago, arranged through a campus ministry at the University of Central Florida.  Many students from foreign countries never see the inside of an American home all the time they are in our country!  
 
Of course, it doesn't have to be a student or an international to make it hospitality.   I'm sure you can think of someone else -- perhaps someone who lives far from family or who is otherwise alone during the holidays.
 
You could even host a Christmas craft day for neighbord kids.  This doesn't have to be complicated.  You could just get supplies for three or four different simple crafts, whip up a batch of yummy snacks, and invite a few children for an afternoon of fun.    We set up tables in our garage one year to keep the mess contained!
 
Or, you could simply find a way to share Good News with your family and friends in your Christmas card or letter.  In a separate e-mail, I am sending a poem I wrote to send as a card from our family this year.
 

Obfuscated Christmas Carols Quiz

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Can You Name These Religious Christmas Carols?

  1. Approach Everyone Who Is Steadfast
  2. Ecstasy Toward The Orb
  3. Hush, The Foretelling Spirits Harmonize
  4. Hey, Minuscule Urban Area Southwest Of Jerusalem
  5. Quiescent Nocturnal Period
  6. The Autocratic Troika Originating Near the Accent of Apollo
  7. The Primary Carol
  8. During the Time Ovine Caretakers Supervised Their Charges Past Twilight
  9. Celestial Messengers From Splendid Empires
  10. The Tatterdemalion Ebony Atmosphere
  11. What Offspring Abides Thus?
  12. Removed in a Bovine Feeding Trough
  13. Seraphim We Aurally Detect in the Stratosphere
  14. The Slight Percussionist Lad
  15. The Event Occurred At One Minute After 11:59 PM—Visibility Unlimited
  16.  Are You Experiencing Parallel Auditory Input?

(Answers are at the bottom of this e-mail!)

Great Reading at Christmas
 
Have you ever heard of "The Legend of the Candy Cane"?  We have the book, which my kids love.  I took it to our kindergarten co-op class and read it to the girls there, and of course I gave them some candy canes, too.  You can see a simplified on-line version of the story at this web site sent in by the Alvarez family: http://www.angelrays.com/fla/legend.html.  You dno't have to click anything except "Start" since the pages automatically turn for you.
 
I don't have time to write a whole bunch of book reviews now, and I'm sure I could think of a lot more titles I like, but I at least wanted to list some of my Christmas favorites: 
  • The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg -- a picture book
  • One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham -- a lush picture book set at Christmastime, with the gospel message woven in
  • Mary's First Christmas by Walter Wangerin, Jr. -- the Christmas story as told to little Jesus by mother Mary 
  • The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado -- a picture book 
  • The Glorious Impossible by Madeline L'Engle -- poetic prose accompanies Renaissance paintings on the life of Christ by Giotto 
  • A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill -- a classic Christmas tale set in Appalachia  
  • King of the Stable by Melody Carlson -- a picture book about a wealthy boy who must learn to serve 
  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson -- a funny, easy read children's chapter book with a great message  
  • The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden  and Barbara Cooney -- this is not a Christian book, but it is a very sweet tale of an orphan and a doll 
  • The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt -- a picture book
 
Jill Novak, author of The Gift of Family Writing and other fine publications, sent these links to her blog site:
Christmas Past and Present~Part 1   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JillNovak/253833
Christmas Past and Present~Part 2  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JillNovak/253835

ANSWERS TO OBFUSCATED CHRISTMAS CAROLS QUIZ

1. O Come All Ye Faithful 2. Joy To The World 3. Hark The Herald Angels Sing 4. O Little Town Of Bethlehem 5. O Holy Night 6. We Three Kings, of Orient are 7. The First Noel 8. While Shepherds Watched their Flocks By Night 9. Angels From The Realms of Glory 10. O Holy Night 11. What Child Is This 12. Away In A Manger 13. Angels We Have Heard On High 14. The Little Drummer Boy 15.  It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 16. Do You Hear What I Hear?

~~~~~~

Karen Minish sent in this blurb for an event she is organizing.  Steve and Teri Maxwell are really neat folks, with much helpful encouragement and information to share.

Encouragement for the Homeschool Family Conference

By Steve & Teri Maxwell & family

Date: January 30th, 2007
Time: 7:00-9:30 p.m.
Location: First Baptist Sweetwater, 3800 Wekiva Springs Road, Longwood, Florida 32779

 

Questions & Pre-Registration: Karen Minish, e-mail ([email protected]) or phone (407-884-4763). Your pre-registration is greatly appreciated. You may pre-register (no cost) by contacting Karen by e-mail or phone.

 

Steve and Teri Maxwell, authors of Managers of Their Homes, Managers of Their Chores, Homeschooling with Meek & Quiet Spirit, Preparing Sons, Keeping Our Children's Hearts, and Just Around the Corner, will be presenting an evening conference filled with practical encouragement! Two of their adult children will be giving sessions for the teens and for children of any age that are able to sit quietly.  We invite you to join us!   The sessions will be "Managers of Their Homes and Chores" by Teri, "Family Devotions -- Here's How Guaranteed" by Steve, "Success or Failure -- Where Are You Headed?" for young men by 27 year old Christopher, "Experiencing the Joy of Young Womanhood" for young ladies by 24 year old Sarah, "Keeping our Children's Hearts" by Steve and Teri, and "Evangelism -- Effectively Sharing Christ & Loving It" for young people by Christopher.

 

There is no cost, but a love offering box will be available to help with the Maxwells' traveling expenses. We look forward to seeing you. For a full conference flyer, please go to http://www.Titus2.com, on the pink sidebar, click on Schedule, and you'll find it from there. 

 

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