The funny thing is that I was not looking for a new job. Things were going well. I have frequently told people that jobs will not come to you; you have to go looking for them. I realized that three of the last four jobs I’ve had came to me. Then again, I wasn’t sitting at home watching game shows. I was out there. I was meeting people. I was sharpening my skills I was learning new skills. If you want new things in your life, you must be continually preparing for them.

My new job is connected to a ministry that I’m excited about. It fits my skills and my passions. I couldn’t have imagined that I’d be invited to participate in this way, but I’m looking forward to all that the future will bring.

So, if you’re not doing exactly what you’d like to be doing, what you are doing to prepare yourself for that job? What are you doing to make yourself into the person you want to be? Changes for the better don’t happen by accident. They’re a result of the changes you choose to make within yourself.

In the cabin she begins once again to pray, to paint, and to hope. I love this story and look forward to reading it every year.

One of the things the host and callers talked about was the issue of stores opening on Thanksgiving so shoppers could get a jump on Black Friday. They seemed to blame the Black Friday frenzy for this. I can’t say I disagree. What I can say is that I will never shop on Thanksgiving. The only time I have is the day I was with my mother and she insisted that we stop at a store to take advantage of a Thanksgiving Day sale. I protested, but that protest was ignored. I did not go of my own volition, and never will. If I’ve forgotten something for Thanksgiving dinner, we won’t die without it. Everyone deserves to have that day to spend with family and/or friends, to serve the community, or simply to sit around and watch parades and football. That goes for people who work in retail, too.

Those who know me know that I start Christmas shopping right after Christmas. I start really talking about Christmas in September. I extend the holiday season as much as I can. Part of that is because I like to stick to my budget. Shopping all year long helps me to do that while still getting great gifts for those on our list. Another part is that it allows me to spend Advent and Christmas relaxing and enjoying the season.

I like that craft stores start making Christmas things available in June. After all, if I’m making things for Christmas I need to start about then. I also like that other retailers make Christmas items available starting on November 1, since I’m already in Christmas mode by then.

What I don’t do is skip Thanksgiving. That’s why I called in to the radio program. I wanted to make sure he and his listeners understood that some of us crazy early shoppers value Thanksgiving. It is very important to me. I will savor the day with family and spend my day giving thanks to my Heavenly Father for his bountiful gifts. I tend to do that frequently, but I make a special effort on Thanksgiving.

Edith and her husband, the local pastor, run a bed and breakfast out of their big old home. Usually Edith closes down during the holidays so the house can be filled with their own sizable brood. But, this year no one is coming home. Faced with the prospect of a quiet Christmas, Edith takes her husband’s mid-week sermon about hospitality to heart.

By the time Christmas arrives the house if filled with an odd (extremely odd) collection of characters. The town is in an uproar. And, Edith isn’t sure she’ll survive the chaos.

This is a delightful story that reminds the reader that faith in Christ should lead to reaching out to others in need. It’s also a reminder that angels don’t always have wings or a pleasant demeanor. Melody Carlson has become one of my go-to authors when I want something that will challenge my faith walk and yet still make me feel good.

I always look forward to reading The Christmas Bus and sometimes read it twice during the season.

Can a woman forgive the thoughtless boy who broke her heart when they were 14? Can a woman recover from the knowledge that her late husband kept a secret for all of their years of marriage and grasp hold of the future? Can a woman trust the Lord to fulfill her greatest wish—to have a child?

If you’ve ever yearned for a simpler life, you might very well enjoy immersing yourself in these delightful stories.

Here’s the thing—I have to trust them to be honest with me. In order to do that, I have to be open to hearing uncomfortable things. It’s no fun to have someone say, “Sweetie, that top makes your butt look big.” Trust me; it’s no fun at all. Still, my friends have to be able to tell me that in order for me to benefit from their expertise.

When someone points out an area that could use some attention, the natural thing to do is defend ourselves. (The sales person said this top makes me look 10 years younger.) Or, maybe your defense mechanism is counter-attack. (Oh, yeah? Well you should talk. That sweater you wear makes you look like an old woman.) Both are wrong. The proper response is, “Thank you for letting me know.”

I can hear you. You’re thinking, “What if I don’t agree?” That could be. Still, it’s important to be open to and welcoming of critique. Once you have had a chance to get over the emotional response you can evaluate the critique. You might decide that you simply differ in opinion. You might decide they’re right. Either way, you owe it to yourself to give their advice careful consideration.

You must trust others to help you. You must trust yourself enough to welcome the truth.

Chronological age has never meant all that much to me. My father is 17 years older than my mother. And, until recently, he always seemed so much younger than he was. (Strokes have left him with memory and balance issues that make it believable that he’s 88 years old.) So, I have known for most of my life that you don’t have to act older as you get older.

I know that good genes are a blessing, and I thank both sides of the family for those. Exercise and eating right help, too. I have a lot of energy. My life is filled with laughter, joy, and love. I could not be more excited to enter the last year of my 40s.

Eden is the oldest, so she remembers the most. They were orphaned as young children, and then they were split up. They are now four adults, each with their own issues and hurts, each wondering about their lost siblings. These are love stories as well as stories about The Father’s love. Christmas has a secondary role in each one. The four authors (Colleen Coble, Carol Cox, Terry Fowler, and Gail Gaymer Martin) have done a good job of telling each story independently without losing that common thread.