Tip #5-Banish the Scooge...Decorate!

This one may be more for me. Everytime we have moved, which has been 8 times in 15 1/2 years, I have to reinvent my decorating. Each house and space is different and sometimes things don't work in the new space like they did in the old. Once we moved to this house my umph to decorate flew south and honestly has yet to return. I have a bit of a love/hate thing going on with our house. If I could live in the kitchen I would. The rest of it...not so thrilling. I have finally decided that life is too short to live in a house you don't like so slowly we are tackling the rooms I have issue with. We are 95% complete on the boys bathroom spruce up. A little bit of paint goes a long way.

It has all spilled over into Christmas decorating and my attitude has been rather Scroogish. I am aiming to improve things this year. Why?? Because...

...I love to watch the boys unpack "their" box of ornaments. I give them an ornament each year and when they are grown they will have a start to their own decorating.
...I love the memories that come to mind when I place certain ornaments on the tree
...We have the most precious nativity set, given to us when we left Parkminster Pres in 2001. It is one of the best gifts we have ever been given. The woman who selected it has since passed away but every year when I set it up I am reminded of her, the church and the ministry that took place there. Even though decorating has been sparser the last 2 years, that set always made it out of the box!
...we laugh about the time our tree lost all its needles the day after we bought it or the time the tree fell over, scattering ornaments everywhere just before people came for our open house.
...we enjoy family togetherness when we put up the tree, hopefully creating new memories

We purchased a nativity set early on in our marriage. One way we help the boys anticipate the birth of Jesus is by stashing the baby Jesus figurine away until the 25th. The empty manger is a reminder of what is to come. We have never done the birthday cake for Jesus thing but that is another great way to celebrate. These are just a couple of ways to help younger children grasp that Christmas isn't just about presents. Rather that it is about the greatest gift, the "presence" of Jesus in our lives.

So, put on that Christmas CD, heat up some hot chocolate and scatter some decorating joy around your house. Enjoy recalling memories from years past. Be reminded about how richly you are blessed. Make new memories as you go. Weave those threads into a meaningful tapestry this Christmas.

Tip #4 Be Selflessly Generous

Perspective. Sometimes I can get to feeling sorry for myself. I bet you never do that, right? Then I see someone in need or pain. My perspective changes. Going to Romania changed my perspective. A lot. Being here in Ransomville has changed my perspective.

Sadly, I often go through my days with shades on. Those shades of selfishness or busyness that keep me from seeing those in need around me. Sometimes I wear them on purpose. Again, probably not something you do, but I will be honest and tell you I do. It is easier not to see the need and pain because then I don't have to do anything about it. Not something I am proud of.

You've probably heard that saying "God ain't finished with me yet." Boy am I glad that is a fact! I have asked Him more in the last couple of years to show me things. Show me a need I can do something about. He is so faithful to answer. Sometimes it is as simple as a card, other times it has been a Wegmans gift card, other times it is a matter of paying someone a visit. Since this is obviously not a natural part of my being, I have to be intentional about giving selflessly. It is something I want to become better at and I want to model it to my boys.

Giving selflessly brings tremendous joy. The opposite of what we may think sometimes. My mind tells me I will be inconvenienced if I do x, y or z. I don't have time. Or money. But when I do it anyway, the return is always greater than my inconvenience. It is in those moments that God whispers to me, He blesses me. My perspective is changed.

How can you be selflessly generous this Christmas? I have a few ideas...
-buy a Biosand filter for a family in Africa. It only costs $85. You can impact a family with clean water for 20 years! We are doing this at church and hope to be able to purchase 10 filters, maybe more. I am so excited to support our friends in Jars of Clay with this project. I posted about it here if you want to read more.
-sponsor a child though Child Care Ministries
-volunteer at a food pantry this Christmas
-ask your kids if they know someone at school who could use help this Christmas. You will be surprised what they know about parents being laid off of jobs, illness, divorce situations. Talk about ways to help and do it as a family.

Ask God to show you a need and how you can meet it. I promise you it will change your perspective and give greater meaning to your season.

Tip #3: Give More

I know I just told you to spend less. No, I am not losing my mind. Tip 3 for how to enjoy a more meaningful Christmas is to give more. I didn't say go buy more, I said give more.

Remember that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." -John 3:16

God gave the ultimate gift. He is the mac daddy of gift givers! He has modeled giving in the greatest sense of the word.

How can you and I give more? By giving gifts of kindness. Give gifts that spread the joy you have because you are a child of the King!

Do you bake cookies? Make an extra batch and share it with a neighbor.

Do you like to craft? Encourage your kids to help you make a card or gift for someone.

Smile at the tired cashier at the grocery store.

While we are talking about the grocery store, let someone get ahead of you in line.

Bring the bell ringer a hot cup of coffee and thank them for what they are doing.

If you have the means, plow/snow blow out someones driveway when it snows. Better yet, make it someone you don't know.

You get the idea, right? Find ways to spread cheer and kindness. Nothing too complicated but it does require some thought and intention. Giving thought to someone else means you aren't absorbed in your own schtuff, even if just for a short while.

And maybe, just maybe, you will make them wonder...why are you so cheerful? Something is clearly different, what is it? That may lead to a conversation. Maybe you will share with them the real meaning of Christmas and the joy you have because of it. Just maybe.

Tip #2 Spend Less

So, we have already made it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. My email box is being flooded with internet offers to the tune of 30-50 a day. The adds are taking up more space than the news these days. Spend, spend, spend. Rock bottom prices, unheard of deals. How can we resist? The pull is great, isn't it?


Then there are the kids. Kaleb started his wish list months ago. Joshua got savvy this year and cut and pasted pictures into a word document just so we know exactly what he wants. His own mini Christmas catalog if you will, complete with prices and descriptions. The commercialism has our kids very hyped up. I can already feel the anticipation growing. I get daily reminders of how many days are left until the "big day". Oh the pressure and guilt that creeps in at the mere thought of disappointing them.


The statistics are staggering. The billions spent on gifts. The months spent paying off the bills. You know that finances are one of the biggest stressors in life, right? Bad finances lead many into divorce. I never completely shake the stress of finances, and it is not for lack of trying...really hard. Sometimes debt is unavoidable despite our best efforts. Christmas overspending however is completely avoidable. Don't do it! Commit yourself to spending less this year. Commit to staying within your means.

This year I took out my Christmas money in cash. No credit cards. It is helping me not to overspend. I know what I have and when it is gone.


One of my good friends from high school has 6 daughters and lives on a modest budget. Several years ago I asked her how they handle Christmas. What she told me has stuck with me ever since, though I can not say I have been able to follow her lead. She said that Jesus received 3 gifts according to scripture...gold, frankincense and myrrh. If 3 gifts were good enough for the baby Jesus, then 3 gifts were good enough for her girls. Each one received one large, one medium and one small gift. Period. Imagine if our kids knew that in advance. That would take care of a lot of the expectation end of things. And I imagine we would find fewer gifts tossed in the corner just days after Christmas. I love the connection to the nativity as well.


Another mom I spoke with only allows her kids to have 5 items at a time on their wish lists. That is a great idea! If you want to add something new, something else needs to come off the list. WOW! Decisions, decisions.


It is not just about spending less. It is about not getting eaten up by the greed monster. That ugly greed and stuff monster that clouds our ability to embrace the real Christmas. The real Jesus. Gifts are not bad. I really enjoy giving gifts. And receiving them too, who doesn't?? Just make them a part of your Christmas, not THE focus of it. Chose to spend less, stress less, in order that you can focus more on having a meaningful Christmas.


Kind of ironically, the next tip will be on giving more. Huh? Stay tuned.

Meaningful Christmas Tip #1

Welcome to December! Does the mere thought that we are in the month of Christmas make your heart skip a beat? Do you immediately start going through your mental list of what needs to get done in the next 25 days? For the last 2 years I have thought about the stress of the holidays and how to balance it with celebrating the real Christmas. The Christmas that honors the birth of Christ, not the commercialism our society has made it into. To be honest, I have not been too successful. But I want to keep trying. I also have a lingering question...am I doing a good job teaching my boys about the true Christmas? So, I am working on some practical ideas to help me and my family more fully embrace Christ this season. Maybe you find yourself in a similar place. If so, this is as much for you as it is for us. Will you join us in this journey?


Tip #1: Advent Devotions


Advent is a time of preparation. This preparation is not the kind that involves getting your shopping done, cookies baked, cards sent out on time and the like. This is a preparation of the heart. A time of anticipating the birth of Christ. A time to reflect on the amazing gift God gave us when he sent his son to walk the earth and become the sacrifice for you and me.


One way to do that is with devotional readings specifically for the season. You can find Advent devotionals in bookstores. Your church may give them out for free (ours does). You can find resources on-line. You can simply walk through the New Testament narrations found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If you have kids, try to find readings that are easy for them to understand.


Take a few moments after dinner to read a devotion and share your thoughts around the table. It doesn't need to take long but it will model to your kids that this time is special. That we are chosing to spend time focusing on Jesus, anticipating his birth, preparing for a celebration.

Advent started on Sunday so it is not too late to get started! If you want some help with scriptures, check out this article from Focus on the Family from 2000. It also gives ideas for incorporating an Advent wreath into your celebrations. Ahhh, dinner by candlelight. Who cares if what is on the plate is mac n cheese?? Candlelight automatically makes things more special!


I'll be back tomorrow with tip #2.

Wrapping Up November

I am stepping off the merry go round for a minute. Today is the last day of November. That means it is my brother's birthday. Love ya, Chris!! We just returned from spending Thanksgiving with them. It had shamefully been more than a year since we had been to their house. It was good to be there, good to rest, good to see the boys (nephew #2 turned 2 yesterday!), good to catch up on life, good to do a bit of hunting and good to do a bit of shopping. Just to be clear, Greg, Josh and Chris did the hunting. Melissa and I did the shopping. The guys came home empty handed, the girls did not :).
Thursday was a gorgeous day so while we cooked and prepared, the boys did some 4 wheeling and playing outside. Chris used the mower to bury the boys in leaves. Oh to be a kid again!

The nephews love their cousins! Sometimes more than Kaleb would like, lol. It's all good though!

Our other big November news is that Greg has a new woman in his life. Gasp! In a momentary lapse of my sanity I agreed to get a dog. Greg and Josh had been slowly wearing me down. I finally got the point where I felt guilty for saying no, for depriving my boys of the opportunity to have a pet in their lives. So, everyone, meet Daisy Mae...

Daisy is a 10 month old black lab. A family at church recently adopted her sister and when they heard Daisy was also up for adoption, they hooked us up. Tip: if you are thinking about getting a dog, be sure to let the dog lovers in your life know. They will go above and beyond until you find one. They won't rest until the connection is complete. We have some dog crazy friends, I tell ya, lol.
Anyway, the woman who bought her later decided she wasn't up for the challenge of a raising a puppy so the breeder took her back. She is a very nice dog (but I won't admit to it if pressed!). She is already housebroken, doesn't jump much, can follow some simple commands and loves to be around us. We had to break her of the habit she had to jump onto the furniture. After several failed ideas, someone told us to use mouse traps. Two snapped traps later the lesson was learned! She's a bright one. Now we leave the un-set traps on the sofa when we leave for work and just the sight of them seems to be enough to keep her off. We still have to find a way to curb some of the barking and get her to walk better on the leash. And I need to find a way to get her to stop following me everywhere. Drives me crazy, especially when I am cooking.
But you know that this adventure we have embarked on couldn't go on without some craziness! Last week we discovered she was in heat! We didn't even have her long enough to make plans to get her fixed. grumble, grumble grumble. So, now Daisy Mae is sporting some Daisy Dukes.

This was Daisy snuggling up with Chris' dog, Sheldie. They got along very well and with her blue pants on she was easy to identify!
Tomorrow is December already. I have been toying with the idea of doing a 12 day series of tips on how to have a meaningful Christmas. So, come back tomorrow for tip #1.

Opportunity

By now you all know I have a second blog. Actually, this blog is my second one, my first blog is my stamping blog called Inky Doodles. There is a link in the sidebar. I don't frequently mix the two but sometimes they are like a PBJ sandwich and are hard to separate.

Many of you know that I have been a demonstrator with Stampin' Up since 2005. In September they made some major changes to the Independent Demo Agreement and for many reasons I did not feel that I could sign it, so I stepped down. You have heard the saying "When God closes a door, he opens a window". Well, in my case he opened the window first, making it easier to shut the door on my life as a demonstrator. In mid August, two weeks prior to the changes at Stampin' Up, I was offered an opportunity to join the design team for a stamp company called Cornish Heritage Farms. This company is owned by a couple originally from England, now residing in Montana. They are a lovely Christian couple and I did not hesitate to say "yes" to their offer! This company has a very large collection of stamps, in many different styles. They have agreements with Thomas Kinkade, Tom Allen, GM, and several other artists. They release new stamps 2-3 times per week! I am currently working with 3 of the lines they carry and can choose any additional releases that appeal to me. I have had the opportunity to write tutorials, product reviews, as well as blog posts for the company blog. Needless to say, this has been keeping me quite busy. I am loving every minute of it. It has opened up opportunities that I probably would not have had if I had remained with Stampin' Up. I am so glad God knows what is best for me, even when I don't always see it at the time!

The latest opportunity came when I was given the chance to be the Guest Blogger for a challenge blog called Stampin' Sisters in Christ. Cornish Heritage Farms is sponsoring their challenge this week and I am honored to be able to share a bit about my life and faith with a new audience. I honestly have moments when I think I should sell all my stamping supplies because it seems like foolishness in the grand scheme of things. Does God really care about stamping?? The answer is he cares about what I care about. He can use whatever we have to give him. I know that. I have seen it. A simple card made of paper and ink can bring comfort or encouragement or joy. When I send cards out I send them off with a prayer. God takes it from there.

Today was my day as the Guest Blogger. If you would like to read the article, check it out here.

Thanks for letting me share this stuff with you. I am no rock star (though Greg thinks so, he's great...but biased) but it is exciting stuff!