Book Review: Little Star by Anthony DeStefano

We've had a gold bow at the top of our tree for, oh...how long have I been married? 11 years? So that's how long I've had that tree topper. It's pretty - the bow at the top and then long ribbons that trail down the tree. Last year I started thinking we needed something new but that's about as far as I got. This year I will be getting something new for our tree - a star. And it's all because of a sweet book I read - Little Star by Anthony DeStefano.

Everyone feels insignificant, unimportant, and incapable of achieving greatness at some point in their lives. Well, at least I know that I have...many times. Many must have thought the same thing about the Baby Jesus when he was born. Everyone was expecting a king, victor and deliverer. Instead, they got a delivery...of a tiny baby...in a stable. For all we know, Jesus may have felt all of those things growing up. Even if He knew He was meant for greatness, He may have wondered how he, a regular boy just like his friends in most ways, would ever achieve anything.

Little Star felt the same way. No one thought he was capable of accomplishing anything. He was tinier than any of the other stars. When they heard that a King was coming all of the stars began competing to shine the brightest to celebrate his birth. But when they saw the king, where he was born and who his family was, they felt they had been duped.

But Little Star does see the greatness in this baby King. And Little Star searches to find how he can serve this great person who has just come into the world. We learn that even the smallest and most insignificant of us can achieve amazing things as long as we are serving God...just like Baby Jesus did!

So this Advent, I am going to get a star for the top of my tree and as I gaze upon it, I will ask God what His plan is for me. This way, despite my inadequacy, I can achieve greatness for His kingdom.

Pick up Little Star by Anthony DeStefano today. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is adorable. My own children loved it and then I read it to my Pre-K class at school during Sun, Moon and Stars week and they loved it as well. In fact, the minute I finished reading it, they begged me to read it again! It will be a great addition to your Advent/Christmas collection!

Santa to the Rescue...What Would You Say?

We got out of the house for a little bit and went to walk around the Big Water...which is what we call Northpark Mall. Big Water is what Big Bear named it when she was a little girl because it has a fountain with water that shoots really high - almost to the ceiling. Their other favorite is the ducks and turtles - a little area in the middle of mall with...you guessed it, ducks and turtles.

Of course we had to stop in the toy store. A very upscale toy store because Big Water is a very upscale mall. Everything in this store is quite expensive. We discovered that there is a line of Dinosaur Train toys. Now you have to understand that hardly a day goes by in this household that a Dinosaur Train episode isn't viewed. I think we are up to 19 episodes on the DVR. And on a day when we discover a new episode has recorded...well...you'd think we had won the lottery from the amount of jubilation - on the kids part of course, but mine as well because it gets a little old hearing the same show over and over! Anyway, seeing their beloved characters in toy form was a big deal! To my children this was akin to the founding of the Deep Sea Scrolls or some such. And after glancing at the prices, you would have thought they were as monumental as the Deep Sea Scrolls! Like I said, it's an upscale toy store!

So let me take a minute to brag on my kids. They are amazing. Did we have a huge fit because we didn't get the toys? Did they cry, scream and throw themselves down on the ground? Nope! They just said they would add it to their Christmas list!

As we sat eating lunch and talking about this amazing and monumental new discovery and how they couldn't wait to get the toys for Christmas, I mentioned that I'd have to do some research online to find them for better prices. At this point, Big Bear asked, "Well, Santa Claus doesn't care how much they cost, does he? He'll bring them to us".

**GULP**

What do you say to that? No, not a rhetorical question - what do you say?

I didn't know what to say. But guess what I did first thing when I got home? Here's some of the cute stuff Santa will be bringing this Christmas since Amazon's prices are way better than the upscale Northpark store!

Christmas in August

My kids are watching Rudolph, as in the Red Nosed Reindeer. They've been dying to watch it since yesterday and I finally gave in when the explanation that it is still 100 degrees out side did not hold any weight with them. Weirdos!

Focusing on Life

Conflicted...obsessed...tortured

All words that describe how I feel right now. I have been struggling with the public and the personal sides of the Geis tragedy. The public reports of what the "officials" say probably happened and the private knowledge of what I feel could not be possible just do not match up. I have found myself thinking about it all of the time. It's on the forefront of my mind when I wake up in the middle of the night. The morning brings new resolve not to think about it, not to check the news every couple of hours...but of course that is what I end up doing. I see emails from the CRHP community (the retreat that we were on together) and I know that everyone is struggling with this issue.

It is definitely taking my focus away from where it should be, especially at this time of the year. It is keeping me from pondering the miracle of Jesus' birth and the selflessness of the gift of His humanity. As our pastor pointed out last Friday night while we were all still just reeling from the news, Jesus experienced all of the emotions we were feeling. As I pondered that I realized what an amazing gift this is to us at any time of our lives. Times of joy and sorrow, times of strength and times of temptation. When we're tired and when we're energized. Whatever human feelings and emotions we are dealing with - Jesus experienced them too!

I know I must turn to prayer. For now, until there are definitive answers, I am asking for the grace not to care for a lack of a better way to put it - not to care about what really happened or how it happened. I am asking for the grace to think about the Jeanmarie I knew her to be when we had our brief time together. The events of her death do not change the fact that she is gone. The events of her life did affect me and that is what is important.

Finally, whatever the conclusion is as to what happened, it will be painful. No ending to this story can be better than any other. So, I am also asking God to prepare my heart for anything that is going to come.

My God give all of us the grace to focus on life. Jeanmarie's life, her family and friends' lives, our family and friends' lives and most of all...the life of our savior who will be born on Christmas Day.

UPDATE: Incidentally, as I've been writing this, I received an email from a good friend of the Geis family. Frank, the husband, is asking that people send him memories and thoughts of Jeanmarie and the kids because he wants to remember their lives, and not their deaths. This is exactly what I'm praying for...to remember her life, not worry about her death.

Just in case....

anyone is in Christmas shopping mode like I am right now - well, I am expecting a baby on Dec. 14th - you don't expect me to put it off too long do you? These are too cute!!! Thanks Jen for posting about this jewelry...it looks like it could be a lifesaver!