Day 21 Matchbox Advent Calendar

Day 20 Matchbox Advent Calendar

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

the chastisement of our peace was upon Him;

and with His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

Artwork by Esther Miller

In other words, Jesus took one for the team.

Day 19 Matchbox Advent Calendar

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save

that which was lost.

Luke 19:10

Artwork by Cindy Ericsson

I love the compass tie-in to the scripture!

Day 18 Matchbox Advent Calendar

He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High.

Artwork by Sue Hebel

Just a recap. All of these boxes are created by artists in the Christian Paper Artists Yahoo group. I am so glad I took part in this swap. As a group, the boxes herald Christ's birth and foreshadow His sacrifice for mankind. And isn't that what an advent calendar is all about?

Day 17 Matchbox Advent Calendar

Be kind to one another,

tenderhearted,

forgiving each other,

just as God in Christ

also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

Artwork by Nathalie Thompson

If you would like to see some of the other boxes I created for Day 17, click here.

I went for a decidedly Victorian theme, since to me Christmas is rich colors and textures and inexpensive gifts that may or may not be practical, but are also precious. In other words, "old fashioned". When things were simpler, when gifts did not require batteries, chargers, electricity in general and could be made instead of bought and no extended warrantee was needed.

The scripture about kindness and forgiveness has been on my heart for months, because in our family there is a definite, aching lack of both. My husband and I met over 15 years ago, in church, but now it's been over 3 years since we've attended church as a family. I see the evidene of the omission in my kids. Fighting, name calling, impatience, demandingness, laziness, disobedience. I see it in myself. Sadness, impatience, anger, frustration (with my kids); filling my life with other pursuits to feel happy. I see it in my marriage. My husband and I are as total opposites as we can be. I am creative, he is task orientated, I am a reader (and a thinker), he ignores written instructions and flies by the seat of his pants. He wants to start his own business and I want to pursue my own creative endeavers and we do not support each other like we each need to. Our common pursuit at one time was God. To be more like Jesus. The closer we drew to God, the closer we drew to each other. Our differences were diverse assets not irritating liabilities, because we pursued something beyond ourselves. Now our pursuits are selfish and the only outcome is to draw apart.

I truly miss simpler things.

When being together was enough.

When love did not require conditions, contracts, and renewals.

When "I'm sorry" was heartfelt and fixed everything.

What can I say? I am a romantic.

I still believe that Jesus is the answer.

Day 16 Matchbox Advent Calendar

Artwork by Beth Ellicot

Last night I went to a Christmas cookie exchange party.

The point being that those who attended would then not have to bake again for Christmas. My friend Gretchen, who invited me, told me to make 13 dozen cookies. A lot of cookies (!), but I went along with it. Hey, I will be getting that many back so my Christmas baking will be done!

I decided on spritz cookies. Fast, pretty and yummy. I began to question the fast part as my dough kept sticking to the cookie press and not the baking sheet. @#$&!! Making cookies was supposed to be a fun activity. I chased Rebecca out of the kitchen and the dog too and got down the to the grim task of making 169 cookies. I am laughing about it now. I got the template flipped around in the cookie press and suddenly the dough released and the cookies came out pretty uniform in size. I cranked out 3 batches of dough in my standing mixer so by the time my older two kids came home from school, the kitchen counters were covered with finished cookies an the house smelled like a bakery. I became the best mom in the world when I allowed the kids to "taste". Two dozen cookies disappeared in no time. Good thing I had made a lot so I didn't have to ration the "tasting". :)

The afternoon of the party, Gretchen asked, "so you got your got your 11 dozen cookies done?" (she was still baking). "Um, yes, I have my 13 dozen made and bagged up". "Oh, sorry. Didn't I tell you two people dropped out?" [laugh] She was very apologetic. I was fine with it. My baking was done!

Now I have my spritz cookies plus 1 dozen each of 10 other kinds of cookies.

Bring on Christmas!

Day 15 Matchbox Advent Calendar

Thy Word have I treasured in my heart
That I may not sin against Thee.

Psalm 119:11

But Mary treasured up all these things,
pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

Artwork by Corbi Beshears




This is a beautiful box on so many levels. The first scripture is old testament, the second is new testament. The heart in the straw symbolizing God's love incarnate as the baby Jesus.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16