How great does it feel to hear that your name was picked when you entered to win something? Doesn't it make you feel special? When my name gets picked for a drawing I've entered, it's like a Christmas morning feeling for me. I get giddy and can't wait to claim my prize!

In our household we pick names too. All of our names get put in a bowl (including Mommy and Daddy) and then once a week we pick a name.  The person's name we pick gets a special day. On their special day they get to pick their favorite dinner. At dinner each of us will tell them what we love about them and how special they are to our family. A note of love goes in their lunchbox and if their day happens to fall on the weekend (and we have time) they can pick a family outing. It's a big deal to kids and I find it affirms their worth and value. This is one simple thing we do that makes a big impact.

Maybe you can start your own Name Day at your house. Put your own spin on it and make it your own. Let us know how it went. It brightens our day to hear your stories of how you are growing closer and stronger as a family. That's why we started this Angel series - for families to make meaningful memories that last a lifetime.

#name #memories #worth #angels #lifetime

People have asked what to do with their angels once they get them home and their angel's mission has started. Honestly, there is no right or wrong answer. Families have free license to adopt and incorporate their angel into their lives however they see fit. Their angels can be slightly mischievous with their hand caught in the cookie jar in the morning or an active part of their daily lives.  

Here are some ideas to pump the well of your creativity:

Read the book/s every night with the angel in arms as a comfort and way to reassure kids when it's dark.

Have the angel be the official watchman angel during the holiday seasons (Passover, Lent, Advent, etc.) During these seasonal times, while the kids are sleeping, pick a spot for the watchman angel to land before the kids wake up. Be as creative as you want.

On special occasions such as birthdays, a lost tooth, a special award received, etc. the angel can land at a certain spot in your house in the morning with a special message for the child/children. 

Anytime there is a specific written or even spoken prayer request, have the angel land somewhere in the house the next morning. Remind the kids, "Oh, a prayer has gone up...that must mean that our angel is going to take it to God. I wonder where he will land in the morning..." This is a fun conversation to have with kids to hear what's going on in their minds.

Take the watchman angel with you on trips - day trips, weekend trips, vacations. Take pictures of him visiting a garden, enjoying the surf with your family, lounging by the pool, eating fries, riding a roller coaster (make sure he is secured!), making a snow angel, or hiking a trail. The possibilities are endless!

Watchman angels want to be a part of the families' lives they are brought into. Therefore, the angels will take on the personality type of its family. The angels are reminders of God's great love for us and one thing we are created to do is have fun.

May your family experience the fullness of an awareness of the angels all around us through this divinely delightful series.

#angels #pray #fun #God's love
 

It's that time of year! Lately in the stores I've been seeing Pumpkin Spice this and Pumpkin Spice that. So in honor of fall coming upon us, here is a Pumpkin Story (author unknown).

A 10 year old little girl was asked by another classmate, "What is it like to be a Christian?" The 10 year old girl replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts open the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, jealousy, greed, etc., and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see." 

Enjoy the fall breeze in the air and the next time you see a pumpkin patch may you see it in a different light.

#pumpkin spice #pumpkin patch #God #pumpkin
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Today I wanted to share an article that was in the September issue of the CBA Market magazine about the Where Is Your Angel?™ books. Thanks CBA for a great article!

Here is the link:

http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/?i=431303&article_id=2855866&view=articleBrowser&ver=html5#{"issue_id":431303,"view":"articleBrowser","article_id":"2855866"}


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In high school one of the football players playfully called me "Coupon Queen". We were at a Pizza Hut with friends eating and I started looking through my purse and said, "I might have a coupon for here."  He saw me pull out a few coupons and hence the moniker was born.

It is still true to this day. There are coupons in my van, in my purse, in my wallet, in my home. Now don't get this idea that they are strewn about. That would not be an accurate picture. In my van, I have a zip bag where I keep "out and about" coupons. These coupons are to restaurants or to household stores. The zip bag is tucked neatly in my side door pocket. Easy access and out of the way.

In my wallet are my free coupons. Think of it as "extra money" so it belongs in the wallet. Also in my wallet, are the coupons for stores I am going to in the next day or so. This is for safe keeping and quick access. It's terrible foraging through your purse at the register thinking, "Where did that coupon go?" Only to give up, pay full price, and find the coupon after it expired.

The coupons in my home are grocery, oil change, and event coupons. These are coupons that require planning. My grocery coupons are in my coupon box. All the other coupons are in a stand up file or folder and it's easy to put coupons in and easy to take coupons out. My husband even easily found an oil change coupon the other day with this system. These are kept in one of the busiest sections of our home (dining/kitchen area). This is also where I do most of my reading so it makes it convenient.

Grocery shopping has become easy for me with a few simple steps. Whenever I get something in the mail that comes with a return envelope that's blank on one side, I keep it. They get stored in a spot near my coupon box. When I am ready to make my grocery list, I get one of these envelopes, and start writing my list on the blank side of the envelope. After I have written my list, I go through my coupon box and pull out the coupons for the items. The coupons then get put into the envelope that has my grocery list. I take my envelope to the store that has my list and coupons. Everything is in one neat spot. It makes it simple and I'm not fumbling through my coupon box at the store looking to see if I have a coupon for the item on my list.

So, keep it simple, keep it organized. It creates more peace and less stress. It also makes you richer. Happy (discount) shopping!

#coupons #queen #savings #shopping #peace

Whew! We survived Hurricane Irma and are now cleaning up after her. She was not a very clean lady and she left quite a mess. The day Irma was scheduled to come through our area my oldest son put on one of his baseball themed t-shirts, wrote the name "Irma" on a piece of paper, and taped it to his t-shirt. His t-shirt then read, "Irma You might want to back up...going...going...GONE!" with a picture of a baseball hitter swinging it out of the park. It was creative. I shared it with our local TV weathermen and they loved it.

So, after a disruptive sweaty week, it seemed humor would be a welcome reprieve today. Corny or ingenious here is an Angel joke for you all:

One day an angel appeared to Adam. The angel said, "Adam, I've got great news! God is going to create something wonderful for you." Adam excitedly asked, "Oh, what is it?"

The angel said, "It's not an 'it', it's a 'she.' God is going to make something called 'woman'. This is going to be wonderful! This woman will be made to be like you, only much more beautiful. She will live to serve you at all times. When you are tired, she'll give you a massage. When you are hungry, she will feed you. She'll clean your house every day. In the mornings and in the evenings she will bow down to you. She will live to serve your every pleasure every day." The angel continued, "There's more. She will agree with your every decision and won't ever question you or talk back."

Adam had a sparkle in his eye and said, "Wow, that sounds amazing! I'll call her Grace." Adam continued, "But first, I have a question. What is this 'woman' going to cost me?"

The angel told him, "Well, Adam, she is going to cost you your right arm and left leg."

After thinking about it for a moment Adam then asked, "What can I get for just one rib?"

#angelhumor #Irma #gone #friday #adam

There is a song I learned in church as a kid and it goes like this, (if you know it, sing it along with me): "Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done! Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done."

Now that you have that song rolling around in your head, let's practice our math and start counting!

1. You and I have the opportunity to be grateful. We can choose gratitude over grumpitude. (Yes, grumpitude is a new word I just made up.) Think about it. How do you feel when you are grumpy? How do you feel when are with or near someone who is grumpy? Kinda drains the life out of the room doesn't it? Conversely, how do you feel when you are grateful? Or with someone who is grateful? Be thankful we can choose gratitude.

2. Being thankful changes the chemistry in your brain for good. One of my new favorite authors is Dr. Caroline Leaf. In her book, Switch On Your Brain, she shows two scans of two brains. One with a healthy (thankful) memory and one with a toxic (grumpy) memory. The healthy memory shows light whereas the toxic one shows darkness. Thankfulness=light.

3. When I count my blessings, I count my family. Whether it is my nuclear family, my extended family, my church family or the family of believers I hold dear. They are worth counting!

4. I am thankful for transportation. It would be a long, hot walk to the grocery store, to get the kids, etc. if I didn't have my van or public transportation to rely on.

5. A recent statistic I read said that even the poorest American is wealthier than more than 80% of the rest of the world. Wow! How do you define wealth? Clean drinking water? Hot shower? Clean clothes? Shoes with soles? Toothbrush and toothpaste?

So many things to be thankful for today and tomorrow. Do your brain, yourself, and others around you a favor. Be thankful that the glass is half full, not grumpy that is half empty.

Thanking God for you today and thanking Him that He hears us when we count!

#countyourblessings #thankful #God #thankHim #healthy

Welcome to Take It Easy Tuesday! Let's start off with an easy to make dessert that will make your week sweeter and your taste buds thank you. This recipe only takes 3 ingredients and I think it can almost be done in your sleep. It's that easy!

Angel Lush
(from Dole)

1 can (20 oz.) crushed Dole pineapple, undrained
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla flavor instant pudding
1 c. thawed Cool Whip (or similar) whipped topping

Mix undrained pineapple and dry pudding mix in medium bowl.
Stir in whipped topping.
Use the Angel Lush in dessert shells, shortcake, or as a frosting on angel food cake or pound cake. The possibilities to use this are many.

Remember, sharing makes everything taste sweeter. Enjoy!

Check out our Pintrest page for many, many, many more recipes including one for Angel Food Cake French Toast. Yep, you heard that right. My mouth dropped when I saw it. The ingenious recipe ideas people come up with!
Also on our Pintrest page are lots of ideas for Angel Crafts and some angels caught on camera doing their angel antics.

#angellush #angel #recipes #share #pintrest