Each year when Christmas and Easter approach, I begin to get anxious about how I will emphasize the truest meaning of these celebrations with my children. I haven’t yet figured out how to buck the system and leave out Santa and the Easter Bunny. Because of this, I wonder if my children will be left with an experience with Jesus during these holidays or just another tummy-ache from a hollow chocolate bunny.
I am sure many of you have similar feelings as you combat the culture we live in and create Christ-Centered lives, memories, and pathways for yourselves and your children. This year, as you approach the Easter season, I’d like to leave you with a few ideas to help you focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
As always, these are just a few ideas for you to consider. I believe that doing all of them when you have never taken part in any of them, would be a disaster! As you look through the list, choose one or two to begin with this year and add others in the years to come. Also realize that as you are reading this just a few days before Palm Sunday, some may be impossible to carry out this year, don’t be frustrated but think as though you are getting a jump on next year. Mark up your 2010 calendar now, in preparation for the ideas you wish to incorporate next year and then when the season of Lent begins in 2010 you will have a jump start, rather than a late start!
Creating Family Traditions by Gloria Gather and Shirley Dobson
This book is a yearlong collection of memories and traditions. The Easter section is one of my favorites in the book. There are suggestions for a Palm Sunday Brunch, Maundy Thursday Foot-Washing, Good Friday Family Communion, and a Family Seder Meal. Our couple’s small group gathers each year with little ones in tow, to participate in a Seder Meal. When Jesus shared the bread and wine with His disciples at the Last Supper, He did so in the context of a Seder meal. I prepare a large tray with a sampling of the traditional Seder meal items. We read from a special dialogue adapted for Christians, share in the Seder meal together and then enjoy dinner as a group. You can find this a short version of this dialogue in this book (we use another text written by Arleen Hynes, see below, the next resource). Also in this book you will find suggestions for Easter Saturday, Resurrection Eggs, A Sunday Sunrise Service, and a Recipe for Resurrection Buns (which I make every year).
The Passover Meal: A Ritual for Christian Home by Arleen Hynes
http://www.ewtn.com/library/FAMILY/PASSMEAL.TXT. You will find in this text a more detailed description and preparation of the Passover Meal as well as a dialogue adapted for Christians. This is a wonderful text and is very family friendly. When I first had the idea to share this meal with my small group, I wasn’t sure how it would all turn out with several young children among us. However, this year will be our 3rd year to host the meal and the children enjoy the meal as much as the adults.
Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper
In this book you will find much about the Christmas Holiday. However towards the end of the book there is a chapter on Easter. I just know you will be glad you read the words of this wonderful woman and listened to her take on the Easter Holiday. Great emphasis is place on preparing your heart and home through Lent. There is also a great exercise via candle light, similar to the candle lighting you may do at Christmas, called Lenten Lights. Use these two links to get you to a free PDF of the book and a small booklet with detail on Lenten Lights.
http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/Books/ByTopic/104/377_Treasuring_God_in_Our_Traditions (click on the link for Chapters 9-10 and Appendix)
http://www.desiringgod.org/Store/Booklets/432_Lenten_Lights/ (Click on the link for Read Online)
With Easter now just a short time away, won’t you take some time to prepare your heart for this wonderful celebration. As you do this, I know your heart will swell with renewed passion for your Savior and for your family. Look through this list for some ideas that penetrate your heart and see if there would be a way to adopt them into your Easter Celebration this year. Blessings! Love, Vanessa
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Welcome to the Yielded Mom's Blog
Yielded Moms is a group designed to help us identify our roles and goals as parents. We will meet together monthly to explore God’s word, gain parenting wisdom and share and exchange personal trials and triumphs. We will pray for each other and we will glean from those who are wise and have already done the work of parenting according to God’s plan. Yielding isn’t a hesitation, but rather a deliberate attempt to slow and take survey of what’s around before proceeding. My hope that is what we will do here. By surveying parenting around us, we will be equipped to make decisions to merge onto the busy parenting highway or put on the brakes at a parenting trial and spend some time working there until we get a green light.
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ALSO on this blog you will find message excerpts from each Yielded Moms meeting as well as the information used during the discussion time. I have also included some links to a few prayer resources. You will find near the end of the blog a list of Parenting Resources that I have used in my research.
Please feel free to share the blog with your friends who may find it helpful in their parenting journey. If you would like full copies of any of the excerpts found on the blog please email me and I would be happy to send you one. Thanks!
Yielded Moms meetings for Summer 2009
Meetings for 2009!
June: June 1st Ice Cream Social - Cold Stone Creamery, Deer Park 7:30pm
July: Coffee Talk??? TBA
Aug: TBA
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type 'Yielded Moms' in the subject line.
This group is open for new guests and please feel free to invite friends to join us too!
Posts
Scripture Links
Parenting Resources
- REVOLUTIONARY PARENTING BY GEORGE BARNA
- TREASURING GOD IN OUR TRADITIONS BY NOEL PIPER
- • OPEN HEART OPEN HOME BY KAREN MAINS
- • 15-MINUTE ORGANIZER BY EMILIE BARNES
- • A WOMAN'S HIGH CALLING BY ELIZABETH GEORGE
- • BETWEEN WOMEN OF GOD BY DONNA OTTO
- • BRINGING UP BOYS BY JAMES DOBSON
- • CREATING FAMILY TRADITIONS BY GLORIA GAITHER AND SHIRLEY DOBSON
- • FEATHERS FROM MY NEST BY BETH MOORE
- • FINDING YOUR PURPOSE AS A MOM BY DONNA OTTO
- • GETTING OUT OF YOUR KIDS FACES AND INTO THEIR HEARTS BY VALERIE BELL
- • GROWING KIDS GOD'S WAY BY GARY EZZO
- • LEADING YOUR CHILD TO JESUS BY DAVID STAAL
- • MORE HOURS IN MY DAY BY EMILIE BARNES
- • POWER OF A PRAYING WIFE BY STORMIE OMARTAIN
- • PRACTICING OUR FAITH BY DOROTHY C. BASS
- • RAISING GREAT KIDS BY HENRY CLOUD AND JOHN TOWNSEND
- • REDEEMING THE SEASON BY KIM WIER AND PAM
- • SACRED PARENTING BY GARY THOMAS
- • TENDER MERCY FOR A MOTHER'S SOUL BY ANGELA THOMAS GUFFEY
- • THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN BY GARY CHAPMAN
- • THE LIFE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED BY JOHN ORTBERG
- • THE NEW DARE TO DISCIPLINE BY JAMES DOBSON
- • THE POWER OF A PRAYING PARENT BY STORMIE OMARTAIN
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About Me
- Vanessa
- Hi! My name is Vanessa. I developed a group called Yielded Moms in the summer of 2007 in an attempt to bring moms together for the purpose of learning to parent according to God's plan. I have been married 8 years to my husband Dave and I have 3 children, Nathan - 5, Reagan - 4, and Camryn - 2.