Lost? The Real Reason for the Season

People often say that the holidays are really about the children - the joy of watching them visit Santa (or in our case the nativity scene at church), open stockings, and tear into presents. Many would claim it's pure joy to see their child open the toy they had been wanting for months on Christmas Morning.

We have a different kind of joy. Yes, I enjoy gift giving and I love to watch people open carefully wrapped gifts that I carefully selected. Yes, I enjoy the parties and family gatherings but most of all I enjoy the quiet time we spend as our little family reading Advent devotions before dinner and completing each day on the Advent Calender. I love, and find great joy in, teaching our daughter about the REAL reason for the season - our precious Lord and Savior's birthday!

Yesterday, we decorated for Christmas and we started the day with reading nativity stories to Annabeth and we allowed her to open her Little People Nativity from Grandmama-Mimi and Grandpa. She enjoyed talking about each person and animal as we unpacked them. She especially loved sliding Baby Jesus in the manger down the slanted roof of the stable. She even decided that our Baby Jesus should live on the roof.

Daddy and Annabeth with our new nativity  

She seemed to enjoy playing with her new toy and reading her Christmas books - most of which we only get out for the month of December. She loved putting up the tree decorating it with candy canes and then the "big reveal" when Daddy turned the lights on!

Our Sweet Nanners decorating the tree

We finished decorating, went our to dinner and despite the fact she demanded to take the Baby Jesus in the car with us, I wasn't sure she was really "getting" it. She can identify Jesus in her children's Bibles and says His name when we pray. But does she understand Him or see Him out of those contexts?

After dinner, we drove around our neighborhood to look for Christmas lights. One yard was beautifully lit with an array of colored lights, blowup figures, and moving reindeer. In the midst of all of that, our little girl saw one thing she thought was worth mentioning - "Ah! Baby Jesus!" 

We pray that she will come to know more and more about our dear Lord. We also pray that you, dear readers, will as well. If you are one of faith, we pray that it may continue to grow. If you are not a believer, we pray that the Lord will work in your heart this Christmas Season and always. 

Frugal Friday 15

Happy Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- We enjoyed our family meals at home this week. We saved on our grocery bill by using up freezer meals that I made earlier in the fall.

- I took advantage of some of the great Early Literacy Kits at our library. It is such an easy way to read different and new books as well as play with fun toys. At our library these kits can be checked out for three weeks at a time so we have plenty of time to enjoy them. This week's was a "Sounds Around Us" Kit. It had two books, four instruments, and six new puzzles to work.

- Annabeth and I met our friends Sarah and Bella in Columbus for a free playdate at The Commons. This is a wonderful indoor playground and it provides hours of free fun!

Me and Annabeth up in the playground. She is so brave and had started climbing it by herself! 

I had to run up after her! 

- We shopped a Hobby Lobby sale and were able to get all of the stickers we needed for Christmas cards and crafting for less than $5! Saved: $4.99

- My bodywash was on sale this week. Due to allergies I can really only use one on a daily basis and it is fairly expensive. However, this week it was $1 off which I could combine with a $1 off eCoupon. The store was also running a deal that if I bought two I would get a coupon to save $3 off my next order. I had them ring up the bodywash, paid, got my coupon then I rang up the rest of my purchases using the $3 off coupon. Saved: $7.00

- I have started making money through AdSense on this blog! So far I have just made a few dollars and I just direct deposit the money into Annabeth's savings account. More easy, free money for Annabeth!

- I worked at American Eagle at the outlets, thanks to my sister-in-law Cassidy, over Thanksgiving. I had two hours of paid training and then an 11 hour paid shift from Thanksgiving Thursday 7 pm - Friday 6 am. It was fun to work and fun to make some extra money as well!

Saved: $11.99

What have you been doing to save money this week? Did you get any great Black Friday deals?

Happy Savings to All!

"Buy Used and Save the Difference"

Forever: When I Knew Heaven was Real

I spent three summers as a Junior Counselor (JC) at Camp Lakeview - the camp I had grown up attending and loving. In my first summer as a JC, I was really growing in my faith as a personal relationship. Having grown up in the church and with a Christian family I had known "the basics" my whole life. I knew that God made the world in 6 days, I knew the Old Testament Sunday School Favorites (Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, Jonah) and most importantly I knew that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. I knew that he died on the cross for me - for you - and that because He paid the ultimate price we are able to live in Heaven with Him forever.

But was this heaven real?

In my young life, my great-grandparents and a boy from school had gone Home. I remembered bits and pieces of their funerals and what adults had said to me. "It's okay. They are in heaven." But that heaven part never felt real or personal to me. I figured it would be where I would go...someday because I believed in God and Jesus Saved Me.

Then, one summer night, while our JC group led the campfire devotions we sang this song:

The nails in Your hands

The nails in Your feet

tell me how much You love me.
The thorns on Your brow
They tell me how
You bore so much shame to love me.

And when the Heavens pass away
All Your scars will still remain
And forever they will say
Just how much You love me.

Forever my love
Forever my heart
Forever my life is Yours
It's Yours

I had sung this particular song dozens of times as a camper, in the months away from camp, and now as as JC. I loved the way it sounded musically. But that night, standing by the tree in front of Lakeview's campfire it hit me: Heaven is real. It's where I am going. Forever. 

I closed my eyes and for the first time ever I really sang the words: "Forever my love. Forever my heart. 
Forever my life is Yours. It is Yours." 
Forever. My. Life. Is. Yours. 
I recommitted my heart to the Lord that night, forever. 

Thanksgiving Post (a few days early)

I am going to do my Thanksgiving Post two days early since I'll be posting a Throwback Thursday Post on actual Thanksgiving Day.

I've decided to list 11 things this year in honor of one of the numbers of our new address:

1. The New House. I am thankful that we have been working in it since March 5, owned it since April 19, and living in it since July 6. We are so blessed to have this beautiful house be home.

2. The Old House. I loved our first house and I am so thankful for the three-and-a-half years that we were able to live there. We learned so many lessons and lived so much life in that little house.

3. Precious Time. This year was a good-bye kind of year and I once again was reminded with just how much I need to slow down and enjoy the time I have with the people I love.

4. Workman's Comp. Mark's knee was seriously injured while making an arrest in December 2011 and it took until this March to have it operated on. He was in so much pain, even after months of physical therapy and we are so thankful that Workman's Comp covered that therapy, the surgery, and the recovery.

5. Google Chat. We LOVE chatting the the SD Riley's on Google Chat. It makes the conversations flow so much easier when we can read the other's body language and the kids love looking at each other.

6. Scribbles. I never appreciated how sweet little scribbles were until Annabeth began coloring this year. I love and treasure her little doodles and hang them on the fridge. I also love the scribbles that our nieces and nephew sent us in the mail.

7. Princesses, Dragons, and Little Mouse. When I look back on this year I will think of Annabeth's princess birthday party, her fascination with "Jane and the Dragon," and the game "Little Mouse." They are the first things that have interested her on her own.

8. Pictures. With so much of our family now living more than an hour away I am so thankful for photographs. Every day Annabeth wanders around the living room pointing out everyone in the pictures. It is a physical reminder for us to pray for the ones we love.

9. Pinterest. This year I joined Pinterest and have really enjoyed the time I have spent with family and friends baking, cooking, and crafting as a result.

10. Our Fireplace. Our new house has a fireplace, it was a dream item on our wish-list, and it has been so nice to sit by the fire in the evenings. Mark has made it even more special by having a whole fire building routine with Annabeth. She loves helping and he loves teaching.

11. My Little Life. As a teenager I felt like the world was huge but that if I just worked hard enough I could take it over. I felt like everything could be mine if I would just reach out and grab it. I felt like I could change the entire world. As I grow into my 20's, I am realizing that I am not meant to change the whole world but rather than I am meant to change my little corner of it. I pray that I use my life to do God's Will and to share His Word with this lost and hurting world.

I give thanks and praise to the One from whom all blessings come.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Previous Thanksgiving Posts:
Thanksgiving 2011
Thanksgiving 2010
Thanksgiving 2009

Frugal Friday 14

Happy Frugal Friday!

Here is how we saved money/spent money wisely/made extra money this week:

- I mended an undergarment and one of Annabeth's dresses. We also sewed buttons back on one of Annabeth's shirts and one of Mark's pairs of shorts. By taking good care of our clothes we make them look better longer and last longer! We also save money on alteration bills by doing most of it ourselves.

- We enjoyed free breadsticks from Pizza Hut by signing up for their rewards program.

- Annabeth and I enjoyed a lunch out at Fazoli's for just $5 as part of their new lunch deals.

- I combined a store sale and coupons to buy Excedrin Migraine for $1.96 (for the 24 count bottle - usually $3.96) Saved: $2.00

- We received our latest Stride Rite Rewards Check in the mail. Annabeth has all the shoes she needs in her current size and tennis shoes in the next one too. I was able to get boots in the next size and tennis shoes in the next-next size. Combining the in store sale of Buy One, Get One 50% Off + $10 Reward Coupon + $5 coupon from an online survey we spent only $30! Saved: $38.01

- Annabeth is VERY into a library class game called "Little Mouse." In my Gymboree ad I noticed that they currently have a very cute mouse line for girls. I splurged and took her to get a "Little Mouse" outfit. She picked from between 5 shirts and 2 bows. She was so excited to have a "Little Mouse" outfit and we wore it to library time yesterday. I combined the already one sale items + Whole Store Extra 30% Off + 20% Coupon to and saved: $9.49

Annabeth in her Little Mouse shirt and bow with the original Little Mouse cutout from library time.

- I redeemed 500 Swagbucks for a $5 Starbucks giftcard!

- My blog has been approved for AdSense! You will begin seeing selected ads on the blog which means I am earning money for each click on them! Happy Clicking!

Total Saved: $49.50

What did you do to save money this week? Have you redeemed any Swagbucks yet?

Happy Savings to All!

"Buy Used and Save the Difference"

Waiting to Kiss

I was 16 years old and I had been "dating without the labels" my best friend since the summer. It was my first love and then I was convicted and my whole life changed.

It was the night before Christmas break. We had just spent a lovely evening with dear friends and exchanged Christmas gifts. He walked me out to my car as snowflakes fell around us. The driveway was surrounded by snow covered trees and twinkling Christmas lights. It felt like the end of every romance movie I had ever seen. He leaned in to kiss me. I panicked! I quickly hugged him and drove off crying.

On the way home I had this conversation:

"What the heck Amy? Seriously?! You've been waiting for that moment for months. Go back. Go back. You're 16, kiss him."

Then I heard this, plain as day, as though someone was in the car and said it to me:

"You should only kiss one man. Your husband."

"Ummm...What?"

"One Man. Your Husband."

I pulled into a parking lot and prayed.

I spent the next few months really struggling with this. I was a Christian, I went to church, my parents went to church, but they had not made this particular decision. Many of my friends were Christians but they had not made this decision. They all had first kisses years before. It was confusing. I always had known that I wanted to save sex for marriage but it seemed like everyone was kissing everyone. It was lonely. Most of all, it at the time created a broken heart, as I didn't know how to explain to my 17 year old boyfriend that I did not want to kiss anyone until I was sure they were who I was to marry. That lack of honesty and communication caused me to withdraw my heart from the relationship and ultimately it ended, albeit into friendship, within a month of "the" night.

My freshman year at UofL I became involved with Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) and in those Bible studies I met quite a few young women and men who not only were saving sex for marriage but also limited the physical intimacy in their relationships. Finally, other people felt like I did. It was so wonderful and so refreshing to be able to talk about it.

At 19 I met Mark, we began dating, we quickly approached our relationship as a courtship where we knew that we were planning to become engaged quickly with marriage to follow in God's time. Our first kiss was September 2, 2006 at Franklin College. It was the perfect moment. The moment I had waited SO long for.

I am so blessed to had my first kiss be my one, my always, my forever, and someday, before I return Home, my last.

Me and Mark on our First Wedding Anniversary - 05.23.10

(No one wants to see people kissing pictures so this will have to do!)

Linked to: Raising Homemakers

Throwback Thursdays: Introduction

I do not have Twitter but often see the "Throwback Thursday" Twitter links on Facebook.

I have decided on the Thursdays leading up to Christmas I will post some "throwback" thoughts that may help you learn a bit more about me and some reflections on the moments that have REALLY made me, ME!

Enjoy! :)

Week One, November 21: Waiting to Kiss
Week Two, November 28: Forever: When I Knew Heaven was Real
Week Three, December 5: Infertility
Week Four, December 12: Words from my Younger Self
Week Five, December 19: Monkey Arms