12/13 12 Pearls of Christmas : God With Us

December 13 (extra post):
12 Pearls of Christmas: God With Us

LISTENING FOR CHRISTMAS
by Deb Kalmbach

I used to be the queen of over-commitment, and December brought out the worst in this malady. It was as if I were poised at an imaginary starting line, and when I flipped the calendar page, I was off and running--the December dash!

You could hardly see any white space on my daily planner it was so jammed with events. Kids' Christmas programs, church programs, and endless lists of things-to-do obscured my calendar and my vision to see what really mattered. Each day when we hung another ornament on our Advent tree, I felt my chest tighten, and my breathing get shallower. Only single-digit shopping days left...Panic mode was about to set in.

Of course I was singing in the Christmas choir. I love music, and the heavenly Christmas anthems we sang. The neighborhood cookie exchange was an annual tradition. Forget about the old standards, chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. Let's talk about jam-filled tea cookies, chocolate-dipped peanut butter balls, or iced sugar cookies with colored sprinkles. My kitchen looked like a Martha Stewart test kitchen gone awry.

My head spins just thinking about it. I usually felt so frustrated and exhausted by Christmas Day, I barely enjoyed the celebration. I repeated this drill for many Christmas seasons, before I finally decided to step back and think about why I was trying to accomplish the impossible. I learned to take a deep breath and accept the fact that I can't do it all-and I'm much better off if I don't try.

That's probably why I'm writing this. The tendency to revert to this frenzied pace by mid-December is still a challenge. I need to be reminded of the quiet simplicity of this season, so I can hear the age-old message once again.

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel! Our God is with us. If we can stop long enough to listen-we will hear the invitation that beckons us to come, to wait, to get ready for our coming King.

No doubt, December will be as busy as ever with gifts to purchase, trees to decorate and carols to sing. But this Advent season, I pray that in the midst of everything contending for our time and attention, our hearts will be moved and our senses sharpened to rejoice in God's greatest gift.

________________________________________

Deb Kalmbach is the co-author of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So-Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey's Dad Drinks Too Much. Deb and her husband, Randy, make their home in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at her website or blog.

__________________________________

A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year's Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is leave a comment here. Come back on New Year's Day to see if you won!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Would you like to subscribe to my E-mail newsletter?

Smiles,

~Kristinia/Loving Heart Mommy~

Oxfam America Unwrapped - Give a Gift with Purpose

Oxfam America UnWrapped - Donate for a Good Cause

About the program:

With the holidays right around the corner, thoughts inevitably turn toward the challenging task of buying gifts for friends, family, and colleagues. With an ever-growing list of people to buy for, each year I find myself searching for unique, meaningful gifts that fit my budget.

This year, Oxfam America Unwrapped introduces gifts that help those who need it most. From $20 for a pair of school uniforms donated to a poor community to a $50 goat sent to a struggling farmer to help provide fertilizer and food for his family, Oxfam America Unwrapped offers a convenient, easy way to find something for every one on your list while helping those less fortunate and avoiding the excess of the holiday season. When you buy a gift from OxfamGifts.com, your recipient gets a card with the image of your specific gift and the money goes toward providing lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice in over 100 countries.

To see how your donation affects the lives of people around the world, log on to the Oxfam America Unwrapped website and click on the "How your donation helps" section. Visitors can learn about Oxfam America's amazing work on projects such as restoring Mangrove trees to Vietnam's coastline and the creation of savings and loan programs in Mali, Senegal, and Cambodia.

My views:

Interest, occasion, recipient, and price range, this narrows it down at Oxfam's website, its extremely simple, choose from those listed or check out the featured, there is a wide range of gifting options! From extremely thoughtful gifts to ones that are downright funny, for example , for $12 you can gift Manure. This isn't seriously a load of crap either, manure is turned into power, agricultural power. You didn't know that, did you? A Farmers Flock (one cow and a pair of sheep) is one of my favorites, for $150 you can make a difference in someone's family with gifting them this  very economical purchase. Another one I like is helping to Rebuild a Primary School with your donation of $1500 , this goes to repair and rebuild a safe haven for the children's educational benefit.

After you choose your gift, you get a card with the image of your gift with the option to personalize the card online or actually write in the card yourself, and your gift helps someone in need (also these are tax deductible). Check out how simple it is by clicking here.

Give a gift with purpose this holiday season:

Oxfam America Unwrapped

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of OxfamAmerica Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site.”

Smiles,

~Kristinia/Loving Heart Mommy~

Let's Say Thanks - To our Troops!

Let's Say Thanks to our Troops this year! Send a "free" postcard, shine a little light in one of our serving soldier's lives today! 

Thanks to Let's Say Thanks & Give2TheTroops 

Smiles,

~Kristinia/Loving Heart Mommy~

Your Friend shops easy and thinks you should too!

CSN Stores offers the largest selection of items for your home and office, at the lowest prices! As a rewards member you get $15 toward your first order and 3% back on every purchase. Plus, earn $15 for every friend you refer who makes a purchase!

View >>

Holiday Gift Guide Day 1 - Children's Music

Remember, the Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaways! You can find more prizes at Janet & Erin's blogs. If you register to win ANY prize on their blogs, you get extra entries. Come back and tell me what you signed up to win.

Big Truck Music

So are you ready to dance, sing, and have fun? Rockin', Rollin' And Ridin' with Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck is a must have this holiday season for your lil' star in the making.  This fun filled cd releases on November 10th!

You may remember Rebecca Frezza from Noggin's "Move to the Music", they show her videos throughout the day and also on "Jack's Big Music Show". She's been featured in 8 music videos on PBS too.  Her songs are catchy and fun not just for the kids either, I've found myself singing her tunes! Winner of 14 National Awards its a wonder why we love her music soo much!

My son Gabriel (2 yrs) loves music, all kinds of music, especially music he can dance and sing to! When I popped in Rockin', Rollin' & Ridin he was instantly movin' and a groovin'. His favorite songs are calming and melody filled "Smiling Moon", just read these lyrics, they are amazing and all of the songs are written by Rebecca Frezza herself.

Take a step and I will follow you
Share a smile and I’ll share one with you
Shining down I will follow you
Watching over all that you do
Seasons pass so quickly, running through the sky
I will always be here shining up so high
Reach up high I will reach for you
Moon beams stretching down to you
Seasons pass so quickly, running through the sky
I will always be here shining up so high
Shining down
Reach up high
Share a smile with me…

His favorite to dance to was Rocketship, its really catchy and this song will have your lil' one definately wanting to go to the moon and back! It goes Rocketship Rocketship to the Moon, Rocketship Rocketship Fly..... Its really catchy and fun!

Pre-Order Now for only $8.99

WANT TO WIN YOUR VERY OWN COPY OF "ROCKIN', ROLLIN', AND RIDIN'?"

*I'm also giving a copy away at Loving Heart Mommy ends 11/30, CLICK HERE!*

How to Enter:

I'd like you to check out Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck and let me know of another song off of
Rockin' , Rollin' and Ridin' that you love.


Extras:

1. Add me to your blogroll or add my button.
2. Blog it, link back to this post. (2 extra)
3. Add Rebecca Frezza to your FB or Myspace (1 entry for both)
4. Sign up for their Newsletter, click here
   
5. Friend/Fan @ Facebook (Networked Blogs is to the left of this posting)
6. Subscribe by email/RSS. (2 extra)
7. Sign up to win giveaways from Janet & Erin in the Holiday Gift Guide.
   ( let me know which ones) (1 extra for each giveaway you enter)
   
8. Follow on Twitter @erinlowmaster & Tweet (daily entries available)

Non, bloggers & bloggers alike…
Email a friend about this giveaway. (Leave name of friend)

Tweet: (copy/paste)
RT: @kristinialeanna (add url)


This Giveaway is only open to U.S and Canada
Giveaway running till 11/30/09 . Winners will be notified shortly afterward by email. Please respond within 48 hours or you forfeit your prize to another participant.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

Smiles,

~Kristinia/Loving Heart Mommy~

Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaways w/ LHD, C2C & LHM!

Designed by FCreations.

You can copy/paste it on your blogs to help support our blog. If you would like your product reviewed for our HGG and/or offer a giveaway, contact GAhome2mom pr myself kristinia(AT)lovingheartmommy(DOT)com.

Also, If anyone would like to be a guest reviewer for this venture, please leave a comment on this post. :)

This will be their very first Holiday Gift Guide & Giveaway!!!

Loving Heart Mommy (LHM),

GAhome2mom(LHD), Erin (Connected2Christ) and Fawn(Fcreations)

Smiles,

~Kristinia/Loving Heart Mommy~

Giveaways of Interest - Add Yours

An Island Life
Alpha Sherpa Baby Diaper Backpack
Sept 27th/US
http://islandlife808.com/giveaways/alpha-sherpa-diaper-backpack-giveaway/

An Island Life
Shabby Apple Women's Dress
Sept 29th/US
http://islandlife808.com/giveaways/shabby-apple-dress-giveaway/

An Island Life
Jewelry by Artwark
Oct 1/US
http://islandlife808.com/giveaways/jewelry-by-artwalk-giveaway/

An Island Life
$100 to Costumes Inc.
Oct 2/US
http://islandlife808.com/giveaways/100-to-costumes-inc-giveaway/






* Anytime Costume Ends 10/04
* Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms Ends 9/30
* Bittersweet Memories by Cecelia Dowdy Ends 10/30
* Holy Bible: Mosaic NLT Blog Tour - Win a copy! 11/24 




Smiles,

~Kristinia/Loving Heart Mommy~