Dream, Plan & Pray! – Part 1

By Sandra Bennett – “I have a firm conviction that I am immortal till my work is done.” – Lottie Moon “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere anyway.” –  Sandra K. Bennett “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” – Diana Scharf Hunt  I’ve developed a method

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hands of a woman raised
Faith
Poppy Smith

Eight Qualities of a Model Believer

Reading l Thessalonians recently, I was struck by a phrase the Apostle Paul made in the first chapter of this book. He said that the believers in Thessalonica were a “model” to all the other Christians in the area. What do you think a “model” Christian looks like? No—not a

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Faith
Poppy Smith

Nine Keys to Thriving Through the Holidays!

Did you know that Thriving is an attitude? It’s a choice? It’s a perspective on life that enables you to look up, even in tough times? And it’s a way of living that God wants for you? Whether you live in the US or somewhere around the globe, you’re heading

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The Meeting Place

“For you meet him with the blessings of goodness”(Psalm 21:3a) To meet: To come together, approaching in opposite or different directions; to come face to face; as, to meet a man in the road. To come together in any place I took a walk as the sun set a few

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Relationship Blogs
Beth Havey

When You Won’t Be Home for Christmas

Raising children means change—isn’t your middle name flexible? But when it comes to holiday traditions and customs obstinate might substitute. But we’ve always had the holidays here–that’s the way we do it! A logical response when grandma wants you to travel across the country with your four children. But then

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Faith & Relationships
Sandra Glahn

Ten Steps to a Saner Christmas

By Sandra Glahn – It doesn’t have to happen again—the insane pace, the big-dollar debt, and the no-time-for-the-main-thing rush in the hustle and bustle. With a little forethought, about 30 minutes today, you can get it right over the twenty-four days between now and Christmas. Here are some suggestions. Make

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Faith & Relationships
Rita Schulte

What to do When Jingle Bells Sound Like Jingle Blues

By Rita Schulte – Tension. Fighting. Conflict. Tears. Has that ever described your holiday season? Do you get a knot in your stomach just thinking about holiday dinner because you know you’ll be able to cut the tension in the room with a knife? Someone will do or say something

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Faith & Relationships
Nancie Carmichael

Preparing for the Holiday Invasion

By Nancie Carmichael – They’re coming! Grandkids, that is. And I can’t wait. Will. Kendsy. Cali. Hogan. Pearson. Jackson. Cole. Hudson.Wesley. Annabelle. They range in ages from fifteen years to two years. I confess nothing is more fun than to have them burst in the front door and we get

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A New-Found Treasure

By Janet Perez Eckles – “Christmas time a season of joy.” That reminder jabbed at my heart, after losing my Joe, no celebration seemed appropriate. But I put on a mask of courage and stuff my feelings like Christmas decorations in storage boxes. Afraid to face my first Christmas without

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“For-gift-ness: The Gift Everyone Needs Year Round!

By Holly LaChappell – The holidays are here with family meals, gatherings and traditions. What are your family dynamics? Emotions can run high and getting together with extended and immediate family can create stress, dreg up a lot of emotions and hard memories of holidays past. What if we started our gift

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Faith & Relationships
Barbara Briggs Ward

The Silver Ladle

By Barbara Briggs Ward – The house where Santa Claus came on Christmas Eve when I was growing up was situated beside a lane on a street with a bit of a hill. Whenever a snowstorm came blasting out of the north, the street would more often than not, be

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You Have Veto Power Over Being Defined By Your Age

By Olga Hermans – Mention the words “peer pressure” and the picture that most likely comes to mind is that of a pre-teen feeling stressed about fitting in with her fellow middle schoolers.  And yet at every stage of life, there are areas in which we feel pressure to go

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Faith & Relationships
lb50

How to Deal With a Family Conflict

Life & Beauty Weekly: Happy You By Cynthia Hanson for Life & Beauty Weekly – Most of the year, it’s fairly easy to avoid the nosy in-law or the sister who keeps revisiting old grudges. But come the holidays, family conflict can give you heartburn before you even sit down

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Faith & Relationships
lb50

Can Worrying Be Good for You?

Life & Beauty Weekly: Happy You By Marion Long for Life & Beauty Weekly – Do you stay up nights worrying about your marriage, your health, your finances — even how much you worry? Take heart: You’re not alone. In fact, some of the most successful people in the world

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Caregiving
lb50

How to Comfort a Friend in Need

Life & Beauty Weekly: Happy You By Anne L. Fritz for Life & Beauty Weekly – We’ve all been there: A friend calls crying because she’s going through a tough time at work, at home or in her personal life. You want to comfort her, but for most of us,

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Christmas eve candlelgiht service
Faith
Daphne Tarango

Inviting Them Home

By Daphne Tarango – Many people were away from their homes for the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ–Joseph, Mary, the shepherds, the wise men, and most of all, Jesus Himself. Several years ago, I was away from home for the holidays. Recently divorced, I moved to a new town

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A Chance to Respond

I recently drained the battery of the van while sitting in Kohl’s parking lot waiting for the girls to get done shopping. Instead of waiting for roadside assistance, I thought of someone who lives ten minutes away. He was soon on his way. Just as I was wondering how he

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PLEASE! Call me Sandra

Hurricane Sandy has come and gone, leaving not only a total mess, but loss of life, both human and animal, total destruction of property, broken hearts and lives. On the farm, there are drifts of three to four feet and about two feet of snow. The wind has been blowing

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Faith & Relationships
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