How Important is it to Ensure the Easter Bunny Doesn't Distract from the True Meaning of our Celebration?It's easy to get wrapped up in the photos with the Easter bunny, egg hunts, family and all the great food. But what about Jesus? The more commercialized every holiday becomes the more I feel convicted to point myself and others back to the cross. This Easter, challenge yourself and those you love to do everything you can to insert Jesus and what he did at Calvary into the forefront of your celebration.
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We need strong, Christian menAs a society that not only normalizes drinking, but encourages and celebrates it - we need to do better. There are far too many Christian women married to Christian men that are bound by this awful stronghold of addiction. As a substance abuse counselor and a fellow Christ-follower I know Jesus is the solution. Put down the bottle and put on the amour of God. Stop looking like the world. Stop believing the lies of the devil. Stop idolizing alcohol! Get down on your knees and surrender to God TODAY!
What's the duck and jeep thing all about?After our car was totaled in an automobile accident, my husband and I tossed around the idea of a jeep. We needed something that would be dog friendly, allow for a bike rack, and haul our lives around as we travel from state to state. We airbnb properties, so we divide our time between the Midwest and the middle of Florida (mostly). We settled on a diesel, 2023 Gladiator. Pictured below:
Not Your Typical Gratitude JournalLooking for a way to grow closer to God in 2024? This journal can help! Wake up every morning and journal a verse from your daily reading. This month I am reading a chapter of Proverbs a day. I'm journaling a verse from each chapter for my "verse of the day."Pro Tip: You could use something like The Bible app that sends a verse every day, if you want to mix things up! Next, list the people God is laying on your heart. I find myself praying for groups of peopleFor example, I'll list a client that I'm praying for and before I know it I'm listing all of my clients and their spouses. Or I'll list a niece or nephew and next thing you know I have a page full of family members that need prayer! It's a good thing there are a limited number of spaces or else I could spend all day listing the people I'm praying for. However, if you do get in the swing of naming names -there's always that extra page for additional space! Fill 'er up! This wouldn't be a gratitude journal if we didn't make sure to count our blessingsAfter you've written your verse of the day and prayed for the people God has placed on your heart, next you'll want to count your blessings! Did you know gratitude is proven to improve mood, relationships, resilience, and overall health! This simple practice packs a punch. Get in the routine of counting your blessings and watch all areas of life elevate! Lastly, use the space at the bottom of the page to journal your intentional prayers.Emphasis on intentional. Anyone can thank God or ask for what he/she needs, but I wonder what our lives would look like if we dared to pray for miracles, ventured to ask for the impossible, poured out our hearts and let God change our lives! As much as we sincerely hope this Christmas is a time of cheer and celebration for each person reading this... Realistically, that's not everyone's reality.If the special day is starting to feel more like doomsday - settle in. We are here to help you navigate Christmas with dysfunctional family.
What if we did something different this Christmas?Another Christmas season, another month of social media timelines displaying pictures with Santa Claus and excited children eagerly awaiting the return of jolly ol' St. Nick. What would our world look like if we instilled this type of hype around the very REAL return of Jesus?Small rant... I went shopping the other day and could not find a single nativity scene gift bag. There were snowmen, gnomes, reindeer and of course thousands of santas, but sadly, a manger scene was nowhere to be found. I'm always looking for ways to point to JesusWe are attending a business Christmas party and I simply wanted to bring the required white elephant gift in a nativity gift bag. Amongst all the "happy holidays" and winter wonderland themes I struggled to even find the words "Merry Christmas" etched into a sack. It was more than disappointing. It was down right disturbing. We shouldn't have to drive across town to Hobby Lobby to find the true meaning of Christmas representedAlthough I do love Hobby Lobby and don't mind driving to support a Christian owned business. That's not the point. The point is this - in a world that wants to celebrate grinches and elves - let's do all that we can to keep Christ in Christmas! Start a new Christmas TraditionDid you know there are 24 chapters in the book of Luke? If you begin on December 1st and read a chapter a day, you will have read the entire book by Christmas Eve. You and your family can wake up on Christmas morning with a fresh understanding of why we celebrate Christmas. Join The GroupEverything is more fun with friends! Want to read the book of Luke together? Join the Your Praying Friend group! There you will find a chat dedicated to this topic. We look forward to seeing you there! If you enjoyed today's message please tell someone about Your Praying Friend, but more importantly - tell everyone about Jesus! |
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July 2023
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