The Christmas Story

The idea of celebrating Jesus' birth was done to counteract pagan holidays  celebrated in Rome during the Winter Solstice. Church leaders thought Christmas  celebrations were more likely to be popular if they coincided with the  traditional festivals and merrymaking during the Winter Solstice. 

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Although some Christmas celebrations are secular, the religious aspect of  Christmas remains central to celebrations. This is evident in church services  such as Midnight Mass and primarily in the many forms of the Nativity, or  Christmas Story, presented wherever people celebrate Christmas. 

That story started in Nazareth in Galilee about two thousand years ago.  Mary, a young woman, was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. An angel appeared  to her one day and told her she was with child. She couldn't understand how that  could happen because due to her circumspect nature, she had not laid in bed with Joseph. The angel explained however, that the child would be special as he would be the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus. Mary and Joseph then got married 

soon after the angel's appearance.. But about the time when Mary was to have the baby, the couple had to travel far away to Bethlehem, Joseph's birthplace, to 

pay a special tax.

It was difficult for them to find a place to stay because many other people were in Bethlehem to pay their taxes. After many rejections, one innkeeper offered a room in his stable where they could spend the night. That's where Jesus, the Holy Child and Son of God was born and then wrapped in bundles of cloth and placed in a manger for a cradle.

In the same hours that Mary was giving birth, shepherds who were in a field that overlooked Bethlehem saw an extremely bright star over the sky in Bethlehem. They had never seen anything like it and had feelings of curiosity and scariness. An angel appeared and told them the 'good news' that the Son of God had been born in Bethlehem.

The shepherds left their flocks to go to Bethlehem to find the baby. When they reached the stable, they were filled with immense joy at seeing Jesus. They fell to their knees and worshipped Him. They also told Mary and Joseph about the bright star and the angel appearing to say Jesus would be the Savior of the world.

The bright star was also seen by Wise Men in the east. The Wise Men, who studied the stars, learned that a new and great ruler would appear whenever an extraordinarily bright star appeared in the sky. Three of them therefore set out to find the new ruler. They first visited King Herod in Jerusalem because they thought the child would be born in the palace. But when they asked to see the child who would be the new ruler, King Herod was very worried as he thought he would be removed from the throne. King Herod told the Wise Men that when they found the baby, they should return and tell him so that he could also worship the baby. 

The Wise Men used the star as a guide to go to Bethlehem where they found Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus who they worshipped and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Wise Men are celebrated in some Christmas celebrations on Jan. 6, known as the Epiphany to mark the date when they found Jesus. Later in the night the three Wise Men had a dream in which an angel told 

them that King Herod wanted to kill Baby Jesus. They left Bethlehem to return to the East but didn't return to Jerusalem to tell King Herod where they had found the child. Joseph also had a dream soon after the Wise Men left in which an angel appeared and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because Herod had ordered that Jesus be killed. In an effort to kill Jesus after the Wise Men did 

not return to inform him of the baby's whereabouts, Herod later ordered that all baby boys in Bethlehem should be killed. But by then Mary and Joseph had left with Baby Jesus.

Taking Jesus Out of Christmas

I am sure you have all heard by now how the secular forces in our country are attacking the true meaning of Christmas. These secular forces are trying to literally replace the term "merry Christmas" with "happy holidays." They are trying too re-name our traditional Christmas tree as the "holiday tree." They are trying to take out the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph from the manger scenes.

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President Bush himself has taken out the term "merry Christmas" from his yearly standard Christmas card that he sends out in an attempt to try and be politically correct. Many of our major department and retail stores have also replaced the term "merry Christmas" with "happy holidays" for fear of offending the minority in our country if they are not Christians.

In the last poll I saw taken, it has been estimated that 80-85% of the people in our country still consider themselves to be Christians. We are thus looking at 15-20% of our population either being atheists, agnostics or of another faith and religion.

In an effort to try and appease and not offend this small minority, many in the political, academic and social fields are literally trying to take out the true meaning of Christmas - the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And surprisingly, many liberal Christians are now in this secular camp.

I have seen many of them on the local news and cable talk shows. They are telling the rest of us conservative and traditional minded Christians that we are getting too upset over nothing, that we should be willing to completely separate Church from state, that we are too thin skinned and that we need to go along with this secular agenda and take our faith and belief right out of any kind of public arena.

As a result of this dark side attack, many Christians have risen up and have done battle with the secular forces trying to remove Christianity from the public square. We have been successful in some of the court battles along with some of the battles against some of the schools who are also trying to remove every tenant of Christianity in their teaching systems.

For those of you who don't know what the word "secular" means, Webster's Dictionary describes it as follows:

"Worldly, profane, heathen. Relating to worldly things as distinguished from things relating to church and religion; not sacred or religious, temporal."

Another term that you will often hear is the phrase "secular humanism." Webster's describes this term as follows:

"Humanism that systematically opposes the introduction of religious ideas or standards into the functions of the state, especially into public education. A system of doctrines and practices that disregards or rejects any form of religious faith and worship."

Remember this word. You will be seeing a lot more of this demonic movement in the coming years.

Per the series of articles I have done on all the end time events that will be occurring before Jesus returns to us for His second coming, one of the heavier signs that will be occurring will be the moral disintegration of many people from all walks of life.

The Bible tells us that in the latter days many people will become lovers of self, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unthankful, unholy, slanderers, brutal, without self-control, headstrong and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. The Bible also tells us that some of these people will be falling for "doctrines of demons."

There is no doubt in my mind that the secular agenda and their basic philosophy is a demonic doctrine straight from the pit of hell. Not only do they not believe in God - but they want to try and take Him right out of any kind of pubic arena - even if they are considered to be in the minority!

You thus have liberal judges, teachers, professors and politicians who are doing everything they can to try and remove God from all of the public areas of our life. They are doing everything they can to try and remove the Bible and the Ten Commandments from every major public area of our lives.

Many of our school children have literally lost their faith in God and Jesus by the time they graduate from some of these liberal and secular colleges. If that child has not been raised up with a good, solid Christian upbringing, he will become easy prey for some of these demonic professors who are teaching them that man does not need a God to answer too and that man and science can eventually solve all the world's problems.

What you will find that is really funny in all of this is that these secular forces are not attacking any of the other false religious faiths and beliefs. They are not attacking any of their holidays or trying to take out any of their system of beliefs out of our public arenas.

The reason for that is that all of these other false religions and beliefs are not considered a threat to them and their beliefs. Christianity is the only faith and religion that will draw a major battle line in the sand and call out things the way they really are. Christianity is the only faith that will call man as he really is - a sinner in need of a Savior.

Secularists don't want to be told that they are all sinners. They don't want to be told that they need God's grace and mercy through the death of Jesus Christ in order to receive redemption and a pardon for their sinful states and natures.

They don't want to be told what they can and cannot do. They want total freedom of expression and they don't want to have to answer to a real live living God for the moral decisions they want to make with their lives. In other words, they do not want any moral absolutes dictating how they should live in this life.

This is why you are seeing such a fierce and relentless attack on Christianity in every area that they think they can get away with. With us now approaching what I believe are the latter years as told to us in the Bible, I am afraid that not only is the secular movement not going to be going away, but it will be getting stronger in the coming years, eventually leading up to a real live antichrist who will literally be ruling this entire world for the last 7 years on this earth.

Stay Sane This Holiday Season: 7 Tips To Make Your Life Easier

The stress of the impending holiday season is enough to take an experienced host out of their Thanksgiving turkey, tryptophan-induced coma and turn them into a Christmas-crazed, Black Friday maniac.  With these seven helpful hints, avoid the fervor of the masses and retain your sanity.

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1. Delegate!
Although hosting the perfect holiday celebration may feed your ego, it may also provide you with sleepless nights before the big event.  Don't be afraid to delegate tasks.  Send your spouse to the store with a list of last-minute items; have your kids vacuum and clean up around the house.  When a guest asks what they can help with or bring, don't look a gift-horse in their courtesy offer.

2. Watch the clock.
If you know the post office or the grocery store becomes chaotic at 4:30 pm every afternoon, plan your trips accordingly.  Avoiding long lines, impossible parking and crazed consumers will help you keep your cool.  If you cannot fit these tasks into your schedule at any other time, see tip number one!

3. Check vacation balances at work.
Don't be afraid to ask a member of management or Human Resources to check your vacation and floating holiday balances.  Many companies do not roll vacation balances to the next year; if this time is not taken, it is lost.  Use this forgotten vacation time to finish last-minute details and errands.

4. Give your hand a break!
When contemplating all the Christmas cards, holiday invitations and thank-you notes to be written, you may already have a hand cramp.  Buy an <A HREF="http://www.rubberstamps.net">address stamp</A> for those envelopes or a “Season’s Greetings” stamp for your correspondences.

5. Stay healthy.
Get eight hours of sleep each night, drink enough fluids and take your vitamins.  While you're busy taking care of guests, family and friends, don't forget to take care of yourself.

6. Shop online.
Although there's something immediately gratifying about leaving the store with a fistful of shopping bags, shopping online can eliminate the insanity of the in-store experience.  Many online stores offer free shipping, "receive by Christmas" guarantee dates or a huge variety of gift ideas.  Shop online and avoid the mob flocking to the local mall.

7. Remember the "reason for the season."
Instead of allowing the stress and circumstances to overwhelm you, take a moment to reflect on why your family and friends are gathering.

Follow these seven tips this holiday season and watch your tension levels melt away.  Don’t traumatize yourself by obsessing over unfinished tasks.  That’s what family is for.

Saving Money over the Christmas Period

Christmas is one of the busiest times of year. There are so many things to think of. People have usually got family or friends visiting, the Christmas meal to cook, gifts to buy and wrap and decorations to put up. It can also be a very expensive time of year. Many people report huge regrets every January when they have over spent on Christmas presents and all the related costs.

If you are worried about finances this Christmas, or want to cut down a little on expenses there are a few simple money saving tips you can take.

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Secret Santa

First of all there are gifts. Depending on the size of your family you may spend a lot of money on gifts over the Christmas period. One of the things you might consider doing is arranging a secret Santa. These are a great way to cut down on gift costs and can also be a lot of fun. How it works is you get a group of friends or family members together and put everyone’s name in a hat. Then you each pick a name from the hat at random. This is the person you buy a present for. The game guarantees that everyone gets a present while at the same time meaning that you only have to buy one present. You can keep the gifts anonymous or not depending on your preference.

Another thing you can look at doing this Christmas if you want to save some money is consider making gifts. You can bake cookies or cakes, or make gifts using some craft you are good at or enjoy such as knitting, cross-stitching or patch working. You can also make your own Christmas cards. This can be fun and many people will appreciate the personal touch.


Debt Consolidation

Christmas shouldn’t be all about saving money, but it shouldn’t be about falling into debt either. It is generous to give but no one expects you to give more than you can afford. If you are having trouble with debts then you shouldn’t be over spending this Christmas. There are many things you can do to get debts back under control. One option would be debt consolidation. This means taking out a loan to pay off all your existing debts. The interest rates will be far lower than those on other debts such as credit cards and the savings will give you the chance you need to get your finances back under control.

Loans Are Not Just For Christmas. Surviving The Holiday Debt Hangover.

Christmas is coming - A time for decorations, songs, over-eating, gift giving, visiting the family, consumer spending and the increasing of personal debts. Bah humbug.

While most people see Christmas as a joyful period there are many who see it as a time of financial worry as they cannot afford to buy presents for everyone. For these people it is often the doorstep lenders who will be getting fatter rather than them and their family. The temptation is to simply put the expenses on the credit card or take out a loan to be paid back on the never-never. Unfortunately this can lead to disastrous results in the long-term, as the recent increase in the number of repossession order applications are testimony.

There are a few simple rules can help to prevent a post festive period financial hangover though.

Firstly, don’t ignore the problem. The longer you leave a debt problem, the worse it will become.

If things seem desperate then contacting a free organisation such as National Debtline (0808 808 4000) can help by giving debt advice over the phone, or by providing booklets and fact sheets, as well as helping to set up personalised debt management plans.

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Next, maximise incomings and minimise outgoing expenditures. Look out for anywhere costs can be reduced. Online retailers don’t have to pay for expensive premises, and so buying presents online rather than in the shops is often a great money saver. Be alert for shop sales and make the most of them.

If you already have debts, then you need to be wary of borrowing more money without some serious consideration and qualified professional independent financial advice.

Taking out a low rate secured loan to cover previously unsecured debt may seem like a sensible idea, however, should you fail to meet the payments you could lose your house. If you have unsecured loans, your home may not be safe either. Debt counselling charities have recently become increasingly alarmed regarding a growing trend by some of the high street lenders to issue “charging orders” on borrowers’ homes in order to recover bad debts. This means that by going through the courts, the lender can change an unsecured loan agreement converting the debt to be secured on the borrower’s house, whilst still charging unsecured interest rates. A consolidation loan may seem sensible; however this will mean borrowing more money, over a longer period this will mean more interest to pay in the long run.

If you decide to take out a loan, then you need to ensure that you are getting the best rate that is available. The big banks like Barclays ( http://www.barclays.co.uk/loans-index/ ) have online facilities showing their current rates , and other online finance companies such as Moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/loans/index.shtml ) provide free facilities to compare rates for hundreds of secured loans, unsecured loans and even adverse loans.
Never use a doorstep lender no matter how desperate things seem. Radio 4's Money Box recently highlighted the plight of people in Southampton where the typical doorstep lender’s APR was a massive 177%. For people on low incomes trying to regain control of their finances, this will lead to further problems and cause existing debt to spiral out of all control. Recent initiatives for people who have had problems getting affordable credit, known as Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), have started springing up around the country. These are funded by a collaboration of public and private money including some of the major banks, and specialise in providing personal adverse loans and small business loans to people who have previously been turned down by the banks. CDFIs usually charge an annual interest rate of up 24%, which is higher than many standard non-adverse high street loans due to the increased levels of risk and additional advice involved with this kind of lending but it is also much lower than the unregulated alternatives.

When you look at paying off existing debts, you need to decide which are the most important and deal with your priority debts first. Ensure mortgage and rent bills are covered first, next pay off essential utility bills and council tax, before trying to pay off any unsecured loans.

As well as reducing any monetary outgoings, it is also important to ensure that you are getting all the incoming money that you are due. Checking with the local Citizens Advice can be useful for help on debt, benefit, housing, legal, discrimination, employment, immigration and consumer issues. They will be able to advise you on most areas of concern, including whether there are any government payments to which you could be entitled.

Debt problems can seem insurmountable at the best of times, but over the Christmas period it can become completely overwhelming. Start by maximising your incomings, minimising your outgoings, and careful budgeting and purchasing. Ensure you are getting the best loan rates through free online information comparison at sites like Moneynet, and speak to free independent advice services like National Debtline and Citizens Advice; it is possible to retake control of your finances and have a happy Christmas.

Disclaimer:
All information contained in this article, is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986.

You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts.

Useful resources:
Moneynet loan comparisons ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk/loans/index.shtml )
Barclays loans ( http://www.barclays.co.uk/loans-index/ )

Hypnotize Yourself Into The Ghost of Christmas Future.

You will begin to realise why this exercise is called the Dickens Pattern (with reference to the ghost showing Scrooge some different futures) as you notice that the idea of this exercise is to hypnotize yourself to be aware of two very real possibilities for your future. Two distinct pathways that you could take for your life this very day.

Have a think about something that you do that you are maybe not motivated to change about yourself. Prior to running through this technique, just have a think about something that you know you need to be doing, but are not. Then with that thing in mind, follow these simple steps.

Step One: Get yourself nice and relaxed and settled. Concentrate on your breathing, engage in the moment and spend some time being still, quiet and drift inside of your own mind. Hypnotize yourself here.


Step two: Use your imagination to imagine walking down the path of your life.

Ok, I know that some of you just cried out "but I can't visualise!" First up, if you believe you can't then of course you can't. Second up, just imagine these things. They do not have to be in cinema screen perfect detail. You can remember what colour what your front door is, right? You can remember what your childhood bedroom is like, right? That is your imagination doing that. You know the sound that your feet make when you walk across gravel don't you? You can imagine it, but you are not hearing it in your ears, are you? Just imagine these things as best as you can. Failing that, pretend that you are imagining them and that will do the trick.

So, as you imagine walking along the path of your life, notice that every step forwards is a minute, an hour or a day into your future. If you look back, you will notice that your past is there; everything you have ever done or experienced is behind you.

Become aware of the temperature, the sights, the sounds and enjoy walking along the path of your life. Make it sensory rich and get comfortable with the idea. Imagine the feeling of your feet walking along the path and the sound they make. Engage with the idea of really being there.

Step Three:  Imagine that a few more steps ahead there is a place where the path splits, where is goes off to the left and off to the right. Pause here for a few moments and have a think. Here, there are two different pathways, two possibilities, two ways that you could choose to go.

If you were to choose the path to the left, life is pretty much the same as it is. You carry on doing the same things, living the same way and dealing with this thing in the same way as you have been doing.

If you were choose the path to the right, the right path, there are new possibilities, achievement, freedom of mind, positive and progressive implications. Think about that as you stand at this place where the path splits. You want to make a decision and commit to one of these paths. Before you make that decision, we are going to see what each path holds for your future.

Step Four: Step out on to the path to your left. Where there is no change. Briefly imagine that you are not going to live and discover your unfulfilled dreams. Instead, you continue doing what you have in the past. What will life be like in 10 years time?

Step out, every step you take you get older, days pass, weeks pass. Notice how your body is, how your mind is, how you feel about staying on this path. Walk out into your future to the 10 year point. Walk out 10 years into your future and feel how it feels to carry on doing the same thing.

This path is just like today, with one difference: you have 10 fewer years remaining in your life. I want you to think about how you will feel in 10 years if you continue doing the exact same things you have done to date. What will your daily life be like?


Really experience that. See what you see, hear what you hear, feel the feelings. Disappointment? Anger? Frustration? Failure? How does that feel? How do you affect those around you? How do they feel? Absorb every aspect of this path that you can take today if you so choose. Notice everything that you need to know about what it will be like if you carry on with the same behaviour, putting off change.

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Drift back to where the path splits.

Step Five: Now take a step out on to the path to the right. This is where you create powerful, progressive change. Notice the sense of freedom in your thoughts, the sense of accomplishment and walk out 10 years into your future.

Imagine you are 10 years into the future but this time it’s different. Why? Because starting today you actually begin making changes in your life. Specific intentional changes are not easy. They are intentional because these changes are changes that you are choosing and they are the changes that will cause you to live the life you want to live and dream. They often mean leaving the perception of security in order to discover your personal freedom. These are the changes that will bring happiness and satisfaction into your life.

Just go there now. 10 years out… having made a decade of changes. Imagine living the life you want to live.

How does that feel inside? Do you feel that you have lived life? See the people of your life and how they feel about you and how they react to you. This is the path of a different choice, a different decision. You have the freedom to be how you want to be.

Absorb all you need from this moment in your future and the positive things that you can learn consciously and unconsciously and then drift and float back to the place where the path splits.

Step Six: Now that you know and have experienced the two contrasting futures. Now that you know what your future holds as a result of what you do this very day, you can make a decision. You can compare and contrast those two futures that can be yours based on a decision that you make about how you are going to live your life.

Imagine reaching deep inside you for all the strength and wisdom that you need to make this decision today. As you do so, imagine that when you choose to make that decision that deep inside your mind you are switching off the alternative path, you are switching off the opportunity to drift back to that place.

Then step out and take your future path.

Absorb yourself in the sensations, the feelings, the sights, the sounds and of course continue to engage in your future the way I have discussed in previous articles on this blog.

Step Seven: Open your eyes and begin to plan your future and take action to achieve that outcome. Your unconscious mind now knows what it is working towards.

What is the exact sequence of events that will take you to where you want to be? Have a think consciously of what you need to do. Every outcome begins with the first step. When you decide you want to have a romantic meal for two, there are many steps that you need to perform in order for that to happen. (Check the fridge, do you have what you want to serve up? No? Find keys, open garage door, drive car to the supermarket etc. etc.) You need to determine the exact sequence of events and write it down.

Begin with the outcome in mind. Write without stopping. 10 years from now, I plan to be living in a… at…. With…. Get really detailed about it. Why? Because you are hooking up the neural connections in your brain. You must improve upon, clarify and make clear just exactly who and what you are going to be doing, experiencing, living and having in 10 years. This is the first step of the process!

Key: Notice how you felt excited and optimistic when you did this? The reason is simple. It’s the life you are designing instead of the one that was given you and that you have lived with less intention and purpose to date.

This is the beginning of creating the life that you want to live. Know what the future holds for you as a result of the choice you can make today.

Have some fun and hypnotize yourself to be your very own "Ghost of Christmas future" and see what the future holds for you.

Holiday Winners, Losers, And The Vicious Cycle Of Debt

Holiday shopping brings bargain hunters and retail outlets together to fight it out over the once mighty dollar. As always, there are winners and losers in this economic game. The winners from the business side are the retailers that met or exceeded their sales expectations. The winners from the consumer’s side are those of us who did not overspend, or break our holiday shopping budget. Of course, you must first need to know what your holiday shopping budget is in order to know if you have won that game.

The losers on the business side are the retailer who did not meet their sales expectations. Of this group, the big losers are the small, locally owned shops without any corporate backing. This group must find ways to pay for excess inventory, and extra hours worked by their employees. Unfortunately, this could mean borrowing money. Which of course leads to further reductions to the bottom line in the form of increased interest payments.

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Another unfortunate occurrence is when these small retailers no longer can obtain a quick loan, or cannot receive more credit from their vendors. They may turn to business credit cards to “bail them out”. This is a huge gamble, as credit cards usually carry higher interest rates that can increase at any time, just because the bank wants them to. Businesses that use credit cards to fund parts of their business operations are setting themselves up for a vicious cycle of debt. This should always be avoided.

As for the consumers, the losers of course are those who overspend on holiday gifts. The biggest losers are those who overspend using their credit cards, and do not immediately pay them off. Even while paying a bit more than the monthly minimum, after adding interest and fees, it could take months, or even years to pay off just one season of holiday shopping. And we start this all over again in less than 11 months.

What about those consumers who did not break their holiday spending budget? Did they win? Well if they shopped using cash, checks, or debt cards, then yes, they are the winners. However, if their spending budget was based on the fact that they could charge their purchases, and make small monthly payments, then they too are losers in this game. Interest on the debt built up over the gift giving season can easily break anyone’s budget. Most people do not stop to calculate the interest paid on specific purchases, and the banks will not help you do this. For too many people, the finance charge on their monthly statement is just another line item. Just part of life, or part of their expenses that can’t be avoided. We get to pay that in small monthly payments too. Plus more interest.

Holiday Spending Tips - Ten Ways To Keep From Having A Holiday Spending Hangover

Ah the holidays… a time for parties, over eating, and over spending. Americans routinely overspend during the holidays, often resulting in increasing credit card debt to go along with that increasing waistline from too much pumpkin pie.

The holidays are stressful enough. Don’t add to that stress by overspending your holiday budget. Here are ten tips to help you save time, money and stress this shopping season:

1. Make a list. Decide how much you can afford to spend this year and write it down. Decide who you want to buy for, and how much you want to spend on each person. Take this list with you when you go shopping to ensure that you don’t buy on impulse or exceed your spending limit. Also, don’t forget to include wrapping paper, decorations and shipping costs. These can add up fast!

2. Pay cash for your holiday gifts. It’s much harder to spend cash than credit, so this tip alone could save you hundreds of dollars this holiday season. Also, avoid credit card offers or store charge card offers that offer you a discount if you sign up. These cards usually have high interest rates, and could end up costing much more in the long run than the discount you receive when you sign up for the card.

3. Do your shopping online this year. Buying online could result in discounts not available in stores. Just remember to include the shipping cost when buying online. Even if you don’t actually buy online, the time you can save by doing comparison shopping before you go to the malls could be invaluable.

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4. Have a Secret Santa gift exchange, where you put names in a hat and each person draws one name to purchase for. If you have a large family, this could mean tremendous savings! You should set a dollar limit so each person knows how much to spend. That way no one overspends and relatives with smaller budgets won’t feel bad about not spending a fortune on a gift.

5. Another alternative for those with large families is to do a group gift. Have several relatives go in on one big gift instead of each person buying a separate gift. You will probably all save money and you can buy the recipient one big, cool gift that they really want.

6. Start early! Shopping early allows you to comparison shop and to catch pre-holiday sales, which could mean huge savings. This also curbs impulse shopping, which can be very expensive. Another benefit to shopping early is lower shipping costs if you need to mail a gift. Waiting til the last minute can be expensive because you’re more likely to pay full price for the gift, and you may have to pay extra to ship it if you want to guarantee it arrives in time.

7. Make your holiday gifts. If you have creative talents, such as cooking, crafts, etc., making your own gifts can be very special. If you’re not very creative, consider giving your time. Offers to baby-sit or to do something special for someone can be very personal and appreciated gifts. How many parents do you know who wouldn’t love to have free babysitting?

8. Purchase wrapping paper, holiday cards and other decorations right after the holidays. Seasonal items are usually offered at deep discounts after the holiday, and they never go out of style. Stock up on clearance-priced items for next year, this year!

9. If you’ll be traveling this holiday season, book your travel plans early. Airline flights, train tickets and bus tickets usually go up significantly during the holidays, so booking your travel plans early can save you money and stress.

10. Start a Christmas fund in January for next year’s shopping. Many credit unions and banks offer special accounts just for this purpose. A CD is another great way to save for next year’s holiday expenses. It never hurts to sock away a little money every month between now and the next holiday season. You’ll earn a little interest and you’ll have cash to spend on your holiday gifts and other expenses when the holidays roll around.

Holiday Sanity Savers From A Mostly-Sane Mom

The Holidays are a stressful time. Between the additional errands, the extra traffic, and the stress of spending money that you don’t have – even the sanest mom will be questioning her sanity as the holidays near.

Here are a few ideas to help you keep your sanity this holiday season.

Make a list (and check it twice). Keep your shopping list in your purse to keep from being overwhelmed or worse – overspending. If you walk into a store and are bedazzled by all the shiny things, I can relate. I get so overwhelmed that I get nothing accomplished. But, as the Holidays near, I tend to switch into “SuperMarket Sweep” mode and I start throwing everything into my cart (whether I really need it or not). Having a list can help fight this urge, keep you sane – and help your budget stay sane in the process.

As soon as you start buying, start wrapping. There's nothing more stressful than tackling a mountain of unwrapped gifts two days before Christmas. Save on the cost of wrapping paper by buying it after the holiday each year and stowing it away for next year. Be sure to attach gift tags as you wrap. If you're wrapping a month in advance, there's no way you're going to remember what that funky rectangular shaped box is, let alone who it's for.

Kids Christmas Activities And Games

To save time and sanity, wrap gifts that go together in all the same paper. For instance, wrap all gifts that will be going with you to your mother-in-law's on Christmas Eve in the red paper with the gingerbread men. And put all gifts for your friends and neighbors in the blue paper with the snowflakes, etc.

Cook in advance. Did you know that you can make mashed potatoes during the summer, freeze them, and have them ready for the holidays? Mashed potatoes can be kept in the freezer for months if you use a freezer-friendly recipe. Cook your mashed potatoes in advance and offer to bring them to Christmas dinner. You can skip the stress of cooking, because they’ll be ready and waiting for you.

Limit your travel. The holidays are about family, but they are also about togetherness and making memories. If you’re spending your holidays trapped in the car together, driving down icy roads, stressed out, consider ways to travel less.

The Holidays are a time to make memories. Oftentimes the memories we are making are of a stressed-out mom, running around missing out on all the fun because she’s trying to create a perfect moment. Instead, relax and experience the holidays with your family. Between a little planning and taking some of the pressure off, you’ll have a Holiday that would make Norman Rockwell sigh.

Holiday Planning Tips For Busy Moms

Ahhh, the Holidays…… The Thanksgiving turkey comes out of the oven golden brown, with an enticing aroma that fills the entire house. All the china is in pristine condition and not a single piece in the set is missing. The family is gathered for holiday pictures, the children are poised perfectly; hands to themselves, not a hair out of place and their smiles are shining brightly for the camera. Then just as the photographer is about to capture the shot… you wake up!

Let's be realistic ladies. Without proper planning, the holidays are anything but a holiday. Just look at the list of things that need to be done: Shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending holiday mail, the list goes on and on.

Let me clue you all in on a few key questions that you should ask yourself in order to have a holiday season free of stress and worry, and instead filled with fun and laughter:

What types of holiday celebrations do you want? For example: Do you want to have an immediate family only holiday affair or an extravaganza including immediate and extended family plus a few friends? Once you've thought everything through and decided on the type of holiday gathering you would like, you can then start making your plans.

If you are ready to get a head start on organizing yourself, your family and your holiday check lists, then keep reading:

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Holiday Cards: Start early! I use a holiday card list that I derive from saving names and addresses from holiday cards my family has received in past years. I created a simple, computerized list that is easy to edit and print onto address labels. Be sure to stock up on stamps so that when you have your cards signed, stuffed and addressed you can affix a stamp to them and make one, simple trip to the Post Office.

Holiday Gifts: There's nothing like getting a HUGE credit card bill in the mail at the start of the New Year. Many of us tend to want to be generous when shopping for holiday gifts. While your generosity will be appreciated at gift giving time, keep in mind that it is very easy to succumb to "impulse buying" and go all out on your holiday shopping. While your intentions may be good, your pocketbook may be singing a different song. Set a budget and stick to it – your bank account will thank you for it after the start of the New Year.

Wrap it up: Wrap your gifts and place nametags on them immediately after you bring them home, then store the gifts in a secure spot. This will cut down on those late night wrapping sessions that I am sure we ALL have experienced a few times, if not every year.

Baking & cooking: If you will be cooking during the holidays, it is important to plan your meals ahead of time. Be sure to stock up ahead of time on all the necessary non-perishable baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and spices. Create a list of your holiday menus and a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare each of those meals. Also, try to think of a few dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and then frozen as an extra timesaving measure

Delegate: This is one of my favorite tips. Be sure to enlist the help of your family or friends. Sit down and discuss what needs to be done then ask for volunteers. If no hands are raised, simply assign small tasks to each of them. Whether it is arranging for a babysitter so that you can escape for a child free day of shopping, passing the shopping list onto another family member or friend so that they can pick up the items for you, or letting the children decorate your home. Be sure to get the whole family involved in the holiday preparations so that you will not be overwhelmed.

Enjoy: Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. You and your family will have much fonder memories of this holiday season if you are not spending it pulling your hair out.

Holiday Money

We are getting close again to the holidays again. While this is always a joyous time of year it can be stressfully too. It is a time when many people celebrate, but everyone can use some extra money to help pay the bills. A lot of people are looking for the extra income by the searched on the web such as holiday money, earn extra holiday money, Christmas extra money, extra holiday money, Holiday money and extra money for the holidays.

As a work at home web site owner it is important to realize that many of these folks are not looking for an online business as much as a way to create some quick cash to help pay for presents or even help with the monthly bills. The Internet seems like a good place for those desiring to create some additional income.

Here are just a few of the areas that may fit well for these folks:

Telephone Answering
Data Entry
Type At Home
Online Paid Surveys
Mystery Shoppers
Focus Groups
Ad Publishing

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This is just a few of the many that I have located, but this does cover the most popular of programs.

You need to use a SCAM filter, because there are many bad programs that will take your money and give you nothing in return. My suggestion is to use a website like mine, whereby the research has been done for you rather than spending hours researching the web. The cost is the same for you whether you use a website like mine, but not necessarily mine, because the companies pay site owners a small commission. The cost of the program if there is one is the same as if you were to buy from them directly.

Once you have either found a website or done the research yourself you will then need to choose from the many programs that are available to you. There are many good programs out there you just need to find them so you don't waste your time. Just give yourself the best chance for success.

You need to be prepared to do some work at home. It will take some effort, not as much as your day job, but it can be done. Who knows you may want to continue after the holidays.  In my opinion you will need the following basic equipment to operate from home:

Computer
Printer
Access to the Internet
Word processor with spell check

Many people are making a lot of money online and have replaced their day jobs, in some cases, so that they can stay home with their families and enjoy a better quality of life. You can be very successful if they pick the right program to meet their goals and dreams. You must make sure that the match is right for you.

Take your time, make your selections, join one or two programs, get started and start making money today. Please feel free to read more of this article by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

History of Some Christmas Traditions

Christians celebrate Christmas to observe the birth of Jesus Christ, which is an event and not a tradition. But many other
activities related to celebrating the Christmas season evolved from certain traditions, many of which are from other countries,
particularly from peoples in Europe.

Among common items used in Christmas decorations are the holly and the mistletoe. Both are used primarily in wreaths
and garlands. The Druids started the tradition of using the mistletoe as decorative items up to two hundred years before Christ. To
celebrate the winter season, the Druids would gather the plants and use them to decorate their homes. The Druids believed the
mistletoe would bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. They also believed that the mistletoe had a healing quality and could be
used for everything from healing wounds to increase fertility.
In Scandinavia, the mistletoe was seen as a plant of peace and harmony and was associated with Frigga, the goddess of
love. This association is probably what led to the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. In the Victorian period, the English also
would hang mistletoe from ceilings and in doorways during holidays. The habit developed that if someone was standing under the
mistletoe, someone else in the room would kiss that person. Such outright behavior was not generally seen in Victorian society.
The use of the mistletoe in Christmas celebrations was once banned by the church however because of its associations with
pagan traditions, and the use of holly was suggested as a substitute.

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Poinsettias are another traditional decorative flower used at Christmas. It is native to Mexico and is named after Joel
Poinsett, who was the first U.S ambassador to Mexico and who brought the plants to America in 1828. Mexicans believe the plants
were a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem and that's one reason they are associated with Christmas. There's also the story that a young
boy was going to see the Nativity Play at a church but realized he didn't have a gift for Baby Jesus. The boy gathered some green
branches, which others scoffed at. But as he placed them near the manger, a bright red poinsettia flower started to bloom on each
branch, which gave rise to their traditional use at Christmas.
Candy canes became a Christmas tradition not because their red and white stripes matched the colors of the season, but for
the most unusual reason of discipline. that's because they were first used as treats that were give to German children to keep them
well-behaved for the duration of church sermons. Over time, the legend of candy canes at Christmas came to be associated with some
of the strongest symbols and beliefs of Christianity: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost known as the Trinity, the Blood of the Son of
God, Jesus as the embodiment of holiness, purity and without sin and the Son of God as the shepherd of man. The candy cane
represents these symbols respectively with its three stripes, its red and white color and its shape.
Sending greeting cards during Christmas and the holidays is as prevalent today as the custom of giving gifts. The tradition
of sending Christmas cards started in 1840 in Britain with the start of public postal delivery service of the 'Penny Post.' Then from
about 1860, large numbers of Christmas greeting cards started to be produced. The popularity of the cards increased in Britain when
they could be sent by the postal service for one half-penny, which was half the price to post a standard letter at the time, if they were
in an unsealed envelope. Religious pictures of Mary, Joseph , Baby Jesus, the angels, shepherds and Wise Men were traditionally
placed on Christmas cards. Some cards today include scenes from the Nativity, but pictures of Santa Claus, winter scenery, Christmas
trees, gift packages and others are also depicted on contemporary Christmas greeting cards.

Health And Diet During Holidays

Holidays are a perfect time to enjoy and chill out with families and friends. Parties with wide variety of food on display tempt one and all to indulge in mouth watering delicacies. If you are the kind who swears by a fitness routine, you might tend to enjoy less of yummy foods and spend more time worrying about the increasing waistline. You can still stay healthy and fit by savoring all the delicacies. Little of planning, a dash of goal setting and dose of old fashioned discipline and control over your self will let you enjoy the holiday season without any worries. Let me list down few ways wherein you can follow your diet and stay in great shape too.

- Holidays are just an excuse to go off track from your fitness program. The mindset of people is that since we follow our fitness regime all week / month / year long, we can indulge in gorging over those cakes and ice creams. Aim to stay on track with your fitness program this and all other holidays. By skipping workouts, eating more, exercising less one tends to gain weight. It’s like going back where we started off from. Make a decision to stay in shape with all the food around you.

- Holidays are a hectic time. All premeditated schedules can go haywire. To stay on track, create a work out time table listing down all the parties, dinners and so on. Keep the time table at such a place where you are forced to look at it every day. This serves as a reminder to stick to your time table religiously.

Reverse Dieting 

- If you think you would like to lose 25 lbs during holidays despite enjoying parties, set a goal much before and start working towards it. Goal can also be to gain few kilos also&#61514;.

- With so much lip smacking, gorgeous food all around, you will feel tempted to just give your fitness program. Keep one day aside where you can treat your self to all your cravings and give in to all your bingeing. Stick to your fitness program rest of the days. And don’t feel even one iota of guilt while satiating your self. Schedule your day to cheat on fitness routine when you have major event lined up.

- If you skip one day of exercise, don’t despair. Get on with it the next day. Nothing goes waste. One day of holiday in your fitness schedule should be a motivating factor for you to get back on your fitness regime.

- If you have planned a big dinner, you might tend to skip either morning or afternoon meal. Avoid changing your eating pattern. Treat the big dinner party at night just like regular dinner time and eat how much you would eat normally.

- Control food portion size in holidays. Eat your favourite foods in moderation. Overindulgence will show around your waistline.

- One always has choices, no matter where you are. Make the best possible choice based on the alternatives available in front of you. If it’s impossible, eat a small portion than a big one.

- Drink 8 – 10 glasses of water daily. Drink few glasses of water before dinner to control your appetite and not kill those hunger pangs. If you just drink and not eat a well balanced meal, you will bloat. Drink water throughout the day to maintain a steady state of hydration.

Getting over the Christmas Giving Blues? Take the Christmas Budget Challenge.

Getting over the Christmas Giving Blues? Take the Christmas Budget Challenge.

Written by Bernie Wiemers Copyright 2005 http://www.my-wealth-plan.com

With Christmas just around the corner, our focus is slowly starting to shift from our work commitments to Christmas and with it comes the annual Christmas spending spree. Unfortunately many families don't set a Christmas budget and they rely on their credit cards to get them through the festive season.

Shortly after Christmas these same families will also develop symptoms of the "Christmas Giving Blues" which can include an upset stomach, lack of sleep and anxiety.


You know that feeling. You spend up big, charge it on the card, and then spend the next couple of months worrying about how you are going to pay off your Christmas debts while vowing never to let this happen to you again.

Unfortunately, this is a reality for a lot of families every Christmas and they just don't seem to be able to break out of the cycle.

This year, give yourself and your family a Christmas gift and take the "Christmas Budget Challenge" and enjoy your Christmas without the suffering the Christmas Blues.

There are two parts to the Christmas Budget Challenge:

1. Put in place a strategy that will help you survive Christmas with as little pain as possible.

2. Put in place a strategy that will give you a plan to enjoy your next Christmas. This plan will also run itself without you even thinking about it.

Let's start by putting in place a plan that will hopefully make this Christmas a little easier on your hip pocket:

1. Have a look at your finances and set an upper limit that you can afford for your Christmas spending. Allocate a certain amount to Gifts and a certain amount to other Christmas expenses. This is the start of your Christmas budget.

2. Leave the credit card at home and pay for Christmas with money wherever possible.

3. Keep track of all your Christmas spending. A good way of doing this is by carrying a small notebook and pencil and writing your purchases in it.

Gift Buying

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4. Call your relatives and agree that Gifts will only be purchased for the children

5. Take your Christmas Gift budget that was allocated in step 1 and divide it by the number of gifts you need to buy. This number will be the maximum you can spend on each gift.

Christmas Food Shopping

6. Take your Christmas Dinner budget and make a shopping list.

7. When you are doing your shopping use a calculator to make sure you stay within your Christmas budget.

8. Save money by looking for the cheaper priced goods on the top and bottom shelves. Try not to buy items that are on shelves at eye level, these are usually the higher priced items.

9. Try not to buy items that are located in the displays at the end of the shopping aisles, these items are usually more expensive than the items located in the aisles.

10. Compare prices of similar items and buy the cheaper item.

11. Remember that Christmas is only one day a year. You don't have to spend a weeks worth of grocery money on one day.

12. Ask each relative to provide a food dish, drinks or dessert.

 As soon as Christmas is over and the pain is fresh in your mind. You need to take action and put in place the second part of the "Christmas Budget Challenge". This next step will ensure that you have enough money for next Christmas

1. Add up all your Christmas expenses including gifts, food and any other costs.

2. Take the total of your Christmas expenses and divide it by the total amount of pays until next Christmas.

3. Open high interest bank account with the following attributes:
- No minimum starting balance
- Interest is accrued daily and billed monthly
- Interest rate on this bank account must be higher than the inflation rate.
- No bank charges

ING Direct and Citibank have an online banking account that may be suitable for your Christmas Budget account.

4. Organize an automatic bank transfer from your bank account to your Christmas Budget account. This transfer will be on each payday for the amount you worked out in step 2. It is important that this is automated because most people will not stick to this plan if it is a manual process.

5. When next Christmas comes around withdraw your money and repeat the process again.

You can get a free excel "Christmas Budget Challenge" spreadsheet from http://www.my-wealth-plan.com/christmasbudget.zip. Use this spreadsheet as a template for your Christmas Budget,

This plan is very simple and surprisingly effective and you will be able to enjoy your next Christmas without the suffering the Christmas Giving Blues.

Get Your Holidays Started With How The Grinch Stole Christmas Tickets

How the Grinch Stole Christmas tickets are always a great way to get you and your family into the holiday spirit, and this year, the classic book and film is coming to the theater stage. Dr. Seuss is one of the most unique writers in history, and his stories always give a different perspective on timeless lessons in the form of comedy and intriguing prose. We’ll take a look below at just how this story has become such a phenomenon.

About the Story

The story, predictably, is about the Grinch. The Grinch is an unsightly green creature with a heart that’s two sizes too small who lives with his only friend and companion, his dog Max, on the top of Mount Crumpit.  Mount Crumpit oversees Whoville, where the town’s residents, called the “Whos,” live amongst themselves.

As Christmas approaches, the Grinch becomes increasingly annoyed as he hears more bustle than normal from the town’s residents as they prepare for the forthcoming holiday. The Grinch does not like happiness, and he decides to act on his frustration in order to find himself some peace and quiet.

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The Grinch forms a plan to steal all the children’s Christmas gifts and holiday decorations in Whoville, as he believes that this will prevent Christmas from arriving. The Grinch comes down from the mountain and successfully steals everything he wants to take, and he is quite satisfied with his efforts.

However, the result of this crime spree is exactly where How the Grinch Stole Christmas tickets begin to reveal the message that’s delivered to every audience. Despite the absence of gifts and decorations, the people of Whoville still celebrate Christmas with the same zest and cheer.

The Grinch is stunned by this development, as he realizes that the holiday is about much more than gifts, decorations and other material things. As a result, the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes, and he is filled with the holiday spirit of giving and appreciation for what he has. His heart also grows by three sizes, and he basks in the acceptance of the townspeople when he returns everything he has stolen.

Overall, the works of Dr. Seuss are timeless in nature, and the stories’ audiences know no age limits. If you want to combine the holiday spirit, the gift of giving and a valuable lesson for your family or loved ones, How the Grinch Stole Christmas tickets will provide a solution for all of these desires.

General Festivities and Entertainment at Christmas

Christmas is described as a festive season therefore we should all engage
in activities during the season that provide entertainment, merriment and which
give pleasure. Because Christmas is about celebration, many types of festivities
can be found to suit all preferences to make the season a joyful one.
A readily available option is watching Christmas movies. This can be done
from the comfort of home or by spending a few hours out at the theater. A
wonderful option now available for obtaining movies is to rent them via the
Internet. It's an option that allows you to get any movie you want to see -
whether traditional, popular or a remake of an original title. There's also
fairly easy access to obscure movie titles, as well as movies with holiday or
Christmas themes.

Although Christmas movies embody the spirit of the season, you can also
take time out during Christmas to enjoy new releases that may or may not have a
holiday theme. Christmas is a good time to catch notable new releases because
they are  timed to be shown in theaters before the end of the year to be
considered for prestigious Oscar nominations.
Performances of Christmas plays that depict the Nativity scene are also
another popular entertainment during Christmas. Although these performances are
done year after year, they never grow old because of creative difference in
interpreting the story, and also in how each role is acted by different actors
every year.
The dramatization of the Nativity demonstrates the meaning of Christmas and can
also simplify the meaning of Christmas for children. Participation in the
Nativity is also an important activity for children in drama groups at schools
and church groups.
Along with depicting the meaning of Christmas, the Nativity play also portrays
moral lessons that can serve as an inspiration for the way to become a more
spiritual person and to live a better life. Watching or taking part in the
Nativity play at Christmas time can therefore affect your attitude and outlook
on life.

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Musical entertainment at Christmas can come from pausing during shopping to
listen to a choral group at the mall or downtown. It can also be entertaining to
simply hum along to a Christmas carol or song being played on the radio. Carols
as a tradition at Christmas is said to originate in England and France in the
Middle Ages. At the time, carols were dances accompanied by singing. The
tradition that Anglo-Saxons preferred was to have small choirs gather on the
village green and sing carols and Christmas songs to passersby. Over time, the
meaning of the word changed to refer to only certain types of songs.
The tradition of carols is also believed to evolve from the angels, shepherds
and Wise Men who bowed down to sing praises and to worship Baby Jesus.
For those who are really lovers of the arts, professional groups like
Orchestras, Symphonies, Conservatories and Choirs also offer splendid concerts
during Christmas. They will also sing Christmas carols and songs. But the
harmony of their voices accompanied by a full compliment of instruments provides
a richer and more melodious rendition of the carols that is unlikely to be heard
anywhere else.
Probably the most popular festivities at Christmas are parties, which seem to
happen everywhere all the time at Christmas. There are parties at work, home,
with friends and class parties at school. Even social hubs such as bars may have
special nights with different food and lower-priced drinks during Christmas.
It seems there is no end to the festivities during Christmas. It's always
important however to have a good time, to remember the unfortunate and to reach
out to them and to have fun but in a responsible manner.

Fancy Tales Related to Christmas

A lot of what is widely regarded as true about Christmas or held as a
tradition cannot or has not been verified, or, has changed through the years.
Even Christmas Day itself, Dec. 25, has been questioned about whether that is
the exact day on which Jesus was born. Skeptics have asked why would shepherds
be out in the cold watching their flocks by night during the winter. Those
skeptics have put forward the thought that Jesus may really have been born in
the spring instead. It is therefore little wonder that there are many fancy
stories and tales that are told about Christmas and the Christmas season.
The most common fancy tale that everyone tells, particularly to children,
is about Santa Claus, also called St. Nicholas. But even if it were accepted
that Santa Claus existed, where does he live and how is he able to get to all
the houses of good boys and girls on Christmas Eve?
In the United States, Santa Claus is said to have two homes. There is a
home in Torrington, Connecticut, which is used as a distribution point for Santa
and his many helpers, who are elves, to hand out gifts. And then, a second home
is said to be located in Wilmington, New York, and that is where Santa Claus and
his delivery reindeer crew are located.
But Santa can be visited in Cyberspace at anytime and what about the
widely held belief that Santa Claus really lives in a village at the North Pole?
The people of Finland also claim that their country is the official
residence of Santa Claus. That's because in Finland, you can actually visit a
village any time during the year and see Santa's workshop and observe Santa and
his elves hard at work as they prepare for their very important Christmas gift
delivery job on Christmas Eve. The only day when Santa's workshop is closed to
visitors is of course, on Christmas Eve.
Maybe a very smart visitor could visit Santa's workshop on the day before
Christmas Eve to see if there are any clues to how Santa and his reindeers plan
to make their trip the next day. That's because as the tale goes, in Finland
Santa Claus and his reindeers do not reach their destinations around the globe
by flying.

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Finland welcomes visitors to Santa's workshop but there is nothing said
about whether visitors actually have any chance of having a word with the man
himself. While the chances of doing so are believed to be non-existent, among
the questions that inquiring minds could ask Santa is whether Rudolph is the son
of Donner (and to confirm the spelling - Donner or Donder) or whether Santa
spotted him in a different reindeer village one foggy Christmas Eve when he had
already started on his Christmas toy-delivery mission.
If mere mortals got a chance to question Santa, then he also would likely have
some questions for us humans. He may want to know whose idea was it to have
Christmas trees and for the gifts to be placed under them.
The tradition of Christmas tree as it exists today comes from Germany by
way of immigrants. But it isn't clear how the tradition really gained a foothold
in Germany. One story is that Christians in Germany during the 16th century
started to bring trees that were decorated into their homes. Some of those
Christians would build pyramids for Christmas. The pyramids were made of wood
and would be decorated with evergreens and candles if wood was in short supply.
It is however Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer, who is said to have
been the first to add lighted candles as decoration to a tree based on his
inspiration from the brilliant light of twinkling stars that shone through
evergreen trees as he walked home one winter evening.
As the legend goes, Martin Luther placed a tree in a primary room of his
house and placed wires with small, lighted candles around the branches of the
tree. And that is how, as the tale goes, the Christmas tree as known today, was
started.

Don't Have a Cow This Holiday Season -- Give One

Want to give a meaningful gift that won't be forgotten or stashed away after the holidays?

Heifer International, an organization working to fight hunger worldwide, has a solution: livestock.

By donating a sheep, cow or any other farm animal in honor of a loved one through Heifer International, you can help impoverished families get the resources they need to get out of poverty and become self-reliant.

The farm animals provided by Heifer International give families wool, milk, eggs, transportation and other necessities. Families can sell their surplus products and use the money for school supplies, medicine, farming supplies and housing improvements.

A goat, for example, can supply a family with several quarts of milk each day. Extra milk can be sold by the family or made into cheese, butter or yogurt.

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Heifer International also provides llamas, water buffaloes, heifers, chicks, ducks, geese and hives of honeybees - to name a few.

Here is how to set your gift in motion:

1. Contact Heifer International to receive a free gift catalog.

2. Request a unique gift card that you can personalize and send to your honorees, describing the generous contributions you've made in their name.

3. Revel in the joy of knowing that, thanks to your gift, a struggling family is on the road to self-reliance.

4. Watch your gift multiply. Every receiving family promises to "pass on the gift" of its animal's first offspring to another family in need. Thanks to this act, entire communities can lift themselves out of poverty.

Designing Your Christmas Budget

You've decided to have a Christmas Budget this year, great! Having a Christmas budget means less stress and bigger savings for you. Here are some budget ideas to think about when designing your Christmas budget.

Think of what categories you will need to have in your budget. Here are some sample categories:

Gifts:

Spouse
Child #1
Child #2
Niece
Nephew
Aunt
Uncle
Grandparent
Friend
Friend #2
Church Exchange
Work Exchange
Teacher #1
Teacher #2

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Decorations:

Outside
Inside
Tree
Gift

Food:

Party

Christmas Day Dinner

Host/Hostess

Cookies for Neighbors

Misc:

Stamps for Christmas Cards

Wrapping Paper

Christmas Cards

Charitable Donations

Party Clothes

Party costs

Now that you have your budget categories, you need to put in allotted $ dollar amounts for each category. You can do this by using the amount that you have in your Christmas Fund if you have one. If you know for sure that you are receiving a Christmas bonus than you can use the amount. Once you have assigned a dollar amount to each category it is important that you keep a tally of how much is spent so that you have a good running total of not only the amount left in each category but what the total $ amount is for the entire Christmas budget at any given time.

Be realistic when it comes to assigning dollar amounts to the categories. You may wish to look at your spending for past years in each category, take into consideration the cost of living increase for the current year to arrive at a decent estimate for each category. If you keep a check register and pay for most items using checks then you have a handy reference tool to use for determining amounts.

When it comes to buying gifts or planning the holiday meal, be sure to check your budget to see just how much you can spend for this particular item. Actually put the dollar amount on the shopping list (in the corner) to remind you of what your budget is, and stick to it. Do not be tempted to overspend no matter how tempting a store item may seem, stick to your budget.

Print out your budget and have it with your while you are comparison shopping (do this online). When you know just how much you have budgeted for an item it is easier to know for sure if it is a good deal or not.

Christmas Time

As we ready ourselves to celebrate yet another Christmas to honor the birth of our Lord Jesus let us remember that this is a time to focus on the many blessings in our lives. Each day should be a day to focus on these things we hold dear that the Lord has brought to us but Christmas time is especially good for bringing these things that we should always notice to the forefront of our minds and our thoughts.

Christmas time is about giving and not only in the way of handing out material presents to one another that we purchase from the many stores we have to choose from but it's mainly a time of giving the most important things like an ear to someone who needs to be listened to or a coat for a small child who is need of one. Handing out and giving can be done best by giving someone a smile when they are feeling down or encouragement to get past the gloom they might feel in order to stand tall and move onward with joy.

Christmas time giving can mean giving a home to a small animal that otherwise would be alone and cold and miserable out in the elements with nobody to care for them. All these things make a difference in the world and they might not individually heal all that needs to be healed but each offering of kindness furthers the cause of bringing true love and peace to a world badly in need of these things.

A few material gifts are fine and are especially welcome from the children who wait for old Saint Nick to come and spread his joy to the children but among the joy of the material should also be a lesson that the best and most important gifts come from inside and are given from the heart and soul from one human being to another.

Creative Youth Ideas Christmas Collection

I feel that even as we watch the nightly news that tells us of the many sad and evil things of this world that goodness overcomes and goodness makes up the majority of the people of this world.

As the three wisemen were guided by the star of Bethlehem to the manger to witness the miracle of the birth of Jesus let's also use that same light that shines in us from Jesus to guide our hearts to do good deeds and make another human being feel special and cared for in the most important ways by the power of love and mercy.

Let the lesson of Jesus being turned away from the Inn inspire us not to turn away from someone or something that may be in need of our help and our light to shine on them. The power of the human spirit and the human heart can work wonders and the pureness of a kind act can turn wrong into right.

This holiday season let that same pureness flow from within your heart and into anothers and let's make Jesus proud to be our Father and our Lord by our actions that are inspired by his love for us.

May you and your family have a very blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year and may the light of the lord always shine upon you and carry you in your time of need.