Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Making do — That’ll do
At 5:45 I remembered I was supposed to bring something appetizerish or snackish to a Christmas gathering at 6:30. A flash of mixed emotions, let’s say. Relief that I remembered. And yikes! What am I going to take?
I surveyed the freezer shelves as if some prepackaged appetizers I had never bought would have magically materialized. Nope.
Then on to the cans. I fumbled through the soups and tuna until I happened on a can of shoepeg corn. Why do I have this? I’ve never used shoepeg corn before. Oh yes. It was for a dip recipe I didn’t make and can’t remember.
But dip would be a good idea to take, if only I had chips. I threw open the cabinet and there were the 2 bags of tortilla chips I bought last week, for just in case. Well “in case” is here.
No time to look for a recipe. So here’s my Make-Do Dip. I drained all the cans and saved the liquid for soup.
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 – 11 oz can shoepeg corn, drained
- 1 – 15 oz black beans
- 1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes with peppers
- 1 – 12 oz container light sour cream
- 1/2-1 cup salsa, to taste (I used hot because that’s what was in the fridge)
How much does it make? A lot. Do the math yourself: Add up the cans and sour cream container and there you have the amount. And it was popular. I brought some home, but not nearly as much as I took to the party.Thank you, Mother, for your example of making do with what you have.
Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Where to find 2 free audiobook downloads
If you follow both my blogs, you’ll notice that my posts of ebook and audiobook information are usually over at Tell Me When to Pack. That’s because it’s my travel blog and the best way to pack lots to listen to and read is with downloads. Of course, all you NoelPiper.com readers are welcome to stop over and see what’s up.
Right now, I’ve posted the December offer from ChristianAudio.com–two free audiobook downloads.
Thursday, December 8th, 2011
Advent reading: Thursday, December 8, 2011
Luke 1:57-66
The birth of John the Baptist
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
(Daily Advent readings originally compiled at Parish Presbyterian Church. I have taken the reference list from this website and filled in the text from the ESV.)
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Advent reading: Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Luke 1:39-56
Mary visits Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
(Daily Advent readings originally compiled at Parish Presbyterian Church. I have taken the reference list from this website and filled in the text from the ESV.)
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
Advent reading: Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Matthew 1:18-25
The angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
(Daily Advent readings originally compiled at Parish Presbyterian Church. I have taken the reference list from this website and filled in the text from the ESV.)
Monday, December 5th, 2011
Mini journey–maxi discovery
Over at my travel blog — Tell Me When to Pack — I just wrote about a mini journey during which I made a maxi discovery. And it’s all Christmas-related.
Monday, December 5th, 2011
The visible center
Our very first Christmas was in the middle of our honeymoon, so our traditions began the second year of marriage.
We visited our families before Christmas, and returned to our small place late at night on December 21. We didn’t have any decorations, and our budget and the time were short, so we decided not to buy a tree.
I had found a tiny nativity set at an international gift shop. So on Christmas morning, the two of us sat on the floor beside a low, small table with that scene between us. Christmas carols played in the background as we opened each other’s gifts. It seemed exactly right that Jesus be the visible center.
So every year since then, a special crèche has been the focal point of our celebration. We arrange it on a table in the living room and collect our gifts underneath. This is often the gathering place for our family devotions during December. Anyone who visits sees what our center is.
We also use a manger scene as part of our Advent candle arrangement, so the focus of our waiting is visible before us. Other uses for a crèche might be:
- an unbreakable set for the children to play with.
- manger scene ornaments for a Christmas tree.
- a stained glass or colored cellophane window arrangement, visible from the street.
- a play corner with toy lamb, baby doll and appropriate dress-ups.
One friend told me about her crèche collection:
I try to find one in every place I visit. I give traveling friends money to spend on a nativity for me if they happen to see one where they are going. I find them at garage sales and thrift stores and after-Christmas sales, and people give them to me as gifts. I have more than a hundred now from all over the world, and when I get them out for Christmas it is a wonderful reminder that one day people from all tribes and tongues and people and languages—not just my own country—will worship the King.
(Hint: If you’re shopping locally for a nativity scene, wait till the day or two after Christmas.)
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Adapted from Treasuring God in Our Traditions. |
Monday, December 5th, 2011
Advent reading: Monday, December 5, 2011
Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel’s annunciation to the virgin Mary of the Incarnation.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
(Daily Advent readings originally compiled at Parish Presbyterian Church. I have taken the reference list from this website and filled in the text from the ESV.)
Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Doesn’t she know?
Yesterday, I wrote about how we think about Santa at our house. It boiled down to this primary goal: Helping our children understand God as much as they were able at whatever age they were.
I hadn’t realized what a hot topic this would be. I really meant it when I said I’m not on a crusade that has good guys and bad guys.I meant to be clear that I was simply telling you how we think about it at our house for our family.
Some of you raised questions that I expect to be thinking about in future posts. In the meantime, let me complete the thought I began yesterday.
Here are some encouraging effects we observed (at different times with different children) of not including Santa in our celebration. These aren’t really reasons to make a decision one way or the other, but more like side effects.
First, I think children are glad to realize that their parents, who live with them all year and know all the worst things about them, still show their love at Christmas. Isn’t that more significant than a funny old make-believe man who drops in just once a year?
Second, our children know our family’s usual giving patterns for birthday and other special events. They seem to have an instinct about our typical spending levels. Knowing that their Christmas gifts come from those same people they love, rather than from a bottomless sack, can help diminish the “I-want-this, give-me-that” syndrome.
And finally, when children know that God’s generosity is reflected by God’s people, it tends to encourage a sense of responsibility about helping make Christmas good for others.
Our oldest, for example, worked hard on one gift the year he was 3. On Christmas morning, my husband stepped around a large, loose-flapped cardboard box to get to his chair at the breakfast table. “Where’s Karsten?” he asked, expecting to see our excited boy raring to leap into the day.
Sitting down, I said, “He’ll be here in a minute.” I nudged the box with my toe. Karsten threw back the flaps and rose to his full three-foot stature. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them . . .” He had memorized Luke 2:8-20 as a gift for his dad. Karsten knew Santa wasn’t the one to depend on.
In fact, a few days later, he and I were walking down the hall at church. One of the older ladies leaned down to squeeze his pink, round cheek and asked, “What did Santa bring you?” Karsten’s head jerked quickly toward me, and he whispered loudly, “Doesn’t she know?”
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Taken from my book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions. |
Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Advent reading: Sunday, December 4, 2011
Luke 1:5-25
The birth of John the Baptist is foretold to Zacharias.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
(Daily Advent readings originally compiled at Parish Presbyterian Church. I have taken the reference list from this website and filled in the text from the ESV.)
Saturday, December 3rd, 2011
Theology lesson: the attributes of . . . who?
I’m not on a campaign, but I thought some of you might be interested in the way we think about one of the very visible “symbols” of the season.
For several reasons, we chose not to include Santa Claus in our Christmas stories and decorations.
First, fairy tales are fun, but we didn’t ask our children to believe them. On the contrary, they’re a good way to learn the difference between real-life and make believe. Second, celebrating with Santa and manger will postpone a child’s clear understanding of what the real truth of God is.
It’s very difficult for a young child to pick through a marble cake of part-truth and part-imagination to find the crumbs of reality. We wanted our children to understand God as fully as they were able, at whatever age they were. So we tried to avoid things that would inhibit or distort that understanding.
Third, think how confusing it must be to a straight-thinking, uncritical preschooler. Santa is so much like what we’re trying all year to teach our children about God. Look at the “attributes” of Santa.
- He’s omniscient—he sees everything you do.
- He rewards you if you’re good.
- He’s omnipresent—at least, he can be everywhere in one night.
- He gives you good gifts.
- He’s the most famous “old man in the sky” figure.
But at the deeper level that young children haven’t reached yet, he is not like God at all.
For example, does Santa really care if we’re bad or good? Think of the most awful kid you can remember. Did he or she ever not get gifts from Santa? What about Santa’s spying and then rewarding you if you’re good enough?
That’s not the way God operates. He gave us his gift—his Son—even though we weren’t good at all. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He gave his gift to us to make us good, not because we had proved ourselves good enough.
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Taken from my book, Treasuring God in Our Traditions. |
Saturday, December 3rd, 2011
Advent reading: Saturday, December 3, 2011
Isaiah 40:1-11
Comfort ye my people.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
Is. 40:3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Is. 40:6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
Is. 40:9 Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
(Daily Advent readings originally compiled at Parish Presbyterian Church. I have taken the reference list from this website and filled in the text from the ESV.)
