The Christmas Journey

Just twenty-three days left until Christmas, and I'm feeling like I've fallen farther behind than ever. Not only are my Christmas cards not in the mail, but I haven't even made them yet (I'd be perfectly happy buying them as I normally do, but Mom insists we finally use all of the stamping supplies we spent $100 on a couple of years ago, and I'm not allowed to send out a single card that I didn't make), I didn't even start thinking about decorating until today, and last night I went through my shopping list with Jesse and realized I'm only about half way through. I'm feeling beaten down by my own expectations. If I don't have it all done in time for Christmas, I'm not the mother, wife, daughter, woman I expect myself to be. I know that I'm not the only one feeling the stress this time of year. Advent isn't a time for preparing my heart for Jesus' birth, it's a time for beating myself up and feeling like I've failed my family for yet another year.

Isn't it funny how Satan has managed to pervert even the most beautiful and miraculous birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ? Jesus came to earth to live with us, as one of us, experiencing all of our pain and suffering, and then he died in our place to free us from the results of our sins, and we use this glorious gift as an opportunity to feel insecure, put unreasonable expectations on ourselves and others, to forget that Jesus was born in a barn to a poor couple, worked with his hands, and lived during his ministry on the support of others. He wasn't taken in by wealth or ostentatious show.

I'm not saying that all celebration during Christmas is wrong or against God. I just think that it's getting a little out of control; we've lost the reason for the celebration in all of the celebrating. I know I'm not the first one to ever say or write these words. They've probably been repeated every year since before the Puritans deemed it too worldly back in the 17th century. I don't think anyone really listens to them until it becomes personal. I've read the words myself countless times, but because this year I'm the one feeling overwhelmed and defeated, I'm the one writing them. I'm not sure how I'll get through the season and how I'll manage everything I wanted to do in the next twenty-three days. I'm sure I'll have to scale things back, at least a bit. The important thing is that this year I've recognized how I can be deceived. I read the Bible daily, pray regularly, and know that I have a growing relationship with the Lord that strengthens me each day, but even that didn't stop me from believing the lie that I needed to fulfill every holiday tradition in a spectacular way.

I'll just have to take it one day at a time and do what I can in each day, what my illness allows me to do. At the end of the twenty-three days, I'll have done what I can do, and if my family is happy and I've honored Christ's birth, that's all that matters.

The Christmas Journey by Donna VanLiere is a thin book, perfect for getting you ready for the holidays. Accompanied by stunning watercolors by Michael Storrings, she retells the classic story of the journey to Bethlehem and nativity through the eyes of Mary and Joseph, making them real people with fears, hopes, and dreams. Reading the story of two young people put into an impossible situation and how they trusted God to carry them through it is inspiring. VanLiere, who is best known for her Christmas Hope series that began with The Christmas Shoes, keeps to the point, reminding readers that Jesus, who created the world, became a baby who hungered and cried and smiled. Even in the midst of the busy holiday season, there is time to read this book and remember what Christmas is all about.

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

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.

Finding Grace

I finished my reading of Catherine Martin's Passionate Prayer last night (review will come next weekend), and I learned something interesting. I was looking up several verses to write down what I learned about hope, and I noticed something. Phrases like: put your hope, keep on hoping, I will hope kept popping up.

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! Psalm 31:24

But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. Psalm 71: 14

I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” Lamentations 3:24

While the rest of each verse was filled with wonderful promises, I was stopped short by those small verbs: will, put, keep. Each one is an action, one that I am compelled to make.

The last two verses had something different to say:

Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Romans 15:4

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

These passages say that the Scriptures give us hope and that God is the source of all hope. I know that faith is a gift from God; it's not something that we possess ourselves, He provides it to us, but I've never given any thought to the idea that God may also be the one to give me hope.

My thoughts came together as I wrote in my journal; there seemed to be a kind of process for hope, and the first step must be mine. I need to make the decision to put my hope, keep my hope in the Lord. It's a choice I make: do I place my hope in Him or not? Then, if I've put my hope in Him, He follows through by giving me the very hope I need to get me through. And when my patience is running low, the Scripture offers hope and encouragement while I wait for Him to fulfill His promises. This means that hope is a two way street. I can depend upon Him to not only answer my prayers, but to fill me with hope while I wait. Most of the work is actually done by God, not me, but I have to take that essential first step: believe. Believe that He loves me enough to provide enough hope when I've bottomed out and have not an ounce left.

It's funny, I read the verses last night and processed it intellectually, even mentally wrote portions of the blog, but it didn't truly sink in until this afternoon. Another one of those emotional bombs exploded, and I can't seem to stop crying. To get my mind off of it, I started blogging and as I wrote the words I had written last night, I found that once again, God had provided the perfect message in the perfect time for me. I'm in desperate need of hope. And so I choose to hope knowing that He will supply in His abundance.

Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere is a powerful memoir with a message of God and grace in your life. VanLiere was sexually abused as a child and compartmentalized it as her own fault making relationships difficult in her adult life. After facing multiple miscarriages and infertility, along with constant upheaval in her professional life, she finally discovered the gift of writing that God had given her and began the long process of adoption. VanLiere takes all of the bumps in her life's journey and turns them into opportunities for learning, not just for herself, but for the reader as well, who feels like a good friend by the time the last page is turned. As the author of The Christmas Shoes, the author has earned a reputation as a terrific writer, but this book also shows her as a true woman of God who is using her gifts to show His amazing grace.

Today's pic is of the honeysuckle on the side of our house. I was playing with the camera yesterday trying to take artsy shots.