Black Friday Books

                                                                        by Trina Boice
                                                                 www.trinaboice.com
                                                                 www.sisterthrifty.com

Now is the time to pick up an e-reader for Christmas or those expensive books you've been wanting!!

Saving money is all about being organized and thinking ahead.  Black Friday is a perfect example.   Most of us are completely exhausted after all of the busy activities of Thanksgiving and still have dirty dishes in the sink the next day, but the organized shopper wakes up early the next morning, ready to hit the stores and grab the bargains.  Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and it marks the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States.

The term dates back to at least 1966.  "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day.  More recently, the media have used it instead to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (turning a profit). In many cities it is not uncommon to see shoppers lined up for hours before stores with big sales open. Once inside the stores, shoppers rush around and snatch up what they can, as many stores have only a few of the big-draw items in stock. On occasion, some shoppers are so overly enthusiastic about the savings that injuries and even fatalities have been reported.   No savings is worth that!

This year, in hopes of surviving the rough economy, some stores have started their Black Friday sales already!  Check out these helpful web sites to find some of the great deals out there:

www.blackfriday.info  

www.bfads.net  

www.black-friday.net  

www.theblackfriday.com   

www.blackfriday.gottadeal.com  

www.retailmenot.com/black-friday  

Now, having said all of that, the best gifts are those which come from the heart, and not the shopping mall.  In a tight economy, we should never go into debt just to purchase gifts.  There are plenty of inexpensive, yet meaningful gifts we can give to our loved ones without breaking the bank.  Remember, spending quality time with others is priceless!

Many retailers allow discount code web sites to "leak" their sales information several days before Black Friday.  If you love to shop at a particular store, do a Google search with the name of that store, plus the words "Black Friday" and you might get to find out what steals and deals they'll be featuring after Turkey Day!  Target and Wal-Mart have already released some sneak peek info about nice discounts on their flagship door-buster electronic items.  BJ's Wholesale Club, Harbor Freight, and Ace Hardware have already released their Black Friday catalogs as well.

While the best deals are usually found in the wee hours of the morning when the stores first open, most retailers this year are planning on extending their bargains through the Thanksgiving weekend to encourage more consumers to spend their dollars and kick-start the Christmas shopping season.  Do a web search with your city’s name, plus the words “Black Friday” and you’ll find some store listings with their special hours.

Happy Turkey Day!

Be A Cheerful Giver

Edward Sanford Martin has said “Thanksgiving Day comes by statute once a year. To the honest man [or woman] it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”

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Though occasional days of thanksgiving were pronounced in the early days of our country, it was not until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving Day a National Holiday. At this time of year and particularly on Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded to offer our gratitude to the Lord, as well as to our family, friends and neighbors. As citizens of this great nation we have a rich heritage we can appreciate and be thankful for.

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We have been taught that we are to Love God and we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. How can we Love God, and how can we love our neighbor if we do not have the humility to show gratitude to them.

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The first reason it is important to show gratitude is that it shows our humility before the Lord and our love of Him. Like the healed Samaritan who returned to “Glorify God” and offer thanksgiving, we too can acknowledge the greatness of God by offering our gratitude directly through prayer, as well as indirectly by serving and being grateful to others.

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The 2nd reason we show gratitude is to show love for our neighbors.Acts of gratitude may be simple, but they are also powerful. A story is told of a grown man who had his memory pricked concerning a favorite teacher from grade school. He made the effort to locate this teacher and wrote her a brief note, offering his thanks for her teaching and care. The man later received a letter back from this elderly teacher, overcome by the note of thanksgiving she received. She explained that in all of her years of teaching, his note of gratitude was the first she had ever received. The simple note became a treasure to her.I believe as we show gratitude to others, our words and deeds of thanksgiving also praise God.

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As we love our neighbor we love our God. As we thank our neighbor, we thank our God and we are keeping the two great commandments.

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“Whatever language is spoken, “Thank you”, frequently expressed will cheer your spirit, broaden your friendships, and lift your lives to a higher pathway.” Thomas S. Monson

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Offering a simple thank you is easy to do and can have a tremendous impact on both the giver and the receiver.

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2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

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When we give repeatedly, we become a cheerful giver. When we are stingy in giving, the rare times that we do give become more of a struggle and we are less cheerful in giving. When we give our thanks and gratitude we are also giving a touch of joy and happiness. As we practice and make a habit out of showing gratitude to others we become cheerful givers.

We have so much to be thankful for. As we offer sincere gratitude we please the Lord and we are blessed with great joy and happiness. We can share that joy with others. Let us be cheerful givers of gratitude to the Lord and our neighbors.

I'm sorry this blogpost wasn't about writing, but showing gratitude impacts every facet of our lives, including writing, marketing and building meaningful relationships.

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Please take a moment to comment about one simple thing you are grateful for.