HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!! (2024)

 

We began our party with some reminders of why we are even celebrating...of course, it's a birthday party for Jesus!

Ask your student to recite Luke 2:10-14. We did this in class, and they were amazing. 

We also sang some Christmas hymns, and ended with a Happy Birthday song to our Lord. 

And then there was FOOD...wow, we had some good stuff, thanks to your donations!

Mrs. Chen, Enzo's mom, brought each student a freshly baked cinnamon bun!!!

The kids loved the tator tots!

And of course, they were SUPER excited about the Chick-Fil-A nuggets! Thank you James's mom for getting those for us!

We had strawberries with whip cream...

...and carrots with Ranch.

And here is the birthday girl! Happy Birthday Emily!

Then we played a few rounds of "Snatch":

And finally, the moment the kids had been waiting for...the BIG REVEAL of their Secret Santa!!

And now, the opening of the gifts. I love how they get so excited over something so simple! This is pure happiness: 

I pray that you and your loved ones will have a very Jesus-centered Christmas this year!

When my kids were younger, we did a few things to help them focus on our celebration. I'll share a few ideas with you:

• Both Zack and Ellie decorated their own small birthday cake for Jesus. Place candles on them and sing happy birthday. 

• Light the Jesus candle (the last of the Advent candles) on Christmas morning and read from the book of Luke before opening presents.

• Sing Christmas hymns together.

• Go to Christmas Eve service as a family (and then keep going each week after).

• Here are some local churches that I recommend:
• Patria
• Water of Life
• Hillside
• One and All
• Flipside

(I go to Community Church Rancho, but I can't recommend it just yet since we don't have a children's program at this point.)

Merry Christmas everyone!

See you on TUESDAY, January 7th, 2025!!

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Week 2 (2024)

 I LOVE this quote in the book.

 To me, the "untamed" part represents the holiness of God and his hatred of sin, his majesty, his immense glory in which we would not even be able to stand if we were in his presence.

His GOODNESS is represented through his display of humility, servanthood, sacrifice, unconditional love, forgiveness, and his plan for our salvation through INCARNATION!!! This. Is. Mind-blowing.

Jesus is so, so good. 

On Monday, Aslan came to our classroom. It was so wonderful to finally meet the King of the whole wood, the Emperor Over the Sea, the rightful true King over all of Narnia.

We take a little pause to insert pictures of our adorable kids all dressed up for the Christmas Concert this week!

Now, returning to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...

because Aslan came to Narnia, the "thaw" happened...the snow started to melt away, and signs of Spring were evident.

This week, we did not have snacks and gifts to go along with each chapter, because the reading alone was a gift in itself. And the content did not disappoint! 

I will not restate the things that I have already shared with you through my email to each of you parents. I hope you will ponder those things in your heart.

I do want to share with you some beautiful works of art by your children. Here are their drawings of Aslan, the fiercely strong and fiercely loving lion:

“But what does it all mean?”                                                 asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer.

“It means,” said Aslan, “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. 

She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”

                   

                   --- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe