Family Devotion for the first week of Lent

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone. Okay I really thought about how to say that. Ash Wednesday isn't really about "happy," but personally I always am happy to start the Lenten season as it brings my family together to study the life of Christ and prepare for Easter - so that is happy, right? Below is the devotion for this week.

I still have a few sets of the bracelet and banner set, if you would like one. A few people thought I was selling them, but I am just giving them to you if you would like one. So let me know.

Note: You will need paper and pens/pencils for today's devotion.

Introduction: The Christmas tree and decorations may have been put away for a while now, but the story of Jesus' birth is something to celebrate and think about all year round. Before reading on, have one of the children in your family recount the story of Jesus' birth.

After the visit from the Magi, Joseph is visited by an angel in a dream, telling him to get up and move his family to Egypt for Jesus' safety. The family stayed in Egypt until after the death of Herod, and then they moved to Nazareth, where Jesus would grow up. There Jesus grew and learned like any other child, but he was far from being just an average little boy. In today's reading, we will read about Jesus' visit to the temple when he was 12 years old.

Reading: Luke 2: 41-52 Boy Jesus at the Temple

Discussion Questions:

1. Jesus replies to his worried mother, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house." Luke 2: 49. But nobody understood what he meant. What did Jesus mean?
   
2. Verse 52 gives us our last glimpse of Jesus as a child. The next time we see Jesus, he is a grown man. Reread verse 52. Isn't it amazing to think that the perfect son of God was taking time to grow in wisdom, and statue and in favor with God and men? What does it mean to grow in each one of these areas?
   
3. Jesus gives us a wonderful example of four areas in which we can grow. We are still at the beginning of a new year. Next December wouldn't it be great to look back and say that you have followed Christ's example and grown in the same four areas? Make a list for each family member of ways that they would like to grow in the coming year. Put your list in a place where it can be seen to serve as a reminder in the coming months.
   

   
   

   Here are some examples: I would like to grow in wisdom by joining a bible study. I would like to grow in favor with men by learning to control my temper.
   

Prayer: Close your devotional time with a prayer. For example:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank you for this time together. We thank you for your Word and the opportunity to learn more about Jesus' life. Help us Lord, to learn to grow as Jesus did, so that with each passing day, we learn to walk more in your ways. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Reagan is our Joy

This is the first time that I have called on all you wonderful prayer warriors out there. Tonight, I am asking each of you to join me in praying for the Glavach family. Our dearest friends Manya and Landy Glavach with their family welcomed their niece Reagan Joy Glavach to this world yesterday. Reagan had been diagnosed with Trisomy 18, several months ago.
Reagan's parents Dan and Marceline have spent the last few months celebrating Reagan's life and preparing for her time here with them. I encourage you to visit their blog- Reagan Is Our Joy - to read about their journey and see their beautiful family pictures. You can also leave Dan and Marceline a message of encouragement.
Today, shortly after her one day birthday, Reagan returned to her heavenly home. Will you join me in praying for this family tonight and in the coming days as they face celebrating the all too brief life of their precious daughter, grand daughter, niece, cousin and little sister.
In talking with Manya about this over the last few months, and reading Dan and Marceline's blog, I am just blown away by their strength, their honesty and their unwavering faith in God's love.
This was posted on thier website this evening.

If just for a day
If for just today we got to hold her, and love on her with all our might and strength and soul, then we did, and it was wonderful. She was perfect, a treasure, a little tiny joy from heaven that was ours. Thank you Reagan for spending this day with us.

36 hours of quiet

This weekend did not turn out as planned. Pete and I had plans to spend the weekend in Breckenridge to celebrate Pete’s birthday with friends from Florida. Well Thursday night (right on cue) Emily woke up throwing up. Friday morning both girls and I had high fevers, sore throats, and hacking coughs. We spent Friday on the couch watching lots of Noggin and High School Musical 3. By that afternoon, the girls had bounced back, but I was still sick. Saturday, the girls were fine. Me? Not so much.
Pete and I talked about it, and decided he should go ahead with our plans and head up to the mountains. My parents offered to still take the girls so I could get some rest. So Saturday afternoon everyone left, I looked around the house and realized that for the first time, maybe ever, I was looking at 36 hours in my house alone. Yes, I was still sick, but part of me was also pretty excited. Saturday I watched 2 girly movies that Pete would never watch. I headed to bed early. Sunday morning, I woke up with a whole empty quiet day in front of me. It was such a huge gift. I feel like my schedule has been pretty crazy lately. Between the girls, the house, Pete, and work – my normal life is full, fast paced and really really loud. It is the loud part that really gets to me. A friend once told me that she only has a certain amount of words she can say each day – then she is done. I can add to that, that there are only a certain about of words I can listen to each day, then my brain just overflows. One of my fantasy vacations is going to a monastery and taking a vow of silence for a week. Since I don’t think a monastery would take a 3 or 6 year old, I decided to grab my opportunity today.
So all day there was no TV, no radio, no talking… just quiet, lots and lots of quiet. I sat in the sun in my living room and read (a lot). I drank a whole pot of coffee (while it was still hot). I took a really long shower. I made two loafs of bread. I sewed some flower brooches. I soaked in a lot of silence. It was beautiful.
Thanks mom and dad – have I told you lately how much I appreciate you!