I took the photo you see at Fernwood Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve in Niles, Michigan. Niles is my hometown and Fernwood is a favorite place. The first weekend of November, I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in their Holiday Market. It was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.

As we head into Thanksgiving week, I’m going to take some time to reflect on all the things I am thankful for: my faith, my family, my little grandson, friends, my home, a job I love, just to name a few things. It’s important in the midst of busy lives and hectic days to stop and reflect on what’s important.

Preparations for Small Business Saturday

Fernwood Holiday Market

And it has been a busy week. I’ve been getting ready for Thanksgiving and also preparing for Small Business Saturday (November 24). I’d like to highlight a few of the things I’m doing this Christmas with my business.

1. Nickel Plate Arts, Gifted. I am one of the makers participating in Gifted at Nickel Plate Arts in Noblesville, IN. The gallery is being transformed into a unique Holiday Boutique where shoppers can purchase handcrafted gifts from local artisans. It starts on Black Friday , November 23, and runs through December 29. Check the above link for the dates and times the boutique is open. It is located at the Judge Stone House at Nickel Plate Arts, 107 S. 8th Street Noblesville, IN 46060.
2. Small Business Saturday. On November 24, Small Business Saturday, I will be at Gifted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. doing a demonstration of rolling my beeswax taper candles. Come and try your hand at rolling one if you’d like and you can also pick out a few Christmas gifts for your family and friends from the selection at the gallery.
3. Etsy Shop Sale. From November 21 to November 26 everything except for the nativities will be discounted 20 percent in my Etsy shop.
4. Nativity Sale. From November 23 to November 27, my Christmas nativities will be discounted 15 percent. I have a limited number of these available as they are time consuming to make, so if you’d like one, be sure to take advantage of the sale!
5. Holiday Workshops. Saturday, December 1, and Saturday, December 8, I will be offering Aromas of Christmas workshop. You’ll learn about the essential oils associated with Christmas, create a make-n-take product, and enjoy herbal tea and a snack– all for only $25. It’s a fun girls outing or mother-daughter event. Other dates are available as well. Contact me for details if you need a different date than what is listed.

Thanks so much for your support, and I hope you have a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Botanically me,

The time sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas in modern times seems to have been taken over by the retail world. It starts off with a bang on Black Friday (the big shopping event the day after Thanksgiving) and is then measured by how many shopping days are left until Christmas. Newspapers often have the countdown on the front page of the paper—just to make sure you buy all your gifts in time.

I think it’s about time we redeem this time and use it as God intended us to. In the Christian calendar, this time is called Advent. Did you know that it is actually the start of the new calendar year for the Christian calendar? While I’m sure that many of us are familiar with Advent, I know in my life it has often been overshadowed by the busyness of December.

How can we recapture some of the purposes of Advent that God intended for this time?

First, let’s look at what Advent means. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus and it means “coming” or “arrival.” In Advent, we are to focus on the coming of Jesus as Messiah. Traditionally, the music, scripture readings and prayers of Advent have focused not only on Jesus’ coming to earth as a baby, but also includes a focus on Jesus’ eventual second coming.  That is why an Advent devotional includes scriptures from both the Old Testament about the birth of the Messiah and New Testament scriptures about Jesus’ second coming.

God designed this time of Advent for us to prepare our own hearts for our Savior. We can celebrate His birth, and we can look forward to His return to Earth. So, practically in the busyness of the season, how can we go about preparing our hearts?

• Introspection. Advent is a good time for introspection. Prayerfully ask God what needs to go—in your heart, in your life—so that you have room for the Savior. We don’t want to be like all the innkeepers in Bethlehem who had no room for the Savior. What do we need to weed out so that we have the time to spend with Jesus this Advent? Can you make room in your schedule so that each morning or evening you take some time to pray, read and prepare your heart for Jesus?
• Advent wreath. Can you do add some Advent activities to do with your family? One suggestion would be to have an Advent wreath on your kitchen table and light a candle on each of the Sundays of Advent and on Christmas Eve. Have a family member read a verse of scripture as the candle is being lit and then share a prayer together.
• Jesse tree. How about making a Jesse tree with your children? Click on this link for information on how to do this: Jesse Tree ideas on Pinterest
• Advent calendar. You could also purchase an Advent calendar in a Christian bookstore with scripture for each day. Children (and adults I admit!) love opening a door every day.
• Music. Play some of the beautiful music of Advent. I discovered this year that Advent music is different than Christmas music.

So this year, let’s have our focus be not on the number of shopping days left until Christmas, but on the moments we are able to spend with our Savior. It’s my prayer that this Advent season will be a blessed time of preparation for our hearts. Pray on!