Enjoy the Journey

Are You Inventive in Hospitality?

2016-09-16T08:18:00.000-04:00

     Several years ago my family came across an absolute treasure of a find - my great grandmother's journals. I never had the pleasure of knowing my great grandmother so it's been a joy to read these journals and have a glimpse into her life.
   One thing that has stood out to me while reading her journals is how different communities were back then. There's not a day that goes by that she was not visiting someone, having someone over, baking a cake for a family, going to a women's club, etc. She gave herself to hospitality. She knew what it meant to gather with others, to love on them, care about them and take the time to listen to them.
     I can't help but think that our society has really lost a lot of that. We've gotten so busy and distracted that we fail to notice the people around us. In a society that's "in touch" more than ever, we are so out of touch with each other.
     You probably know that the Bible says we are to be given to hospitality (Romans 12:13). I really like the way The Message puts it - "Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality." Be inventive in hospitality. Notice it doesn't say be perfect in hospitality. That's a good thing for me because I can get caught up in what hospitality looks like. You know, is my house clean enough? Never. Can I make the perfect meal? Uncontrollable laughter. Will I say all the right things? Nope, I still put my foot in my mouth several times a day. It's not about the perfection, it's just about gathering.
     Being inventive in hospitality means I need to be purposeful about it. I need to mark time on my calendar. I need to offer the invitation. And then, when we do gather, I need to be present. I need to listen. I need to laugh (and possibly cry) with my friends. I need to hug their necks (or give high fives if they're not physical touch people). The point for me is that I just need to do it. I don't believe people are on Facebook (or Fakebook as I like to call it) several times a day because that's their first choice. I think they're on FB so much because they're hungry for relationships, striving to connect, needing interaction.
     How can we be more inventive in hospitality? How can we gather more? Maybe meet a friend for lunch or coffee, invite a family over for dinner once a week (just don't get freaked out about everything being perfect), have friends over for a game night, invite your girlfriends to join you for a ladies night out. Whatever it takes to gather together - just gather! If you ask me, face to face beats Facebook every single time.
     What are some ways that you are inventive in hospitality? Follow my blog for ideas on ways to connect and pre-order Karen Ehman's book Listen Love Repeat for some great ideas.
   (Pic above is of one of my favorite gatherings - my family reunion held at my dad's church in MI every summer. As you can see, there are a few of us.)

Happy National Pie Day - Our Caramel Apple Pie Recipe

2015-01-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

Mmmm...pie! Are you celebrating National Pie Day today? My hubby is known for his caramel apple pie. Seriously, he gets orders several times a year for this pie. In celebration of National Pie Day, I'm sharing our recipe with you. Special Note - if you're going to make our pie, you MUST make your own pie crust! Do not buy a pie crust already made from the store. I promise you it will be worth it to make your own! :)

Pie Crust (makes 6 single pie shells):
6 c. flour
1 lb. lard
1 T. salt
2 eggs
2 T. vinegar
6 T. water
Mix together flour, lard and salt. In a separate small bowl, mix together eggs - beaten, vinegar and water. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and roll out into pie shells.

Caramel Apple Pie
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. flour
5 c. thinly sliced apples
2/3 c. white sugar
3 T. flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. lemon juice
20 caramels, halved
2 T. milk
Preheat oven to 375. To make taffy, in a small bowl combine brown sugar, melter butter or margarine and 1/3 c. flour. Mix well and set aside. Filling: place apples in a large bowl. Add white sugar, 3 T. flour, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss until all ingredients are mixed well and apples are thoroughly coated. Layer 1/2 of apples, 1/2 of caramels, 1/2 of taffy mix, repeat. Place top pastry over filling and seal well (this is very important - if edges are not sealed caramel will leak out all over). Cut steam vents and brush top crust with milk or light cream. Cover with foil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil, bake another 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

I Dare Ya

2015-01-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

I triple dog dare ya! We all know that line from A Christmas Story, right? You know, right before the boy puts his tongue on the flagpole and gets stuck! Some dares are like that - just to get you to do something crazy. But then there are dares that people give because they've done something that's made a huge difference in their life and they want you to experience the same thing- this dare is THAT kind of dare.

I am currently reading a book by Ann Voskamp entitled One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. If you haven't already read this book, oh, how I wish you would! This may surprise some of you, but I am not always a happy, bubbly, positive person. (SHOCK) I find myself grumbling and complaining more times than I care to admit. Can anyone else relate to that? And a lot of times it's not over substantial, awful, dreadful things - it's just the in and out, everyday happenings of life. How can I change this? How do I stop being so critical and negative?

Did you know we can change from being pessimists to optimists? We can! It's all about focus, all about what we notice, what we choose to say, what we choose to focus on. Ann talks about this in her book - how we're surrounded every day with these wonderful gifts, and yet we fail to see them, to notice them, to name them, to thank God for them. We have to renew our mind - how does that happen? It's a daily practice - the renewING of our mind - notice the ING. That means it's still happening, it's a journey, it's something we have to work on - on purpose! That's where my dare comes in. Ann's friend dared her to write a list - not a list of things to do, not a list of things to change, but a list of God's gifts - of the little things that God gives her every day. One thousand gifts. I'm taking that dare! I've started my list, and does it surprise you that I'm smiling more, that I'm noticing more of the "little" things that God gives me, that I'm a more positive person? I haven't arrived, but I'm renewING my mind. As I write items on my list, I'm renewING and it's becoming easier to notice and be thankful for the little things.

Sweet sister (and brother) loved by God, I would love to have you join me! I triple dog dare ya to get a notebook and start listing:

1. Extra hugs from my precious son this morning
2. The sun shining in our breakfast nook and warming my back as I write this
3. Spiced cider - mmm.......

Don't Let Your Memories Remain Jpegs!

2014-03-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

Happy March! Spring is on the way - woo-hoo! I think everyone is ready for it this year - what a winter we've had! It's 25 degrees and we are under a winter weather advisory here in NC as I'm typing this. I have to chuckle at my southern friends who have complained that they're so sick of the snow and the cold. I know most of my northern friends would trade places with them in a heartbeat!:)

A new month means new place-mats on the table at our house. I have different place-mats for almost every month of the year. No, don't be impressed. The reason I do this is because it gives my children a chance to see some pictures throughout the years (because I am CRAZY behind on my photo albums - can anyone relate). I do know the many advantages of having printed pictures of my children and our family memories (example - did you know that it can increase a child's self esteem), but I just never seem to have enough time. So, monthly placemats was a quick and easy solution.

I created these with my Heritage Makers business, but you could create them on construction paper too. March is my oldest sons birthday month, so we have a place-mat for every birthday with pictures from that birthday. 3 birds with one stone - a way to make his birthday month special, printing out some precious photos so we can enjoy those memories AND placemats for dinner! Remember, don't get caught up in perfectionism - make some placemats with photos of your memories from March for the last 10 years, laminate them and ENJOY! Bonus - once you're done and they're laminated you already have placemats for that month next year - just make sure you make new ones for the new birthdays. Which reminds me, I need to go make placemats for Jordan's 12th and 13th birthday. :) Hope this helps you CELEBRATE the memories with your kiddos. Remember to ENJOY the journey!

March - Lucky Pennies

2014-03-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

Here's a fun idea for you to do with your kiddos for the month of March.

Get several rolls of pennies and hide them all around the house (the individual pennies, not the whole roll). ;)

Every time somebody in your family finds a penny, they have to share something they're thankful for and then put the penny in the penny jar (just a mason jar or any other jar that you've created for this purpose). You also could have a notebook set out by the penny jar (doesn't have to be fancy, just a spiral notebook will do - remember, perfection is not required for great memories) and have your kiddos write what they're thankful for in the notebook as well. At the end of the month you will have a huge list of things your family members are thankful for (mom and dad should participate too). Keep the journal out and write in it throughout the year, or bring it out every March and repeat this activity every March.You can figure out what you want to do with all the pennies in the jar at the end of the month - maybe use them to help pay for a special family activity, or give them to somebody who needs them more than you do (church offering, shelter, homeless, etc.)

NOTE - You may want to hide pennies throughout the month, a few a day, so you're not done with this activity in one day! ;)

What I love about this - I am constantly trying to teach my kids (and myself) to be a little more appreciative. Talking about what we're thankful for is a great way to do that. I also love the idea of having a family thankfulness journal that I can refer back to in years to come - it will show my child's interests at different ages and will also remind me of some tough times that God has brought us through. ALSO - as a result of this activity, when my boys find pennies on the ground while we're out and about, they will no longer be "lucky" pennies, they will be thankful pennies!

Flashlight Stories

2014-02-21T10:54:00.001-05:00

What is it about kids and their LOVE of flashlights? You can take a normal activity that you do with your kiddos, add a flashlight to the mix, and BAM, it's an automatic hit!

Case in point - I like to read bedtime stories to my nieces and nephews when they're over for the night. My sister and her family came to visit us and stayed for about a week. During their visit, I had the idea to turn all the lights off and use a flashlight while reading a bedtime story to my niece. This was an automatic hit and I was asked to read a "flashlight story" every night she was here. How easy is this?

Whatever your bedtime routine is - maybe you sing a special song with your kiddos (I know my sis-in-law, Stacy, has a special song for each of her 5 children that she sings to them every night), maybe you read a book together, maybe you pray together. It doesn't matter what it is, just try it with a flashlight this weekend and let me know what the kiddos think. I bet they'll love it! Remember, it's the LITTLE things that make a BIG difference! Oh, and we don't make any $ for recommending this, but one of our FAVORITE bedtime stories is Nighttime is Just Daytime With Your Eyes Closed by Mark Lowry.

I have a NEW flashlight story idea that I'm going to try out during my next family visit - more on that tomorrow!

Peculiar Jewel

2014-02-14T10:57:00.001-05:00

I've had this post swirling around in my head for a bit and was waiting for the right time to sit down and write/post it. What better day than Valentine's Day!

Let's start with a confession - I have journal envy. That's right. I am so jealous of those of you who take the time every day or once a week to write something sweet in your child's journal. I've had that desire for my children since before I even had children. I remember sitting in the living room of my parent's house with my mom and her friend, Amy. Amy was talking about how she'd kept a journal for her 2 boys since they were tiny. She'd write the funny things they said or did, things that made her proud, thoughts she had - whatever. What an absolute treasure, right? I remember thinking, "That is SO awesome!" I wish I had a journal like that from my parents (who are the parents of 9 children mind you, HA!). At that time I knew, I am going to steal that idea and have journals for my children.

So...umm...my boys are now 13 (almost 14) and 11. I DO have journals for them. I mean, I have the physical book you can hold in your hands. I DO have a few posts in them. Most posts are in January of each year since their birth and pretty much say the same thing. "This year I have decided to make it a point to write in your journal at least once a week." They may have a couple posts in there from February, March is highly unlikely, and hey - we have pictures to prove what they did in the summer so I really don't need to journal all of that. Pause - shout out to all of my fellow sanguine personalities!!! We love to jump into things with both feet. We're excited about it. We have great intentions. We do it for a bit, and then we get bored with it, right? Yep, story of my life. So, sadly, my boys don't really have great journals that I will be able to give them when they're 18.

Side note (I'm also a little A.D.D. so just smile and jump with me here) - there are a couple GREAT apps I know of that can help with journaling. There's an app called Posterity (pictured below) - you can create a "book" in their app for each kid and every time your kid says something funny you just type in their quote and it will save it for you, and even date it for you. What a GREAT idea! Also, there's a program that my friend, Angela, shared with me that helps with journaling (Penzu). You can type your journal right online AND you can even set it up to have the program send you email reminders to write in your journal. You'd think those things would help me. Sadly...no.

Ok, so here's where I'm going with all of this. I was reading a few weeks ago and came across this verse. Hebrews 6:10 - "For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name's sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do." So, this gets me to thinking - God does not forget the things we do. Why is that? Well, He must be keeping a journal about us. He must be writing down the things we do that make Him laugh, what we do that makes Him proud, the unique things about us that He absolutely loves. Of course, the verse didn't say anything about a journal. But wait - there's more!

Around this same time my sister, Dawn, posted a passage on her Facebook page. Here's the passage - Malachi 3:16-17 - "Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worship-fully feared the Lord and who thought on His name. And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him." Ahhh - He DOES write a journal about us. I don't have to be jealous because some of you have journals from your parents. God's got one on me! What?!? Beat that! Not only does He have a journal about me, did you get what He calls me? I'm not just Shari. I'm His jewel! His special possession! His peculiar treasure! :) You know what's great? Jordan and Justin are His special possession and His peculiar treasure too. He's got a journal on them (so why am I worried about it)! Seriously, how cool is that?

THIS Valentine's Day, I pray that you will know HIS amazing love for you! His thoughts about you! His adoration of you! YOU are His precious jewel! Live like it, speak like it, believe it!!! He's put some people in your life that can demonstrate His love to you, but they are not the answer -HE is! They will fail you, He will not! They will not fill every single void inside of you, HE will! Happy Valentine's Day - don't forget to make it the best Valentine's Day ever by spending some quality time with your TRUE Valentine!

I Love You Because...

2014-02-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Valentine traditions that we do with the kids is our Valentine placemats. I made ours with Heritage Makers, but you could really just let the kids decorate some pieces of construction paper (lighter colors would work the best so you can see the writing), laminate them, and do the same thing. I change out our placemats the first of every month - so for the whole month of February these are on the table along with a dry erase marker so we can write different things we love about each family member. Even my teenage son looks forward to reading the things that are written that we love about him. I like it because there are so many things I love about my boys, but I know I'm not the best about telling them all the time. This makes me be intentional about filling up their love tank! :)

2014's 100 Most Beautiful Women - How to Get Your Name on the List

2014-02-08T10:37:00.001-05:00

Do you guys ever find yourselves in the comparison trap? We can compare ourselves to others in so many ways, but as women I think one of the biggest comparison traps we fall into is with our outward appearance.

I took some time to look at the magazine covers from January of this year. Here are some of the article titles - I Lost 172 Pounds, Wrinkle Fighting Snacks, Magic Meals for a Speedy Metabolism, The 5 Day Slimdown, Hot Looks Under $50, 5 Cellulite Fixes That Actually Work, Get To Your Best Weight Ever, 5 Super Skin Fixes From Your Fridge...and the list goes on and on. You're probably familiar with the list of the most beautiful men and women that comes out every year. These messages are all around us, yelling at us, begging for us to pay attention, and I know I'm not the only one who can get caught up in all the hype.

Here's a question - who gets to pick the 100 most beautiful people? And if they really ARE the 100 most beautiful people, why aren't some people on the list that I KNOW should be? I have 5 sisters and 5 sister-in-laws that I am 100% sure should be on that list, yet I don't see their names anywhere. I have an amazing mother and mother-in-law - I don't see their names anywhere? What is the criteria used when these people are trying to decide who should be on this list?

Oh friends, we can get so busy thinking about and putting our time and attention into the wrong things, can't we? I'm sorry, but somebody who has the time and money to botox their face 4 times a year isn't going to make my list. Somebody who's a size 0 doesn't necessarily make the cut. If I'm defining beauty the way God defines beauty, you know who should be on that top 100 list? How about a mom with dark bags under her eyes - she's up all day taking care of her kiddos, and up almost all night cuddling, feeding, loving on and trying to calm a fussy infant? How about a woman who drops in bed completely exhausted at the end of the day because she now finds herself not only taking care of her household, but also taking care of aging parents who truly need her help every day? How about a woman whose husband cheated on her, who went through an awful divorce, but is still using her voice and her life to praise God? How about a woman who walked through the dark valley of losing one of her own precious children, but still has the strength to make sure others know that God is her rock? How about the woman that was sexually abused as a child, but now has the strength, through Christ, to forgive her abuser? How about the woman - the single mom, who works her butt off all day so she can provide for her kids, comes home exhausted, and still makes dinner and plays games with her children because she knows quality time is important? How about the woman who kisses her husband goodbye and willingly takes on the role of a single parent for 9 months or longer while that husband goes overseas to fight for our freedom? How about the woman that ___________ (your story here)? We all have heard the phrase - man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart, right? Haven't we? Do we believe it?

Beloved, God looks at your HEART - that is the true measure of your beauty! Oh, that you would embrace that and believe it! Proverbs 31:30 speaks to this - "Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain (because it is not lasting), but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!" Who shall be praised? A woman who fears the Lord! So, if that is true (and if you believe the Bible, you know that it is), can I ask you something? Are you spending as much time beautifying your heart as you do your face and body? How much time do you devote to working out? How much time does it take you to get ready in the morning? How much time have you spent with God today? Yes, it's convicting - it slapped me across the face! We all need to be working on actively beautifying our HEART! When we do, we will be on God's list of most beautiful women (and I'll take that over a magazine cover ANY day)!

I Like Warm Hugs

2014-02-07T08:08:00.001-05:00

I absolutely LOVE Disney's movie - Frozen. I love the characters, love the story, love the music and especially love Olaf! I was THRILLED when I found this free Valentine printable from The Idea Room! Isn't it absolutely adorable? I'll be making some of these to hand out and might even keep one for myself! :)Thank you Amy!

A Picture of Grace

2014-02-05T19:36:00.001-05:00

Amazing grace - do we truly grasp how amazing? I've chosen the topic of grace to dig into and learn more about over the last couple of months. I've learned so much and have been awakened to what God's grace really is about. Now, isn't it just like God to show me a perfect picture of His grace while I'm studying and trying to learn more about it?

As a family, we use Heritage Builders for family night ideas. During one of our family nights, we talked about some not so good things that had happened that week (fighting with brother, bad attitude, chores not done, etc). Eric and I made a list of these things and we assigned a payment/consequence with each one - no technology, rake the back yard, clean out the garage, etc. We talked about all of this with the boys and let them know what their payment was for each item. You can imagine the reactions from the boys and how fun that part of the family night was for them (NOT). They were so upset as they thought about what their weekend was going to look like. After going through all of their consequences with them, Eric said - "you know what, because I love both of you so much I'm going to take care of every payment on this list." Of course, this was to lead up to talking about how Jesus paid the price for every sin that we have committed or will commit. That's a great picture, right? Something that the boys will remember probably for life, but that's not the part that really stood out to me. Eric went through each item one by one and said - "Jordan, I will clean the garage for you this weekend. Justin, I will take your grounding from technology for the weekend," and on and on down the list. Here's where it gets good - every time Eric said a consequence that he was going to do for the boys, they immediately offered their help. Eric would say - "Jordan, I'll rake the leaves for you," and immediately Jordan said, "I'll help you!" Eric said - "Justin, I'll clean the garage for you," and Justin immediately said, "I'll do it with you!"

This may not seem like much to you, but this reaction brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but think of people who are somewhat fearful to preach/teach about God's grace, because won't people take advantage of it? Won't people keep doing things they shouldn't do because they know it's been taken care of? Here's the deal - knowing how much God has covered for you doesn't make you want to take advantage of that. The boys response to Eric taking their payment for them was to turn around and help, to do what they could for their father. Their reaction was an overflow of the gratefulness in their heart for all that their father was doing for them. This should be the same with us. God has covered our sins and that is GREAT, He's poured out His grace on us and once we truly start to grasp the concept of His grace, our natural reaction is to want to live our lives for Him, to be devoted completely to Him, to do whatever He tells us to do. An understanding of God's grace only deepens our relationship with our Father and creates within us a desire to live in a way that is constantly showing our gratitude to Him.

I smile because God was a part of our family night that night, and He was whispering to me - "Shari, this is what grace looks like. This is what a heart that understands grace looks like." I've said it before and I'll say it again - I just LOVE God winks - those times when you know that God allowed something to happen JUST FOR YOU!" Amazing grace - I pray that as you continue to grow in your relationship with God you will truly understand why His grace is so amazing!

You've Got Mail

2014-01-07T07:22:00.000-05:00

Do your kids LOVE getting mail? My boys get so excited when they have mail! Create a family mailbox - this could be one box with the correct amount of slots for each member of the family or individual boxes for each family member. Find a place to put your family mailboxes and USE them! Write letters to your children, your husband and don't forget you'll have a mailbox yourself - those letters from your children will be priceless! You can take the letters and make a scrapbook out of them so you have them to look at again and again! Your kids will LOVE looking at these when they're older and seeing what they wrote! Have fun with this and let your kids decorate their mailbox however they want to!

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The Math of Heaven

2014-01-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

I've been reading in Joni Eareckson Tada's book A Lifetime of Wisdom. Yesterday I came across a part that really stood out to me regarding time. I'd love to share part of that with you.

"Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8

We all know the old adage that God looks at the last two thousand years as only a couple of days gone by. But what about the other half of that verse? The part about seeing each day as a thousand years?
What kind of math is that?

It's the math of the One who lives outside of time, is not bound by time, and can step in and out of time whenever He pleases to accomplish His purposes. If we really come to grips with the fact that God can pick up any twenty-four-hour day He chooses and give it an eternal impact of a thousand years, then each day of our lives becomes immeasurably important - and brimming with opportunity. Each day God gives us precious hours to invest in the lives of others - investments which will have eternal repercussions in our lives AND theirs.

But let's carry the math out just a bit further. If twenty-four hours can have the impact of a thousand years, then what kind of impact could a single hour have?

I figure about forty-one and a half years.

And then what about a single minute?

Maybe something like eight and a half months.

So, as I'm reading this I'm thinking - WOW! Wouldn't we all live different if we could keep in mind that every MINUTE can have the impact of 8 and 1/2 months in eternity!!! No wonder why Satan is trying to distract us each and every minute - he knows the value of those minutes!!! I'm challenging myself and all of you - recapture those minutes! Keep in mind the value of that time that's passing by! Remember how much it's worth and what an impact it can have for eternity! To quote my friend Cindy Rushton - "Satan will use either destruction or distraction!" How about we don't let him use either!!!

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What Are You Living For?

2014-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have you guys ever heard a quote that just stood out to you and made you ponder for a bit? Last night I was flipping through the channels trying to prove to myself that there IS a reason that we pay for cable, when I stopped on the INSP network. They were in the middle of a worship service and in between songs the worship leader said something that totally jumped out to me! I'm going to print it and post it around the house. I'd give the guy credit, but I have no idea who he was.

"Is what you're living for worth Christ dying for?"

I'll leave you to think about it.

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Family of the Month

2014-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a great idea to reach out to your family members and make sure they know how much you love them. Choose a different family member every month (or every week, bi-weekly, however often you want to do it) and write a letter to them, have your kids write a letter or draw a picture for them and print some recent pictures of your family. Mail all of these to the chosen family - just to let them know you love them and are thinking of them. Everyone LOVES getting mail - especially when there's several hand written notes and pictures inside!

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Christian Commitment

2014-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Our pastor shared this in a sermon a few years ago. I had printed it and posted it in our house, but we have since moved and I truly forgot all about it. I came across it while cleaning out some folders on the computer and it's too good not to share with all of you. I think I'm going to make it into a canvas and hang it.

Christian Commitment
I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past has been redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.

I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on his presence, work by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear.

I cannot be bought, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the face of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until i have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go 'til he comes, give 'til I drop, preach 'til all know, and work 'til he stops me.

And when he comes for his own, he will have no problem recognizing me - my banner will be clear.

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Christmas Cards

2013-12-24T13:10:00.000-05:00

We've received SO MANY wonderful Christmas cards from family and friends this year! Thank you to all of you who took the time to send them! What does your family do with all those Christmas cards once Christmas is over? We put ours in a basket and set the basket on our Dining Room table. Each night when we have dinner, we pull a card from the basket and we pray for that family. One of the greatest gifts that we can give the ones we love is our prayer for them!

Also, you can use the front of the Christmas cards as postcards. Just rip the picture off the card, write your own note on the back side of the picture and sent it as a thank you note. Obviously, you don't want to do this if the picture is actually of a family and not just a pretty Christmas scene! LOL! Eric's mom used them as tags for her Christmas gifts - that's a great idea too!

Christmas Lights

2013-12-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

One of our family's favorite traditions is going to look at the Christmas lights. We set aside a night each week in December to go and look at lights. When we go, we take boxes of chocolates with us. We give the first box to the first house we see that has a nativity. We take the box to them and thank them for helping us remember the real meaning of Christmas. Then we give the 2nd box to the house thatwe think has the best light display and thank them for helping to brighten the Christmas season. This has been so fun and we get the best reactions from the people who receive the chocolates.

Happy Birthday Jesus

2013-12-20T13:11:00.000-05:00

This idea is SO simple to include in your already established traditions, but in talking to several people I've found that a lot of people don't do this. Make a birthday cake for Jesus. Include that somewhere in your Christmas day traditions. Have the family sing Happy Birthday and everyone can enjoy a piece of cake for Jesus' birthday.

Favor With Man

2013-12-16T13:12:00.000-05:00

I told you yesterday that our family picks a "favor with man" project every year. I had a friend tell me about this idea that she saw posted in an online community that she's part of and this is what we'll be doing this year. We're going to purchase some backpacks and fill them with scarves, gloves, blankets, toiletries and gift cards for fast food places. Once we fill the backpacks with these items they will be dropped off at a local shelter to help the homeless in our area. I also will be purchasing some fast food gift cards so that when we see somebody holding a sign for food we can give them a gift card and know that they'll have a meal. Isn't that a great idea? What are some things your family is doing to help your community?

Christmas Gifts

2013-12-14T13:12:00.000-05:00

It's very hard to teach your children that Christmas isn't about the presents when they awaken Christmas morning to a tree that's hidden by piles and piles of wrapped packages. This is hard as parents, because we WANT to give our children gifts, it's FUN to give them every little thing their hearts desires. How much does that take away from the real meaning of Christmas? Think about what Christmas day is like at your house - how much of your day is actually spent focusing on Jesus?

A good friend of mine gives her children 3 gifts each because the Wise Men gave 3 gifts to Jesus. I think this is a great idea.

At our house, we give our gifts based on Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man." We give a gift for wisdom (something educational), a gift for stature (usually something physical - a new football or something), favor with God (a devotional book, Christian CD, something along those lines), and favor with man (we decide as a family what we're going to do to help other people - sponsor a child, collect canned goods, save our change, etc.). Be watching for tomorrow's post which has our "favor with man" project for this year.

Be looking for ways in your house to minimize the gifts and maximize Jesus birthday!

Birthday Card for Jesus

2013-12-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

Something we've started within the past couple of years at our house is making a birthday card for Jesus. The boys decorate a card and write "Happy Birthday Jesus" on it and sign their name. Then we attach the card to a balloon and let it go up to heaven. Mylar balloons do not work for this, just get the regular balloons and make sure you have several just incase the kids go crazy with the glue and glitter (you may have to attach their card to more then one balloon)! :)

Peace

2013-12-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

I read this today and wanted to share it with all of you.

Let There Be Peace!, by Tom Norvell

The shepherds received word of the birth of Jesus with these words: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:13-14 NIV).

Peace on earth. How's that working at your house?

Christmas is just a few days away. Is there peace in your world? You've been working for days trying to get all the decorations up. You're almost finished. Then, you remember that you're supposed to bake cookies for your children's class parties. So, the decorations will wait a little longer while you run to the store, buy the ingredients, come home, bake the cookies and somehow manage to get the laundry done before you and your husband leave for his office party. You come home exhausted from the day; but before you go to bed, you have to make sure the children have their Sunday best clean and pressed and ready for church tomorrow morning.

The alarm goes off much sooner than you prefer, but out of bed you jump. And within in minutes you have the kitchen in full gear as you prepare lunch for your church holiday potluck luncheon. As soon as the luncheon is over, you stop by a couple of stores to grab a gift for Uncle Fred and another for Aunt Lucille. Then, you rush home so you can prepare snack foods for the small group meeting in your home. The group finally leaves and after the kids are tucked into their beds, you head back downstairs to spend a few minutes with your husband who is frantically trying put the finishing touches on a presentation he has to be ready for by 9:00 in the morning. "I'll be up for a while," he says, as you head toward the kitchen to clean up the dishes that were left from breakfast. That's when you see the box of decorations waiting to be unwrapped, dusted and put on display. You do about half the box and get a call from the mother of one of your children's classmates saying they have a family emergency and asks if you can fill in as a chaperon for the party. "Sure. I'd be glad to," you say as you finish loading the dishwasher.

Peace on earth.

Your boss just walked in your office, closed the door, and sat down across from you. The plant's cutting back. We have to let thirty employees go. Your job is safe, but he tells you that you are the best person to inform those thirty faithful employees, that this week's paycheck will be their last. It's the week before Christmas.

Peace on earth.

You had gone to the doctor for a regular check up last week and everything seemed to go fine. At least that's what you thought. Then, you get a call from the doctor saying he needs to see you in his office as soon as possible to "talk about something he saw on one of the scans."

Peace on earth.

Is there a chance the angels were misinformed? Surely they meant to say, "Chaos on earth and good luck to all men."

Peace on earth. A Savior is born.

No, they had it right. It was God's desire when His son came to be "with us" that peace would reign on earth and in our hearts. It wasn't a miscommunication or wishful thinking. It was an announcement of what can happen when we receive the Messiah. Peace on earth. It doesn't mean there won't be chaos in your world. Sure, you can probably slow your pace, cut out a few things, stay at home more, miss a party, bake a few less cookies, make some adjustments in how your job manages you, and find a way to reduce your level of stress. But, face it: life is a full-time job. It's hard to say, "No." Not impossible, but hard.

However, even though your life during these last few hectic days before Christmas is full and overflowing with activity, peace on earth is possible. It starts with taking a few minutes to listen to the earlier part of the announcement: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10,11). That's the key.

Peace on earth. A Savior is born.

A Savior is born. Peace on earth.

The Savior is with us. Let there be peace

Decorations

2013-12-10T12:38:00.000-05:00

It was always a fun time of year growing up when mom started getting out her Christmas decorations. I still remember the 2 cloth elves we used to sit or hang from the scroll work on the lamps. Your Christmas decorations are an easy way to make sure that you're acknowledging Christ in Christmas. I'm making it a goal to have a nativity in every single room in our house - including the bathrooms. When talking about decorating with nativities I realized we only have one in our house, so I'll be shopping those after Christmas sales to add some more nativities to our house. I have a friend who has a nativity in their living room. They set it up, but they don't put baby Jesus in it. The kids put baby Jesus in another room and every day as they count down the days until Christmas they move him closer and closer to the nativity. Then, on Christmas morning, He's placed in the nativity.

Angela, another one of my friends, decorates her Christmas tree with nothing but ornaments with a message. What an incredible idea! So, every ornament on her tree points to the real meaning of Christmas. This year she found an ornament that says "Christmas was never about the gifts, it was always about the Presence." Isn't that awesome?

Look around at your decorations. Are they reflecting what Christmas REALLY is about in your house? Are you decorating with Santa or the REAL meaning of Christmas? That's an easy fix, and again, your children will be surrounded by the real meaning of Christmas!

Sending Christmas Cards

2013-12-09T12:40:00.000-05:00

What a great tradition sending Christmas cards is! Especially in today's society when everything is either texted or e-mailed. An EASY way to keep Christ in Christmas is to choose a Christmas card that reflects Christ's birth for Christmas. I know there are SO MANY cute cards out there with little furry puppies or little babies wearing Christmas hats, but they don't really say anything about what you believe. Take this opportunity to remind your family and friends about our Savior! Also, let the kids send cards to their friends and family - they will get a kick out of doing this and you can also remind them to pick a card that has to do with the REAL meaning of Christmas - another teaching moment!