Seven Reasons You Should Write and Send Christmas Cards

Advent season is a time of preparation and anticipation of the birth of Christ. Christmas cards are an exceptional way to celebrate the Advent season and can accomplish so much more than you can imagine. Below are seven reasons that you should both write and send out those Christmas cards this season. This is a simple act that will send a positive change into the world.

{ONE}

EVANGELIZING:

As Catholics, we are called to share the important news of our Savior and the promise that his birth, death and resurrection mean to us all. Sending a beautiful Christmas Card with a Nativity portrait and filled with words of hope, love and joy is a beautiful reminder of the real reason for the season and it may be the only time someone you knows gets told of the wonderful gift that Jesus's birth is to their families and the entire world. 

It is a tradition in my home that we send out our Christmas cards on December 17th because it is the first day of the O Antiphons and we celebrate the name of Jesus of O Wisdom on this night. Don't be shy to share your love of Jesus and touch the heart of those that need to learn of his love. 

{TWO}

MEMORIES:

The art of handwriting letters, notes and cards is a dying art. I have a small collection of letters and special mementos from over the years that bring me great joy from throughout the year: Mother's Day letter's from my children, love notes from my husband and words of encouragement from friends. Create a work of art that can be saved and enjoyed over the coming Advent and Christmas seasons. These beautifully written pieces will one day be what you leave behind for your friends and family to remember you and the happiness you brought to their lives.

{THREE}

COUNSELING THE DOUBTFUL:

Depending on your relations within your family and friends, you could be completing a Spiritual Act of Mercy with sending out those beautiful Christmas cards. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you hand write a special message to those you love this Advent season. Of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy, there are four that I could easily see being accomplished through your Christmas Card:

Maybe you have a friend or family member dealing with a crisis of faith? Your Christmas Card could bring light to them in a time of darkness and help counsel them back to their faith. God works in mysterious ways and you never know when you are being called to do his good work.

{FOUR}

INSTRUCTING THE IGNORANT:

This is another Spiritual Work of Mercy. We all know people that are not taught in the Catholic faith, or maybe have questions about it. A simple card could with an invitation to Mass or Christmas dinner could be the action that opens their hearts and eyes to the love of the Catholic faith. You might be their only link to Catholicism and God is asking you to be their light in the darkness.

{FIVE}

COMFORTING THE SORROWFUL:

The holiday season can be more sorrowful and sad to those that may be dealing with a void of a loved one; whether this be though death, distance or other circumstance. An older widow celebrating their first Christmas without their spouse, a parent who is dealing with an empty nest, a family that is torn by an argument, the list can go on and on. Reach out to someone that has a hurting heart by showing love and compassion for them during this difficult time.

Deployed Soldiers, Wounded Warriors, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Homeless Shelters and so many other places are always looking for a way to comfort the sorrowful.

{SIX}

FORGIVING INJURIES:

The final Spiritual Work of Mercy you could complete is through forgiving. Forgiveness is hard and can almost feel impossible in certain circumstances. Reaching out to someone that has betrayed you, not only helps show your forgiveness, but can be an amazing gift to offer someone during this season of hope, love and joy. Free yourself of the anger and rebuild relationships that have been broken with the love of God at the center.

There are two sides to this coin: What about asking for forgiveness? If you have wronged someone and not apologized fully or maybe not at all, ask for forgiveness and mean it. Feel sorrow and guilt and attempt to fix your wrong doings with penance.

{SEVEN}

KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS

This is one of the most important reasons you should take the time to write and send those Christmas cards this year. The true meaning of Christmas is often overshadowed with the commercialism of gifts, the distraction of shiny new things and to be drawn into the masses of the overwhelming majority that don't celebrate Jesus during Christmas. Take the time for yourself and your family to sit together and pray before you write out your family Christmas cards. Ask that the words you share are ones that help grow your faith and the faith of the recipients as well. Be still and feel the anticipation and longing that is the season of Advent before celebrating the birth of or Savior.

If you are still searching for the perfect place to get your Christmas cards or Holiday invitations, please consider Paperless Post! In addition to offering beautiful and unique products, if you purchase from their RED Christmas Collection, you are supporting the fight against AIDS. Another important aspect of the Christmas and Advent season is charity, so your purchase would help you and help others! This is a special holiday partnership and your support would be greatly appreciated! Remember it is not too late! The Christmas season doesn't end on December 25th, it is only the beginning! You still have time to send out those very special and meaningful Christmas cards.

This is just one of many ideas that you can use to keep Christ in Christmas. I am sharing this with Seven Quick Takes.

Menu Plan Monday: December 12- December 18 {FREE Recipe Book and Giveaway}

This is the last full week of Autumn, although we have already received some wintery weather this past week. This is also the middle of Advent! We have two more weeks (including this one) to prepare for the coming of Christ! Cleaning, cooking and preparing our hearts will be main focuses in this house.

In honor of the Rejoicing that will be done this week, I am offering a FREE Christmas Recipes collected by The Zelie Group for anyone that likes and shares my Pinot Noir and Prayers Facebook Page starting this Wednesday. Make sure to message me your email so I can send you the beautiful PDF file put together by Kerry! I am also going to be hosting a Giveaway soon for a gorgeous printed bracelet made by my incredibly talented friend, Jen, over at Faith and Fabric. I'll be sharing more information on this later!

We will be celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Lucy, Saint John of the Cross, the O Antiphons and the Fourth Sunday of Advent! We also have THREE Christmas parties to attend! It is never too late to revamp your Advent so check out my Advent Bucket Lists and post on the O Antiphons for ideas. Here is our menu for this fun and exciting Third Week of Advent on Menu Plan Monday:

Monday: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Chicken Fajitas with Spanish Rice and Black Beans

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Lucy

Turkey Burgers

Wednesday: Feast of Saint John of the Cross

Leftovers

Thursday:

Chicken Nugget Salad

Friday: Ugly Sweater Football Party

Potluck Style Dinner with our Football Family

Saturday: O Antiphons Begin

Spaghetti

Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Advent, My Birthday and Cookie Exchange

We will be eating at TWO Christmas Parties tonight

Are you participating in any Cookie Exchanges this year? Still looking for the perfect Christmas cookie recipe? I decided to share Starlight Cookies with both Cookie Exchanges I am participating in this year. The Starlight Cookie tells the story of the Nativity and is a beautiful and yummy reminder of the reason for the season. This is the Recipe that was sent to me by a friend. It was originally found at the blog Shower of Roses. They offer a printable and a great way to gift these cookies in a mason jar so make sure to check them out and thank her for such an amazing recipe idea! I will be baking mine this Saturday for our Christmas Parties!

Starlight Cookies:

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats

1 1/4 C All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Softened Butter

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Chopped Walnuts: Represents the rocky road the holy family traveled to Bethlehem

White Chocolate Chips: Represents the stars, especially the one that led the Wise Men to Jesus

Dried Cranberries: Represents the tartness of the doors that were closed because they refused to host the holy family that cold night

Brown Sugar: Represents the brown hills of Bethlehem

Sugar: Represents snow

Rolled Oats: Represents the animals that were present in the stable where Jesus was born

Flour: Represent the wholesome goodness of the shepherds in the fields

Baking Soda and Sea Salt: Represents the Joyful tears that were shared on the holy night Jesus was born of the Most Pure Virgin Mary.

Vanilla Extract: Represents the sweet happiness that the Savior was born

One Egg: Represents the baby Jesus

To make the cookies:

Think of the preparation St. Joseph and Our Blessed Mother must have made for this journey to Bethlehem:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

For the light of Heaven:

In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg, and 1 tsp of vanilla until fluffy.

Add the hardships of the journey to the light of Heaven:

Add all the other ingredients and mix together until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets

Remember the hardships of Jesus' life on earth and His Passion:

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until edges brown.

Anticipate His coming:

Cool on baking sheets or remove to cool on wire racks.

Appreciate the joy and promise of His birth:

Enjoy eating them!

Catholic Faith Formation

Welcome to the weekly link-up recently turned Blog-Hop Just Enough Info or just, JEI for short. This lovely Blog-Hop is hosted by The Zelie Group and we would love for you to join us! This week we are discussing Religious Education! Let's get started with this week's questions:

Do your children attend your parish’s religious education program? 

Yes! My children do attend our Parish Religious Education Program. They have been in attendance since they were in Kindergarten. My oldest is now an Altar Sever and both of my boys are participating in the Children's Christmas Choir this year. We are blessed with an active parish and they are hosting Parish Faith Nights ever couple of months to increase family participation in the Religious Education Program. 

I do believe that Faith Formation has to be part of the home atmosphere as well. My boys seem to grasp more faith concepts that we have incorporated into our family time and traditions than the concepts that they learn about without being able to put their faith into action. 

Do you or have you ever taught religious education?

Yes I have! And I am currently teaching my 4th graders Religious Education Class. I have taught for several years and have always enjoyed it. When I was in high school, my best friend even taught a preschool class with me! I really enjoy being a Catechist and hope that I am able to continue to volunteer and help in my parish. I also love when I see my students outside of class and they are excited to see me!

What is your favorite religious education resource for kids?

For the classroom, I would have to say that I rely on my Catechist book a lot but I take a look at Pinterest and Holy Heroes too! I am always looking for great resources so I can't wait to hear about everyone else's ideas on this subject!

At home, I am utilizing the Holy Heroes Advent Adventure for the children while we celebrate the Advent season. In addition to that we are creating a Jesse Tree Garland and much more... If you are still in need of ways to get your Advent on track check out my Advent Series. It contains links to many resources, crafts, books and movies!

I have also been blessed with a gift of the Little Catholic Box and I just won a FREE box from the Mass Box! I'll share more on these lovely gifts later!

You have all week to answer this week's questions that are all about Religious Education:

1. Do your children attend your parish’s religious education program? 

2. Do you or have you ever taught religious education? 

3. What is your favorite religious education resource for kids?

The Zelie Group has some fun questions coming up in the next few weeks so make sure to follow us on Facebook and we would love to hear what you are interested in! What are you looking to learn about? Do you have questions about the Faith? Questions about the Liturgical Year? We want to help and learn and grow with you and your families!

Also stop by the new Page I created on my blog for new information concerning The Zelie Group. It is a work in progress but it has a good start!

God Bless!

Feast of Saint Ambrose: Celebrate the Light of the World

I can not believe how quick and smoothly this Advent has been! Today is the feast of Saint Ambrose and we kept it quick and simple. Saint Ambrose is one of four Doctors of the Church and has some amazing stories to accompany his great stature as a saint. There is a legend that when Saint Ambrose was just an baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face but instead of stinging him, left behind a drop of honey. To his father, this was a sign that Ambrose would become someone with a special talent for speaking. As an adult, Saint Ambrose became the bishop of Milan. He donated all of his land and money to the poor. These reasons and many more made him extremely popular among the people and even more politically powerful than the emperor at times. He is the patron saint of bee keepers, beggars, learning and Milan.

To start our morning, we were welcomed with another note from Buddy the Elf reminding us of this very special feast day. He brought us some candles and requested that we make our Christ Candle today. Creating the Christ Candle is a very fun and appropriate craft since bees are known for their wonderful wax.

As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, we easily created our Christ Candle with a gold Sharpie and a glass candle from the Dollar Tree. Placing the Christ Candle in the center of the Advent wreath is a great way to incorporate it into your Advent celebrations. It is something to anticipate and you light it on Christmas because we have been graced with the Light of the World.

After we finished our Christ Candle, we enjoyed a nice family dinner of Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken. It was modified slightly from the recipe I shared on my Menu Plan Monday post because I forgot to defrost my chicken breasts! So I cooked everything in the crockpot on high in the crockpot for 2 hours and then grilled the chicken until it was cooked fully. It turned out amazing!

I am now enjoying a nice cup of mint tea with honey to end today's festivities! How is your Advent progressing? It's not too late to make it the best Advent ever! Just let me know if you need some suggestions or help... I have tons of resources to share!

Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan:

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,

take away from me my sins,

and mercifully kindle in me

the fire of thy Holy Spirit.

Take away from me the heart of stone,

and give me a heart of flesh,

a heart to love and adore Thee,

a heart to delight in Thee,

to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake

Amen

Saint Ambrose, pray for us!

#WorthRevisit: Mothering Sunday

Have you ever noticed how similar Advent and Lent are? Both are periods of waiting, preparation and anticipation and they also follow a similar flow through the liturgical year. This upcoming Sunday is Gaudete Sunday and the vestments worn during this day are rose just like the vestments worn during Mothering Sunday during Lent. Advent is suppose to be a mini-Lenten season and sometimes that is overlooked or not noticed. I hope your Advent has been prayerful and meaningful. Take a look at Mothering Sunday from Lent and see just how similar it is to the celebration of the third Sunday of Advent. Here is my #WorthRevisit with Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb:

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Mothering Sunday 2016

Laetare Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is also known as Mothering Sunday and Rose Sunday. Laetare means "rejoice" and as the name "mother" insinuates, the mood of this day is more hopeful and a reminder that Easter is almost here. It was once a custom to visit the cathedral, or Mother Church on Mothering Sunday. The vestments for this day are rose/pink not violet. The rose color is symbolic of the hope and rejoice of the day but is also in reference to the Golden Rose, an ornament made of pure gold that the popes have blessed each year on this day and is a symbol of the Risen Christ. Traditionally, I try to have everyone in our family wear something pink to Mass on this day to help set the tone for the day.

In celebration of this day, I have our usual big Sunday family dinner planned with the addition of a Simnel Cake. A Simnel Cake is pretty much a yellow cake that contains 2-8 layers and covered with almond paste icing and decorated with 11 or 12 almond paste balls. The almond paste balls symbolize Jesus's apostles but exclude Judas. If you decide to make a cake with 12 almond paste balls, the 12th is Jesus himself. Traditionally I am sure these cakes took many hours to prepare because they were prepared in a special way for children away from home to bring a gift to their mothers With the convenience of yellow cake mix I will be saving a lot of time! Sometimes I like to do things the more traditional way to fully understand the experience and make the celebration more interesting but during weeks like the one we have been having I am so thankful for the boxed mix! There are many different recipes you can find at CatholicCulture.com including traditional and ways to use the box mix :)

A fun craft would be to make your family a Golden Rose to have on display on your home altar or dinner table. You could purchase some fresh yellow roses and adorn them with gold glitter or you could purchase some craft roses from the dollar tree and spray paint them gold to reuse ever year! Today would still be a great day to make your Resurrection Garden too! There is still 3 more weeks for them to sprout before Easter.

Sundays in general are my FAVORITE day of the week! It is the day my family goes to Mass together and we try to do something fun together like hiking, going to the movies or bowling. No matter the activity we plan, we always end the day with a nice big family dinner {I really enjoy using my crockpot on Sundays to because I can throw the ingredients in before Mass and dinner is ready when we return home in the evening}! I try my best to eliminate any chores or errands that may interrupt our family time throughout the week. Sunday is my "reset" button to shake away the stresses of the previous week and it helps everyone in our household to start fresh the following week. I hope everyone enjoys their Mothering Sunday with their families and is starting their preparations for the feasts of Saint Perpetua, Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph. Palm Sunday and Holy Week are quickly approaching too!

"There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root."
--Isaiah 11:1

Feast of Saint Nicholas: Stockings, Candy Canes and So Much More!

This post may contain affiliate links. I would make a small commission if you click the link and choose to purchase something. There is no increased cost to you and All opinions here are mine. I greatly appreciate your support!

December 6th is the feast of Saint Nicholas of Myra but the fun begins the night before when you pull out your shoes in hopes that Saint Nicholas will fill them with treats and goodies. I normally have the children put out their church shoes but they had already put out a pair of Crocs and Running Sneakers before I had the chance to ask! I think that may be because Buddy the Elf gave the boys a heads up this morning.

The boys found our Elf on the Shelf named Buddy, hiding in a stocking with a note. The note reads: 

Today is the Eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas. Remember to put out a pair of shoes tonight and maybe you'll get some goodies. Remember to keep up with your Advent sacrifices. Behave for your parents. Love Buddy

If you utilize the Elf on the Shelf, it can be used to draw attention to the liturgical aspects of the Advent season. Interested in ideas? Checkout #BuddyKongElfAdventures  where I'll be sharing Buddy's Liturgical Adventures this Advent season.

It is tradition in our home that the boy's old shoes will be replaced with new or some slippers will appear. This year the shoes remained the same but the boys each received a new book, a chocolate Saint Nick, chocolate coins, candy canes and oranges (not pictured). The oranges were actually brought home by my husband because I COMPLETELY FORGOT to pick some up on my way home yesterday! OOPS! Either way, daddy came to the rescue! Another neat fact is that all of these gifts and goodies came from the Dollar Tree so it was inexpensive but super memorable.

It just so happens that this feast day fell during the school week so there was no problem with the boys staying up too late from excitement but we did have a blast watching Saint Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa and Veggie Tales Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving together. We also read The Legend of the Candy Cane before bed because it is traditional to bless candy canes on the feast of Saint Nicholas. 

This morning the boys woke up bright and early! They actually got into their treats and cutting up their oranges for school before I had a chance to snap any pictures. They are getting to quick for me lately. They devoured their oatmeal and we dropped the boys off at school since the weather is going a little crazy around here. We are suppose to be hit with a pretty big snow storm tonight so we will see. 

After school we were able to do our Candy Cane Blessing! It had been on the kids' minds all day and they shared their excitement with teachers and fellow students. As you can see from the picture above we had tons of candy canes to bless. Have you ever done a candy cane blessing? If not, I highly suggest checking out the Saint Nicholas Center: Candy Cane Blessing! We have used it several times and the whole family loves it.

Something you may not know about one of the most famous saints of all time is not only is he the patron saint of children, especially young boys, but is also a patron for travelers and brewers! You read that right! Brewers! That means the adults in the house can raise a glass to Saint Nicholas tonight too. There is a legend about Saint Nicholas that ties him to beer. The story says that 3 church scholars, who stopped for lodging at an inn, were killed by the innkeeper for their money. Saint Nicholas disguised himself and invoked God's help to resurrect the church scholars. This is how he became a protector over travelers and brewers. In honor of this amazing story we enjoyed some Beer Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers for dinner.

Now that we are stuffed! The boys decorated the Christmas Tree with our blessed candy canes and I am about to make the boys some hot chocolate while I enjoy a Blue Moon: Cappuccino Oatmeal Stout! A nice root beer float would be a fun way to celebrate tonight but it is too cold for ice cream here!

I hope your family enjoyed the feast of Saint Nicholas as much as mine did! I would love to hear about your traditions and see your beautiful pictures!

Children's Prayer to Saint Nicholas:

God Our Father we pray,

That through the intercession of St. Nicholas,You will protect our children.Keep them safe from harm,And help them grow,And become worthy of Your sight.

To keep their Faith in You,

And to keep alive their joy,

In Your creation.

Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Give them strength,

Amen.

St. Nicholas, pray for us!

Menu Plan Monday: December 5- December 11

As Advent progresses, each week brings more and more excitement. It's building the anticipation for the Christmas Season. This week will also be freezing cold so we have some nice hot family meals planned for this week. There are exciting feast days to celebrate, traditions to enjoy and amazing food to devour. What do you have planned for this upcoming week? Any special recipes? Here's our menu for this Menu Plan Monday:

Monday:

Leftover Tacos and Salad

Tuesday: Feast of Saint Nicholas

Beer Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers

Wednesday: Feast of Saint Ambrose

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Thursday: Immaculate Conception

Baked Chicken with Rice and Cauliflower

Friday: Feast of Saint Juan Diego

Boys will Eat at Pack Meeting and Taco Salad for me!

Saturday:

Turkey Burgers

Sunday: Third Sunday of Advent

Crockpot Chili

I thought I would share this super aromatic and tasty recipe for Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken! It's a favorite around here!

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken:

2-3 Medium Chicken Breasts
2 Large Russet Potatoes (Diced)
1 lb Bag Baby Carrots
1 lb Bag Frozen Green Beans

Sauce:
1 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 Cup Barbecue
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Mix all the Sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and place to the side. Add the Potatoes, Carrots, Green beans and Chicken in the Crockpot. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.