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 and 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!

LISTENING FOR CHRISTMAS
by Deb Kalmbach

I used to be the queen of over-commitment, and December brought out the worst in this malady. It was as if I were poised at an imaginary starting line, and when I flipped the calendar page, I was off and running–the December dash!

You could hardly see any white space on my daily planner it was so jammed with events. Kids’ Christmas programs, church programs, and endless lists of things-to-do obscured my calendar and my vision to see what really mattered. Each day when we hung another ornament on our Advent tree, I felt my chest tighten, and my breathing get shallower. Only single-digit shopping days left…Panic mode was about to set in.

Of course I was singing in the Christmas choir. I love music, and the heavenly Christmas anthems we sang. The neighborhood cookie exchange was an annual tradition. Forget about the old standards, chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. Let’s talk about jam-filled tea cookies, chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls, or iced sugar cookies with colored sprinkles. My kitchen looked like a Martha Stewart test kitchen gone awry.

My head spins just thinking about it. I usually felt so frustrated and exhausted by Christmas Day, I barely enjoyed the celebration. I repeated this drill for many Christmas seasons, before I finally decided to step back and think about why I was trying to accomplish the impossible. I learned to take a deep breath and accept the fact that I can’t do it all-and I’m much better off if I don’t try.

That’s probably why I’m writing this. The tendency to revert to this frenzied pace by mid-December is still a challenge. I need to be reminded of the quiet simplicity of this season, so I can hear the age-old message once again.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel! Our God is with us. If we can stop long enough to listen-we will hear the invitation that beckons us to come, to wait, to get ready for our coming King.

No doubt, December will be as busy as ever with gifts to purchase, trees to decorate and carols to sing. But this Advent season, I pray that in the midst of everything contending for our time and attention, our hearts will be moved and our senses sharpened to rejoice in God’s greatest gift.

Deb Kalmbach is the co-author of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So-Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey’s Dad Drinks Too Much. Deb and her husband, Randy, make their home in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at her website or blog.

Life Beautiful
by Margaret McSweeney

During a quiet moment after Thanksgiving, I started reading my parents’ stack of love letters that I recently found in a storage box. As a Christmas gift to you, I would like to share my father’s words to my mother written to her during Christmas 1949. This incredible “hug from heaven” has been a tangible affirmation that Pearl Girls has true meaning and great worth for women throughout the world. I pray that God will continue to bless this ministry and outreach. May we all realize that the grit in our lives can be transformed into grace through the love of God.

This is what I found written on a tiny folded card inscribed with “Christmas Greetings” on the front:

Christmas 1949

My Dearest Carolyn,

Truly a jewel is a thing of beauty, but a life that is lived to serve others and to glorify our Christ, such as yours, is my dearest, a far surpassing gem in radiance and beauty.

Pearls to me, symbolize this “Life Beautiful” that you have achieved, Carolyn. Each pearl is a result of a great hurt to the oyster’s life. But the little mollusk builds an iridescent coat around this source of hurt, and as a result, the precious pearl comes into being. Life is like that too.

If we, like the pearl, can make of our hurts the basis of a thing of beauty, then we can bear witness to an on-looking world how Christians can overcome through Christ, blows that are seemingly insurmountable.

At this happiest season of the year, I give thanks to God for you, Carolyn – my Pearl of Great Price.

Your Claude

Isn’t this an amazing Christmas Pearl? I hope this message has touched your heart, too. Another Christmas gift I would like to share with you: My father’s lessons on leadership. These can be found on my guest blog post at Michael Hyatt’s website.

During this holiday season, decorate your life with Christmas Pearls — strands of God’s grace-reminders that nothing can separate us from his love, not even the grittiest of circumstances.

And please celebrate the “Pearls of Great Price” in your life through Post a Pearl. It’s a fun and free gift that you can share with special people who have been a blessing to you over the years.

Merry Christmas!

Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. She’s the founder of Pearl Girls and a published author. Please visit www.pearlgirls.info for more info. You can also find Margaret at her writing blog, From Finance to Fiction or on Facebook and twitter.

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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!

I just got word of this cool new feature from Claire’s. Fantastic idea for teens, but this would also be great for an inexpensive office gift exchange. Check it out:

CLAIRE’S CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS WITH NEW SECRET SANTA CIRCLE

Teen Fashion Leader Launches Interactive Gift Exchange with Shopping Deal

Chicago, IL. (December 8, 2009) – Claire’s, the popular teen accessories destination, launches its first-ever interactive digital campaign, Secret Santa Circle.  Just in time for the holidays, girls can create their own Secret Santa Circle with their BFFs on-line to ensure they gift and get exactly what’s on their wish list.

Claire’s Secret Santa Circle allows users to create their own gift wish list, view their friends’ lists and suggest items for other friends to add.  Once a user joins, they are secretly matched to their Secret Santa assignment and receive a digital coupon for $5 off a $10 or more purchase at Claire’s, providing a helpful discount for their gift purchase. The online program gives girls the opportunity to celebrate the season with glam accessories for themselves and their friends, perfect for dressing up during the holidays and ringing in the New Year.

“Secret Santa exchanges have always been popular among teens, but we’re taking the tradition to a new level. Our interactive version provides a more fun, engaging experience for our customers and gives them the opportunity to communicate and share ideas with friends,” said Norm Yustin, Senior Vice-President Global Marketing of Claire’s.  “We created Claire’s Secret Santa Circle to encourage social shopping and ensure everyone can give and receive the perfect gifts this season.”

Additional features of the Secret Santa Circle include:

• A digital invitation allowing users to choose the date and location for the gift exchange
• The ability to compose a group message and set a price for presents
• A page for the Secret Santa Circle organizer to track responses
• A link to post wish lists and wish list suggestions directly to a Facebook profile
• Helpful e-mail or text reminders to each person in your Circle along the way to ensure everyone gets in on the fun
• The ability for participants to poll their own Secret Santa Circle
• A special code to download a free music track from claire’sFM playlist

All participants in Claire’s Secret Santa Circle must be at least thirteen years of age.  For more information about Claire’s Secret Santa Circle please visit www.Claires.com

Too Precious to Wear by Sarah Sundin One Christmas when my mother was a girl, she received a string of pearls from her father. Since her parents were divorced-an unusual situation in the 1950s-she treasured the pearls as a sign of her father’s love. When he passed away her senior year in high school, the pearls took on even greater significance. When I was growing up, my mother talked often about the pearls, but my sister and I never saw them. Mom kept them safe in their silk-lined velvet box tucked in her jewelry box. For dressy occasions, she wore other nice jewelry, but never the pearls. The pearls were too precious to wear. What if the strand broke and even a single pearl was lost? What if the clasp broke and she lost them forever? She couldn’t risk it. Better to keep them cocooned in silky security. When my mother offered to let me wear her pearls on my wedding day, I was deeply touched. This was more than “something old” or “something borrowed,” but a sign that she trusted me and loved me. A few days before the wedding, my mother pulled the box from seclusion. My sister and I watched with curiosity and awe. The pearls had turned a deep grayish-yellow, they were flaking, and some had fallen apart. They were fake. For over thirty years, my mother nurtured a piece of costume jewelry. All that time she could have worn them and enjoyed them without worry. Her father gave them to her for a purpose-to wear them and feel lovely and ladylike and special. He didn’t mean for her to hide them away. On our wedding day, my husband gave me a strand of real pearls. They symbolize my husband’s sacrificial love for me-they were expensive for a graduate student with half-Scottish blood. I vowed never to tuck them away but to wear them often. Yes, I’m careful. I inspect the cord and knots and clasp, and I plan to have them restrung when necessary. But I wear them and enjoy them. That’s why my husband gave them to me. Our heavenly Father gives us gifts too-brilliant and costly. We should cherish them, but we should use them. Whether our individual gifts involve serving, teaching, encouragement, evangelism, or even money-they have a purpose. The Lord wants us to use our gifts to bless others and to spread the message of His love. While pearls make women look lovely, using our God-given gifts for His kingdom makes us even lovelier. And just as pearls grow more lustrous with frequent wear, our gifts from God grow in beauty and strength the more we use them. This Christmas I plan to wear my string of pearls, a sign of my husband’s love-and to display my pearls from heaven, a sign of my Father’s love. Have a lustrous Christmas!

Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist. Her first novel, A Distant Melody, historical fiction set during World War II, will be published by Revell in March 2010. Please visit her at http://www.sarahsundin.com or her blog or find her on Facebook.

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

Do you ever discover a hidden treasure that was right under your nose? I’ve lived in my hometown most of my life. On one major corner you’ll find MacRae’s Indian Books. It’s been there since before I was born. A few months ago on a date night, my husband and I wandered in. Wow! This bookstore was HUGE with a gigantic selection of Native Americn books, art and artifacts. Many of the books are out of print, so if this is your thing, this is your place.

According to the website, MacRae’s has 5761 titles available online. It is the largest independent Native American Bookstore. I believe it!

They also have amazing Native American art, including:

Little People/Dolls

Carved by Shona-Hah, the matriarch of the Lelooska family who drew on first hand knowledge, much research, and collected memories of the Old Ones for her inspiration. Each “Little Person” is unique, displayed as authentically as possible, essentially a vignette of the way that the person or persons would have lived, worked, or played in the past, and in amazingly detailed and authentic clothing.

Masks can be removed from most of the dancers to reveal the hidden faces of the dancer.

The character and beauty of the faces appear lifelike, so much so in some of them that one can recognize them from their photographs. Others are not modeled on any one particular person, but a composite of a particular Native American type. Her work can also be found at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

Lelooska Carvings

Carved by Chief Don Lelooska, the patriarch of the Lelooska family and son of Shona-Hah. He drew on first hand knowledge, much research, and memories of the Old Ones for his inspiration. His work can also be found at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

The story of the store is pretty neat, too.

Ken MacRae started selling books in 1968, reprinting choice Indian titles and stocking new books about Native American craft and culture from Apache to Zuni.

He moved to Enumclaw, at the base of Mt. Rainier 37 years ago. Ken stocked every Indian title available (over 6,000) and sold books world-wide, sharing the culture of the American Indian. His legacy of books and art are still available today. After Mr. MacRae passed away, his oldest daughter moved back to town to reopen the store:

Hello,
I’m Kathy MacRae Foy, Ken’s oldest daughter. My husband, Bob, and I have re-opened MacRae’s Indian Books. My Dad left a wonderful heritage of Indian books and art to be shared with the world.

We welcome your interest and look forward to your online or in-store visit.

There is no search feature on the website, but here’s an easy way to search. Go to Google and enter Site:www.macraesindianbooks.com **enter book title, author or tribe here, then take out the stars!***

If you visit or purchase from MacRae’s, please tell them MissMouthy sent you!!

Tags: Enumclaw, Lelooska carvings, MacRae's Indian Books, Native American, Native American books

Swine flu has hit my school. Yesterday we had over 10% of our students absent, district wide. Today it was only 8.7%. I’ve heard lots of advice, some of it pretty crazy, but no matter who you talk to or what you read, handwashing is the constant advice.

I wash my hands and you wash your hands, but what about your kids? I know I am not as vigilant as I should be. However, the people at www.TheShandle.com have a great new product that helps remind kids to wash hands when you can’t (or don’t…sometimes I’m just lazy!)

The Shandle is a little device that sticks to your toilet seat. It reminds kids to wash their hands. The Shandle has an antimicrobial coating as an additional guard against germs. They have lots of kid-friendly designs and even some modern designs to compliment your bathroom décor.

My girls, ages 3 and 4, were pretty thrilled with The Shandle. We have the frog design, which they adore. They sometimes say, “Goodbye, Shandle,” when they leave the bathroom, after washing their hands, of course.

In my household, we have 3 girls and one boy, my husband, whose mother taught him well. Thanks MIL! We don’t have toilet seat issues. However, my friends with boys all said how much they would love this for the toilet seat reminder-ness! Even husbands might take the hint! I have to say, the thought of kids touching the toilet seat, then not washing, then touching things everywhere…yuck! This would go a long way in solving that problem, especially if you don’t clean your bathroom very often…or ever.

The Shandle is only $6.99 with free shipping. It has a 100% money back guarantee so there’s really no risk. Hey, this could be a delightful stocking stuffer for every man on your list!

If this hasn’t been convincing enough, check out this information from the website. If this doesn’t get your credit card out, I don’t know what will!

These are only a few examples of germs that are derailed by proper hand washings.
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• Streptococcus: Strep throat is a contagious disease caused by the streptococcus bacteria. Strep is most commonly seen in children between the ages of 5 and 16. Although there is no perfect way to avoid strep throat infections, experts agree that washing your hands often is an excellent start.

• Staphylococcus: Staph contains over thirty different types of bacteria and is responsible for a number of illnesses. If staph is present around your kids- hand washing will go a long way to keeping it at bay.

• E.Coli: A sick child who doesn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom can spread bacteria throughout the house in a matter of seconds. Teaching kids the importance of hand washing will reduce the likelihood of germs spreading.

• Shigella Bacteria: Most common during the summer months Shigella typically affects kids 2 to 4 years old. Symptoms include cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. The infection is very contagious and can be prevented with good hand washing practices.

Check out this video:

Tags: H1N1, handwashing, shandle, swine flu, toilet seat

As parents, we all want our children to have less of a case of the “gimmies” and more a case of the “givvvies.” During the Christmas season, this is especially true. My girls are young…3 and 4. Lots of helping ideas just aren’t appropriate. Serving in a soup kitchen? Not such a goodd idea. Giving money to the Union Gospel Mission? No meaning for this age.
A perfect match is Operation Christmas Child. I first learned about this awesome project through my MOPS group. It’s pretty easy and I think my kids really “get it.”
Here’s how it works:
Find a shoebox or a plastic tub that’s shoebox size. Fill it up with things for a spacific gender and age range. These items can be related to hygene (toothpaste, soap, comb), school (pencils with sharpeners, coloring pages, erasers) or just fun. Operation Christmas Child has lots of suggestions. Search the website to find a local drop-off location near you.
My kids are young, so children in far off places is kind of a difficult concept for them to understand. However, when I share a picture of a child about their age and explain that they don’t have any toys or things to play with, this seems to help them understand. When we shop for items, they often want things. On this particular trip, I make sure we only shop for our Christmas Child.
My MOPS group has been doing this for years. It has been amazing! One year, we had a family that matched each box we turned in. Last year, my church joined in. We were hoping for 100 boxes and we met that goal. Imagine, 100 children opening gifts prepared just for them!

A cool new feature that launched last year is the EZ Give. With this option, you donate online, then you can see where your box is delivered!What a cool feature.

If you want more information on this Bloggers Care Carnival head over to Real Life for more information.

Tags: Christmas, Operation Christmas Child, outreach, Samarian's Purse

Thanks to LitFuse, Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey, I recently missed out on a lot of sleep. The new book, The Swiss Courier, kept me up at night. I seriously couldn’t wait to get my girls in bed then hop into bed myself to get reading. I LOVE books that I think about all day and can’t wait to read that night.

So, what’s all the fuss? The Swiss Courier is set in 1944 Switzerland. Though politically neutral, may in Switzerland are working and hoping for the Allied forces. The Mueller family is central to the book, with Gabi Mueller leading the way. Gabi is pulled from her “day job” because of her incredible safe cracking skills. She goes on covert missions to help the Allies. Even though she’s afraid, she does it for the greater good of her countrymen. There are lots of plot twists that are so unexpected! As much as I loved the faced-paced adventure, I also loved that Gabi has a love interest..or does she? I SO want to tell you more, but I don’t want to give anything away!

I am a big fan of Tricia Goyer and I know she spends lots of time researching her characters and the specifics of the time period so I’m confident the information is correct. This was a sad time in our history and the daily life is revealed in an accurate and touching way.

I have to say, when I first started reading Christian Fiction, I felt like I had to give something up in quality to have a story reflect my values. Again, this book totally disproves that theory. The characters are deep and changing, the plot is as thrilling as any book I’ve read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read!

Tricia and Mike, thanks for keeping me awake at night! A big thank you to LitFuse who provided this book for review. I *heart* you, LitFuse!

Check out this video:

CONTEST (and this includes CHOCOLATE!)
Pst…pass it on! Help Spread the word about #SwissCourier on Twitter and enter to win a signed copy & Swiss Chocolate!
Just tweet this: The Swiss Courier by @triciagoyer fast paced and suspenseful! Don’t miss out! http://tr.im/Ahjs RT #swisscourier and we’ll enter you into a drawing for 1 of 5 SIGNED copies of The Swiss Courier!

Here’s some official info:
About the book!
It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. When Joseph Engel, a German physicist working on the atomic bomb, finds that he is actually a Jew, adopted by Christian parents, he must flee for his life to neutral Switzerland. Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. When she is asked to risk her life to safely “courier” Engel out of Germany, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way? This fast-paced, suspenseful novel takes readers along treacherous twists and turns during a fascinating–and deadly–time in history.

About the authors:
Tricia Goyer is the author of several books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW’s Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Montana. To find out more visit her website: www.triciagoyer.com
Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including the bestselling Every Man’s Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California.To find out more visit his website: www.MikeYorkey.com

Check out the rest of the blog tour for The Swiss Courier.

Tags: blog tour, Christian Fiction, litfuse, Swiss Courier, The Swiss Courier, tricia goyer

I am so behind. Seriously. I just learned to text a few months ago. I heard about this great sounding iPhone App. Now, I don’t know much about iPhone Apps, but I do know that I usually only find out about a concert a few days before it happens. I’ll be reading the paper to see what’s going on this weekend, then there’s a concert I wish I knew about!

Check this out and let me know what you think:

Concertimatic is now available through the Apple App Store® for iPhone® and iPod Touch® owners. Imagine never missing your favorite bands when they come through town again. With one tap, Concertimatic reads your iTunes® library for your list of artists and then combs through concert listings in your area through a variety of websites. This produces a chronological list of concerts, tailored specifically for you.

The application eliminates the labor and time of searching through sites like Pollstar, Jambase and others, automatically letting you know about shows you’re interested in.

You can buy concert tickets on the phone of course, but you can also email the concert information to yourself or friends to then complete the purchase on a computer. It also has links to the band’s page on iTunes® just to make sure you haven’t missed their latest release or are looking to fill out your library before the show. The app’s default is to know where you are, but allows you to change your location if you are planning a trip and want to see who is playing in that town. Some people are willing to travel great distances to see their band, so Concertimatic offers a range option from one mile up to 200.

“I’m very excited about this new app. After six months of developing and testing, this new tool will mean that you will never again say, ‘If I had known that they were coming through town, I’d have gone!’” said Duncan King, founder of Concertimatic. “This simple tool, made possible by the new 3.0 OS, allows you to worry about one less thing. Up until now, there hasn’t been an app like this that reads your playlist and tells you in a matter of seconds when those bands are coming — all for less than a dollar.”

Concertimatic was developed by the team at InfoBridge LLC (www.infobridge.net).  For further information, visit www.concertimatic.com or to purchase concertimatic from the apple app store, you can place the following URL in your browser: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=v5XpkawvqJU&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2FWebObjects%2FMZStore.woa%2Fwa%2FviewSoftware%3Fid%3D322556946