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bitter

Better, Not Bitter

For Life | Spiritual Growth

Better, Not Bitter

In junior high, when I was living the life of a teen in the midst of a broken, sometimes violent and often empty home, I wandered to the little church kitty-corner from my house on occasion to attend their youth…

Read More Better, Not Bitter

karenehman

Welcome to day 10 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Welcome to day 10 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! 🎉🎉🎉 Today’s guest is @ahniart and she is giving away two 8X10 scripture gallery wrapped canvases.⠀
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🎄 Amy, or “Ahni” as she is called by her nieces and nephews, and her husband have been married for 25 years. They have 7 kiddos, and she is a kindergarten teacher at a classical Christian school. Amy says, "Life is crazy almost every day, but thankfully God never changes and my art keeps me sane, grounded, and yet buoys my soul."⠀
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🎄 She shares her art and her heart daily on IG and FB from what God is teaching her through his Word and her daily life. She sells her art in the form of vinyl stickers, prints, Bible journaling cards, canvases, and mugs in her Etsy shop.⠀
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🎄To enter the giveaway make sure you are following both @karenehman and @ahniart. Then simply leave a comment on the post tagging a friend (or two or as many as you’d like!) to tell them about the giveaway as well. You will get one entry for each person you tag. You will also get a bonus entry if you click on the little airplane and share it to your own Instagram story. 5⠀
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All the winners will be announced on Monday, December 13th. US and Canadian entries only, please. ⠀
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* This contest is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with Instagram.

Welcome to day 9 of our 12 Days of Christmas Give

Welcome to day 9 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! 🎉🎉🎉 Today’s guest is @forthegirl___ and they are giving away a Happier Because of Him Zip-Up Hoodie. So fun!! ❤️ Now, meet the two women behind For the Girl!⠀
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🎄 Mac is an ex-country singer from a small town in North Carolina. You probably have the wrong impression of her already because she dresses more like Beyonce and you’ll probably never catch her with a guitar in hand. On the real tho, she’s an incredible speaker and leader. She will fire truth at you even when you ain't ready to hear it!! She’s confident, strong-willed (8 on the enneagram), and loyal!! Just picture a golden retriever, pitbull mutt and you got Mac!!⠀
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🎄 Kenz is everybody's best friend, ultimate hype girl, and prayer warrior. She has perfected the backhanded compliment and always has 3 XL water bottles within arm's length. If you ever meet her, be sure to ask her to show you her speed walk (it’s very impressive). Even though she’s not a touchy-feely hugger, she always makes sure that everyone in the room feels included and seen. Don’t be surprised by her savvy business skills and her ability to bring the house down with a fire prayer. She’s a textbook 7 on the enneagram and is sure to bring a good time no matter where she goes!⠀
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🎄 To enter the giveaway make sure you are following both @karenehman and @forthegirl___ . Then simply leave a comment on the post tagging a friend (or two or as many as you’d like!) to tell them about the giveaway as well. You will get one entry for each person you tag. You will also get a bonus entry if you click on the little airplane and share it to your own Instagram story. 5⠀
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All the winners will be announced on Monday, December 13th. US and Canadian entries only, please. ⠀
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* This contest is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with Instagram.

Welcome to day 8 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways

Welcome to day 8 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! 🎉🎉🎉 Today’s guest is @natalierebeccadesign and they are giving away a complete disc-bound 2022 planner! It is an 8 disc (half letter-sized) notebook that will come with their popular "Thread" cover - (a cover that is also reversible!) - as well as a Jan-Dec 2022 monthly & weekly calendar in their new "Modern" font. Included in this package is also a matching set of Modern dividers so that the winner can quickly flip to the section in the planner she needs. ❤️⠀⠀
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🎄 Natalie, the founder and owner of Natalie Rebecca Design, would be the first to tell you that she doesn’t have it all together. Like many of us, she is regularly working to balance tasks at work, visits with friends, and quality time with her husband and two boys. She juggles schedules, to-do’s, weekly tasks, finances. Put simply—life! It’s these exact experiences that make her products so useful. ⠀
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🎄 Founded in 2016, Natalie Rebecca Design is a small business committed to making high-quality, thoughtfully designed organizational products. Whether you're a college student, stay-at-home mom, or a corporate executive, your life is full of things to do and people to take care of. And Natalie’s right there with you! Natalie Rebecca Design deeply believes in the power of small things to make a big difference. Something seemingly insignificant, like a beautiful calendar or a helpful task sheet, can actually make a huge difference in your daily life. ⠀
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🎄 To enter the giveaway make sure you are following both @karenehman and @natalierebeccadesign. Then simply leave a comment on the post tagging a friend (or two or as many as you’d like!) to tell them about the giveaway as well. You will get one entry for each person you tag. You will also get a bonus entry if you click on the little airplane and share it to your own Instagram story. 5⠀
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All the winners will be announced on Monday, December 13th. US and Canadian entries only, please. ⠀
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* This contest is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with Instagram.

Anyone else go all nostalgic and get misty-eyed wh

Anyone else go all nostalgic and get misty-eyed when they spy a certain ornament on their tree? 🎄

When our children were small and Todd was unemployed, there were a few Christmases that were hard. I was a full-time mom and although we weren’t poor according to the world‘s standards, compared to many of our friends, we were lacking. My children would hear about the fancy and newfangled gifts their friends were getting. They would see the gorgeous Christmas decorations at their houses. I longed to make Christmas special for them as well, but I just knew there were some things we couldn’t afford.

One year, our then four-year-old son Mitchell specifically asked for an orange football helmet. (He loved sports and was obsessed with the color orange.)

First of all, I had such a hard time finding one. Online shopping wasn’t really big then. And secondly, the ones I found at sporting goods stores were nearly $30 and way out of our budget.

Then, one day I went to a Goodwill store to do some Christmas shopping. (My children thought it was totally normal to receive gifts that were secondhand.) I was searching for a few ornaments to put on the tree, and I spied this Winnie the Pooh one from the 1960s. It had a hefty price tag of just one quarter. Mitchell absolutely loved Winnie the Pooh and I knew he would be thrilled when I allowed him to put it on the tree.

As I was heading to the cash register, something in the toy section caught my eye. There on the shelf was a children’s football helmet for just $.50. And yes, it was the perfect shade of bold, bright orange.

I’m sure the other patrons wondered why I was standing there holding it, bawling my eyes out, but it was a little kiss from God.

I never want to think of God as a genie in a bottle, but he is a God who cares about the longings of our hearts, and my longing that year was to give my children a special Christmas. And I will never forget it look on my son‘s eyes when he opened that used toy. For the next few weeks we could hardly get him to take it off.

Is there a Christmas ornament on your tree that brings to your mind a happy memory? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.❤️

Welcome to day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways

Welcome to day 7 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! 🎉🎉🎉 Today’s guest is @wholeheartedquiettime and they are giving away a Green Pastures Quiet Time Companion! This journal is a planner/organizational tool for spending time with Jesus. It has sections for Bible Reading Plans, Sermon Notes, Prayer Lists, Daily Quiet Time Journaling, and more! ❤️⠀⠀
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🎄Naomi Vacaro, founder of the Wholehearted, grew up in Outer Mongolia as a missionary kid before moving to Central Florida at the age of 18. After getting a degree in graphic design, she married Matthew Vacaro and worked as a wedding photographer for four years. In 2018, Naomi designed a journal called the Quiet Time Companion and launched an online ministry to help Christians develop the daily habit of Bible reading and prayer. She now spends her time writing, directing the Wholehearted ministry, and being a stay-at-home mom.⠀
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🎄 To enter the giveaway make sure you are following both @karenehman and @wholeheartedquiettime. Then simply leave a comment on the post tagging a friend (or two or as many as you’d like!) to tell them about the giveaway as well. You will get one entry for each person you tag. You will also get a bonus entry if you click on the little airplane and share it to your own Instagram story. 5⠀
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All the winners will be announced on Monday, December 13th. US and Canadian entries only, please. ⠀
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* This contest is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with Instagram.

Welcome to day 6 of our 12 Days of Christmas Givea

Welcome to day 6 of our 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! 🎉🎉🎉 ⠀
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Today’s guest is @lanternhill_soaps who is giving away Sweet Orange Spice, Rosemary Mint, and Lemongrass bar soaps along with two Beeswax lip balms, a Loofah scrub, and an exfoliating soap pouch. ❤️⠀⠀
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🎄Lantern Hill is a small family-owned business, who specializes in making all-natural skincare. Lantern Hill loves bringing you quality products that promote overall health and relational service. All-natural and sustainably sourced, their soap bars are made from quality ingredients such as pure aloe vera, essential oils, and natural clays & botanicals. ⠀
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🎄 To enter the giveaway make sure you are following both @karenehman and @lanternhill_soaps. Then simply leave a comment on the post tagging a friend (or two or as many as you’d like!) to tell them about the giveaway as well. You will get one entry for each person you tag. You will also get a bonus entry if you click on the little airplane and share it to your own Instagram story. 5⠀
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All the winners will be announced on Monday, December 13th. US and Canadian entries only, please. ⠀
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* This contest is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with Instagram.

Years ago, when our children were very young, a sw

Years ago, when our children were very young, a sweet widow on our city block told me a statement I’ve never forgotten. She said that Christmas is an excuse to make someone else’s life better. This might look like adopting a family who deals with food insecurity or helping your church provide gifts for the children of people who are incarcerated. However, there are many actions we can take on a smaller scale that will also help to spread some Christmas kindness. Here are some ideas our family has tried over the years:⠀
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* Take hot cocoa to the Salvation Army bellringers around town.⠀
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* Tip the worker assigned to corral all the grocery carts in the parking lot a $10 or $20 bill. Thank them for their hard work and tell them to treat themselves to something when their shift ends.⠀
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* Scrape off vehicle windshields in the grocery store parking lot on a snowy day.⠀
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* Take your family to a local nursing home or assisted living facility and make snowmen outside the residents’ windows. Before doing so, swing by your local Goodwill store to purchase scarves, hats, mittens, etc… for the snowmen. Also take along some sticks for their arms, large black buttons for their faces, and carrots for their noses.⠀
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* Place a basket on your front porch full of granola bars or individual bags of salty treats for the package delivery person. Be sure to write a note telling them to help themselves and thanking them for their hard work at the holidays.⠀
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* Hand a gift card to a local salon to your favorite barista when they make your gingerbread latte this week. Tell them to treat themselves to a service at the salon and thank them for making your coffee for them all year long.

Welcome to day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways

Welcome to day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways! 🎉🎉🎉 Today’s guest is @handstolearn and they are giving away a $30 eGift Card to their shop! ❤️⠀
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🎄Hands to Learn creates beautiful and meaningful art to fill our homes with reminders of the Gospel, call Scripture to mind, and turn our eyes to the Lord. Angel, the artist, uses watercolor, hand lettering, and graphic design to illustrate Gospel truths and bring encouragement to the Christian walk. In Deuteronomy 6, God tells His people to surround themselves with His Word: to write it on their hearts, teach it to their children, to think of it when they sit, stand, lie down, and walk, and to write it on their door frames and gates. God calls us to literally keep His Word in front of us at all times because we are so prone to forget. The heart behind Hands to Learn is to provide a way to do that, beautifully - all by His grace, and for His glory. ✝️⠀
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🎄 To enter the giveaway make sure you are following both @karenehman and @handstolearn. Then simply leave a comment on the post tagging a friend (or two or as many as you’d like!) to tell them about the giveaway as well. You will get one entry for each person you tag. You will also get a bonus entry if you click on the little airplane and share it to your own Instagram story. 📲⠀
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All the winners will be announced on Monday, December 13th. US and Canadian entries only, please. ⠀
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* This contest is in no way endorsed by or affiliated with Instagram.

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