There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

“Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.”

So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

“H-M-M,” she said, “I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today”

So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

“Well,” she said, “Today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.”

So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a single hair on her head.

“YEA!” she exclaimed, “I don’t have to fix my hair today!”

Attitude is everything.

I wonder, my dear sisters in Christ, if you are struggling this fine wintery morning. As the sparkle of frost dances across the trees and glitters on every surface, it is easy to see that Christmas is a week away, here in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee. I wish you could see the view from my window, as the smoky fog curls up from the lake, moving silently as the sun rises. The blue mountains in the background stand still, quiet and stalwart in the distance. As the sun crests the hill and moves higher into the sky, the frost sparkles one last time, before it begins to melt in the coming day.

Dear sisters are you feeling like the frost on this glittery winter morning, alive and bright until the light of day melts you as the weight of your responsibilities overtakes you. Ahh, but the plans we started with this Christmas season always look different than the paths our lives somehow take. Beginning with the best of intentions to embrace simplicity, to slow down, to let there be days of no activity, to do Advent every single night…do you notice that even simplicity is a “to do list?” We have to make a “to do” list just to slow down! There are blank spots on our calendars, surely that must be a mistake and they beckon to be filled as the month goes on. The most frightening thing of all is the massive “COULD DO” list dancing merrily in our heads! We COULD do this and we COULD do that, and wouldn’t it be nice to cram one more Christmas memory in.

As our plans for a simple memorable Christmas focused on the Savior seems to be slipping away, remember, it is not too late. We have a week to put Martha in check and become more like Mary, worshipping at the feet of our Savior. A week! We can turn aside from the busyness and sit at His feet. Oh join me dear sisters, and please send this on to other women you know who are struggling through the season!

Prayer: Wonderful, merciful Savior, we praise you for creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in it. We thank you so much for sending your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin, on that Christmas so long ago. You are the only reason we celebrate, yet the season of your birth gets so wrapped in a flurry of activity. Forgive us for getting caught up in it all. Lord here we are again, at your throne begging for grace. Help us redeem our time, looking toward You in love and thankfulness and letting go of the “to do” and “could do” lists running in our heads. Help our focus to be squarely on you. We thank you for coming to earth to save us, for your sacrifice and your love. We love you Lord. Amen

Yesterday, I wrote this….

Well, Christmas is 8 days away and I haven’t made a SINGLE thing for the Baughn family unit that I live with! So or should I say SEW…this week is a flurry of pajama making and we are having one of Em’s friends over Friday to teach her how to sew PJ’s. I had hoped to do a CW outfit for each - but those are all about FIT and we can’t really do fittings on elaborate outfits without them knowing! In-between that is convention stuff, BMITS stuff (our computer consulting biz), various biz dates and responsibilities, etc, a friend of ours is taking us to lunch etc, etc! And I must do our annual tradition of Christmas Baking for Dave’s work and as a thank you to our clients. And we are working diligently on the Prudent Wife website for our Jan launch. Oh and we are planning a beautiful ceremony with Em and giving her a purity ring - and creating a whole thing around that. Lord willing, that will be a sweet, sweet night that she can hold on to for years. And Dave is after me about doing the caroling party - which is always the weekend before Christmas, so I shall decide on that tomorrow! Nothing going on here, nothing! It will all get done, it always does.

A Scripture for the Holiday Season

I CORINTHIANS 13 -A CHRISTMAS VERSION

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,
strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
but do not show love to my family,
I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,
baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and
arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
but do not show love to my family,
I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen,
carol in the nursing home and
give all that I have to charity,
but do not show love to my family,
it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties
and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

Love never fails.
Video games will break,
pearl necklaces will be lost,
golf clubs will rust,
but giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Author Unknown

Finally, the Prudent Wife is almost ready to be launched, in fact we are THREE WEEKS FROM LAUNCH!! Join our FREE newsletter and get all of the details!!!

Coming soon, you can join The Prudent Wife Membership Site and learn how to save time, money and sanity in your home as you go GREEN, saving money and the environment. Signature how-to videos explode open easy cooking techniques with simple meals filled with maximum nutrition. Learn how to make fabulous food and how to create vibrant health, even if you don’t cook! Bursting with articles on women’s health, natural remedies, natural cleaners, energy savers, decorating ideas, holiday helps and more! Be encouraged to create your own prudent lifestyle and journey!

There is also a Prudent Wife Live section, which is geared for live seminars and I am actively booking in churches, women’s groups, conventions, and more! A Prudent Wife Bible study is being written and much, much more! I have at least a years worth of projects!

As with any site, there is a long way to go and we are aware of that! Not all of the recipes and photos are intact (it will be a busy part of the three weeks) and the majority of the site is locked down for our new members. You will also notice a distinctive “spring” look to it (we were to launch it before I found out I was pregnant, and as most of you know, we had a difficult pregnancy and lost our Miracle Baby)

We can’t wait to officially announce the GRAND OPENING of The Prudent Wife, January 1, 2008! (this was officially delayed by everything we did for the 2nd Annual Tri-Cities Midwinter Homeschool Convention - now launching Spring of 2008!)

When purity is reduced to legalism, our hearts are no longer free; they are focused more on maintaining rituals and customs than on living out a genuine character change.

– David Edwards

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”

~ Robert F. Kennedy

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.”

~ George Bernard Shaw

“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.”

~ Wayne Gretzky

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I… I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

~ Robert Frost

When studying the accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin, it’s hard to believe one man could have contributed so much to society during his lifetime. Consider a list of Ben Franklin’s notable achievements. Over 200 years later, many of them influence our daily lives.

• Invented bifocals, the lightning rod, and an odometer for carriages
• Founded America’s first public library, public hospital, volunteer firefighting organization, and fire insurance company
• Founded the American Philosophical Society
• Wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac, one of the most popular books in early America
• Wrote America’s first political cartoon
• Held position of Postmaster General of the American Colonies and dramatically improved the United States’ postal system.
• Owned colonial America’s most prominent printing network
• Served as America’s first ambassador to France
• Was the oldest person to sign the Declaration of Independence
• Proposed idea of Daylight Savings Time
• Made groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the field of electricity. During his experimentation he coined the following terms: battery, conductor, charge, uncharged, negative, minus, plus, electric shock, and electrician

What made Benjamin Franklin such an extraordinary individual? Natural genius? Charm? Charisma? While Franklin may have had each in abundance, his diligence stands out as the quality most responsible for his greatness. His maxims on hard work are still ingrained in America’s vernacular.

Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Lost time is never found again.
Plough deep, while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep.
One today is worth two tomorrows.

OUR PROBLEM

Everyone can be diligent, but few are. Why? True diligence runs contrary to human nature. In fact, the trait common to all humans is our desire for instant gratification. We want as much as we can get, as fast as we can get it, with as little effort as possible. That is our nature. We all have a natural inclination to follow the path of least resistance. We seek out shortcuts, hoping to get maximum return on minimum investment.

Perhaps nothing highlights our trouble being diligent better than dieting fads. The secret to a healthy body is to eat less and exercise more. It’s that simple, yet we can’t seem to discipline our diets or find our way to the gym. Instead, we fuel a $50 billion weight-loss industry in a vain search to bypass the consequences of a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle.

WHY IT’S WORTH FIGHTING FOR DILIGENCE

Earn an advantage

Since the average person lives for the moment, a leader gains ground on the competition by being diligent. When others are slacking or cutting corners, a diligent leader is building a firm foundation for success. By sacrificing temporary pleasure for long-term profitability, a diligent leader stands above the crowd.

The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. The most successful leaders accept no excuses for taking action each day in the direction of their dreams. When energy is low, the diligent forge ahead anyway. When emotions are negative, the diligent rise above their feelings. When obstacles block the path, the diligent climb over them. Through time, discipline promotes the diligent above their peers.

Gain control

When a person’s life spirals out of control, it seldom results from a momentary lapse of judgment. Rather, an accumulation of bad decisions lead to a series of negative consequences. For example, look at Michael Vick’s predicament. Although blessed with loads of ability, Vick did not diligently surround himself with positive influences, and he ended up sabotaging his career. Instead of enjoying an iconic life as a sports superstar, Vick will be locked behind bars where he will be powerless to control his football future.

The diligent select the life they want to live rather than responding to a life dictated by circumstances. For instance, if a leader wants to retire early and have a secure future, then he or she will diligently save and invest with that goal in mind. If a working father desires to have a healthy family life, then he will prioritize time with his children and find ways to express his love for his wife. The diligent see a desired destination, and they stick to the path that leads there—even when the road is hard.

Win Respect

Leaders draw others to them from the attractiveness of a life well lived. Diligence through time yields results, and those results stand as testament to a leader’s character. Followers flock to a profitable leader who has proved his or her worth over an illustrious career.

Similarly, leaders search for talented individuals who consistently demonstrate excellence in their work. Most anyone can have a brilliant moment, but the best workers leave a track record of success by diligently contributing in whichever roles they are given.

“This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell’s free monthly e-newsletter ‘Leadership Wired’ available at www.maximumimpact.com. “

“The Word became flesh,” John said … He was touchable,
approachable, reachable. And, what’s more, he was ordinary. If
he were here today you probably wouldn’t notice him as he walked
through a shopping mall. He wouldn’t turn heads by the clothes
he wore or the jewelry he flashed. “Just call me Jesus,” you can
almost hear him say.

– Max Lucado

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the Politically Correct Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people’s feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a “Holiday“.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe’s the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny’s and Sears
You won’t hear the word Christmas; it won’t touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate “Winter Break” under your “Dream Tree”
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

LET’S KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!!!!!!!!!

I am not sure WHO wrote this, so I cannot give credit. If you know the author, I would happily include it!