December!!

Yes....December already.  And we've had a little burst of winter weather as well!  Brrrrrr!  I went out at noon and it was only 21 degrees!  Thank you Lord for heating in our homes!  I hope you've all had a good week of heartwork.  It's time consuming I know....this week I have actually been better at doing some each day and not having to rush on Monday.  How are all of you doing with your heartwork?  Please feel free to be interactive and leave your comments or tips here for the other gals!

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12


                
 

"We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all.  We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle."
~ Oswald Chamber~



                       


“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr. Seuss

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” – James Matthew Barrie

“How like a winter hath my absence been. From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen, What old December’s bareness everywhere!” – Shakespeare



       


                                    


From allthingsformom.com 


Less Stress = More Joy / Practical Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress, Part II

Christmas Cookies – why do we feel the need to bake 17 dozen different cookies right before Christmas?  Step away from the mixing bowl for a minute.  No one needs that much sugar.  There is nothing wrong with baking a few cookies with the kids as a fun family activity.  But, if you would rather do a polar bear swim than bake and you end up throwing 2/3 of them away after Christmas because three of your neighbors, Aunt Betty and all of the kids in your Sunday School class gave you plates of cookies then it is nothing more than a waste of food.  Try scaling it back to one or two batches spread out over the entire month.  The bathroom scale will thank you come January.

 Family Dinners – for some, the anticipation of holiday get-togethers with family makes this anything but the most wonderful time of the year.  However, holiday dinner is not the time to address family tensions.  Try these tips for making family interactions merry and bright:

1.   Address any issues well before the holidays, at a set time and not in the heat of the moment. 

2.   Embrace flexibility.  Decide which aspects of the holiday or your family relationships are most important to you and which are not worth a battle.  Sometimes just knowing that you’re right and your sister-in-law is wrong should be enough.  You don’t need to prove it. 

3.   Re-evaluate whether or not your expectations of yourself or others are realistic.  Remember, people are more important than your list.

4.   Set boundaries around the things that are most important to you and kindly but firmly stick with them. 

5.   Solicit the support of your spouse or a trusted loved one before an issue arises.  He can’t read your mind so don’t shoot him a glare in the middle of a confrontation and expect that he’ll know he’s supposed to intervene.

6.   Remember what your teacher always told you, “Just ignore them.”  Don’t take the bait.  You have the power to stop provocative conversations and antagonistic comments in their tracks before they have a chance to turn everyone Grinchy.

7.   If you genuinely cannot have a happy holiday with the prospect of family visits looming on the snowy horizon then perhaps it’s time for a change of pace.  Ask another family member to host dinner or have mom and dad stay with them instead of you.  You might just need a break from hosting to regain your focus on the season.

 Volunteering – this is the one item I would encourage you to add to your holiday To-Do list.  Very few things in life will refocus our priorities on what matters most like volunteering to help those who are less fortunate than we are.  Call some local charitable organizations to determine their needs and then get to work filling one or two of them.  This is an excellent way to remember the true meaning of the holidays and realize that our problems are often not as big as we believe.

 Gift-Giving – I heard that collective groan of despair as you looked over your holiday gift list and then did the math.  This is one of the biggest areas of stress surrounding the holidays.  We are in one of the worst recessions in history so why do we need to buy gifts for all of those people?  Start by setting a budget and sticking with it.  Once you’ve purchased or decided on a gift for someone do not allow the clever, sentimental marketing tactics of corporate America lure you into unnecessary purchases that will be forgotten as soon as the wrapping paper is thrown in the trash.  If holiday giving is no longer a joy but more of a chore, I want you to take a look at each person on your list and genuinely ask yourself why you are buying them a gift.  Do they really need anything?  Are you simply exchanging gift cards with them?    To reduce financial strain, try coming up with creative ways to give to the people you love without spending money:

1.      Set a date to clean your friend’s house or babysit her kids. 

2.      Make a meal during the holidays for that friend or family member who is feeling overwhelmed.

3.      Try cutting back on gifts for your kids, as well.  Suggest giving each child three gifts in honor of the three gifts of the Magi.  Studies have shown that children become bored after two or three gifts.  More stuff means more clutter, not more love. 

4.      Give a charitable gift in honor of that hard-to-buy-for loved one.  Many organizations such as World Vision or Heiffer International offer catalogs with options to purchase useful items for the less fortunate.  Instead of another candle, why not give Cousin Sally a card telling her that you purchased a flock of chickens for a widowed mother of five in Mozambique in her honor?

5.      If you have a large extended family, suggest a Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange.  It will add some mystery and fun to your festivities. 

6.      Purchase an inexpensive but meaningful ornament.  They’ll remember you every time they decorate their tree.

 Learn to Say No…and Yes – This is, perhaps, the most important tip I can give you.  You must learn to say NO to your perfectionism and NO to demands from others that do not fit into your family priorities.  Give yourself a break to enjoy the holidays before they’re gone.  Learn to say YES to help from others, especially your family members.  Allow your husband to help decorate the house and your mother-in-law to help cook.  Get the kids involved in the preparations.  Your living room does not have to be decorated like a Martha Stewart Living centerfold and the outside of your house does not have to resemble Clark Griswold’s light display.  Your dinner won’t be perfect and the tree might be tilted. 

Kim Commentary:  I think the point we all need to remember is that by freeing up some time in your holiday schedule you will be able to take a deep breath and a step back to enjoy and make lasting memories with those you love while celebrating the birth of our Savior....the real reason for this season.

               

Blogview - Dana Farmer

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting with Dana Farmer and her two adorable little girls, Elizabeth and Mallory, ages 3 and 2.  They were so delightful, and even offered “Cheers” with their chocolate milk and my diet coke!  It was all I could do to focus on the task at hand, because they are so endearingly engaging.  I’d have loved to have just stopped played with them. 

Dana and her husband, Jamie, have been married for seven years, and have these two darling girls and they are expecting another little bundle in the summer!   Congratulations to the whole family, and we will pray for a healthy pregnancy and delivery for you, Dana!

Q&A with Dana!

Kim:  Where did you grow up? 

Dana:  Grew up in LaGrange.

Kim:  Did you grow up in a Christian home, do you have siblings?   

Dana:  Yes was lucky to grow up in a Christian home.  I have a sister Rachel, we are 18 months apart, a sister Callie who is 9 years younger than me, and a little brother, Ben,  who is 18.

Kim:  What made you decide to be a discussion leader?

Dana:   I was asked by one of my other leaders to do it, but I had led FCA and all that jazz.  (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).

Kim:  What’s a holiday tradition you’d like to share with us? 

Dana:  We like to do Christmas with our little family Christmas morning and then we kind of disperse for other family.   We go to my inlaws the weekend before.

Kim:  What are your hobbies? 

Dana:  When I’m not pregnant I like to run….I’ve done the half marathon several years…..did a triple crown when I was pg with Mallory….(I had to ask what a triple crown for people was….it’s several different races over a few days….suffice it to say I’ve never done one)

Kim:  Pet peeves? 

Dana:  Line cutters (especially during Black Friday shopping), lack of punctuality.

Kim:  Best and Worst advice ever given?

Dana:  Best Advice- Listen to all advice but only absorb and use some of it. 

Worst Advice- Sell the baby (from my step mom when I said I was pregnant) as a joke from someone who thinks that people should only have two kids and no more. 

Kim:  Do you have a special “tent of meeting” place in your home? 

Dana:  My bed.  If I leave my bedroom, the girls hear me (hee hee, that’s cute).

Kim:  Does your family have pets?  What are their names? 

Dana:  We have a 12 year old chocolate lab named Mattie and then a fish named Ariel.  (I have a granddog who is a chocolate lab.  LOVE those dogs)

Kim:  What are your favorite things about winter? 

Dana:  I don’t really like winter at all, I tolerate winter.  I don’t like to be cold.

Kim:  Is your group of ladies new, or have you been together before? 

Dana:  I have major turnaround in my groups but these are mostly new.   Seven out of the ten had never done a bible study.  It’s a great, great group.  Totally refreshed and energized.  Lots of fun, this group.

Kim:  What was your service project? 

Dana:  We made blankets and toy baskets for kids at Kosair.

Kim:  Favorite Christmas carol? 

Dana:  I love Christmas songs.  Oh Holy Night is one of my favs.

Kim:  Favorite and least favorite household chore? 

Dana:  Toilets is my least.  My favorite chore I would say parenting.

Kim:  Do you have a bible verse that is speaking to you for this season? 

Dana:  Psalm 139 is my favorite.

Kim:  What do you like most about this study of Acts? 

Dana:  I would say all the thingss I didn’t realize that I didn’t know.  (happens to me with every bible study!)

Kim:  What biblical woman do you most identify with, or which one do you just plain like? 

Dana:  I would say….Hannah….because we also had a hard time getting pregnant.  But what was really cool about this was we prayed that God would have the perfect timing on the 3^rd one.  And it is perfect timing.

Kim:  Favorite TV show(s)? 

Dana:  “Lost” was my very favorite ever, and now that one’s gone off.  We like The Biggest Loser.

Kim:  Favorite restaurant in Louisville? 

Dana:  We don’t really eat out fancy, but we love Carraba’s.    

Kim:  Favorite place to vacation? 

Dana:  We love the beach, any beach, but we discovered Clearwater in Indian Shores, above Tampa.  It has an amazing beach.

Kim:  Favorite things to do on the weekend? 

Dana:  Sleep.  And spending time with my husband, love to go to Farmers Market every Saturday morning. 

The game.   Two things here about Dana are NOT true, and one thing IS true.  Can you guess what is true?

I have a dead cat in my garage  that I’ve had for about 12 years. 

I went whitewater rafting down the Nile.

I have visited four continents.

Answer from last week:  Peggy has been to the grand canyon!!


 

                   

Candy Cane Cocoa

                                        

Ingredients

• 4 cups milk
• 3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 4 small peppermint candy canes

Directions

1. In a saucepan, heat milk until hot, but not boiling. Whisk in the chocolate and the crushed peppermint candies until melted and smooth. Pour hot cocoa into four mugs, and garnish with whipped cream. Serve each with a candy cane stirring stick.

              
  

       

God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith;
the warmth of Christmas, which is love;
the radiance of Christmas, which is purity;
the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice;
the belief in Christmas, which is truth;
the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
--Wilda English

         

Here's something cute that I had not seen in years.....enjoy!




        


Hoping you all have a wonderful break filled with Christmas spirit.  Remember to take time to enjoy something each and every day, and treat yourself well so you don't burn out.  Get plenty of rest and take your vitamins!  I hope to post a blog or two during the break (no Blogviews though), if I am able.  Our married daughters and their families will be here so that means my time is not my own, but I plan to cherish and savor every moment.  I hope you cherish and savor all your moments, too.  God Bless!!