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Day 6 Journey with the Magi (The GIFTS) & an AMAZING airport homecoming!!!!!

I know…I know–I usually only post once a day–but things are crazy exciting here!!! If you missed the “It’s a Girl Thing” update I posted earlier today…OH MY–you MUST read!!! AMAZING!

Now…our Day 6 Journey with the Magi. We read Matthew 2:11b “Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

One of my utmost favorite things to do as a mom–is making stories come to life to my children. If you are a good friend–then you have seen my story telling and the animation that goes into every story they here. You want a good story to tell your children? Well, today’s Journey with the Magi will have them listening, learning and on the edge of their seats in amazement at how detailed and purposeful our God is! I don’t know another way to explain how to tell your children this…other than exactly how I told mine…so here goes…

Now–as you know the Magi had just finished worshiping Jesus…they were on their knees—and it was time to present the gifts they carried and protected for almost a thousand miles…over desert and valley and even through times of peace and war. Finally they were here–and can you imagine how excited they were? Don’t you remember the feeling in your hearts??? When you have found the PERFECT gift…the gift you feel God Himself laid on your heart to surprise someone you couldn’t wait to see with—they thought they would RUN right up and give Jesus the gifts when they saw Him…but their hearts were overwhelmed His presense and they worshipped Him first.

Now while we know very little of where these wise men are truly from–tradition has passed down where many in the early church said they were from. And OH MY–were they long awaited for!!! Even books in the Bible said they would come!!! Psalm 72:10-11 “The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts, the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay their homage, all nations shall serve Him.” Isaiah 60:6…”Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense and proclaiming the praises of the Lord.” CRAZY that even the old testament said they would come…many, many, many years before Mary or Joseph or Jesus Himself was ever born!!! AND although we don’t know exactly where they were from tradition in the early church has said one was from Ethiopia…another possibly from Iran or Eqypt…some have said the east (China). Since the 7th century–they have been identified as Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar—and there is even a historical document written in 735 that tells us a little bit about each of them. NOW…keep in mind this isn’t written in the scriptures–but this could possibly be who they are…and we do know their gifts and what they meant…so let’s meet them!

First–meet Melchior…it is said he was a very old man with white hair and a long beard (Parker and Laney think we need to paint this one now:)(So…this is the younger Melchoir). It is said that Melchoir brought GOLD.

GOLD? Can you IMAGINE?! Oh my!!! Gold was meant for KINGS!!! Kings were the ones who had all the gold…and they were the ones that received gold as gifts in their honor. Can you imagine—I mean…really–can you IMAGINE what Mary was thinking? “MY SON??? You are giving Him gold. Gold is for kings…gold is for KINGS…it is TRUE–my son…the KING of KINGS!” He brought the gold and there he laid it at this baby’s feet. A gift for a KING…

Then…came Caspar. Caspar was said to be young and beardless and to have a ruddy complexion…(Yep–you guess it…Laney and Parker want to take away his beard now:)It is said the Caspar brought frankincense.

FRANKINCENSE??? Well…lemme tell you about this one! Frankincense comes from a tree called Boswellia…you create frankincense by slashing the tree–making it bleed resin and the resin eventually hardens which they call tears. Many priests would burn the tears–or FRANKINCENSE as an offering and it was also used for anointing by priests. SO…frankincense was something priests owned and others offered to priests as a sacrificial offering for anointing. He brought this gift that belonged to priests…and laid it at Jesus’s little tiny feet. Again…can’t you hear Mary’s wondering, “For my son??? A priest? He will be a KING and a PRIEST!?” Oh how this mom I’m sure was treasuring this all in her heart!

Then came Balthasar, black-skinned and bearded…(Laney and Parker had just about had it—they insisted we paint Balthasar…so we added a quick craft session to our devotion time tonight:)This Magi is said to be from Ethiopia…and he came last. He brought the gift of myrrh and laid it at his feet.

MYRRH??? “Oh wait,” Mary thought. “There must have been a mistake. Myrrh? For my little one? Maybe that was all this kind Magi had to give. Did he mean to give me this?” You guys know the feeling…you have gotten a gift before you just weren’t sure was really meant for YOU. But you are polite and you accept it. Mary thought more, “Why would this sweet soul bring us myrhh? This is what we use to heal wounds…to put on our loved ones when they die…to put in their bodies after death to keep them perserved a bit longer…he’s just a baby…” And I have a feeling Mary again–treasured these things in her heart.

As a family–we went back through the gifts and how they RELATED to Jesus…how they really were intended just for Him. They told ME all about how He was the King of Kings…how He was the most High Priest (after all…when he was cruicified–the curtain would be torn and no longer would the high priest have to be the one who spoke on behalf of the people to God…ANYONE could because THE High Priest had come!) And then…my little ones told me what the myrrh must have been for. BUT take heart—because HE has overcome the world and through Him we have a relationship with Him…and life eternal.

We shared the ways we had seen Jesus today–and tonight…it was UNANIMOUS! We ALL saw Jesus today in seeing TWO beautiful Ugandan children brought home to the Owens family!!!!!!!!!

We spent our day with many of the Owen’s family’s friends making WELCOME HOME Hannah and Joseph posters!!!

Laura Hill was so sweet to put this together! Can I just say I’m so happy to do life with these families?!?!?

Laura’s little girl got a little crazy with the green marker I’m afraid…she and Isaac were little stinkers today I’m afraid!

Frank even colored…

And the Levy boys displayed their work of art all ready for the airport tonight!

After we decorated sweet Joy Harty led us in a little Happy Birthday Jesus lesson and cake celebration…(Joy is another one of the 60Feet families we are blessed to know here!) She has the SWEETEST girls (coloring with Laney in those first pictures by the way!)

AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO PUT THE POSTERS TO WORK!!!! OFF TO THE ATLANTA AIRPORT TO WELCOME HOME HANNAH AND JOSEPH!!!!!

AND HERE THEY COME!!!!!

A family of FIVE becomes a family of SEVEN!

LOVE this family…and so excited for these two sweet children to now be OWENS kiddos!!!!

We made QUITE the scene at the airport and even strangers were clapping!!! Oh happy day!

Here’s Joy Harty’s hubby getting to see Joseph again! He is on the 60Feet team and helped get these children out of the boys prison into a safe home until they could be adopted and brought home! What a precious reunion!

And that my friends…is a day in our life today!!!! AND…we have another airport homecoming around the corner!!! One of my dearest friends will be bringing her son home from Uganda this weekend!!!! Melissa and I go WAY back…we lived in China together for a bit…we went to Auburn together…we were in each others weddings…and we both brought home our sons from Africa the same year!!! I can’t WAIT to be at the airport VERY soon and for you all to see his precious face…he is 2 years old and just BEAUTIFUL! So…until then…HAPPY NEW YEARS and have a GREAT weekend!

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Elle J - December 31, 2010 - 12:32 am

Beautiful photos of your special day. I noticed the mural on the airport wall in the background – even the mural looks like it is celebrating the amazing Homecoming!! YEA!

Ashley Deaton McMakin - December 31, 2010 - 8:46 am

wow- you would think I wouldn’t have to cry at just seeing the pics of the homecomings….but it is just so precious- and amazing- HE is amazing! And I know we made the connection with Melissa but I didn’t realize y’all were so close!! I think I told you but we went to Briarwood together and I’ve just recently re-connected with her on FB and been following her adoption…I so wish we lived in ATL and could be there tonight- I can’t wait to read your post on it!
Thanks for all your posts- they point me to Christ!

Alison - December 31, 2010 - 5:06 pm

WOW!!! What an amazing homecoming!! So glad they are home! Have loved following their journey!!