Do you have joy?

It's December 3rd, and time for our 3rd installment of Songs for Advent. Today we're listening to Phil Wickham's, Joy To The World. This version premiered on Dec 13, 2021 as the official performance of "Joy To The World (Joyful Joyful) for the Live From The Chosen event. The song featured Jordan Feliz, Bryan & Katie Torwalt, Maverick City, The Bonner Family, and of course Phil Wickham.

So, why this song? Simple. It's time to experience the joy that comes at Christmas. We celebrate Christmas to remember the arrival of Jesus on earth. The angels declared His arrival saying, "“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2 10-11 ESV.

Good news of GREAT JOY. Joy. Joy in response to the news, a Savior has been born. The world has waited for this moment. The promise of Genesis 3, enmity, has come. The promise is being fulfilled. What was broken by sin is being made new. Our rebellion meeting reconciliation. Hope, led by joy, has come.
 
The Gospel in flesh. Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem, will be the one to crush the serpent and bring rescue to all the people.

Here's our question. Do you know the joy? 

This Christmas, we invite you to know the Savior born, Christ the Lord.

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A couple of years ago, one of our favorite holiday songs was by David Crowder, Thanks Giver. Released on November 18th, 2022, the song came as a reminder of God's faithfulness in the lives of His children.

2022 was a rough year. It started with Amy's diagnosis of breast cancer in January. January and February were spent trying to understand the kind of cancer it was and how best to deal with it. March through April was prepping for her coming surgery. May 2, in a 15 hour surgery, the cancer was removed and the 8 to 10 week recovery process began. But 2 weeks after the surgery, something went wrong and we were back for another multi-hour surgery. Now, more recovery.

In June, Amy's dad went into the hospital, then hospice, then passed. That was June 11th. Just days after his passing, Jay's dad went into the hospital. On July 4th, he passed. A couple of days later, Toby, our family Goldendoodle of almost 14 years suddenly passed. It was a rough summer.

2022 also marked the beginning of our kids leaving the nest. Our oldest had moved to Florida in 2019 for school. In 2022, he official became a Floridian. In January of 2022, our second born moved to New York. By February, he was married. An our third born, his job was taking him to Florida for 2 to 4 weeks every couple of weeks. 

By mid fall we were physically, emotionally, and spiritually empty. We decided to step out of ministry to allow for some time to grieve, heal, and seek God. As the holiday's approached, we started a season of transition. Our son, Logan, was the first to hear the song and sent it to Amy. At first listen, we knew this song would become something significant for us. Over the weeks that led to Thanksgiving, then Christmas, it was. And, to this day, the lyrics take us back to that season and the reminder that God gave.

The song begins with main character heading home for Thanksgiving and the anticipation of begin together with family and friends. The chorus takes us right to the truth that God is faithful and good and the One holds us in his hand. Verse two takes us into the Christmas season and the gift of Jesus and what that means for us. 

It was what we needed to hear; that in all that we were experiencing, the hard, the hurt, the grief, the fear, the God was still God and we had much to give thanks for.

I don't know what you might be experiencing this year, but as we step into the Advent season, can we encourage you with this reminder. God is still God. And He loves you. He is moving in your story. He is never far from you.

- Merry Christmas

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The tradition goes back to our early years of our marriage. Amy and I packed our first boxes as newly weds. When the kids came a long, each kid packed a box. Every year we would shop, pack our boxes, pray over each one, and take them back to our church so they could join the hundreds of thousands of boxes that would soon travel around the world.

Each year we looked forward to packing our boxes. It was part of our holiday, the kick off to the Christmas season. Before we did anything Christmas, we packed our shoeboxes. It was the first thing we did as a family. To this day, packing our shoeboxes is the first thing we do.

This year, we will again pack our boxes. Through the student ministry at our church, we will pack three boxes to start our holiday season. We'll make our way to the stores, shop for our items, pack our boxes, and send them out. 

But, this year, we want to invite you to join with us and pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Take a moment and watch the video below.

Packing a shoebox has never been easier. There is the option of packing a physical shoebox then dropping it off at a designated drop off location, or you can pack a digital shoebox at the OCC website. 

​Why is packing a shoebox so important? What this video.

The shoebox is more than just a couple of gifts. It's the gift of the Gospel. It's about Jesus, and sharing his love with the kids who need to hear that someone loves them. Each box has the possibility to change a life.

Would you join us an pack a shoebox?

We get nothing out of this. This is not a sponsored post. We have no direct affiliation with Samaritan's Purse or Operation Christmas Child. We're not posting this to gain followers. We simply believe that every child should have a chance to hear that someone loves them, and that that someone is Jesus.

Visit the Operation Christmas Child website. Learn how you can pack you box. And join the movement to bring the good news of Jesus to kids this Christmas.

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Welcome to day 2 of our Christmas in July celebration. All week long we are sharing some of our favorite posts, vlogs, and Christmas fun from over the years. Yesterday we kicked off the celebration with our 2023 living room decorating vlog. Today, we want to bring back a blog post that shares one of our most favorite Christmas traditions. 

When the kids were younger, we read a set of books that helped us  move through the Advent season towards Christmas. This series has become a treasure, having read each book with our kids. We continue to promote and share these books hoping that you and your family would come to love this Advent tradition.

Take a few minutes to read our original post from last November 2023. If the idea of these book encourages you, we would invite to you to order the series. Simply click on the book covers to over from Amazon. As you know, we are Amazon Affiliate Partners. When you purchase products that we recommend and share, using the links we provide, we receive a percentage of the purchase, at no additional cost to you. 

Now, let's get to today's post!

A number of years ago, the Higham family was introduced to an exciting Advent tradition. While serving as the youth pastor, our friends from the church asked if we had ever read a book called, Jotham's Journey, by Arnold Ytreeide. Of course we had not. But they said that this beloved story was an Advent must for their families. 

As the Christmas season approached, a family in the church shared their copy of Jotham's Journey with us. We started Advent and we began reading the first book of this 4 part series. Unfortunately, that year, our kids were still a little too young, and had a hard time finding interest in the story. The stories themselves included an intense glimpse of how life might have been during that time. There's suspense, drama, emotional moments, and cliffhangers that will keep the family on the edge of your seats. But by the next year, are kids were ready and we tried again. Success!

Advent is all about preparing for Christmas and the arrival of the Christ-child. From lighting candles to sharing in various devotions, the idea of having some kind of family Advent tradition is nothing new. But these adventurous storybooks help to reimagine the Nativity Story that helps the family prepare for Christmas morning.

Jotham's Journey was the first storybook we read as a family during Advent. Each chapter serves as a daily reading to be shared with the family. Each chapter stretches the adventure, leading both Jotham and the reader on an amazing journey. Within a couple of chapters our kids were hooked. Suspense, mystery, adventure, sword fights, good guys, bad guys, and edge-of-your-seat cliffhangers make this series an exciting must read Advent tradition. And it's been our tradition ever since.

We love these books and we want to share them with your family this Advent season!

Advent is an important part of the Christmas season. It helps to prepare our hearts for the arrival of the Christ-child. This year (2024), Advent begins on Sunday, December 1st. It would be great to think through what your Advent will look like. Daily devotions, candle lighting,  calendars, and LEGOs, there are plenty of ways to celebrate and prepare. If you would like to use the Jotham series with your family, now it the time to order your books. You can order using our Amazon affiliate links from this page. Because we are Amazon Affiliates, we earn a percentage of the sale without any additional cost to you. This percentage earned, helps to keep Life in the Higham House up and running.

If you have any questions about the series or Advent, or if you have a Advent tradition you practice with your family, we would love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below! If you are looking more Advent or Christmas ideas and fun, be sure to click on these links!

Thanks for reading!

​- jay & amy

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Merry Christmas!

Well, Merry Christmas in July!!

Welcome to a special week of blog & vlog posts, as we celebrate, Christmas in July! We have decided to set aside this week to remember one of our most favorite seasons of the year, Christmas. From the decorating to the traditions to the unwrapping; the lights, the movies, the music, and everything else that makes Christmas in the Higham House so much fun.

And it all starts today, Sunday, July 21st. Yes, we're kicking off the holiday week with a special Sunday blog post. Then, every day this week we will share one or more of our favorite things about Christmas. 

It's time to decorate! To officially kick things off, here is our 2023 Christmas Decorating in the Living Room vlog. We love decorating for Christmas. The lights, the trees, wreaths, and the Nativities, we love it all. But decorating isn't a 1-day event. No, it takes us almost a week to get everything just right. Watch the vlog and you'll notice Jay wears a couple different t-shirts, letting you know, it took us a while to get everything done in the living.

Alright, enough typing, let's get this party started! Here is our 2023 Christmas Decorating in the Living Room Vlog! Let's go!!

This week is going to be so much fun! Be sure to check back on Monday for more Christmas in July content!

And, don't forget to follow our social media this week. We will be sharing some fun
​Christmas themed content on Facebook, X.com (formally Twitter.com), Instagram, and TikTok. 

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It's crazy to think that we are here at the end of 2023. It's was a year that started out with a little excitement and a little trepidation. We were about to begin a new chapter. 2022 was a year of trials with wins and losses. And in the midst of it all, a sense that God was at work.

2022 ended with a life changing decision. After 25 years of full-time youth ministry, Jay stepped down from his role as a family ministry director. We were sensing that God was beginning to lead us in a new direction. What that direction was, we didn't fully know, but we had a lot to sort out and we needed time to do so. 2023 launched us into a year of seeking God for guidance and wisdom. We also prayed for His provision, to which He blessed us with freelance and remote work. He also began showing us a possible ministry opportunity.

2023 also brought tremendous time of family togetherness and ministry growth. Being able to work remotely offered a new flexibility that allowed us to take advantage of our time and spend it with the kids. There were plenty of day trips and weekend get-aways; kayaking, fishing, and exploring the community around us.

We had to to care for our chickens and duck, work in the garden, and tackle a few projects around the house and property. We incubated and hatched 13 duck eggs, enjoyed homegrown veggies and herbs, processed our first 2 meat birds, and gathered lots and lot of fresh eggs. We made and froze our own tomato sauce, learned how to make a few new dishes and watched as our first pumpkins came into color.

Spring led to summer, and summer led to fall as we welcomed a new furry friend into the family. The boys took Jay fly fishing for the first time and we attended a Nascar-like race. We spent a week at one of our favorite places, Pine Springs Camp, serving as volunteer directors while Breya enjoyed a week of camp.

We also spent a lot of time working with our Capernaum students. This past year, Amy has poured her heart into the ministry, and we have watched God grow the program with new friends/students, new activities, new leaders and buddies, and new supporters. As we wrapped up the 2023 year, we celebrated with almost 80 guests (friends/students, leaders, buddies, and families) at our annual Family Christmas party in December.

​As for the Higham family, in January, we welcomed a new grand-daughter, Worthy Jae. Parents, Nate and Amaris, continue to make a life for themselves as they raise Ace and Worthy, care for the home, and rescue the community from the wildlife that invade the businesses and homes around them.

Logan is doing well in Florida, working as a banker and developing some original fly's, while producing fly's for a local fly shop. We got to see him a handful of times this past year, making a certain mom's heart very happy. We're looking forward to visiting with him later in the year!

Aiden is working construction in both WV and Florida, and mastering photography in his free time. And when he's not doing either of those activities, he's spending time with Asher or his friends fishing, snowboarding, hanging out, playing video games, and loving on Rex (his new puppy).

Asher is a senior! He's killing it at school maintaining a place among the top of his class, while also working as a shift leader at our local Chick-fil-A. He is a great leader among his peers and his work-mates. He plays lacrosse, serves as a student leader with his youth group and as a buddy with Capernaum, and loves to be in a stream or creek catching native Brook Trout.

Breya started her freshman year and is doing great academically. She rocked her freshman volleyball season learn how to dominate the net. There's nothing better than getting a solid block over the net. Breya also serves as a buddy with Capernaum, babysits, and held her first summer job at our local park. 

2023 was a great year. But as we look ahead towards 2024, we are excited for what God is doing. We are planning for more ministry and growth with Capernaum, more partnerships with area student ministries, and new adventures for us as a family. There are a number of projects on the drawing board that we look forward to sharing with you in the months to come.

We're reminded of Jeremiah 29. We shared some thoughts on these verse in two blog posts towards the end of last year (Happy Thanksgiving & A Heart For Your Community). 

Jeremiah 29: 11-13 reads, " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV)

If 2023 was a year of seeking God, asking for wisdom and guidance, waiting on His 'what's next' for us, then 2024 is going to be a year for hopes and plans. God has been so good. So faithful. So dependable. And the dreams and hopes and plans that he has put on our hearts, well, we can't wait to see the fruits of them.

Our prayer for you this year, no matter where you are in life, is that you would seek God with all your heart. Know that the plans that you has for you are His plans for you. They might not be the plans that you would choose for yourself, but they are His plans for your good.

Welcome to 2024! Let's see what the year holds together.

- jay & amy
​

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We tried something new this Christmas. We've never been a Christmas dinner family. We've always seen Christmas day as an opportunity to be together as a family. The thought of someone having to go and prepare a fancy dinner, taking them away from the fun, just didn't seem fair.  So instead of Christmas dinner, we would pick a few of our favorite appetizers and set them out for everyone to sample as the day wore on. This left plenty of space to try different traditions and meal ideas.

For example there were years where Jay would meet up with the family on Christmas eve at a local restaurant. Jay would be working at the church to get ready for the Christmas Eve services; lunch made for a nice break in the middle of what would be a very long day. Then there were years where we enjoyed Chinese Food for dinner. It all just depended on the day, services times, where we lived, and Jay's role on Christmas Eve. Last Christmas, we did try a Christmas dinner on Christmas day, but it just wasn't the same as our appetizer buffet.

This year we wanted to try something different. As our kids grow, so do their palettes and food interests. We heard friends of ours talking about a brisket that they smoked and ate on Christmas. It sound delicious. The problem was, we don't own a smoker. Nor have we ever smoked meat before. In fact, we didn't know anything about smoking meat. But hey, why not give it a try.

First things first, we needed the meat. For that, we picked up a 12 lb. brisket from the meat department of our local grocer. We weren't totally sure what we were looking for, but it was a nice piece of meat for a nice price. Because of our lack of experience, we knew we didn't want to spend a ton of money on something we might ruin. We got the meat.

Second, we needed to procure a smoker. We were in no position to drop a couple hundred dollars for a new smoker, nor were we ready to make such a commitment at this point. Then I had an idea. I wondered if there might be a way to convert my gas grill into a temporary smoker. So off to YouTube I went. Sure enough, I found a number of videos that show how to convert a gas grill into a smoker with just a few simple modifications. 

Of all the videos I watch, there were two that stood out as informative and instructional. I want to share these videos here, because they were so helpful.

The first is by Jaxx Drinkwater Southern Cooking & BBQ. Jaxx does a great job walking you through the ​steps of both converting the grill and setting up your brisket.

The second video comes from Shane at Payne County Rust. I found this video incredibly helpful. Like Jaxx, Shane walks you step by step through the process. However, I found Shane's video to be easy to follow as a "beginner."

As I watched the videos, I made notes on what materials I needed. A smoker box, drip pans, wood, dry rub, mister, and flavor injector. With a list of items and ingredients, it was time to go shopping. I'll leave links to similar items I bought below. You can pick up these items through our partnership with Amazon.

For the most part, I followed the steps laid out in Shane's video. I defatted the brisket, added some injectable flavoring, and applied the dry rub. For the flavoring I found a recipe on MasterClass.com, titled, Brisket Injection Recipe: How to Inject Brisket With Marinade. It was a simple recipe, easy to make, and delicious in the brisket. The rub was from Kinders. We chose the Woodfired Garlic Rub, which was great on the brisket.

I left the brisket sit over night in the refrigerator. Then on Friday, we fired up the grill, lit the wood chips we bought and started the process of smoking our first brisket.  We followed Shane's instructions, turning, misting, and added wood chips every couple of hours. 

When the brisket reached the designated temperature, I wrapped it in foil and let it rest in the oven at 250˚ for about 3 hours. At the 3 hour mark, we shut down the heat, and allowed the brisket to rest and cool over night in the oven.  

The next day, we warmed the brisket and sliced it for dinner. For a first time brisket, it turned out pretty good, and might end up being a new Christmas Eve tradition. Take 3 minutes and watch the video of our first smoked brisket.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

​- jay & amy 

We love our church, The Church of Eleven22. This past Sunday, was the start of the Advent season, and week one of our teaching series, Unwrapping Christmas. Pastor Joby presented one of the best messages about Christmas and the gospel! It was a powerful reminder of God's love for us, His purpose and plan for sending Jesus, and what the gospel looks like.

This Advent/Christmas season, we want to encourage you to rethink your Christmas and to consider for yourself, this gift that God has given to us through His Son, Jesus. Take a few minutes and listen or watch Sunday's message, Christmas From Eternity, with Pastor Joby. We hope it helps to set your holiday season in the right direction.

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Another weekend in the Higham house and another weekend vlog! Thank you so much for taking the time to watch. We are really enjoying sharing our family with you! We hope you are enjoying the blogs just as much! We got plenty more Higham family fun coming your way! Be sure to subscribe to the vlog! And don't forget to comment, we'd love to hear from you! 

It's that time of year, packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. That's right, we're grabbing the kids and packing this years shoeboxes! Come along and join us as we begin the Christmas season with Operation Christmas Child!

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