by Angele Tanyeri
The Collyde Summit is a gathering of passionate believers in the NY, NJ, and PA area, who love Jesus and are convicted to become world changers. Collyde turned out to be a life-changing experience for me! To gather and worship in this way was profound. It also gave me a chance to ‘collide’ with individuals I may not have had an opportunity to meet otherwise.
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.
by Kathleen Whittam
There is a nickname for people who only go to church on Christmas and Easter--a ChrEaster. My mom has long been a fan of the Christmas cactus, a plant that, oddly enough, blooms around Christmas as well as Easter. I started calling them a ChrEaster Cactus.
By Beth Stiff
I wanted to start from the beginning...
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.~ Genesis 1:1-2
My focal point was going to be on the three words God says over and over again in the first chapter of Genesis: “…it is good."
He looked at all He created and said it was good. ~ Genesis 1:31
Starting from the beginning sounded like a good plan because I’m currently reading from the Book of Genesis and those three words jumped off the pages as I read. If we believe everything He said as truth, and he says those three words several times, I’m thinking those words are rather important. [Continue Reading...]
by Elise Daly Parker
Even if you don’t go for a big New Year’s Eve celebration, the New Year can mark a fresh start, a new beginning, a shift in focus. It’s a good time to take a look back at the past, and consider a vision for the year ahead.
Many people choose a New Year’s resolution or two… [Continue Reading...]
by Becky Crenshaw
It was our last walk on the beach. The pink sun glittered down on white sand as our ten feet marked their way across the Destin beach. Our family kicked off summer on these Florida shores - seven summer days of castles, cannonballs, and snow cones, each day a celebration of a school year complete. [Continue Reading...]
by Becky Crenshaw
Summer days can be long.
And this one day in particular was overcast and cool. A day when the pool was not an option, but neither was spending another minute inside the 2100 square feet of our home.
I called my neighbor and asked her if she wanted to take her two kids plus my three to a park nearby. Without hesitation she said yes. Within the hour I had loaded her crew with mine and off we went to shake off the indoor woolies on a too-long summer afternoon. [Continue Reading...]
by Cathy Baker
For several years, our family has had lots of fun with this simple idea during the summer months. You take the letters of the alphabet and you come up with 26 activities – one for each letter of the alphabet.
So you don’t have to think of all the ideas on your own, I’ve compiled a huge list of them into this ebook, A to Z Summer Fun, available on amazon. The activities range from free to adventurist, and are adaptable for preschoolers through teens. My girls are already making plans for this summer’s list! [Continue Reading...]
By Sandy DelGrande
I don’t know about you, but by April, I am done…cooked, fried, ready for the school year to be over, ready to take a break from ministry. I am depleted and running on empty. This is when I start dreaming about my summer vacation and my favorite place in the world, CAMP-of-the-WOODS. [Continue Reading...]
Years ago, I remember my mother laughing at a commercial of a father dancing through the aisles of Staples (office supply store), as he filled his cart with school supplies for his children. The father had a huge smile across his face as he galloped through the store. The music that played in the background was It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. The commercial aired near the end of August - approaching the coming school year. My mother was laughing so hard, I think I spotted tears escaping her wearied from the summer break eyes. Back then, I was the offended child wondering how my mother could be so coldhearted. Didn’t she enjoy me being off from school all summer long?
Now, I stand as the sympathetic parent secretly wishing that year-round schooling was available. [Continue Reading...]
The last bell rings and the kids run out out school screaming: “Last day of school!!” They are full of joy and enthusiasm as they anticipate what their summer will bring.
As a full-time working mom, my reaction isn’t quite as joyful as my children’s…okay it’s a lot different. What I feel is a bit of happiness mixed with larger doses of apprehension! Don’t get me wrong, I love spending quality time with my children. However, a lot of the time my kids are home, I will be in front of a computer working. So I’ll be spending the time minus the quality.
