Top 10 Essential Family Values - Sherri Kruger @ Zen Family Habits

My Daily Docket Is My Daily Lifesaver - Tsh@ Simple Mom

What Did You Learn From The BCS Championship Game? – Gary Fenton @ Character Path

Articles:

Make A Wish - Nancy Gibbs @ Time

Screenagers – Rebecca Hagelin

Something About That Name - Cal Thomas

God Goes To The Office - Lake Lambert, III

“As a leader, is it OK for the people you lead to be like you?”

My thoughts, then and since, have been drawn back to that question.  When we look to Christ, we know that, not only did he tell us the way to live and behave and function in our world, he showed us.  NEVER in his entire life was his leadership NOT something that could or should have been imitated.

Can I say that about my own thoughts and actions?

Would my husband and children say that about me as I make my way through our home?

Do my neighbors think that about me?  Do they know me well enough to think anything about me?

Are my friends confident that their relationship with me is one that is meaningful and beneficial to their lives, AND to mine?

I feel sure that, sometimes, it’s perfectly OK for the people that I lead to be like me.  I KNOW that other times, my example is the furthest thing from leadership that’s possible! Thankfully, God has promised to forgive the times I am a poor example while He’s helping me become a better one.

When the credit card statement arrives with the Christmas bills listed, it’s hard not to promise to pay CASH FOR CHRISTMAS from now on.  Unfortunately, making the promise is not the hard part!  If you have made that promise before but never kept it, NOW is the time to start thinking about paying cash for Christmas.  Christmas 2010 that is! 

Here are 3 steps that will help you keep your promise, this year and every year:

Step 1:  Pay off ALL debt from Christmases Past – The longer you carry that debt, the more expensive the gifts you gave become.  Pay those charges off as soon as you can.  The sooner you do, the sooner you can start looking ahead instead of backward.  If you can reasonably pay off ALL credit card debt (not just Christmas purchases), go ahead and do that.

Step 2:  Determine a Gift List AND a budget – Paying cash means that you have to know who you are buying gifts for and what you can spend.  If you have never had a christmas budget, this will take a little time.  Make sure to be realistic when determining the amount you can spend for each gift.  Also, budget a little extra than you think you will spend so you won’t be surprised if you need a gift for someone you forgot about.  Don’t forget to budget for teacher gifts and supplies you will need for any gifts you plan to make.  Christmas cards and postage should be included on this list too!

Step 3:  Set Money Aside – Starting with your next paycheck, set money aside for your christmas goal.  If you need to move it to a savings account or Christmas Club account, open them as soon as possible.  If offered, consider setting up automatic deposits/transfers to those accounts.  You are less likely to miss money that you haven’t seen.

Completing your Christmas shopping without adding to your credit card debt will go a long way toward making all your future holidays merrier and brighter.  Get started today and pay CASH FOR CHRISTMAS this year!

The Decade Google Made You Stupid - Douglas Rushkoff, The Daily Beast

What Noone Will Tell You About the New Year - Dave Navarro, Rock Your Day

Learning How to Pray - Billy Coffey

Love Them Anyway - Andrea @ The Flourishing Mother

Declutter Your Way To A Happy Home - Sherry Kruger @ Zen Family Habits

6 Tips For Getting Organized This Year - Tsh @ Simple Mom

Articles:

10 Ways To Get Motivated for Change in 2010 - Elizabeth Landau, CNN

Unhealthy Habits Are What’s Killing Us - David Frum, CNN

Meyer Shows His Priority After All - Ray Melick, The Birmingham News

Tiger’s Story Has Consequences for Us All - Sandy Rios

Thousands of Wreath Layers Carry Out Arlington Tradition - Yamiche Alcindor, The Washington Post

Shameless - Cal Thomas

Have We Stopped Trying To Make Good People - Dennis Prager

Which is precisely why they cost 1/3 to 1/2 as much as name brand cookies and why you can save a significant amount of grocery money buying them.  Let’s face it, kids are not that picky unless we teach them to be.  So, check out the store brand cookies from WalMart, Dollar Tree, Dollar General and whatever supermarket chain you use (I use Publix most of the time).  They taste good and they look good.  Not to mention that choosing the cheaper less-expensive brand will KEEP $50-$100 in your wallet this year. 

If you have any trouble thinking of somewhere else to spend that money, let me know.  I’ll be glad to out it toward something much more fun than cookies!

As a part of that project, I am participating in a Healthy Lifestyle Class offered by my church.  This class will include a nutrition component, a bible study component and an exercise component.  During the class (3 months) and throughout this year, I am attempting to lose 30+ pounds to get me back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 10 years and 2 children ago.

I am excited about the possibilities (and the end result) of this project and I will be sharing more of my specific experiences (and maybe even some pictures) from this journey at a new blog called TIP THE SCALE. 

If you or someone you know is attempting to lose weight and/or is a RELUCTANT EXERCISER (I admit that I am), I hope you’ll visit me there.  I promise it won’t be a pitiful, whiny place.  Instead, it will be an honest, positive look at something that will improve my health (and life) for the long term!

PERSONAL READING:

Rebecca – Daphne DuMaurier – This is one of my favorite classics.  I re-read it fairly often and learn new things to love about it every time I do.

The Other Rebecca - Maureen Freely

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith - Anne Lamott

The Secret of Lost Things - Sheridan Hay

Revenge of the Middle-Age Woman - Elizabeth Buchan

Wives Behaving Badly - Elizabeth Buchan

Halfway House - Katherine Noel – Not an easy book to read but a necessary look at the issues surrounding mental illness.

Belong To Me - Marisa de los Santos

Patriotic Grace - Peggy Noonan

Mrs. Kimble - Jennifer Haigh

Dewey – Vicki Myron – Such an amazing story that you may have a hard time believing it really happened.  Everyone who has ever loved a pet should read this!

The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs

A Year of Living Biblically – A.J. Jacobs – VERY interesting!  As a Christian, I enjoyed learning more about some of the ancient traditions and “rules” of my faith.  As a reader, I enjoyed seeing Jacobs thoughts from a totally different background and perspective.

The Shack - William P. Young

The Master Bedroom - Tessa Hadley

The Passion of Mary-Margaret - Lisa Samson

Being Dead Is No Excuse - Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays

Somebody Is Going To Die If Lilly Beth Doesn’t Catch That Bouquet - Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays

Someday You’ll Thank Me For This - Gayden Metcalfe & Charlotte Hays

Between, Georgia - Joshilyn Jackson

Home To Holly Springs - Jan Karon

It Ain’t All About The Cooking - Paula Deen

The Ten Year Nap - Meg Wolitzer

Perfectly Imperfect - Lee Woodruff- This is probably the closest I can come to naming a “favorite” book for this year.  It is honest and funny and an enjoyable reading experience!  I think I would enjoy knowing this woman and I was sorry when the book was over.

The Film Club - David Gilmour

The Mighty Queens of Freeville - Amy Dickinson- An excellent book…every woman with a daughter should read it!

The MacKade Brothers - Nora Roberts

The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perotta

Wrapped In Rain - Charles Martin- I am thrilled to have discovered this Southern author.  His stories are very engaging and his characters quickly become people I would like to know.

Life After Genius - M. Ann Jacoby

The Condition - Jennifer Haigh

Dating DaVinci - Malena Lott

The Secret Hour - LuAnne Rice

What’s Age Got To Do With It? – Robin McGraw

Rich Like Them - Ryan D’Agostino

The Visiting Physician - Susan Richards Shreve

American Wife - Curtis Sittenfeld

Hello Goodbye - Emily Chenoweth

The Shortest Distance Between Two Women - Kris Radish

Girl Meets God - Lauren Winner

Every Secret Thing - Anne Tatlock

The Housekeeper and The Professor - Yoko Ogawa

Death By Suburb - David Goetz – This was recommended by a friend.  I loved it and I have it on my list to read again.  I need to take notes while reading next time!

The Late, Lamented Molly Marx - Sally Koslow – This story is told from a very interesting perspective.  I enjoyed it very much!

REVIEWED:

Multiple Blessings - Kate Gosselin, Beth Carson

The God I Can’t Understand - Christopher J.H. Wright

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little - Peggy Gifford

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing The Piano - Peggy Gifford

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank You Notes - Peggy Gifford

Bankruptcy of Our Nation - Jerry Robinson

Your Life In Rhythm – Bruce Miller

Raising Boys To Be Like Jesus – Sharon Norris Elliott

God’s Girls In Sports - Holly Page

I have already started on my 2010 reading journey.  I can’t wait to see where it leads me!

• Record – If you are like me, you use the same decorations each year, but not necessarily in the same place.  Sometimes my nativity is in the dining room.  Sometimes, it’s on the mantle in the living room.  So, to help me remember what works where, I take pictures of all the areas that are decorated.  It helps me know what decorations can be used together and it gives me ideas when I pull it out next year.
• Consolidate – Even if I don’t purchase anything new, I get new ornaments and decorations as gifts.  Before putting it all away, I consolidate and get rid of things that are broken or duplicated.  Sometimes, I get rid of things just because I am tired of looking at them dragging them in and out of the attic.  Certainly, if storage space is an issue, it makes sense to weed stuff out before packing it up.  Otherwise, it’s nice to not have to sift through everything next December when you are more interested in getting it displayed.
• Remind – I like to make written notes and place them in or on items to remind me of maintenance, repairs, etc. that may need to be taken care of before the next use.  This is particularly helpful with lights.  We have a pre-lit tree that is several years old so we rarely get it out without having to replace some lights.  Seeing the note on the front end helps minimize the surprise and frustration at finding lights not working when we get it assembled!

Happy packing.  Here’s hoping it all goes back in the box as easily as it came out!