This post includes a giveaway, just scroll down to the Rafflecopter widget to find out how to enter! You can win $50 gift certificate towards your personalized Christmas Card purchase and more! OH and there is a coupon code too at the end of my review!

I think one of my frustrations about searching for Christmas cards is that a lot of them do not have any depth. Christmas time is truly a wonderful moment to share your faith with family and friends, and a lot of us do this through Christmas cards. That’s why I was so excited when The Little Card Company contacted me to do a review of their beautiful Christmas cards.

I love that The Little Card Company keeps Christ in Christmas, plus their prices are very reasonable!

From The Little Card Company website:

“Happy Holidays?” Not here! Our purpose is to put CHRIST back in Christmas. Our designs reflect the warmth, joy and happiness of Christmas without leaving out the true reason for the season. Each festive card provides a means to stay connected and to genuinely spread the joy about the birth of Jesus. What a better way to share your family AND your faith at Christmas?

I love a business that has a mission and part of The Little Card Company’s mission is to keep the true meaning of Christmas front and center.

Here are just a few samples of their beautiful Christmas Cards (click on the image to view larger):

I truly enjoyed the experience of uploading my picture to their website and having the cards arrive quickly. The Little Card Company truly offers a product of high quality. This is actually the first year I have ever ordered personalized Christmas cards, and I have to say it will NOT be the last because it was SO easy!

Now that my cards are here all I need to do is put them in the envelope, print out labels, and send them off. I’m so excited because this process is so much easier than what I use to do. Honestly I never felt all that motivated to send out Christmas cards, but this year I really am motivated.

Maybe it’s because The Little Card Company makes the process so simple, or maybe it’s because I get to share a beautiful card that not only shows how fast my kiddos are growing up but also shares an encouragement on what Christmas is truly about.

The Giveaway

The Little Card Company has been extremely generous in offering this wonderful gift basket to one of our readers:

Three Pack of Thank You Cards

$50 Gift Certificate Towards Your Personlized CHRISTmas Cards & a Tote Bag!

Honestly this gift basket is awesome, and I just love that everyone over at The Little Card Company has been so generous! I hope you will enter to win below.

A Special Offer for YOU!

P.S. If you just can’t wait to see if you win, or if you don’t win this awesome giveaway then I have some REALLY great news for you! The Little Card Company has also offered our readers a $10 off coupon on your CHRISTmas card order of 50 or more! Isn’t that awesome! I hope you will join me in supporting The Little Card Company – their mission is something worth supporting.

Just use this coupon code during check out: MCCSAHM10 – place your orders here! Also there is free ground shipping until 12/9 so be sure to get your orders in quickly.

Enter the Giveaway Here:

PLEASE BE SURE TO CLICK ON “I DID THIS” OR YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT COUNT! Thank you!

Disclosure: This post was generously sponsored by The Little Card Company. I did receive payment and free product to post my honest opinions about the product and also to host this fabulous giveaway on CSAHM which is also sponsored by The Little Card Company. All of my opinions are my own and my own personal honest thoughts about the company.

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This weeks question:
What do you struggle with in your faith?

I know this is a very deep, and maybe even personal, question of the week. However I felt inspired to ask it because I think we all struggle with something in our faith. If we don’t, then who needs faith?

For me I think one of the biggest things I struggle with in my faith is expectations. I often have expectations of how I think people should act, especially friends, family, and fellow Christians. I also have expectations on how an outcome should be for a specific situation. These expectations can cause a lot of conflict with my faith and beliefs, and also within my personal relationships.

OK now your turn to share.

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Spiritual gift and home decor. Blessings Unlimited® was founded by DaySpring®, the world’s leading producer of Christian greeting cards. For over 35 years, DaySpring has partnered with Christian stores in local communities to offer meaningful products. Blessings Unlimited continues that tradition and extends the opportunity to the home.

Join Us!

Join us for a night of being blessed, and blessing others! This twitter party will be filled with scripture, bible talk, encouraging words, and more. We will also be giving away prizes too (what a BLESSING!) This party is sponsored by Alice Klitz – an Independent Consultant for Blessings Unlimited®.

Prizes You Can Win

(1 of 2) Blessings eco totes (like what you can buy and bring with you instead of using a plastic bag).

(1 of 2) packs of cards. aprox 10 cards of various variety.

A suprise door prize for everyone who RSVP’s for our twitter party on THIS post!

Details

What: A Twitter party for all of our readers, followers, old and new! Our theme is “Be Blessed.” join us for a night of fun where you are sure to be blessed, and also have a chance to bless others.

When: Friday July 15, 2011 @ 9pm EST

Where: On twitter! Our #hastag will be #beblessed. You can follow me @hbixler03 to keep up with the party. We also recommend using Tweetgrid or tweetchat and use the #hashtag #beblessed to follow along.

RSVP: Although it’s not required, but you can let us know you will be there by commenting on this post. We are giving away a special door prize to anyone who RSVP’s below!

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Author: Ginger Plowman

Published: 2003

Rating:  4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Review

Ginger Plowman, former assistant director of Proverbs 31 Ministries and founder of Preparing the Way Ministries, has written a thought-provoking and candid book that

encourages and equips moms to reach past the outward behavior of their children and dive deeply into the issues of the heart.

More than just a “How-To” manual for handling issues like disobedience, Mrs. Plowman delves into the stuff of the heart, relying on Scripture and sharing personal experiences.

Books on how to discipline your child are a dime a dozen.  Some of those books are deeply biblical.  But there are few that enlighten the reader as to how to apply the scriptures in a practical way to training your child.  That is my goal in this book.  ~ Ginger Plowman

My Review

As an older mom of young children, I have often found myself running out of patience, not to mention energy.  Even at their young ages, my own children know that they can get a rise out of me if they push hard enough.

Rather than relying on many years of babysitting experience, a history of trying to manage my younger brothers, and my own personal instincts, I have discovered that I could use some help as a mom – learning not only how to encourage my children to obey their parents, but in teaching them the scriptural principles behind obedience.

This book encouraged my heart so much.  Some of the ideas were immediately applicable for my children, and I found myself using them as soon as I put the book down.  Sometimes, my children responded immediately and I was impressed at how simple discipline could be.

Other times, I needed to consistently apply some of the approaches, and I began to see some improvements in not just behavior, but attitudes as well.  That’s the part that encouraged me the most!

This book addresses verbal correction – as well as corporal punishment – from the light of Scripture.  One chapter is devoted solely to the subject of spanking – or not.

Spanking is NOT the entire focus of this book.   Heart-discipline is, and when applying Scripture to the subject of raising and training children, this book touches on reaching our child’s heart so that behavior changes from the inside-out.

This has been a useful, encouraging book for me to read as a mom.  I appreciate the Scriptural references, as well as the Notes section and suggested references in the back of the book.

[I purchased a copy of this book for myself. I was not asked to provide a review for this book. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.]

Affiliate links have been used within the post.

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“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” G.K. Chesterton

For me, books are like snapshots in the scrapbook of my life. The books lined on my shelves play a part in my story. There’s an emotional connection to each one of them because they remind me of places I’ve been in my life. Like a collection of postcards from places traveled, my books tell the story of my life journey.

There are Nancy Drew books I read as a child. They were a place to escape the realities of a painful life. I could live the life of a mystery sleuth and get away from the burdens of life that weighed me down. There are books I read as an adolescent that gave me hope when I had none. Books from my undergraduate years still line my shelves. They remind me of when God was teaching me about myself and growing me in my faith. There are professional books from my years in graduate school and from my work as a counselor. There are also books that helped me through my challenges with depression. And I can’t forget the books that spoke deep into my heart which God used to change me.

I am one of those people who dog-ear pages of books. I usually fold down a page if there is something I like about it so that I can relocate it later. I often think of my life as being dog-eared. Some of the dog-eared pages of my life were tough pages to get through. They were times of deep fear and anguish. I often didn’t know if I was perhaps reading the last page of my life. It’s those chapters in my life that while it is painful to remember those times, I need to look back and remember God’s goodness. As I’ve grown in the grace of Christ, I can look back on those dog-eared pages and read the painful story and with the benefit of time, I can see how God used those trials to draw me to himself. I can see now that those difficult times were not the last chapter, but an integral and important part of my ongoing story.

When I run out of book shelf space, I have trouble getting rid of my books. They are visual and physical reminders of the story God is writing in my life. Many of my books were with me during difficult times. There are also many that played a part in bringing back joy to my life. They show me where I’ve come from, where I’ve been and what He has done to bring me to where I am now.

While dog-earring the pages of a book ruins its pristine condition, I will continue to fold down the pages. For I am dog-eared myself. Some chapters in my life I refer to time and time again to remind myself of God’s faithfulness. Those pages are markers of God’s ongoing love and grace. God uses those worn pages as a reminder to me that there is hope. There will be an end to this part of my story but the next part will last for eternity.

“All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before” From C.S. Lewis’s “The Last Battle”

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Desires of My Heart is an eBook devotional based on Psalm 37:4. In this eBook we will answer the following question: “What does it mean to delight in the Lord?” Find inspiration, motivation, encouragement, through the real life stories shared within this eBook about how others delighted in Him, and how that affected their life.

If your faith story is approved we will post it on the Desires of My Heart blog. With your post you will be able to include an author’s bio and a link to your website (if you have one.)

I hope you will join us as we look to encourage women to delight in HIM! Thank you!

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The following devotional and Bible Study assignment was taken from our Online Christian Mom Bible Study Group. You can sign up to become a member of the CSAHM Club and gain access to our complete Bible Study on “The Telling Truth.” Click here for more information on the Online Bible Study Group for Moms!

***

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

Often as believer’s we feel our main call is to spread the gospel to anyone that will listen. Evangelism is a fire that burns deep within the Christian’s heart, no matter how uncomfortable we may feel sharing our faith with others.

However, sometimes during our pursuit to share the gospel we are quick to condemn and judge our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. To often have seen, or heard, a Christian leader evangelize by bringing down another Christian leader.

Have we (Christians) forgotten the power of unity?

Unity needs to come before evangelism. There is no greater deterrent to a non-believer than a divided body of believers. Unity begins with being united with Christ, and becoming a believer. The next step is to be united with God’s word, becoming a Christ follower. Division comes when we are neither united with Christ, or God’s word. When we embrace a message that promotes division within the body of Christ, then there is no unity with God, His word, or other believers.

Division comes in many forms. Our pain, hurt, jealousy, anger, and ignorance can all promote division within the body of Christ. In order for us to fully walk in our calling to reach out to the non-believer we need to be united with God’s word and the body of Christ. The best way to overcome division is to realize the importance of unity within the body of Christ, and embrace unity rather than a message that promotes division.

Assignment:

Do you have unity in your life, your church, family, ministry? Is there anything within your walk that you place before being united with Christ and His word? Do you feel this hinders you from fully walking in obedience to Christ?

Click here for more information on the Online Bible Study Group for Moms!

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So, with all the fabulous entries, I find it too difficult to decide, so that’s where YOU come in. If you could please take a few seconds to vote for your favorite tagline, I would so greatly appreciate. WARNING: They are all pretty awesome, so you my have a hard time choosing just one.

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If you are looking for a truly great dessert that only takes minute to make, you can’t go wrong with this peanut butter pie. We’ve been serving it for years at a various get-togethers and it’s always a hit.

Made with just 5 ingredients, it’s cheap to make and can easily be transported to pot lucks, reunions, staff parties or any gathering. Just be sure to take a few recipe cards with you because everyone will want a copy of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate graham cracker pie crust
• 1 package cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• ¾ tub whipped cream

Directions:

In large bowl, add the cream cheese. With an electric mixer on low-medium speed, start mixing the cream cheese, powdered sugar and peanut butter.

Next, slowly add the whipped cream and mix until creamy but not runny.

Pour this into the pie crust and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Cut and serve.

I like it plain but you can top your pie with slices of apples, chocolate, bananas or anything you like eating with peanut butter.

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For our Zhu Zhu babies family night we had the following courtesy of Mommy Parties and Zhu Zhu Pets:

• 8 Deluxe Zhu Zhu Babies
• 2 Baby Outfits
• 1 Newborn Nursery Playset
• 1 Zhu Zhu Pet
• Yummy Recipes
• Games!

We had lots of fun putting together our new playset and dressing up the Zhu Zhu babies.

Here is a yummy snack you can also make for your zhu zhu babies family night:

Veggie Piggie in a Blanket

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) package of crescent rolls.
• 16 meat free sausage links

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough and use the perforations to separate into triangles. Cut each dough triangle into two triangles. Wrap a dough triangle around the center of each link, starting at wide end of triangle. Place wrapped piggies on a baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned.

Then you can play this silly game:

Feeding Frenzy

Items Needed: Bibs, smocks, or old shirts, and soft food (like baby food.)

How to Play: Divide up into teams. One player does the feeding and the other player does the eating! The one doing the feeding gets behind their partner that is eating and be their arms, and start feeding them. The team that finishes the jar of food first, wins!

The key to having a successful zhu zhu babies family night is to just have fun and use your imagination! Think like a child..

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. We received all of the items listed above in return for a post on the CSAHM blog. However we only post items that we feel would be an interest and beneficial to CSAHM’s and their family!

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