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 Chelle Wilson
I had a refreshing conversation with my Gayle this morning. (I know, you’ve missed the adventures of Gayle, right? She’s well…). She confessed to me that she’s guilty of setting expectations which are, more often than not, unmet. They leave her feeling disappointed and exhausted. I told her to stop setting them. [Continue Reading...]
Our vision is to inspire, empower, educate one another through ongoing community exchange. One of the ways we would like to do this in 2014 is through our Friday Community column, in a monthly series called In Your Words. We reached out to our guest writers to ask them a question.
Read what they have to say and share your answer in the comments below.
This month: How do you spend time with God? [Continue Reading...]
by Gayle M. Irwin
You've probably seen the TV ads: sorrowful eyes staring out from cages. You've heard the plea: help shelter pets. You may have even heard the longing in your child's voice, “Can we PLEASE get a dog?!” All pluck at your heart like a harp string, making you seriously consider adding a dog to your household.
But, you have questions – good for you! Your pondering shows responsibility, and that’s crucial of a dog owner. What else? [Continue Reading...]
by Joanne Viola
I was not raised in a denomination that practiced Lent. Yet for the last few years, I “practiced” Lent, keeping it to myself as I feared it would be misunderstood. This year, I have been a bit more vocal about it as I joined the 40 Day Lent Challenge to read the New Testament in its entirety in 40 days. I also joined the Love Idol Movement, choosing to let go of something in order to draw closer to God. [Continue Reading...]
by Holley Gerth
The Secret to Living Well
A little over a year ago, my grandpa had a ninetieth birthday party. I had the privilege of being there and serving punch. That put me in a position to do a lot of listening. Over fifty people packed into his house, and each one came with a story. On and on the stories went of how my grandpa has spent his life loving well, in little and big ways. I nodded my head in agreement because I’ve experienced the same. [Continue Reading...]
By Susan Panzica
Last Wednesday, I attended the Ash Wednesday contemplative service at my church. What a blessing to take an hour to simply rest and ponder the sacrifice Jesus made for us, for me. At various stations, we had the opportunity to read Psalms, take communion, remember Gethsemane, etc. When I read this verse, I was moved to tears despite its familiarity [Continue Reading...]
That's the question we will be asking COF contributors and you, our readers, each month. Is there a book that you just can't seem to put down, that's teaching you a profound spiritual lesson, or making you laugh amid your struggles? We want to hear about it!
There are two ways you can join us! Tell us in the comments what you are reading or use the LinkUp below to share your blog post about a favorite book you've read. [Continue Reading...]
In a recent series of articles about friends breaking up, I said that sometimes it feels like people are giving us clues about who we are and our value/worth. But actually they are telling us who they are. I'd like to expand on that.
People are rarely telling you who YOU are but are frequently telling you who THEY are. [Continue Reading...]
by Katie Landry
Tonight it is hitting me all over again. The unfairness of it all.
I have to be honest. Sometimes I just don’t get it. I don’t get God. It is so hard to see people suffer. It is so hard not to question God in times like this.
“Unfairness” looks different for all of us. For some, maybe it is a loveless marriage. For others, maybe it is wayward or rebellious kids. For me – it’s been infertility. [Continue Reading...]
We all have a story to tell! Personal Connection is just one of the ways we share stories here at Circles of Faith. Ordinary women are doing extraordinary things for God. We hope Chelle’s story encourages and inspires others to take that next step to what God is calling them to do.
In our Spotlight today is Circles of Faith contributor Susan Panzica. She is a blogger, author, speaker and co founder of The Justice Network, a new human trafficking awareness group. [Continue Reading...]
By Amy Carroll
I was afraid to risk hope.
In my previous post, Without a Net , I shared about my journey to dive into a new idea from God while letting go of my own backup plan. It was scary to bring a proposal to launch a coaching service for speakers that was beyond my formal education and different than anything I had accomplished in the past. [Continue Reading...]
By Megan Romeo
New year. New beginning. New season. Yet same old feelings of brokenness, hurt, and ache that penetrate my heart. You see friends, in August I said goodbye to my dad who, after fighting a courageous battle against cancer, went Home to be in our Heavenly Father’s eternal and glorious presence. My world came crashing down as I cried, pleaded to Jesus to bring healing to my dad’s body. My heart and soul shattered for my family, as we experienced a loss that will be forever imprinted on our hearts. [Continue Reading...]
by Denise Trio
This isn’t your mom’s worship music. But I bet she’d like it!
We Are Young & Free is the debut album of the next big thing out of Hillsong Australia. The new band, called Young & Free, recorded this album live in April 2013. Just a few short months later, when it was released, it took the worship industry by storm with it’s electro-pop worship songs. [Continue Reading...]
By Toni Campbell
Throughout the evening, the snow had silently fallen, blanketing everything under six inches of pristine whiteness. Most people had made what my friend calls their “French toast run” – the obligatory dash for bread, milk, and eggs. When morning broke bright and clear, my urban neighborhood was uncharacteristically quiet.
I slept until the cat pawed my face for her morning meal. Once she was fed, I put the tea kettle on and sat at the dining room table to read my Bible. It wasn't long before the sounds of metal scraping concrete filled the air as people dug out. [Continue Reading...]
by Chelle Wilson
Most mornings, I walk my dog as the sun rises. It is solitary fellowship, movement as I make my way through the scriptures by way of the Listener’s Bible. Despite the early hour and the fact that we are virtually alone, I’m still not isolated and disconnected. For evening walks, usually before sundown, there are no ear buds, and people are around. In either case, Sando is good for my health. According to an article published on active.com, dog owners may be healthier people. An added bonus for me? [Continue Reading...]
Our vision is to inspire, empower, educate one another through ongoing community exchange. One of the ways we would like to do this in 2014 is through our Friday Community column, in a monthly series called In Your Words. We reached out to our guest writers to ask them a question.
Read what they have to say and share your answer in the comments.
This Month: What is your favorite Valentine's Day Memory? [Continue Reading...]
by Kimberly Amici
When my husband and I first met, I lived in Atlanta and he lived in New York City. While visiting the Big Apple, I met up with a college friend for drinks. She had a friend, who had a friend…
It wasn’t until a few months later that we “got together.” I was back in town visiting and I reached out to him to see if he wanted to catch up. He did.
After I returned to Atlanta we started calling each other.
At first in was only once a day, then it was two, sometimes even three times a day. At night we’d talk on the phone for hours, just getting to know one another. We started to email back and forth too. I couldn’t wait to see his name come across the computer screen. We forwarded interesting articles, continued conversations we started on the phone, and let the other know we missed them. [Continue Reading...]
by Elise Daly Parker
My lover is mine, and I am his. Song of Solomon 2:16
Chris and I were engaged on February 14, 1984, 30 years ago. And we’re still here—together, married. It was a lovely romantic evening at the historic Summit House in Jersey City, NJ. I had an inkling. Chris and I had been together for four years…we had been talking about marriage. I had my reservations. Not about Chris. About timing.
Were we ready? [Continue Reading...]
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
That's the question we will be asking COF contributors and you, our readers, each month. Is there a book that you just can't seem to put down, that's teaching you a profound spiritual lesson, or making you laugh amid your struggles? We want to hear about it!
There are two ways you can join us! Tell us in the comments what you are reading or use the LinkUp below to share your blog post about a favorite book you've read.
by Susanne Ciancio, LPC
Part 1 and Part 2 of Do Friends Break Up? addressed the kinds of friendships that sometimes end in a breakup, how to have a godly breakup, and what reconciliation might look like. Part 3 addressed the question, “What if I'm the one being broken up with?” Here we’re talking about a pattern of breakups. [Continue Reading...]
