I am taking the day off, as normal, to spend some time with my family and celebrate our risen Savior!  In explaining why we celebrate Easter to Marley, I was reminded of how amazing our Savior is.  Not only did He pay the price for our sins on the cross, but He showed his amazing power by conquering something that nobody else had, death.  I am so thankful for a loving and kind God who is also holy and powerful!

I hope you all have a great day celebrating with your families as well!

I heard this song last week on the radio and just loved the sound of it.  I came home and searched for it on youtube and fell in love with the words!  I have listened to it more times than I care to share:)  Right after I found it, a good friend of my mother’s was hit with the tragic death of her son and daughter in law.  I was blessed to send her this song as a little bit of healing, and for the reminder that God knows and sees so much more than we do and that the trials of this life can be His mercies in disguise!

One of the reasons that I love what I do is that so many these days are affected by loss of jobs, financial crisis or just the tightening of wallets.  I love knowing that what I do can be a help to people in those situations.

What can be of even more help than I could ever hope to provide is the greatness of our God!  Listen to the song above, or HERE, for some encouragement if you find yourself in a trial right now.  Whether it be financial or some other difficulty you are facing, let your prayer be, “Give me grace to see beyond this moment here.  To believe that there is nothing left to fear!”

If you have a story of hope, share it in the comments below to encourage others who may need to see beyond this moment!

Looking for something FREE and fun to do with your family this weekend?  Check out this awesome list of ideas:

AC Moore – Saturday 1-5pm, Free Make & Take Kids’ "Fun Bug" Clay Pot, Klutz Face Painting, and Glass Block Decorating Demonstration.

AC Moore – Sunday 1-3pm, Candy Making Demonstration: Candy Coated Almonds.

Borders – Saturday 2pm, Free LEGO Racer: enjoy LEGO building, games & more! Best for ages 8-12. (Space is limited)

Disney Store – Saturday, Noon-2pm, Tangled Adventure: Free Activity sheet, games and fun! Minimum age for participation is 3 years. While supplies last.

Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores – Saturday 11am-1pm, Free Demo: Papercrafting with Cricut & Gypsy. 1-3pm, Free Demo: Foodcrafting with the Cricut Cake.

Lakeshore Learning – Saturday 11am-3pm, Free Brilliant Butterfly: create a butterfly using tissue paper, pom-poms and pipe stems!

Lowes Build and Grow – Saturday 10am-Noon, Kids build a Free Fortune Teller Game, where you ask a question, shake the game and look inside for the answer.

Michaels – Saturday 10am-Noon, Free Scrapbooking Page Make-It Take-It, Free Shadow Box Demo. Adult craft only.

Michaels – Sunday 1-3pm, The Knack Free Family Event – Make-It Take-It Bottle Caps: Design your own bottle cap creations.

Target – select a city to find free or reduced-price admission to arts and cultural events in your area, sponsored by Target.

Toys R Us – Sunday Noon-3pm, Nintendo 3DS Demo!

Walmart Event Finder – enter your zip code to see what is going on in your area.

*It’s always a good idea to call your local store to confirm participation!

Thanks KeepingCents!

Looking for some family fun this weekend without paying an arm and a leg?  Check out the list below and be sure to check with your local stores to make sure they are participating before heading out. 

AC Moore – Saturday 1-3pm, Wilton Cake Decorating Basics Demonstration!

Barnes & Noble – Saturday, Free Cup of Coffee when you have a bookseller give you a guided tour of the NOOK Color.

Borders – Saturday 2pm, Elmo’s Birthday Party – free games, songs, giveaways and more! There will be NO costumed characters.

Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores – Saturday 11am-1pm, Free Demo: Paper crafting with Cricut Personal Electronic Cutting Machine and Gypsy Design Center!

Lakeshore Learning – Saturday 11am-3pm, Free ‘My Very Own Storybook": kids create an accordion style book to tell their own story!

Lowes Build and Grow – Saturday 10am-Noon, Kids build a Free Race Car that includes a #48 sticker and a pull back motor!

Michaels – Saturday 10am-Noon, The Knack Family Event: My First Science Kit Demo. Ages 3+.

Pottery Barn Kids – Saturday, 10am-Noon & Sunday Noon-2pm, Live Peter Rabbit Appearance at Select Stores! Enjoy classic stories and take pictures with Peter Rabbit. Head over here to see participating stores.

Target – Saturday 9-11am, Dr Seuss Story Time: enjoy giveaways, coupons and hear Dr. Seuss favorites!

Walmart Event Finder – enter your zip code to see what is going on in your area.

Thanks KeepingCents!

Amazon is offering a free MP3 download of God Gave Me You by Dave Barnes.  This is a really pretty song!  Click HERE to download your freebie.  Thanks ChristianClippers!