Congrats to Jenny Mullins. You won Mary Snyder’s giveaway from last week. Send your home address to kim@proverbs31.org to claim your prize.

When pulling out some past Christmastime photos for a decorating idea I had a few weeks ago…..well, what should have been a ten-minute task turned into an hour long trip down memory lane, complete with both chuckles and crying.

It isn’t just a cliche. It is the truth.

Time flies.

This past summer, my beloved boyfriend from college and I celebrated 25 years of wedded bliss.

Okay….so only about 23% of it is actually bliss. About 17% is “He/she drives me so bonkers I wanna move to a desert island”, about 39% is just doing regular old life–carting kids, paying bills, keeping up the cars, house and yard–and the remaining 21%?

Laughing until our sides hurt.

Todd and I really are great friends and we joke and prank and see humor in everyday life. It really helps any “knock-down, drag-outs” resulting from the above category number two to be short lived. We try to stay mad at each other, but end up laughing!

Well, while perusing the pictures in my antiquated photo boxes, what I cried most about was the news that this might be the last time our 20 -year-old Kenna’s boss lets her have time off to come home for Christmas. (We live in Michigan. She in Charlotte, NC)

Seems salons are mighty busy on Christmas Eve with up-dos and such. However, with her aunt’s stage four cancer, her gracious boss let her have a few days off before Christmas so she could fly home.

So, not only to spend time with Kenna (who arrives home in two days and we’ve STILL not got the outdoors lights up yet. Think Christmas With The Kranks ) but to hang out with the boys, and my hubby for the next two weeks, I am going on a blogging break.

My laptop will be here when I return.

My time with all five Ehmans sipping homemade hot cocoa, eating apricot jam-laden, melted brie with Ritz crackers Ritz (recipe here) and fighting over a “hearty” (code for cut-throat!) board game are numbered.

What days are numbered in your life?

I challenge you too to focus for the holiday season that remains on the face-to-face relationships in your life.

While I ADORE my cyber friends and the community we share weekly, I never want to let them trump time alone with my clan, experiencing worship and service with my church or reaching out to those whom God puts in my path (with Spence’s entrance into public school this year, lately that has been many Saturday overnights with hungry 13-year-old boys whom we then take to church with us on Sunday mornings )

So, I leave you with some of those Christmas pics that made my heart stop and my eyes leak. I’ll see you back here in January.

Have a blessed Christmas and giddy New Years!!!

Our very first Christmas tree 1986. Three Rivers, Michigan apartment on Thomas Lane. We purchased it for 5 bucks on a corner lot the Lions club ran in a little town about a half hour from there. Todd was totally rockin’ the Steven Curtis Chapman mullet that year.

The kids in 1998. Kenna 7,  Mitch 3 and baby Spence (now a 200 pound plus offensive tackle) 10 months old.

Oh buddy. 2006. The year I tried to “capture” the perfect Christmas photo. None of them would cooperate. Kenz fussed too much with her hair and lip gloss. Mitch wouldn’t smile and Spence kept clowning around. Finally, I gave up. I told them each to go grab something that uniquely reflected their personality and this is what we sent out that year! Favorite. Picture. EVER!!!!

Our snowman circa 1998. After fretting because his eyes were too small when we tried to use buttons and such, our genius, dyslexic son Mitch dashed into the toy box and grabbed huge black wheels from his tinker toys. He also gave him firewood for arms and something that acted as his cigar. (We couldn’t find the corn-cob pipe I’d gotten at a garage sale that year.) Best snowman on Traver Street that year.

Have a wonderful celebration of Jesus! You are loved and appreciated by me and all of us at Proverbs 31 Ministries!!!

As my Christmas card to you, watch the most AWESOME rendition of the Hallelujah chorus by the winning gospel choir from a recent Verizon contest “How Sweet The Sound”. Unlike any version you have ever heard! Turn up the volume and CLICK HERE.

I love my girlfriends.

Together, my girlfriend April and I split duties and came up with these platters of goodies for our kids’ teachers:

Church windows look so pretty on a platter of goodies!

And, since I too am a teacher since I homeschool one child, I am treating myself to a gingerbread latte with a girlfriend this morning. (I’ll skip the cookies although I LOVE church windows! Recipe here)

Well, she started out as an “important curriculum editor person” at Zondervan publishers when I met her a year and a half ago at a conference.

Now she is a girlfriend and, I’ve discovered, a fellow coffee lover.

Then, tomorrow I will hang with my very sweet (and very pregnant!) friend Ayla whom you met here last spring as she shared her story of leaving the world of Islam. We are gonna finish up Christmas shopping and yes, I’m sure there will be more coffee involved.

After a crazy summer and fall with my sister-in-law’s cancer, some transitions in our life, a mom who just had back surgery last week and the stress of writing an e-book and a regular book in the midst of it all, I’m gonna go play for two days. Yeah!!!!!

Enjoy your weekend, whatever it brings!

photo credit

Hey friends.

Today I am up to my elbows in cookies and fudge (literally!). Cranking out neighbor, teacher and publisher gifts. What a perfect day to have you meet my friend Mary Snyder and have a chance at winning her new book, a Starbucks gift card and a funky luggage tag.

Why a luggage tag?

Well, Mary is an adventurous girl. And works for a cruise line. And she loves friendship.

What a great combo!

Here is a short post from her:

Girlfriends.  I wanted girlfriends.  Not just women to spend time with, but true-blue, laugh-so-hard-you-have-to-cross-your-legs girlfriends.   Women who would link arms with me and do life together; women I could trust with my hopes, dreams and my fears.  I needed girlfriends.

These feelings were the beginning of the journey the Lord had in store for me – a journey I call the great girlfriend adventure.  An adventure filled with incredible times in Bible study with girlfriends to devastating lows when I learned of the betrayal and manipulation of someone I considered a friend.  Through it all God has shown me His amazing grace.

I share all of this in God, Grace and Girlfriends: Adventures in Faith & Friendship – along with fun ideas for finding girlfriends, figuring out just what kind of girlfriend you are and I also share my love for getaways!

I have everything from a quick night out ideas to suggestions for week-long road trips.

It’s all about the adventure – in faith and in friendships.

This adventure is a part of my life and I hope that it’s a part of yours.  The girlfriend adventure is about relationships in life – relationships with the women you know today and women you’ve yet to meet.

Each day is a fresh opportunity for a new adventure- grab on to this adventure of faith & friendships!

Today Mary is giving away this package. it includes:

~ A copy of her new book

~ A $10 Starbucks gift card

~ A luggage tag (which, by the way, perfectly coordinates with the whimsical cover of her book. She’s all matchy-matchy like that. I dread her seeing my piece-meal luggage set when I travel with her next month!)

So…leave us a short comment with the place in the world you’d most like to visit with a girlfriend or two.

Or, if time you are crunched for time, just say, “I’m in!” (I realize you may be baking cookies today too!)

Winner announced tomorrow and …..speaking of winners….the winner of the giveaway from Tuesday is:

Valorie Raica

Valorie–send your home address to my lovely assistant Kim at kim@proverbs31.org right away!

See you all tomorrow

My Proverbs 31 Encouragement for Today devotion running on Crosswalk.com was about teaching our kids an important lesson through a wad of simple rubber bands. Click here to read it.

Be sure to come back!

As promised, here is a Christmas giveaway for you.

In order to be entered, please leave a comment telling us an idea for serving those who are lonely, tired, sad, sick or in financial need at the holidays.

Or tell us a way to help get kids to give, rather than focus on getting.

Winner announced Thursday.

The giveaway includes:

~ A copy of our new Ebook Untangling Christmas: Your Go-to Guide for a Hassle-Free Holiday. It is full of ideas for outreach and teaching kids gratefulness.

~  A white snowflake Starbucks Christmas mug

~ A $10 Target gift card to buy yourself something to put in that mug (my favorite is their Archer Farms Coconut Macaroon coffee!)

~ A pair of nickel-free Christmas earrings, silver snowflakes with a light green stone.

~ A pair of Bath & Bodyworks fluffy Christmas socks infused with vanilla & shea

(Candle not included. I was burning it and just thought it looked pretty!)

I will be back Thursday with a  guest who has a giveaway for you.

Then, as the week winds down, so will I. Getting ready to have all my babies home for Christmas!

And bake the teacher and tutor gifts.

And the candy cane crunch for the neighbors.

And finish up shopping.

And, most importantly, stop to really savor time with the Savior.

So, I won’t have a lot of time to blog next week. And I’ll bet you won’t have a lot of time to read blogs anyway! Right?

I thought so.

Ok, leave your comment with your idea to share. I can’t wait to read them!

NOTE: Please come back tomorrow when there will be another giveaway based on a Proverbs 31 devotion I have running on Crosswalk.com.

Hey gals!

It is time to announce the winners of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways. Yipppie!

First let me thank all of my Proverbs 31 sisters who participated. I LOVED the feel this year’s posts took on.

Lots of ideas.

But lots of peace and grace too. No pressure to “do it all”  (types the woman who has still not gotten up any outdoor decorations except a simple wreath!)

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY:

If you are a winner, send an email RIGHT AWAY to my assistant at kim@proverbs31.org.  Include whose gift you won and what day number it is. We’ll forward the message on so you can get your gift right away.

ALSO—check the winners carefully. If it says “Jane who left a comment on Dec. 5th at 11:17 am” and your name is Jane but you did not leave a comment at that exact time (or even on that day!) Do not email to say “Am I the Jane who won?” You can easily tell by scrolling down the comments to see your name and the time stamp there. Ok?

Great.

Here we go. (Oh how I wish you all could have won!!!)

Day 1: Anonymous (comment left Nov 29 at 10:25 am & signed ‘donna’)

Day 2: Ashley (comment left Nov 29 at 11:09 am)

Day 3: Janet (comment left Dec 1 at 6:09 am)

Day 4: Jennifer Hutchinson

Day 5:  kirstie@bonhomiejewelry

Day 6: Jessica Budd

Day 7: Michelle in VA

Day 8: Paige (comment left Dec 5 at 10:10 am)

Day 9: LaTara

Day 10: Kris C. (comment left Dec 7 at 9:23 am)

Day 11: Kathleen Mills

Day 12: Vikki Green

And the grand prize winner who commented on all 12 days is:

Jenny Anderson

Congrats everyone!!

I can’t believe we’ve come to the end of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

Remember—-if you have missed commenting on any of the days, you may still catch up through the end of the weekend.

And, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

Comment on any of the 12 posts until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th.

All winners announced Monday, December 12th. Then, on Tuesday, December 13th we’ll have one final giveaway based on a Proverbs 31 devotion I will have running.

Oh….I LOVE Christmas!!!!!!

For our final Proverbs 31 guest, we have my all-time favorite friend (:->), (Ahem….that is the last time I give out my password so a guest can “help me out” and load her own post!) national speaker and co-host of Proverbs 31 Ministries radio show, Renee Swope.

Renee’s passion is to encourage women and help them replace self-doubt with lasting confidence in Christ by showing them how to live in the security of God’s promises every day. She’s author of the best-selling book,  “A Confident Heart”, and currently serves as Executive Director and Sr. Editor of Radio and  Devotions.  Renee is also a contributing writer for Encouragement for Today devotions and www.roomag.com.

BUT her greatest joy and favorite titles are wife to J.J. and mom to Joshua (16), Andrew (14) and Aster (3) who they adopted from Ethiopia two years ago.

Renee has a short video message for us about the importance of giving ourselves the gift of grace and receiving God’s gift of rest.

Don’t miss her encouragement!

It is about how God came to us so that we could come to Him- and find rest in His presence, His plans and His promises – at Christmas and all throughout the year!


Renee’s Christmas Give-away

• 3 Copies of her book (for you & two friends)
• 3 Sets of Confident Heart conference calls (optional)
• $10 Starbucks gift card
• Godiva Chocolate Bar

Renee is hosting a FREE online Bible/Book study of A Confident Heart starting January 16th on her website/blog.  To find out more and consider being part of it, click here. To hear more from Renee, find some great FREE resources and read a Christmas prayer that will help you prepare your heart from Christmas, visit her website/blog at www.ReneeSwope.com.

OKAY—for our last question: Based on Renee’s message, where do YOU need to give yourself some grace at Christmas?

Me? The infamous full-color, photo-laden, annual Christmas letter.

I have been giving myself grace for four years now on that one. With Facebook and my blog, most of the nearly 100 people that I sent the letter to already know what we’d been up to all year.

So, with that one grace-filled decision, I saved SEVERAL hours time, a lot of stress and envelope-stuffing, and about $75.

And you?

Have a WONDERFUL, grace-filled weekend!

We are on day 11 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

You may comment on each day’s post to be put in the drawing for that particular prize.

Then, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

Comment on any post until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th. (Yes, that means if you are just joining us you can catch up by commenting on all the posts!)

All winners announced Monday, December 12th.

Well, for today’s Proverbs 31 featured guest, we have the fabulous Bible teacher Wendy Blight. Here is her guest post:

What do I love about Christmas?

The better question is, what don’t l love about Christmas? It is my most favorite holiday.

But if I had to choose, I love Christmas Eve the most.  Monty, Lauren, Bo, and I attend a special night of worship at our church.

But when we return home, all seriousness is out the window.  We get cozy and comfy and watch the most wonderful Christmas movie ever…ELF!

You thought I was going to say It’s a Wonderful Life, didn’t you?  No, it’s Elf.

We know every line, but we laugh every time.

My greatest passion is teaching the Word of God. I lead a Bible Study in Charlotte, North Carolina and host on-line Bible studies.

I am currently leading an on-line study through the book of Hebrews and invite you to stop by my web site to learn more.

My heart is full as I ponder the many beautiful promises and truths wrapped up in this Christmas season.  What should I share?

I prayed…a recipe…a tradition…a family story? No, none seemed right.

What pricked my heart is Jesus.  He is, after all, the reason we celebrate this season.

His Names are many, but today I want to share one in particular.

Prince of Peace.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:5-7

The days leading up to today found me anxious and irritable.  How can that be?  It’s Christmas.  My favorite time of year.

I sensed something was not right, but I just could not identify it.  But my Heavenly Father did.

He awakened me at 4:15 a.m. and spoke Truth to me.

Wendy…

You are a My child.

You are a daughter of the Most High God.

Within you is My righteousness.

You are indwelt by My Holy Spirit.

Within you resides My Peace.

But I had forgotten.  I had allowed other things…tasks, busyness, work, shopping, decorating, and “to do” lists to fill that place.

My sweet Father reminded me:

Wendy, I will keep you in perfect peace when your mind is steadfast, because you trust in Me.

Isaiah 26:2-4

Wendy, the fruit of the righteousness that lives in you will be peace, and its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.

Isaiah 32:16-18

Peace I leave with you, Wendy; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:26-28

Wendy, when you stop being anxious, when you give everything to me in prayer, My peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-8

Friend, will you join me this Christmas season in inviting the Prince of Peace to rule and reign in your heart?  Will you join me in claiming these promises for yourself?

Wherever you see my name, insert yours.  Wake up each morning and invite the Prince of Peace to fill you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

Keep his name on your lips all throughout the day.

My prayer for you is from 2 Thessalonians 3:15-17.

Heavenly Father, Lord of Peace, will you fill each one of my sisters reading this post with the fullness of Your Peace at all times and in every way.

No matter what is going on in her day, Lord, draw her back to You.  In Jesus’ precious Name, Amen.

Friend, I am so thankful Karen asked me to meet here with you today.  As I close, please know I have prayed for you…for each woman drawn here today.

God brought you here to remind you that He is your Prince of Peace.  Cling to Him today!!

I am giving away two gifts:

The first is is a newly released leather bound copy of Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling

The second a signed copy of my book, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner.

Wendy has shared about the peace of Christ.

Please leave a comment telling us the characteristic you most love about Jesus for a chance to win her giveaway!

Or, if time is tight, simply say, “Peace on Earth”.

See you tomorrow for our last day of Christmas!

We are nearing the end…it is day 10 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

You may comment on each day’s post to be put in the drawing for that particular prize.

Then, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

Comment on any post until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th. (Yes, that means if you are just joining us you can catch up by commenting on all the posts!)

All winners announced Monday, December 12th.

Well, for today’s Proverbs 31 featured guest, we’ll hear from the one on our team who would play Mary if we put on a live nativity, the very pregnant Whitney Capps:

Whitney is a mom-in-the-trenches to her three little fellas-Cooper, Dylan and Ryder.

Fun facts about Whit: her favorite Christmas soundtrack is Chris Tomlin’s Glory in the Highest CD; she has never tasted fruit cake and loves Christmas “party” food.

We’ve come to day 9 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

You may comment on each day’s post to be put in the drawing for that particular prize.

Then, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

Comment on any post until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th. (Yes, that means if you are just joining us you can catch up by commenting on all the posts!)

All winners announced Monday, December 12th.

Today, you get to hear from my co-author, friend and the woman who hosted me (and my teenage son) for the past four days, LeAnn Rice of She Cooks!

LeAnn Rice lives down south in sweet tea country and is certain that the longer she lives in the south, the more her tongue seems to curl as she speaks. Her passion is to bring people around the kitchen table to share good food and good conversations while creating lasting memories. A caterer, event planner, and licensed esthetician until God called her to full time ministry, LeAnn currently serves as the Executive Director of Proverbs 31 Ministries in Matthews, North Carolina. She is also a contributor to www.roomag.com, www.seashinemag.com and www.awidowsmight.org.

Although she cringes every time she hears the word, for the last 14 years LeAnn has been required to mark the box “widow” on official forms. Her husband and best friend, Ron, lost his battle with cancer but gained a new painless life with Jesus.

She is now single mom to their 18-year-old son, Nick, who, sadly, is not at all interested in taste-testing his mom’s recipes. But Nick’s limited pallet hasn’t kept LeAnn from her love of cooking. She experiments on family and friends and cooks at her local soup kitchen.

In June of 2010 she launched www.SheCooks.org, a food blog where she shares recipes, menu ideas, photos, and glimpses of her crazy life.

When she’s not at work, in the kitchen, or running Nick to school or to tennis practice, LeAnn spends her time trying to appease their high-maintenance cat, Angel’s unreasonable demands. However, Christmas wouldn’t be the same if she wasn’t hiding under the tree ready to pounce on unsuspecting feet, or attacking the wrapping paper on Christmas morning.

LeAnn’s post:

When I was growing up I remember my mom setting out a platter filled with her pumpkin bread and an assortment of Christmas cookies. We munched sugary treats while we opened our gifts.

Since it’s just me and my son, Nick, on Christmas morning. Our tradition is to make Resurrection Rolls and eat them with a mug of hot cocoa. (I know… this is typically an Easter treat but I think its just as important to remember his death and resurrection at Christmas). You can find the recipe for Resurrection Rolls here: http://www.shecooks.org/2011/03/resurrection-rolls/

For those of you with a larger family or a house full of guests, an easy overnight casserole might be the ticket. Rise and Shine Breakfast Casserole is one of my favorites. I made this last Saturday night and baked it Sunday morning to bring nice and hot to our choir. Everyone followed the smell of something cinnamony drifting down the hallway. I don’t remember much after that. It’s a haze. I just know the baking dish was empty and I didn’t get a single bite.

Lesson to be learned… take your bite FIRST!

Rise and Shine Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• a 16-oz loaf of cinnamon swirl or brown sugar cinnamon bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• a 12-oz package of maple sausage, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups half-n-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:

• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Arrange bread cubes in bottom of baking dish. Evenly distribute the cooked sausage pieces over the top of the bread.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-n-half, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Pour over bread and sausage in the baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare topping by mixing butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. When combined, add the pecans. Remove covering from bread/egg mixture. Use your fingers to drop clumps of topping all over the top.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes.

Serve with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar… not because you need it… but just because it looks pretty!

Now, for LeAnn’s giveaway. It includes:

~ A darling “holiday stress” snowman ornament

~ A copy of Untangling Christmas: Your Go-to Guide for a Hassle-Free Holiday

~ A casting Crowns CD–Peace on Earth

To be entered in LeAnn’s giveaway, leave us a comment telling what you eat on Christmas morning.

At our house, we have Nutmeg- Eggnog French toast. (The recipe is in Untangling Christmas)

If time is tight, just say “Christmas cookies”

See you back here tomorrow!

Welcome to day 8 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!

You may comment on each day’s post to be put in the drawing for that particular prize.

Then, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

Comment on any post until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th. (Yes, that means if you are just joining us you can catch up!)

All winners announced Monday, December 12th.

Today, meet my friend Lynn Cowell:

Lynn is an author and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Her study for teen girls “His Revolutionary Love” empowers girls with self-esteem and confidence leading them to wise decisions.

One of her favorite Christmas traditions is to fill her kitchen with teen girls and teach them to make Christmas treats. It’s a mess but they sure do have fun!

Today on her blog, Lynn will share her favorite ways to invest in her kids with the gift of time. Please stop by; share how you invest in your kids and hear how other moms do as well!

Her Christmas memory:

By today’s standards, I come from a huge family; I’m number seven of eight kids.

For as long as I can remember, my family has had a five man toboggan that we’d strap it to the top of our station wagon.

Now in Iowa, you’ve got to be pretty creative when it comes to finding a spot to sled; corn fields produce much of a thrill!

We did have a couple of good hills that brought some winter fun. My favorite memory of sledding was my last memory of sledding.

My father had been diagnosised with cancer and had been fighting the disease for a long time. As we all pulled on all our gear, we were shocked to see Dad pull on his tan Carthartt jacket.

Mom was none too happy to see him heading out, but I know that my dad saw it for what it was; his last opportunity to celebrate Christmas this way with his family.

I have no idea what my parents gave me that Christmas, but I do remember this one thing. My father gave me the investment of his time and his sense of adventure even when he was fighting for his life.

Todays’ prize:

Lynn’s Christmas giveaway is a Revolutionary Love bundle.

This gift set includes:

~ A signed copy of “His Revolutionary Love”,

~ A CD of this message

~ And a “Revolutionary Love” t-shirt!

What a great gift for that teen girl in your life that needs to know that Jesus is wild about her!

(If you’d like to purchase this bundle for a teen girl you know for Christmas, click here for details)

To be entered in Lynn’s giveaway, leave a comment telling us your favorite outdoor Christmastime activity.

If time is tight, just say “Hot cocoa!”

See you tomorrow!