The Homemaking Party: Meaningful Gifts from Willow Tree at Family Christian #FCBlogger

This post has been compensated by Family Christian. All opinions are mine alone.

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! Have you been busy shopping like I have? I love buying or making gifts for the special people in my life. A season of giving---what a wonderful thing! Are you familiar with the Willow Tree collection at Family Christian? I've been buying these beautiful pieces as gifts for years. They're so special and there's a scene for every important person in my life!

It's hard being away from family during the holidays---and especially hard for me, being away from my mom! I love to send her gifts that are meaningful and that show her how much I love her. I've been sending her Willow Tree figurines for years because their beautiful simplicity touches her heart and reminds her of how much I care.

I bought her this one a few years ago when I had one of the babies---Liam, maybe? I think we were living apart then, as well, and I thought it would be special to have something she could see every day. Even if she couldn't see us every day.

These I bought for her on other occasions, like her birthday or Christmas, I believe. They're very special ways to commemorate an important event, as well as to just say, "I love you". 

This Willow Tree Nativity is my DREAM SET! I was admiring it in Family Christian in Fayetteville last week. I think I need to start collecting the pieces for this. I've been drooling over it for a good 10 years now!

Do you have any pieces of the Willow Tree collection? What are your favorites? You can find Willow Tree at Family Christian and even have your gift sent from them straight to your loved one---just in time for Christmas. Check out their collection and pick out the perfect figurine or two for your special person.

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! Be sure to link up all your great posts and tell me about your Christmas plans in the comments below!

Blessings!



Linking with:

Hungry for God...Starving for Time -- 5 Minute Devotions for Busy Women

Today I'm hosting author, Lori Hatcher, as she features an excerpt from her new book, Hungry for God...Starving for Time, 5 Minute Devotions for Busy Women. Check out this sneak peek and then make sure to visit her giveaway for a FREE KINDLE loaded with Christian books!

Facetime: God, I'm having a bad hair day. What can I do to feel better about myself?

As I prepare for a speaking engagement, I begin praying far in advance. I pray for God to give me the message he wants me to share. I pray for each person who will attend, that God will encourage and equip them. I pray for the event planners, that the Lord will provide everything they need and give them wisdom and creativity.

But on the actual morning of the event, I pray for something quite different.


I pray for a good hair day.

Sometimes God answers, and sometimes he doesn’t.


If you were completely honest, you’ve probably done the same thing. 

Tell the truth. Didn’t you pray to be zit-free on your wedding day? Or bloat-free for your high school reunion? Or 10-lbs. lighter for the family photo?  

There’s something about being in front with all eyes upon us that reduces us to bundles of adolescent insecurity. Having good hair, blemish-free complexions, or flat bellies won’t make us into something we’re not, but they do help us feel a little more confident.

So what should we do if, despite our best efforts, we’re having a bad hair day?

1.  Remember that “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). We can rest in the confidence that we are beloved and beautiful. Knowing God thinks we’re lovely because of what’s inside our hearts, whether our locks lie down or let loose, should put smiles on our faces that are much more beautiful than our marvelous manes.

2.  Don’t schlump. We should raise our chins, put on our best smiles, and look people in the eyes. Chances are we’re the only ones who are aware of the cowlick that won’t cooperate or the muffin top above our waistlines. If we act as though we wish we could crawl under the rug, however, even those who have no idea that our hair didn’t turn out right are going to sense something’s wrong. We need to put on our game faces and press on!

3.  Concentrate on others. Before long, we’ll forget we had a tussle with our tresses. When we take our eyes off ourselves and place them squarely on someone else, we gain perspective about what truly matters. A side benefit to this is that if we concentrate on helping others feel comfortable, confident, and cared for, THAT’s what they remember about us, not our crazy coiffure.

4.  Remember that true beauty isn’t determined by what our bodies look like, but by what our spirits look like. “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,” says 1 Peter 3:3-4, “such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.”

 So tomorrow, whether it’s a good hair day or a bad one, let’s greet the world with a smile. We’ve got Kingdom work to do!

How about you? What tends to unravel your self-confidence? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like "When God Looks You in the Eye, What Does He See?"

 

This devotion is an excerpt from Lori’s new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women.

You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. 

The Woman Code --- Sophia Nelson Book Signing Dec. 6th #FCEvents #FCBlogger

   This post is a promotion for Family Christian. I was compensated for sharing this information. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Those who live in the Manassas, Virginia area have the opportunity to attend author Sophia Nelson's book signing December 6th. Nelson will be signing copies of her newest book, The Woman Code.

Family Christian bookstore of Manassas will host the event at 5 PM on 12/6. Address details are listed below.

About the Book (from Family Christian): Every woman lives by a code, whether she realizes it or not. It informs how she treats others and herself, how much she expects of herself, and how far she is willing to go in order to find success. But is the code we're living by truly helping us create the lives of purpose and fulfillment we desire? Or are we sacrificing the deeper things for mere achievement? 

In this inspiring book, Sophia A. Nelson calls women to live out a powerful life code that will lead them to purposeful and successful lives. With the wisdom that comes from experience, Nelson reveals to women:

The true meaning of "having it all"

How to take better care of their minds, bodies, and souls

How to achieve professional excellence without compromising their values

How to find lasting love and purpose in life beyond their accomplishments

How to navigate the sisterhood of women, to build collaboration rather than competition

How to heal from past hurts, rejection, and life's inevitable storms

And much more

The Woman Code is a way of living, of navigating life's challenges, and of interacting positively with other women. It's a way of pursuing our dreams and our deepest desires. It reveals a universal and timeless set of principles of the mind, body, and spirit that help women balance the demands of work, home, family, and friendship. The Woman Code not only calls on women to practice purpose in their lives, it shows them how to do it with grace.

About the Author (from Amazon): "Sophia A. Nelson is an award-winning author and award winning journalist. She is also a highly sought-after corporate leadership trainer and motivational speaker. Nelson has a national platform that is making strides to help women lead more fulfilling and powerful lives in and out of the workplace."

Visit Nelson on Twitter and at IamSophiaNelson.com.

Meet Sophia Nelson at Manassas Family Christian bookstore at 5 PM on December 6th:

Family Christian

10404 Portsmouth Road

Manassas, VA 20109

Phone: (703) 330-7845

Hope to see you there!