All That Glitters are God's Gifts

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Gratitude has been a game changer for me these past few years ever since I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  I am convinced that I would not have survived 2013 without the practice of naming God's gifts to me.  I have been through enough heartache to last several years instead of the few months since it all started. Gratitude has kept my head above water this year...with 4,000 gifts listed I have become a different person.  God has taken the broken and made it beautiful.

Ann recently published another book for Christmas...The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas.  I have already read it!  Yes, it is supposed to be for Advent...the days leading up to the arrival of Christ, but as my husband, who knows me well can testify to... I can never wait to open a gift.  Earlier is always better!  Ha!  So this Advent I will re-read her book...this time with my boys. The Greatest Gift goes through Christ's family tree {starting way back when with Adam} and leads you to His birth.  

This book totally touched my heart as this year I became in a sense "a nobody".  Not that I really feel that I am a "nobody" {It is that gratitude list that tells me each day that I am loved by Him.}, but so many things were stripped from my life that I felt like I was in a sea of nothingness. No identity.  No true home. And a story I don't want to ever relive. 

What Ann writes in The Greatest Gift speaks volumes to me right now...

"And Jesus claims exactly these who are wandering and wondering and wounded and worn out as His. He grafts you into His line and His story and His heart, and He gives you His name, His lineage, His righteousness.  He graces you with plain grace."

When you buy Ann's book there is a free download of ornaments that you can print.  One ornament a day can be added to your tree as you read through her book.  Since it is a snowy Saturday here in central Alaska, I decided to get my ornaments printed and put together.  They are absolutely beautiful!!  I printed them on cardstock (the 3 x 3 size), cut them, and then decided that I wanted them to be framed in glitter.

Here is what I did...

I cut squares that were 2 1/4 inches.  I used these squares to cover the central part of the ornament where the picture is so that I wouldn't get glitter all over the pictures.  I just wanted a frame of glitter.

I bought silver Glitter Dust, beads {with holes big enough to put hemp cord through}, and hemp cord.

First I sprayed all the ornaments by placing them on newspaper and putting the white squares over the pictures.  I finally figured out that you have to place one finger on the white square to hold it in place while you lightly spray the edges of the ornament otherwise the squares go flying!  They turned out really well!

Finally, using a hole punch I threaded each one with the hemp cord and a bead {The bead gives them a bit of weight so that the paper will hang better.}

So I am ready!  Ready and waiting for Christ...to see Him show up this Advent in our hearts and minds.  To experience how His story is our story.  To open the greatest gift ever...