When Heaven and Earth Collided

“Unto us a Son is given…and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6 NKJV) The Bible is filled with prophecies of Christ’s advent. And many generations came and died without seeing Him. Until, the prophecies came to pass. When heaven’s Temple came down… “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5 NIV) …a Son was given to Mary and Joseph. “…the One to be Ruler …

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Because Every Day Is CHRISTmas!

Every Christmas, we look forward to reading the account of the incarnate Christ as a reminder of who we are really celebrating…of all that became available to up because Jesus chose to come. “7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they …

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Loving People

Loving People: How Moms can Make Life a Lesson in Loving

People don’t love people much anymore, and those known for loving people don’t get much press. Jackie Deshannon wrote “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love” in 1965, and over forty years later, we still need it. Meanness is a magnet for the media. So, is it possible to teach our kiddos it’s worth the time and effort and investment to love others in a world that often doesn’t? Moms can make their own lives a lesson in loving people. Loving people who are… Near you First of all, lessons in love begin at home with those we …

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Election Year

What Kids Need to Know in Election Year

When political campaigns start to filter into our current conversations, moms take all kinds of approaches to managing the mayhem. Maybe you’re that mom who sends her child to Sunday school with a candidate’s button pinned on her dress. Or maybe you make popcorn and watch the debates with your toddlers and teens. What kind of mom are you? Do you know what your kids need to know in Election year? Are you flag-waving Felicia? This is a chance to feed your little patriots and capitalize on teachable moments about the Founding Fathers. #historylesson Are you kneeling Nancy? Every vote, debate, …

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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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When Baby Jesus Goes Missing (And good news of great joy… for real)

I’ll never forget the year that baby Jesus disappeared.  One day he was sleeping peacefully in that cute plastic stable, and the next day he was gone. Mary and Joseph were still lingering in Bethlehem and the shepherds were still hanging out with the sheep. But the baby in the manger was nowhere to be found. We hunted all over the house for that pudgy plastic babe. And we wondered how the synthetic star of our Fisher Price nativity set could have gone AWOL before we’d even lit our first Advent candle. We looked in the kitchen and in the toy box, under the Christmas …

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How to Hold on to Your Joy This Holiday Season

I felt it the moment my friend looked around my house and said with a playful smile, “You’re the only one I know who hasn’t put up a Christmas tree yet!” And again when a well-meaning neighbor pointed out that we were the only house on the block without strands of lights casting twinkles in the darkness. A quiet dread.  A heaviness smothering my soul.  It burned like quiet tears when I scrolled through Facebook and noted the steady stream of color-coordinated family pictures fit for a Christmas card. And it hovered like an unwelcome lump in the back of my throat when the well-meaning …

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Bite Your Tongue

  My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, James 1:19 NIV Sometimes it is better for everyone involved if you just bite your tongue. Oh, I know, it’s not easy to do and believe me, this is something that I struggle with as a mom, wife…and well, as a person, but hear me on this- there is strength in not saying everything that comes to your mind. There is strength in not saying everything that comes to your mind. Bite Your Tongue. Click To …

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The ABC’s of Vacation Bible School

I was born into a family where “vacation,” “Bible” and “school” didn’t go together. Before my parents began a relationship with Jesus, the Bible was a way to ruin our vacation! But once our family learned about God’s plan for moms, dads and kids, summer became a special window of opportunity to grow in faith. It’s a season when signs start popping up on street corners advertising “Vacation Bible School” for kids. If you haven’t been part of a church community for long, you might wonder why VBS should get prime real estate on your summer family calendar. What’s so …

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