Christmas Time

Read all the way to the bottom for an Amazing Christmas Video!!!

Christmas Time: what a wonderful joyous time of year!.....Also maybe one of the most stressful times of year….presents to buy, family gatherings to plan and attend, decorations to put up, yada, yada, yada. Keeping up with all the holiday extravagance seems overwhelming at times. I’ll be honest-being a child at Christmas time is so much more fun than being an adult. Shopping for presents seemed to be more fun, so did going to the family gatherings. No arguing or debating-just joy and celebrations.

As adults, while we need to share the real reason for the season with children, maybe the reason we share is so that in amongst all the planning and decorating and shopping, we remember the real reason for the season too. Here is short explanation of our Christmas Traditions: 

Christmas Tree: The first Christmas Tree was decorated in the year 1500 by Martin Luther. While there is a longer history to decorating trees, Luther decorated the first tree in honor of Christ’s Birth. Over the next few hundred years, decorating a tree become popular within the Germanic countries, and later spread to the rest of the world. As the tree is cut down and erected again, the tree has come to symbolize the Christ’s resurrection. (Don’t worry-if you don’t have a live tree in your home-the symbolization is still present). 

 

Candy Cane: The candy cane is purposefully shaped like a shepherds staff to symbolize Jesus coming as a shepherd of people. The red signifies Christ’s suffering while the white signifies Christ’s purity. This year, I for one want to make CandyCane’s out of sugar cookie dough, using food coloring. 

Gifts: The idea of giving gifts came from the Three Wise Men. The Three Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the Messiah, Jesus. Our greatest gift of course is Jesus Christ-he is the reason we celebrate and the reason we give gifts to one another. 

As you prepare for the coming of Christmas, including buying gifts, remember the reason for the season. Remember the purpose of the gifts you buy and buy gifts that those you care for that they both desire and need (And don't forget we are always here and willing to help you!) Remember to spend time with friends and family, to cherish those you are with and care most about. Cherish each moment you have and hold tight to the promises of the Advent season and the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

As promised here is the awesome video I promised! Check it out and check out more from PianoGuys Christmas Album for SALE in-store now!

 

What's New in Books?

If your searching for some new books to read all you have to do is ask! Searching for new books may seem like a daunting task with so MANY new books on the market. Let us help-here are a few recently released books that you may find interesting. I've tried to include a variety of books in this list-but if I'm missing what you are searching for, please come in and visit us, call, or leave a comment and we will do our best to help you-even if we have to do some searching!

If your into BIOGRAPHIES:

If you enjoy watching Fixer Upper or the book The Magnolia Story, check out the lastest book from Chip Gaines called Capital Gaines:

In this semi-humble account of a man on a mission, Chip Gaines is living proof of how one's fearless dedication and love for both business and family can redefine modern success. "Some of the greatest success stories of all time come from people who were misunderstood or even miscategorized. Maybe their strengths weren't noticed or valued. Perhaps they got a slow start or went about things in an unusualy manner. They somehow didn't fit into the world's narrow definition of what constitutes achievement or success," Chip Gaines. Here is the honest (and often humorous) account of Chip's personal journey, in both business and life. "Your purpose is just like mine. It's big, and it's important, and there's no one else anywhere on the planet who can fulfill it. So quit messing around-and go get'em," Chip Gaines. 

Gaines, Chip. Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff. 2017.

For music lovers (musicians and listeners alike), here is a story of a leading country artist who gives a message to all in his book: Never Look at the Empty Seats: A Memoir by Charlie Daniels

Charlie was officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016, shortly before his eightieth birthday. He now shares the inside stories, reflections, and rare personal photographs from his earliest days in the 1940s to his self-taught guitar and fiddle playing high school days of the fifties through his rise to music stardom in the seventies, eighties, and beyond. "Walk onstage with a positive attitude...Some nights you have more to give than others, but put it all out there every show," Charlie Daniels. 

Daniels, Charlie. Never Look at the Empty Seats: A Memoir. 2017.

If your into FICTION: 

Jen Turano has written a new book called Out of the Ordinary. Whether you are familiar or not with Jen Turano's books, her stories are filled with history, humor, and a little romance. The main characters are typically independent females, finding themselves in interesting scenarios. Publishers Weekly on Behind the Scenes says, "With all the charm of a Regency romance, the humor of a drawing room farce, and the swoonworthy delight of a fariy tale." If you are looking for some history and humor-Jen Turano's books are for you! Turano, Jen. Out of the Ordinary. 2017.

Karen Kingsbury released her new book in the Baxter Family Series titled In This Moment. 

"This year would be different. Today was the first day of the new Hamilton High, and very soon at the assembly, Wendel Quinn would inform his students of the controverisal program. After today they would have a choice. If they wanted, they could raise the bar for their lives, their futures. No matter the cost to himself, Wendell could hardly wait to tell them about it. He closed the folder and studied the title again "In This Moment." The words came from his old youth football coach, Les Green. "You have to ask yourself," the coach used to say, "what good can I do in this moment?"

Kingsbury, Karen. In This Moment. 2017.

For those who are familiar with the TV Show, Movie, or original book: Christy by Catherine Marshall has been released in its 50th year anniversary. If you are like me, you watched the TV series on TV and hated when the show ended after one season, leaving you to wonder who did Christy choose? If you have yet to learn the ending to the story, or have read the story but long to read it again, check out the 50th Anniversary copy of Christy by Catherine Marshall. 

LOCAL BOOK: 

Ron Bowell is a local author and continues to write devotionals, which we carry in-store. Come and get his newest devotional book called Friar Tuck's Word of the Day.

Overwhelming Times

Do you ever feel like you can’t keep up? Like there is so much going on in your brain, in your life, in your significant other’s life, in your kids’, parents’, siblings’, students’, and on and on? Do you ever just feel bogged down by the weight of it all?

Maybe you took on too much, maybe it’s just this time of year, maybe it’s deadlines you don’t know if you can meet. Phone call after phone call trying to find answers….all the while dealing with other just as important details of your life.

God’s trying to get your attention! Trying to tell you everything will be okay. HE’s got this-you don’t have too. When everything seems like it’s snowballing out of control-HE’s in control so you don’t have to. When the answers seem few and far between or impossible to find, HE’s in control so you don’t have too. When you feel like you’re “lost in space” with direction-it’s okay, He’s got this.

No matter what, God’s got you, everyone around you, and everything in the palm of His hand.

So….take a Deep Breath,

Remind yourself-God is in control (write it down somewhere you will see it as a constant reminder if you want to). Everything will turn out okay-the road may be bumpy in the process and the path may be difficult to follow at times, but the ending will be worth it.

And Remember: God is with you always.

Nashville Part II: Becoming Tourists

On Monday, while Carolyn stayed at the conference visiting with sales representatives, Karen, Karla & Krystal toured downtown Nashville. After navigating one way streets to find cheaper parking (always a fun task in cities), the three of us began walking towards Broadway Street. Now, when I say we walked-I mean-we walked everywhere! Karen kept track and we took enough steps in three hours to equal over a mile! It was very hot and muggy in Nashville while we were there-my hands were constantly clammy, I don’t think I could ever get used to that. , Due to the heat, we tried to take breaks in buildings as often as we could. We walked along Broadway Street, looked at souvenir shops and boot shops, walked to the middle of the bridge, and stopped in small stores along the way to the Ryman Auditorium. We definitely got our exercise in-maybe even a little too much! One of the most interesting parts of Broadway Street is as you walk by the restaurants, there is always live music being played in each one! It is interesting to hear bits and pieces of different songs as you walk along the street.

The Ryman Auditorium is chalk full of history-there is no better way to describe it. I am not sure I could even do the history of the Ryman Auditorium justice, but I will try to sum up a little of what we saw and learned. The Ryman Auditorium has a long history of religious meetings, music, conferences, and lectures. Originally the Ryman Auditorium was called the Nashville Tabernacle prior to the name change in 1904. While the Ryman Auditorium has a rich history, it is widely known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. After the Grand Ole Opry left the Ryman, the Ryman Auditorium was left vacant for years before being renovated and restored to its original glory in 1989. Currently the Ryman Auditorium continues to be used for music concerts of all genres on a regular basis!

On Tuesday morning, Karen, Karla & Krystal visited the Belle Meade Plantation. Carolyn visited the plantation on a prior CPE conference. The plantation was a beautiful combination of land and buildings. Although it is in a city, you wouldn’t know it while you are walking around the grounds as they are sheltered from the main road. The guided tour provides a viewing of the house with information about the original owners, the Hardings and their lineage. The fun part is-every boy born or married into the family was called William-so following along proved to be a challenge! But our tour guide kept us on track each time. The Belle Meade Plantation had several profitable industries on sight including a blacksmith shop, dairy, and most famously known for horses. The horses were bred and trained as race horses, and many people from all over the world sent their horses to breed or be trained at Belle Meade’s height. It was a beautiful location to visit and walk around and I would advise visiting the plantation if you are ever in Nashville!

Our final major tourist stop included all four of us at Belmont Mansion. Now for those of you avid fiction readers-if you are familiar with Tamera Alexander-you know that she has written three novels set at Belmont Mansion and three novels set at Belle Meade Plantation. As Carolyn and I have read almost all the books-these have been on our list to visit. (In fact I was incredibly jealous when Carolyn went to Belle Meade before and I couldn’t wait to go). Belmont again was a beautiful building on the outside. Our tour guide took us through the history of the portion of the home we were able to see, which was owned by Nashville’s most prominent woman-Adelicia Acklen. While the tour was very brief, walking around the university grounds was interesting to see what has remained the same (the gazebos are still the originals and the university students still use them to this day!)and what has changed over time.

That concludes the escapades of our trip. It was a whirlwind of a trip, jam-packed with activities. If you want to hear more stories please don’t hesitate to come into the store and ask us or leave a comment below! If you are interested in the places we visited-click on the links throughout the blog. Thanks for sharing in our trip!

BYBTS- Bring Your Bible to School-October 5th!

Hello all! There is an exciting event coming on Thursday called Bring Your Bible to School or as I’ve called it-BYBTS! Spurred by the God’s Not Dead and God’s Not Dead 2 movies in which religion is on attack in schools, Focus on the Family is sponsoring a nation-wide movement to bring bibles to school. And if you enter you can win a trip for FOUR to see NEWSBOYS in concert!

The idea of bibles being kept out of school is very real for me as when I was a high schooler we ran into issues bringing our bibles to school. A small group of us wanted to start a bible study club-we called it BYOB: Bring Your Own Bible. Unfortunately, the school refused to approve the club. While FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) is allowed as it is an after school activity, a bible club during school hours was not. One teacher heard about the issue, and said we could “unofficially” meet in her room. So we started our club and met in secrecy. It felt like we were back in another century meeting in secrecy. In reality, there are many countries where Christianity is still banned and Christians meet in secret and use secret codes to communicate and spread the Gospel.

Our idea to start the bible club came from the fact that several of us students brought our bibles to school to read during the required reading time during study hall. When I first saw a friend with a bible in school, I myself was shocked that it was okay to read a bible during school hours. As I brought my own bible, some students responded as I did, others responded rudely, and yet others did as I did and brought their own to read.

So on Thursday, October 5th-I encourage you to take your bible to school. Even if you aren’t reading your bible during that class-have it setting out on the corner of your desk. It doesn’t matter if you are in elementary school, middle school, high school, or college-bring your bible to class with you and see what kind of conversations or thoughts it may bring about to those around you.Here's a link to some do's and dont's to help you understand the process. For more information check out Bring Your Bible. AND- don’t forget to register to win a trip to a NEWSBOYS Concert!

Off to Nashville...Who Will We Meet?

Whew! What a weekend away….we are still trying to recover from a lack of sleep-but it was well worth the trip. We left Saturday afternoon drove to the west side of St. Louis stayed at a hotel, and drove the rest of the way to Nashville on Sunday-a grand total of 12 hours driving time, but what feels like much more after sitting in a car for that long. As soon as we arrived we literally hit the ground running with events.

Operation Christmas Child

After checking into our room and into the conference, we each grabbed a bag or suitcase to collect books in at the Author Meet & Greet. There were two rooms full of authors with their new books to sign and distribute! Many of the authors are brand new authors, who are writing for the first or second time. At one point, I literally found the suitcase to drop off one bag full of books-it was too heavy to carry! I have selected several books to read and review and provide at least one book review a month just from the show. Immediately following the meet and greet was dinner at the banquet-but entering the banquet hall even five minutes late, it was over half empty as many retailers and authors had missed the dinner memo! Never fear, they didn’t starve, they began eating as they filtered in. We concluded the evening by listening to a young adult who had received a Operation Christmas Child shoebox as a child and the impact it made on him (watch for a blog about that later), attended worship with Pastor and Author,  Charles Stanley and Singer Kathy Troccoli. Needless to say, by this point we were all tired and ready to return to our room, to relax and rest. Click the link below to see a video of the event-and Carolyn is in the video!!!  Video from the Author Meet & Greet by CPE

Candace Payne (Chewbacca Mom)

  Monday is devoted to meetings and the Sales Floor where retailers are able to meet with various companies.  As Carolyn is the buyer for the store, she went to the Sales Floor to meet with our Sales Representatives from the companies we sell from. In addition, Carolyn was able to meet with several new companies that were at the show and able to see their product for the first time. Over the next month or two we will begin receiving the orders placed at the show-so be sure to stop in and see the brand new items!!!

Monday evening the banquet started promptly at 6:30pm and the room was full of retailers, distributors, authors, and event hosts. It is always fun to sit with other store owners, distributors, and authors sharing about ourselves and our career ventures. At the banquet we got to hear from two incredibly wonderful speakers. First, Candace Payne (aka Chewbacca Mom) gave us her brief story which led to the writing of her new book, Laugh It Up. Candace Payne is a comedian and kept us all on edge waiting for the next piece of the story.

Jimmy Wayne

Jimmy Wayne sang one of his songs for us, then shared his heartbreaking story of his childhood to being in the foster care system to being a teenager living on the streets and the home he found with an elderly couple. He is an advocate for the kids in the foster care system and wrote his story in “A Walk to Beautiful” and a new book for kids called Ruby the Foster Dog (click on the title for a book review!). 

Colton and Annie Dixon

And then to our surprise we got to meet the authors and have their books signed before the movie! We also got a group picture with each…..and with Colton Dixon and his wife, Annie who were in line to meet the authors too!

When we thought our hearts could not be pulled at any more, we made our way to the movie, picking up pop and popcorn on the way to our seats. The movie we saw is “I Can Only Imagine.” If the title sounds familiar it is the story of how MercyMe’s Bart Millard wrote their hit song “I Can Only Imagine.” I will admit, this is not one of my favorite Christian songs. Many would scoff at me saying that but here’s why-it was so heavily played on the radio that as a young teen, I grew tired of hearing the song. I still battle this issue with radio today. But I can also recognize the importance this song had as it crossed over between Christian radio and secular radio stations. Here’s my review: this movie is important and worth seeing. Whether you are a fan of the song or not, if you don’t see the movie, you’ll regret it. The movie releases in theaters March 2018 with the book releasing in February. Here’s the YouTube video of the trailer:

Tuesday wrapped up the conference and ended at noon with a giveaway on the Sales Floor. Unfortunately we didn’t win the giveaway-but we did become tourists in Nashville. Check back soon to see our tourist escapades! If you'd like to hear more please comment below or come talk to us in-store. Also we have autographed books for sale in the store!

Books, Books, & Nashville!

This weekend will be a busy weekend for some of us at the store. First, Saturday September 16th, the author Sharon Garlough Brown will be presenting at the Women’s Retreat at Salina First Covenant Church. In addition, two of our staff members, Carolyn and Karla will be there manning the book table with the three books in the Sensible Shoes series. Tickets for the event are $10.00 each, and can be purchased at the Salina First Covenant Church.

As soon as the book table is finished, Carolyn and Karla will be joined by Karen and Krystal to head to a work conference in Nashville, Tennessee. But this is no ordinary work conference-it is a mother/daughter’s trip! We will be leaving for Nashville on Saturday afternoon from Salina with plans to arrive in Nashville on Sunday afternoon. There are sessions that we can attend, worship, devotions, exhibitors, and a few special events.

While I can’t speak for my Mom or sisters, I(Karla) am most excited about the Author Meet & Greet. I enjoy getting to meet my favorite authors and they sign books for us and sometimes take pictures-it’s like that whole backstage fan treatment! We don’t know what authors will be coming this year but it’s definitely a highlight of the trip.

One of the special events will be the showing of the new movie coming out based on the writing of the song “I Can Only Imagine.” The song became an impactful song for many believers and one of Mercyme’s earliest hits. The movie will be out in 2018. I look forward to sharing with you my take on the film without giving away any important details. If you want to see the trailer now you can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRXC72KSauE.

Our trip is not going to be all work and no-play, we have plans to visit the Belmont Mansion, Belle Meade Plantation (both of which are highlighted in several of Tamara Alexander’s books!!!), the downtown district where the original Grand Ol Opry theatre is, as well as a few other stops along the way.

If you want to check-in on our travels I, along with others, will be posting pictures on our Facebook and Twitter feed. We will be driving back to Salina on Wednesday. Prayers for safe travels, good new memories, for those we are leaving behind for a few days and for those at the store are appreciated. I look forward to sharing our trip with you after we return!

Facts About: Abundant Blessings

Hello and welcome to our first ever blog! Within our blog you may find a series of posts relating to product, upcoming events and event reviews, touching stories from our staff or customers, life events, or uplifting thoughts. We welcome your feedback and shared experiences in the comments section! If you would like to share your story privately or have something you would like shared, you may also email us.

As this is our first blog, we would like to introduce who we are as a store and as a people. First and foremost, our store name is Abundant Blessings Christian Store, based in Salina, Kansas. We are a private Christian retail store seeking to enhance the lives of people of all Christian faiths by providing them with the products for their Christian lifestyle thus seeking to bless those within central Kansas in their personal Christian faith journey. We seek to develop a personal relationship with our customers in order to provide them with a unique buying experience. We are here to care about you and support you!

From Left to Right: Sandy, Gerald, and Carolyn

Now a little about each of our current staff:

Carolyn Funk is the Store Manager. Along with two others, Carolyn opened the store in December of 2013. Carolyn has an extensive background in Christian retail as she has worked a few other Christian stores in Salina, Kansas. Carolyn works diligently to select and order unique, interesting gifts as well as the traditional and collectable gift items. Carolyn actively looks for book, music, and movie specials while bringing in new and favorites authors and music artists.

Gerald Funk is a part-owner and a great supporter around the store. If you couldn’t guess, Gerald and Carolyn are married and will celebrate their 35th anniversary this year! Gerald is in charge of hanging posters, building new displays, and keeping everything looking nice for us.

From Left to Right: Gerald, Carolyn, Marty, and Sandy

Sandy West is the third part owner. Sandy has many years of experience in Christian Retail with Carolyn and Marty. Sandy loves to talk and help customers find that perfect gift, book, or bible they may be looking for.

Marty is one of our retail clerks. She has worked in Christian Retail with Sandy and Carolyn for many years, in addition to working in retail for much longer. Marty is one of our expert display people (meaning she displays a lot of the product within the store!), is always smiling and willing to help.

Lee

Lee is one of our retail clerks. Lee has worked for Abundant Blessings almost since the store opened and worked at another Christian store previously in town, as well as having years of retail experience. She is always willing to help customers and help with any tasks needed to complete in the store.

Chris is one of our newer retail clerks as she just started working with us this summer. While Chris may be a newer staff member, she is always gracious and willing to help customers as she becomes much more familiar with our computer system and processes in the store.

Fred is one of our on-call staff. While Fred doesn’t work on a regular basis with us, he is always willing to step in when we need him to. Fred has a servant heart and loves to talk with customers and help them find what they need or to just be a listening ear.

Karla is one of our store clerks and manages our social media pages (and the primary blogger). Karla enjoys connecting with customers, assisting customers, and is learning more about how to utilize the social media pages to benefit you (the customer) most.

That is a little bit about us, our staff, and our journey as a store so far. Our upcoming post will be about a conference a few of us are attending in Nashville, Tennessee next week!