THE GIFT

 

Presents...

 

Jesus Loves you

 

What can we give JESUS?

 

Christ

 

Joy To The World!

 

Well, this Sunday is Easter already!

My husband and I prefer Resurrection Sunday :)

Just thought I'd share a few of our decorations with you...

We went to the Dollar Tree and found these cute glitter eggs.

Bri and I put ribbons on them and hung them from

our white valance in the living room.

These decorations below have been

around since my kids were "littles".

They loved to decorate this little tree :)

I got the cross below at the Dollar Tree a

couple of years ago, it's one of my favorites.

My son Brad put this together several

years ago, and it hangs in a special place in the

living room.

I found the egg holders and eggs below at the Cracker Barrel.

I found the little Happy Easter sign at Home Goods this year.

These are "oldies" too :)

I hope you have a blessed Resurrection Day, remembering

that He is Risen!

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matt. 28:6

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Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:34

Getting Ready for Christmas!

If you haven't heard of Operation Christmas Child, please

click on the link and go there!

 

It is run by Samaritan's Purse (Franklin Graham),

and they send boxes to children all over the world at Christmas.

They use this as a way to spread the gospel, and it is very successful!

 

 

Above are some of the things I purchased this year, I'm sooo excited,

because our church is doing it this year, and it's the first time!

Above you can see one of the sewing kits I bought, I am doing

some older girls this year, and they need these.

Above are some of the fishing items I bought for some of the

older boys. (A nice man in Walmart helped me choose them).

A friend of mine whose church packs over 1,000 boxes each year

told me that the older kids often don't get boxes as not

many people want to do that age.

So, I made that a focus this year.

 

It's a great way to celebrate Christmas...by getting out the Word

about the Christ of Christmas!

 

 

April...

I really enjoyed the month of April, hope you did too!?

For me it went so quickly!

My daffodils have come and gone...

These delightful pansies wintered over--love them!

My weeping cherry is done too--it was beautiful though!

Hyacinths are also done, love this purple!

Love these mountain pinks--they require no care!

I'm always amazed at the Awakening that Spring brings...everything is brown, dead looking...

and then ALIVE!

Reminds me always of the Resurrection of Christ!

Blessings Abound!

I received a Christmas card from a dear friend with the verses to this hymn.

Thought I would share it with you as you contemplate the Greatest Gift ever given!

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.

Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus:
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.

When the heav’ns arches shall ring,
 and her choirs shall sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”

My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.                            by  Emily E.S. Elliott

---

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eveby Christina Rossetti

Christmas hath a darkness
Brighter than the blazing noon,
Christmas hath a chillness
Warmer than the heat of June,
Christmas hath a beauty
Lovelier than the world can show:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.

Earth, strike up your music,
Birds that sing and bells that ring;
Heaven hath answring music
For all Angels soon to sing:
Earth, put on your whitest
Bridal robe of spotless snow:
For Christmas bringeth Jesus,
Brought for us so low.

Sing!

As our family was singing Christmas carols tonight, I felt a stirring within my

heart thinking about the birth of the Savior!

It made me look into a little background info on one of the hymns we sang....

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Rector Phillips Brooks (1835-1903) of Philadelphia, wrote the words to O Little Town of Bethlehem in 1868, following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was inspired by the view of Bethlehem from the hills of Palestine especially at night time hence the lyrics of O Little Town of Bethlehem. His church organist Lewis Redner (1831-1908) wrote the melody to O Little Town of Bethlehem. Red­ner was Brooks’ or­gan­ist at Ho­ly Trin­i­ty Epis­co­pal Church in Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia. The tune came to him on  Christ­mas Eve, and was first sung the next day. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above, While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love. O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth, And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth! How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n; So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in. Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child, Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild; Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door, The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more. O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

I hope that you have a song in your heart this Christmas season!

Can Christmas Be Done Without Debt???

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Truly it is! I love Christmas!

We get to celebrate the birth of the Savior!

But, somehow, the Lord Jesus (Who is the real gift!) gets overshadowed by stacks of presents. :(

Followed by stacks of bills in January...

But, it doesn't have to be that way. (Debt is a choice!)

 I just wanted to pass along a few holiday tips for you-to help you

stay debt free!

#1-KEEP CHRIST AS THE FOCUS OF CHRISTMAS!

A few ideas for doing this:

• Read the Christmas Story
• Set up a Nativity Scene (I had one especially for my kids when they were little also)
• Bake goods for some lonely neighbors (esp. elderly or single parents)
• Go caroling (either in your neighborhood or a nursing home-choose godly carols)
• Sing carols around the house
• Have kids do secret good deeds for family members (draw names)
• Attend church (esp. the Nativity play and the Contada)
• Make or buy Christmas cards with a spiritual message to send out
• Use and light an advent wreath

#2 KEEP TO A BUDGET

A few ideas:

• Have your plan in writing. Find out how much money you have to spend
• Write down the names of who you need to buy for-allot amounts for each
• Use a small expandable folder for your holiday money (think dollar store)

(Label each section with the person's name-and put the money for that person in it. Only take this with you when you shop-no credit cards. When the money is gone--you stop!) Oh-and put the receipts back in filed by person in case you have a return

#3 GIFT IDEAS

For Kids:

• Play kits-choose a theme such as: Dress-Up, Doctor, Chef, Grocer, Workman etc... Then, go

"shopping" in your closets, garage, thrift store etc.. and round up accessories to make the kit. Depending on your theme, bandanas, jewelry, shoes, boa, painter's cap, tupperware etc...

Be creative! 

• Books or books on CD (check amazon.com or auctions as well as the store)
• Piggy Bank (put a few dollars in to start them out)
• Homemade Play Dough and cookie cutters
• Puzzles
• Crochet Kit
• Christmas Tree ornament you make or buy (help them start a collection)

For Teens:

• Movie Tickets
• Picture Frame (perhaps filled with a photo you took of the recipient)
• Cell Phone Minutes
• Devotional
• Book
• Journal and pen
• Scrapbook supplies
• Board Game
• Calendar

For Adults or a Family:

• Popcorn Bucket filled with movie and candy
• Coupon for Babysitting or Petsitting
• Magazine Subscription
• Basket with pancake mix, syrup (or brownies, muffins etc...)
• Make a Gift in a Jar (instructions are easily found online)
• Make a photobook, calendar, or collage with meaningful pics
• Book (or a basket full of books from a thrift store)
• Gas Gift Card
• Photo Album
• Homemade Cookies or other Baked Goods (best gift ever!)

#4 DECORATING IDEAS

• One of the prettiest and inexpensive items I use for decorating is napkins!

I find red, green, or gold and use them on end tables, under decorations, at the dinner table etc...

• Use your own tree branches (lovely with glitter!) or pine/holly branches
• Dress up dinner napkins with a ribbon tied in a bow and holly or bells
• Have the children make place cards with a Bible verse
• Use Christmas colors in your food -as decorations!

Such as red cherry tomatoes and green broccoli on your veggie plate

• I buy floral bunches at the Dollar Store and cut them up and tuck the flowers on picture frames, mirrors, etc...
• USE WHAT YOU HAVE! If you have red balls of yarn-place them in a basket on a table
• Fill a green mug with candy canes tied with curling ribbon in red and/or green
• I use lots of pinecones (we have pine trees) they look great in baskets-and you can glitter them too!
• Candles always warm up the room (Walmart has great inexpensive candles in holiday scents)

PLAN AHEAD FOR NEXT YEAR!

Start in January-looking for ways all year to save up cash for Christmas...

• Start a Christmas fund in a Mason Jar with your spare change
• Put aside all the money you save with coupons
• Put $5 or $10 a week in your Expandable Coupon file
• Use the money you get back for Rebates
• Pay yourself when you resist an impulse buy
• Use food from your pantry and freezer -put the money you would have spent on groceries

in your Christmas Fund

A great resource is the book Debt-Proof Your Christmas by Mary Hunt

You can get lots of ideas there.

I hope that you and yours have a lovely, debt-free, Christ-centered Christmas!