Life on a Budget
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Brickfish
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from some of today’s most beloved writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun … there’s also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 – 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Inside Out Christmas
by Debora M. Coty
My veterinarian friend, Dr. Katie, tells the story about the December when a woman brought a very sick black lab into her clinic. The dog was only ten months old, so she was really just a big puppy, but she’d been vomiting incessantly and her worried owner didn’t know what was wrong.
“Why don’t you go on home?” Dr. Katie told the owner. “I’ll need to run tests for about four hours. We’ll give you a call when we’re finished.”
Dr. Katie’s assistant took x-rays and hung them on the light panel for Dr. Katie to examine. Hmm. Something looked a little peculiar. Dr. Katie called her assistant over.
“Is it just me, or does that look like a … a camel to you?” she asked incredulously.
“Matter of fact, it does,” replied the astute assistant. “And look, there’s an angel here, a shepherd there, and down there in the colon, it’s Baby Jesus!”
At that moment the phone rang. It was the dog’s distraught owner. “I can’t believe this! I just got home and glanced at the coffee table where I put my manger scene yesterday. There’s nothing there but an empty stable!”
As I thought about this quite literal technique for internalizing the true meaning of Christmas, it occurred to me that sometimes I have the opposite problem. With all the bustling busyness, my inner joy in celebration of my savior’s birth never really makes it to the outside.
Oh, I have plenty of glittery, festive evidences of the holiday in decorations, baking galore, and gifts under my tree. But those things are for show. They’re merely the pretty wrappings, not the gift itself.
Can people really see the core-deep joy that radiates within me when I think of the true gift that Papa God sent the world in his son, Jesus? Is my immeasurable gratitude for eternal life evident as I dash through this hectic season?
I’m afraid all too often, the answer is no.
I’m just too preoccupied to allow my outside to reflect my inside so that nonbelievers recognize that I rejoice because of the hope that is within me. My joy is obscured by the mounds of clutter. Gratefulness is sucked out of my soul by the vacuum called urgency.
“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy” (Psalm 68:3, NLT).
This verse has become my prayer this Christmas season – that I would make the time to give priority to rejoicing, being glad in God’s presence, and letting my inner joy show for those who may be silently desperate to know the giver of true joy.
Yep, there’s a better way to internalize the gift of Christmas than the black lab technique. We can lodge the Little Lord Jesus in our hearts rather than our colons.
Debora M. Coty is a humorist, inspirational speaker, and award-winning author of twelve books, including Too Blessed to be Stressed, and coming in March, More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming Your Inner Ogre. Debora would love to swap Christmas hugs with you at www.DeboraCoty.com.
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from some of today’s most beloved writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun … there’s also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 – 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
Simple or Sparkle?
by Tracey Eyster
It’s a simple ornament made of thin cheap metal and it looks quite out of place on our CHRISTmas tree. But each year I lovingly and safely nestle it amongst its expensive and sparkly peers, without a care as to how unglamorous it appears.
Many of our CHRISTmas ornaments have a story and an uncanny way of welling up emotion in me, but this certain one causes an intense stir.
You see the ornament is engraved with the name of my grandmother, Sara, and was given to me by my mother, who ordered it from Hospice, after Grandmama’s death. Yes, the months leading up to her death carry memories of a frail and failing grandmama, but that ornament carries my thoughts to sweet CHRISTmas memories of the past.
CHRISTmas Eve dinners in her home, laughing, singing, gathering and celebrating a year filled with blessings as we remembered the birth of our Savior. CHRISTmas mornings, she was always there participating with glee, in our raucous CHRISTmas happiness. Her gifts were always bank envelopes gently tucked into the pine needles of our CHRISTmas tree, fresh cut from the property she grew up on.
All memories of my Grandmama make my heart swell. You see she was my Jesus with skin on. She lived her life full of joy, serving others and approached life selflessly with an attitude of, “What can I do for you?”
Just months before she left us, even as the Alzheimer’s was robbing her mind she shared her love of Jesus with a sweet little old lady friend, who came to know the Lord – a divine appointment. The very next day that little old lady silently slipped away to meet in person the One Sara introduced her to just the day before.
At the time I wept, realizing that regardless of our own frailties and failings, God can still use those of us who are willing to do His work and are well practiced at hearing His voice…no matter our lack of sparkle in comparison to others.
A simple life lived for Him, a simple ornament in memory of Sara…a simple truth for you to ponder.
Tracey Eyster wife, mom, relationship gatherer and Creator/Editor of FamilyLife’s MomLife Today is a media savvy mom making a difference where moms are, on-line. Through speaking, writing and video interviews Tracey is passionate about encouraging, equipping and
advising moms on every facet of momlife. Her first book, Be The Mom will be released August 2012. You can connect with Tracey at www.momlifetoday.com, her personal site www.traceyster.com or www.twitter/momblog.com.
I love coffee. For me, it really doesn’t matter what time of day. I like a cup when I first get up in the morning, later on to relax when I’m home from work, and maybe even one later on in the evening when my energy starts to wind down and the kids want me to do this and that. One thing I’m aware of though is that coffee’s acidic nature is not very good for your teeth and tummy.
Tyler’s Coffee uses a “Z-roasting process”. This minimizes the time the coffee beans are cooked that results in acid free coffee with high caffeine levels. Acid levels can cause erosion of the tooth enamel over time. So in drinking acid free coffee, it can cut down on that. Acid levels can also irritate stomachs and the esophagus. People with stomach issues can still enjoy acid free coffee. According to the packaging, it can also help reduce Acid Reflux, heartburn, indigestion, and bloating.
If you prefer not to have the high caffeine level or are unable to drink caffeinated beverages, Tyler’s Coffee’s also makes a Decaf version of acid free coffee.
Tyler’s coffee uses Grade AAA Arabica beans from South America that are brought to their roasting factory in Arizona.
My experience
Tyler’s Coffee’s suggest brewing with filtered water to cut down on the acidity even more and to preventing any displeasing tastes. Unfortunately I do not have a water filter. I could have went and bought a bottle water I suppose but to be honest, I was curious as to what it would taste like if someone bought it and also didn’t have a filter.
Unfortunately for me, it did have a funny taste. Not one that I’d particularly recommend. On a positive note, I could feel the difference in the acidity of the coffee after only a few sips. I hadn’t realized how accustomed I had be come to the kind of mild burn I felt at the back of my throat. When I sipped this coffee, it was almost like drinking water in the sense that it seemed smoother and made my throat less angry.
While brewing it had a different scent than I was used to when brewing my regular coffee. It might sound funny but it had almost a paper like scent.
I’d love to try this again but brewing it the proper way. I would strongly suggest either using this with filtered water or bottle water.
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So it’s the last few days before Christmas. There’s still a couple people on your list you just don’t know what to buy. Or maybe you have an idea what they like but aren’t sure exactly what they want. For example, maybe you know your nephew loves video games but you don’t know which ones he already has. A gift card to a place like Best Buy or Gamestop might be a great idea. Maybe your brother is a huge football fan. You know he really dislikes one particular player but you’re not sure which one. You don’t wanna buy the wrong thing so maybe an NFLshop gift card would be nice.
I personally love getting gift cards. I rarely spend money on myself for things I don’t necessarily need but maybe I’ve been eyeing it up for a while. If I get the cash, (don’t get me wrong I appreciate it), but I tend to end up using it when I run out to the store to by milk or whatever. If I get a gift card for a place like Sephora or Old Navy then I’ll actually buy myself something I wanted.
Another thing I like about gift cards, not feeling guilty when I buy a pricier item. The Frugal gal in me always wants to try to get the most bang for my buck but there are some things that are pricier I wouldn’t mind having but can’t bring myself to spend the money on it. For example, I had been wanting to try the Nails Inc. Magnetic nail polish. When I saw the price was $15 I just couldn’t bring myself to pay $15 for a bottle of nail polish. Especially since I hadn’t tried it before. Then I had won a gift card to Sephora and used that to buy the nail polish I had been wanting to try without guilt.
Also we have a Giant Eagle grocery store near us. They give what they call fuelperks when you spend some much money. They always do double fuelperks or some kind of special like that around the holidays. When I buy the gift cards there that I was going to buy anyway, it save me money in gas fill ups then next time I have to refuel. They have them all year round. For every $50 you spend you earn 10 cents off per gallon of fuel at their Getgo gas station. But around the holidays, for every $50 you spend on gift cards you ear 20 cents off per gallon. Who couldn’t use that?
So if you’re looking for a last minute gift for someone but want it to be nice, consider giving a gift card. I think their more practical, especially now a days.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Gift Cards Rock blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.