Several things...and a prayer for rest and joy!

Happy advent Joy-Creators! This morning as I sip my coffee before getting ready for church, I'm reflecting on Mary and her last few weeks before her first born son arrived. If you've been blessed to be a mother, you can remember those feelings. Wiggles and kicks, very little room for lungs and bladders, talking to him or her and anticipating that moment when you would see their face for the first time. I sang to my girls before they were born. Those days were filled with anxiety, tiredness, discomfort, swollen ankles, clothes that didn't fit, and preparation for the nursery and wondering what else was needed. I'm kind of feeling that about Christmas preparations this year. Focus on all the markets and marketing and trunk sales can grab my attention and I can miss out on the advent season. So this morning, I'm praying that you and I, and our artisans in Honduras can find time to worship the Christ of Christmas, that we can lay everything at His feet and remember that He came for US! What a gift! Every gift we give is just a symbol to point back to the greatest gift.  So let's start our prayer time with a blessing over all of our lives and homes and that we can rest in our relationship with the Prince of Peace.

This week is the last week of making the spring collection that will launch in January. Our artisans save up their vacation days so that they can combine them with the holidays and have an extended 2 weeks off at the end of the year. It will be time with their children and with their family from Faith Home and extended families. It will be much needed rest. Please pray for them to be safe this Christmas (a good job makes them a target sometimes), and for them to be able to be healthy and to rest. Pray that they would grow closer to the Lord and have time to worship and reflect.  Jenna and I will also be taking time off and we would appreciate your prayers for rest for us also.

And finally, we are not done with the sales we need to finish the year out with savings for January.  We are doing one last marketing push the last 3 days we can ship with regular shipping in time for Christmas. Please pray for a huge surge on our website today, tomorrow and Tuesday.  I'm also doing a LIVE sale tonight with our Charm Bar and praying for many orders online for charm necklaces and bracelets.  Then our Last Minute Christmas Shopping Open House is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at our office. Please pray for crowds of people to come and shop.  And finally, I'm setting up at the Duquoin State Fairgrounds next Friday, Saturday and Sunday for their Holiday Lights Festival. First year for us and for the event, so no idea what to expect. With all of these things, I'm praying for the final orders and purchases to finish this gap. Thank you for praying with me today.