And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins.
~Matthew 1:21

It’s not about wrapped presents, decorated trees, or how much shopping and baking you’ve done. This is what it’s all about.

A Sunday Scripture (What Christmas is All About) is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Today I feel a little bit like Santa. Or at least an elf. I’m an affiliate with DaySpring, and last month they asked if I had favorite items that I would like to offer to My Home Sweet Home readers at a heavy discount in December.

I chose items that I personally enjoy and would make meaningful gifts: the By Grace Alone Pendant and the He Fills My Life With Good Things Mug. I’m wearing the necklace and drinking out of the mug as I type this!

The By Grace Alone Pendant is a little bit like Amish Friendship Bread but you don’t have to feed a bread starter or figure out what to do with all those loaves and you certainly won’t gain any weight. It works like this: a friend compliments you on your necklace; you order one as a gift for her; another friend compliments her on her necklace; she orders one as a gift for that friend; and the chain continues.

This story is based on personal experience.

The necklace normally sells for $19.99, but right now you can get it for $7.99, no promo code needed. Actually, the entire Necklaces and Pendants collection is seriously discounted!

I use DaySpring mugs daily. Our cabinets are full of them and I give away a lot as teacher, birthday, and Christmas gifts (and later I smile seeing them in friends’ homes, in use). The He Fills My Life With Good Things Mug is my favorite new design: I love the shape, color, and happy blue bird waiting for me at the bottom of my hot tea.

The mug lists for $9.99 on the site, but if you enter promo code Mug75 at checkout you can buy it for $2.50—that’s a stock-up price for sure! You MUST enter the promo code for this deal.

This sale ends on the 16th, the last day to order for Christmas delivery. Happy shopping!

Last-Minute DaySpring Deals for Christmas! is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

This Thursday, December 8, three of my kids and I will be there when The Story Tour: A Christmas Spectacular hits Philips Arena here in Atlanta.

The Story is an unparalleled project from the best-known artists in Christian music that tells the story of God’s love and redemption from Genesis to Revelation in 18 songs.  The Story Tour : A Christmas Spectacular features Max Lucado and Randy Frazee along with a stellar musical cast including Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, Francesca Battistelli, Natalie Grant, Selah and Anthem Lights.  The tour will be a fully produced multi-media experience with the artists performing The Story album in its entirety, in addition to favorite Christmas classics.  Complete with stunning visuals projected on a massive screen encompassing the entire stage, The Story Tour: A Christmas Spectacular is a spectacular Christmas celebration perfect for audiences of all ages.

Selah’s Todd Smith wrote a guest post this week at (in)courage about The Story Tour that I encourage you to read for additional background on the show.

The Story Tour looks like a great way to celebrate the Christmas season with your family, and I’ve got discounts to help you do that more economically. First is the Family 4 Pack, which gets you 4 lower-level tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 Coca-Cola products for $100 (a savings of $34).

Click the graphic below for a half-price sale on other ticket options.

{Disclosure: Tickets were provided to me in exchange for sharing the news about this event. Opinions expressed are my own.}

The Story Tour: A Christmas Spectacular Live this Thursday at Philips Arena is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Admittedly, I enjoy a brief foray into the maddening crowds of Christmas shoppers—after all, we did roll out of bed at 5 a.m. and hit one store on Black Friday—but for the most part I’d rather shop from home. Here are some Cyber Monday deals that you might want to catch.

 DaySpring is running an incredible deal through today: 30% off of the entire store (excluding buy 1 get 1 free totes and 14 super specials, which I’ll tell you about in a minute) when you entire code code SUPER30 at checkout. There are other sales this month, like 30% off on all canvases, so you can combine the deals.

The 14 Super Specials sale also ends today. Links and sale prices for individual items are listed below.

Here are the deals:

1. Love Came Down – Tea Towels – Set of 2 $12.99 $5
2. Love Came Down – Names of Jesus – Reversible Table Runner $24.99 $9.99
3. Christmas Carol Tree $49.99 $20
4. Nativity – Trio Tea Light Holder $24.99 $9.99
5. God Sees the Real Me – Sculpted Art Panel $40 $10
6. Rejoice in Him – Sculpted Art Panel $48 $18
7. Wonderful Grace Serving Tray $48 $18
8. God’s Heart for You – Sterling Silver Necklace $49.99 $20
9. God’s Heart for You – Rhodium Plated Necklace $34.99 $11.99
10. Message Block Set $49.99 $15
11. God Will Be With You – Mirror $59.99 $19.99
12. Nativity Hurricane Candle Holder Trio $59.99 $23.99
13. Ever Grateful Trivet $9.99 $4

NAPP is also running some great deals today on NAPP memberships, KelbyTraining subscriptions, Photoshop World conference passes, and books, DVDs, and bundles from KelbyTraining.com.

This post contains affiliate links.

Cyber Monday Deals You Won’t Want to Miss is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
~ 2 Corinthians 3:17

In Celebration of Liberty is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD
~Psalm 33:12

Wishing you a restful holiday with family and friends, enjoying the freedoms given by God our creator and protected by the men and women of the military who’ve served and honored our country.

Remembering on Memorial Day is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying,
This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
~Luke 22:19

 
Saturday evening services, annual meeting, and somehow I’ve forgotten it’s communion until I walk into the sanctuary: men and boys on one side, women and girls on the other. This is my 7-year-old daughter’s third time to take part; I tap her on the shoulder from behind and she beams, sitting with her friend.

I take a seat beside a church sister who’s alone, too. She welcomes me and whispers that we’ve never taken communion together, smiling.

We sing a capella, sweet harmonies, old minor hymns. The children request a faster, lighter song, but it’s not what I want to hear. The final song is called, and I nod and breathe deep.

Just one more time before the door
Of death would intervene
They gathered there to sup and share
Love’s feast in joy serene.

For Christ aspired, strongly desired
To meet in fellowship here
With those who talked with Him and walked
Along each dusty year.

He gave them bread and wine so red
And told them when they meet
“Remember Me when this you see,”
Then knelt and washed their feet.

When next we meet in mem’ry sweet
Let love and fellowship flow
For this might be the last for me
Before I onward go.

lyrics from “The Last Supper,” Old School Hymnal

Past, present, future, it’s all here; I remember members of my family who have gone on and envision future generations sitting in these pews, tears in their eyes, singing the same songs.

Our pastor talks about the communion bread, symbolic of Christ’s body, broken for us, and how the Jews thoroughly swept the leaven (yeast), which represented sin, from their homes before the Passover. The tray passes to me and I slowly grind the unleavened bread between my teeth.

The congregation sits still, silent, thoughtful, and I feel the Holy Spirit is among us here.

Then comes the wine, a symbol of Christ’s blood, shed for the sins of his people. I drink and feel the warmth in my throat.

These first two parts of the service involve the vertical relationship between us and God. This last part is horizontal, fellowship among us here.

I take a towel and kneel in the floor, pulling a basin of water from beneath the pew in front of me, and then I lift my sister’s feet, one at a time, washing them in the cool water as my rings softly scrape the metal pan. After each foot is wrapped in the towel and patted dry, we smile and embrace, and she kneels to wash mine.

We talk softly about my mother and how we both miss her, and of her father-in-law, an accomplished gardener who for years made the communion wine himself before he passed on. Tears gather and we smile, and I know similar hushed conversations are taking place throughout the room.

We rise and embrace our brothers and sisters: spirits refreshed, wounds healed as we do this in remembrance of Him.

It’s good to be in the house of the Lord on this night.

This Do in Remembrance of Me is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

[This was originally posted at (in)courage, but seemed appropriate for Valentine's Day. Visit (in)courage today where we're giving away 50 copies of The Five Love Languages!]

Understanding the love languages of your spouse and family can play a huge factor in your relationships with those closest to you. According to Gary Chapman’s best-seller, The 5 Love Languages:

“Of the countless ways we can show love to one another, five key categories, or five love languages, proved to be universal and comprehensive—everyone has a love language, and we all identify primarily with one of the five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.”

My husband and I both have Quality Time as our highest love language and Receiving Gifts as our lowest, which translates into lots of date nights and few actual gifts. It was only after reading a Valentine’s Day post about a husband who almost forgot a card and gift that I even noticed that I didn’t receive them. It doesn’t matter to me. What mattered was the dinner and movie date we shared.

My husband could have brought me flowers and a diamond ring and it wouldn’t have meant as much to me as taking me out for quality time, alone.

For me, it’s the little gifts—like picking up a sweet tea for me on the way home from work—that say “I was thinking of you.”

We are blessed to be so in sync on our primary (and lowest ranking) love languages. Apparently people tend to be attracted to those whose are different than their own—opposites attract. We’re learning to work on the areas where we’re different.

I rank high on Acts of Service and my husband is low. The good news is that he isn’t offended if he comes home and dinner isn’t ready and I haven’t cleaned the house. The bad news is that he didn’t realize that leaving unchecked items on my honey-do list for an extended period of time makes me feel hurt and neglected.

He scores much higher on Physical Touch than I do (this category doesn’t refer to sex, although that is obviously an important component of marriage). I’m learning not to get impatient when my husband sidetracks me for a hug or kiss when I’m in the middle of something else.

Understanding a spouse’s love language can literally save or jumpstart a suffering marriage.

I’ve been analyzing my friends, children, and other family members, too. My eight-year-old son who wants to run errands with me? Quality time. My two oldest daughters? Words of affirmation.

Knowing a person’s love language enables you to communicate your love more effectively.

The grandmother who mails cards for every birthday and holiday enjoys receiving gifts as much as sending them. Since I’m not a gifts person, I’d never recognized that until now.

My ten-year-old daughter, who also loves giving cards, and her great-grandmother have become long-distance pen pals, exchanging notes and drawings. It’s obvious that the communications are a blessing to each, as they show they care in the way that speaks it most effectively.

Do you know your love language? Your spouse’s or children’s? If not, take the quiz and discover how to most effectively communicate your love to those around you.

Now You’re Speaking My {Love} Language is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

Today is the first day in a week that I’ll spend a relatively quiet day at home, as quiet as a house that now contains nine people and a continual Just Dance 2 wii party can be. Here’s what’s we’ve been doing:

Last Wednesday my oldest daughter and I went to Annie’s book signing party for From Head To Foot: All of you living all for Him.

That’s my daughter on the left and a friend who met us there on the right.

And of course, there was Christmas.

Do your kids give each other unusual presents like bags of bird feathers?

The dance party in full swing.

A white Christmas in Georgia? The kids were thrilled!

We had a special meeting at our new church building called the Defense of the Faith. It was geared for high school and college students, preparing and equipping them.

We’re enjoying having our two college boys home before everyone heads back to school in January.

How was your Christmas?

(Disclosure: Book link is an affiliate link.)

Ending the Year with a Flurry of Activity is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved

We’re not always consistent in our Christmas gift giving. Because we don’t pay for gifts on credit, each year is different. Last year we told our kids to be prepared for a slim Christmas, but they thought it was one of the best.

How?

When there’s less to spend, every dollar counts. Shopping becomes smarter. More intentional.

Celebrating Christmas properly involves more than what’s under the tree. One of the greatest things you can do now—or any time of year—is build traditions, the cement of family memories.

Ours include:

• Christmas chili (because I can only wake up before dawn and cook a 20+ pound turkey one day of the year)
• The kids open a movie for an early gift at bedtime on Christmas Eve, and watch it on Christmas morning before getting us out of bed (sly, aren’t we?)
• Life Savers Sweet Story Books in the stockings (Santa always brought them to my sister and I, too)
• Cheese Spaghetti (worthy of Thanksgiving and Christmas)
• Christmas day outing (sometimes we go to the movies; last year it was bowling)

New traditions or things we do some years:

• Jesse Tree (we’re behind, but I love this!)
• Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon rolls (must make this week)
• Visit the official White House Christmas tree, in transit, on Thanksgiving night

Sometimes I’m guilty of losing myself in the flurry of the season, and fail to ensure that we remember just what—or rather who—it is we’re celebrating.

What Christmas traditions does your family keep?

[In case you were wondering: I shot a senior yearbook photo Friday morning, and my 11-year-old daughter insisted that our dog have a Christmas photo shoot on the white seamless, too. Cute, huh?]

Sometimes Less is More is a post from: My Home Sweet Home
© 2012 My Home Sweet Home | All rights reserved