The Joy of "The Best" ~ Life Lessons from a Bookcase

I got a new bookcase for Christmas.

via Wikimedia Commons

When you read the above sentence you must giggle like a giddy teenager that just got a text from her crush. Then you have to do the happy dance. Maybe grab the nearest person and squeal and jump around in a circle.

Because this bookcase is so much more than a bookcase.

Like most people, my husband and I didn't have a lot of money when we got married, so our apartment was filled with a hodge podge of furniture I had collected from various relatives over the years. The only thing new was our mattress and box springs which was a wedding present.

Now, almost a decade later very little has changed. We have redecorated and most of our rooms look somewhat coordinated, but it's all still hand-me-downs. About the only furniture we've bought new are the inexpensive bookcases at Wal-Mart because that was the cheapest way to get our books off the floor.

And we have a lot of books.

But this bookcase... Oh, this bookcase is new. This bookcase looks nice. This bookcase is something I picked out and said, "Wow, I really like that. I would like to have that piece of furniture in my house."

Fortunately, my very wonderful mother heard me - probably because she was with me and I grabbed her arm and say, "Hey, Mom, I really love this bookcase. In the dark brown. In this size." - and the bookcase, or at least a picture of it, found its way under the Christmas tree. And now, it sits in my living room in all of it's brand new furniture glory.

It's made me realize something.

It's very easy to be satisfied with "good" until you taste "incredible". For me, this is the best bookcase for my living room. A lot of people might not feel that way, but I do. It's that stacked square style. I've wanted one since the first time I saw one in Target - I just wanted it a little nicer and a little bigger. Thank you, Ikea.

Before this bookcase took a place of honor along my living room wall, I was quite happy with the way my living room looked. I'd managed to piece together a room that actually looked decorated and not like a very nice yard sale. The thing is, very little of it is anything I would go to the store and buy if I were decorating my room from scratch.

So while it is good, it isn't the best it could be for me.

Now, I'm not going to scrap all my furniture and run out and redecorate my house because I've realized this. It wouldn't be responsible or wise. But it has made me think more about setting aside some money here and there to start bringing in a special piece every now and then to slowly make my home the best reflection of me.

I think all too often we settle for good because it's easy and accessible. The best often requires work and sacrifice and planning. I don't want to settle for just good in my life anymore. The joy I feel when I look at that bookcase tells me that the best is worth fighting for.

What are you settling for? What is good in your life that you might need to look at upgrading to the best?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Now get off the computer and go spend some time with your family! If you were unable to travel this year, go next door and ring the neighbor's doorbell see if you can join them. Who knows? You might make a new friend.

Succeed Creatively ~ Life Lessons from the Family Craft Project

I'm addicted to Pinterest. There are so many wonderful ideas on there for crafts, decorating, cooking, really just about anything you would be interested in.

I particularly like it for finding neat things to do with my kids. I was so excited when I saw this picture for a fun Christmas craft that would hopefully keep curious little fingers off the family Christmas tree.

Cute, huh? If you want to make your own, you get get the super simple instructions here. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page. 

Now, these are apparently really popular this year, because as soon as I plopped the green felt on the fabric cutting table at Hobby Lobby the lady asked me if we were putting a tree on the wall. So I looked around and, sure enough, these suckers are on lots of family crafting blogs. You can see a really nice one here. (I couldn't find contact information to get permission to use the pic, so you get a link instead.)

I really liked the idea of this and thought it would be a fun craft the kids could participate in. They fought, they screamed, they helped me cut the shapes. And our tree looks like this:

Yeah.... just a little different there.... The little white spots were supposed to be the lights, just in case you were curious. 

At first, I was a little bummed and more than a little frustrated with how our tree was turning out. This wasn't the way we were supposed to do it. This isn't how it was supposed to turn out.

But then I watched my daughter happily slapping felt scraps around and realized that what was really supposed to happen was that I spent time with my kids and they learned to make things and do things themselves and find joy in simple things like the fact that felt sticks to itself.

And the smile on her face as she hacked up a square of felt was worth a lot more than a show-worthy craft.

So many times we forget to dig down to the deeper intention of what we're doing. We look on the surface and it doesn't look like we thought it would and we get upset. But we forget to look and see if the intention was achieved. Did we set out to do what we really meant to do? If we did, then we didn't fail. We just succeeded creatively.

Like my tree. It isn't a fail. It's just unique. And my kids love it, which is all that really matters.

Besides, if our tree had looked perfect, I wouldn't have gotten a blog post out of it.

What is the last creative success you had?

Is Christmas Part of Thanksgiving?

I have heard a lot of people lately complaining about the fact that town Christmas lights are already going up and Christmas decorations are already in the stores. This is something I personally have never had an issue with because, to me, Christmas and Thanksgiving are part of each other. The more I get to talking to people about it, the more I realize how intertwined it is for a lot of other people, even if they don't realize it.

Photo by Diliff, through WikiCommons. 

I've had several conversations lately that go something like this:

John Doe: Christmas is getting so commercial. It's not even Thanksgiving and it's taking over the stores. They shouldn't have the Christmas decorations out yet.

Me: When does your family put up your tree?

John Doe: Oh it's this great tradition. After we eat Thanksgiving dinner we all go out and cut the tree and we decorate it and stuff. It's great.

At this point I stand there dumbfounded. How in the world can someone expect to put their tree up on Thanksgiving if they can't go buy the stuff to do it before then? And yes, I had someone say "We store it all from the year before." The problem is that you had to buy it some time.

For many Christians, the top thing on their Thanksgiving thankfulness list is the gift we receive from Jesus Christ. Our eternal life assurity, guidance from the Holy Spirit, and the sacrifice He made in order to allow all of that to happen. That means Christmas (and Easter) are embedded in a Christian's Thanksgiving celebration.

Photo from WikiCommons, work of the US Government.

So now I'm wondering why. Why do we get mad that they put up the city Christmas decorations (even if they don't turn them on yet) before Thanksgiving, but Friday when we go shopping (another tie in of Christmas to Thanksgiving for many people) we expect to see all the Christmas decorations?

Maybe it's because I love Christmas so much, but the blending of the holidays doesn't bother me at all. I feel like it heightens both. If I join Thanksgiving and Christmas, then I enter the Christmas season with a spirit of thankfulness and giving, focused on the blessing God has given me.

If we fight to separate the two completely, I'm afraid we'll start seeing Christmas as more of the hustle and bustle and presents and lights, instead of a celebration of the most precious gift of all.

The other thing is, that while Christmas Day doesn't occur for a whole month, the Advent season starts, usually, within a week of Thanksgiving. This year it will be a week and a half before the official start of the Christian Christmas season. That's still a very short time in the grand scheme of things.

How do you see it? Do the opening notes of Jingle Bells turn you into a Grinch if you hear them before the turkey is relegated to sandwich meat? (By the way, if you're looking for a few different songs for your Christmas playlist, check out my posts from last year on the Best Christmas Songs You've Never Heard.)

Do you hold off everything Christmas-y until after Thanksgiving? Does it bother you when others don't?

The Gift Of Reading

Brace yourselves. I have an announcement of epic proportions.

Christmas is coming.

I know, I know, it's completely shocking that it is showing up again on December 25. If your family is like mine and highly values the written word, there will likely be a book or two underneath your tree.

It's a tradition for us - there is always reading material in the stocking. Always. One year it was the only thing in mine and my husband's stocking, but there is always a book or occasionally a magazine subscription.

Last year, I got my Kindle. I love it. It's fabulous and amazing. I love having so many books in my purse at one time. But it does make my husband's job a little more difficult. Because I've been watching digital deals all year and been able to utilize Amazon's Prime lending feature, I've kept up with a lot more books than I normally would.

So I don't know what he's going to get me. I hope it's actually one of the books on my writing craft wish list... hint, hint... The list is in the notebook underneath my desk in case anyone wanted to know... Like my hubby... who reads this blog... But I digress.

Since this is the second Tuesday of the month I would normally highlight a particular favorite book of mine, but since Christmas is coming, I thought I'd share some gifts you can give to the reader in your life. If you're like me, you're already shopping and hoping to get it all out of the way so you can enjoy the holidays.

A BOOK

This is the first and foremost gift idea for any book lover. But how do you pick the perfect book?

1. Ask. If you don't mind giving up the element of surprise, you could just ask them if there's a book they've been wanting. This is easiest, but for some people it takes a bit of the fun out of gift giving.

2. Check their bookshelf. You want to do this for two reasons. First you don't want to buy them a book they already have and second you can find out what type of books they like. If you're checking out a bookshelf, look for two things:
       - recurring authors - sometimes it will be very clear that there are one or two authors that the reader loves. You can check to see if that author has a new book out (that they don't already own) but you can also use book reading sites to find authors similar to their favorites.
       - recurring publisher - This is one I didn't realize until I started writing. Publishers tend to have individual styles. And without intentionally doing so or even realizing it, your reader might gravitate toward a particular publisher. I was surprised to find two particular publishers encompassed about 75% of the Christian books on my shelf.

3. Look for something new. Maybe your loved one is adventurous and likes trying new books. There are several places you can go to strike out on your own with book selections.
      - Bestseller list - Some books are really popular. If your reader is someone who likes to see what the buzz is about, this could be a good route.
      - Bookstore employees / Librarians - These people live and breathe books. They will likely have a good suggestion for you.
      - The web - American Christian Fiction Writers has a site called Fiction Finder that will help you find books by genre, author, and many other search criteria.
      - Awards - Nearly every genre of book has an award or two. Get on the web and find the list of winners. ACFW's winning book list can be found here. The Christy Award, another prestigious Christian fiction award, has a list of winners here. 

4. Go back to something old. Check backlists of some of their favorite authors. Are there any older books they don't yet have? I've highlighted a few of my favorite older books this year. You can find those articles here.

AN E-READER

I have my Kindle and I love it, but there are other who love their Nooks, iPads, and other various electronic readers. Even if you know you want a Kindle you have several choices to make. Some things to consider when selecting an e-Reader:

1. Other Electronic Devices If your loved one has a iPhone, iPod, and a MacBook, then most likely they would want an iPad. They already own compatible apps and know the device. On the other hand if they carry an android phone and despise all things Apple, they probably don't want an iPad. Think about what fits in with their existing digital accessories.

2. Price It is a major thing to consider. Determine your price point before you shop. You can find something for any budget.

3. How will they use it? I play games on mine and do a lot of things besides just read, so I have the Fire. My father-in-law reads. That's it. He has the basic Kindle and it's perfect for him. He never goes anywhere without it. Since he got it, I think he reads more than I do.

4. Where the content comes from Many readers are connected to a content source. And while there are ways around it sometimes, you want to make it as easy as possible for your gift receiver. If they love Amazon and buy things constantly from Amazon, get them a Kindle. If they don't want to be tied to anything and want more control, you may want to look at a Windows tablet.

LOTS OF BOOKS/DISCUSSION

If you're a fan of the gift that keeps on giving, consider enrolling your loved one in a book club. Books will arrive on their doorstep all year long, just waiting to provide hours of escape and enjoyment. If they like short, inspirational romances, Love Inspired has three lines to choose from for monthly reading deliveries. 


There are many other book subscription services though. Simply do an internet search for monthly book subscription and look for your favorite service. Sometimes these subscriptions are tied to book forums and clubs. If your reader is into that, consider giving them one that would provide conversation and discussion as well as a good story.


THE GIFT CARD

If all else fails, give them the gift of picking their own reading material. They'll still appreciate it.


Have you ever been given the perfect book? Do you like giving books as gifts? What tips would you add to this list?


All pictures courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 

God Provides ~ Life Lessons from a Barbie Doll

We're filling shoeboxes at my house this week. If you haven't heard of Operation Christmas Child, it is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. They collect shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and other goodies and distribute them to children in poor countries. Children that have likely never seen a Christmas present before.

As a lover of everything Christmas, I adore this ministry. I love that I can be a part of bringing a piece of Christmas to a child that otherwise would not see any of it. And with each shoebox, they distribute the Gospel message, bringing hope that lasts far longer than the boxes contents.

This year, we are having each of our kids fill a shoebox for a child their own age. My oldest, Bean, is so excited about it that she's about to bust at the seams.

Earlier this week we went shopping. We hit the discount store and the dollar store, snagging some great stuff to put in our boxes. Bean wanted to put a Barbie in her box. I told her we would get one at the dollar store, since the recipient wasn't likely to know or care about the brand of the doll.

I didn't know that the dollar store doesn't carry Barbie-like dolls anymore.

When we left the dollar store it was too late to go back to the discount store. We told Bean we'd pick the doll up later in the week.

She started to cry.

Now it's always hard to listen to your child cry, but it's especially hard when she's crying because she wants to do something for someone else and doesn't think she's going to get to. (As a side note, she has also cried when we forget to bring our food bank donation to the church. I love this girl's heart.) Between sobs, she choked out phrases like, "But I want to get it for her." and "I know that little girl would love the doll!"

As we drove home, I remembered something. Several months ago I received a coupon in the mail for Kohl's. I used it to buy a Barbie doll to stick in the gift closet for Bean's next birthday party invite. There was a doll - a nicer one than Bean wanted to buy - waiting at home.

My husband was talking to my daughter, telling her that God would make sure the little girl got everything she was supposed to get. Finally, my daughter calmed down and remembered the faithfulness of the God she loved. She said that God could do anything. He could even make her a Barbie.

At home I went to hunt down the Barbie doll and Bean hit her knees by her bed, praying that God would make sure that the little girl got the doll she was supposed to have and could He please bring it soon because Bean was really worried about it.

I'll never forget the look on her face when I laid the doll in front of her on the bed.

It's a ballerina with brown hair. Just like my daughter. It's like she's sending herself in the box to that little girl on the other side of the world.

As I sit here, recalling the evening, I am struck again at how God works. He had a plan for that doll. What I thought was just an act of frugality and forethought, He was going to use to teach my daughter, and me, about His faithfulness and love.

Our church is collecting the shoeboxes this weekend. When I see it packed away, I know a piece of my heart will go with it. And I'm okay with that. There's a little girl somewhere in the world that could use that extra dose of love so that she can learn about the God that never fails to provide what His children need most.

Even when it's a Barbie doll.

The Best Christmas Songs You've Never Heard - Part 5

There are classics and standards that we're all familiar with when it comes to Christmas songs. But what about those new little gems that we may not be as familiar with? This month I'm highlighting a few of my favorites, even if it is a couple of days after Christmas.

SONG #9 - The Last Christmas Without You, Sixpence None the Richer

The first time I heard this song I was nine months pregnant and waiting to go into labor at any moment. It made this song very special to me.

SONG #10-23 - The entire SheDaisy Christmas album, Brand New Year

Okay, so it's not a single song, it's a whole album. Some of the songs are classic carols but they all have a brand new twist. This album is just fun. It's also not as hidden a gem as some of the others, especially if you're a country music fan, but this is a fabulous album. A mix of reinvented traditionals and totally brand new songs, it's as festive as the season itself. I like the album so much it was hard to decide which song to highlight off of it. I decided to go with The Secret of Christmas. (As a side note, I was going to use Twist of the Magi, a hilarious duet with Rascal Flatts, but there wasn't really a good YouTube video with it.)

I hope you've enjoyed discovering some new Christmas music with me. Be sure to share some of your own favorites in the comments!

The Best Christmas Songs You've Never Heard - Part 4

There are classics and standards that we're all familiar with when it comes to Christmas songs. But what about those new little gems that we may not be as familiar with? This month I'm highlighting a few of my favorites.

SONG #8 - Are My Ears On Straight, Gayla Peevey

This is an old one, but a good one. My mom had this one on a tape from when she was a kid and I have always thought it was such a fun song for Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas presents ever was a stuffed animal. I always wanted to believe that he loved me as much as I loved him. The popularity of the Toy Story movies proves that everyone wants to think of their toys loving their owners. This is that same little girl that sang the song we all know about hippopotamuses. I haven't met anyone else who knows this song, though.

Since it's Christmas Day, I thought I'd throw a couple of surprise presents in as Honorable Mentions. These two are songs you've heard of, but maybe not quite like this. They make me smile.

HONORABLE MENTION #1 - Blue Christmas, Porky Pig

I have no idea if this is actually done by the guy who did the voice of Porky Pig or not, but I have trouble caring. It's just funny.

HONORABLE MENTION #2 - The Christmas Shoes, FM Static

I've never been a huge fan of this song, although many people are. This is a different version that made me smile.

The Best Christmas Songs You've Never Heard - Part 3

There are classics and standards that we're all familiar with when it comes to Christmas songs. But what about those new little gems that we may not be as familiar with? This month I'm highlighting a few of my favorites.

SONG #6 - Not That Far From Bethlehem, Point of Grace

Do you ever wonder what it was like for Mary and Joseph making that trip? I've had three kids and let me tell you - I didn't even want to walk across the room much less across the country during my ninth month. I can just imagine Joseph reassuring Mary, "We're almost there, I'll help you make it." And then such discouragement at not finding lodging but such joy at a healthy baby boy. Beautiful. And to think, we're never far from that same Savior.

SONG #7 - Strange Way to Save the World, 4Him

We think a lot about Mary. After all, she was the one lugging a pregnant belly around. But lately I've been hearing more songs about Joseph and I think that's great. The task of fathering the Savior of the World had to be daunting. As this song points out, it's really hard to imagine that helpless little bundle that you instantly love so much being the conduit God would use to save the people of the world.

The Best Christmas Songs You've Never Heard - Part 2

There are classics and standards that we're all familiar with when it comes to Christmas songs. But what about those new little gems that we may not be as familiar with? This month I'm highlighting a few of my favorites.

SONG #3 - I Celebrate the Day, Relient K

This song embodies the reason I absolutely love Christmas. I do not want to imagine what life would be like if Jesus had not been born (and by extension died and rose again). And yes, I know, no one really knows what day Jesus was born, but I like celebrating it at Christmas.

SONG #4 - Welcome to Our World, Chris Rice

There are a lot of Christmas songs about Jesus, but like the Relient K song above, this song is sung to Jesus. It's a wonderful telling of the sentiment the world should have had when the Savior came to earth. While it would have been nice for Jesus to get a proper welcome when he was born, at least we can express it today.

SONG #5 - While You Were Sleeping, Casting Crowns

This song starts with looking at how Jesus slipped into the world, unknown and unexpected. IT ends with a call for us to realize that the same thing could happen in America when Jesus comes back. Very powerful. 

The Best Christmas Songs You've Never Heard - Part 1

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. I LOVE Christmas even more than chocolate, and that, my friends, is saying something. I particularly love Christmas music. It's been playing at my house since November 1. There are standards we all know that have been made into 1500 different versions. There are classics that get played over and over, whether we like it or not. (Side note: I once heard a radio station play Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer every fifteen minutes until they raised a certain amount of money for a local charity. Funny!)

Then there are songs. Wonderful little nuggets that might get lost amongst the old standbys. For the month of December I'll be highlighting a few of those. These have become some of my favorite Christmas songs, though they fly under a lot of people's radar.

SONG #1 - The Night Before Christmas, Brandon Heath

I love this song because it captures the real meaning of the gift of Jesus. We were disconnected from God, lost without hope, and floundering in sin, but then Jesus came and everything changed. What a fabulous reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

SONG #2 - Born in Bethlehem, Third Day

These two songs go well together as The Night Before Christmas tells of the need for Christmas, this song pulls together the story and glory of Christmas.