Stretch Marks

Yesterday we all went to see The Princess and the Frog, courtesy of Mia. She won six tickets from a contest at the library, so all five of us, plus the two Tylers went (we paid for Jesse's godson Tyler). The movie was fantastic, Disney is definitely back up to the quality of The Lion King and Little Mermaid. Doogie didn't think that the songs were that catchy, but Jesse and I were both impressed with how the composer, Randy Newman, captured the many different musical styles of New Orleans: jazz, blues, zydeco (my favorite), and gospel. The message of the movie was excellent: what you want isn't necessarily what you need. We will be picking this one up as soon as it comes out on DVD.

Mia is going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakel today with my little brother Jake, because it's his birthday. She's been so excited about seeing it, yesterday she spent part of her Christmas money on buying Britney, the Chipette, from Build-a-Bear! I fully expect her to come home singing all of the songs and quoting lines that made her laugh.

I'm stuck in bed today. I don't know what I did yesterday, but during the movie, my neck hurt so badly that I couldn't turn my head to the right at all and to the left just a little. Jesse bought me a heat wrap that I wore on it overnight, but I still woke up several times in excruciating pain. This morning I can't move my neck at all, which made driving Molly to work interesting (try trusting a six-year-old to tell you if the intersection is clear so you can drive through! Luckily, Mia is very safety minded, so if she could see a vehicle anywhere, she wouldn't let me turn).

Stretch Marks by Kimberly Stuart is a humorous look at the way pregnancy changes and stretches a woman. Mia is very happy with her life, for the most part. While her job as a social worker doesn't always fulfill her need to change the world, she pays close attention to her carbon-footprint, eats organic, does yoga, and has a live-in boyfriend, Lars. Everything changes when her unexplained nausea and fatigue turns out to be a pregnancy and Lars leaves in the night. While Mia tries to make a new life for herself and the baby-to-be, her mother, Babs shows up to help. Babs is Mia's antithesis with her frosted hair, artificially enhanced features, and love for meat, leather, and plastics. Mia will be stretched to her limit making peace with Babs, her new body, and just maybe the cute guy at the grocery store. Several reviews are slamming Stuart for keeping the faith bubbling below the surface without the overt mentions that most Christian fiction has in spades, but I think that this makes Stretch Marks far more marketable to the secular reader. Stuart portrays Babs' faith and church realistically and gently sands down Mia's agnostic edges without ever alienating the reader. The novel is funny and moving and full of spot-on mother/daughter angst. Mia is a delightful character who will shatter readers' preconceived notions of tofu-eating/free trade buying/climate change activist.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book for review!

Today's picture is my favorite from Christmas. My little girl is just radiant!

Fields of Grace

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was great, and we still have one more celebration tonight at my dad's house. We spent Christmas Eve at my in-laws house with Jesse's brother Eric's family. There were some unintentionally hilarious moments in the evening. They had asked me for gift ideas for Mia, and because we had gotten her a DSi, i suggested games for it, forgetting that she wouldn't be getting the actual system until Christmas Day.

So when she opened the first game, I said loudly that she could play it on Doogie's DS, and she was happy with that. When she opened the second one that came with a case for the DSi and some styluses, we all exchanged knowing looks as Doogie good-naturedly said that of course she could store his DS in the pink case. Then Mia proceeded to pretend that the case was a real DS, never once mentioning how much she really wanted a real one.

On Christmas morning, before she opened another game, I directed her to a certain package, and you can see from the picture how thrilled she was to finally get her own DSi! It's a pretty amazing game system. She can not only play games but take pictures and edit them, record her own sounds, play them back, and edit them as well, and go online. The only time she's put it down since Friday morning is when it's charging or she's sleeping! This will definitely be a Christmas for her to remember!

Fields of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a gentle love story with Mennonites in 1872 Kansas. Lillian and Reinhardt Vogt must leave their home in the steppes of Russia to protect their son, Henrik, from forced military service. Traveling with them is Reinhardt's foster brother Eli Bornholdt, who will use his farming know-how to help them prosper in their new home in Kansas. But two tragedies aboard their ship forces Lillian to radically change her view of the future and will challenge the faith of the entire family. Sawyer creates a realistic and moving story of facing your worst nightmare and living through it. Her portrayal of pioneer Kansas makes the grassy plains come to life. She keeps the conflict for the most part within the family instead of external. They have to overcome their own struggles and fights while the outside world rarely intrudes, which was probably very true for families who would have been so incredibly isolated during this time in history. A small complaint: the woman on the front cover doesn't look anything like Lillian who is 38, and this young woman is barely twenty. Sometimes the characters seem to change their feelings 180 degrees too quickly, but for the most part Sawyer does an admirable job showing how God works good through all circumstances for those who believe in Him.

Thank you to Kim Vogel Sawyer for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The contest winner was Derek Henning and the correct order of who made which figure in the photo was: Jesse, me, Doogie, Molly, and Mia.

Here's a few pictures of our Christmas.

The Journal of Antonio Montoya

Magnificat
by Anna Joujan

Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lord. The familiar catch of breath. The sting in the eyes. And the tears begin to flow with the falling rain. Or do the tears fall with the flowing rain. What is it in these words that I whisper that wrenches at my heart so? Why does Mary's prayer touch the core of my being, so many centuries after it was spoken?

I think it must be because I know that she was just a girl, just a human being, with a woman's heart like my own. And so, when I hear her wondering words, I can feel with her the emotion she must have felt. To bear the son of God-what wondrous mystery, what glorious honour! And she was, like me, just a young woman-much younger, in fact, than I am now. And so, no matter how often I hear the story and read her words, it still has the power to bring abrupt and unsought tears.

What a gracious God, to work wonders with such frail and faulty creatures as us!

__________________________________________

Anna G. Joujan was born in South Dakota, as a Canadian citizen, and was raised in Zambia, the child of missionary teachers. Since her family's move to the U.S., Anna spent her childhood and early adulthood traveling throughout the world thanks to various educational and work opportunities . . . France, China, Peru, and Jamaica being some of the stops in her journeys. Her undergraduate degree in French Literature led to a Masters in Information Sciences, and to work as a college and high school librarian, and a cross country coach. She has also returned to Zambia multiple times to teach for individual families and for local schools. All the while continuing pursuing her passions of writing, artwork, photography . . . and running to a fault. She blogs at Full of Grace.

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

The Journal of Antonio Montoya by Rick Collignon takes place in the Sangre de Christos mountains but has a sense of timelessness. Ramona has isolated herself in her dusty hometown after returning from severl years away trying to find success as an author. She lives alone in her grandparents' house with no sense of purpose or intention until her brother and his wife die, leaving their son an orphan. When the boy's mother sits up in her casket at the graveside and tells Ramona to take care of Jose, Ramona thinks that her mind is starting to slip, but when she takes the boy home, they are greeted by her long dead grandparents who proceed to take care of the pair by cooking and irrigating the fields. Her grandmother gives her an old journal that pulls into the life of the mysterious Antonio Montoya. This book is nearly impossible to summarize. The story quietly unfurls in front of the reader, gently pulling him/her in to Ramona and Antonio's lives. Collignon's quiet prose captures the steady rhythm of small town life and how it can beat down the gentlest of souls. In the end, Ramona is changed by her discoveries in the journal, and the reader may share in her revelation.

Thank you to Unbridled Books for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Today is another opportunity to sign up to win a pearl necklace from Pearl Girls. Just leave a comment here to be entered. For another contest, read my post from Monday and take a look at the picture, then submit your entry via email before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 24th.

Primal

A Soggy, Jolly, Holly Christmas
by Melody Carlson

One of my most memorable Christmases started out as a natural disaster. But isn't that a bit how a pearl is formed? An oyster's soft easy life is disrupted by the invasion of sand, but something good comes out of it. When I was eight, we experienced the worst flood in recorded Oregon history. It was only a few days before Christmas when our streets became shallow rivers and the governor proclaimed a state of emergency. My sister and I assumed the flood was simply our new water-world playground and didn't understand the seriousness of washed out bridges and downed power lines and submerged homes. But when we realized this flood was about to nix our usual three-hour trek to our grandparents' home near the coast, we were not happy.

Naturally, our mom, a single parent, protested the sensibility of holiday travel (most of Oregon's rivers were involved in the flood). But Christmas at Grandma's house was our favorite event of the year. And thanks to our persistence, Mom finally gave in. We piled into the car and headed out. Flood waters climbed higher the closer we got to the coast. And at one point the road behind us was closed and the one ahead was flooded and about to be closed as well. The state policeman told us we could cross "at our own risk." We followed a Volkswagen Bug into the water-then we actually watched the bug floating away! Of course, there was nothing to do besides plow on through the water, which appeared to be nearly two feet deep! Fortunately we had an old heavy Chevy that did not float away, but the water seeped in and pooled on the floors.

Fortunately, we made it safely to the grandparents. But once we arrived, we learned there would be no Christmas tree because the road to the woods was closed. Then my grandpa picked up his ax and led us outside where he chopped down his prize holly tree planted in the parking strip. I stared in horror, thinking Grandma was going to have a fit. But then he explained the city had told him to remove the tree for traffic visibility. So we had a twelve foot holly tree for Christmas. It was a little prickly decorating it, but with its shiny green leaves and red berries, it was the most beautiful tree ever! So what started out as a disaster turned out to be a soggy, holly, jolly Christmas after all.

__________________________________________

Melody Carlson, author of Limelight, Love Finds You in Sisters, The Christmas Dog, 86 Bloomberg Place, Diary of a Teenage Girl, The Carter House Girls, and much more... http://www.melodycarlson.com

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

Primal by Mark Batterson is just the book to jump start your faith for the new year. Batterson is the pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C. and has made a name for himself as a powerful author in his previous books, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase. In Primal, Batterson wants readers to reconnect with the Lord the way early Christians did and express that love to the world. He emphasizes again and again the importance of readers' hearts breaking for those things that break the heart of God. I filled pages in my journal with powerful quotes like "At the end of the day, God isn't going to say, 'Well said, good and faithful servant.' ...God doesn't reward what we know. He doesn't reward what we say. He rewards the expenditure of energy." Batterson wants readers to use the gifts God gave them for the betterment of the Kingdom. Every chapter is truly inspirational and full of wisdom you want to share. Primal is the kind of book that you'll want to keep a copy of for rereading and then buy another copy to give away to spread the word.

Today is another chance to win a pearl necklace from Pearl Girls. Just leave a comment to be entered! I posted a contest yesterday with the chance to win four Christmas hardcovers. Read the rules and drop me an email with your best guess. Good luck!

Finding Christmas

Yesterday Mom, Molly, Mia, and I baked Christmas cookies. Six different varieties including cherry kringle. It was an incredibly busy day, especially after our all day shopping trip to the mall on Saturday. I am officially done Christmas shopping except for one gift left (for a certain tall guy coming home from college tomorrow), and a few little things.

Mom and I have worked together often enough that we have it down almost to a science. We never fight over oven time, because we stagger the batches, and it all just seems to work out. Except for cupboard space, of that we never have enough! Gingerbread cookies, cut-out cookies, cherry kringle, peppermint crunch cookies, peanut blossum, and chocolate covered Ritz crackers. Hopefully it will be enough to take us through the rest of the week!

The most memorable moment of the day was when Mom opened up her lower cupboard door to throw something in the scrap jar and encountered a mouse looking back up at her. Mom has a phobia of mice, so she started screaming at the top of the lungs while bouncing up and down before leaping onto the nearest chair. I recognized the scream and explained to the shell-shocked Molly, Tyler, and Krissy, "Mouse," at which point Mia disappeared into my mom's bedroom where she shut the door and stayed on the bed, and the rest of us tried not to wet ourselves laughing. Poor Mom!

Jeff came in from the garage and placed a mousetrap under the sink (where later that night it caught the wily intruder), but for the rest of the afternoon, every time Mom approached the door, she started singing "La la la la" at the top of her lungs and bumped the door to warn anything inside of her approach. Life at Mom's never fails to be interesting!

Finding Christmas by Jacob Calvin Schaap is a collection of short stories that display the real meaning of Christmas in surprising ways. Schaap finds the Christmas spirit in unusual places: a talkative cowgirl bus driver, a teenage daughter's unexpected pregnancy, and a church pageant so hardcore it has manure! The stories are filled with humor and real human emotion: expectation, fear, frustration, and sadness. Readers will find themselves laughing and crying as the characters find Jesus in places surprising and heart-breaking. It's a quick read to help get your heart in the right place this holiday season.

I'm giving away a copy of this book, plus three more Christmas titles: The Unfinished Gift by Dan Walsh, The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere, and Christmas Miracles by Cecil Murphey & Marley Gibson this week. $60 worth of books for figuring out the mystery behind today's picture. The collection you see is five items made by my family during their years in school. Each member of my family made one of them: Mia, Doogie, Molly, Jesse, and I. Consider them numbered 1-5 from left to right and put your best guess as to who made each one in an email to me before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 24th Christmas Eve. The winner will be chosen randomly from any entries who get all five figures correctly matched to which of my family made them. If no one gets all five, then I'll randomly choose from the next most correct. I'll announce the winner here on Friday, Christmas Day. Good luck!

Word Sabbath- Baking Christmas Cookies

40 Loaves

Mia came home from school a couple of weeks ago and announced that she had been given a solo in the first grade Christmas concert. Not to sound jaded, but that's nothing new in our house. Doogie had his first solo in third grade, and Molly in fifth. Both kids gained a reputation early on for their singing voice, and Jesse and I (as well as Doogie and Molly's dad and stepmom) love to sing, so Mia's always been surrounded by singing.

First grade songs tend to be a bit simplistic, so when Mia worried about the solo, I offered encouragement, but I didn't think it would be hard. Last week, she dropped the bomb on us that she had the only solo in the song, a few days later, the only solo in the entire concert. A couple of days ago, she offered to sing me the solo, and I was stunned. I've heard her sing often, but this was beautiful, and my normally shy little girl sounded like an angel. She was very worried about singing in front of the crowd, so I offered a couple of suggestions for the concert: focus on me and only me and pretend that you're holding Jesus' hand. As you can see in the video, she barely took her eyes off of me, but she said afterward that she didn't have to hold Jesus' hand, because He was standing behind her. The name of the song is Peaceful Night.

Every parent has that moment when they suddenly see their child as separate from him/her. This talent of Mia's is completely hers; it's nothing that Jesse or I can take credit for. All I can do is step back in awe and thank God. By the end of the concert, my face hurt from smiling so much. I hope you like her solo too. I apologize for the bumping around before and after her part.

40 Loaves by C.D. Baker is the perfect devotional for those who want to take their faith deeper but don't have a lot of time. Each of the 40 chapters is just two-three pages long and delves into issues that we all face: why do I complain so much? why am I so confused about finding God's will? why I am so desperate to be understood? Chapters begin with a short personal anecdote and end with a few questions to encourage the reader to look deeper followed by a prayer. The brevity doesn't mean Baker skips on depth, he gets right to the core of the issue giving readers understanding and hope. Baker takes away the excuse that readers' don't have enough time to spend each day deepening their relationship with the Lord.

Gail Brue was the lucky winner of this book! Congrats to Gail! There are still two more contests running this week. #1 Read my post from Dec. 13, answer one of my questions in the comments for the chance to win a copy of Lisa Harper's A Perfect mess. #2 Leave a comment on any of this week's posts for the chance to win a pearl necklace from Pearl Girls. Good luck!

Christmas Miracles

A Long Ago Christmas Memory
by Patricia Crisafulli

The old farm on a dirt road in the backwoods of northern New York State was described to me so many times, I can imagine the place, even though I never saw it: the big frame house with the wide porch, the pair of maple trees out front, and the barn in the back where my grandparents kept a cow or two, pigs and chickens, and a team of work horses.

That old house came alive for me in dozens of stories that my mother told, of how she and her sisters grew up there during the Depression. The stories had that long-ago feel not only because of the years that had passed, but also because of the era: tales of riding in a horse and buggy in the summer and a horse and sleigh in the winter. My grandfather owned an old Model A Ford, but the tires were patched beyond repair and there was no money for gasoline.

One story that has always stayed with me was of a particular Christmas in the early 1930s, a time my mother remember as the "depths of the Depression," and there was no money. In order to pay the interest on the mortgage, to keep the bank from foreclosing on the farm, my grandfather needed a relatively small sum. The amount I remember being told was $13, but for the little they had in those days it might as well have been $13,000.

Tested by trouble and sorrows, my grandparents relied on their deep and abiding faith. As Psalm 34 tells us, I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. The answer to their prayers was to be found right in their own backyard with gifts of the earth. My grandmother went into the woods to gather bushel baskets full of ground pine, with green sprouts like miniature boughs that spread in great patches along the earth. From willow branches she made hoops, around which she bound the ground pine to make wreathes.

She sat up all night making wreaths, enough to fill a large hamper basket, which my grandfather strapped to his back. At four in the morning, he hopped a ride on the milk train into Syracuse, where he went door-to-door selling wreathes. Night after night, my grandmother made wreaths, and day after day my grandfather sold them.

As Christmas approached, my grandmother had saved coupons that came in tins of coffee to get a Kewpie doll for her daughters. The only other things she gave them were mittens she knit herself.

Then on Christmas Eve, my grandfather came home from the last day of selling wreaths, exhausted but relieved. The farm was safe for another year. From what he had earned, he had a dime left over, which he spent on his beloved wife to buy her a powder puff. That night, my grandmother gave him her surprise: enough money from selling butter and eggs all year to buy four new tires for the Model A Ford.

Hearing this story as a child, my head was too full of the Sears & Roebuck "Wish Book" catalog to really comprehend it. As an adult, I try to fathom living with no money at all. What lingers in my heart, however, is the love of my grandparents for each other: the dashing young American soldier in World War I and the beautiful French girl he met overseas and then returned to her country to marry.

Many years, thousands of miles, and untold hardships later, that love continued. During a very dark December, they found a way together to keep the farm and the family together. And so it would always be for them.

____________________________________

Patricia Crisafulli is a writer, published author, and founder of www.FaithHopeandFiction.com, a monthly e-literary magazine with stories, essays, and poetry to inspire and entertain.

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Christmas Miracles by Cecil Murphey & Marley Gibson is the perfect book to help you get in the right frame of mind for the holidays by reminding you of what Christmas is really all about. The authors have taken true stories from a variety of authors about their own Christmas miracles. Births, deaths, injuries, and poverty are themes all touched on here, each with their own message of hope and faith. I definitely recommend keeping a box of tissues handy while reading. The stories are overflowing with emotion and written to remind readers that Christmas is a time of miracles, starting with the first one over two thousand years ago with the birth of a baby boy in a manger who came to save the world. Some miracles in this story are of the huge, biblical variety, others are far smaller, more a matter of the heart, but each is a reminder that God loves each and every one of us.

Today is another opportunity for you to sign up for the chance to win a strand of pearls as described above. Just leave a comment and you're in! I'm also running two other contests this week: #1 Go to my post for Dec. 13th and answer one of the questions I ask by leaving a comment on that post. Contest ends Dec. 20th at 10 pm. #2 I'm giving away a copy of C.D. Baker's 40 Loaves. It's a daily devotional read in less than ten minutes that will change your life. To sign up for that contest, send me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 17th. Good luck!

Celtic Wisdom

How to Cope with Christmas
by Stacie Ruth Stoelting

Last night, I dreamed that God resurrected my beautiful adopted aunt, Mary Jo Hoffman. But morning renewed my mourning for her: Christmas trees, snow globes, and music greeted my grieving heart. Relate?

In previous years, my maternal grandpa (a.k.a. "Papa Ray") died near Thanksgiving and my adopted "Grandpa Morley" died near Christmas. Now, people cannot compare grief. But I believe we all know that the holidays challenge the grieving.

Christmas arrives like a pretty package full of grief triggers: Empty chairs, missing faces, and silent voices seem to haunt the holidays. Here are "12 Ways of Christmas" for the Grief-Stricken that have worked for me:

12 Ways of Christmas for the Grieving

1. Don't put excessive expectations on yourself. Don't expect the holidays to be the same.

2. Rest. Cut down the Christmas clutter and just get away from the typical, if possible.

3. Rearrange furniture to reduce "absence" reminders.

4. Avoid sugar highs and lows because they naturally induce emotional lows. Also steer clear of over-eating and under-sleeping. Eat well-balanced diets. Some mood enhancing natural foods include yogurt, kefir, green tea, omega-3 rich foods (i.e. salmon, cod liver oil, etc.), and lower sugar dark chocolate. One excellent resource for healthier lifestyles is First Place 4 Health, founded by the knowledgeable and kind Carole Lewis: http://www.firstplace4health.com/.

5. Admit grief. Trying to move forward while denying the reality of grief causes one to fall face forward. Does your face smile while your heart weeps? Give yourself permission to cry. Jesus wept. Weeping releases excessive tension. Address depression. Don't deny it. Pretending the nonexistence of depression only promotes its growth. (I include a list of counseling centers on my page for hurting hearts: http://prayingpals.org/linksforhurtinghearts.html.)

6. Forgive and receive forgiveness through Jesus. Release everything to the Lord -including any so-called regrets about your departed loved one. In Loved by Rebecca St. James (FaithWords, 2009), the point of God's abiding love encourages us: "He [Jesus] is ready to...stand in the gap between you and the pain, and to be your constant companion in the dark hours. He loves you."

7. Reach out to the more burdened and hang around kids this Christmas. It may not feel easy. It may even feel impossible. Ask Jesus to love thru you and get your eyes off problems and on to Him and others.

8. Understand the concept of new normalcy. The onset of new traditions and expectations may seem daunting, but God gave you your previous normal. Ask Him to give grace/hope in the face of the new normal. Let Him lead you to a place where you can relax and let Him beam His light on you.

9. Take a "hands off and hands folded" approach to the holidays. Reduce activity and increase connectivity through prayer and Christian companionship. If you're isolated, feel free to join my weekly online prayer group (www.prayingpals.org). And stay in touch with your local church.

10. Face and treat chronic health issues. If you feel sick, everything feels worse. (One excellent resource for those with chronic health conditions is Rest Ministries.)

11. Reclaim your Heavenly purpose on earth. Ask Jesus to grant supernaturally His grace, hope, love, peace, and comfort this holiday season. Then don't fight His help. Be open to His opening of doors to cope and hope this holiday season. Just receive Jesus. Ask Jesus to give you a Heavenly perspective on earth. God holds good things for you! He grants you great purpose for your life hereafter...and here, too. Embrace His grace and seek His face. He's there. I know. In the face of grief, I'm with Him right now.

12. Remember: Trials don't indicate a reduction in God's love for you. He loves you and promises to make things right in the end. Spend time focusing on His unchanging love for you. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, ESV)

Holidays include lots of grief for relationships/loved ones that left, forsook, or died. But let's focus on the essence of Christmas: the present of Jesus' presence in our lives! Wow, may a relationship with Jesus be our miracle and encouragement this Christmas! "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15)

Could you think of anything greater than receiving God for Christmas?

While my dream didn't come true today, I know it will: Mary Jo will be resurrected and we will be reunited. This year, focus on a different angle of Christmas: Let Christmas remind you of Jesus' birth to banish death.

____________________________________

After Stacie Ruth met Jesus, her life blossomed with true joy and purpose! Life's blows hurt her, but Jesus heals and strengthens her. Now an author, actress, and recording artist, she laughs at the irony and praises God, who uses unlikely people...like herself. To find out more about her ministry visit www.brightlightministries.com.

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Celtic Wisdom by Cindy Thomson truly is a treasure of Eire. Thompson gives background information on the saints well known from Ireland: Patrick, Brigid, and Columba, as well as several others who helped encourage Christianity to grow across the country. The Celts had a very unusual form of Christianity that challenged Rome but was loved by its people. It focused on seeing God in nature and worshiping Him on a very personal level. The book is filled with glorious photographs that will make the reader want to catch the next flight on Aer Lingus. I filled several pages in my journal with the beautiful prayers and quotations from Celtic saints and monks. The famed Book of Kells is also discussed along with other ancient tomes of the faith. It's a perfect sampler for anyone interested in learning more about the Christian faith of the Celts and how it has influenced generations.

Today is another opportunity for you to sign up for the chance to win a strand of pearls as described above. Just leave a comment and you're in! I'm also running two other contests this week: #1 Go to my post for Dec. 13th and answer one of the questions I ask by leaving a comment on that post. Contest ends Dec. 20th at 10 pm. #2 I'm giving away a copy of C.D. Baker's 40 Loaves. It's a daily devotional read in less than ten minutes that will change your life. To sign up for that contest, send me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 17th. Good luck!

Pearl Girls

This is a repost from Sept 21.

Today I'm reviewing a book about the things that make us become pearls. Something that initially may feel like just grit in our shells/lives ends up being a blessing. I wanted to share a couple of stories about my Grandma and Grandpa Trever.

Grandma and Grandpa were not the fun grandparents. Their house was not filled with toys and junk food. At their house, we played Tiddly-Winks and put together puzzles; quiet, sedate activities. Even the foods we ate there were simple: plain Pringles, 7-Up, and vanilla ice cream (Grandma was living dangerously when she bought French Vanilla). Needless to say, as a small child, I didn't appreciate them as much as I should have.

When I reached my teens, I went through a personal hell that made me reach out and try to get to know these people who only listened to the Christian radio station and watched Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy. I searched through their attic looking for pieces of their history that I could claim as my own, and I started spending more time with them, listening to their stories, watching their faces. It only took me fourteen years, but I finally woke up to these amazing human beings. Unfortunately, I only had my grandpa for another year. His death was one of the most traumatic events in my life, especially the auction that followed. The house was sold, along with most of the contents, as was their old car.

Fast forward two years. Grandma died nine days before Doogie was born, and I ached with guilt that I hadn't visited her in the nursing home as often as I should have, plus the guilt of being pregnant at just 17. My husband and I were struggling financially in the months after she was gone. He applied at every company in our area, and we even traveled to Milwaukee where he put in applications, but no one was hiring. In the midst of this, our car broke down, and we had no money for another one. At just the right time, my inheritance from Grandma's will ($500) came in, and we were able to buy a car. It was old and the size of a small yacht, but we were grateful to have it.

I didn't do a lot of driving at that point, so it was several months later when I was sitting down in the driver's seat that I noticed the dealer's maintenance sticker on the inside of the door: Ehlinger's Garage. Weird, I thought. That was the dealership in Suring, where my grandparents lived (we had bought the car in Cecil, about 20 miles away). Something made me get out and walk around the car where for the first time I truly noticed the WRVM bumper sticker on the rear bumper. Standing back and looking at the car, I realized that it looked familiar. I drove home with my hands shaking and called Dad, asking him to confirm my suspicions. I was right; I had purchased my grandparents' car with my inheritance from them.(If I remember rightly, Dad didn't mention it to me, because he knew how upset I would be.) What are the odds? But they weren't done taking care of me.

Fast forward another eight years. My marriage was at its end. Neither of us were happy, and we weren't just destroying each other, but our children as well. It had to end. I called my parents the night he left, and they came with comfort and support, but none of us knew how I would afford a divorce. I called around, and the cheapest lawyer I could find wanted a $1500 retainer. This was 1999. In 1989, when my grandpa died, his three children split up the various bonds he had purchased, including one they thought of as a "stinker." My dad, his brother, and sister didn't think that it would actually pay off, so they split it between them three ways so that none of them would take the entire loss. Ten years later and just a couple of weeks after my separation, the bond paid off early in the amount of $1500. Dad called me to say that Grandma and Grandpa Trever were paying for my divorce. Now I know that these godly people would never have wanted me to get a divorce, but at the same time, they loved me unconditionally and wanted me to be happy and to be able to take care of my children (none of whom they ever met).

I will never forget the squeak of the vinyl rocker Dad always sat in or the screech of the glider on the front porch that was only used in summer. I wish that I could taste Grandma's peanut squares or special Christmas punch, and I'll remember with pride how Grandpa said that I most certainly was a Trever because of my stubbornness . But I will hold tight to the fact that they loved me so much that they continued to take care of me, even after they were both gone.

I don't think of myself as a beautiful person very often, but when I do, I know that any beauty I have comes from the love of people like my grandparents who ensured that no matter how much grit I had to endure, I knew the love of God and family to get me through it.

Pearl Girls edited by Margaret McSweeney is an moving book filled with stories to encourage your heart. A pearl girl is any woman who has turned the grit of her life into something beautiful, and each one of the authors of the stories within this book is a true gem. The stories run the gamut from hilarious to heart-breaking to hopeful. It's not the kind of book you want to zip through in one reading, but to take time to savor each story and take in its full message. Stories of rape, abuse, and depression all offer hope to readers that there is beauty on the other side, beauty offered by God, friends, and family. Some stories will give readers perspective on their own lives, others offer comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone, but all will touch the heart. All proceeds will benefit a safe house in the Chicago suburbs and women and children with AIDS in Africa.

Remember I'm holding three contests this week. #1 is for the Pearl Girls tour. Leave a comment here saying you'd like to enter, and you're signed up to win a pearl necklace. #2 Read my post from Dec. 13 and leave a comment on that post responding to one of the questions I asked to be entered to win a copy of Lisa Harper's A Perfect Mess. #3 To win a copy of C.D. Baker's 40 Loaves, send me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 17th. There are lots of chances to win before Christmas!

Guardian of the Flame

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
by Virelle Kidder

My mother had remarkable zeal for Christmas. Weeks in advance, she would come home from teaching school and bake late into the night. I helped clean the house and decorate the tree while my older brother Roger wired the house with Christmas lights, transforming our humble red house into a place of magical beauty. Following the church candlelight service, a crowd of happy people crunched through the snow to our house for cocoa and cookies.

We were, like many, quite alone in the years after my father left. Our Christmas open house was my mother's supreme effort to make us feel complete. It almost worked.

Despite years in church and Sunday school, God was more a distant relative I wished I knew. I grew up with a gnawing sense of incompleteness, and longed to find meaning and purpose in life. Strangely, it was shortly before Christmas years later that it found me.

My husband Steve was fully absorbed with his new job at Johns Hopkins University, and I was home with a two year old. We wanted friends, but were both hesitant when Steve's officemate his wife invited us to attend their church. We had nothing in common with "religious types," but Steve said, "Let's be nice and go just once."

Sitting in church that Sunday, my temples pounded. Hymns and Scripture verses long ago ignored called to me from my childhood. Could others tell I didn't belong here? Oddly, I felt jealous of their peace. They looked happy.

First thing Monday morning I began tearing through the unpacked boxes in our basement. At last, I found my mildewed Bible from fifth grade. I resolved to read it cover to cover. I opened to Genesis, chapter 1. Same old story; I've heard this a hundred times, and quickly slammed it shut.

No one told me God could hear my thoughts. A soft Voice whispered, Why not read as if it were true? I opened my Bible again. Suddenly I was listening to the most interesting person I had ever heard. By afternoon I was still reading in my pajamas. I couldn't stop.

I read for weeks until one day, a picture popped in my mind of a beautiful old house with wide porches, brightly lit at night. Music, laughter and lively conversation carried onto the porch where I stood in the dark, peeking in. I saw a feast and a fire on the hearth, much like the Christmas open houses from my childhood, with one important difference. There was a Father here whose face mirrored love and warmth at His children's presence. This was God's family, and I desperately wanted to be inside. But how?

A voice taunted, Why would God want you? You don't fit in this crowd! It was true. I considered giving up. Instead, I marched upstairs to our bedroom, knelt down and prayed out loud, "Lord, help me find the way! Please don't let me go!"

Verses I'd read made sense. Jesus said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Our friends explained that God already knew I was a hopeless mess and loved me anyway. Opening the door to Heaven was a gift that cost God everything. It was on the cross Jesus died to pay for my sins. He rose again to prove forever that He is the Truth. Weeping at such love, I knelt and gave Christ my life. I found that, with or without a happy family, no one is ever complete without Jesus.

_______________________________________

Virelle Kidder is a conference speaker and the author of six books and numerous articles whose passion is sharing the love of God with women around the world. For her latest books, please visit her at www.virellekidder.com and www.meetmeatthewell.fm

_______________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Guardian of the Flame by T.L. Higley is the third book in the historical fiction Seven Wonders series. Sophia has spent her life keeping the fire at the top of the Lighthouse of Alexandria lit and encouraging the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom at the city's famed Library. Both are threatened by the arrival of Julius Caesar and his troops. Even worse, the wall she has built around her heart is in danger from the glances from Pilus Prior Bellus, a leader of the centurions. Higley's series about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world just keeps getting better and better! This novel is the perfect blend of history and fiction. She takes the true story of the burning of Alexandria and the joining of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar and brings it to life through a few fictional characters. Sophia is taken on a journey that will shatter the defenses of the lighthouse and her heart. Higley uses lots of metaphors to powerful effect throughout the book in describing Sophia's refusal to love others. This book really has everything, action, suspense, romance, mystery, and history that together make a potent mix. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you to B&H Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

I'm starting another book contest this week, in addition to the one I started yesterday and the one above in the 12 Pearls of Christmas. I'm giving away a copy of 40 Loaves by C.D. Baker. 40 Loaves is the perfect devotional for those with little time but want to deepen their faith. If you are interested in winning a copy of this book, send me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, Dec. 17th. To enter the Pearls contest, leave a comment here saying so. To enter yesterday's contest, read that day's post and leave a comment there before 10 pm on Saturday, Dec. 19th. Good luck!

A Perfect Mess

I love me a good Bible study; one that makes me think more deeply about my relationship with God or look at it in a new way. The book, A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper, I'm reviewing today made me do that several times, but two questions in it made me smile and consider how much God loves me.

Question #1: If you could be any character in the Bible for one day, who would you pick and why? This query really made me think. I have several favorite characters: Abigail, Jael, Deborah, David, Thomas, and more, which one would I want to be? I think I would choose Mary, mother of Jesus. She saw so much: the angel Gabriel, Jesus' miracles, his death, resurrection, and ascension. She felt Jesus move within her womb, kicking her ribs, doing somersaults, getting the hiccups. Then to watch him grow from infancy to childhood to manhood, knowing all along what he was meant for and searching for the signs. She was with him as he learned his father, Joseph's trade, carpentry and then mourn his loss. She watched him learn his true Father's will and then live it out daily. She pushed him into performing his first miracle, turning water into wine at Cana, proud of the man he had become and wanting the world to see what she did. I've never felt a real connection to Mary, although as a fellow teenage mom I should, but this exercise helped me to see her in a new light and made me look at Jesus' life as she must have seen it, making his perfect mix of divine and human even more profound.

Question #2: How would you describe your dance with God? Is it a foxtrot or a jive or a smooth waltz? This question made me laugh just a bit as I thought about it. Being completely honest, sometimes I try to lead when dancing with God, and our dance looks clumsy and uncoordinated. Even worse, sometimes I try to dance a solo. But when I'm trusting in Him and living in Him, we make a beautiful waltz. Smooth, graceful, Him holding me close, as we glide around the dance floor of life. This doesn't happen nearly as often as it should, and putting it into words like this certainly makes me want to live it every day.

How would you answer these questions? Are you dancing with God or trying to do it alone? Whose footsteps would you like to walk in? Leave an answer in the comments, and I'll pick one to win a copy of this book!

A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper is a refreshing look at the Psalms. Harper chooses 13 Psalms that are fairly representative of the different types: laments, praise, royal, etc and covers them in twelve chapters that can easily be read in one sitting. After the chapter are a few insightful questions that will truly encourage readers to make the Psalms personal. I've read other studies of the Psalms, but this one has to be my favorite. Harper is deeply and passionately in love with God and her joy radiates on every page. Her enthusiasm for the study of the Bible and love for God is catchy and readers can't help but want the kind of relationship she has with the Father. Her anecdotes are deeply personal and perfectly suited to each chapter. This is the rare Bible study that will leave the reader smiling and their heart overflowing with love for God.

Thank you to Random House for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Treasured

The book I'm reviewing today has a fascinating concept: if God kept a treasure box of His memories throughout human history, what would be in it? Then the author, Leigh McLeroy asks a more intriguing question of the reader: if you had a treasure box that held mementos of your faith journey, what would be in it? After some consideration, these are a few of the items that would be in my treasure box of faith.

A kazoo: Oddly enough my first real twinge of conscience came from a kazoo. I was staying at my Grandma Valley's for the week of Vacation Bible School at church when I was about eight years old. Grandma had a kazoo, and I loved playing with it, but I wanted to know how it worked. So when Grandma wasn't around, I unscrewed the top and took out the plastic disk and started playing with it. But in goofing around, I punctured a hole in it, and when I put it back together, it didn't work anymore. I brought it to Grandma swearing up and down that I had no idea how it happened. The next day in Bible school, the teacher talked about lying and how it separates us from God. I asked to talk to her after class and told her about my lie, and she told me I had to tell my grandma the truth. When Grandma brought me back to her house, I told her the truth. It was so hard to do, because I didn't want her to think less of me, and she had already fixed the problem with a tiny piece of plastic wrap, but my conscience wouldn't let me rest, so I spilled it. Grandma brushed it off as no big deal, but in the long run, it became a defining moment.

A volleyball: When I was twelve, I was involved in a youth group held on the weekends at the local high school. I wasn't a member of the church sponsoring it, but we did a lot of fun activities. On one Saturday afternoon, we were all playing volleyball in the gym and a boy a couple years younger than me dislocated his knee. He was crying from the pain, and all of us adolescents stood around awkwardly not knowing what to do. One of the leaders came forward, placed her hands on him and started praying...out loud...for Jesus to heal him! I had never seen anything like it in my life, and while the other kids and adults gathered around and placed their hands on him as well, I backed away. As I watched, a light surrounded the entire group, and I knew without question that Jesus was there. I blacked out for a moment and when I came to, the boy who had been hurt was playing basketball like nothing had happened. Believe me or not, this is just how it happened and it forced me to acknowledge that Jesus is real in a way that I have never been able to deny.

The Left Behind series: It was while reading this series that I had my come-to-Jesus-salvation-fall-on-your-knees moment. I was reading the book's description of the fall of Jerusalem and then later that day in my scheduled Bible reading was the exact same passage in Luke. It may seem coincidental, but I knew that God was reaching out to me, and I gave my heart to Him. As soon as I stopped crying, I ran downstairs and called my dad to tell him the news he'd been waiting years to hear. It was an amazing day for both of us.

There are lots of other items that I would keep in my treasure box: books, journals, even some people. What would be in yours? What are the defining moments in your faith journey?

Treasured by Leigh McLeroy is an amazing book that poses the question: what would God keep in a treasure box as mementos of His love story with humanity? By focusing in on pivotal moments in the Bible, like the fig leaf, Abraham's knife, and Balaam's riding crop, she creates new understanding about who God is and just how much He loves us. It also adds subtext to each story making them richer and meaningful for today's readers. She takes everyday items and made them seem almost sacred because of their context. Each chapter is easily read in a few minutes daily making it a terrific addition to readers' time with God. She ends the book discussing the items that would be in her own treasure box of faith and encourages readers to consider the contents of theirs as well.

Thank you to Random House for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Familiar Stranger

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Familiar Stranger
Moody Publishers (September 1, 2009)
by
Christina Berry


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Single mother and foster parent, Christina Berry carves time to write from her busy schedule because she must tell the stories that haunt her every waking moment. (Such is the overly dramatic description of an author's life!) She holds a BA in Literature, yet loves a good Calculus problem, as well. All that confusion must have influenced her decision to be team captain of a winning team on Family Feud.

Her debut novel, The Familiar Stranger, released from Moody in September and deals with lies, secrets, and themes of forgiveness in a troubled marriage. A moving speaker and dynamic teacher, Christina strives to Live Transparently--Forgive Extravagantly!

Her work has also appeared in The Secret Place, The Oregonian, and Daily Devotions for Writers.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Craig Littleton's decision to end his marriage would shock his wife, Denise . . . if she knew what he was up to. When an accident lands Craig in the ICU, with fuzzy memories of his own life and plans, Denise rushes to his side, ready to care for him.

They embark on a quest to help Craig remember who he is and, in the process, they discover dark secrets. An affair? An emptied bank account? A hidden identity? An illegitimate child?

But what will she do when she realizes he's not the man she thought he was? Is this trauma a blessing in disguise, a chance for a fresh start? Or will his secrets destroy the life they built together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Familiar Stranger, go HERE

Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry is an emotional rollercoaster novel filled with suspense. Denise Littleton has been feeling the cracks in her marriage for the last several years. Her husband, Craig, treats her with disdain, turning away her attempts at affection and belittling her every move. When he's in a car accident that wipes his memory, it at first seems to be a blessing. The familiar strangers fall in love; he pays attention to their sons, and they are finally finding the life Denise has always wanted. Until Craig's secrets start coming out, shattering their calm and exposing his lies. Berry mines every bit of emotion by alternating narration between Craig and Denise to show their growing feelings and confusion. Astute readers will figure out what's going on, but the superb writing keeps them guessing about particulars. Two small areas of concern: Denise runs hot and cold with the turn of a page with no explanation, and a vital piece of information is casually tossed out near the beginning of the book, but when all of the secrets are exposed, it isn't referenced, making the ending a bit less satisfying. Those issues won't stop readers from devouring this enthralling story.

The winners of The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere were Tricia Kohls and Marjorie. Congratulations to both of them! I'll be starting a new contest on Monday, so I hope you'll come back then!

Saints' Roost Again

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Saint's Roost
Sundowners (September 20, 2009)
by
Terry Burns


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Terry has over 30 books in print, including work in a dozen short story collections and four non-fiction books plus numerous articles and short stories.

His last book Beyond the Smoke is a 2009 winner of the Will Rogers Medallion for best youth fiction and a nominee for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. He has a three book Mysterious Ways series out from David C Cook, and Trails of the Dime Novel from Echelon Press.

A graduate of West Texas State he did post graduate work at Southern Methodist University. Terry plans to continue writing inspirational fiction as well as working as an agent for Hartline Literary Agency. Terry is a native Texan Living in Amarillo, Texas with his lovely wife Saundra.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Terry Burns has written a novel rich in Texan drawl and old western authenticity.

Saint’s Roost opens with a determined couple leaving a wagon train to set off on their own, only to be set upon by savages. Patrick, an eager evangelizing preacher, steps out to share the Good Book with the savages and meets an untimely demise, leaving his wife, Janie, alone on a trail to nowhere with no one to help her survive.

She makes her way across the frontier determined to follow her husband’s calling, but she doesn’t know where to begin, or even how to take care of herself. When her travels bring her into the lives of two cowhands, an ex-prostitute, a young boy and his drunken grandfather, and towns filled with cowboys waiting to be saved, she discovers there’s more than one way to spread God’s word.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Saint's Roost, go HERE

No, you aren't imagining things, I did post this info last week, but I hadn't finished the book yet, so I wanted to give it the full treatment this time out, because it's a book you'll definitely want to read.

Saint's Roost by Terry Burns is a cozy tale told by a masterful storyteller. Every author has a story to tell, but not every author has a distinctive voice that elevates an ordinary novel to a thoroughly enjoyable read; Burns has that rare gift. Janie and her husband Patrick set out from his seminary to the West in hopes of bringing the Gospel to the Indians and anyone else in need of God's Word. His naivete brings a quick end to his preaching, so Janie swears to continue on his dream. As she travels, she picks up one stray after another: two drifting cowboys, an outcast Kiowa woman with her child, an alcoholic and his grandson, plus assorted animals. Janie's gentle touch and loving spirit touch and transform everyone she comes into contact with and forms the core of the novel's message: souls are more often saved through everyday acts by regular people than through amazing sermons by evangelists. The charm of the novel comes from Burns' folksy style of writing. The dialogue zips like that of an old movie, making it a joy to read.

I drove Mia to the bus stop this morning, and was thoroughly chilled to the bone. I came back home, climbed into bed completely dressed under lots of heavy blankets and didn't stop shivering for hours. I take back my welcome of winter. We can return to the 40 degree of weather of last week now...please?

Rain Dance

Warning: today's post is a bit...dirty!

Ya know the saying When it rains, it pours? Well it's pouring cats and dogs here! The blizzard hit with full force today canceling school so both Tyler and Mia have a terrible case of cabin fever. He doesn't have snow pants and she doesn't have boots, so I can't let them play outside, especially with the bitterly cold wind. And that's all they've wanted since they woke up this morning: can we play outside? They've been watching movies and playing on the Wii all day and are starting to get on each other's (and my) nerves. Not that they are being bad or anything, just cooped up in the house.

Jesse was frustrated that he had to stay home from work because of the weather. He'll have to work Christmas Eve to make up the hours. I don't understand businesses staying open when all of the police departments, sheriff's offices, and state patrol say Stay Home! It puts their life at risk, plus the emergency crews that have to rescue and race to the hospital after accidents.

Then to top it all off, our septic system backed up into the basement. I'm trying real hard to count the blessings of it happening today #1 Jesse was home to handle it #2 Yeah, I can't come up with a number 2, but there's plenty of it on the floor. Ugh, I know!

And to top it all off, poor Cooper has never seen snow before and is so terrified of the white scary stuff that he hasn't gone to the bathroom outside once today...and you know what that means for me. Yep, cleaning up more #2!

I'm working on counting my blessings to focus on the good stuff today: kids are healthy, everyone is home safe, we have electricity (some in the area don't), the house is warm, and the eBay auctions are going pretty well today. In the grand scheme of things, this is just a minor hiccup, a smelly and nasty one, but a hiccup none the less.

Rain Dance by Joy DeKok is a moving look at the power of friendship and faith. Jonica is in her fertility specialist's office to end treatment in acceptance of her barrenness as part of God's plan when she meets Stacie who is there to schedule an abortion for a child who doesn't fit into the plan of her busy life. That fateful meeting will leave both women both permanently changed. Stacie's marriage falls apart in the wake of the abortion, and she turns her anger on Jonica who instead embraces her and the women find a way to bridge the gap between them. DeKok uses Jonica to tell of her own struggle with infertility and she offers up a valuable lesson for anyone who judges couples who are childless. Jonica's faith carrier her through every storm and intrigues Stacie into checking it out for herself. The book is a wonderful read about friendship and how to love those who may be so different from us. The only trouble I had with it was discovering 2/3 of the way through that Jonica is only 24. Based on her career, lifestyle, and attitude, I assumed that she was closer to thirty or even in her mid-thirties. Despite that small issue, it's a great read that should encourage readers on both sides of the abortion debate.

Thank you to Virtual Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

You still have time to sign up to win one of two copies of Donna VanLiere's The Christmas Secret. Just leave a comment on my blog or send me an email before 10 pm on Dec. 10th.

Today's picture has nothing to do with my post, I just wanted a bit of cuteness.

The Christmas Secret

Northeastern Wisconsin (along with a good portion of the rest of the US) is preparing for a major snowstorm today, the first of the season. It's been an odd almost-winter. The grass was still green on the lawns making it difficult to discern that it really is almost winter. We've had two other snowfalls, but nothing that stuck to the ground either time.

Snowstorm Allison is supposed to drop a whopping 8-14" of snow by the time it leaves sometime late tomorrow afternoon. In anticipation of a snow day from school tomorrow and two children home, I headed to the grocery store to stock up on pizza, milk, and snacks. Apparently everyone else in a 50 mile radius had the same idea! The grocery store was calling in extra staff on their day off to meet the rush. Every check-out line was open and four carts deep in lines.

You'd think that the blizzard was going to last for a week instead of 24 hours! I have to admit, even I submitted to the hysteria. What was going to be a $20 trip turned into $70 of must-haves (it didn't help that Mia was along offering suggestions) like potato chips, soda, and Little Debbie brownies. I'll need school to start again on Thursday just so we can all recover from our junk food coma!

The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere is the fifth installment in the popular Christmas Hope series. Christine Eisley is having a heck of a holiday season. A single mother of two, she's facing her ex's demands and abuse, the loss of a job, and eviction at the end of the month. Everything changes when she saves a woman's life, maybe she'll end up saving her own as well. VanLiere has an incredible talent for creating sympathetic characters who grab hold of a reader's heartstrings and don't let go until the final page. There's the humor of a comedy of errors, melodrama of family secrets, and a good dash of romance. Christine proves the point that you can't judge a person by their first appearance and that everyone has a story. If you're looking for a pick-me-up during the holidays, VanLiere is just what the doctor ordered!

I'm giving away two copies of this book this week! If you'd like to win, just leave a comment on any of my posts this week or send me an email before 10 pm on Dec. 10th. I'll announce the winners here on Friday.

More Than a Match

I'm getting pretty close to the end of my Christmas list this year, and despite money being a bit tighter than usual, I think this will be one of the best years (for gifts) we've had. A good portion of the funds have come from my mom and I listing on eBay, but I wanted to share with you a few of the other ways that I purchase gifts each year without spending much at all.

#1 MyPoints.com is a neat website that offers points as rewards for visiting their sponsoring partners. I receive anywhere from 1-5 emails from them a day, and every time I click thru the email to their partner, I get 5 points. Then whenever I'm going to make a purchase online, I do a search of their partners before purchasing to see if I can gain extra points through them. The Lakeside Collection, which is similar to LTD, gives me 500 points for each $25 purchase (I've collected at least 4 of those this year). Overstock.com gives 10 points per dollar spent, and there are a ton of other partners you can shop through. This year I'll collect $50 in gift certificates just for a few clicks and shopping normally.

#2 MySurvey.com is a website that asks participants to take surveys in return for points throughout the year. This website doesn't offer me as many opportunities for points, but it's still worth the small effort. When I signed up, I listed every member of the family's age and gender. I receive emails from them weekly or so with a couple of surveys that are specifically geared toward our demographic. I have occasionally received samples of new products to try (2-1 gallon bottles of Tide Free) and those offer lots of extra points. This year I'm collecting $25 in gift certificates for about an hour total of my time. Well worth the price in my opinion.

#3 MyCokeRewards.com collects the points printed on almost all Coke products. You can find them inside the caps of bottles or printed inside cases and then enter them online. The prizes offered change monthly; my favorite are the Snapfish prizes. I can't tell you how many prizes I've claimed from this site, including three photo books for Mom's Christmas present last year, Doogie's graduation party, and Mia's birthday party last year. I'm especially thrilled because they added a certain item to their December catalog that I had intended to pick up for my parents anyway, but now I can get them for free (shhh!).

#4 DisneyMovieRewards.com asks you to enter the points on the slip of paper in most Disney movies. The points on this site accumulate quickly (unlike some other sites) and the rewards are unique to the site. Another perk of belonging to the site is that when you purchase certain movies, they offer rewards not found anywhere else (like a stuffed Baby Kevin with the purchase of Up! again shhh!).

I like to save up my rewards all year for Christmas time because I can do more for my family this way. I'm getting all of my gift certificates for Amazon so I have a wide variety of gifts to choose from.

Another great way to save money this year is to regularly visit the website SlickDeals.net. If there's a deal to be found online, Slick Deals has it! Just today there's a $10 off a $10 purchase at JCPenney and a printable coupon for a free $13 item with a $10 purchase from Bath & Body Works. They also have a great group of forums where people post more deals. If you are looking for any item online, do a search of their site before purchasing to see if they have any coupon codes or deals.

If you happen to sign up at either MyPoints or MySurvey.com, make sure you list me as your referrer, I'll get points for anyone signing up!

More Than a Match by Michael & Amy Smalley is an enjoyable and incredibly honest look at how to successfully go from dating to happily married. The authors are brutally honest about the mistakes they made in their dating and early in their marriage, offering up their errors as lessons for the reader. They focus on the compatibility studies from various dating sites that promise a perfect match, but marriage is more than being compatible. It's about communication and respect, and the authors, both counselors, have plenty of advice. They encourage readers to make a check list of what's most important to them and then honestly evaluate relationships in the light of the list. Their insight on sex (especially the wedding night) is right on the money and almost shockingly open. While the book is aimed at those in the dating pool, it also has great advice for communication for everyone, even couples with several anniversaries under their belt. This book may be a bit too mature and graphic for teen audiences, but for college age and up, it's a terrific guide to getting relationships right.

I'm starting a new book contest today for Donna VanLiere's The Christmas Secret. VanLiere is best known for her classic story The Christmas Shoes which was made into a hit song and a Lifetime movie. This new book is about a woman at the end of her rope who in saving someone else's life just may have saved her own. I've got two copies to give away, so send me an email or leave a comment on any of my blogs this week to enter. Contest ends at 10 pm Thursday, Dec. 10th. Good luck!

Today's picture is of my Uncle Kenny with Mia at Mom's for Thanksgiving. He was this much fun when I was a kid too.

Secrets of a Christmas Box

The Christmas concert last was, as usual, superb. I do wish the director would make it a bit more original each year, but I always look forward to the section with children's songs and the solos by the students. This year featured students playing the harp, violin and piano, and the band teacher providing some accompaniment by trumpet. It's definitely more than your average high school Christmas concert.

Molly sang O Come O Come Emmanuel, which is one of my very favorite carols. She had one squeaky spot which she acknowledged with a smile, otherwise it was her best performance yet. Her voice was pure and strong. Several of her friends did solos as well, including a rendition of Gesu Bambino that gave me chills. I don't have any pictures of Molly singing her solo because I recorded it instead, and then once she was on stage, I couldn't take flash pictures, so I didn't get many good ones.

Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby is a perfect read aloud story for families. The tree-dwellers wake up each year after being placed on the Christmas tree and circle the branches looking for old friends and meeting new ones. Larry the snowman and Debbie the reindeer girl are thrilled to see each other again but devastated to find that Larry's brother is missing. Along with newcomer Splint, a wooden soldier, they break the rules of the Elder and leave the tree to find their sleeping place, the Christmas Box, in hopes of discovering a clue. The story begins as a charming imaginative tale about what happens on the Christmas tree when everyone has gone to sleep, but transforms into a gripping thriller, still appropriate for children, about the meaning of friendship. There are a few slightly scary spots, making this appropriate for ages 6 and up, but the story is compelling and kids will love the idea that their tree comes to life each night.

Thank you to Ecky Thump Books (isn't that the coolest name?) for providing me with a copy of this book for review.