A Game for All by Linda Gilden (Guest Post)

A Game for All

Adapted from the recently released book, Mama Was the Queen of Christmas

by Linda Gilden

How will all the little holiday extras ever get done? I ask myself that question every year. And as much as I enjoy the holidays, there seems to be so little time.

One year I decided to let go of expectations and concentrate on celebrating Jesus.    I came up with a plan to accomplish a lot of the extras in a very short time. I created a game!

“Come on, everyone,” I said. “We are going to play a game.”

There was minor grumbling but in the end everyone agreed a family game would be fun. And I was so excited about the end result!

“Just give me an hour of your time,” I said. “Then you can get back to your homework.”

I found a cute Christmas container and deposited little slips of paper, each describing a job.

“I am going to set a timer for twenty minutes,” I said. “When you draw a slip of paper, you have twenty minutes to work at your job. When the bell rings, you will choose another job and change what you are doing. In an hour, you will have helped me with three pre-Christmas chores.”

The papers in the container had jobs like:

1. Position the electric candles in the windows.
2. Put the greenery on the mantle downstairs.
3. Wrap presents. (Not your own, although most were willing!)
4. A smile face. This job was really important. The person who got the smile was to circulate, serve refreshments, and make sure everyone was having fun.
5. Address Christmas cards.
6. Plan a family activity that will help us concentrate on the real meaning of the season such as memorize the Christmas story from Luke, find someone to share the season with who hasn’t yet met the Savior, concentrate on a different aspect of Jesus’ birth in daily devotions, etc. 
7. Make a Christmas goodie or edible treat. My family favorite is “Rocks!”

Christmas music playing in the background created a festive and jovial mood.

As it turned out, everybody was a winner in this game. The family gathered in the kitchen for a sample of “rocks,” pointing out that we had become happy little elves, proudly creating an atmosphere of merriment for the holidays.

Are there things you can do to make this holiday season less stressed for you and your family?

RECIPE: Rocks – Favorite Holiday Treat!

2 cups chocolate chips                                              

1 ½ cups dry roasted peanuts

½ cup peanut butter                                               

(1) 12.3 oz. box Crispix cereal

Confectioners Sugar

1. Melt chocolate in a large bowl in microwave oven. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir well. Heat 30 seconds more or as needed to melt chocolate. Stir until smooth. (Chocolate could also be melted in a double boiler over low heat on the stove.)
2. Add peanut butter and stir until well blended.
3. Add peanuts and cereal and mix until thoroughly coated. A wooden spoon works best for this.
4. Put confectioner’s sugar in a plastic bag. Add cereal mixture, close bag tightly, and shake gently until mixture is coated with sugar. If you do a third of the mixture at a time, it is easier to handle.
5. Makes a lot! Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

---

Linda J. Gilden Author & Speaker

About the Author:

Linda Gilden’s favorite season is Christmas. But, truthfully, she and her family like to celebrate all year long, so can it really be called a season? Growing up in a home where the spirit of Christmas prevailed throughout the year, she knows she is blessed to have married a man who shares the same philosophy—Jesus is not just for a season but for a lifetime! Linda is the author of over a thousand magazine articles and several other books, such as Love Notes in Lunchboxes, Love Notes on His Pillow, and Mommy Pick-Me-Ups (all by New Hope Publishers), but Mama Was the Queen of Christmas is one she has wanted to write for a long time. Her heart’s desire is to see families enjoy each other and make memories no matter what the season. Linda lives in South Carolina with her husband, three grown children and children-in-law, four grandchildren, and a granddog, all of whom love Christmas as much as she does!

**Be looking for my book review later this month for "Mama Was the Queen of Christmas.  -Shonda**

Shrade is 4 years old!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet son, Shrade! I love him with all my heart. I pray everyday for God to capture and soften his heart. Have a super day, Shrade!!

My precious children

Cell phones

Cooking!

Playing with little sister

Organizing- where does he get that from?  :)

Helping daddy paint the chicken coop

Coloring- Preschool work

Picking strawberries

Playing at the Spray Park

Desiring a "Happily Ever After" by Sheri Rose Shepherd (Guest Post)

Desiring a "Happily Ever After" Fighting the Temptation to Give Up on Love and Marriage

By Sheri Rose Shepherd Bestselling Author and Bible Life Coach

learn more ▶

I don't know where you stand today with the man you love or loved—or if you are single, divorced, separated, or widowed. I can tell you, though, that if you've been hurt, you can be sure Your heavenly Father knows how hard it is to love and forgive the one who caused you pain. Yet regardless of the relational devastation you face, no one can keep you from finishing strong for God's glory! I was raised in a non-Christian home. My parents have each been married and divorced to three different people. As part of several blended families, all I understood about marriage when I was growing up was "unhappily ever after." But then I became a Christian at twenty-four and married my husband, Steve, just a few years later. Because of my love for God and my husband, I honestly didn't think anything could shake my own marriage or faith. In the summer of 2007, however, my happily ever after was wiped out and my faith was tested. The family foundation I had worked so hard to build and protect was almost destroyed, along with my ministry, in that season of my life. I truly believed that God had forsaken me. I had just finished writing my book for mothers about raising sons to become godly husbands. As I excitedly ran upstairs to e-mail the manuscript to the publisher, I suddenly felt as if something dark hovered over me. My passion for the book's message was drowned out by the fear of an attack from the enemy that could come against me and my family if I stepped on his territory . . . young men and their future marriages. I called the publisher and said I'd need to wait and pray for courage before submitting the manuscript. I went to my son, Jake, who was eighteen years old and a senior in high school at the time, and asked him if he had any plans of rebelling against his faith once he graduated from high school. I told him I was willing to give him freedom to find his own faith in Christ, but I didn't want to put out a book about raising boys if my own son was going to walk away from the Lord. He reassured me that he was strong in his faith and that he felt I should publish the book. I decided to take the chance to make a difference and sent in the manuscript. The book began climbing the charts, and everything seemed to be going well. I even began speaking with my son at conferences for mothers of boys. Then three months into my book tour, my fear of attack hit. My husband had taken a job that we had both prayed for. This job appeared to be a blessing; however, his new position required him to violate some of the boundaries we had put in place to protect our marriage, and we ended up separated. There I was in the public eye of ministry, fighting to save future marriages, and somehow my own marriage was falling apart. My son was devastated by the division between me and his dad. It was too hard for him to deal with all his confusion, pain, and anger, so he took a break from his faith and began using drugs and alcohol to comfort himself. I had always known to run to God for cover when there was a great attack, but now I felt like He had left me alone on the battlefield to fight for myself. It appeared that all I had believed about God and all my effort to build a strong foundation for my own family had been shattered. My pain, my shame, and my life were an embarrassment. I felt as if I were battling an out-of-control fire that would burn up everything I loved and lived for. Every night I would cry myself to sleep as I struggled to understand why God had not protected me while I was attempting to accomplish something for His glory. One night I could not take it anymore, so I fell to my knees and told God I either wanted Him to fix my family or I wanted to quit the ministry. Then I felt the Lord asking me a bigger question: Was My life, given on a cross for you, not enough for you to finish strong even if it means surrendering the life you wanted? For the first time I realized that my heart's true desire was to feel loved and secure, and yet no man on earth could love me the way my Lord does. In that moment of crisis I found the true meaning of following Christ. God had not forsaken me, but He did want to free me from depending on others to give me my happily ever after. That night I gave my heart's deepest desire to God and chose to follow Him at any cost. In exchange, He gave me something so much better; He gave me peace that was more powerful than my circumstances. My faith was no longer in people; it was in Christ alone. Although nothing outwardly had changed yet, I had been changed. Today, Steve and I have celebrated twenty-five years of marriage, and our son serves God with His whole heart. He and his bride have given us our first grandbaby girl. However, to be honest, restoring our marriage was excruciatingly painful and more difficult than either of us expected. As hard as this trial was, it taught me a valuable lesson: our Lord is the God of comfort and the author of a new beginning. He can and will rebuild a beautiful life out of any broken heart willing to make a change. He will use one sacrificial choice; one act of forgiveness; one sincere, repentant heart; and one woman who is willing to step out in faith and start rebuilding with His love for His glory. I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2) For more teaching from the Your Heart's Desire book and Bible study, visit www.biblelifecoaching.com.

Kitchen Stewardship Black Friday Ebook Sale!!

• code BFRIDAYHALF for half off any of the already reduced eBook bundles! A reader could get all 4 eBooks, over $33 value, for $12.50 with the super pack. Code expires Friday 11/23 at midnight EST.  There are several ebook packages to choose from: Kitchen Stewardship Ebooks.

• code BFRIDAYBEANS for 60% off The Everything Beans Book - first 50 customers only (starts 5am EST)

• code BFRIDAY2NDS for 40% off The Everything Beans Book, Healthy Snacks to Go, or Smart Sweets - through midnight on Sunday, 11/25

My recommendations:
If you want quick and easy recipes to whip up to take with you on the go or snack on around the house that you know are good, healthy and yummy I recommend Healthy Snacks to Go.  I LOVE the recipes in this book.  I make the No Bake Granola bars at least once a week!  I have also found several other muffins and snack bars that are easy to made and fun to do a little cooking with kids too!

And honestly, you can't go wrong with any of these ebooks. Katie does a super job of helping you find ways to make your cooking more healthy, yet not taking away any of the flavor, but actually making your food more delicious.  I have all her ebooks and I'm equally impressed with all of them.  They have a nice layout and I get excited to cook for my family with REAL food!!

And coming in January she will have a new ebook coming!
Sneak peek...

SHOP on FRIDAY to get these DEALS!!

KITCHEN STEWARDSHIP

Black Friday codes:
*BFRIDAYHALF- Get half off the ebook bundles
*BFRIDAYBEANS- 60% off Everything Beans ebook (first 50 customers)
*BFRIDAY2NDS- 40% off Everything Beans, Smart Sweets and Healthy Snacks to Go (until Sunday 11/25)

Homemaking 101 DVD SALE!!!

Jennifer Ross from Renewing Housewives (and 31 Days to Clean videos) is a mother to 12 children and runs a smooth and calm household.  How does she do it?  Homemaking 101 is glimpse into the way young wives could make a godly home amidst all the duties of a mother.  Watch this trailer to see how Jennifer can show you a vision for homemaking.


If you are reading this in an email, click the title of this post to watch the video.

After watching this 1 hour DVD I was encouraged to make a plan to budget better, make my husband feel loved and appreciated, organize in small bits daily and spend time making memories and instilling values in my children.  I want to watch this about once a month to glean the good advice presented and to start to be the homemaker God has intended me to be.

Jennifer also offers many bonus materials such as cooking terms demonstrated, questions and answers and great household tips as well as some easy recipes.

If you are in need of encouragement or know someone that is, this would be a great gift.  Gifts are appreciated throughout the year and not just on Christmas or birthdays.  Find a way to bless a friend today!

I'm so excited about this DVD as well as the sequel coming soon.

Homemaking 101 is now only $11.95 until Nov 24!!!

Use coupon code: thankyou

November Booking It 2012

I read these books last month:

Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas SALE ends Thursday!!

I picked my winner- Karen! But you can still take advantage of the sale for this book. It's only 99 cents through Thursday! 

Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas  by Crystal Paine   

Do you want to have a meaningful, memorable, relaxed Christmas this year? Do you really want to be able to savor and enjoy this season-not just rush through it feeling overwhelmed and behind? Are you tired of overspending every Christmas in attempt to feel close to your loved ones?
In this book you'll learn how to:

• Organize your Christmas list
• Make and stick with a Christmas budget
• Freezer cook for the holidays
• Make memorable family activities
• Make simple and inexpensive homemade gifts
• Get your home in order
• Savor the meaning of the season
• Balance your desire to create and bake with the need for rest and reflection
• Connect with your loved ones without spending a fortune
…and much more.
Purchasing this ebook also gives you access to beautiful ,printable worksheets to make your holiday planning even easier!
Who is this book for?
This book is for you if:
• You end every Christmas season frazzled, with a cold, and in need of a nap.
• You dread the day after Thanksgiving and every day following up and until New Year’s Day.
• You want your house to look beautiful for Christmas, but instead it’s a mess!
• You end up overwhelming yourself by spending too much time on Christmas crafting and baking

Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas
ONLY  99 cents for a limited time! 

 

Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas by Crystal Paine Book Overview and Giveaway

Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas  by Crystal Paine   

Do you want to have a meaningful, memorable, relaxed Christmas this year? Do you really want to be able to savor and enjoy this season-not just rush through it feeling overwhelmed and behind? Are you tired of overspending every Christmas in attempt to feel close to your loved ones?
In this book you'll learn how to:

• Organize your Christmas list
• Make and stick with a Christmas budget
• Freezer cook for the holidays
• Make memorable family activities
• Make simple and inexpensive homemade gifts
• Get your home in order
• Savor the meaning of the season
• Balance your desire to create and bake with the need for rest and reflection
• Connect with your loved ones without spending a fortune
…and much more.
Purchasing this ebook also gives you access to beautiful ,printable worksheets to make your holiday planning even easier!
Who is this book for?
This book is for you if:
• You end every Christmas season frazzled, with a cold, and in need of a nap.
• You dread the day after Thanksgiving and every day following up and until New Year’s Day.
• You want your house to look beautiful for Christmas, but instead it’s a mess!
• You end up overwhelming yourself by spending too much time on Christmas crafting and baking

Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas
ONLY  99 cents for a limited time! 

But I am having a SHORT giveaway...

Make a comment on my blog if you want to win this book and I will pick a winner

on WEDNESDAY at 2pm PST.

QUICK!

 

Good Morning Girls- Advent Study: Keeping Our Heart Focused on Jesus

Do you need some refreshment during a busy Christmas season? Check out Good Morning Girls and join the Bible study for Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus during Advent.  Free materials will be available on the blog on November 12 (today!).  Materials include a Bible reading plan, SOAP printables, Christmas devotionals, traditions, recipes and more!  Please consider spending time in God's Word this Christmas season!

To join the study be sure to subscribe to Good Morning Girls to get all of your printables by email.  Set up your journal, do your daily study and read the blog posts.  You can comment what you are learning on the blog or Facebook.  Or you can even create your own little group if you wish!

Unfailing Love- A Woman's Walk Through 1 John by Karol Ladd Book Review

Unfailing Love: A Woman's Walk Through First John (Positive Woman Connection) by Karol Ladd is an amazing verse by verse look at the book of 1 John.  Karol begins each chapter with an interesting and relevant personal story and ties it together with the truth of the Scripture about to be taught.  And verse by verse she examines what John was trying to teach his readers about God's love.  Each chapter ends with a Getting Personal section that lists Abiding Truths from the Scripture, Additional Reading and Action Steps.  The end of the book also has a lot of Discussion Questions to be used in group study.

I honestly adore Karol's in depth look at 1 John.  Her writing is friendly, personal, biblically based and challenging.  She presents the truths of God's Word with conviction and confidence.  I am starting to read the Bible with a new perspective and an open heart to what God wants to reveal to me.  This book goes beyond telling of God's love, but invites you to embrace His love and let it fill your heart so that your whole life is consumed by God's love.  I love the writings of  "The Positive Lady."  If you want to experience a new adventure in studying 1 John, I highly recommend this book.

*I was given a complimentary copy by Harvest House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.**

A Simpler Season Ebook Review

What do you dream about for the upcoming holidays?  I know that I can get overwhelmed with all the ins and outs of gift giving, activities, recipes and family dynamics.  But what if all of that was neatly wrapped up in a book that can guide me through the holidays and bring me peace? 

Jessica invites you to embrace the holidays by creating A Simpler Season.  In her new ebook she shares ways to make Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's take on new meaning and purpose.  She graciously shares her story of traditions and activities that work well for her family.  She gives TONS of ideas for celebrating with family enjoyable and memorable.  She has several printable worksheets to help you plan your season and many, many fun and creative ideas to keep the family involved and focused on the reason for the season.  Jessica is a master at laying everything out and letting you choose what will work best for you.  But the best part of all is that you don't have to come up with all the ideas yourself.  She provides all of that for you. 

So sit down and grab your ebook (also available Amazon Kindle Edition ) and plan how you will have a "simpler season." Enjoy!!

Here’s what you’ll get in A Simpler Season:

• creative ideas for celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s
• over 150 pages of content: ideas, recipes, and inspiration for planning a special holiday season with your family
• 70+ printable pages: calendars, to do sheets, inventories, and planning pages
• games and activities to do with the kids
• 24+ family activity cards to print and do over the month of December
• printable recipe and gift cards to help you make edible gifts
• a variety of family devotional ideas to explore with your family
• a list of children’s books to enjoy as well as extension activities to do with your children after the reading
• family-friendly recipes for the each of the winter holidays
• questions to get you thinking about how you really want to spend your time this year
• easy downloadable format in pdf or on kindle

*I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.*

Jessna is 18 months today!

Welcome to the Adventures of Jessna!! Wow, this girl is everywhere all the time! She keeps me moving and grooving. Jessna has a passion for trying new things and going all out. She laughs a lot, cries a lot and loves to run around the house with her big brother. And if she can find a place to climb up or into, she's there. Jessna is also starting to talk a little bit more. She can say mama, kitty, baby, banana (nana), and uh-oh. She knows what kiss and hug are and she understands instructions like sit and come here. I'm excited to see how she is going to develop in the next several months. Here are some pictures of my little girl growing up!

We call her Messi Jessi!

Brother/Sister love

Climbing in the play drawer

Learning time with blocks

Climbing on the coffee table

My sweet girl

Peek-a-boo

Sign language- More

Helping (?) Mom with the dishwasher

Here's a quick peek of  Shrade at 18 months old.