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Why We Stopped Going House to House for the Holidays

We hit a breaking point. We were so tired of rushing from house to house; we had truly begun to dread holidays. It was time to make a change for our family.

WATCH: Hobby Lobby Lights Up Mom Hearts With Viral Christmas Ad

Has Hobby Lobby entered the world of emotionally persuasive holiday short-form cinema? It would certainly seem so! And their Christmas ad effort is 100% geared toward what is undoubtedly their most loyal customer: busy (exhausted, out-of-time) moms.

“This Christmas I Want Food”: What These Foster Kids Want For Christmas Is Heartbreaking

None of them asked for this year’s hottest toy, or another video game to add to their collection. No, the children who filled out these tags listed their “innermost dreams”—things that should be part of everyone’s childhood.

Mom of 3 Drains Family’s Bank Account to $7—Her Husband’s Response Knocks Her Breathless

I knew when I got home I’d be greeted by a tiny, grinning face peeking through the mini blinds, and also by a small crowd running out the door to help carry my bags after smothering me with excited kisses. They would say a million times, “I love you, Mommy,” and it was the soundtrack of my life that never grew old. Somehow God had entrusted these little angels into my charge, and every day in their presence was like opening a present, again and again, but never losing its magic. Sure, parenting was exhausting and frustrating at times, but it was also the best gift I’d ever been given.

When I left work I had seen a rainbow in the sky. A promise from God to not harm His people. I wasn’t promised that life would be without challenges or that problems wouldn’t come my way, but I was promised a future without harm, a future that was prosperous. It’s just that prosperity isn’t always a full bank account. Sometimes, most times, prosperity is a full heart. My daily walk was overflowing with miracles, and when you could see beyond your battles you’d see your blessing.

Inconvenient red lights didn’t carry as much weight, and dwindling account balances didn’t cause me to break. Slow internet was just that. An aggravating work day no big deal. God’s promise outweighed my problems and seeing my abundant blessings was a simple reminder of His goodness. It was easy to get distracted by life’s downfalls, but it was just as easy to find the silver lining of any storm cloud.

Brie Gowen
Brie Gowenhttp://briegowen.com/
Brie Gowen is a 30-something (sliding ever closer to 40-something) wife and mother. When she’s not loving on her hubby, chasing after the toddler or playing princess with her four-year-old, she enjoys cooking, reading and writing down her thoughts to share with others. Brie is also a huge lover of Jesus. She finds immense joy in the peace a relationship with her Savior provides, and she might just tell you about it sometime. She’d love for you to check out her blog at BrieGowen.com.

Why We Stopped Going House to House for the Holidays

We hit a breaking point. We were so tired of rushing from house to house; we had truly begun to dread holidays. It was time to make a change for our family.

WATCH: Hobby Lobby Lights Up Mom Hearts With Viral Christmas Ad

Has Hobby Lobby entered the world of emotionally persuasive holiday short-form cinema? It would certainly seem so! And their Christmas ad effort is 100% geared toward what is undoubtedly their most loyal customer: busy (exhausted, out-of-time) moms.

“This Christmas I Want Food”: What These Foster Kids Want For Christmas Is Heartbreaking

None of them asked for this year’s hottest toy, or another video game to add to their collection. No, the children who filled out these tags listed their “innermost dreams”—things that should be part of everyone’s childhood.