That's a wrap!

As the weather gets colder and Christmas nears, make sure to go green every chance you get.  Reuse gift bags or wrap gifts using items such as pashminas, newspaper, or reusable grocery bags (http://www.baggu.com/).  How fun would it be if the wrapping was part of the gift!  If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, we would have enough wrapping paper to cover 45,000 football fields.  That's a wrap!

In LOVE with Mary Kay!

So, I recently fell in LOVE with Mary Kay...the makeup and skincare line that is. Having never used Mary Kay before, I attended a friend's party and was blown away by their amazing products. Everything from the eye shadows to their lipglosses is absoluetly phenomenal.

I highly recommend their Timewise Miracle Set. It is pricy, but I can already tell a difference in how my skin looks and feels. I truly love all Mary Kay products, but some other favorites are their eye shadows, lipglosses, mineral powder foundation, and their blush. Their eye shadows are actually made in the same factory in Italy as MAC but cost less than half the price. You really can't go wrong!

If you live in the Atlanta area, you should schedule a Mary Kay party with my rep Laurin. That way you can take advantage of the fabulous hostess benefits. If you don't live in Atlanta or don't want to host a party, visit her Web site at www.marykay.com/Laurin to check out all the wonderful products. Laurin is fabulous, and you will love working with her before, during, and after your party. She didn't ask me to write this by the way...I am just IN LOVE with all of these products and wanted to share them with you. Let me know what you think!

Pearl Harbor

In honor and memory of the brave people who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, we remember you and salute you today. You did not die in vain, and we honor your sacrifice.

Prayer

"While prayer may not change a situation, it may change the way you experience it."  (Unknown)

Need a light?

While you decorate your home and Christmas tree with lights this year, make sure you go green by choosing LED and/or Energy Star lights.  They use less electricty therefore they save you money.  You can also set your lights on a timer, so they come on when it gets dark and turn off when you go to bed.  No need to have them on late at night while most people will be sleeping.

Fore more information on these type of lights, go to http://www.greenyour.com/node/13887.  Happy decorating!

Utmost hope

Tonight's message at Buckhead Church was one of utmost hope.  Andy Stanley shared with us the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a couple who had hoped and prayed for a child but reminaed barren.  After many, many years, the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah and told him that God was going to bless them with a son.  "But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.'" (Luke 1: 13)  Their son John would go on to become John the Baptist, and the rest is history.
What an amazing reminder of how difficult and frustrating it can be when we pray for years, and it seems like God either isn't listening or doesn't hear us.  Sometimes, all we need is to know that He hears us.  And believe me, He surely does.  Not only does he hear our prayers, but He plans out every single detail of our lives according to His perfect plan for our lives.  Sometimes things take MUCH longer than we anticipate, and we start to grow restless, weary, and lose hope.  All I can say is to hang in there friends.  God is hard at work and will bless us according to His will and perfect timing.  Trust me, I have sat, hoped, prayed, and waited for years for certain things to happen.  And guess what, some of them finally have happened for me.  I know it's not because of anything I did, but it is because of God's faithfulness and promises to us.  "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3: 11)
As we get busy and sometimes stressed out with countless holiday parties, work events, and presents to buy, let the Christmas season serve as a reminder that God always keeps His promises.  Even when we think God doesn't hear us and/or doesn't care about us, our faith and hope are not in vain.

Sharing

"Sharing what you have is more important than what you have."

(Albert M. Wells Jr.)