A True Good Beautiful Life

This Week's Special Guest is . . .

Esther Anderson

I've never understood how people condense the whole story of their life into one little paragraph. So here goes failing at that. You'll get 2 paragraphs from me and you're gonna be okay with it.

That one didn't count cause it was just the intro. So I grew up in the jungle...and I loved every bit of it. My dad was doing Bible translation work in a tiny village hidden in the middle of Papua New Guinea. So that explains a lot of the adventurous side of me; if you know me, you know that was a huge part of who I am today. It also helps that I grew up in a family with 5 brothers and noooo sisters. My husband still claims that he's the one who rescued me from my tomboy self (I will still climb trees, don't doubt that). I loved art at a young age and when I graduated high school I went to Oklahoma Baptist University where I got my degree in Art Education. I also met my husband Thad in Oklahoma and BAM....

...that leads to paragraph 2. My gypsy life began! After working as an art teacher in the Cayman Islands for a year, we were married and I joined the construction wife ranks. We've been married 7 years and I've literally lost count of the number of times we've moved in that time. I think it's somewhere around 21? We've been in just about every major city in Florida, visited Tennessee and North Carolina, gallivanted our way around cowboy country, had a baby, then found our way back to Florida. Though all those moves got tiring, the friendships we made did not!

Finally we said goodbye to the traveling life, and headed north (I know what you're thinking... whyyyyyy) to my childhood home, Rochester NY, where we bought a house for the first time and are slowly learning what a "normal" settled life is like. Except it's not *super* settled since we also just popped out another baby (her name's Tessa)...

And THUS, the story of this life (This is the conclusion so it doesn't count toward my paragraphs either). My Maker is the reason I have a story at all and He will always be the ultimate Author of it. I only hope the words on the page of this story make Him smile.

Find her at www.storyofthislife.com

On This Week's Episode

Show Notes

Merry Christmas!

Advent season is here! Today on the podcast I am so excited to talk with Esther Anderson of the famous parenting channel, Story of This Life! With a nice little mix of the True, Good, and Beautiful, we will be talking about the history of Christmas and Advent, some famous traditions surrounding Advent, and an example of a beautiful product that Esther and her team have created to help celebrate the first coming of Jesus that first Christmas day. The last part of the show I’m going to share with you a fun activity that I love to do as I prepare for the Christmas season – making wreaths with some of my friends.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, snag a gingerbread cookie if you have already started baking some (like me!), and cozy up and dream of sugar plums as we delve into a bit of Christmas charm.

Some of my favorite resources:

The Rescuer Nativity Set by Story of This Life
Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas by Ace Collins
Hallelujah by Cindy Rollins
Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons
Slow + Sacred Advent by Jennifer Naraki

Commonplace Quotes

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. - The Bible, Luke 2:8-14, KJV

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . . . 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you . . . -Isaiah 43: 1b-4a

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

Application

Celebrate Advent by going through biblical or inspirational readings, or follow a specially created book like Slow + Sacred Advent or Cindy Rollin's Hallelujah , or use a fun calendar, like Esther's from Story of This Life. Dwell on the incarnation of Jesus and why He came that Holy Night.
Memorize the passage in Luke that tells of the birth of Jesus - Luke 2:8-14.
Plan a wreath-making party with your friends or students. Either provide all the materials or even better, have all the participants provide various supplies that you can all share. Create early in December so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all season long.