The Ultimate Gift

As we enter into a season of Thanksgiving and "Gift-giving" it seems an appropriate time to be reminded of the ultimate gift that our Savior freely gives to those who ask. It is called grace.  G-R-A-C-E  "God's Riches At Christ's Expense" as you may have heard it defined.

Each of our Gift Ornaments express this gift as a "surprise" scripture verse, Ephesians 2:8, hidden under the lid and revealed only when the lid is lifted open as the ornament is being removed from its package.

It sends a subtle message in a hidden place that is only revealed when the gift is opened.  Perhaps in a small way, its a reminder of His gift to us as we experience the unwrapping of His life in ours.  He's given us the gift, we only need to begin to open it and receive it as such, to find grace.

Blessings Jay & Janice

The Lord bless you and keep you:  The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace - Numbers 6:24-26

His Love Transforms

Our very first design we called "His Love".

The architectural background formed by a Maltese cross surrounded by hearts and superimposed with 4 large hearts served to visually express "the truth of the cross and the heart of His Love".

Basing the design on historical interpretations, we saw the 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the four large hearts and with them, were reminded of Christ's care and concern and love poured out......to them, and to us!

The scripture Romans 8:39 inspired the title of this design, stating "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This 2004 design was "transformed" in 2008 to the more "open" scroll work found below, but its message and purpose are unchanged.  Sharing God's Love, Celebrating His Blessings!

May your life by transformed by His Love!

Blessings,

Janice & Jay

Your Hope

As we enter Spring and the Easter season, we're grateful and full of joy for the reminder this design expresses with its simple Lily draped over the cross:   Your Hope is in the eternal life that Jesus Christ promises us through his saving grace and everlasting love. Rejoice, for your hope is found in God's gift of eternal life. Purpose: Sympathy, Encouragement, Faith, Salvation

Scripture: And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. - 1 John 2:25 (Scripture reference backstamped on each design. Scripture printed on package side panel.)

Size: 4.25"

Poetry: (printed on back panel of package)

YOUR HOPE

Rejoice, for your hope is found

in God's gift of eternal life.

Renewed

A heart abloom in the center of an elegant open cross reflects a soul renewed in His perfect love. This design expresses encouragment and celebration of a new day and a new life.

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As we enter this season of celebrating God's gift of Salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ, our prayer is that you take a moment to give thanks and consider this awesome provision.    The word "Renewed" implies a second chance, a refreshing, a new beginning... may this design express thanks for renewal and praise to God.

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This design combines the heart of His Love with the truth of the Cross.....a recurring theme in many of our designs that helps us celebrate our faith.

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Purpose: Faith, Salvation, Renewal

Scripture: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace - Numbers 6:24-26 (scripture printed on back panel of package)

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Blessings,

Janice & Jay

Blizzard of Praise

This year's snowflake Gift ornament design is titled "Praise" and the Adornment design is titled "With Praise".

Our prayer is that every moment of every day in every circumstance we all would be able to praise our Creator, our Redeemer, our Holy, and loving God.

Blessings,

Janice & Jay

Somewhere its Snowing

One snowflake.

Then another, and another.

Falling down.  Blowing around.  And then piling up.

A snowstorm shut down the runways in Denver last weekend for a couple of hours.  This "delay" was  just the right amount of time to reflect more fully on the previous weekend's Thanksgiving blessings.

Blessings of time spent with family and meeting with strangers who became new friends over a shared dinner that Thanksgiving eve.  And blessings of stories about how others were serving and making a difference:

One at a prison.

Another at a clinic.

And another ministering to students

unable to travel home for the holiday

Their gifts of time and attention.  Their commitment to vocations of purpose.......it all started piling up.  Piling up into a blizzard of service.  A snowstorm of daily life falling down and blown around.

And piling up.

And during this Holiday Season, this season of blessings remembered,  this season of thankfulness offered to our loving God, our prayer is that you too are "delayed" at some point this season for a moment to reflect on His purpose in your life.....one at a time.....piling up....into the person you've been called to be to all you're blessed to touch during His season.

Blessings,

Jay & Janice

Mesmerized

Ever more intricate. Ever more complex. Ever more involved. Ever more to see....

Yes, the beauty of a snowflake can be mesmerizing.....

How much more His word? His hand? His love?

We hope you enjoy our 5th annual Snowflake Ornament with the title, "Thankful" for our Gift size, and "With Thanks" for our Adornment size in a slightly different configuration, but same style.

May you have a moment to be mesmerized and captured by His beauty this season.

Blessings,

Jay & Janice

the Elder-One

Genealogy is best experienced “live” .....face to face ..... with all the Family Tree gathered around a potluck supper listening to the elder-one speak about “back in the day”. In those moments isn’t it clear that the branches reflect the roots.......as the personality does the soul? The drama and decisions and journey of a family unfold in the elder-one’s telling.....and if artfully done, will be picked up and retold by the next generation as tradition.

For some among us, the stories are simply the starting point of a journey to shake out the truth from the perceived exaggerations of the elder-one’s telling. Many among us find their reward by focusing on facts and data of those days gone by, rather than on the character and personality reflected in the roots of those stories. And we find our joy in the confirmation of facts that shaped the elder-one’s story. As though our discovery affirms and renews our faith in the elder-one’s telling.

Thankfully the Scriptures bring together both these camps by the inspired word of the Elder-one’s stories about our Family Tree. About our beginnings and rebellion. About our deceit and cunning. About our love and yearning. About His protection and provision. About Christ’s coming and salvation. About our reunion and eternal homecoming. At life’s most important moments ..... a birth.....a wedding .....a funeral ....a family reunion... may we remember that Our Family Tree is gathered around and listening and when it becomes our turn, may we be responsible and blessed to give an artful account of His active hand in the life of our family when we become the elder-one.