Christmas has passed and we are all gearing up to make resolutions for the new year, but beneath all of the crumpled wrapping paper and wrinkled stockings lurks the one thing that no one made it through Christmas without...  

THE WORST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

 

Source: Uploaded by user via Megan on Pinterest

Perhaps you opened a box expecting jewelry only to find:

 

Source: perpetualkid.com via Megan on Pinterest

Bacon candy? Really?

Or perhaps that nice pine-scented candle that you were hoping for turned into this:

 

Source: thinkgeek.com via Megan on Pinterest

I hope it doesn't smell like formaldehyde...

I remember the year I received  

THE WORST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER 

like it was yesterday. 

My grandparents had sent me a big 'ol box, so you know I was excited to open it.  Yet as I tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box, you will never believe what greeted my eager eyes.  On the very top of the box was a magazine article about menopause.  I'm pretty sure I was 16 or 17 years old at the time, so I assumed that they had just used the article for packing purposes and passed it over to my mom.  Directly under the article, however, I discovered a pair of my dad's underwear that he had left behind on our last visit to the grandparents' house.  At this point, I'm not even sure that I am opening a gift that was meant for me. But after double-checking the tag, I kept digging.  After all of the trauma that I had endured getting to the bottom of this box, I was sure that the gift would be amazing!  My teenage mind was hoping for all kinds of things: cool geodes from Colorado (where they live), DVDs and books that I would truly enjoy, jewelry, a new attachment for the mixer they had given me for my birthday...  And yet when I got the the bottom of the box, I found two place-mats.  Not four, so that I could set a matched table.  Nothing electronic or shiny.  Two place-mats, each quilted by my grandma with care with my name stitched in the back, so that I could be sure this box really was meant for me.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my grandmother's quilting, but these particular place-mats came after an article about menopause and a pair of my dad's underwear.  I remembered to write a "Thank You" note that year, and I will never forget the laughter that we all got out of that box.

So how about you?  What is the worst gift you have ever received?

 At least you will always know it was better than

Source: furby.com via Megan on Pinterest

We all thought they were cute once, but after 2 days, you'll never let it out of the closet again!


Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, y'all!

The words of Simeon, a righteous man whom the Holy Spirit was upon, when he saw the baby Jesus at eight days old:


"Now Lord, You are releasing your bond-servant to depart in peace, according to Your word;

For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES,

AND THE GLORY OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL." (Luke 2:29-32)

Praising God for this wonderful gift of Jesus!

Photo card courtesy of pingg.com

In less than a week, we'll be celebrating our Savior's birth! 
We love this time of year!!

As you're making your last minute preparations and plans, we thought we'd share some fun web finds that might make your celebrations and festivities a tad bit brighter.  Hope you enjoy!

 
To keep your heart centered on Christ:

Daily Readings for Advent
-by John Piper

Five Habits for Holiday Happiness - from Girl Talk

For Family Gatherings - from Gospel Coalition

Scripture Filled Desktop Calendar

New Christmas Tunes


 



Things to do with your family:

Incorporating the story of Jesus everyday with your kids.

Going to the movies? How about The Hobbit?

Making a tree that everyone can decorate,

Free Printable Nativity sets!







 

Last minute gift ideas:

Great Homemade Gift Ideas!

CJ Mahney's Christmas Book Wish List - from Girl Talk

Ideas for your hubby's stocking.

Neighbor Gifts!

 

For the creative spirit in you:

Free Christmas Printables

Fun Christmas Tree Card

More Free Printables on this blog!!

Favorite Christmas Fonts

Pretty & Simple Christmas Garland!

 
 

Need a new recipe?

Gingerbread Brownies...yum!

Peppermint Bark Brownies, even better!

Peppermint Sugar Cookies...delicious!

If you're like me, you might not normally spend a lot of time studying the Old Testament. I mean, sure, I've read through most of the books and I remember learning the stories of Noah and Abraham and David as a child. But it hasn't been until the last few years of my life that I've really begun to take notice of what was actually said in the first half of the Bible.


A while ago, I was convicted about my lack of understanding about Israel and their selection as God's chosen people. The more I read through Paul's and Peter's writings, the more I realized that I needed to understand Israel, the law, and God's covenants. So I began my OT journey.

Mind you, I am a very SLOW reader. It's been a while & I'm still only in Deuteronomy! Since beginning the journey, it has been such a rich time actually taking in the words that Moses wrote to the people of Israel with purpose & reason. I've been fascinated by the storyline God chose to create for Israel. More importantly, I've been stricken with a holy conviction over the lack of true understanding I had of God's character. It's been mortifying at times to realize the amount of assumptions I formed about God's character that Scripture clearly negates. (Thank you, Father, for leading me back to the beginnings of your word!)

All of what I'm writing is leading me to this:

At the end of the Old Testament canon, we find these words written in the book of Malachi:

4 Remember the law of my servant Moses,

the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.

6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children

and the hearts of children to their faithers,

lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.

-Malachi 4

And then there are several blank pages. They represent a gap-a time in history (of almost 400 years) in which God did not speak to His people through the prophets as He had previously done before.



And then...enter the book of Matthew.

The book of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, the Christ. It tells us that Joseph's lineage is from the line of David. Then it tells us of the actual birth of Jesus and directly states that it was to fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14. (I'm sorry, but I’m going to fly through this story...I've got another point I'm getting to, so bear with me.) We then read of the wisemen and Herod's plot to destroy the baby King while God protected Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, and finally established their family in Nazareth.

Then, in chapter 3, we are introduced to John the Baptist.

If we keep reading through Matthew, we find out that John the Baptist is indeed the Elijah prophesied in the book of Malachi. Jesus tells us this twice: in Matthew 10:10-11 and 17:11).

Ok...hold the phone. If Malachi told me that a prophet like Elijah would come, and Jesus is telling me that John the Baptist is that prophet, then I need to pay close attention to what this John the Baptist is saying. Let's just take a second and read some of the words spoken by John the Baptist:

When speaking to a group of hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducees, after calling them a brood of vipers, he said:

11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mighter than I,

whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

12 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

-Matthew 3

And in the book of John when he sees Jesus, he cries out:

29 Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

and

32 I saw the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and it remained on Him.

33 I myself did not know him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

34 And I have seen and have born witness that this is the Son of God.

-John 1

Let's sit on this for a few moments. Did you just "hear" what he said? He calls Jesus the Son of God! The one who's mightier than he, whose sandals he is unworthy to even carry. He is the Lamb that we've been waiting for...the one who takes away the sin of the WORLD!! This prophet promised by God in the Old Testament has come, and this is what he has said!! Could you imagine hearing better words?

When I begin to think on these things, I begin to wonder, "What should be my response?" What would your response be? Here is mine: It makes my heart want to jump for joy!! My heart becomes so full of thanksgiving that it wants to burst forth with praise! The King has come! The Lamb has come! This means that we will be rescued in full from this sin enthralled self and world in which we live and will be reunited with our maker, to live with Him forever. Our God has been faithful; He has delivered what He promised! Again, can you imagine anything better?

As I finish reflecting on these glorious truths, my heart is so thankful that God sealed the gap that seemed to exist in the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. The time of waiting and hoping for the Messiah to come and for the prophet who would pave His way has passed. After nearly 400 years, God did speak again. He spoke through John, and then He spoke through Christ. He revealed Himself to us in the person of Christ.

Isn't it funny to think that He chose to reveal Himself again through a King born as a baby?

As we go about the next few days leading up to our celebrations of Christ's birth, remember the words of the prophet who came before the Christ. Remember the promise of God to His people Israel. Remember that the promise to Israel has been extended to you and me in the glorious truth of the Gospel. Remember that the gap has been sealed. Keep these things in mind as you approach this babe in the manger. And may your heart swell with hope and joy and the deepest yearnings of praise and gratitude. May we love this little baby with everything we've got, for this baby has changed our world!

If asked what came to your mind with holiday's approaching, what would you say? 

For me, it's traveling...other than Jesus of course.  :)  Since moving to Wake Forest in May 2010, we have traveled back to our home state of Alabama a few times, and let's just say that the 10+ hour drive is not one that I look forward too.  Don't get me wrong, I long for the last hour of traveling and the anticipation of seeing family and friends, but I do not long for the countless hours getting through Atlanta traffic or the awful/hilarious  "South of the Border" billboards.  I remember the first Christmas that we went back to Alabama.  It was the first time since moving to WF that we had traveled back.  During Christmas 2010, it was just my husband and myself, and our little car packed with presents and luggage.  This Christmas we will be traveling with a few more items. 

Our home trek now includes our 15-month old daughter.  And as most of you know, traveling with a child is a completely different experience.  Instead of extra trunk room, and being able to lay my seat back, we will have the car seat, baby bag, stroller, toys, food, extra diapers, wipes, luggage, gifts....you get the picture.  I have a feeling like we are going to look like a stuffed snowball in our little white Volvo with no window views.

Whether you are traveling 10+ hours or even just a hour away by car, if  kiddos are involved there are certain essentials to have in your car.  This is by no means an exhaustive list.  Some are personal favorites, and some are great tips from other moms.  These are also great for flying too.  Check out the links below for more tips on flying with kids. 

• Extra diapers/wipes.
• Extra pacifiers AT HAND.  I stuff paci's everywhere.  My jacket pockets, purse, baby bag, door sides of the car...everywhere! Because you will lose them.  I think there is a pacifier fairy that takes them and hides them in places you never think to look. 
• Hand/Face Wipes.
• Your child's comfort item.  For HG it is a pink giraffe blanket. I find myself thinking over and over again, "Don't leave the house without the giraffe blanket!!!"
• A few of their favorite toys and books.
• If you have older kids, maybe even go by the Dollar Tree or the $1 section at Target and get a few new toys that you can break out over the long trip. 
• Some sort of toy that makes noise.  Just grin and bear it.  You know you would rather take a singing duck over a crying baby.
• An extra blanket to place over the car seat for when your child falls asleep, so that the sun won't wake them up.  *Side note: I do find myself peeking under the blanket several times to make sure that she is still breathing well.  When I have done this in the past I use a really light blanket and usually try to maneuver it to where it is open on one side for air to circulate. 
• Trash bag.  Either a small trash bag or grab a few extra plastic Wal-Mart bags you have stuffed under your sink.  Trust me, you will want this for those banana peels, dirty hand wipes, and crumbs. 
• iPod/iPad/DVD for the car.  I absolutely know that our iPad is going to save us this trip with HG.  The Backyardigan's, Sesame Street and Fresh Beat's will be on rerun...or at least until the battery runs out.  Or maybe it's a fun cd that your child enjoys. 
• Extra change of clothes for your child(ren).  One of our first little day trips to Wrightsville Beach, HG threw up about 10 minutes down Capital! 
• If traveling by plane, I HIGHLY recommend bringing a carrier (Bjorn, Moby wrap, etc.).  This saved me the times that we have flown.   

HG isn't old enough for this, but how fun would this Travel Bingo be for older kids? 

Here are a few more links with some great tips on traveling with kids!  They specifically talk about flying, but the ideas work for road trips as well.

Tips for traveling with small kids on airplanes click here.

Tips for flying alone with kids click here. **I'll be flying back to RDU by myself with HG, and I got some great tips from this blog.  Check it out for sure if you are flying solo with your kid(s).

I would LOVE to hear any tips you have on traveling with kids, or just traveling in general! I pray that if you are traveling over Christmas holidays that you have a safe trip, and that we would all take the time to make our trips memorable.   Let's take advantage of the hours we have (stuck) in the car with each other to talk more about the beautiful story of Christmas.  

What are some of your tricks that make the trip bearable?  How about the folks traveling without little ones; what do you do to make your travels more fun?

Photos courtesy of 52 Perfect Days and Oh Happy Day! 

Laura is married to L, who is in the International Church Planting program at SEBTS.  They have one child, HG, who brings so much joy into their lives each day.  Laura is an Administrative Assistant in the Women's Life Office, and serves on the Connecting Point Team.  Laura and her family attend The Summit and lead a small group.  They will be leaving next fall to serve as missionaries in Europe.  

I love, love, love to wrap gifts.  I don't really know why.  If I analize it, maybe deep down it's b/c I think it shows how much I care.  Kind of like "I cared so much that I not only wanted to give you this gift, but I packaged it really pretty too," or "I wrapped it special because I want you to feel special." Call me crazy and a little dramatic, I know!

Source: ana-rosa.tumblr.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via Carrie on Pinterest

My love for wrapping gifts began when I was young.  I would watch my mom wrap gifts & be amazed at how perfect they looked.  She always put those bows that you buy in a bag on top, in just the right color to match the paper she'd used.  (You remember those bows don't you?!)

  When I was in highschool I got my first job at Belk.  I was a floater for my first couple of years. Every now & then they would stick me back in Customer Service. I'd have to write up gift certificates for people (yes this was back in the day when you actually wrote gift certificates) and give change to people.  I really didn't like being stuck in CS until one glorious day, I saw wrapping paper.  They had this HUGE stand of wrapping paper...in an assortment of colors and patterns.  I was like a kid in a candy shop...I'm pretty sure I heard the angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

Source: freckleschick.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

So, I ventured over to the wrapping station and watched this grey headed lady fly through the wrapping of this big ol' suit box.  She was so fast.  Her edges were super crisp, she folded this & folded that...she never pulled out a pair of scissors.  And she used this tape...I had to find out what kind of tape this was.  I remember reaching out my hand to touch the tape she was using.  The angels sang again, my friends! My gift wrapping love was revolutionized by the discovery of double sided tape!!  (This was like 1997 y'all.)

Long story short...I learned how to really wrap a gift that year.  I was a monster!  I wanted to work in CS, so I could wrap.  I begged for them to put me at the gift wrap kiosk in the middle of the store and deal with all those angry, rude Christmas shoppers...all so I could gift wrap.  I've never looked back ;)

So, today I bring to you: Gift Wrapping 101. 

Now, some of you may have your own way of wrapping gifts & it might be much better than mine.  That is ok.  But some of us were never taught how to properly wrap a basic gift.  Enter this little, well 10 minutes long, video below.  We'll walk through the basics of wrapping.  Once you've got the basics down, you can graduate to prettier & more elaborate ways to wrap a gift.

From me to you, Merry Christmas & happy wrapping!

Carrie

Today we are excited to welcome Catherine Wells, as our guest blogger!  Enjoy as Catherine reminds us of the true reason for the season.  Learn more about Catherine at the bottom of the post!  Have a great day!

I love Christmas!  By far, Christmas is my favorite holiday and season of the year. I start listening to Christmas music pretty early in the fall. I can't help it!  Christmas songs put me in a very joyful mood! 

Before December even came around I was already thinking about how to decorate my apartment for Christmas and the fun presents I could get my nieces and nephew.  Though these are great things to think on, I often forget the real reason I celebrate Christmas different form the world.  

  One way I have been reminded of the real purpose of Christmas is through the carol O Holy Night.  This carol has one line that always resonates with me: 

"His law is love and his gospel is peace." 

His law is love....law is love?  Law reminds me of rules, justice, and at times punishment.  But, Jesus' law is love!!!  Christ came as a baby, born of a virgin.  We celebrate his birth at Christmas, but his story does not end there.  Jesus Christ came to take sin and death for us and through Christ's life he taught that his law is love.  He gives us a command in Matthew 22:37-39, which says, 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself."

Christ loved me first and in response his followers love him and others first.  Therefore, his law is love! He also brought peace through his life, death, and resurrection = THE GOSPEL.  Through him there is reconciliation and peace with God.  

These two gifts, law of love and gospel of peace, are what we should dwell on at Christmas.  There is nothing wrong with me loving decorating or buying presents, but if that is all I think on then I have missed the whole reason I as a Christian celebrate Christmas.  The real reason for the season is Jesus.  Jesus has brought reconciliation to mankind and that is what each of us should be celebrating this holiday.  So as you get ready to celebrate Christmas this year, will you take time to remember that the real reason for Christmas is not presents, decorations, great food, or family fun but Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world?

Happy Monday, SEBTS gals!  It's a little late in the day to be saying that, we know...we've been having technical issues with the blog today.  But, we think we're finally working, so here we go!

We're so excited to have guest blogger, Alison Lawson on our blog today.  Thanks Alison, for writing this post for us!  

Preparing Our Hearts for the Holidays

 An assortment of boxes, bags, and tins of variouis shapes and sizes filled our living room a couple of weeks ago.  Christmas music played throughout the house, with amateur voices singing along in delight.  Even our dog sensed the excitement in the air and curiously followed the heels of her human companions who pulled from bins a wooden reindeer, a nativity set, several stuffed snowmen and Santas, and various sentimental ornaments from Christmases past.

After almost eleven months of anticipation, the time for preparing our home for the Christmas season had arrived. We decorated our tree, hung stockings from the mantel, strung greenery and lights outside, and placed the wreath on the front door to indicate our readiness.

Without a doubt, our home is prepared for the holidays! But are we just as enthusiastic and diligent in preparing our hearts for the holidays? Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. With so many distractions, preparing our hearts can easily be overlooked. So how do we keep our focus on what is truly special about this time of the year?

Preparing our hearts can go hand in hand with preparing our homes. As our family contentedly spends time together in the midst of our holiday decorations, we prepare our hearts by discussing the meaning behind timeless traditions. The Christmas tree, for example, is a wonderful centerpiece for telling the story of Christ and directing our focus on Him. The evergreen leaves signify God’s everlasting love for us. The wood recalls the manger in which the newborn baby Jesus slept and the cross upon which Jesus gave His life. The star atop the tree, a symbol of the star that led the wise men to Jesus, is a reminder to keep our eyes on the Lord and always follow Him.

As we bake and eat tasty treats throughout the holiday season in preparation for parties and family gatherings, we reflect on Psalm 34:8a, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” and we give thanks for the many blessings God has given us. Additionally, we use those goodies as an opportunity to show God’s love to our neighbors by sharing our culinary delights.

The beginning of the Christmas season also begins a series of family devotions related to our celebrations. We have used various books over the years and are currently rereading Lisa Whelchel’s The Adventure of Christmas. The climax of our devotions occurs bright and early on December 25 as we gather with our sons to read the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth from the books of Matthew and Luke before starting any other Christmas Day activities.

Other ways we prepare our hearts for the holiday include attending church services, giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, and helping the less fortunate. However, no heart preparations compare in importance to spending time daily with God – the One who sent His Son to be our Savior so many years ago. Without having a personal relationship with God based on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and growing that relationship through consistent, daily communication in prayer and Bible study, we will likely struggle to have our hearts ready for Christmas Day or any other day of the year. The best preparation for the holidays is spending time with the One whose birth we celebrate!

“And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at His birth.” Luke 1:14



Alison and her family have been part of the Southeastern community for fourteen years. She has been married to her husband Mike, Southeastern's Director of Campus Security, for over seventeen years.  They have three sons - ages 9, 11, and 14 - whom Alison home schools.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, blogging, speaking to ladies’ groups, and spending time with family and friends.  Read more of Alison's writings about her family and what God is teaching them at www.fivefootprints.blogspot.com. 

When the girls in the office mentioned the idea of doing Fun Fridays on the blog, I thought it was a great idea!  Little did I know that the very first one would be alotted to me :)

Since December holds one of the most anticipated holidays in our culture (and in our faith!), and because I always tend to associate the holidays with family traditions, I thought it might be fun to share family traditions with each other for this first Fun Friday. 

In our family, two traditions have been passed down and made their way into our yearly Christmas celebrations.  The first is from my family and is centered around focusing our hearts on Christ each year.  The second is from my husbands family, and like many good traditions do, it involves food!!

Without futher ado, I present to you

Christmas in the O'Donoghue home

Tradtion One: Reading the Story

My father didn't become a follower of Jesus until I was in my 30's, so I clearly remember the change that occured in his life from that point on.  In fact, I remember the first Christmas after he became a Christian.  He made a change in our routine that Christmas morning, and that change has carried on through every Christmas morning, every year. 

On that first Christmas morning as a new believer, my dad sat us all down and-before we could open a single present-we read the Christmas story.  I will never forget that day, as my mother read the Christmas story to us.  That was the day that remembering and worshipping Christ became more important than opening gifts. 

To this day, just like back then, we spend our first moments of the day listening to and marveling over the story of our Savior's birth.  No wrapped present could ever supercede the beauty of that gift!

This picture is from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1588771328/tt0762121#

Tradition Two: Let there be CAKE!

Moravian Sugar Cake to be exact!  Yes, that's right folks, we eat cake every Christmas morning for breakfast.  We truly make it healthier by adding fresh fruit to our plates ;)   This recipe was passed down from my husband's mother and is a staple for our Christmas morning breakfast menu.  (It's even traveling to China with us this year, as we'll spend the days leading up to Christmas there!)

What is Moravian Sugar Cake? 

Well, it looks like this:

Source: pastrychefonline.com via Carrie on Pinterest

And it tastes heavenly!

What kind of Fun Friday would this be if I didn't give you the recipe?  So, here you go:

Moravian Sugar Cake

1 cup warm water
2 packs dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes (just potatoes...nothing added in like butter or milk, etc.)
2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup warm milk
2 whole eggs, beaten
6 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup potato water (you know, the water that you boiled the mashed potatoes in)

Sound good yet?

Topping

butter
brown sugar
cinnamon

Sound better??

Let's make it:

Oh, and before you start...don't make the dough in a metal bowl and don't grease your pans.

Step 1:
Stir 1 cup warm water, 2 packs dried yeast, and 1 tsp sugar until dissolved.

Step 2:
While yeast dissolves, cream butter and sugar.  Add mashed potatoes and salt; beat.  Add milk and eggs; beat.  Add yeast from Step 1.  Add flour 2 cups at a time.

Step 3:
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2-2 hours until it doubles in size.

Step 4:
Divide the dough in half and place each half on a separate cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.  Spray your hands with pan spray to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.  Stretch/pat/pull the dough apart until it fits your pan.  Alternate between the two pans as you go to give the dough a chance to relax and stretch more easily.

Step 5: 
Cover the stretched dough with a lint-free towel or plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about another hour.

Step 6: 
Place your oven racks on the bottom third and top third racks.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Step 7:
Dimple the puffy dough all over with your fingers.  Literally, dimple it... you can be rough if you need to be.  Holes are OK on this cake!

Step 8:
Place a small piece of butter in each dimple.  Then put a generous blob of brown sugar on top of that. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over each cake.

Step 9:
Place cakes on racks and bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Step 10:
Once the cakes have baked for 20 min, remove them from oven to cool for a few minutes.  Then, using the help of a large spatula and maybe even another person, slide the cakes onto cooling racks. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

The cooked cake can be stored at room temp as well as frozen for later!


Do you have a favorite tradition you'd like to share?  We'd love to hear it... who knows, maybe we'll even incorporate it into our own celebration!

Wow...can you believe it?  We've all officially made it to December!

I'm sure there's a mixture of dread and joy for you when you hear the word December.  Dread for the finals that many of you are facing and joy for wonderful celebrations and the reminders of our Messiah's birth!  And let's not forget that LONG break that you're about to have.

Here in the Women's Life Office, we're so excited and full of hopeful anticipation about the plans we have for the new year.  We've got several great Connecting Point Projects lined up for 2013, as well as a reintroduction of our Mentoring Program.  We're in the works with Mrs. Akin to plan a college girls night with Mrs. A, and one for the seminary girls as well.  Virtuous Pursuit is taking on a new look (to be revealed in January) and eventually, so will our blog!

Speaking of the blog, we've decided to introduce Fun Fridays for every Friday in 2013.  So for 52 Fridays, we'll have all sorts of ...you guessed it...FUN things on our blog.  We shan't say anything more or it'll spoil the fun ;) 

So, from the WLO to you...

Happy December

We're so glad you made it through

For the rest of the year remember

We're thankful for you!

(Yes, Carrie did make that poem up all by herself.)

Merry Christmas!

Source: art.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Hey Ladies! We know that studying isn't the most fun thing to do, but maybe these study break ideas will bring a little bit of fun to these last few weeks of the semester!

1. Indulge!

Grab a latte or your favorite tea and sip away!

 

2. Workout! 

You've been sitting way too long!  Go to the gym, come the workout center at Ledford, or do an online workout video.  Hulu has lots of free online workout videos that are under 30 minutes.  The Gaiam's Wake Up Workouts are  great!


3. Quality Roommate Time!

Have a dance party!! Take a few minutes, turn up your favorite Christmas song and have a jam session! Or...have your own mini-concert.  You know we all do it...pretend like we're Mariah Carey every time we hear "All I Want For Christmas Is You" come on the radio. Or there's the trusty old marshmellow fight! Grab a bag of those big ol' marshmallows and go to town!  You could always see how many cartwheels you can do in your hallway, while being careful of course. :)

Photo courtesty of ugo.com.

4.  Get crafty! 

Visit our Women's Life Pinterest page and get inspired, very inspired! 


5. Cook! 

Cook your favorite recipe or try something new.  Putting your mind on something else will definitely help you to stop thinking about Spurgeon for a little while.  Try this recipe here for something savory.  Or if you have sweet tooth try this single serving Chocolate Chip cookie or this mouth watering chocolate cobbler.  Yum!

Photo Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

6. Get out of your room! 

Go Ice Skate at the Factory or visit some of the tree lightings happening this weekend! Lafayette Village in Raleigh is having it's lighting Saturday night, as well as the Raleigh Winterfest Kickoff is happening Saturday as well.  Check out the links to find more info!

Photo Courtesy of Indy Week

7. Do some online Christmas shopping! 

Limit yourself of course to a certain time, but who doesn't love perusing Amazon or your favorite store?! We do, we do!!


8. Go for a walk! 


Walk downtown Wake Forest, or head over to Joyner Park for some pretty scenery and quality girl time.

9. Do something mindless!

Whether it's your favorite iPhone game app or doing a sodoku, do something that doesn't require you to think about your papers or your finals.


10.  Take a 20-minute nap!

Yes, that means setting your alarm clock to wake you up 20 minutes later. A brief 20-30 minute power nap will give your mind and body the reboot it needs to power through your study session and nail your final!

Photo Courtesy of alleyoop.com

We hope that these ideas help you!  Leave a comment below and let us know your best study break ideas!

Hello ladies! While we are busy preparing for the holidays, don't forget to start browsing CampusNet for the Spring 2013 BWI classes! You will be able to register for classes on Tuesday, November 20th. In the meantime, take a look at what is being offered:

For full course descriptions, please click on the image below:

We can't wait to see you in class!

If you are interested in taking an online class and live 120 miles or more from the campus of SEBTS, please contact the Women's Life Office for more information.

Finishing up your classes this semester?  

We will be honoring our December BWI Graduates on December 4th during the final chapel service for this year.

We are excited to celebrate with our graduating students and their families on their accomplishment of completing their certificate or diploma in Women's Studies.  

If you have completed all of your required classes and would like to participate please complete the Graduation Application (click here for app) and turn it into the Women's Life Office by tomorrow, Friday, November 16th.  

Questions?  Contact us at (919) 761-2340 or womenslife@sebts.edu.  

On Monday, October 22nd Connecting Point hosted the second women's event of the year.  We had such a blast at this event.  The focus of the night was to learn how to serve the large international population right here in the Raleigh/Wake Forest area.  We had the privilege to hear from World Relief and NC State's SIT.  The ladies were able to see ways that they could get involved during their season here at SEBTS.  

Check out some pictures of the event below! 

Local restaurants gave an awesome spread of international foods that were absolutely delicious!  Olive Garden donated mini-size tiramisu, Charlie's Kabobs donated hummus, and Las Margaritas donated chips and salsa!  We are so very thankful for our local restaurants that love our Southeastern students and are willing to donate their yummy food! We also had some egg rolls from Hong Kong Restaurant here in Wake Forest.  Needless to say the food was a big hit! 

 

Attendees also learned some basic Korean conversation starters and a song.  There was also dancing! Yep, that's right! Sheena and her dance class taught us some Bali-style Indian dance moves. 

 

 

Major props to our Connecting Point Team for putting together this fun and informational event! 
Photos courtesy of Carrie Gilliam.

Our next event will not be until February.  At this event we will be focusing on the issue of sex-trafficking.  You will not want to miss this event! 

Join us THIS SATURDAY for the annual Craft & Bake Sale! 

The event is held in the Ledford Center Gym from 9am to 3pm.  

Free admission and open to the public! 

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to get a head start on Christmas shopping, as well as support our SEBTS students & families as they sell a wide variety of items.  We have over 80 vendors this year that are selling homemade decor & accessories, delicious baked goods, baby items and much more!  There will also be representatives from companies such as Mary Kay, Thirty-One Products & Visalus.  

Invite a friend and come join us Saturday! 

 
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