Elf Days- 12 Days of Elf

Several years ago, I created a FB group called "We love our Magic Elf," which generated over 200 members. The members consists of children and  families who have brought the magic of Christmas into their life with the help of Santa's elves. This group was created for fun to share our elf-ventures, posts, pictures and share our elf stories. This year I decided to go a step further and create an event inviting members and other families across the country to join "12 Days of Elf"integrating the traditional "12 Days of Christmas"theme into their elf tradition. Just a creative way to add a little excitement into their visit. For more information, visit us at "We Love Our Elf Magic" on Facebook.

Please come and join us and other families who have brought the magic of Christmas into their household with Santa's elves and join us for the "12 Days of Elf Event" at

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172905322728495 .

Starbucks BOGO Starting today through November 21!

Starbucks BOGO From November 18 to 21, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m, when you purchase one holiday beverage at a participating Starbucks, they'll give you a second one free!

Giving thanks through all our circumstances...

Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer

Everyday we wake up gives us an opportunity to be thankful!  Though during tough times, we tend to forget about the things God has given us and what to be thankful for. God gives us everything we are and have.  And God not only provides us with all we need, but oh, so much more.  The Bible says that we are to be thankful to God no matter what our circumstance. In reading 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." This verse is saying that God wants you to find something to be thankful about no matter what is going on in your life. 

Bethany Hamilton had a lifelong dream of becoming a professional surfer, but her dreams were interrupted on October 31, 2003. While Bethany and her best friend Alana were surfing off Kauai’s North Shore, she was attached by a 14-foot tiger shark. The attack left Bethany with a severed left arm passed out while waiting for help. After losing over 60% of her blood and pulling through many surgeries, Bethany recovered. Before the attack, she said that her parents prayed that God would use Bethany to glorify Him. Through her eagerness and determination, she decided to keep pursuing her dream as a surfer and in 2005 received her first national title in the NSSA National Championship. Through her struggles, she claims her faith in Jesus Christ helped her in her life and strives to be the best at whatever God calls her to do.

“What great things God is doing,” Hamilton says. “I am so thankful that I get to be a part of His plan! I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered me faithful appointing me to His service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)

Wow, what an amazing testimony! In the month when we sit down to feast on Thanksgiving, let us give thanks to God for all He provides us in every circumstance. Let us remember what the Psalmist said: "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."  Psalm 106:1 

Which way do I go?

In Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken, he wrote "...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that had made all the difference." The question still remains for the reader...how did he know he chose the right path? After reading the poem several times, it doesn't really teach us about choice; it simply says that choice is inevitable, so you never know what your choice will mean until you have lived it.


We are all faced with many decisions, some harder than others, so how do we know we are making the right decisions? It's impossible for us to know what the future holds and there are no guarantees. As much as I have struggled with making decisions in my life, I am happy that I have had so  many choices offered to me. Yes, I've made some poor choices, but along with those choices came challenges and opportunities that I would not have experienced otherwise. Out of all those decisions presented, my family was recently faced with a difficult decision and a crossroad in our lives.


It has been nearly two years since my husband and I were forced to leave our home of six years due to job loss. We were faced with a difficult decision even then...where do we go from here? Do we stay near and keep searching for a job or do we turn our sights toward our family over 400 miles away? We had been praying for years to be closer to our family so our children could experience the family life we never knew. When the opportunity presented itself, we responded in our weakest moment, our breaking point (definitely not the type of situation we had hoped). We had a lot to think about, including leaving a place we had been established in for six years. We had made good friends, loved our church family, loved our son's school and made a life together, but down deep we knew we were lacking something...family.


I still remember that cool, windy day in March. Loading the last box onto the truck, saying goodbye to an empty house that was full of memories. We shed many tears that day, said goodbyes to close friends and watched the life we knew shrink smaller into the distance as we drove away. Although we knew we where we were going, it was terrifying thinking of starting over (literally). As we headed north to our destination, I'll never forget my son's excitement in knowing that he would finally get to be with his entire family. Through my tears, I smiled and  found comfort that God was leading us in the right direction, though hard as it was to move.


It was a tough first year, new schools, sharing a home with family, living in an unfamiliar area, and meeting new friends. Everyone was adjusting, except me. I had many nights when I would cry myself to sleep questioning God about how things turned out. How I longed for my friends, my church family, but I felt I had to be strong for my children and my husband. I was amazed to discover the comforting arms of my family wrapping themselves tightly around me and my fears at the perfect moment. A comfort I haven't experienced for some time. It wasn't until just a few weeks ago that I realized that God had given my family a blessing in this move and answered years of prayer.


My husband was offered a job to take us back down south...back to a life we left..where we belong, I thought. Wow, we were here again? This was truly the most difficult and most important decision we as a family had to make. Instead of my desires and wants, I had to consider the needs of my family and how this decision would impact the entire family. I have to admit, I was a bit excited a first returning to a life I have missed for two years. Somehow the thought of picking up where we left off was something I longed for some time. When it came down to really making the decision, we realized that God had already answered our prayer. Though it was a difficult decision, we felt so much comfort and joy to know that this was where we belong.


With all of this being said, I don't believe there are wrong or right choices. As the opportunities are presented to us in our lives, we will grow our spirits and in our priorities. During our decision making, the scripture of James 1:5,6 surfaced several times in front of me. It says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." I could also find comfort in 1 Peter 5:7 where we were told to "cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you." This includes anxiety about making the right decisions. In His scripture, God has promised repeatedly that He cares about our well-being, and He will certainly answer our prayer requests for help in making decisions about such things as jobs, colleges, careers, homes, churches, marriages, families, ministries, finances and whatever else demands our decisions, but He wants us to pray! Even though God knows all about us and the decisions we should make, he still wants us to communicate our thoughts and feelings to Him and our dependence upon Him for making these decisions.


So back to Frost's poem that leaves one guessing on how he chose the path...with prayer, God helps us decide which road to take. As in my choice, I had the unique opportunity to live this choice thanks to God's unveiling blessing.

The Mood Ring

This morning I headed to my bedroom to begin packing for a weekend trip to visit my husband and ran across an old mood ring. I remember the day I bought it. My sister and I were walking through one of our favorite shops and found a set of mood rings by the register. We looked at each other, smiled and immediately grabbed one to try on. We laughed while we childishly watched the colors change from blue to black and and yellow. We even tried to trick the ring to see if the result was correct. (For those who don't remember the mood ring, it was invented by Joshua Reynolds in the 70s and it's stone is made of a hollow quartz which contains 'thermotropic liquid shells' that respond to changes in temperature by twisting. Apparently, the twisting changes their molecular structure, which alters the color, so when the temperature of the liquid crystals change, so does the color.)


I tried on the old ring once again and stared to see what color it would reveal. I was surprised to see the stone turn a light blue, which if you look at the chart above, it reads 'calm, relaxed and lovable.' It obviously was wrong because I was far beyond calm. Hello! I just found out two days ago that I may have to move my family to another state! The appropriate color should appear more like BLACK (stressed)! As I watched the ring change to a deeper blue, I thought about how my children see my moods? What do they see? How do they feel? When I am stressed or anxious, do they notice the boiling red of my face while the steam is blowing out of my ears? Do they see the calming blue when I am lovable and patient? Do they see me share their excitement during my times of distraction?


When the day-to-day responsibilities pile up and become overwhelming, I don't think we realize as parents how much of our moods affect our children. This may surprise you, but as a wife and a mother, we set the tone for our household. For example, I am packing and feeling the pressure of what is to come and isn't it funny that during my crankiness that my children seem to show bad behavior? Coincidence or not, if I am stressed, anxious or running low on patience, any little issue with my children becomes huge. My frustration feeds the fire, but if I remain calm, patient and understanding, then even the most cranky behaviors are handled peacefully and wouldn't you know... we all feel better. But sometimes it doesn't always work that way. It seems so difficult to control our moods when we are living an emotional roller coaster, or any other issues we deal with daily. We need to remember though that whatever the problem we face, big or small, these are valid issues for us to deal with, but our children shouldn't have too. What's the trick? How do we control our emotions during the difficult times?


In Psalms 34:18 it says that, "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in the spirit." Jesus expects us to bring our most daunting challenges before him frequently in prayer. The scripture tells us that the world may abandon us, but God is always there. He is as near as our next prayer. He promised that He would not leave us comfortless. When we are broken in spirit, He will life us up. Remember that even Jesus needed to pray fervently for God's strength as He faced his ambivalence about going to the cross. It is important to one, make time for daily devotions and two, to pray for God's help in responding to our moods as well as for greater consistency in our convictions and grace to make wise decisions in spite of our moods (and hold our tongue---ouch!) And for the needed courage to move beyond our confusion and take steps of faith. Wow...a reminder that God is in control and can be in control of our moods which, remember, sets the tone for our household.


Here are some scriptures to help us get through times of stress:

1. Changes in circumstances and daily routine: Psalm 46:1-3 "God is my refuse and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof."
2. Everyday stresses: Psalm 16:8,9 "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope."
3. Exhaustion: Psalm 23:1,2 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters."
4. Physical problems: Psalm 24:9 "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined until me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."
5. Grief: Psalm 3:3 "But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."
6. Depression: Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."
7. When you need a moment of praise: Psalm 30:11, 12 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth

This season, too, shall pass…

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecc. 3:1

During my morning run, I tried to understand the changing of events that occurred in my life in the last year. A friend’s move during a struggling marriage, family sicknesses, my husband more than 400 miles away, and amongst it all, I try to hold it all together and pray for a sense of normalcy for my children and I.

As I ran down the road, I noticed the colors of autumn that surrounded me. The sound of leaves rustled beneath my feet and the trees disappeared into the hue of pumpkin and wheat. The sounds of this season are so different and solemn than the other seasons that, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as the autumn air. The vanilla skies reach out like wings of a dove and small pieces of nature cover the ground. The wind blew hundreds of leaves off the trees and I was suddenly reminded of how families, like mine, too, endure seasons through the course of time.

I believe God created seasons to show us how He is performing His work in our lives. Just as in nature, we experience winter, spring, summer, and fall in virtually every element of our lives including marriage, personal and spiritual growth, business, finance, relationships, and more. Marriage, falling in love, and the birth of a child are times of renewal like the spring. Families who are blessed to have long, pleasant periods of calmness are similar to the feeling of an endless summer. When we, and our children, grow older, our leaves start to change and we start to experience autumn. The times of crises and hardship are times for the family to stay close together, help each other out and endure what are sometimes the frigid winds of change known as winter.

Unlike nature, it appears our seasons seem to have a schedule of their own. We tend to experience highs and lows in all of our life situations. Sometimes we have a sense of excitement, and feel the need to reach out to someone; and other times we wonder we feel so withdrawn, out of place, or have feelings of doubt. We long for support, understanding, and love.

Jesus tells us “Abide in me and you will bear much fruit.” Yet, we often forget that fruit needs different seasons in order to grow. Sometimes it's hard to see that God is working in our lives. Sometimes we stay busy, sometimes we are still, and sometimes we are pushing with all we've got, and most of the time, we wait.

The tough seasons expose what we are really made of  … what makes us strong and what makes us weak. When we go through a season of difficulty and look at it from a perspective of growing deeper by working things out and changing in the ways God wants us to change…we can always find beauty and love in the season we are in. It's important to remember that we need not sink under any trial, for there is one who can strengthen us..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Philippians 4:13. 

I pray that God meets you in whatever season you are in, and prepares you for whatever seasons await. Mostly, I pray that you find Christ wherever you are and that you realize that wherever you, He has found you.