The Best Christmas Gift You Ever Got?

Do you ever look back at the previous years and try really hard to remember what you got last Christmas? Can you remember? I know unless it's something pretty significant, I don't I'm sorry to say. I have this book that has recorded the last 18 years of Christmas celebrations and it's always fun to go back and remember what was going on during our lives that year. Some were pretty bleak, when times were extremely hard and we could only afford to give our kids presents. My husband Steve and I created a scrapbook of sorts playing the "If Only...." game and listed pictures of what we would do if money were simply not an object. Kinda wish we would have kept those.

I can remember back to some incredible childhood presents like my favorite bike, an ice skating Barbie, Gund bears my step dad faithfully got me every year with a small check attached. I absolutely LOVED those. I remember getting a "Duke" rescue dog. He came with attachments so you could set up a zip line in your house, and open his mouth to attach a bit that would allow him to sail down to the ground. Oh how I loved that gift.

I remember life saver books that were always in our stockings, little bags of Santa coal that was really gum, PEZ dispensers and those really large candy cane sticks you could eat for hours. I remember that when I was a kid, Christmas Eve night was the worst. Trying to go to sleep early and staying asleep knowing that in the morning, Christmas waited.

Yet one thing stuck in my mind years later, that it was those rare moments that really lasted after all these years. More than once it wasn't an actual tangible gift but time spent with family or friends that really made Christmas memorable. It will never be about the gift but about the time. No amount of money spent will ever make a difference but what you do for others will. Even as I approached my birthday in a few months, I can still remember it as if it happened yesterday. But if you ask me about what I got that year, I can honestly say I don't remember.

What I do remember is how I chose to find 49 unique ways to give back to others on my birthday instead. Those memories and the differences that were made in the lives of the people we touched will be forever embedded in my heart. Because it's really not about what we get, it's what we did with the gift we have received. The gift of the servant heart. How are you using yours today?

"If your behavior does not reflect your beliefs, then your beliefs are of no value."

No Peeking!

While out running errands today I was listening to the radio and the discussion was brought up about how many listeners actually peeked at their Christmas presents before Christmas. I thought it was interesting and often thought back to the many ploys, we parents, use to ensure that our kids don't know which presents are theirs, often times hiding them and wondering if they have ever cheated and found them.

Looking back at my own childhood, I found out that Santa wasn't real when my brother and I stumbled upon that back of my mom's bedroom closet. Yup! Tucked back in the far recesses of that space were shopping bags filled with our presents. Of course, we just had to take more than just a peek and were more than delighted with what we were going to get. Of course, the one thing I do remember is that it wasn't as exciting when we did get around to opening them as it would have been if we simply would have waited. That discovery pretty much confirmed my suspicions that Santa was really my parents because the labels on our packages always looked just like my moms.

One of these days, I'll have to share that story with her. You think I would have learned my lesson right?

Yeah, I would have thought so too, but none the less, when I got married my first husband wasn't the greatest at getting me ANYTHING I wanted. He thought he knew better and face it, it's pretty hard to pull off a great face when you open your package to find a drill set. It's simply perfect he argued for all those times I needed him to fix something, I could simply do it myself. So I felt justified one year to take a peek at those "presents" so I can prepare myself for the worst ahead of time. I cut the scotch tape off the presents and opened up the paper carefully and then re-taped it when I saw what they were.

The funny thing is they must have been so awful because I don't even remember what they were. I knew I was disappointed but at least I could work those emotions out before actually opening them in front of him. Now our kids are grown past that stage but it's interesting to know if you have ever peeked at your presents growing up. How did you find them? Did your parents find out? How do you keep your own kids from discovering your Christmas presents before Christmas? Can't wait to find out what you have to share!!!

An Old Fashioned Classic Christmas Girl!

In keeping up with my Christmas Trivia Posts on Facebook, where I pose a trivia question based on some of the favorite Christmas movies to date. I have often times been asked to share what some of my favorite movies are so I thought I would share some of them with you. Mind you, they have changed over the year and as I have gotten older, my tastes have been refined a bit by the classics most people don't even know about. In no particular order they are:

1. White Christmas: I mean nothing gets better than Bing Crosby. I prefer the simplicity of the story. The tale of love that is struggling to find a place in people's hearts, in this case Bing's character. It also blends the story of Bing's past serving in WWII, and we find him returning back to help his old General save his historic inn. The music is beautiful and the wardrobe is classic in every way. When women still dressed up no matter what they were doing.

2. It Happened on Fifth Avenue. I actually found this one while looking for Christmas Classic movies that I might have missed and it truly does offer something that will embed itself in your heart long after you finish watching it. It tells the story of a homeless man who finds lodging during the Christmas season by taking advantage of wealthy homes that are left vacate. It is a true classic comedy in every way with a compelling message.

3. Holiday Inn: Once again back to Bing Crosby in which case you can never go wrong. He stars with Fred Astaire as a couple of entertainers who have now decided to break up their act. Bing decides to open an Inn that is only open on holidays. It isn't so much a Christmas movie but it wraps up with the opening at Christmas time in which old relationships are mended and new ones formed.

4. The Bells of St. Mary: Another Bing Crosby classic. This movie tells the tale of a home for wayward boys who suddenly find themselves looking for funds to rebuild. Bing plays the Catholic Father O'Malley for the home and soon finds himself at odds with one of the Sisters played by Ingrid Bergman. They hope that a wealthy real estate man will offer to donate a new home for the boys if they can only persuade him to give up his latest project which is adjacent to their home.

5. It's A Wonderful Life: Life truly doesn't get any better during Christmas than watching Frank Capra's beloved classic about George Bailey (James Stewart) and Mary (Donna Reed) who fall in life during their childhood and soon marry after George returns home from college to handle the Bailey Building and Loan for his ailing father. The message of hope and redemption is a clear as the ringing bell on the Christmas Tree and this one is by far one of my all time favorites.

6. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) I love the more recent remake of this movie over the classic 1947 version. There is something wonderful of watching an underdog rally the city and it's residents to help fight the greater good in the belief of Santa Claus. I love watching this one during Thanksgiving and love Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins and Dylon McDermott. Their chemistry gives you the "Ah!" factor.

7. The Shop Around the Corner - This is the original movie where You Got Mail was remade. Once again James Stewart plays a shop clerk Alfred Kralik and Margaret Sullivan plays Klara Novak who find that the person they have been writing letters to are actually the same person.

That wraps up my Christmas Classic Movie list. If  you haven't taken the time to watch any of these, trust me you'll want to add them this year. Let me know what your favorite Christmas movies are in the comment box below.

Christmas Traditions

I love traditions. There is something about being able to spend some time looking back fondly and recalling a particular event that means something more than simply the act of doing it. Christmas traditions are just like that. Place markers in your past that signify a powerful emotion instead of merely doing something with your family.

In today's ever increasing technology gadgets I am finding some of the traditions, I've grown to love are slowly becoming extinct. I cringe when I think that one day, Christmas Cards will simply be a thing of the past. Looking back at my Christmas Memories book that holds the last 18 years of celebrations, I can definitely see where it has fallen by the way side. Now I struggle to find just one Christmas card to post in my book. Sadly it seems most people are either too busy to find time to send them out when a Ecard works just as well. I don't think this should ever be replaced. Now you find commercially produced family Christmas postcards, e-Cards or Printed Family Newsletters are becoming the new norm. I was thrilled when my favorite Aunt sent me one unexpectedly and she is in her late 70's. She is a firm believer in not succumbing to the loss of those family honored traditions. I agree with her on that point. In fact I just mailed out a handful of cards today.

Here are some of my families favorite traditions and I look forward to having you share some of yours with me in the comment box below:

1. See the light display in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. We park the car and stroll the streets looking at the beautifully decorated houses, stop and listen to Christmas carols being sung by people, and purchasing some hot cocoa or soft pretzel. We take the entire family and then head out for dinner afterwards before driving back home. ( This was one of the homes from last year 2013.)

2. Painting Christmas village houses. My husband actually incorporated this tradition in our home and we add more houses and buildings every year. What an incredible way to look back at our lives through this unique one of a kind creations. (Steve's hard at work!)

3. Christmas Eve presents. My family gets to open one gift the night of Christmas Eve. It is always a new set of warm cozy pajamas and socks. When they were younger, I used to include a new Christmas book. (From 2012).

4. Christmas Ornaments. Each year my family decides which ornament best represents them or something they hope will happen in the year ahead and we initial and date them and add them to the Christmas tree each year. (The one above is Caitlyn's, our oldest daughter who loves owls.)

5. Christmas Cookies. I bake tons of cookies a few days before Christmas and include must haves of Chocolate Chip, Sugar Cookies, Magic Bars, Snickerdoodles, Pecan Balls, Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls, Candy Canes, Candy Coated Pecans, Fudge, and Chocolate Covered Caramel Kisses. (Pictured above Snickerdoodles. These never make it to the end of the day before there is only an empty plate!)

6. Egg nog. Enough said. It goes in everything. Pancake batter, French Toast, morning coffee and just drinking it cold with some cookies.

7. Sugar Cookie Contest. This actually got started last year. My daughter's boyfriend suggested we have a contest and each person picks one sugar cookie they decorated to enter the annual Facebook Cookie Contest. Where we ask Family and Friends to pick their favorite without disclosing which cookie goes to which person. The ones above are last year's entries! The star won!

8. Christmas Cards. Yes, I do still send these out. No Christmas Letters, Mass Printed Family Postcards with the Christmas Photos attached or e-Card. Nope, prefer snail mail with handwritten sentiments inside. If you're interested in being part of the Christmas Card bunch. Send me an email at Stevenkat27@verizon.net.

9. Christmas Lights! The more the merrier. I love adding to our outside Christmas decorations and this year I found garage sales were the perfect place to score some one of a kind outdoor decorations. They simply don't make them like they used to. I'll post some pictures later for you on what it looks like. We're waiting for the remainder of the leaves to fall from our Willow tree so you can see it all at once. (The photo above was from 2012 where we had a window painting company come around and paint your window for about $20).

10. Christmas Eve. We always order food to be delivered for dinner and then we simply sit around all day and watch our families favorite Christmas Movies. They change every year. Not sure what will be on the movie play list this year, but I know The Muppet Christmas Carol is always playing.

So in a nutshell is some of our families Christmas traditions. What are some of yours? Remember if you want to do a Christmas Card Exchange with me, email me at Stevenkat27@verizon.net

Kat is Back with a Twist!

I was just telling my hubby today how long it's been since I wrote a blog post, while I update my status in Facebook several time throughout the day. Why is that?

I think it's simply because I feel the need to write something profound or spiritual that I feel led by God to share, when the real reason I created my blog was more as an online journal for me, than simply feeling the need to share something with readers. That is initially what drew me to decide to create a blog in the first place. It would allow me to look back on the way God has worked in my life every day and see the highs and lows and the way He has brought me through it all. It would be a place to share prayer requests and also answer them if I could. It would allow you to see what an almost 50-year old mom of two is doing in her day to day life with a busy husband who works much harder than he should. So I am taking on the commitment to do so.

So what have I been up to lately?

Well, without sharing all the details of 2013, lately I've been diligently streamlining my book review process. After almost 4 year of reviewing books and taking on the challenge in the last couple years of reading a book or more per day, I am limiting what I really want to read. I am eliminating those books that I don't feel represent who I am or what God has called me to do. So does that mean no more non-Christian books?

No, because I truly believe God has given me this desire to read and review books in order that I may shine the light on the dark places people find themselves once they pick up a book. There have been several books that look amazing, the synopsis on the cover doesn't covey what lies hidden within and then you are completely shocked by what you get on the inside.

So that will continue to some degree but now I am simply being a whole lot more selective. I love giving first time authors a shot at having their books reviewed and LOVE being able to help in any way. Yet again, I am still being selective at what I choose to read. I can't see giving an author a fair evaluation of their book if I don't have the heart to read what they wrote, so I am only being fair in that regard. Just this year alone, I have read 249 books this year even though my initial goal was only 200.

What does that mean? I am not reading as many as I have in the past, which gives me more time with my family. My hubby travels quite a bit so the downtime there is now being filled with reading to help pass the time.

I am also home schooling my youngest daughter in her first year in high school and I am thrilled that she is maintaining perfect A's in her freshman year. This means that as the semester draws to a close, all her teachers have given her the option of not having to take the final exams in all her subjects as a way to show her what the consequences of hard work are. She is over the moon with that and is finishing up her final weeks in all her subjects.

We are looking forward to incorporating some new Christmas traditions this year and are planning our trip to see the Christmas lights in the middle of the month. I will share those with you.

From this point on, you'll see a bit more of the personal side of who I am along with what God's doing in my life and what He has to say when He shares something with me. Hope you are all staying warm and cozy and I send my California sunshine your way today!

Disposable Relationships?

I love it when things that I see day in and day out suddenly have new meaning. God's once again blessed me in the quiet of my morning watering today and I have to share what He showed me. During a recent storm we had and knew was coming a few days in advance, my hubby and I knew the winds were expected to be around 55-70 mph so of course that meant taking our plants off our pot shelves so they wouldn't tip over. There are two morning glory plants we have been blessed to grow this year that we couldn't take down because they have wound their vines along our porch pillars. My hubby suggested in taking some velcro and securing them around the pots to the posts. Sounds great right?

Only problem with a great idea is when you don't implement it. Not sure where we got busy but that great idea never materialized and of course that evening as the winds picked up their speed. Things look pretty great. But evil happens in the darkness when we sleep and that is just what happened. When we woke up and opened our blinds from our bedroom that overlooked our back porch, my hubby said, one of the morning glories didn't make it.

Not understanding his point, I asked him to clarify his statement. He pointed out that one of the morning glories had blown off.

"I thought we were going to put velcro on that? Didn't you do it?"

"No, but it's too late now. I think it's gone."

When we rushed out back, (I  know for a plant right?) but if you understood my new admiration for this beauties, you'd get my point with the concern.

There hanging by the vines were the morning glory plants still wrapped around the post but the pot and the soil were on the ground.

Not sure how long that poor plant hung in there but the roots were void of all remaining soil and the poor thing looked so bad.

We immediately went into rescue mode and got a bag of soil and the pot and began trying to re-pot this plant and water it. We secured the plant's pot to the post and while the leaves hung limp from the post, no new blooms were present that day.

To understand the importance of morning glories blooms are that they only bloom in the morning and are gone by mid-day. So to not see it bloom at all was downright disheartening. We prayed for the best since this was our best plant out of the two.

After two days of waiting, my hubby said he thinks the poor thing isn't going to make it. It went through too much. I wanted to believe in miracles and asked God to restore my plant if it was according to His will. I know God can literally do anything, even bring that poor lifeless plant back from the dead.

So this morning while I am watering it, I notice the leaves are still drooping and browning. The poor thing looks so miserable. I wondered if it was worth continuing my efforts. It would be so much easier to simply grab more seeds and begin replanting before the frost is due in. Ready for the eye opener now?

When I glanced up, I noticed on the plant, that two blooms have opened. Are you as excited as I was? I mean here I was, considering simply scrapping the poor thing and putting it out of its misery when despite all appearances it was making a come back! Two blooms is something to get excited for! It means despite everything on the outside, it was slowly working its way back to being a healthy plant again.

See where this is going? God moment!!

God showed me that too often we look at the relationships in our life as being like that plant. Sometimes they are vital and thriving, beneficial even! Then at other times, they look like my poor plant, dying a slow death. Even despite all the best intentions to nurse it back to health, it looks easier to put it out of its misery and replant it. How easy relationships become disposable when they no longer serve our purpose. They might not look the way we want them too, they might not be producing anything that is nice to look at any longer, or even they aren't simply worth the extra effort they need to thrive and survive. We are simply to busy to invest the time to bring them back and restore them.

What about you? Are you doing the same thing in your own relationships? How invaluable have people become in your life when they no longer do what you want or need them to do? How far are you willing to go to heal them? Are they even worth it?

This could be the relationship you have with your spouse. Suddenly things don't look as vibrant as beautiful as it did when you married. Stress has eaten its way into the very leaves of your plant, causing them to shrivel up and die. Perhaps it no longer looks as beautiful as it did when it first started growing. Perhaps the leaves are yellowing and falling off, perhaps it isn't producing new blooms. But deep down inside, life still grows. As long as you are willing to try, God is able to make ALL things new again. He is the great restorer and redeemer of life. We aren't meant to go through this life alone, thus the reason for my plants vine to intertwine and enable it to grow stronger in order to move forward.

Even the tiniest of vines need help to grow and move forward.

Isn't it worth the time and effort to try and save it rather than simply taking the approach of most and simply throw in the towel, and find or grow a new plant?

People are the most valuable thing in our lives. They are worth it and need our time and energy in order to thrive again. They are simply waiting for you to take notice and not give up no matter how long it takes. Trust in God and believe and like me, soon you'll look up and see life growing again. I encourage you today, before it's too late, take some time and work on those relationships. Pray over them and trust God to make a positive change in them.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning." ~ Ecclesiastes 4: 9-13

There is simply a life within us all wanting to shine!

Weak Spots

Being a first time home buyer, my husband and I were super excited to jump in and begin working to make our home truly ours. Since it wasn't a brand new home, there were some things that needed improvements and some things we wanted to see incorporated into our home that were important to us. Both my husband and I are very outdoorsy people and we truly looked forward to spending time outside working on our landscaping both in the front and back yards of our home. We wanted trees our kids could lay underneath on hot days to escape the heat and perhaps ponder the wonders of the universe by looking up at the sky from beneath the leaves of a tall tree. We wanted our home to have "curb appeal" and to offer an invitation to make visitors and even strangers feel welcome. We wanted to add fragrant flowers to entice birds and butterflies to stop by on their way to another place as a haven of rest for the weary.

We wanted the sound of water to be a significant feature in our backyard, a place to simply find a getaway just outside out sliding glass doors, an oasis, a garden of eden perhaps in the making. We knew the vision we wanted and it would take time to make it happen, in fact it took well over 10 years and we both think it wasn't complete, of course lack of finances and manual labor will do that to you, but we both knew what we wanted.

Marriage is a lot like home improvement. It takes time and effort to make is successful and it's a work that will never be complete because like our home, it is always changing. New products come out on the market that we never considered before to incorporate into our home but that would make welcome additions.

In fact just laying in bed this morning, I believe God gave me such an insight into what goes wrong in marriages and results in either affairs or divorce. I call them weak spots. Those are the areas that we all have where we simply wish that things were better. For me, I often tell my husband I wish he were more romantic, the kind of characters I often read about in my romance novels, the ones that possess a certainness about their future, they know what needs to be done, they are strong leaders and never fear when things go wrong, they always have a plan and that is to protect and care for their loved ones. Now don't get me wrong, my husband does all that, but on occasion I wish that he would plan something unpredictable that shows me just how valuable I am in his life, a romantic getaway that shows planning, and is geared to the things he knows I love. For him, he needs that physical confirmation to let him know he is loved, either though a hug or lots of physical touch, cuddling on the couch while watching a movie together or just knowing at any point of his day, that I think the world of him.

When we avoid dealing with those potential "weak spots" it opens our marriages up for the enemy to use those to gain entry into our lives and marriages. He finds people he can utilize to satisfy those needs in the way we can only dream about. Rather than realize those weak spots as what they are, we will often times, willingly sacrifice our marriages for that one thing that is missing in our marriages instead of simply having that need met by our spouse.

No one would neglect a leaky roof to work on the other areas of the house while each storm continued to wear away at the roof, ceiling and destroy the house beneath it, thinking it's simply something we don't want to work on right now. I'd rather have a new bathroom than deal with a leaky roof.

Yet that's just what is happening to our marriages. We all have those "weak spots" if we are honest and willing to admit the truth. Those can also change throughout our years together. If we don't fix our "leaky roof" now, we only have ourselves to blame when the roof caves in. That's why it is so important to work effectively as a team to strengthen our marriages and eliminate those weak spots. For me, it means putting 100% commitment into making sure my husband's weak spot is met by me and not by someone else who can easily turn his head. The same hold true for him, he needs to commit to fixing my weak spot, even if he thinks it's foolish or dumb. Both of these areas are important to us in different ways and if we value our marriage and our spouse, we will want to make those areas stronger and not weaker.

I often wonder just how many affairs could have been prevented if we simply addressed those needs first instead of blaming our spouse for their faults. It's take two to make a marriage dissolve. One to walk away and the other to do nothing to fix it. Aren't our marriages and our spouse worth the effort? Can we agree to work together much like a home improvement project to see that things are fixed now before it's too late?

If you found this message insightful, I would encourage you to thank God for this insight. He provided it this morning and for us, we are working on daily projects to improve our marriage. It's the small things that matter today, and over time, we'll soon see that the efforts we make now will only benefit us later and will make our marriages stronger and ones that outlast all the others.