Craft Club fun

I am doing an after school club this year- the Craft Club. I was really, really nervous about it but wanted to try to do something to support the after school club program at our school and help our kids. So, I stepped out and, boy am I glad I did!!!! What fun we are having! I have two of my own young people helping me; Barbara & Matthew have been GREAT volunteers at school and have been such a big help!!!

Today was our third session. The first week the kids made nature cards with pine branches, leaves and nature stamps. Last week they made fleece scarves for themselves and waxed paper/melted crayon "window" cards which turned out REALLY nice!

Today's project was holiday card making. I can't post the kids' photos, but Matthew took some safe pix for me. Each of us took one of the cards, and the kids rotated around to make one or two of each.

The kids seem to be really enjoying the projects so far, and I am having a blast working with the kids, finding and planning projects, and working alongside my own children. :)

We will be running this session through February and then starting a new group of kids through the end of the year. In January we are going to do paper mache snowmen, origami & kirigami, shape cards (snowmen/penguins), and I think maybe make some glazed coasters. I'm going to look for something really, really neat to do with them in February for our finish. I've been bookmarking lots of ideas and am thinking of things for the Spring session: paper mache "spring" baskets, book blankets, popup cards, paper flowers...

Where in the World is Jesus?

Pardon the Waldo reference; it worked in my head anyway at the moment. :)

Jesus came in a manger. He died on a cross. He rose from the grave. But he's not in any of those places now. So where can we find Him? Well...

I might be wrong, but today I think I glimpsed Jesus at some not-so-"normal," certainly not-holy places. I think I saw Him wearing a Santa hat and playing Christmas music on his portable keyboard outside Blumenthals & Dollar General on Market St. in Greensboro. I rowed down my window, waved, smiled and hollered, "Merry Christmas" to him and he wished me a Merry Christmas too. Made me smile so big inside!!!

I saw Him outside the JoAnn's fabric store where I held a door for him and we chatted for a minute about using a cane to walk (he was). I told him how thankful I was to be walking and doing so well after the terrible fall I had six weeks ago. He gave me a present from his pocket- a tiny cross that says "God loves you" on it. We wished each other His blessings and a Merry Christmas.

I saw Him today in the smiles on three 4th grade children's faces as they gave up their recess time to come hang out in my room, talk with me, and just spend time around me and my students. I saw Him in A's face as she talked about her memories of my old Kindergarten classroom and the time that I hid the gingerbread cookies and told the kids their Gingerbread Men had run away and we went on a hunt for them. I saw Him in her love for me and mine for her. I saw Him in the pipecleaner bracelet E made for me, and in S's laughter at/with me and in the hugs and kisses they all had for me when it was time for them to return to their classes.

I saw Him in my children's hard work and improved behavior today. They were extra especially good for me when my stomach got sick and I had to keep running to the bathroom.

I saw Him in me too today- when I wished people Merry Christmas- I was sure I felt Him smiling at me. I saw Him when I walked with hardly no limp at all into a doctor's office where just two weeks ago I could only limp horribly in and the doctor thought I might have a permanent limp and need therapy.

I saw Him with me as I picked up pants for my son, gloves for all my students (their poor hands were freezing today at recess), thread for Christmas projects and things I'm making.

I saw Him in my 21 year old son who passed me our two bags of groceries as we left the store to run across the parking lot and offer his help to a single mom with her young son who was obviously fighting cancer.

I saw Him in my 20 year old daughter who is working hard to help me make a ton of cookies to give away to our neighbors, a doctor's office, the people who work at a fast food joint we used to go to, and whoever else we end up sharing with. (Let's just say my family teases me because it is my tradition to take cookie/treat trays to gas stations & fast food places on Christmas day- I'm weird, I know.)

I saw Him in my 19 year old son as he played on the playground with my students (oh, how they LOVE Mr. Matthew!!!) and as he worked with students today to help them understand their math assignments and as he exhibited great patience with great grace.

He came 2000 years ago to a poor, lowly family in the most unholy way a king could come. I think He likes to operate that way- on the humble side, coming to the world in unconventional, "unreligious" ways. Maybe I'm silly, but I don't think so. I think Jesus is all around us if we only look. He's in the most simple things as well as the grand things.

I'm curious. Where have you seen Jesus lately?