Substance of Living

This is a story about miracles, blessings, and the belief in angels. There are times throughout the year that I find myself cynical and sweet stories, such as this - even though it is fictional - restore my heart. Source Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at the McAllister Mall in Saint John. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? "Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister,  Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly. Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly. Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. W...

I'd like to take a moment to remember those who have left us this year or in past years before reading today's message. There are moment ous times th roughout our lives that we remember exactly what we were doing , where we were, and who we were with .  Last year, 2012, we had a few of those moments.   Twas' 11 days before Christmas around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through Heaven's Gate.  Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say. They remembered nothing that happened earlier that day. "Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.  "This is Heaven" declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house." When what to there wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and...

When the holidays and winter is upon you, do you often think about nesting?  Sweaters, scarves, mittens, warm coats, boots, fires in the fireplace, and of course hot cocoa are all some of the things we do to nest. Another thing we can do to warm up our homes and nest is to cover our dining chairs. Christmas Inspired Chair Covers Santa Hat Chair Cover by Uncommon Designs Red Ribbon with Pine Cone and Greenery Chair Cover by Happy Interiors Poinsettia and Burlap Chair Cover by I'm a Little Hanukkah Inspired Chair Covers Blue and White Chair Cover by Our Little Nest on the Lake White Faux Fur Chair Cover by Seasonal Home Decoration New Year's Eve Inspired Chair Covers Blue, White, and Silver New Year's Eve Chair Covers by Minimalisti Black and White Formal New Year's Eve Chair Covers by Elite Mobile DJ New Year's Eve Clock Chair Cover by Whimsy Decor New Year's Celebration Chair Cover by BHG Ho...

Merry Christmas!  December is about family and getting together to share special moments.  So, with all of us running around, we've selected a few books to enjoy this month when you get some spare time or need to unwind. Ways to give books this month: Be a Secret Santa and give a book to a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or family member anonymously Hostess Gift - Give each party attendee a book at the end of the evening Bring a book to give as a Hostess Gift when you're invited to a dinner or party Advent Calendar - Choose one person to give a book to each day or give a book to a different person each day Choose a theme to give - Christmas, cooking, mysteries, biographies, travel, hobbies Give a gift that fits each person's personality or hobby.  Say someone likes crafts and mysteries, did you know that there is a genre that includes these two items? White Christmas by Emma Lee-Potter Forever Christmas by Christine Lynxwiler Bah, Humbug! by Heath...

I'm not usually one for spouting off my political beliefs but this poem came in from a reader and I had to share with you. Twas the month before Christmas When all through our land, Not a Christian was praying Nor taking a stand. Why the PC Police had taken away The reason for Christmas - no one could say. The children were told by their schools not to sing About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things. It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would ...

This past summer we started a book club of sorts.  It certainly isn't a typical book club where we all get together and discuss books but more of a sharing of our favorite books, genres, and authors. He Sees You When You're Sleeping by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark One Glass is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones Do you belong to a book club?  How often do you meet?  How does your club work, do you pick out the books for the year, do you meet at someone's home? Whispers from the Heart: A Novel (Journals from the Heart) by Heather Hummel Joe Cafe by JD Mader If you're new to our book club and would like to get caught up, check out June , July , August , September , and October . We, at Substance of Living hope you're having fun and as always love hearing your thoughts and recommendations.  How would you like a more interactive book club where discussions are free-flowing? Tweet this Post P.S., Should you decide...

Do you LOVE chocolate?  (I do! I do!)  How about Dark Chocolate?  (Absolutely, without a question!!!)  Now, if you combine your love of chocolate with the deliciousness of Sea Salt along with the all-time favorite movie watching snack - Popcorn, then you have a snack that everyone will LOVE. The first time I made this, it was meant to be as a hostess gift.  Guess what?!  My lovely and oh so sexy Husband and I ate the entire first batch!  Can you say "Oink!"?  But we only tasted it one kernel at a time.  We rationed that we had to make sure it tasted good enough to give away.  Oops. The recipe is over on Adrianna's website A Cozy Kitchen and she attributes her good friend Johnna Lynn of Copper Peace for the actual creation. Chocolate Popcorn with Sea Salt Make sure you visit A Cozy Kitchen for the recipe because I followed it exactly with a few minor changes.  I used flavored chocolates. Start with fresh popcorn ker...