Amazing Savings

With a limited budget it's best to save where we can. Today I took my girls out for some after Christmas shopping. While we were out, I was able to pick up a few rolls of Christmas wrapping paper and bows for next year. By thinking ahead, I was able to save over 50% off the regular price. I got everything I needed for under $10.

This is a great way to get a head start on your next year's Christmas budget. Keep your eyes open for some amazing savings now through the end of January.

Red is lovely on you!

If you're like me the Christmas budget is tight this year. You might not have the extra funds to purchase a new outfit for that Christmas party. Why not add a red scarf to that old black dress, or white blouse. A red scarf can make it all good. A punch of color like that can bring a lifeless outfit or oldie-but-goodie alive again. Add a red gloss and some red polish and you've got a fresh Christmas look for that party. Way to be savvy friend, change it up for a low price.

Christmas Blues

For some, Christmas can be a time of sadness or despair. Many who have lost a loved one or are financially strained, can be burdened by the sorrows that come this time of year. Like Mary, our circumstances may not be what we had hoped for our life, or maybe we didn't expect this at all. BUT GOD, despite our circumstances, has a plan. When things seem sorrowful or our circumstances make us blue, we can rest assured that nothing is impossible with God. It is in the times of the deepest despair or longing, that we can find peace knowing that God is working in our lives. Mary could have been angry or frustrated in the sorrow of conceiving a child out of wedlock, but instead she chose to trust God in something she would not have imagined for her life. She recognized His power in her life and knew that she could trust Him in any situation even in this unfathomable birth. May we find Hope in this... that He is the same God who is as trustworthy as in Mary's time. He is Loving and has a plan to give us a future and a hope. He can make something that seems hopeless and impossible, fruitful and possible. Although we will never experience the miracle that Mary experienced, God's purposes are still accomplished through our lives.


Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."

Candlelight

Have you ever pondered the power of a flame. A flame, can be so romantic, beautiful and soothing. Yet that same flame can be disastrous, igniting damage for years to come. While we enjoy this beautiful season and many will light candles to set the ambiance for their Christmas parties or evening dinners, we should consider the power of the flame. God's word describes the tongue as a flame of fire, it can cause enormous damage, by an awful word spoken. In contrast, it can be the source of warmth, and heat bringing a soothing and beautiful sound. So when you go to light that candle consider what kind of flame you want to be. Do you want to be one that brings a cruel and unkind word or one that brings comfort and warmth? Lord, use us to bring warmth and kindness to those around us. Help us to remember Your Word and the power of a flame.

James 3:5-6 "So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself." (NLT)