By Sharon Gamble

I came across a Bible verse the other day that reminded me of my reluctant submission to the concept of rest.   Here it is: …In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.  (Isaiah 30:15).  

That part about “you would have none of it?”  That was me.  [Continue Reading...]

by Elise Daly Parker

Do you ever feel like you’ve got enough friends to keep up with? And besides, making new friends can be a little uncomfortable…awkward even. Well I’m generally a people person. I like people. I grew up in a tribe of five. I am genuinely interested in people’s stories and I like to know what makes them tick. I am blessed with a lot of friends. I love them, but I feel like I don’t get enough time with them as it is.

by Elise Daly Parker

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Happy New Year!

Did you choose your One Word for the New Year?

I have been reflecting, thinking, praying and have finally come up with my One Word for the New Year. Before I tell you what it is let me tell you a little about my journey. [Continue Reading...]

by Noelle Rhodes

Being a parent of a child with significant struggles has made the journey of parenting...unique. Though at times, it has been hard and heartbreaking, it has turned out to be a great adventure that has changed my life forever. It has deepened my faith and has taught me huge life lessons. [Continue Reading...]

by Kimberly Amici

I looked at other people talking and laughing together and assumed they must all be best friends. Surely they were getting together without me. Doesn’t anybody want to get together with me? Was it something I said?

by Noelle Rhodes

The following are tried and true steps to becoming a bad friend. Take it from an expert!.

by Noelle Rhodes

Here are  a few surefire ways a mother can lose her mind this summer. Take it from an expert, like me. [Continue Reading...]

By Barbara Ruglio

For me, New Year resolutions don't stick. I start off strong then gradually slip back to familiar routines that don't work. How do I make lasting change in my life? The Apostle Paul asked the same question.

by Susanne Ciancio, LPC

Stress is defined as "a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances." However, anxiety is a reaction to that stress. Anxiety includes worry about what "may" happen. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." It's commonly believed that 90% of things we're anxious or worried about never come to pass!

by Elise Daly Parker

How do you mark the New Year? Do you make resolutions? Do you embrace a theme? Or maybe you’re a One Word for the New Year type like me. Regardless of how you mark your New Year, now is a good time to take a look back and ask yourself a few questions. The best way to do this is to...

By Kristin Hill Taylor

Each December, we sing “Happy Birthday” with a chorus of friends. We eat cake, bring donations, make crafts, and hang out with other families. But the honoree is no regular man. He’s the savior of the world.

By Susanne Ciancio, LPC

The most joyous season of the year is upon us and, although it's cold and dark outside, there is a promise of warmth from glowing fireplaces, twinkling lights, amazing aromas, and some of the best food offered in the entire calendar year! Yet we know this season among all seasons can be the most stressful of all. Why is that?

by Kristin Hill Taylor

On Saturday, November 21, 2009, my sister-in-law Angela asked me what my perfect timing would be for Ben to be born. Leigh, my son’s birth mom, had been on bed rest because he’d threatened to come early, so we were glad he was still inside growing at 38+ weeks. I answered Angela’s question honestly: Sunday or Monday.

By Susanne Ciancio, LPC

This month I'll finish up by discussing what may be going wrong in fulfilling our desire to have a renewed mind. God has a part to play. He won't do our part and we’re not supposed to "try" to do His part. 

by Mandy Mianecki

For much of my life, I did not believe that healing from that damage was possible. However, over time, and with the guidance of several trusted people, God gently and lovingly assisted me in growing in freedom from this woundedness.

by Susanne Ciancio, LPC

 In John Ortberg's book, The Life You Always Wanted, he discusses the difference between training for change and trying to change.  This concept has been very helpful to me in my personal life, so I've outlined some steps below to illustrate what training might look like.

by Kristin Hill Taylor

While circumstances change, the foundation of joy that only God can give doesn’t waiver. We’ve been in a season of transition around my house. In the spring, my husband moved his main office and opened a new office. In May, we met a local birth mom through a friend and have been working with her to make an adoption plan for the baby girl she’s expecting soon.

by Susanne Ciancio, LPC

I've been doing a series about personal change and how difficult it can be. This month, I'm going to focus on God's plan to transform us. First we'll look into the Word and then talk about some practical applications. What is God's plan to transform us?

By Toni Campbell

Every day I work with people who are forced to make choices. Pay their rent, or buy food. Put gas in the car, or buy food. Keep the lights on, or buy food. With 1.2 million food insecure people in New Jersey alone, you very likely know someone making these types of tough decisions. So what can one person do in the face of such an overwhelming problem?

by Kristin Hill Taylor

I started blogging in 2001 after a friend nudged me to join this new technology craze, not long after I graduated from college with a print journalism degree. I figured I’d have an online journal for a while and then move on. Obviously, that didn’t happen.

by Toni Campbell

The following spring, I presented the proposal to church staff.  They gave me a laundry list of things to investigate.  Another year passed. I went back with additional facts, but the staff still wasn’t convinced. Fast-forward to late fall.  A man drove into the parking lot and approached two of our pastors with an unexpected question.

By Susanne Ciancio, LPC

Is it really possible to make long-lasting changes? One of the big reasons we don't see changes in our lives is due to an offended heart!  We can be offended at God for permitting something to happen or for not making something else happen. We are seriously offended at times by what people say and do or neglect to say and do. 

by Elise Daly Parker

So for pretty much the 30+ years my beloved and I have been married, we have been “working” on our finances. Initially, it was just a matter of trying to be responsible with our money and not get in over our heads with debt. Truth be told, our success was short term. Some of this was circumstantial – unanticipated life and salary changes threw us for a loop. But, really? We overspent.