Merry Christmas from the MOMs at The MOM Initiative

  I LOVE watching the movie Elf!  It’s one of those movies that has given our family an arsenal of cute quotes to draw from at random.  Quotes like, “Smiling is my favorite!”     And, “There’s room for everyone on the Nice List.”   And I love when Buddy discovers that Santa is coming to the store and shouts, “Santa’s coming! I KNOW him!”   More importantly that a cheesy, cute fairly tell, is the stunning truth that JESUS IS COMING…and I REALLY KNOW HIM!  How about you? Because the truth is, there is no Santa. Not anymore. Yes…I know …

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Two Books Perfect for Moms This Christmas

As Christmas draws near, we are all busy shopping for the perfect gift for our loved ones. Today, I wanted to share two books that make great stocking stuffers for your mom, sister, friend, (or yourself!).  The first book is a devotional by Jennifer Rothschild. It’s called 66 Ways God Loves You and is all about experiencing God’s love for you in every book of the Bible. I’m a big fan of Jennifer, having met her last year when my church hosted Fresh Grounded Faith. In the introduction, Jennifer shares about how she lost her eye sight at fifteen and now …

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Surviving December With Small Kids

What do you get when you mix two young children, one tired mom, and a Christmas to-do list? Definitely not peace on Earth. “Don’t step there!” My hand jerked toward my toddler’s ankles, but too late. Her foot crunched a row of Christmas ornaments arranged meticulously on the rug, prepped for hanging. “I sorry, Momma!” Her sock hovered over a sparkly blue star, crushed into five pieces. “I told you to stay on the sofa! Sweetie, if you want to help Mommy decorate the tree, you need to be very careful around the ornaments. Now it’s broken.” Her bottom lip …

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How to Help Your Child Think About GIVING at Christmas more than GETTING - Lindsey Bell on The Mom Initiative

How to Help Your Kids Think More about GIVING at Christmas Than GETTING

I’d love to tell you that my children think more about GIVING at Christmas than they do about GETTING. I’d love to tell you that we spend just as much time serving others as we do shopping for ourselves.  Unfortunately, if you look at my checking account, credit card statement, or simply watch my family throughout the month, you’ll know that’s not the case.  My seven-year-old has a wish list that is literally two pages long (and growing)! When he added yet another item to his list yesterday, I realized we might need to change our focus.  My guess is, you might …

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25 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas & Teach Your Children to Do the Same

Do you want your family to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas but need some ideas on how you can focus on Christ this Christmas? Family holiday traditions are an important part of our lives but during this most wonderful time of the year, it’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all that we forget to leave precious imprints of this special time together on their hearts. 25 creative and fun ways to keep Christ in Christmas for the whole family Click To Tweet Below are 25 creative and fun ways to keep Christ in …

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Merry Mom Madness

THE RUSH IS ON! By the time this post appears, moms around the world have stood in long lines to pay for groceries to celebrate Thanksgiving, battled crowds for Black Friday sales and begun the race to get it all done by Christmas. As I have grown older I see the value of planning ahead, keeping it simple and doing things at my own pace – financially, physically and emotionally. I no longer succumb to the hectic demand of the season. Ask yourself WHO? Who says you must go to EVERY party you are invited to? Who says you should …

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The 5 Do’s and Don’ts for Black Friday

  I LOVE Black Friday. Kind of weird for a woman who really hates to shop, I know. I used to hate it! Absolutely hate it! But one day it occurred to me that 99% of the Black Friday shoppers were people who were willing to get up at wee hours to get a gift for someone they loved. I realize The MOM Initiative is a ministry to moms and this is where I’m supposed to give you all those wise warnings about NOT getting caught up in all the hullabaloo and materialistic madness that begins when the Black Friday …

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Today…Give 5 Away!

Jesus comes for a visit. He walks through your front door. You’re overwhelmed by His glorious presence.   He sits at your table. You offer Him water; feeling silly as you do; since He’s Living water. He asks to see your children who are playing in the next room. As you enter, a sense of embarrassment consumes you. Not because of their rowdy playing; but because of the number of toys stuffed in toy bins and covering the floor; the toys they no longer play with that you’d intended to give to the less fortunate before Christmas. Your children run into Jesus’s arms. He blesses them; then …

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What is the Joy of Man’s Desiring?

What is the joy of man’s desiring? While going through emails the other morning, I listened to the Easy Listening music channel (cable), which mainly plays instrumentals. Since it is the Christmas season, it occasionally plays a Christmas song. One song began playing and made me stop. And think. It’s title? Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. I love that title. Wikipedia says it “is the most common English title of the 10th and last movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, which means Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life, composed by Johann Sebastian …

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