It won't be long now. A few more days and we will all be celebrating the birth of Emmanuel -- God with us. The Bible tells us that Emmanuel is Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:22-24. This little baby is God's gift to mankind to save the world, the Messiah, the hope of the world! The gift of Jesus can mean different things to you depending on whether you find yourself full of joy this season, full of gratitude for all God is doing in your life, or desperate for a fresh understanding

​​Is anyone in need of an extra helping of peace during this advent season? If you are anything like me, your list is long and likely filled with lots of events and tasks that mostly bring you great joy. You might be cutting down Christmas trees and decorating the inside and the outside of the house. You're sure to throw in a little shopping, baking, attending a few parties, and making lots of lists to reassure yourself that you haven't forgotten anything or anyone! But those

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it would be enough." -Meister Eckhart Recently, our family and friends gathered to witness the marriage of my niece. It was a joyous occasion and I had a chance to catch up with lots of old friends. In the course of the evening, I had no less than four conversations with people who told me how amazing my 87-year-old mom is. People who know her or interact with her are so impressed by her energy, her friendline

A Facebook post from four years ago popped up on my feed of a holiday tradition my family has celebrated for years. I remembered it like it was yesterday. It made me so happy! It got me thinking about how family traditions leave lasting impressions on a child's heart and soul. Whether thats a good impression or a bad one is up to us as parents. Today I was asked what one of my favorite childhood memories was. That's easy! I loved Christmas because we celebrated such simple tr

One of my favorite things is reading on Facebook or talking to a parent about how they are writing God's Word on their kids' hearts! I love to see and hear kids who are learning The Ten Commandments, doing the hand motions for their memory verses, and generally have a desire for the "things of God." Because we are always telling kids that God's Word is the guide for their life, we need to follow up with the reading and practical application of the Bible in order for your kids

I don't know about you, but when the month of October hits, I am thinking HOLIDAYS! It's the time of year when many of us reflect on God's goodness in our lives and we share that with others. The "Holy Days" come with an opportunity to bless people you love and to be thankful for all God has done for you as you enjoy the harvest of your crops...well maybe not crops...but you get my drift. In addition to giving and sharing with our friends and family members, the importance of

Several years ago, I spent a brief amount of time at a Success Seminar, which started off by asking the question, "What determines your success?" or "Who can make you successful?" The speaker responded, "Our success is based on ourselves,"... and he lost me right there. You see I know what I'm capable of in my own strength and under my own abilities. I am capable of messing up my life, losing focus on what really matters, and accomplishing very little. However, when I put my

If you are a parent, I'm sure that along with the many ways you are caring for the gift(s) God blessed you with, you have prayed countless prayers for your kids. You have most likely prayed that they understand how much you love them in the midst of having to discipline them, or that they have good friends and good grades. You have likely prayed that they get put on the right team, get placed with a great teacher, or get to sleep on time...you get the picture. In Proverbs 4:5