Merry Christmas to all!

I cannot believe that Christmas is only a few short days away.  Where has the time gone?  It seems to me that the days are moving at warp speed.  I for one thought I had an additional week to shop, clean and prepare for the holiday, but to my surprise, it’s already here!  

I have been so busy cleaning, organizing and volunteering that I haven’t had the time to enjoy the holiday season. Our family took some time this past weekend to spend an afternoon with our dear friends; it was so wonderful to have that time of fellowship.

Repeat after me:  I will shop, stop and play!  What good is a holiday without food and fellowship with friends? So for the next 5 days I am going to do my best to enjoy what’s left of Christmas 2011. 

As I write this blog post and trace my Christmas gifts that haven’t arrived, I am thinking of ways to enjoy some time with friends and family.  

Take time to enjoy your Christmas.  It’s all about the food and fellowship for me.  Building memories is the key.  Time waits for no one, so take a deep breath, slow the pace and enjoy your Christmas.  

Merry Christmas to you all!

Find ways to give back

I recently joined a group of volunteers to help write their quarterly newsletter.  The group is made up mostly of retirees.  Much to my surprise I am finding that I enjoy working and learning from my future demographic. One of the women I volunteer with is a vibrant, intelligent 92 year old woman.  Here is someone who is still giving back and doing things to add value to others.

This gives me hope. It doesn’t matter our age we all have something to give. There is something that each of us can participate in, that we can teach, that we can mentor and that we can learn from.

Our lives can sometimes be overwhelming, simple, and complicated at times. This is life.  I want to encourage you to find a way to give of yourself.  You can do something great or small.  It all matters. 

My mom taught me about giving.  She was a woman who had very little when I was growing up and yet she was the most generous person I knew.  She gave of her resources, her time and talents.   She served the homeless, always visited the sick and was constantly cooking up a dish for someone. She still visits the sick and cooks, though she is 80.

I have started volunteering again and it feels great to give beyond the scope of my own family.  Find your niche, it can be great or small, remember it all matters. 

Here is a favorite quote that I am learning to live by. 

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can”

John Wesley quotes (English Evangelist, founder of Methodism. 1703-1791)

A suggestion for the recession…

Many you are out of work or know someone who is. The recession of the 20^th Century is affecting us all.  I know I am feeling the pangs of it too. Although you may be going through a tough time now, you will get through it I promise.    

I have found creative ways to get me through these challenging times, for example:  I recently exchanged my organization and cleaning skills in exchange for a pair of winter boots.  I knew I could not afford it, so I worked for it instead.  I want to encourage you to be resourceful.  Find your creativity.  Some of you can barter or trade your skill or craft in exchange for something you may need. 

I have gone back to using my coupons for everything you can imagine.  I look at all my favorite websites* for coupons on groceries, clothing, cleaning products, etc.  I have also gone back to repurposing and refinishing furniture to brighten up my home. (I haven’t done that in 20 years)  The point is there are things we can do and do without. 

I have managed to put my focus on what I can control.  I have a mental list that looks like this: What I can control/What I cannot control.  I can control the way I take care of my home, my family and my finances.  I cannot control the price of gas or the cost of food.

You may be down, but not out; broke, but not broken.  Things will get better.  You may know someone who is struggling, why not encourage them today.  I know people who still have jobs and are struggling, not just with their finances but also with their faith.  Extend them a hand, let them know you care.  It is amazing how far encouragement can go. 

Take time to assess what is really important for yourself and your family.  For me the well-being of my family is what is important.  Let us not be discouraged by our circumstances.  Our best days are ahead of us, not behind us.

*Favorite websites: www.allonlinecoupons.com, www.wow-coupons.com, www.retailmenot.com, www.couponcabin.com and http://usa.visa.com/personal/discounts/index.jsp

Let’s encourage one another

I recently published an article regarding the importance of prayer in our daily lives.  (see link below)

I believe in the power of prayer and have been a witness to the miraculous and have seen answers to prayer time and time again.  I want to encourage you today if you have never done so before to pray.  

I received a call this weekend from a friend who was feeling overwhelmed by one family crisis after another.  I was so glad she called as we were able to encourage one another.  I reminded her to not to let go of her faith.  When we give up our faith, we succumb to the very thing that is troubling us, which in turns disrupts our thinking and everything around us. 

I want to remind all of you that everything is subject to change when we pray.  Pray for yourself, your friends and family.  Take time to call a friend to encourage them and really pray for them.  

Our family prays on Sunday evenings.  We pray for our friends and family and for many people we do not know personally, yet we pray for them.  We sometimes get last minute calls to pray concerning a love one that is ill or going through a difficult time.  We take this time of prayer seriously.  

I want to invite you today that if you have a request for prayer to feel free to email me at awifesguide@gmail.com and we will gladly pray for you as well.  

Keep the faith!

http://www.womensavemoney.com/faith-and-life/see-god-move-by-irma-morton 

My Magical Kitchen

Many of you know I hate cooking-wait that might be too strong a word for it, but honestly I see cooking as a chore it has to be done and done quickly. 

I was feeling ill this past week and finally began to recover my energy back.  I don’t know what came over me but in one day I created several meals for my family. As a matter of fact I made a pot of homemade chicken soup, baked biscuits, oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, spinach, and even  homemade peanut butter cookies. Oh, my head is spinning!  My family thought I may have contracted an illness that affected my brain. I can assure you I had not!  I think it was my magical kitchen.  

You see I was cleaning my kitchen earlier that morning and decided to put up my new kitchen curtains.  My kitchen was “suddenly and magically” transformed into a cozy, warm and inviting kitchen, whereby magical things began to happen.  Cookies popped out of the oven.  Dinners instantly appeared and suddenly our home is transported back-in-time to a place where our family is sitting at the dinner table, children are using their manners and everyone is polite to one another with wax like smiles. 

This usually happens at the beginning of fall when the leaves begin to change their colors from green to golden hues of brown, red and orange, reminding me of cozy things. Thus began my kitchen and home transformation.  I like to make things cozy and warm for my family.  Prepare the wood for the fireplace, take the extra blankets out and make sure there is enough hot-cocoa to feed an army.  

Take some time to cozy up your place. Go ahead and bake some cookies. You might even get a thank you for it.

Say something….

Don’t lose your voice, your ability to speak. You carry a great responsibility to be a voice to the people around you.  You have it among your peers, at the office, with your friends, and family, but more importantly with your children.

How do we wield the power of our voices?  Through the spoken word.  Words can create or destroy.  They can heal or wound.  Words can hinder or set others free. 

As women and as a mother we have words that guide, words that build up and words that tear down.  There is power in our words.  Our words can either speak life or death; I say choose life.  The words we speak over our children will be a guiding force in their lives.

As I get on with life, I realize that my words have not always been seasoned as they should be. 

Surely, we have spoken words that we wanted to take back as though they were never spoken. The truth is, once spoken they are gone forever.  They seem to carry a life of their own.  Were you ever the recipient of harsh words?  They seem to take wings and carry a continual message in your mind; mulling it over and over.  Good or bad, words seem to have the same affect, it can produce good fruit or bad fruit in our lives. 

I have been very conscientious of words all my life.  I have heard the good, the bad, and the ugly.   I have been encouraged by words and discouraged by others.   I love to write words, I love to read words and I like to speak words.   I am still mastering the language of love, words that edify.  I don’t always get it right, but I’m in pursuit of it daily.  

I try to be an encourager to my family and friends.  My goal is to leave a lasting word that will take flight in the hearts and mind of my love ones so that when it is all said and done, my words would have lasting impact and I would have been an instrument of change to someone else. 

I had an older brother, who later in life would not say very much, but I knew his heart well and I loved him.   When he came to a place in his life where the conversations became limited, I decided to send him a note to tell him how much he meant to me. I thanked him for always being my big brother and for taking care of me.  I told him how much I loved him. He thanked me for that note and told me how much it meant to him.  He took such good care of me when I was growing up.  He taught me to drive.  He would protect me from anything.  He’s gone now, but that love note meant so much.  Those words linked our two hearts together, and still do.

Perhaps you struggle with saying what you mean,choose your words caustiously. Some of you may have to write down on paper. Don't let your emotions get in the way of speaking your truth.

There are people out there that need to hear your voice, that need to hear your words of hope, truth and courage.  Words are very important, say what you want, be your authentic self. You are the only one that can say it, say something!  .

Staying Connected

I recently visited the home of one of my daughters’ friends and got to know the parents. We had wonderful adult conversations and great fellowship.  I was greeted with the opportunity to build new relationships and reminded of the importance in connecting face to face.  

Our technology advances have caused a decline in our face to face communications and in receiving and sending letters.  I have a few friends that still send me cards in the mail; it is a pleasure to receive.  Letter writing for the most part has been replaced with texting.  Most kids these days respond quicker to a text message than an actual phone call.  I for one had to get with the program.  My eldest said:  “mom you need to learn how to text”, so I learned.  I also learned that I needed to get an unlimited plan since that’s how she communicates with me most of the time. 

Technology is a wonderful thing.  However, I believe that we must maintain face to face contact as well.  There is nothing more inspiring than speaking to someone face to face.  Getting together allows us the opportunity to embrace one another.  It helps to build our vocabulary. It helps us to understand each other's differences, builds trust and brings the relationships to another level. 

I have a very dear friend who lives 3000 miles away, yet we are very close.  We have been friends for many years. She used to live close enough that we would get together often.  We build wonderful memories and she and her children have become part of our family.   We are on the phone practically every day; however lately she’s been asking me to get Skype, a telephone/video conferencing system so that she can look me in the face when we talk.  I’m thinking about it.

The point is we need to stay connected.  The human touch; an embrace from a friend or family member is so important.  I have decided to increase my time with friends and family this year.  I have decided to throw a party for the simple reason that we need to fellowship more.  How else can we teach our children the importance of communicating, much less the importance of friendship? 

Fellowship with one another is a key in helping to build family unity, in building relationships and times of remembrance.  Throw a party, invite some friends and build some memories.

Photo:  http://www.free-extras.com