LeeAnn G Taylor - Embracing the Mosaic Life

Trusting our broken pieces to the Ultimate Artist

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Welcome to the World, Baby Haven

January 9, 2015 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

It’s 1:00 am and the words to the familiar Christmas tune ring quietly in my ears:

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant, so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Mothers and fathers everywhere around the world teach their children the importance of the nativity story, the birth of Jesus, at Christmas.

This celebration of the baby Christ child’s entrance into our world, merely days before our own welcoming celebration of our most recent addition to our family, has been a keen reminder of the humble beginnings of our Savior’s life on earth for me this year.

Jesus, carried in his mother’s womb just as every other human baby, burst into the world as Mary labored to deliver him. Helpless and raw and new, he was placed into his teenage mother’s arms to be cared for and loved on, just like every other baby.

It was an entrance like every other into our world. A new soul entering our earthly realm.

A true miracle.

Jesus, our Savior, born into the world as a baby. Sent to deliver us from our own failings, to be our ultimate advocate, to stand in our place, and yet he was dependent upon the gentle care of loving parents to survive.

As I sit in the hospital and reflect on God’s goodness and His blessings to the world through Jesus, I am particularly grateful for God’s blessings on our family this year. While 2014 was full of both incredible opportunities and challenging situations for our family, our biggest blessing has come in the form of a new precious addition, just 36 short hours ago.

So we welcome baby Haven.

Her name and presence are a reminder of God’s nature as a refuge, a safe place for our soul.

Haven and Mommy

Thank you to all of you who have prayed us through this pregnancy and for a safe and healthy delivery. I’ll share more of the story soon, but for now, we’re praising God for a wonderful experience in the hospital.

From beginning to end, we have been blessed with exceptional nurses and staff. As caregivers to us and to Haven, they have treated us more like family than the next patient to be checked off of a list. For anyone who has had an alternate experience, this tender care and attention during these most precious early moments is something to be cherished.

And ya’ll. I’m just convinced there is something special about night nurses on the mother/baby floor. Meet Amy, our “hero of the day” for both nights at the hospital. She’s taken exceptional care of us and we are so grateful. What a blessing!

 

nurse_amy2

*This post is part of the wonderful 5 Minute Friday series, where an incredible community of bloggers write for 5 minutes each Friday on a specific topic. Free writing. No edits. Writing just for the sheer joy of it. Today’s topic was “WELCOME”. 

Ultimate Guide to Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference

November 25, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

It’s Thanksgiving and families everywhere are gathered on couches, huddled around the Black Friday ads, planning their shopping strategy for the biggest shopping day of the year.

Last year a record 92 million people shopped on Black Friday, with each person spending an average of $407.23 for a total of $57.4 billion spent in one day alone. 

But have you considered this truth?

The way we spend our money determines the type of world we want to live in. – Bethany Tran

Click To Tweet

What if we used our Christmas gift money to purchase gifts that make a difference in the world?

Tuesday, December 2nd is “Fair Trade Tuesday,” an ethical shopping movement in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday to feature fair trade, ethical, and eco-friendly brands.

Christmas present

Instead of shopping with only the best price in mind, what if we used our purchase power to make choices that empowered others around the world…

– other mothers, fathers, children, orphans, and business owners –

…people just like you and me but with less access to basic needs like clean water, a consistent food supply, a stable government, and fair wages.

This year while attending the Allume conference I was introduced to an incredible group of organizations dedicated to partnering with artisans in impoverished communities to make a difference in their lives. These organizations provide a market for the artisans’ products, creating situations for sustainable income, developing strong community, affirming dignity, and sharing hope.

I’m excited to introduce you to some of these incredible organizations!

In addition to featuring several organizations I’ve connected with directly, you’ll also find a list of organizations below that you can feel confident about purchasing through to ensure your gifts this Christmas not only make your family and friends feel loved and appreciated, but that improve the lives of others around the world.

Ultimate Guide to Christmas Gifts that Make a Difference

The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Gifts That Make a Difference and Give Back


The Root Collective

The Root Collective

Mission:

The Root Collective partners with small-scale artisan businesses in marginalized communities in Guatemala, Kenya, and Peru to promote change through dignified jobs.

Read more about the artisans behind the beautiful products. Otto, the shoemaker, is my favorite story! He’s a former gang member employing other former gang members to teach them business skills and create opportunities for a better future.

Featured products:

ballet flats, handwoven scarves, tote bags, and unique beaded necklaces

The Root Collective Christmas Shoe Tree


Three Avocados Coffee

Mission:

Three Avocados is a non-profit organization founded as a creative solution to ending the global water crisis and educating children, starting with Uganda.

100% of net proceeds provide clean water in Uganda and education in Nicaragua. They aim to provide coffee lovers with a product that enables them to make a 100% socially responsible choice when purchasing coffee.

Featured Products:

Nicaraguan and Ugandan coffee, tumblers, coffee mugs, shirts

*Whole bean coffee for $11.99 a bag!

Christmas Gifts that Make a Difference - Three Avocados Coffee


Ornaments 4 Orphans

Mission:

Ornaments4Orphans’ mission is to empower indigenous artisans through fair trade practices, invest in the holistic care of orphaned children through partners, and provide customers with an opportunity to purchase beautiful, handmade items that bless others.

Featured Products:

ornaments, nativity scenes, jewelry, stocking stuffers, and bowls

Gifts that Make a Difference - Ornaments 4 Orphans


ViBella Jewelry

Mission:

At the heart of our mission, Vi Bella impacts the lives of at-risk women in Haiti, Mexico, and the United States by providing them jobs which pay good wages in safe, encouraging work environments.

Vi Bella artisans “up-cycle” discarded plastic and glass bottles, metal bottle caps and paper, transforming them into unique, handmade jewelry that is truly a work of art.  They then invest all of the profits back into the artisans’ communities, which brings the transformation full circle.

Featured Products:

“up-cycled” necklaces, earrings, gift items, messenger bags, and youth jewelry

 

Christmas Gifts that Make a Difference - ViBella Jewelry


Nozomi Project: Beauty from Brokenness

Mission:

Nozomi, which means ‘hope’ in Japanese, is a social enterprise bringing sustainable income, community, dignity and hope to the women in Ishinomaki, Japan and the surrounding region by training women to craft unique jewelry products.  One third of these women are single mothers and grandmothers; most of these women lost their livelihood, a family member and/or their home when the tsunami crashed their world in 2011.

Nozomi women are creating one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry featuring broken pieces of pottery left in the wake of the tsunami. Each product line has been named by a Nozomi woman in honor of a loved one in her life. As broken shards are being transformed into beautiful treasures, so too lives are being filled with renewed dignity and hope.

Featured Products:

necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, framed pendants, and accessories

Christmas Gifts that Make a Difference - Nozomi Project


Work of Worth International

Mission:

Work of Worth is an organization dedicated to utilizing the power of commerce to free the oppressed throughout the world. Work of Worth exists primarily as an import and distribution company for the purpose of connecting entrepreneurs and businesses in the developing world to the Western market.
The Work of Worth team desires to see freedom and dignity in the lives of many through two primary ways:
  • WoW imports and sells fair trade merchandise crafted by entrepreneurs in the developing world in order to promote the long-term success of these businesses. Meet some of the talented entrepreneurs.
  • WoW is creating and implementing a “Work of Worth” certification process. Going beyond “fair trade,” a Work of Worth certification or approval would indicate that a product is manufactured by a company that aligns with WoW’s ethos of non-discrimination, paying a fair wage and modeling respectful treatment of their workers.

You can find out more about Kristi Griem, the current COO, and the Work of Worth story on this podcast of The God-Centered Mom.

Featured Products:

bath and spa products, totes, bags, leather and paper products, scarves

Christmas Gifts that Make A Difference - Work of Worth International


Eternal Threads

Mission:

Eternal Threads is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children most at risk of extreme poverty, trafficking and other forms of exploitation by providing sustainable livelihoods through income generating projects.

Featured Products:

bags, clothing, home decor, jewelry, toys

Christmas Gifts That Make a Difference - Eternal Threads

Christmas Gifts that Make a Difference - Eternal Threads


Even More Organizations With Gifts That Make A Difference:

Amani Africa

Amani ya Juu (“peace from above” in Swahili) is a sewing and training program for marginalized women in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and Liberia. They offer a wide selection of fair trade handmade African handbags, home & kitchen décor, jewelry, and children’s items that are made out of local African materials.

Amazima Ministries

Handmade Ugandan necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and children’s jewelry. Organization founded by Katie Davis, author of Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption. 

Better Life Bags

Design your own hand-crafted bag created by women who otherwise would be unable to work.  

The LuLu Tree

Creating a market products made by mothers in the slum of Katwe, Uganda. Art, baby items, clothing, footwear, jewelry, and more.  

New Life Threads

Helping women and children in Rwanda move to a place of thriving, bringing dignity, life, love and hope to vulnerable women and families in developing countries. Bags, purses, tablecloths, and table runners

Sak Saum

Battling human trafficking through a ministry dedicated to the rescue, restoration, transformation and rehabilitation of vulnerable and exploited women and men in Cambodia. Providing cross-body bags, accessories, totes, and jewelry. 

Trades of Hope

Jewelry, scarves, stationary, handbags, decor and more crafted by artisans in 10 countries (including the USA) working to break the cycle of poverty. 


This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}. If you click through an affiliate link to make a purchase, we receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra charge to you. For organizations that use this model, this is part of their marketing strategy to get the word out about their products. Proceeds help pay for this site and support our recently adopted Compassion International child, Eva, from Columbia.

What other fair trade organizations providing a market for artisans in marginalized communities are you familiar with? I’d love for you to share in the comments! 

Want to save this list to refer to later? Pin the image below to Pinterest! Use the social sharing buttons below to make it quick and easy! I’ll be adding to this list as I find even more great organizations in the coming weeks.

The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Gifts That Make a Difference and Give Back

Advent Ideas & Children’s Christmas Books – Sharing the Story of Jesus With Kids

November 14, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

On Sunday during our fellowship time at church, a friend, a busy working mom with three kids, asked if I was planning a Christmas post similar to my Easter one, 10 Ways to Teach Kids About Easter.

The Easter post shares ten different ways parents can share the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection with their children using hands-on activities and books and she had enjoyed using the ideas to make the story come more alive for her kids.

Today I’m sharing similar resources for the Advent season and Christmas.

Be sure to read all the way to the end for a giveaway of an awesome prize pack of children’s Christmas books!

Celebrating Advent With Your Children

If you’re not familiar with the concept of Advent, it is simply taking the time before Christmas to anticipate Christ and celebrate Christmas, His coming to the earth. Generally Advent celebrations begin on December 1st and continue through Christmas Day.

Here are a few ways to celebrate Advent, the anticipation of Christ’s coming, with your children:

1. Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands by Amanda White

truthinthetinselcover

For preschool to elementary kids, this printable gives you 24 days of Scripture reading, ornament crafts, talking points and extension activities, plus fun printables and templates! If you’re not super crafty (like me), you can download the printable ornaments for your kids to color and hang instead and read the scripture reference each day.

Be sure to read to the end of this post to find out how to win your own copy of this great curriculum or click this link and use the code MOSAICLIFE to get 20% off. 

2. Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

This absolutely gorgeous hardback book is designed to be read year after year for the Advent season. The quality of the book is such that I can imagine it becoming a book that is passed down to future generations.The illustrations remind me of The Jesus Storybook Bible illustrations and are just beautiful!

I received a copy from the publisher Tyndale for review and am absolutely thrilled to be using this book for Advent this year for our kids (ages 8, 5 and 2).

The book starts out where all books should start out, at the beginning! From creation to the flood to the story of Abraham, each day works through the Old Testament stories and progresses toward the ultimate revelation of Jesus as King.

Each day has a “Thoughts to Discuss” section and a “Family Activity” idea.

Neither of these sections are overwhelming and provide just enough “extra” to go deeper with older children. I also love the free printable ornaments you can download from Ann Voskamp’s site that go along with each day.

3. What God Wants for Christmas: An Interactive Nativity for Children by Barbara Rainey

What God Wants for Christmas

I’ve admired Dennis and Barbara Rainey from Family Life Today ever since I found out I was pregnant and knew I’d need some help with raising a child. The parenting process hasn’t come naturally to me and their practical advice has helped me along the way.

While I haven’t used this resource myself, it comes highly recommended online by other moms who have used it with their children to create meaningful conversations about Christ’s coming during the Advent season. The set includes nativity characters, a pop-up nativity scene, written materials, and an audio book on CD.

For more detailed info, you can listen to a conversation with Barbara and one of her children talking about how they use this resource on the Family Life Today radio show.

4. Read a Different Children’s Christmas Book Each Day in December

This was my friend Kathy’s idea and I think it’s a great one. Most kids love to sit and listen to a story being read aloud, so doing so during the days leading up to Christmas creates great time and space for creating happy family memories. Add hot cocoa and popcorn to story time and you can get almost any kid to sit and listen for a few minutes!

cocoa

I’d encourage you to look for Christmas books in your local used bookstore, ask friends for recommendations, or review the list below for some ideas. If you have a bit more time and want to create some mystery and excitement for your children, wrap each book ahead of time and allow your child to pick out the book and unwrap one each day to read.

You might not already have 25 Christmas books focusing on Jesus, but if you start now and add to your collection throughout the years, you’ll soon have plenty of books to choose from during the month of December.

A Review of Children’s Christmas Books

I’m excited to share these three books with you, as they’re some of the first in my own collection of children’s Christmas books that tell the story of Jesus.

Two of these are also included in the huge Children’s Christmas Book Prize Pack Giveaway at the end of this post, so you’ll have a chance to win your own copy too! Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and Ambassador International for providing review copies and giveaways for my readers.

The Christmas Promise by Alison Mitchell

This hardback book has absolutely beautiful illustrations and tells the story of Jesus’ birth by focusing on how God kept His promise to send His people a new King. Perfect for preschool and early school-aged children, it is short enough to keep their attention and focuses on one theme, that Jesus is “a new King; a rescuing King; a forever King!”

Both of my kids (5 and 2) listened intently, fascinated by the slightly different approach to the story of the birth of Jesus. I love books that connect the Old Testament promises to the New Testament fulfillment of those promises and this is a great introduction to that theme for young children.

christmas promise

A Donkey’s Little Tale by R. Mitchell Scott

Oh, I just love this sweet book! Written from the perspective of the donkey as Mary rode to Bethlehem, the book is a poem of sets of two line rhymes sharing what the donkey must have experienced that particularly special late night.

There is a tenderness conveyed between Mary and Joseph that is precious. The different perspective of the donkey along with the rhyming words keeps the kids’ attention. The illustrations are simple, inspired by the author’s own clay figures, and are quite charming.

donkey

The Manger Mouse by Sarah Martin Byrd

This book tells the story of Jesus’ birth from the perspective of a little mouse named Matty. Young and insecure about his significance in the world, with his mother’s encouragement he becomes an integral part of Jesus’ first night as a newborn on earth.

The illustrations are done with beautiful pastels and are big and bold, good for little ones listening along with the story but not able to read yet.

In addition to the basic story of Jesus’ birth, there are so many lessons that can be drawn from this short story about the importance of our gifts, no matter how “small”, how God uses the unlikely to accomplish the important, and having courage in the face of uncertainty.

mouse

More Reader & Blogging Friend Favorites:

I asked around for more children’s Christmas book recommendations that tell the story of Christ and I’m thrilled to share even more great books from readers and other blogging friends online. These look amazing and I can’t wait to add some of them to our own collection!

20 Best Children's Christmas Books

Why Do We Call It Christmas? The REAL Story Behind the Holiday by Phil Vischer

Song of the Stars – Amanda W.

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree – Linda B.

The Gift of the Magi – Anne H.

The Legend of the Candy Cane – Martha Kate Stratton

The Three Gifts of Christmas – Amanda W.

The Little Match Girl – Anne H.

The King’s Christmas List – Amanda W.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier – Anne H.

Room for a Little One – Sarah E.

The Donkey’s Gift – Angela L.

A Charlie Brown Christmas – Deidra L.

The Pine Tree Parable – Amanda W.

The Tale of Three Trees – Daisy Rosales

The Littlest Angel – Heather K.

A Christmas Prayer – Amanda W.

The Wonder of Christmas – Amanda W.

Children’s Christmas Books Prize Pack GIVEAWAY!

update: this giveaway has ended

Some of my blogging friends and I have gathered together to offer a huge prize pack of children’s Christmas books. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win all 8 books plus the Advent resource, Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands.

If you win, you’ll be well on your way to building an awesome library of Christmas books for your kids to enjoy year after year.

We are all so excited to share these books with you!

Children's Christmas Book Giveaway

LeeAnn is giving away: A Donkey’s Little Tale, The Manger Mouse, and Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands

Gennie is giving away: The Polar Express

Ashley is giving away: The Berenstain Bears – The Joy of Giving

Susana is giving away: What is Christmas?

Britta is giving away: The Adventure of Christmas – Helping Children Find Jesus in Our Holiday Tradition

Nelle is giving away: The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet

One lucky person will win them all!

To have a chance to win, enter using the rafflecopter widget below. (Click here to enter if you can’t see the widget.) Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and ends Monday, November 17th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post contains affiliate links {full disclosure}.

 

Sharing with Faith & Fellowship, Advent Ideas Linkup, The Missional Weekend, Mommy Monday, and The Mommy List.

Parenting With Purpose: Intentional Christmas {Focus on What Matters Most}

October 25, 2014 By LeeAnn G. Taylor

I’m away at Allume this week, a writing & blogging conference for Christian women. Today I’m sharing a guest post I wrote on my husband’s blog last year before my online home was up and running. I hope it gives you some ideas for focusing on what matters most this Christmas with your children. 

Truth in the Tinsel - Intentional Christmas - Advent Resource

Want to make Christmas REALLY meaningful this year?

If you are anything like me, the holiday season can quickly get overwhelming! With red and green showing up in stores before the ghosts and ghouls clearance items have left the shelves, we are shoved into the commercialism of everything Christmas.

In our hearts we know that Jesus is the reason for the season, but how do we live that out in front of our children in the days leading up to the annual celebration of Jesus’ birth when our world spins for days around candy, Santa, lights, decorations, Christmas trees, Elf on the Shelf, school parties, and more?!

The answer?

{Click to find out and read the rest of the post on my husband’s site, Sage Garden Care Center.}

Looking for more ideas and resources for Parenting With Purpose as you create a God-centered home? You can find the whole series here.

Parenting With Purpose - Intentional Christmas - Focus on What Matters Most

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