DECEMBER FAVORITE THINGS!!!

I am SO excited to share this list with you! I am even more excited to give away one of these AMAZING products!

Here is the scoop!:

1. Read this blog post.
2. If you do not already follow the blog- become a follower.
3. In the COMMENTS under THIS POST  [December Favorite Things], tell me:
     1. Which favorite thing would you like to be blessed with?
     2. Who would you bless a VEGGIE TALES NATIVITY SET with? Why?
     3. Your email address (I will not spam you,  this is just to contact you if you are chosen!)
4. Share the link to this December Favorite Things blog post to a social media site. Either Facebook or Instagram and hash tag #thefarmeranddanielle

***if you are randomly chosen as the "winner", You will receive the item that you mentioned in your comment AND a Veggie Tales Nativity Playset to either give your own children or to bless another!***

You must enter prior to Monday, December 8th to ensure delivery before Christmas! 

Here we go!
1. WOW Hits 2015
The BEST contemporary Christian music of the year!

2. In The Manger by Max Lucado
A collection of 25 stories to prepare your heart for the Light of Christ.

3. The Jesus Story Book Bible
This book was given to my children last Christmas.  We use it daily. Beautifully written and GORGEOUSLY illustrated.

4.  i Disciple
This app is no joke. It is a one stop shop for all things Jesus. A daily tool to help you do life.  Choose your favorite authors, pastors, worship leaders and put them into your feed. Videos, articles, songs and more to guide your day. For as little as $4.99 per month! LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!

   

5. A Christmas Carol
The book.  The movie. The musical.
Scrooge is a character that encompasses all of the emotions in this world. Dickens exaggerated the flaws that we all possess to teach us the greatest lesson of life... nothing is more important than LOVE. (I taught this story for many years,  can you tell?)

6. The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
A beautiful story with even more beautiful illustration.

7.  A Christmas to Believe In
A Christmas album like no other. Matthew West wrote the title song specifically for this album. Mandisa, Toby Mac and Kari Jobe amongst others join MW for an AWESOME compilation cd.

8.  Capital Kids HITS
Teach your kids to worship at home, in the car...ANYWHERE! The songs that I LOVE sung by kids so my kids want to (and DO) sing along!

9. Monumental by Kirk Cameron
Wow. Just...wow.
I don't know how I just watched this like last week. Amazing. Eye opening. Reaffirming. Our country WAS built on the foundation of GOD!

10. Magnetic: Becoming the Girl He Wants by, Lynn Cowell
Awesome. Inspiring. Must read.

11. VeggieTales Nativity Playset (goes to one lucky winner!!!)

12. A Muppet Christmas Carol
Who doesn't want to be singing "We're Marley and Marley" all season? ;-)

13. Eccolo journal notebooks

Love them. Small enough to bring with you anywhere. Large enough to write enough. Quality paper and fun colors.

14. Dolly Bows!
The last one I got came from Latvia! Gorgeous. Beautifully made. The Singing Trumpet shop on Etsy.

15. Women of the Word by Jen Wilkinson

A  guide for how to study the Bible with both our hearts and our minds.

16.  Moleskin Daily Planner

I know that I have previously sworn by another daily planner.  However, this moleskin is small enough to bring with me EVERYWHERE! Love it!

17. Pearl Drop earrings from Kallos Designs on etsy

Comfortable, classy earrings

18.  Naptime Diaries Advent devotional and calendar.  Ya'll know that I love everything Jess Connolly and Naptime Diaries. www.naptimediaries.com

19. Young Living Essential Oils CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

This blend is THE best scent. THIS is how Christmas truly smells. www.youngliving.com distributer #1401485

20,  Jesus.He is the light, The way. The truth.The REASON for the season. Rejoice in His name and celebrate His coming.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS

{beBlessed} and have a beautiful night.

Don't forget to enter to win one of these amazing products AND a Veggie Tales Nativity play set!

Feliz Navidad! Let GENEROSITY abound!

Hello ya'll and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I am refreshed and full of gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon our family.
God is so good and He always provides.

After a season of thankfulness for all that we have, it only makes sense to turn our hearts towards GIVING and blessing OTHERS.

The boys put together shoes boxes for Operation Christmas Child and it was such a JOY to take each of them shopping for their child. Their little hearts wanted to share all of their favorite things with a child somewhere in the world, who may be getting gifts for Christmas for the first time ever! Can you even process that? The football, books and silly putty that my babies put in a Rubbermaid box- will be the FIRST GIFTS EVER for 3 little boys somewhere in the world!
So, it got me thinking. What can I give to the people who have truly blessed me?
Over the past year, I have been blessed with little trinkets and books and bibles and subscriptions and... awesomness! I have listed these things in my favorite things list each month, and I think it is time to pay it forward a bit.
SO...I have decided to do a Christmas giveaway and contest all rolled into one!

Here is the scoop!:
1. Read my December Favorite Things blog post.
2. If you do not already follow the blog- become a follower.
3. In the COMMENTS under the December Favorite Things BLOG POST, tell me:
     1. Which favorite thing you think that you would like best. (Choose between numbers 1-10 only)
     2. Why do you think you would like it best?
     3. Your email address (I will not spam you,  this is just to contact you if you ste chosen!)
4. Share the link to the December Favorite Things blog post to a social media site. Either Facebook or Instagram and hash tag #thefarmeranddanielle

***if you are randomly chosen as the "winner", You will receive the item that you mentioned in your comment AND a Veggie Tales Nativity Playset to either give your own children or to bless another!***

You must enter prior to Monday, December 8th to ensure delivery before Christmas! 
Stay tuned for the list to go LIVE tonight!!!

{BeBlessed} and have a GREAT day!

An Attitude of Gratitude...

I couldn't enter into the month of November, without my blog theme centering around some form of being thankful.  We ALL have SO much to be thankful for. If you are reading this- you:
#1 know HOW to read
#2 have access to a computer or smart phone
#3 have internet access
#4 have ELECTRICITY
You also,  most likely, have running water, an indoor plumbing, a car, a home with heat, clothing, possibly designer clothing, an education, ... and my list could continue.

If you live in the US, you have freedoms that others can only DREAM about! [Shout out to my readers in Germany, France, Canada, and Australia...you are blessed with many liberties, as well]

WE are SO BLESSED.

The reality is, though, there are more people living "without" than we think.

We can't escape the news media.  We can SEE and HEAR the terrible things that are happening in countries that don't have the freedoms that we do.

We see commercials with starving children, who don't know when they are going to get their first meal.

There are families right HERE in our country, who have lost their homes, lost their jobs, lost their families, lost EVERYTHING.


We, by showing true GRATITUDE for what we HAVE...can ultimately bless someone else.

Yes. you read that correctly.  If WE, express our pure GRATITUDE to our Lord, giving thanks for all that we HAVE, We have the ability to BLESS others.

You see, showing gratitude, or giving thanks, or being thankful, or saying thank-you is SO much more than a quick action.

Saying "thank you" is an action.  A verb. Something that is done quickly.  When I wake up in the morning, I open my journal to do my devotions and I write out all of the things that I am thankful for-all of my blessings. Then, I close my journal and go about my day.
Saying thank you is the first step to expressing gratitude, but it is not the ONLY step.

Gratitude,  as defined in the Webster's dictionary, is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

the QUALITY of being thankful, the READINESS to SHOW appreciation for and to return KINDNESS.

What is my definition of gratitude?

GRATITUDE: The readiness and ability to show kindness to all of God's creation.  To demonstrate a quality of life through the appreciation of others' actions and their NEEDS.

You see, we can not truly express gratitude by simply saying "thanks for helping me."  We don't show REAL gratitude for this life, until we are able to say, "Hey, is there anything that I can help YOU with?"

Hebrews 12:28 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

Psalm 96: 1-3

1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,

   

Matthew 20:28  28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Ephesians 6:7  7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.

If we are truly expressing our thanks to our Lord, we must also then SERVE Him in the ways in which he instructed us to do so. He tells us to go out, share the gospel, share the truth, share the life of Christ.

ThanksGIVING.  

Let us all take this month of November. Make sure that we offer our thanks to the Lord for ALL of our blessings. But, also, let us go out and SERVE. What can YOU do to share the love of Christ? What does YOUR service look like? Do you have the heart for street ministry?  Do you have an extra hour each week to sit at the nursing home and read from the Word? Do you have a voice to share music?  Do you have the means to bless a family with winter coats? Do you have the means to travel to another continent and care for the sick and hungry? What ever YOUR abilities are, use them to SERVE. Not only our Lord, but EACH OTHER.

I think that we have A LOT to be thankful for. Amen?

{beBlessed} and have a GREAT day!

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles...

NOVEMBER!
WOW!
These are a few of my Favorite Things!
1. The end of a bountiful harvest

2. My husband- it is so nice to have him back "home"!

3. My babies
4. Our parents
5. My church family. It isn't easy to make a church move. It is, actually,  REALLY hard. But, we have been welcomed with open arms. Thank YOU LCF!
6. Date night., It has been 100 days since our last date night!
7. A date night at home with Italian dried sausage, cheese and chicken wing dip.

8. Motorcycles
9. The Chronological Life Application Study Bible with all of its awesome maps and time lines and photos...Jackson LOVES it as much as I do!
10. Gratitude Journal from 'I Love it All' shop on etsy  www.iloveitall.etsy.com

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11. My Young Living Essential Oils. Always my favorite, , always necessary.  (Member #1401485)

12. Soda Stream
13. Homeschooling my boys

14. Cranberries
15. Cold nights
16. My fire place
17. My home
18. The Little things
19. My dog

20. Christmas trees
21. Twinkle lights
22. Old Navy Rockstar jeans
23. Converse All Stars
24. Leggings
25. Sweaters
26. Pumpkin...anything. muffins, cookies,  pies
27. Treasuring Christ- When Your Hands Are Full.
28. Crazy Love by, Francis Chan
29. Food Network Magazine
30. Hedua Magazine
31. The start of Musical season
32. Naptime Diaries- advent calendar and journal
33. Calligraphy pens
34. ThriveMoms- the friends that I have made who live forever away, but I know that we are kindred hearts in the way we live,  love our Lord and our families and want to live each days with purpose.
35. BLESSINGS
I have so many. In my goal to live a more authentic life, I am finding that I am using, wanting, needing less of the "worldly" things and enjoying...downright THRIVING off of the things that I can experience- with my kids, my husband- my friends, our families... our Lord gave us all we need to live this life...I think I may have finally started to do it the right way.