The Twelve Days of Christmas series Day 5 Decorations -Put on love.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS SERIES

THE CHRISTMAS SCENE: 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS  ICON.

Day 5 Decorations -Put on love.

During Advent, our local supermarket put out their magazine with recipe ideas and of course how we can spend our money at their store in preparation for Christmas. One of their articles the 12 days of Christmas disappointed me because they had used the carol' The Twelve Days of Christmas' and used it to mean the twelve days before Christmas. Not the twelve days after Christmas- Christmastide.  Obviously, there is more money to be made before Christmas than after for a supermarket.
 
In my twelve days of Christmas series, I quote from the article 'Fresh Food Kids' and then add a spiritual connection to help us remain in the season of Christmastide.  Christmas is not just a day as the shops would like us to believe.  Jesus is the reason for the season.

DAY 5: DECORATIONS AND 'PUT ON LOVE'.

ACTIVITY: TO MAKE DECORATIONS

"Preparation time= 10 minutes.  Makes about 36.

Sift 5 and half cups pure icing sugar into a large bowl and stir in 4 cups Home Brand Desiccated Coconut. Pour in a 395grams can sweetened condensed milk and I teaspoon of vanilla essence. Divide mixture in half and add a a few drops red food colouring to one portion and mix until combined Roll into balls.
To decorate, tie each with ribbon to resemble a tree decoration or wrap 6 balls in cellophane and tie with ribbon. These can be hung on the tree and given as gifts"
The article notes that you can simply add the food colouring of your choice to the mixture and knead until smooth.

 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: 'PUT ON LOVE'

Either before or after the children make their coconut ice baubles decorations, you may wish to reflect on scripture Colossians 3:12-14
'Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
And above all these put-on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony"

The verses before and after this are also applicable and could also be read.

As the children listen and discuss this scripture, they might like to learn this scripture by heart. You may also wish to link it with what they have learnt about the virtues from Day 4.  Just as there are ingredients of the coconut ice mixture which need to be kneaded, there are ingredients in growing closer to God which need to be kneaded into our lives. Just as the coconut ice needs to be rolled into balls, we too knead our spiritual ingredients as scripture tells us 'put on love'.

However, we do not make our 'spiritual coconut ice decorations' for ourselves, we tie them together and give them as decorations and presents for others to see and to give thanks to God. You might like to offer the following prayer or a spontaneous one of our own on  how we may 'put on love' during this year.

Jesus, just as coconut ice is made up of ingredients,
we need to learn to knead into our lives the spiritual ingredients.
Help us to learn how to knead these ingredients
roll them and tie them together as we 'put on love' 
so that all whom we meet may give You the glory.