12 Pearls of Christmas - Day 6: Leslie Gould

12 Pearls of Christmas - Day 6: Leslie Gould
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace (a GREAT gift!) to give to a friend or for yourself.

***

Year of Adversity Brings Joy
By Leslie Gould

I’ve been writing Amish fiction for nearly three years now—telling stories about non-resistant people who live a simple life. It’s a nice reprieve from my own life.

When my husband, Peter, joined the Army Reserve back in the mid 1980s, I wasn’t thrilled about it. Nor did I believe him when he said he’d probably never see action. Sure, the Cold War was ending and—for a short time—all seemed well in the world, but I had a degree in history. I knew better. I didn’t want to be a controlling wife (as new to the job as I was!) and come out and say he absolutely couldn’t do it. And it did help that he was joining a medical unit. Still I had my reservations.

We’ve been far more fortunate than many military families, but still it’s been quite a ride. The first exciting episode began in 1990 when Peter flew to Germany on Christmas Eve to work in an Army hospital during Desert Storm, leaving me behind with our two young sons. During the next twenty years, Peter went from being a Lt. to being a Col. and commanding a unit. Countless maneuvers and a mobilization occurred during that time, but his Army Reserve career culminated in his deployment to Afghanistan in 2011.

My days throughout last year were an odd combination of hearing the daily news from a war zone via Skype and then writing about the plain life of the Amish. By last December I was working on my third Amish novel of the year while, in contrast, Peter and his field hospital staff had cared for hundreds of NATO soldiers and Afghan nationals, endured ten months of rocket fire, and continued to grieve the killing of one of their own.

Surprisingly, what seemed like it might be our worst Christmas ever, even harder than in 1990, wasn’t. Our four children (one teen and three young adults now) rallied to help make it a memorable day. We counted our blessings—Peter was well, we had all we needed, and God was at work in the life of our family. The result was an underlying joy, deeper than what we’d felt during past Christmases.

In reflection, I wrote: When it started, I thought 2011 might be one of our worst years. But it hasn’t been. Sure, it’s been one of our hardest, but a lot of good has come from it.

That was evident on Christmas morning as we Skyped with Peter. We were so thankful for the good connection and for all of us to be “together” that we hardly noticed we really weren’t.

This December, Peter is back at his civilian job (as a manager for a hospital corporation) and also commanding a nearby Army Reserve unit, which means one weekend a month and plenty of evenings—but no rockets or causalities.

I’m working on a new Amish novel and still enjoying my “time” with those who practice non-resistance, which doesn’t discount the appreciation I have for my husband’s service. I’ve even grown to the place where I’m thankful he joined the military. They’ve served each other well.

Our year of adversity resulted in a deep joy. I’m pretty sure it will carry over to this Christmas as well.

***
Leslie Gould is the award-winning author of fifteen novels, including the #1 bestseller and Christy Award winner The Amish Midwife, co-written with Mindy Starns Clark. Her latest release is Courting Cate, a retelling of the “Taming of the Shrew.” Leslie lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children. www.lesliegould.com

Disclaimer: This post is a partial copy of a event I did back in 2012. I was not offered compensation or product for posting. If you choose to purchase any of the books linked to this post from Amazon I may or may not receive a small percentage from the sale.

12 Pearls of Christmas - Day 5: Glynnis Whitwer

12 Pearls of Christmas - Day 5: Glynnis Whitwer
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace (a GREAT gift!) to give to a friend or for yourself.

***

Will They Know What it Cost?
By Glynnis Whitwer

My daughter Cathrine went on a field trip to the Grand Canyon when she was in fourth grade. As I picked her up upon her return, she couldn’t wait to show me an adorable little stuffed brown bear she’d bought as a gift. She started to say that it was for everyone—meaning her three brothers and sister—but then her words got jumbled. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to explain how she ran out of money when trying to buy gifts. Her distress was obvious.

To understand fully, it might help to know that Cathrine was born in Africa and experienced deprivation of every sort for the first eleven years of her life. At thirteen years old, she was only in fourth grade. And although she has made remarkable gains, even now she struggles with communication and math—especially money.

Later that night I finally understood what Cathrine was trying to tell me about the bear. She had taken twenty dollars of her own money to buy herself a souvenir. But before buying herself something, she wanted to buy some small gifts. So she started with two of her teachers and bought them each a small ring with the first initial of their last names. I looked at the price on the rings and realized each was $3.99. Times that by two, add tax, and Cathrine would have been left with eleven dollars for other gifts and herself.

I imagine she stood at the gift store counter bewildered by what she had just done. She was probably embarrassed to ask any of her classmates for help. And maybe the teacher wasn't around. There she stood with just over half of her money, and three brothers and a sister left to buy for. She decided to get a group gift, and that’s where the bear came in.

Standing in our kitchen, looking at the three items she purchased, I smiled brightly and told her everyone was going to love their gifts and that she’d made wonderful purchases. She smiled back, and the night ended well.

The next morning as she wrapped up the little rings, I kept thinking about those two teachers who were going to receive a gift that day. All they would see is a little silver ring. I knew they would be very loving and appreciative. But would they truly understand the sacrifice Cathrine made?

Would they understand their gifts cost Cathrine half of what she had? Would they ever know the frustration and worry Cathrine felt as she realized she didn't have enough to buy her family any gifts? Would they treasure those little rings, or would they put them in a drawer with gifts from other students throughout the year?

As I pondered these thoughts, I considered a gift I was given two thousand years ago: Jesus. God sent His Son into the world as a baby, knowing He would die on a cross for me. The cost of this gift staggers me.

As I decorate my tree and shop for my family, I’m reminded of what my freedom cost my Heavenly Father. Do I truly understand the sacrifice of that gift? Do I understand the anguish God the Father must have felt sending His Son? Do I treasure this gift, or do I take it for granted?

Christmas is a time for celebration. But it’s also a time to remember God’s sacrifice. For it is in understanding the cost, that we fully appreciate the gift.

Meet Glynnis Whitwer
***
Glynnis Whitwer is an executive director with Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is one of the writers of Encouragement for Today, the Proverbs 31 e-mail devotions, with over 500,000 daily readers. Her newest book, I Used to be So Organized, was released last fall. Glynnis, her husband Tod, and their five children live in Glendale, Arizona. Visit www.GlynnisWhitwer.com for more information.

Disclaimer: This post is a partial copy of a event I did back in 2012. I was not offered compensation or product for posting. If you choose to purchase any of the books linked to this post from Amazon I may or may not receive a small percentage from the sale.

12 Pearls of Christmas - Day 4: Margaret McSweeney

Pearls of Christmas revisited - Day 4: Margaret McSweeney

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace (a GREAT gift!) to give to a friend or for yourself.

***

A Mistletoe Medley

By Margaret McSweeney

“You have breast cancer.” Those four words my doctor said the week of Mother’s Day 2012 have forever changed my life. Mere months after my fiftieth birthday, I encountered this unexpected “lump in the road” and ventured through a major detour after reaching my half-century mark.

Through this “grit,” God has covered me with His amazing grace! At the same time of my diagnosis, two books released: Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith along with Aftermath: Growing in Grace Through Grief. During this Christmas season, I rejoice that my cancer was caught and treated at an early stage. After six weeks of “daily radiance” (AKA radiation therapy), I started my daily dose of Tamoxifen to help battle any potential cells that might cause a recurrence. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

While writing Aftermath and sharing my journey of grief as an adult orphan, I experienced several “hugs from heaven” as I discovered family letters, journals, and even a video in which my mother shares her faith. This is a mistletoe medley from my mother’s heart:

Each Christmas season my father used to go down into the woods behind our home and bring us back some mistletoe. It was a present that my sister and I loved. We’d tie it with bright ribbons and would hang it over several doorways in the house.

It was always fun of course for a Christmas party, but it came to mean more than that to us. It seemed to become a symbol of the meaning of Christmas: Love, God’s love for the world that prompted Him to send Christ to become our Savior. Somehow it seemed to enhance our love for each other as a family. And we found ourselves stepping under the mistletoe to give someone a hug or to plant a kiss on someone’s cheek and say, “I love you.”

I thought of these mistletoe Christmases during my mother’s losing battle with cancer. I penned my thoughts like this:

Illness, you ugly parasite!

Like mistletoe, you’ve entrenched yourself upon my body!

As you bloom and grow, you feed upon my strength.

I shall fight!

Battalions stand by to help!

My doctor’s scalpel will sever you.

Modern medicine will shrivel you.

You shall fall to the ground,

And I shall stand again strong and well.

But what if I cannot conquer you?

If you are with me still

As my constant, inevitable companion,

I pray that God will help me

Learn to live with you in peace

And somehow discover how you, my enemy—

Like mistletoe at Christmas—

Can serve some useful purpose.

There are times when we cannot rid our lives of things that hurt such as pain or grief, loss, illness, sorrow. Sometimes they’re with us as our inevitable companions and we must learn to make peace with them.

Those are the times when we can ask God through Christ to help us transform the loneliness, the pain, the grief, the loss-symbolically into something that can serve a useful purpose in our lives.

May you feel an extra “hug from heaven” this Christmas season from the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. God is present, and He knows your name!
*Text quoted from Aftermath (New Hope, 2012) by Margaret McSweeney, pp 114-115

***

WebTalkRadio.net Host Margaret McSweeny is a well-published author and freelance writer for the 411 Voices and the Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. She is the author of Aftermath, A Mother's Heart Knows and Go Back and Be Happy. She is also the founder of Pearl Girls™ and the general editor of the Pearl Girls™ books; Mother of Pearl and Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace. All proceeds from the sales of the Pearl Girls™ books go to charity. For the past five years, she has served on the board of directors for WINGS, an organization that helps abused women and their children get a new start in life. Margaret would love to meet you too. Follow her on twitter or friend her on facebook. You can also keep up with Margaret at Kitchen Chat or on facebook. Margaret lives with her husband and two daughters in the Chicago suburbs.

Disclaimer: This post is a partial copy of a event I did back in 2012. I was not offered compensation or product for posting. If you choose to purchase any of the books linked to this post from Amazon I may or may not receive a small percentage from the sale.

Pearls of Christmas ~ Day 3: Debora Coty

Pearls of Christmas revisited - Day 3: Debora Coty
Welcome to the12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace (a GREAT gift!) to give to a friend or for yourself.

***
Who is Mr. Carbunkle?
By: Debora M. Coty

In a dream this November, I was playing Clue (remember that board game from your childhood?) with three friendly strangers. We were each moving our pieces from room to room in the mysterious mansion trying to figure out who-done-it.

So far we knew it wasn’t Miss Scarlet in the parlor with a candlestick . . . or Colonel Mustard in the drawing room with a wrench.

With a voice bursting with sudden enlightenment, the player to my right announced, “Why, it’s Mr. Carbunkle!*”

My other two opponents and I looked at one another in bewilderment. Everyone knew there was no such character in this game.

It seemed my lot to state the obvious. “Who is Mr. Carbunkle?”

The words continued to ring in my head as I sat straight up in bed. I must have spoken the question aloud to jerk me awake so.

Who is Mr. Carbunkle?

And then I knew. I knew just as surely as if the Almighty had sent me an e-mail titled, “Hey, Deb, here’s your answer.”

I had been praying for several weeks about how Papa God would like me to use my writing tithe this year. It’s been my custom, for the nine years I’ve written professionally, to give away each December (anonymously, if possible) ten percent of that year’s income from my writing ministry to someone the Lord designates.

The sum isn’t really all that much in the grand scheme of things (contrary to popular belief, Christian writers don’t get rich), but it’s enough to bless somebody in their celebration of Christ’s birth with the knowledge that their Heavenly Father knows about their needs . . . and cares.

I thought about the only Mr. Carbunkle I knew—the one who attends our church, a quiet, unassuming man who’d been out of work for more than a year. I confess that I knew about his plight but hadn’t really given it much thought—or prayer—lately. Although he never complained, I knew his family must be struggling.

So Mr. Carbunkle it is.

You know, there are lots of Mr. Carbunkles out there who would be blessed mightily by a love-gift from you this Christmas. It doesn’t have to be money; it could be help with yard work, or home repairs, or a loaf of banana bread, or best of all, a gift of your time. Thirty minutes of your undivided attention for a lonely soul who needs to know Papa God knows his or her needs … and cares.

Who is your Mr. Carbunkle?

Don’t have a Clue? I know someone who does. Just ask Him.

*Name changed for privacy

***

Debora Coty is an occupational therapist, a piano teacher, and a freelance writer. She's also involved in the children's ministry at her church and is an avid tennis player. Debora began writing to fill the void when her last child left for college, and it has since become a passion. Debora has a real knack for getting across sound biblical concepts with a refreshing lightheartedness as attested in her monthly newspaper column entitled "Grace Notes: God's Grace for Everyday Living." Look for Fear, Faith and a Fist Full of Chocolate in February of 2013. Follow her website @ http://deboracoty.com

Disclaimer: This post is a partial copy of a event I did back in 2012. I was not offered compensation or product for posting. If you choose to purchase any of the books linked to this post from Amazon I may or may not receive a small percentage from the sale.

Pearls of Christmas ~ Day 2 Christy Fitzwater

Pearls of Christmas - Day 2: Christy Fitzwater
Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series ~ Revisited

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace (a GREAT gift!) to give to a friend or for yourself.

***

An Inexpensive New Christmas Tradition
By: Christy Fitzwater

I was invited to play some Christmas carols on the piano for a senior-adult luncheon, but before I got up to play they had a time for the seniors to share what they remembered as their favorite Christmas gifts.

There was talk of new bicycles, a pony, and a new dress.

Then one elderly man took the microphone and said, “An orange.” When he was young, an orange was a rare treat. As he spoke, he got choked up and had to stop talking to collect himself. He explained that his Sunday School was giving an orange for anyone who memorized a Bible verse. He tearfully described earning that delicious orange and slowly savoring every bite. When he was done eating the orange, he put the peel on the furnace so it would dry, and then he chewed on the peel.

He said with conviction, “We just don’t know how rich we are in this country.”
Christmas is usually the time when I feel broke. I tuck away money for gifts all year long, but money doesn’t go very far these days. My husband and I love to spoil our kids and try to scheme how to get them a big-ticket item. We’ve enjoyed the Christmas mornings when we’ve been able to enjoy watching our kids open such gifts as an electric guitar or an iPad.

I stopped to imagine how our whole family would feel if, on Christmas morning, the only gift under the tree was a small basket cradling an orange for each of us. I think we would feel disappointment and great loss. What would we do the rest of the morning if not consumed by opening gift after gift? Where would the focus be?
Our years of wealth make thankfulness for an orange seem ludicrous.

As I processed this man’s story, I decided what we lack at Christmas isn’t money to buy nice gifts—it’s gratitude to relish the simple treasures we enjoy every day.
This Christmas I am going to begin a new tradition for my family, and I would invite your family to do the same. I am going to place a small basket with four oranges under the tree, along with a printed copy of the man’s story of the orange. We’re going to pause at some point in the morning and each hold an orange while we read the story. And then we’re going to hold those oranges up to our noses and breathe in the fragrance God built into it, peel it slowly, and enjoy each juicy bite. And while we eat it, we’ll each speak thankfulness to the Lord for the grace He has poured into our lives.

In that moment, we’ll know how rich we are.

Christy Fitzwater is a writer and pastor’s wife living in Kalispell, Montana. She is the mother of a daughter in college and a high-school boy. Read her personal blog at christyfitzwater.com

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Grab your coffee

Disclaimer: This post is a partial copy of a event I did back in 2012. I was not offered compensation or product for posting. If you choose to purchase any of the books linked to this post from Amazon I may or may not receive a small percentage from the sale.

The 12 pearls of Christmas ~ revisited

This month I want to revisit the 12 pearls of Christmas. A series I participated in on the other GivingNSharing blog (that I can't access to post on) way back in 2012. The links don't seem to work anymore so I'm going to just be sharing the devotional each day.

The 12 pearls of Christmas Revisited
Day 1 ~ Susan May Warren

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace (a GREAT gift!) to give to a friend or for yourself.

***

God with Us . . . And Us with Him

By: Susan May Warren

Every year over labor day weekend, the Warren family has a MWE. Mandatory Warren Event. It’s a call to come home and enjoy the long weekend with our favorite people. Since my children have left for college, I relish every second of this weekend—the laughter in the kitchen, the long conversations in the family room, the frenzy of backyard football, the quietness of the morning as we drink coffee on the deck and watch the sunrise. I cherish these people, and when they are with me, I drink in their presence.

I’ve been reading the prophecies about Christ this season and came across Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

I am struck by the word Immanuel. God with us. The closest I get to comprehending this is reading about how Jesus’ loved his disciples. Surely they relished the time with him more profoundly after his resurrection, knowing he would soon leave.

Thankfully, he didn’t leave them for long and sent His Holy Spirit. God . . . still with them. 

As I consider the magnitude of this God who would come to earth, who would abide with the disciples, and then with me, I have to wonder not only do I relish God’s presence in my life, but does God relish time with me? Am I committed to embracing His entrance into my life? Am I even making the effort to see Him?

Imagine that during our MWE weekend, I ignored my children, and they, me? I would lose the joy of their presence.

It is not surprising to me that the Jewish people did not recognize their Savior. After all, who would guess that the Almighty might package himself as a baby and appear among them, fragile and dependent? But today, we know the story, we know the miracles, we know the truth, and God invites us into an abundant relationship, one that He wishes to relish, one that will change us. A relationship that will slake our thirsts and satisfy our hungers. One that reminds us that we are never alone.

Because every day we are a mandatory event to our Immanuel.

This season, look for the ways that God is your Immanuel, with you, every day.

Susan May Warren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 40 novels. With over 750,000 books in print, her stories of family, romance and adventure have earned her acclaim and reader fans from around the world. Visit her website for upcoming books and sneak peeks!

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Disclaimer: This post is a partial copy of a event I did back in 2012. I was not offered compensation or product for posting.

What does it mean when you "shop small"?

Say NO to mass-produced! 

1) Handmade usually means BETTER quality items individually made by hand from a skilled small shop maker.

2) Small shop owners have the ability to make each & every customer feel special when they do business with them. Imagine walking into a big box store and asking employee #1639 to drop what they're doing and find XYZ, read the title of the product and then hand you 10 boxes individually while you decide what you need. While they are doing that they are listening to your needs and WHY you need 10 of them. At the same time their ear piece is blaring in their ear telling them that there was a spill in aisle 24 and that as man and woman with a baby in the cart just walked out with a big screen tv under their coat.... 

3)  When you shop small:

- 70% of the purchase price generally goes right back into the local economy of       that shop's location.

- You help create jobs for single parents, stay at home moms, elderly people trying to stretch their income a bit more. Small businesses create 2 out of every 3 new jobs in the US and employ over 1/2 of the people in the workforce.

- You're allowing a small shop owner to buy groceries, pay utility bills, pay for      medical needs, give dance lessons, pay for team uniforms, and more. It helps with family budgets and pays for the little extras!

- You aren't supporting billionaires and lining the pockets of a corporate CEO                driving that sports car and living in a gated community. 

Begin by visiting The Handmade Pledge and commit to purchase handmade items for you, your loved ones and to ask others to do te same when buying this holiday shopping season.

2nd, Rock the Sock and start filling up your shopping list when you click the following image:

Disclaimer: I was not asked to post for GSHandmade and no compensation was received. I do have a shop on GSHandmade and that is the only way I may receive any compensation.

And life continues... Shoes for Crews review

Hi everyone - well, life continues. I'm finding I'm really enjoying my new job now that the stress and frustration of not knowing what I'm doing and worry about finances is finally easing up. My feet are still causing me many, many problems tho. I will be sharing some mini reviews of the shoes I order and try. Hopefully others will benefit from my experience.

Yesterday my 3rd pair of tennis shoes (in 3 months) were delivered. I bought a pair of Dr Scholls shoes when I began the new job. I've used that brand for years and other than occasional issues with achy feet did very well with them. I did have to use plantar fasciitis insoles with them when I had issues with that. Between the insoles and my chiropractor I hadn't had issues for quite a while with that kind of pain. So, I bought a new pair for work.

Then the serious pain began. At first I just figured I was out of shape and needed to work up some endurance since this job is 100% walking. I was expecting back and hip pain. I've had absolutely none of that. It's all in my feet, ankles and legs. The chiropractor says it's in my calves though.

So I ordered pair 2 from Shoes for Crews online. They were recommended by my good friend Marybeth. Her husband has used them for years and loves them. They had great reviews for plantar fasciitis and foot/leg pain. I signed up for their newsletter and received a 20% discount to use on my first pair. Paid $71 I think for a pair of the Revolution II. Unfortunately I barely managed to wear them for 1 1/2 days before I had to set them aside. My pain intensified & I barely made it home. I even had to write my boss and tell her I may need to take the next day off to get my pain to go down.

The Revolution II is a cute pair of shoes - with a hard sole that isn't flexible at all. I knew as soon as I removed it from the box it wasn't going to work but I gave them a try anyway. This pair of shoes has a noticeable arch support, the tongue rides up against the front of the ankle (which was very uncomfortable and triggered my nerve pain in that area). They are very roomy in the toe area and didn't seem to be very heavy to walk in and I think could be comfortable for many people that aren't dealing with nerve pain in the feet and ankles.

So, as the company has a 30 day return/exchange policy on shoes I'm going to try to order another pair that hopefully will work for me. I'm looking

at the Jasmine I think. I've been emailing customer service back and forth for the last several days and Sabrina from customer service was able to find a pair of the Jasmine shoes in the office and she told me that the sole is flexible and that the toe area will bend. So, I guess I'll give those a try. They are a bit more casual and will look nice with slacks, jeans and shorts. Fingers crossed they work. I'll post another mini review when I receive the new pair and let you know my thoughts.

Customer service with Shoes from Crews has been great. I get prompt response to my emails and they have been willing to figure out if a shoe has a flexible sole if they can. Evidently they don't work in the same place the shoes are shipped out of. I have a feeling I'm going to be losing money in this endeavor since the Jasmine are about $10 cheaper and I'm sure I'll have to pay to ship them back in forth while I try to find a pair I can actually wear. I strongly suggest you read the return policy - there is a $6.95 restocking fee and you have to cover the original shipping fee (which I had to pay at time of ordering) so I guess I pay shipping each time I return the shoes to exchange or get a refund. I'll let you know when I update you... I don't do a lot of shopping online obviously.

If you're looking for new shoes that are supportive and styish visit Shoes from Crews. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get the discount. I think their prices are comparable to what you'd pay at Kohl's or JcPennys.

Stay tuned for an update and more reviews until I find the shoes I can wear with little to no pain.

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Disclaimer: This mini review is my honest opinion and shares my experience with this company. I was not asked to post a review, received nothing in exchanged for my review and I will not receive anything as compensation. I am not an affiliate of the company.