SRKindredSpirits

I have many, happy, childhood memories of Christmas caroling.  When I was a kid, we used to go caroling with our church and with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, every year.  It was a family tradition.   We would all bring cookies and candies, and put together cookie plates to give to those that we went caroling to.  After the plates were made and we all had our caroling books, we would pile into cars and drive to the people's place's that we were caroling for. I loved riding in Grandpa's car or with my best friend Carla.  Growing up in a conservative family, we did not decorate for Christmas or have a Christmas tree. So, as a kid, I loved seeing all the Christmas lights and decorations in the people's homes we visited.  My favorite place to go caroling was our old neighbor lady Adell's house. She doted on us kids and would pass out candy and I loved her C hristmas lights and her singing Santa doll.  After caroling, we all c

I am a christian.... but I haven't been to church regularly for over five years... and it's been over twelve years since I've had a church where I felt loved, needed, and a part of. I used to help on buses, be a nursery worker, do bulletin boards, decorate the church, help with Ladies meetings and loved singing special music. The reason is NOT for a lack of wanting or trying to find a good church. On the contrary... we have visited a lot of churches over the years always hoping we'd find what we were looking for, but always coming up short. My biggest issue with finding a church after what it believes and preaches, is that there are people there that want the same as me in life. Some of my needs in no particular order: (This may be a good time to point out I am conservative and like things rather old fashion.)  Independent, Fundamental, KJV Baptist Church  Home-schoolers - wanting to raise their kids for the Lord  People dress up for church

The 30 Days To Peace A One-Month Creative Journal is a little book that features writing and drawing prompts, along with peace related quotes throughout the book. This journal is a way for you to unwind and find peace amidst our busy lives and is perfect for this time of year when the hustle and bustle of the holidays have you stressed to the max. Even though the book is small, there is plenty of space to express yourself. If you are not into drawing, you can create a collage or include photographs. The only down side is that the pages are thin and if you color with markers (I use fine point ones), the marker bleeds through to the next page, which ruins what you have written. Also, I am not a fan of the colors on the cover. To comply with regulations by the FTC, the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

When it comes to cleaning out your closet.... many people find that taking everything out is the easy part. It's knowing what to put back in that's a little more tough to figure out. I recommend making four piles. Put each item of clothing on one of these piles..... 1. Throw out 2. Give away  3. Repair  4. Soul stirring   - Take inventory then put in one of the above piles. (see what you love about each of these items)  Keep only clothing items that you love - not like Stains, holes, doesn't fit well, wrong size, wrong color = toss it out 70% of your closet should be meat and potatoes = solid, working clothes. 30% of your closet should be icing and fluff = color, pattern, shine, and accessories.  Make a list of gaps in your wardrobe so you know what to buy.  Buy clothes for your life style and not for your fantasy world. Buy one piece you love vs. 10 pieces that are okay.  Buy less - buy better. Make this your ne

I love watching 'Fixer Upper' and just about any show on HGTV!  TV personality Chip Gaines' Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff gives us a transparent look into his life - Gaines shares his successes and his failures. He's incredibly honest about his shortcomings...  In this book, he shares many successes and failures he has in starting many businesses, growing relationships with those he works with, life as a husband, and father. He is a man of faith and hard work ethics. To comply with regulations by the FTC, the publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

"Spending time with old friends is good for the soul." Old best friends are like magic. You may not see them for months or even years, yet when you meet, it seems like yesterday that you were having a good chat and drinking tea!  Old friends remind you of parts of yourself that you might have forgotten about. Even if you have changed a lot since that time, you will be reminded of the path that it took to get you where you are. Those memories are treasures. Old friends allow you to skip the small talk and go deep. There’s nothing like picking up right where you left off; that’s the beauty of connecting with an old friend. You can cover so much ground in such a short time because the foundation has been laid. Old friends make you feel loved and secure. There is a depth of connection between old friends that wraps around you like a warm blanket. You feel known, and safe. Few words are needed, because they understand you– your heart, and how you process thing

He Holds My Hand: Experiencing God's Presence...  By: Carol Kent To be honest, I was rather dissapointed in this devotional book. This is not a traditional book of devotions. Ms. Kent has used the format of writing as if she is God speaking to the reader. That was a turn off for me. In the Introduction, the author shares her deeply personal story and how her family's life drastically changed, however, she never goes on to include what her thought process was during that difficult situation, as the synopsis leads you to believe!  This book contains 365 daily devotions. Each daily devotional includes the title, quote, devotional text, and scripture verse.  The one and only thing that I did like about the book was the following quote: "My goal is not to provide all the answers to your tough questions, but to remind you that God holds your hand--in every situation. At His right hand there are eternal pleasure (Psalm 16:11), even in the middle of