3 Ways You Can Share God’s Love for $10 As the holiday season rolls around I hear a lot of “I wants” from my kids. Catalogs show up in the mail. Commercials flash on the television. Every store is filled with racks of glittery, flashy toys that draw my children’s attention. My children are too… [Continue Reading]
Christmas
2 Things to Remember This Christmas … And Every Christmas!
2 Things to Remember This Christmas & Every Christmas! For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 During these frantic holiday days, it’s easy to forget that… [Continue Reading]
Christmas Traditions | Perfect Memories Top Any “Perfect” Gift
Christmas Traditions Perfect Memories Top Any “Perfect” Gift When I think of Christmas, I remember family gatherings around my grandparent’s dinner table. I also think of times my family spent together, creating our own special memories. For example, one year I received a tape recorder. On Christmas Day, my mother, father, brother and I… [Continue Reading]
The Gift of Presence | The Best Christmas Present You Can Share
Today the plan is to wrap and write. No, it’s not some new writing technique. I literally have to start wrapping Christmas presents . . . and write at least 2,000 words in my work-in-progress. I have to admit that wrapping is not my favorite thing. I LOVE the buying. I LOVE thinking of someone… [Continue Reading]
Unwrapping the Gift | The Angels
Unwrapping the Gift – The Angels In our household, Christmas doesn’t seem like Christmas until the tree is set up and the angel graces the top. Dressed in a white dress with feathery wings, our ceramic angel looks a bit like Elsa from Frozen. She’s a total sissy if you ask me. During the Christmas… [Continue Reading]
6 Ways to Find Freedom from the Frenzy this Christmas
Christmas is my favorite time of year, but it hasn’t always been that way. For many years I looked at December as a list of duties and obligations. The decorations, parties, events, and gifts. Everything! The thing is, we are the ones in control. We choose what we allow into our holiday celebrations and what… [Continue Reading]
A WWII Christmas | A Lesson on Vmail (with Writing Prompts!)
A Lesson on Vmail (with Writing Prompts!) by Cara Putman What’s that sound? Listen really hard. Do you hear it? It’s the sound of the mail Jeep pulling up to the mailbox. The click of the lid being closed. You hurry outside, eager to get the mail before your brother can. Now imagine the date… [Continue Reading]
A WWII Christmas | Through a Story Window: Using Historical Fiction to Teach History
Through a Story Window: Using Historical Fiction to Teach History by Sarah Sundin “Another boring history special?” My ten-year-old daughter heaved a sigh and plopped into the armchair. I smiled in understanding. At her age, I was bored silly when my father watched Victory at Sea. Now, since I write novels set during WWII, I… [Continue Reading]
Why Does Mentoring Matter? A Lesson From Mary
Mary, the mother of Jesus is one of the most well-known women of all time. She was also a teen mom facing an unplanned pregnancy. This Christmas we will see evidence of Mary’s story all around us. And as you hear it through Christmas songs and Christmas shows think of three things: Mary was signed… [Continue Reading]
Teaching Children the Joy of Giving
Teaching Children the Joy of Giving The kids were buckled in my minivan and warm heat blew through the heat vents. A cold snap had hit Little Rock, but that hadn’t kept us from venturing out. My three young kids and I had a special mission. We’d just gotten through shopping for our boxes for… [Continue Reading]
My Unexpected God Gifts
My Unexpected God Gifts! There were three things that I wasn’t going to have at our Thanksgiving table: Deviled eggs Jello Salad A Large green salad Well, it turns out we ended up with two out of three on our table, and I didn’t make either! First, I got a text Wednesday night. My neighbor Cindy… [Continue Reading]