Who's Watching?

Oftentimes I forget that I live in the world. I'm so focused on my own little microcosm that I can hardly see anything else around me. Current events fly by without a notice. It's enough for me to take care of the husband and little people He's put into my life. And that's okay. Really. But recently, God has been reminding me that people around me are watching and I need to be aware.

It started with a conversation I had with my kids' pediatrician a few months back. I already blogged about that but truthfully, that conversation really struck me and got me thinking--who's watching? Of course my immediate family is and I better be genuine. There's nothing like a parent who loves to be kind to everyone around them except those who are closest to them. That's hypocrisy of the worst kind and it's not being a light. So of course I have to remember that my kids are watching. But for some reason, that's not what is difficult for me to remember.

What's hard for me to keep in mind is that others on the "outside" are watching. And I don't mean friends. I just mean people. What do they see? What am I emanating? Who do I look like? Do I look like Nikki or do I look like Christ?

There have been a few situations lately that have really brought this to light. One occurred a couple of weeks ago at the car dealership where we get our Pilot maintained. I have an ongoing, cordial relationship with the guy who deals with our car. I treat him with respect and he always takes care of me. There was a mix-up that ended up leaving me and the four kids stranded for almost two hours. Of course I wanted to be mad at him and he really expected me to be. As a result he came armed with all sorts of excuses about how it wasn't his fault. But, somehow God reminded me of that conversation with our ped and in the moment, with His grace, I changed gears and immediately thought, "He's watching...He knows I'm a Christian. How will I respond?"

Another reminder came this week. I started selling cookies and brownies again since school is back in session. You might remember that what started as a simple little stand last year to get extra cash during grad school, turned into a bustling little business. And this business brought with it the bonus of getting to know students and parents. I LOVE this part of the whole deal. Seeing a bunch of them back after the summer was wonderful. It was fun to catch up and see their faces shine when they talked about the sports they were participating in this fall.

But what was even more wonderful was what occurred on Friday night. There was a knock on our door at 9 o'clock and there stood two of Steve's former students and avid cookie clients. One of them was on his way off to college and wanted to say goodbye. We invited them in and had such a wonderful, candid conversation that took on a life of its own. Somehow marriage, love, divorce and God all got brought up at our little kitchen table with two teenage boys on the brink of making lifelong decisions. One of them straight up asked, "How do you know when you love someone? How do you know it will last?" Can anyone say Golden Opportunity???!!! I don't know if they'll remember anything from our conversation. But what I do know, is that it reminded me again...who's watching?

I often don't think I can do much beside take care of my family and live this little life God has given me. And really I can't. But God can take this insignificant little life and do whatever He wants to do. If I can just love my family like He wants me to, others will see it. That's the Light he's talking about. Often I think I need to go out into the world and do big things. And that doesn't include what I already do on an every day basis.

But big things are happening all the time as I move that never-ending pile of laundry and wipe bottoms. I'm small. I'm insignificant. But when I obey and work unto the Lord, God can do big things through my obedience. Why? Because His love is so different from the world for He's overcome the world.

If you're at home raising kids, you may think that there's not much else going on outside your own little world. But really, think about it! There's so many ways this can occur. I have friends who have built into young women God has brought across their path just by inviting them into their life to get a front row seat...to see the failures and the triumphs and how God brings beauty from all things. I also have friends who simply have the neighborhood at their house every afternoon and the kids they come in contact with get to see a family that loves one another despite the difficulties we all face in life.

This is where it's at. Knowing Jesus and loving Him is so utterly opposed to what is out there in the world that it's like a huge glare in the face of evil. It's bright. It's noticeable and it's beautiful!

Just love the ones God has given you and then be ready for others to be spectating.

What about you? Who's watching?

Let Your Light So Shine

Yesterday I had an interesting experience at my pediatrician's office that I'm still trying to process through a bit. We were going in for Elliana's one year check-up and all of the usual happened. First of all, whenever I schlep my little troop around town we get a lot of attention. It doesn't bother me one bit. I mean, who can blame the onlookers? I've got four kids five and under. We are quite a sight. Plus the fact that I have three boys and then a girl ALWAYS makes for stares and comments. For the most part, people are really kind and even funny at times.

So back to yesterday. Everything was going along totally normal. Elliana's check-up was pretty brief and simple. After she had been checked out, our pediatrician, who I have a great relationship with, started shooting the breeze with me a bit since we had so much time left in our appointment. He asked me if I had ever seen the show Modern Family. I answered, "No." And so he proceeded to tell me all about it and how it is the funniest show to him because the families described on the show are exactly who he sees in his office every day.

Okay.....but then, he went on to say that our family is not the typical modern family and wanted to know why and what we were doing differently. He said, "Yet you're not like all of them. Tell me, why are you so different?" I was totally caught off guard. My first thought was to scream, "Because we're Christians!" But I know he already knows that. At least I think he does. He knows my husband teaches at a Christian school. And we've talked about church before. But he was really inquisitive. And I was all of the sudden stage fright. He went on and on about how we have a lot of kids but still seem to like them, are still married and seem to all enjoy one another which is pretty different than the typical family that walks into his office on a daily basis.

As he went on, I didn't know what to say. The first thing out of my mouth was that I had a good husband and that he sets the tone for our home. He then responded with, "I bet you do. That does make sense." After that, all I could do was just murmur that God had blessed us and that we try and do what's right (and fail miserably all the time). But I did feel like a failure when I walked out of there. Why didn't I have the courage to preach the gospel to our pediatrician right then and there? Why didn't I have a tract or something ready for him and his questions? Wouldn't that be what a good Christian would do? What kind of a Christian am I? I can't take the credit for anything going well in our family. It's all God's grace. And there's so much we need to work on that he doesn't see. He only sees us for small bits of time. And to be fair, I always make sure my kids have a snack to help them sit through the time!!

Afterward, we went through the rest of the appointment getting shots and getting Elliana's year old lab work done. During that time various other people came up to me with comments about all of my boys and the "little princess". One lady, with a twinkle in her eye said, "Four kids!! Good for you! I had five ya know." That comment made me smile.

On the way home, we got stuck in some major traffic and I had time to mull over the whole thing a bit more. I regretted not giving God more credit and lamented not speaking up more about my faith. As I was chiding myself, God whispered gently to my heart and a light bulb went off in my head. Sometimes I don't feel like I can do much for the gospel. I can't necessarily pick up and go overseas. I'm not preaching on the street corner or helping out at different ministries. My ministry is my husband, my kids and my home and that's fine with me! But, God reminded me, that what He's given me in my children and marriage is a literal banner of light, shouting at this hurting world. Wherever we go, His light can be shone just by us being His-by us being Christians.

I always thought we were the normal ones. I guess since I'm around so many people that have strong marriages and great kids, I tend to forget about the hurting world around me. There's so much brokenness. So much! I can't fix it. But I can take my kids to the store with me and we can show kindness. Sure someone might throw a tantrum but how do I handle it? There are people watching!! That doesn't mean I just do things "right" to put on a show-no, that's hypocrisy. But am I showing Christ to my kids in how I respond? Am I truly loving them with Christ's love? Because if I am, others will see HIM! And they'll know it's different.

God has given all of us different ways to shine His light. For some it is being a missionary to some unreached peoples. Others show love by visiting shut-ins or prisons. Others reach out to at-risk youth or help in various ministries. For me, right now, building into my family is the best way for Christ to shine. Our pastor always says that the world will be won for Christ around the dinner table.

I've always believed that. But I'm really starting to see how true that is. If we can just love our families, who can deny Him? It's SO drastically different from the world, it can't be us? It must be something SO MUCH greater!!

Be encouraged. Love your family. Pour into them all of who you are. And be in the world. In doing so, God will use your ordinary, every day life to broadcast to the world His shining light!

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Easter Fun

Recently I was talking with a good friend about Easter and why it's so hard to get into it. I mean Christmas is easy. The whole world is celebrating it (in their own ways) and it's so incredibly simple to get caught up in the hype. Christmas does have Santa but the Christ Child is still pretty prevalent. Also, we pull out all the stops for Christmas as we wait for weeks (Advent) for it to come. But Easter, is harder. The Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs pretty much take precedent. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with hunting for Easter Eggs at all! But there is so much more to Easter that gets lost...I think this happens more with Easter than even at Christmastime.

Part of the reason, I think, is that in an effort to drop some traditionalism, the church ousted Lent which gave a nice lead up to Easter. And regardless of whether or not you think it's well and good to observe Lent, its absence leaves the Easter Season with much to be desired. But this should not be!! Easter is THE cornerstone of our faith...and I might even be so bold as to say more important than Christmas! For as my friend reminded me of Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ didn't rise from the dead, if there was no resurrection, then we Christians are fools and greatly to be pitied! "For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins...If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." vs. 16-19

Last year we didn't do much for Easter because I was just too pregnant with Elliana and I was tired. Some years, in this little years period, it just happens that way. But this year, we were hoping to get a little more on track. So out came my favorite book on traditions written by, Noel Piper-Treasuring God in our Traditions. Okay, just hear me. I am NOT crafty. I am NOT creative. At least not in the crafty way. So, when it comes to trying to teach things about God to my children in tangible ways, I need some major help. In walks Noel and spells it all out for me.

Thanks Noel.

She's already raised five children (four boys, one girl) and has an incredible gift for making these holidays come alive. She is the one with the genius behind the Advent Calendar and Bethlehem Tree we do every year at Christmas and she is the one who came up with the two ideas we do at Easter.

This year we decided to take some of the items from our Bethlehem Tree and then turn it into a Jerusalem Tree with more items that pertain to the Easter story. So we took the hammer, the empty tomb and the cross (among a few others from Christmas) and then we added a bunch more like nails, a silver money bag, a spear and a picture of the Bread and Wine of the Last Supper. We made sure we had enough items to last us for five nights with one for each child a night (15 total). So we started Sunday and will continue to read about the Passion Story all week until Good Friday, putting up items that pertain to the story. Like any children, the boys loved making things for the tree. That big weird red thingy is Jesus' blood by the way.

The other idea we decided to do from the book is the playdough mountain. We had done this activity one other year and it was fun but the kids were still too little to really get it. This year, it's been perfect, especially for the two older ones. We made our own playdough on Sunday and then formed it in the shape of a mountain hollowing out a hole in the back for the tomb. We then baked it. Monday we colored it and the surrounding areas. Today we started gathering people and made our cross. Tomorrow we'll make some more people out of popsicle sticks and by Friday we'll get Jesus on the the cross. Friday night, after the kids go to bed, we'll put Jesus in the tomb and then wait for Sunday.

Such a simple idea yet, such a powerful image. It's almost like an Easter Nativity scene.

So this year we're trying to make it more real, more tangible. Because this is a story our children need to hear, see, touch and experience year after year after year.

It doesn't really matter what you do. And don't let this post be a downer because you don't have anything planned. It was meant to spark ideas to get you going to create something of your OWN. It's your family. Do what you want. Or copy Noel. That's what I like to do!

Just get the story out there this week-somehow.

For even though it's been two thousand years, it's still the greatest story ever told...the Gospel, our salvation...the Good News.

Saturday is for Showering

Such a fun week it has been here at our home! We've done all sorts of busy things but one of the main ones was to plan for a shower today. In our community there are always LOTS of babies being born...as in once a few come along, another three or four announce a pregnancy. So we have baby showers a lot. It's really fun because even though most of the babies born aren't first babies, we still go all out to celebrate because life is life. A blessing is a blessing whether it is first or not. And frankly, we love to celebrate.

So today was a day to honor two moms at our church. One already had her baby girl a few weeks ago (number five for that family and second girl) and the other is due anytime with a baby girl as well (number 3 and the only girl). For both families it is extremely special that they are having girls. So in true TCC fashion, we all put our talents together to celebrate these two families.

My friend Allison is just the best at throwing a party. So she was the brain child behind the event. She's amazing. I wish I had her eye. She knows how to take anything and make it beautiful. And that's what she did. She went with a butterfly theme and hung butterflies all over her house. It was gorgeous.

I was in charge of food but really, I had the easiest job of them all because everyone at our church is gourmet and makes the best food. I hardly had to lift a finger. I simply organized everyone and they did the rest. The one thing Allison wanted at this brunchy shower was waffle sticks...homemade waffles cut into strips and then dips like maple syrup, strawberries and whipped cream. Amazing and so cute.

This is a picture sans waffles...they were crisping in the oven but it's a better shot of the adorable little cups of maple syrup. Such a fun idea.

It was a delectable feast with enough food to feed an army--seriously. There were some happy husbands after the party let me tell you.

My little Elliana had the best time crawling all over the place and "talking" to anyone who would listen. I have to just tell you, once I got her all dressed up for the party, we went outside to say goodbye to the boys who were working in the yard readying things for our soon-to-be-planted garden. It was the most wonderful feeling taking her with me to the party. We said "Bye boys!! Girls together!" And I couldn't stop grinning.

I love having a daughter. I love that we can go to showers together even when she's still so little. There were a lot of other babies there too. This precious mom and friend just had her first girl out of five! We're kindred spirits I tell you. Little Betty is a doll. She also supplied us with the yummy waffles.

And isn't this the most beautiful girl ever? This little one is her mom's first and I just can't get over how pretty she is!!

I got to make a favorite little treat...Mousse Bites. My sister-in-law gave me the recipe awhile back and they're just so pretty and yummy for a shower.

There were amazing scones, egg dishes, muffins, fruit, a flourless torte that looked like it came from a bakery. Yeah, our pastor's wife made that. I'm surrounded by such amazing talent! Seriously, we were spoiled!

But there was good reason. Every Saturday night we speak Psalm 127-128 around our table...our boys know them by heart.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3

"Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD." Psalm 128:3

Baby Zoey and baby Gretl...we love you. Your life is a blessing.

So Saturday is for showering...children are a blessing, a blessing indeed.

A Pie For the Little Ones

I love to bake. I love to cook. I love to do just about anything in the kitchen. It makes me happy. Therefore, one of the ways I feel I can love and serve others is through creating in the kitchen. Often I find myself signing up for meals or dropping by with an unexpected baked gift for a friend. It's just my way.

However, this sort of thing takes time, effort and money. And when it comes to my own family, sometimes, I don't want to indulge. I come up with all kinds of excuses. Part of me reminds myself that I simply don't want the dessert around because then I'll eat it. This can be true. I have a horrible sweet tooth and if I don't keep my happy feet pounding the pavement, this sweet tooth can catch up to me. So sometimes I'll skimp on them because I don't want to be tempted and need to have self control. Other times I tell myself that they're little and don't eat a lot so, I don't want to waste. This can be true as well. But really, when it truly comes down to it, if I am being honest, I simply just don't want to take the time.

I can hear all of you gasping! How horrible!! I know, I know. It is horrible. How is it that I can take all sorts of time to lavish culinary gifts on others but I'm not as much inclined to do it for my own family. Now don't get me totally wrong. I do make them special treats often. But it's more about my heart.

Sometimes, I simply want to bow out just because I don't feel like it. I've already been up to my elbows in flour for something else, I don't want to bake another thing. This attitude comes out more around the holidays when it seems like all I am doing is cooking and baking. But when I really think about it, the fact that I can cook and bake in the first place is evidence that God has been generous to me. First I should be thankful and then second I should put this bounty to use. It should overflow to my own and then to others and should NOT be impeded by my laziness. This truth is something I've been convicted about lately.

It started with this scenario. On Sunday we had a Thanksgiving feast at church. It was wonderful, yummy and full of amazing food. I brought an apple pie and mashed potatoes. So, so good. My kids watched me make that apple pie and they saw it go on the table bursting with food on Sunday. And they were so patient. But we had to leave early. Both Joshua and Elliana were at their end and needed naps. So we left without getting dessert. The older boys were devastated. But because they are good kids, they lifted up their countenance and submitted to us leaving without much fuss. Later Caleb said, "Mommy, we didn't get any apple pie." Normally my go-to response would have involved reminding him that they get desserts quite often and that he needed to be thankful. But then I started thinking about it a bit more.

How often do they see me pouring myself out for other families (which is great to do!) with yummy desserts and everything, without them getting a little bit of the prize? Sometimes I can be too practical. So what if they won't eat the whole pie. Aren't my little ones worth it? Shouldn't I splurge on them first, lavishing them with all the goodness I have to offer and then lavish others.

So, instead of thinking about the work or how much it would cost, I decided this time to do something different. I decided, it was going to be about them this time because it's Thanksgiving and they're my children and before anyone else, they need to be blessed by their mom unexpectedly every once in awhile. Doesn't God do this for us? Doesn't He lavish us with goodness just because we're His?

Of course it's good for them to see me giving to others. But I want them to know they're important. And I know that can get lost in there sometimes. So this time, just because, I made them a pie. A whole pie. And even though they're going to be getting more desserts this week, I'm going to let them eat it (within reason of course) so that they know they're loved, they're important and they're worth it.

So when you think about Thanksgiving and all of the work you're going to put into it, think about lavishing your family, not about the messes and money. Of course it's work. Of course it's tiring. But it's worth it. It's good work. Get into that flour. Make a mess and laugh about it (as much as you can). Fill your children up with good things. For when we fill up our little ones' bellies, we fill up their souls as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Autumn Sabbath

"Summer's loss seems little, dear, on days like these." Ernest Dowson

There is something in the autumn
That is native to my blood-
Touch of manner, hint of mood;
and my heart is like a rhyme,
With the yellow and the purple and
The crimson keeping time.

The scarlet of the maples can shake
Me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
To see the frosty asters like a
Smoke upon the hills.

There is something in October
Sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls
Each vagabond by name.
-Bliss Carman

Delicious autumn!

My very soul is
Wedded to it, and if I were a
Bird I would fly about the
Earth seeking the successive autumns.
-George Eliot

Children and the Sabbath-No Fairy Tale Here

I really do hope, as you've read these posts on instituting a weekly Sabbath Dinner in your home, that you haven't gotten the impression that our Sabbath Dinners go off without a hitch every single week. First of all, as you know, I have three little monkeys. My oldest is not yet five so you do the math...they're all fairly close together and not that old. So pulling off a Sabbath dinner with the children can be quite a feat sometimes. I also have all boys whose ability to sit still does not last super long. It's not that we don't expect them to sit at all but, we must also understand their limits. Therefore, we've had to make some adjustments as we've gone down this road of training them to enjoy our Sabbath meal.

Here is what I've found. Aim for creating the habit of doing the meal over having it go amazingly well. Just get into the habit first. Your kids may not get it. Who cares? They will in time. Nothing was ever built overnight. Think of things in the long-term NOT the short-term. If you do, you'll be more satisfied with your results. It always takes awhile for a new habit to be formed so get that down first and then worry about the rest later. It's important to create the habit for the repetition over time is what will speak to your kids.

Lower your expectations of neatness. Even though you're making this the loveliest meal of the week, as we all know, little kids just don't eat nicely. Expect messes and learn to laugh about them. Nearly every week somebody spills something (usually the fancy Martinelli's drink during the toast) and I've basically gotten into the habit of getting out my Spray n Wash and literally spraying the tablecloth while still on the table. It's much easier to see all of the spots that way and saves me time on washing day!! Your Sabbath meal is a great time to teach proper manners but it will take time and maturity (theirs) to teach them. So expect blunders and messes.

Stick to your liturgy but adjust as needed. Decide what is essential for you to do as a family and stick with it. If it needs fine-tuning great but try and keep things as similar as possible so that your kids know what is coming next. Sometimes we have great weeks and the boys all sit and listen to us read and talk about one another. But often times, that's not the case. Usually we're reminding one to stop singing, another to please put his napkin down and the baby to stay in his chair. It may seem like they're not taking in any of it. However, be encouraged...they ARE!

A few Sundays ago Psalm 127 was read for the Old Testament reading that week in church. Isaac shot me a look and said excitedly, "Mom! Mom! That's what you read for Shabbat!" And if you were to ask either of the older two to fill in lines on any of the passages that we read, they could do it. I'm telling you that as encouragement. They've heard those passages read over and over...even though many times it doesn't seem like they're listening. It's going in. You just have to keep going. Even Joshua, this last week anticipated the Gloria Patri singing at the end and threw his hands up in the air, before anyone else, when it was time for all of us to sing. These small little glimpses of understanding will keep you going and you will be blessed with them from time to time.

Lastly, just laugh about it all. Some weeks nothing special happens and it all seems like so much work to pull off which can leave me wondering if it's worth it. Other weeks, the boys bless us so much with their humor, personalities and charm that we talk about them affectionately until we go to bed. Sowing joy and good memories around the table will only bless. So relax, smile a lot and laugh.

It's just such a mix of beauty and tough reality that really, in the end, we just have to look to the future. It's sowing time. It's not going to be perfect and we'll make more mistakes than we'll ever mean to as we seek to build our family in the Lord. We don't know what God is going to do in our children's lives but we pray that He saves them. And we hope, that we can do all that we can to sow His truth into their little souls over the long-run and that He will grab their hearts.

So no fairy tale here...just a realistic hope and longing that in the end, after years and years of toil, they'll get it and His truth will be written on their hearts. Really, what more could a parent want?

Friday Fun and a Link

Thank goodness it's Friday. My belly is getting bigger by the day and my strength is quickly flying out the window. It's so humbling at the end, to remember you just can't do it all. I had been teetering on the edge of sheer, physical exhaustion for a few weeks but this week sent me over the edge. It's official. I'm in the home stretch. My near 20-month-old Curious George loves to remind me of this reality. Truth be told, these days, it doesn't take much.

This week is Steve's last week of classes and next week is finals. After next week, he will have completed his fifth year of teaching. We're still amazed that we're here sometimes and how God orchestrated it all to come to pass. We're definitely very thankful.

That's my handsome husband running the show with his clipboard...recording times and grades! I just loved this boat design as well. Very clever.

Every May, all of Steve's Physics classes have Boat Races in the pool. It's the last project of the year before finals and it is so much fun. The kids are only allowed cardboard and duct tape and then they have to race another boat to try and get the fastest time. Usually, most of the school turns out to watch and cheer on the boats. Of course everyone loves it when the boats sink and students end up in the pool. Fun times! And every year the local news comes out and does a story on the event. So it's a very festive time. My boys and their buddies love to watch too. Steve is always so proud of his students and the designs they come up with and this year was no exception. They do a good job (and in my opinion, they've got a great teacher!!!)

Since it's Friday, and we're all glad it is, I thought I'd give a link to an excellent article written by Nancy Wilson on some shortcuts to doing a Sabbath Meal. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

http://www.feminagirls.com/2008/11/22/shortcuts-for-sabbath-dinner/#more-581

Enjoy your weekend!

The Why Behind our Liturgy

A couple of you have asked why we have chosen to have the liturgy that we do on Saturday nights so I thought it might help to explain it a bit more. Here we go.

First of all, in order to understand the why behind our liturgy, you need to know why it's important to have a liturgy in the first place. When you think of that term, does it scare you? Do you think of medieval, non-feeling, inauthentic, ancient faith when you hear someone mention a liturgy? I know I did for a long time. I always thought that liturgy, meaning an order of service, was a dead tradition. That is, until we started our Sabbath dinners. Now stick with me for a moment.

A liturgy itself is not the problem. You can walk into any church and find people simply going through the motions whether there is a deemed "liturgy" or not. And in fact, many churches who say they don't have a liturgy, really do have one. They just don't want to call it that. Every church has an order to their service and well surprisingly, it gives order to the whole thing. Without it, there would be chaos and people wouldn't know what was coming next and that would distract them from worship. A liturgy is meant to enhance and aid in people worshiping God because it gives them an outline of where they need to go. The term liturgy has just gotten a bad rap in the modern church age as many are trying to move as far from traditionalism as possible. And I'm not saying I haven't thought the same thing either. But I have come to see that a liturgy isn't necessarily the problem.

So, if you're having a hard time with that term, know that I understand where you're coming from, but there's really no need to be afraid of it. Repetition and order teach us, who so easily forget, how to stay the course. God had his people, the Israelites, keep to certain ceremonies that had order and they also had an annual calendar that reminded them of the God they served. That's also another argument for looking more into knowing and following the church calendar (which I am just starting to learn a bit about and never thought was important at all before) but...I'm getting off-topic. The point is, we have a liturgy on Saturdays that is pretty much the same because it helps us know what is going on and it teaches our children, through repetition, how to worship God.

So that's the reason for the liturgy in the first place. Now I'll explain why we do it as we do. Again, know that this is our way. You can feel free to pattern your dinner after whatever you want to. It's your family. It's your style. This is just what we do. We follow somewhat loosely, a traditional Sabbath dinner in a Jewish home. That is why we light white candles and use white linens and such in a lot of our meal. However, I also got a lot of ideas from the article I've mentioned including the idea of praising each family member. Nancy Wilson also talks a ton about Sabbath Dinners on the Femina blog under Sabbath Living. I'm not sure if praising each family member is traditionally Jewish or not. I don't know where that comes from. But we liked it and used the same passages that Nancy Campbell, the author of the aforementioned article, had outlined for each person in the family. I do know that in a Jewish home the Father always takes the lead and bestows blessings on his family. How that plays out in your home, is really entirely up to you and your husband.

Here's the bulk of our liturgy:

Proverbs 31: The virtuous woman. Fitting for the husband to read about his wife in front of their children and then praise her for something she has done or just for who she is. We start with this because, as the husband leads, he loves his wife first. Therefore, she is the first to be praised and honored (yes...I love this).

Proverbs 3: This passage my husband chose for our boys. It is a passage written directly from a father to his son. We used to have a separate passage for each child but it got too tedious. It was meaningful but too much for the kids at their age. Maybe when they're older and can sit longer to listen, Steve can again choose a passage for each. Proverbs 3 is a beautiful passage relegating all the wisdom a father would want to pass on to his son(s).

Psalm 127-128: These Psalms talk about the blessings God gives to the man who fears him. They include a happy, fruitful home where the wife and children are flourishing, and remind the hearers that unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. It exhorts the blessed man that one day he may see his "children's children" and how that is among one of the most cherished earthly blessings a man can have. That is why we read this passage for my husband.

Communion: We take communion weekly at church and our children participate with us. We see it as God feeding us. Therefore, we see it as fitting to teach our children more about the Lord's Supper by practicing it on Saturday nights. We pray for the bread (Steve does) and then partake. Then we pray for the wine and then partake. It's a time for celebrating and remembering. That's why we always dip our hands before, to symbolize cleansing (the kids love this) and ask forgiveness if need be, and then why we remember all that God has done for us by toasting at the end and exclaiming "God has been good to us!".

The Doxology/Gloria Patri: We usually sing the Gloria Patri, which is a traditional song that is sung at the end of our church service on Sundays every week. Sometimes though, we sing the Doxology. The point is to sing a short hymn together. It reminds our children of church and leaves a sweet taste in their mouths for the next morning. It also concludes our little order of service.

Then we eat!!

So that is pretty much it. It takes us about 20 minutes to get through the liturgy. When we have guests, it takes a bit longer as there are more people to be spoken about (no one gets left out!). Also, we give the kids a small piece of chocolate, at the beginning to remind them of God's goodness and sweetness in their lives. It also helps, practically speaking, as they get a little snack right off the bat and can then wait a bit for their meal. Sometimes I still dispense a small snack to the littlest ones (like puffs or cheerios) because we don't want it to be a horrible experience for them. We want it to be joyous. That usually seems to help and doesn't spoil their appetites too much.

Hope you're enjoying this little series. More next time.

Challah

This was our table last Saturday-very simple. It's all I can do right now but even though it's simple, it's still beautiful. Just remember, whatever you do, it doesn't have to be super elaborate...just special.

All right, it's time to talk Challah. I found this recipe in the Williams Sonoma Bread Cookbook that I actually just borrowed from a friend. I never tried any other recipe because this one turned out so great that there wasn't any need. You can check online for different recipes if you want. But this one is tried-and-true, so if you want to know you've got a good recipe, don't bother looking anywhere else. This one is excellent.

For all of you bread makers out there, I'm going to post the recipe first so that you can just get to it! For everyone else who hasn't ever tackled a project like this, don't worry! I'm going to walk you through making a Challah step by step with pictures and everything.

Also, just so you know, this will take awhile. Challah bread has three rises. Of course the better you get at it, the faster it will go. However, just a note of encouragement. I don't make this every Saturday. It makes such a huge loaf that I usually only bake a fresh Challah when we have guests or when we're out of it. Other than that, I cut my loaf up into three large chunks and freeze it. It freezes so beautifully. It's definitely the best fresh but it's pretty darn close even after being frozen. So I only make Challah bread every three to four weeks. Keep that in mind. Unless you have a HUGE family or a lot older children, you should be able to stretch your Challah out for awhile. And once you'd need to start making it more often, your kids will be older and it will be easier to do so.

So here we go.

Challah Bread (Shabbat Bread)

4 1/4-4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil (I usually use canola)
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water
Sesame seeds

Put 3 cups flour in mixer with paddle. Make a well and pour in water. Sprinkle yeast and 1 tbsp over water. Stir water to dissolve the yeast. Let stand until foamy (10 minutes or so). Add the remaining sugar, eggs, oil and salt to the well. Beat together the dry and liquid ingredients on medium low speed about two minutes until a shaggy mass forms. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the stiff, sticky dough pulls away from the bowl sides. Switch to the dough hook. Knead on low speed adding flour 1 tbsp at a time if the dough sticks un til smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn once to coast it. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2-2 hours. Punch down and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour. Make dough into three balls. Roll into three ropes. Braid. Brush top with half of the egg mixture. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Brush loaf with remaining egg and sprinkle with the seeds. Bake until deep golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.



Put the 3 cups flour in your mixer bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour the water in. A digital thermometer works really well to make sure your water temp is right. If you don't have one, it should be very warm to the touch but not so much that you can't stick your finger in it. Sprinkle yeast on top and 1 tbsp. sugar. Also, a note on yeast. Buy it in bulk at Costco or online at www.kingarthurflour.com. It's roughly $5 for a whole pound rather than a $1 per tiny packet.


Let rise for ten minutes or so until puffy. Then add all the other ingredients to the well.


Beat together the dry and liquid ingredients on medium low speed about 2 minutes until a shaggy mass forms. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the stiff, sticky dough pulls away from the bowl sides. Switch to dough hook.

Knead on low speed adding flour 1 tbsp at a time if the dough sticks until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Transfer dough to an oiled deep bowl and turn once to coast it. Cover loosely and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2-2 hours.

Punch down and let rise again until doubled, about one hour.

Make dough into three balls and then roll into three ropes.

Braid.



Brush top with egg mixture. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Brush loaf with more egg mixture and sprinkle with the seeds.

Bake until deep golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy with your family!!

Don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out. Practice, practice and practice some more. Sometimes my Challah totally bombs and I just have to laugh. I've made it so many times now and I still make mistakes. Just keep it going and do your best. Over time, it'll get easier and better. It's totally worth it so don't give up. Your family will bless you for your efforts.

However, also know that you don't have to make a Challah bread to have a Sabbath Dinner. If you're not a breadmaker, just buy a fresh loaf of your favorite bread every week. There's nothing wrong with that at all! The point is to be together to celebrate God's goodness and you can do that over a Challah or a loaf of french bread. It's all the same.

Good luck. And if anyone makes it, do tell me how it goes. I'd love to hear from you. If you have questions, I'd also love to talk via email (if you want to) to help you get things sorted out.

Now get to it!!