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Psalm 1 Printable and Father’s Day Card

06.16.2015 By Lisa Appelo 23 Comments

I’ve started and erased this opening paragraph a dozen times. Possibly because I’ve written all day and I’m out of words but more than likely it’s because of swirling emotions.

I’ve always liked Father’s Day. I have a great dad who has rooted me in love and security. He has loved and cherished my mom, a love that gets more beautiful as they age. And in these last four years, he has gone over and above for my children and me. So I look forward to honoring him this Sunday.

But this week will also mark four years since Dan’s death. This is causing the swirl. At four years out I feel less fearful, less broken, more grounded, more hopeful.

A huge part of my grief though has been for my children. In the weeks following his death, I remember thinking, “I’m an adult. I’ve had him for 26 years; I can take this.” But my children? How I have grieved my children’s irreplaceable loss.

And then in the middle of these thoughts, Father’s Day brings me back to the boys I’m raising, and the kind of men and dads they’ll be. “Years don’t make you mature,” I’ve said lately. “Integrity and self-control make you mature.”

I keep coming back to one verse. Psalm 1 is the verse I have prayed over my boys (and girls) since they were little. I want them to be men who choose to follow hard after God, who know scripture and who keep it no matter what culture says men should be doing.

Of course my wanting it won’t make it happen. They’ve got to put down the roots. But I want them to know this is what we’ve aimed for all these years.

These three generations . . . a father who has loved well; a husband and man’s man who authentically walked out Psalm 1; and five boys who I pray will pick up that legacy and walk it into the next decades.

In honor of Father’s Day and growing boys to men, I’m sharing a Psalm 1 Scripture print. Two sizes are available: 8 x 10 or 5 x 7. I’ve framed the 8 x 10 for my boys’ room and I’m using the 5 x 7 as a Father’s Day card. (It would also make a great graduation or birthday card.) Click the link below the picture to download your free print. Enjoy friends! Thank you for visiting and feel free to print and share to your heart’s content.

*Graphics used with permission from the creative We Lived Happily Ever After.

Click here for the 5 x 7 (set printer to landscape). Click here for 8 x 10 (set printer for portrait).

*If you’d like to know when new posts are up, you can subscribe at the top of this page or like the Facebook page. Thank you!

Linking up this week with Intentional Tuesday, Purposeful Faith, #TellHisStory, WFMW, Coffee for Your Heart, #LiveFreeThursday, Thriving Thursday

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A Maundy Thursday Prayer

04.02.2015 By Lisa Appelo Leave a Comment

Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

. . .

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.

“Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. [John 13:1, 12 – 17]

Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin, mandatum, which means command. Jesus, at the Passover supper with his 12 disciples, would give a new command — love one another as I have loved you.

Oh Lord, you call me to wash feet and serve in the hard and the messy. You call me to serve others without glamour and without acclaim. You call me to leave the table where I might be served and to do for others instead. And not just to serve those who love me. You ask me to serve my enemies with equal compassion and humility. Lord, you know this is not my nature. You know how I seek the comfortable and the lovely and the self-affirming. But you have not only modeled it; you’ve command it. “Now that you know these things.” Now we know. Knowing isn’t so hard. It’s the doing. Help me, Lord, to do. And, amazingly, when obedience feels like it costs so much, you promise instead blessing.

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The Un-Pinnable Perfect Christmas

12.11.2014 By Lisa Appelo Leave a Comment

Today, I’m so excited to welcome Stephanie Little to True and Faithful. Stephanie is a friend with a beautifully kind heart and an authentic walk with God. She’s an amazing Bible teacher, speaker and women’s ministry leader. She and her husband, Dan, have six children and make their home in Missouri. You can find a picture of Stephanie and Dan below the post, along with more information and links to her ministry page. Thank you, Stephanie!

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy which will be to all people…” Luke 2:10

One year at Christmas, after decorating and redecorating my tree, I was complaining about my lack of creativity when my husband walked by and said something that stuck. He said, “Why are you doing that? It’s not like Good Housekeeping is stopping by.”

Hmmm…Let’s just say, I was not happy with him at that moment; and what did he know about Good Housekeeping anyway? But, later that night, I thought about the reality of what he said.

Why was I doing what I was doing at Christmas time? Why was I pushing so hard to have the perfect tree, the perfect gifts and to make the perfect memories? Where did all the pressure come from?

I realized my children were not putting pressure on me to cram one more Christmas activity into our schedule. My husband certainly wasn’t pushing me to make sure our home looked like a magazine layout. And, honestly, no matter how much the gifts are loved on Christmas morning, it’s very likely that they’ll end up in the giveaway before the next Christmas rolls around.

The pressure to have Christmas perfection was coming from no one but me. And that pressure was robbing everyone of joy at Christmas. It was time to make changes.

I’ve always been intentional about keeping Christ in Christmas; and every year I spend focused time with our children studying the birth accounts of Jesus from Matthew, Luke and this year in Isaiah. Yet, God prompted me to go deeper, to focus my whole heart on His purpose.

He’s been dealing with me about the idea of perfection and its effect on my thoughts, words and actions. Turning the eyes of my heart from the “perfection” of my efforts to the perfection of His, God showed me there is only One Perfect Gift – Jesus, only one perfect tree — the cross of Calvary, and only one perfect Christmas memory — His life given for my eternity.

This year, I let the children “help” with decorating the tree…and left their ornaments where they put them (for the most part.) I opened up our schedule to allow time to “just be” together as a family. And, we started the new tradition of the “Joy Tree”. We made a paper tree by tracing the hands of our little ones, layering them together in the shape of a tree and we hung it on the wall in our kitchen. Each day, on a paper ornament, we write down one thing (or person) that brings us joy that day.

As our tree fills up, I’m praying we’ll focus on the joy God gives us each day, instead of some elusive Hallmark Christmas memory moment. So far, this Christmas season is turning out to be “just perfect.”

Stephanie is a child of God, wife of Dan and mom of six “Little” blessings. She loves her crazy life filled with homeschooling and serving on her church staff as Women’s Ministry Director. Her passion is God’s Word and sharing it with others. She and her family live in a little house in the big woods of Missouri. You can connect with her on Facebook and through www.jesusisenough.org. You can find Stephanie’s Bible studies and weekly podcasts under the Sermons tab.

Shared with GoodMorningGirls.org, LivingWellSpendingLess

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Days of Joy. Acts of Blessing.

12.04.2014 By Lisa Appelo 15 Comments

It’s the happiest time of the year!

For most folks.

For many, the Christmas season is a painful reminder of how life isn’t. Christmas shopping and cookie baking and light touring are done with an ache of deep loss.

I remember our first Christmas without Dan. I was so desperate for some measure of joy in our family, some indication that our toppled world would be righted again one day. That Christmas, and for the Christmases since, I needed to intentionally turn life inside out and pursue joy.

And so we started Days of Joy. During December and leading up to Christmas, we decided to look for ways to bless others. It wasn’t an everyday thing. With days already brimming full, we could not have handled another self-imposed must-do. But sprinkled throughout the month, as we saw a need or found a way to bless or serve, we did.

Here are some pictures of our Days of Joy from last year. (Cell phone quality pictures taken on the fly last year.)

Making bags for the homeless

Our change jar for Phllipines Super Typhoon victims

Cokes and cookies set out for our trash/recycling collectors

Toys for a local charity and a free Chick-Fil-A sandwich!

When you’re going through difficulty or grief, there is so much energy focused on self. Processing all of the thoughts and emotions is necessary, but I grew to really dislike the self-absorption. I didn’t want to ignore my sadness and I needed to battle the thoughts that overwhelmed me, but I sure was ready to look outside of myself and minister to others.

Getting eyes off self and seeing the needs of others is one of the best ways I know to turn deep pain inside out and work toward healing. It’s an intentional march toward full healing and seeing joy again.

We’ll be doing Days of Joy again this year. It’s become one of my favorite things leading up to Christmas.

How does your family spread joy at Christmas? I know many of you are so creative! It’s so inspiring to hear how about how others are intentionally blessing during the Christmas season.

If you would like to know when new posts are up, please leave your e-mail address at the top of the page and posts will be delivered right to your inbox. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Shared with LivingWellSpendingLess, #TellHisStory, Holley Gerth

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Christmas Countdown Nativity Activity

12.01.2014 By Lisa Appelo 7 Comments

This is a fabulous and easy way to prepare hearts for Christmas — two things I want every December.

Unwrap the story of Jesus’ birth one day at a time with a key verse and one piece of the Nativity scene that matches that verse. As you build the manger scene piece by piece, you’ll also read part of the real Christmas story.

Countdown to Christmas: Unwrap the Christmas Story with Your Family in 15 Days grew out of my own desire to be more intentional with my family about the reason for Christmas. I wanted an advent devotional easy enough for a weekday evening but deep enough to really engage our hearts for Christmas.

I knew our busy December would make a month-long study impractical. But 15 days works for us! It gives us plenty of margin during the month and accomodates evenings we’re out of the house. You can start 15 days before Christmas or begin December 1 using the days convenient for your family.

How to Use this Nativity Activity

Countdown to Christmas is the devotional that takes you step by step through the Christmas story, starting with prophecy. From the angels’ visits all the way to the birth of Jesus and the wise men who visited, you’ll be able to countdown toward Christmas as you read each piece of the Christmas story.

The scripture is included in the advent devotional, but you can also read it from your own family Bible.

You’ll also want to use a standard Nativity to make the most of your family’s advent reading. Here are some of our family favorites:

Olive Wood Nativity set: I’ve fallen in love with the olive wood Nativity sets. Many of them come from olive wood grown in Israel and, left unpolished, will darken naturally from the oil of your child’s hands.

Heartland resin Nativity set: The resin looks a bit dressier but can still be handled without worry by children.

Willow Tree Nativity set: These timeless pieces can be collected and added to each season.

Fisher Price Little People Manger Scene: Classic pieces for the littlest hands. This is one my children have set up and played with over and over at Christmastime.

Start a Family Tradition

You can get your copy of Countdown to Christmas: Unwrap the Christmas Story with Your Family in 15 Days here.

I pray this becomes a beautiful tradition for your family, let’s you create treasured memories and helps you celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Merry Christmas!

P.S. If you’d like to print the Nativity Scriptures list, click here for an 8.5 x 11 printable.

*This post contains affiliate links.

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