Why I Love Black Friday

I know - I'm crazy. You either love it or you hate it. Here are some great reasons to love it:

1. A great deal. I'm not out the week before camping in the parking lot or anything, but we live on a single-income budget and doing some Black Friday shopping sure does help us cut the Christmas costs down.

2. Decorations and Music. Walking through the mall and drinking a holiday coffee while listening to a little Bing Crosby would put anyone in the holiday spirit.

3. People Watching. As long as your not pushing your way through the crowds to get that one last toy or electronic item, it's so fun to sit back and watch the craziness.

4. Lines. No really! Do I really love standing in line for an hour at the Jo-Ann Fabrics cutting line every year? Well, not for the reason you might think. I love that once people are stuck in line it forces them into conversation with those around them, and who knows if that person in front or behind you needs to feel Jesus this Christmas!

So the next time you are out holiday shopping, don't forget to slow down, enjoy the atmosphere and put your cell phone down for a minute to talk to those around you. Let's bring Christ along to the mall this year, and, of course, leave the kids at home with dad. :)

Teaching Your Children About Prayer

While this exercise is geared toward younger children, it is a good for ALL of us to remember.

1.      Let your child trace his/her hand on a sheet of paper.
2.      Tell your child that he/she can use his/her fingers to remember how to pray.
3.      Over the thumb, write PRAISE--start your prayer by praising God and telling Him how great He is
4.      Over the first finger, write THANK--thank God for something He has done.
5.      Over the middle findger, write CONFESS--it's good to tell God the things your child has done wrong.
6.      Over the ring finger, ASK--ask God for the things you need
7.      Over the pinkie, write OTHERS--ask God to help others who need Him
Put the picture up where it can be seen and remembered. When your child has it memorized, he/she will have the steps in prayer with him/her all the time.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and know that the Mom2Mom leadership team is thanking God for you this week!

Heartwarming on a Cold Day

 I saw this on Pinterest and could not resist:

A little boy asked his mother, “Why are you crying?” “Because I’m a woman,” she told him. “I don’t understand,” he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, “And you never will.” Later the little boy asked his father, “Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?” “All women cry for no reason,” was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, “God, why do women cry so easily?” God said, “When I made the woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.” “You see my son,” said God, “the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides.” Author: Unknown

God we thank you...

Every preschool has their own little prayer song, and my daughter's goes like this: "God we thank you. God we thank you for this day, for this day. And for all our good food and for all our good friends. Thank you God. Thank you God."

When I really pause and think about what I am truly thankful for, my mind is flooded with options. This time of year makes us more mindful of thanking God. If I have too many things to list, however, why can I not pause and thank God daily for all these things? Despite the difficulties of life, love and loss, hurt and heartbreak - I will choose to be thankful. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Let's join up this Thanksgiving, and sing the Lord's praises for the good things he gives us and for the good He can bring from the things that aren't so good-feeling.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

When you just gotta dance.

I was raised in what I consider to be a decently musical family. Mom sings. My two sisters and I all played piano and one other instrument through high school, and we all sang in choir at one point or another. Even one of my sisters even became a music teacher! Dad does none of the above but has a real love for music. I'm only 28, and I am already getting more disappointed with music as decades go by. Granted, my parents listened to music from the 60s and 70s, my sisters listened to music from the 80s, and I listened to stuff from the 90s. Beyond about 2005, it gets a little fuzzy for me on what's popular. I just feel like the message, musicality, and emotion is getting lost in fashion and technology. When was the last time we heard someone great just get up with a guitar and a microphone?

No matter what kind of tunes you listen to, whether or not you can sing, or if you were born 80 years ago or 8 months ago - music is important. Just look at how many times singing to the Lord is mentioned in the Bible! Old music takes us back to another time. Slow ballads can make us cry. Listen to a drum beat and tell me you aren't moving your feet!

But what about music and mothering? Maybe you are in the stage when all you hear is Old MacDonald and the B-I-B-L-E. For all of you out there - stick with it! Singing to your kids and playing instruments (even the homemade kind) encourages coordination, rhythm and even confidence with your kids. For those of you with older kids, listen to some of your old favorites with them. Talk about what was going on in the world when it was popular. If they have grandparents, get them involved and have them do the same. Where were you when John Lennon was shot? What music did grandpa listen to when he was in the war? Do mom and dad have a song?

Unfortunately for us, moms, the door swings both ways. You may not like or understand Lady Gaga or Jay-Z, but you can bet the kids at your child's school do. Talk about what they like and listen to it. Look at what the fashion is all about (and talk about that too - especially if you have girls - YIKES!) and keep up with the technology.

I want to make sure my kids know who Aretha Franklin, Nat King Cole, The Bee Gees, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson are so that in some way the gifts God has given these people can touch hearts for all eternity. And perhaps my children will be able to teach me a thing or two in the process.