That First Christmas Morning

Christmas is almost here. Imagine that morning thousands of years ago when Jesus took His first breath. What were the colors of the sky? Picture the animals surrounding Jesus … the smells and sounds. And... read more.

Ways to Keep Your Focus on Christ This Christmas

-by Mary May Larmoyeux- As watch countless ads for Christmas gifts, do you ever wonder, Where is Christ in Christmas?

Here are some ideas to help keep your focus on the real meaning of Christmas     ... read more.

Holiday Potpourri

- by Mary May Larmoyeux- When I was peeling a Clementine (hybrid between a mandarin orange and a sweet orange), it made me think of a wonderful holiday recipe for non-edible potpourri. ... read more.

Words to Ponder for the New Year

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by Mary May Larmoyeux

Hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and were able to spend some time with your family! Once again, some of our grown kids and grandkids came to our house to celebrate Christmas; we Facetimed loved ones who couldn’t be with us. Just like years past, the grandkids made gingerbread  ... read more.

Captivated

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Christmas Day will soon be here. My mind is captivated with the picture of Jesus Christ, Almighty God, resting in a simple manger. The creator of all did not even have a real bed for his head. There were no stuffed animals, no Internet announcements, no blue balloons inscribed with “It’s a boy.”

But his birth did not go unnoticed.

We are told in Luke 2: 8-14: 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, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. …”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

What a sight that must have been! Jesus Christ was born!

Merry Christmas,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
www.grandconnection.org

© 2008, 2013 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: © Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

The Scrawny Cedar Tree

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

A few years ago high winds caused a huge Hackberry Tree on the side of our house to split right down the middle. After the wood was hauled away, a scrawny Cedar Tree remained. It actually looked like half of a small Cedar Tree because half of it had been pressed against the Hackberry, which stunted its growth.

I wanted to cut down the struggling tree because it looked so pitiful, but Pops assured me that it would fill out over time. Sure enough, his prediction has proven true. The Cedar has now almost completely filled out. What once was bare now has new life.

Pops and I refer to the cedar as our “restoration tree." It’s a reminder that God makes all things new. In fact, restoration is at the heart of the gospel and is the message of Jesus Christ at Christmas (1 Timothy 1:15).

Your family may know the heartache of divorce. You may be separated from your grandchildren or other loved ones during the Christmas holidays. Or, you may have lost a family member this year and now feel their absence so deeply. I know it’s hard and hope that you will find comfort in Isaiah 43:19:

“Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.”

Nothing is impossible with God. He is in the business of making all things new. If we look to Him when walking through our wilderness, we will find refreshing springs, hope, and the promise of a better tomorrow.

Hope:  the message of Jesus Christ. The message of Christmas! (Luke 2:10-12)

He is able,
Mary
www.grandconnection.org
http://www.marymaywrites.com/



© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux.All rights reserved.

Christmas is for Sharing and Loving

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

This past weekend Pops and I babysat for two of our grandkids. The oldest, who just turned six, was busy making Christmas gifts for her family.

Our little grand told Pops and me that Christmas is for sharing and loving. How true! I'm reminded of these stanzas from a poem written by Leona Vaughn:

Oftentimes our minds are so filled with thoughts
Of the gifts we give or we get,
We sometimes forget to thank Our Lord above,
For giving the greatest gift yet.

We can help our grandchildren concentrate on the real meaning of Christmas by talking with them about the names of Jesus. Author and speaker Kay Arthur focuses on the following four in her article The Wonderful Names of Christ:

The Good Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."    —John 10:11 (New American Standard Bible)

The True Vine:  "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."    —John 15:5 (NASB)

The Light of the World: "Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.'"  
                                           —John 8:12 (King James Version)

The Bright Morning Star: "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am … the bright morning star."    —Revelation 22:16 (NASB)

And of course, there is Luke 2:11: "For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

What other names for Jesus Christ are especially meaningful to you?

May we never lose the true wonder of Christmas. May we always remember that Christmas is for sharing and loving!

He is able,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
www.grandconnection.org

© by Mary May Larmoyeux.
Photo Credit: © U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration

Merry Christmas

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Merry Christmas!

And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 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, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”   (Luke 2:7-15)


Photo © Jim Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

The Magic and Wonder of Christmas

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Not too long ago I was with some grandparents and we were sharing some favorite memories. One of the women said that the "magic of Christmas" began with her grandmother who lived with her family.

She recalled her grandmother asking her on Christmas Eve "Did you hear 'em?"

Then her grandmother would point to the roof and say with a twinkle in her eye, "Santa Claus and his reindeer are up there!"

As you turn the pages of the calendar to December, do you have childhood memories of hearing the tapping of reindeer hooves?

Were you like me on Christmas Eve, watching the weatherman track Santa, knowing that within hours jolly old Saint Nick and his sleigh would somehow arrive at "our" house.

Did you or you kids make special cookies for Santa? Did you leave them for him by the Christmas tree, with a glass of milk? Pops and I did as kids, and so did our children. Now's a good time for us to share some of those memories with loved ones and friends.

Santa used to write our kids notes reminding them of the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Some of those notes are still tucked away in their scrapbooks.

Ahhhh ... the magic and wonder of Christmas ... the hope and promise of Christ.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

                      (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Have a wonderful weekend,

Mary

http://grandconnection.blogspot.com
www.marymaywrites.com/
 

© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Photo © Mary Larmoyeux

Look to the Light

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

My heart is heavy as I write the post today. With the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, my mind can find rest in only one place—God. As I looked at the moon last night, I was reminded that He still provides light in even the darkest of times.

Isn't that the message of the lighting of Advent candles, that Light came into darkness? As Pops and I lit a candle for the third week of Advent last night, we read Isaiah 35:10: "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

I need to read that verse again and again. A day is coming when there will be no sorrow! Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The next time that the grandkids spend the night, I want to point to the moon and remind them that God can light even their darkest times of life.

And may we each celebrate the true meaning of Christmas this year, our Savior Jesus Christ came as a babe to save us from our sins. Our Light ... our Hope ... He will come again in glory, and there will be no more sorrow or tears.

Looking to the Light,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com
 

Post and photo © 2012 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

 

Christmas traditions

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Hope that you had wonderful Thanksgiving holidays!

The day after Thanksgiving my Christmas preparations began. My 8-year-old granddaughter helped me make gingerbread houses. Her 10-year-old cousin will visit in a couple of weeks and we'll also make some gingerbread houses together. With six grandchildren and friends, we have a lot to make!

It takes work to bake and assemble so many gingerbread houses, but they are an important part of our family holiday traditions. Other traditions include making a bed for the nativity figure of Baby Jesus. We put a pile of pine straw by the manger. When someone does a secret act of kindness honoring Jesus, he/she secretly puts a piece of straw in the manger for Jesus' bed. On Christmas morning we put the Christ Child figure on the pine straw bed made to honor our Lord.

Helen Austin, a regular contributor to Encouraging Women with Hearts for their Homes ezine, often makes holiday potpourri (the non-edible type) at this time of year. She shares her recipe in the holiday issue of the free ezine. It also has articles about managing holiday stress, giving exceptional gifts, making wise Christmas choices, and much more.

What are some of your family's Christmas traditions?

Have a wonderful week,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

Photo and post © 2012 by Mary May Larmoyeux.

Saying goodbye is not easy

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

It's hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone and a new year has begun.  After spending time connecting with family, many grandparents find themselves, once again, separated by the miles.

A friend describes below how hard it was for his son to part from his grandmother as she prepared to board a plane:

When it was time to go our separate ways, our son began to quietly cry very sincere tears, begging to continue on with his grandma, asking “Why does she have to leave?” It broke our hearts! I really don’t know how Mom endured it. It had to have been brutal for her. We finally persuaded him that it was necessary to part, and began the journey to our separate gates. At this point he twisted the knife already firmly planted in her heart by walking backwards for the entire length of the airport (in what must be the LONGEST airport hallway in the country), waving to her until she was completely out of sight, sniffling softly the entire time. A classic memory indeed!

My guess is that this little boy was not the only one crying.

Although we are fortunate to be living in an age of cell phones and e-mail, it's still hard to say goodbye to grandchildren who live across the miles! Have you experienced this yourself?

Have a great week,

Mary

Mary May Larmoyeux

The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect with Your Grandchild's Heart

© 2011 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo © Glenn Mcgloughlin / Dreamstime.com

Making a bed for Baby Jesus

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Friday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

When our children were small, one of our favorite Christmas traditions was making a pine straw bed for baby Jesus (instead of pine straw, you could use pieces of hay, balls of cotton, etc.). We’d set up the Nativity with everything except the figure of Jesus. Near the Nativity we filled a small basket with straw.

Whenever family members did secret acts of kindness to honor Christ (such as making someone’s bed, taking out the trash, giving an elderly neighbor cookies, etc.), he/she would secretly place a piece of pine straw on the manger floor. Then, on Christmas Day, the figure of baby Jesus was placed on the bed that had been made as acts of worship.

Doing this helped us all remember the real reason for celebrating Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Tomorrow night Pops and I will get out the Nativity set and decorate the Christmas tree. And, yes, we will have a small basket filled with pine straw. Several of our grandchildren are now old enough to understand secret acts of kindness. So, this year some new little hands will be helping to make baby Jesus’ bed.

(If your grandchildren live out of town, you may want to share this tradition with their parents and send a special basket for the straw.)

He is able,
Mary
http://www.marymaywrites.com/
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com/
 hoto © Mary May Larmoyeux

The Gift of Christmas

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Friday's Grand Connection Fun

by Mary May Larmoyeux

My friend Karen Jordan shared some of her family's wonderful Christmas traditions in her blog BLESSED. She asked, "When your children ask you, 'What does (Christmas) mean to you?’' What do you tell them? Or rather, how do you 'show' them?"

On Christmas Day, Pops and I are reminded of how Almighty God showed His incomprehensible love. He sent His Son to meet our greatest need.

"If our greatest need had been information," Max Lucado says, "God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior."

As we give gifts to loved ones this Christmas, may we remember the greatest Gift of all!

You may want to watch the video below with your grandchildren and talk about what it would be like if Jesus were born in today's age. (I think that you'll enjoy it too!)





Merry Christmas,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect with Your Grandchild's Heart

© 2010 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: © Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

When will Christmas be over?

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Last week I found myself thinking, When will Christmas be over? As soon as those words danced through my mind I was sorry for them.

What is Christmas any way? It's not presents, and Santa's, and rushing through the mall. It's a baby ... the God-man ... Jesus Christ who came to rescue us from our sin.

More than 2000 years ago Jesus offered a hurting world eternal hope. His offer is still valid today.

Christmas is a great time for us, as grandparents, to talk with our grandchildren about Jesus Christ. He was no ordinary baby. Isaiah 9:6 calls him "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

How could anyone ever want Christmas to be over?

Merry Christmas

Mary

The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect with Your Grandchild's Heart

© 2010 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: © Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

Memories from a Christmas Tree

Tuesday’s Thought

As Jim and I decorated the Christmas tree this past weekend, we were reminded of how time flies by. We pulled out ornaments from yesteryear and saw some small handmade decorations adorned with pictures of little boys and girls who are now grown … and have Christmas trees and children of their own.

Dated satin balls are hanging on our tree. Jim's parents gave them to us when each of our children were born. There’s a construction-paper star covered in glitter that dangles from a red ribbon. And a paper angel, that must be two decades old, faithfully crowns our tree. It’s surrounded by various cross ornaments and miniature nativities that remind us of the real meaning of Christmas.

Resting on the tree skirt is an ornament of the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. My brother and his wife gave it to us a very long time ago. Who would have guessed that the New Orleans they knew then would not exist today. As I held the small replica I was reminded that things don’t stay the same … that it’s important to value today, because tomorrow is not promised.

When Jim and I hung the silver icicles, I remembered my own dad telling us kids to hang them one by one—no “throwing” of icicles allowed. (How I’d love to see Dad today!)

And with each handmade stocking, I recalled a yesterday when our house was filled with the sounds of children 24-7.

Ah … Christmas! It’s filled with so many hopes and dreams. And it overflows with sweet memories of times … and places … and people … who will always live in our hearts.

He is able,
Mary
www.marymaywrites.com
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com

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