All Saints' Day ........

WHAT IS ALL SAINTS' DAY?

All Saints' Day was originally a commemoration of the martyrs of the ancient church, the men, women, and children who were persecuted and killed for their faith in Christ. It has since become a festival on which the church remembers all who have died in the faith, both those of the distant past and those of more recent times.

WHEN IS ALL SAINTS' DAY CELEBRATED?

The traditional date for the observance of All Saints' Day is November 1st. Many churches choose to celebrate it on the first Sunday in November.

WHAT DOES THE WORD "SAINT" MEAN?

The English word "saint" derives from the Latin sanctus, which means "holy.

"WHO ARE THE SAINTS?

God declares everyone who has been baptized and believes the promise of the gospel to be justified, holy, and blameless. The communion of saints therefore includes both those still living on earth and those who have died in the faith and are now in heaven.

Today we will be honoring all the Saints.. here are a handful of wonderful Saints and be sure to play Match The Saints Game made by my dear Husband Tony.

Polycarp, Luther and Calvin

John Bunyun, St. Patrick and Augustine

Anselm, C.S Lewis and John Knox

Athanasius and John Wyclif

Please Click on the Game below to view larger. These are all out of order, so match them up to the rightful Saint. Below the page are the answers... Don't cheat !!!

Answers:

Polycarp = 3

Athanasius 11

Augustine = 8

Patrick = 10

Anselm = 4

Wyclif = 6

Luther = 5

Calvin = 2

Knox = 7

Bunyun = 9

C.S. Lewis = 1

Happy Reformation Day !!!!

Today in Church History
October 31
Martin Luther, Protestant Reformation
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation
when he nailed his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg church door.

Contrary to modern impressions, the Augustinian monk's action was not a
defiant and revolutionary gesture, but rather a dispassionate invitation
for his fellow academics to debate the power of indulgences, and
especially their abuse under the salesmanship of John Tetzel. The theses
begin and end in this way:

1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said, "Repent," He called for
the entire life of believers to be one of penitence.

2. The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament
of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the
clergy.

3. Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their
Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells;

4. And let them thus be more confident in entering heaven through many
tribulations than through a false assurance of peace.

In the years that followed, Luther's struggles to reform the church
prompted him eventually to strike at the heart of the Roman Catholic
doctrine of salvation, as he embraced the doctrines of sola Scriptura
(the Word of God cannot be subordinated to human tradition), sola fide
(justification is by faith alone and not dependent on
works-righteousness), and sola gratia (salvation is a gift of God's
grace and not earned by human merit). Though his rediscovery of the
gospel took shape over the course of years, it was foreshadowed in the
posting of his 95 Theses.
Thus it is fitting for all Protestants, including Orthodox
Presbyterians, to commemorate October 31 as "Reformation Day."

- John Muether

If you would like to learn more about Luther, watch the newer movie made just a couple years ago called Luther. This movie was very well done and Historically accurate.

Reformation Day Ideas for your very own Reformation Day celebration...Make a "Diet of Worms Cake" - recipe found here.

Have a "Baptismal Apple Dunk" Run a "Law and Gospel Shuffle Relay"

Create a "Fishers of Men" Fishing Pond

Do a "Defeat the Devil Ball Toss"

Play "Pin the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Door"

Run a "Throw Indulgences in the Trash" relay Find a storyteller to tell of the events of Luther’s life!

Have a costume party – everyone dress up as their favorite reformation personality. Have a special showing of the Movie "Luther" at church or in your home!

• Present this skit on Luther that was written by Joan Peery.

Hold a "Mightiest Fortress" building contest- build a tower and see whose isstrongest Participate in the "Diet of Worms" - otherwise known as gummy worm eating contest. -

Butterfly..Flit..Flutter... Fly Costume....

Here is my daughters Butterfly costume we pulled together from this and that. And off she goes !!!!

Happy Halloween. May you have a safe night tonight !!!

The Pumpkin Prayer ....

Here are our children's Prayer Pumpkins .....

We have become a new creation when Jesus comes into our heart.

#1 Read Matthew 23:25-28

#2 Revelations 3:20

How is the stuff we pull out of the pumpkin like sin in our hearts ?

( Both yucky, they're inside us )

How is the way we clean out our pumpkin like the way Jesus cleans us out when we confess our sins ?

( All the yucky stuff is taken away )

After you have completed the face of the pumkin read 2 Cor 5:17 and Ephesians 2:10

How have we made this pumpkin a " New Creation " ?

( It started out only a pumpkin, now it is a Jack-O-Lantern )

How do we become a new creation, when Jesus comes into our hearts ?

( We learn to Love Him more... Our light shines and we become His Children )

#5. Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

When Jesus comes into our hearts, we become new creations.

#6. Read Matthew 5:14-16, then light a candle inside the pumpkin

Turn Off Lights

Discuss how God wants our light to shine before others ?

#7. Read 2 Corinthians 4:6

In what way does the candle light come through the pumpkin like, the way God wants our light to shine ?

Sing: This Little Light Of Mine

What happens when we hide our light so that others are unable to see it ?

Bring out a regular pumpkin....

If we live good Christian lives, in Gloryifying God, His light will always shine through, no matter what !!!

The Mitten Unit Study..........

The Mitten by Jan Brett is one of our favorite stories. We are starting a study on these sweet little woodland critters who all stuff themselves in a boy's mitten, until..... ( well I can't tell you.. you'll have to read this story for yourself !!!

Join us in the fun with these FREE projects !!!!

Click Here to print these sweet coloring sheets.

Click the Hedgehog to print out all the characters masks to do your own play.

Click on the Bear to print Put the Animals in the Mitten.

Click the Owl for a sweet Animal Matching Game.

Pumpkin Toss Creation........

This is our project for our friend's Church, Trunk Or Treat Carnival..... Vince cut the holes out for the punkin bean bags to go through and I made the sign... This ought to be fun !!!!

My Antique Tea Cozy.........

Kelli from There Is No Place Like Home, hosts a Friday Show & Tell... Please stop by to see what others have to share.

My Show & Tell this week is my Antique Tea Cozy...in a wonderful Victorian Crazy Quilt Pattern, it has the most delightful stitchings from someone with quite the sewing skills.

This piece is soooo old. I am to afraid to use it.. I actually hung it on my wall , for it is truly a piece of Art work. I will be placing it in a glass shadow box when I find the perfect one for it.

I could only imagine, this may have been a Wedding gift.. I think that because of the many rings that were stitched...It is truly a remarkable piece with all sorts of colored satin fabrics. It is quite big too!!!

Since, I don't use it, my plans are to use the pattern of it and make a couple newer ones..maybe in a Crazy Quilt pattern !!!!

After boiling your water and placing it into your Tea Pot, you place your Tea Cozy over the pot while it is brewing. It helps to keep your tea warm and Cozy, for that perfect cup of Tea.

Thank You for stopping by. Have a Blessed Day !!!!

Our Church Home.... Westminster OPC

Scripture alone, Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone, All to God's Glory alone.

What is our church like?

1- Westminster belongs to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church which began in 1936 as a conservative body which left the liberal Presbyterian Church of the USA.


2- Our beliefs, practices, and vision are drawn from our theological convictions which are rooted in the Holy Scriptures and formulated in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms. Here is found historic Reformed theology which emphasizes the awesome sovereignty of God and the centrality of the covenant of grace.

3- Our manner of weekly worship, because informed by God's holiness and majesty, is intentionally "reverent". Central to our worship is the preaching of the Word and thus the Gospel of our salvation which builds us up and binds us to the Redeemer.


4- Our vision of the church, as informed by Scripture, is a colony of heaven on earth. Our lives are hidden with God in Christ constituting us a pilgrim people, resident aliens, whose true citizenship is in heaven from where we eagerly await a Savior. On Sunday, the day Christ arose, the church in its corporate assembly expresses its deepest identity as belonging to the new creation. Here she listens to her Lord's voice and enjoys communion with Him in heaven, who is the resurrection and the life.

5- Westminster has nothing new or novel to offer. We don't specialize in "helpful hints for the hurting" or "practical principles for relevant living", or "concepts for capturing the culture". Rather we are informed by an older vintage of Christianity which focuses on gathering at the footstool of a holy and sovereign God through Jesus Christ by His Word. Strangely we are finding that these older more substantive paths lead to the refreshment and refurbishing of our souls for the journey to the heavenly city.

American Girl Party..Release of Julie Albright

Miss Bri and I went to our local Book Shoppe where they were having an American Girl party to reveal the new books and dolls on a 70's character named Julie. The girls were to come dressed in one of the period fashions.

We chose Felicity.. from the Colonial Era, since that is what we are studying. I made Miss Bri a Colonial Dress just for the occasion.

here are just a couple of the girls that Bri hung out with as they are holding their American Girl Dolls.

there was a drawing for the new mini doll, Julie, and......Miss Bri's name was drawn. Yay!!!!

We have really enjoyed all the books historical fiction books that American Girl has to offer, up to now... my personal feelings on this new character is well, very dissapointed. the story is of a girl living in San fransico , her parents are divorced and she is a free spirited activist, seeking to change the world, since her world was changed so much by her parents divorce.

Is this what our young Maidens need ??? I think not. I really don't think this was a good move for American Girl to make. This is not the message I want to send out to my daughter or to the girls in this Country . So ....., there were people like that in the 70's... but not all of us think that is or was a role model... I certainly don't feel this is the proper roll model for my own daughter.

Maybe next time they will continue on the path that they were... good, wholesome roll models for EVERYONE to enjoy and learn about !!! So ,we won't purchase these Julie books for our personal library.. we will continue to enjoy the old ones. I hate hidden agendas.