Here are 10 commandments for planning a retreat with panache!
Women go to retreats be fed and nourished spiritually, as well as for the fellowship. Women love to be in the Bible, so enlist a speaker who is willing to help you lead your group into Scripture. (Can’t find a speaker like that? Then consider using [...]
Christians from many different traditions use the weeks and days leading up to Easter as a time to prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter with joy. As we journey through Lent, I like to spend quiet time reflecting.
This year, I find my thoughts focused on what I do and do not have. Most people at [...]
As regular readers know, I serve on the faculty of a Christian preschool. As I teach, I love taking students into our church on sunny days. Among other things, they enjoy seeing the way the light shining through the stained glass windows casts a colorful shadow on the walls and floor. The children love seeing [...]
The Gift Is for You
Introduction
In just a few days we will celebrate Christmas. For most of us, Christmas is more than just one day; it is an entire season filled with so many different sights and sounds and memories. Just about everyone seems to have favorite foods, activities, and family traditions. For most of us, [...]
Christmas is everywhere. How many times this week do you think you’ve heard or shared the greeting “Merry Christmas”? At the very least, you’v probably hummed a few cheery fa-la-la-lala’s. Bells have jingled across the country for several weeks now, as Christians everywhere sing “Joy to the World.” Carolers remind us that “it’s the most [...]
Celebrate the Gift of Jesus!
This time of year, many of us give gifts. In fact, most of us probably give more gifts at Christmastime than at any other time of the year. Gift giving has its own protocol. If we fail to follow it, that failure can lead to some uncomfortable moments—for us, for our [...]
After church on Sunday I was part of the giveaway team. A group of us handed out a special remembrance to everyone as they passed by. People loved them! Many will hold on to their meaningful gifts for years to come. (Then again, some will sell them on eBay to make a [...]
All over our country, parents, children, and teachers are back in school, or getting ready to go. It is a busy time for me as a teacher. I am excited to meet a new group of five-year-old children that will be entering mykindergarten classroom! I have the honor and the privilege of getting to know [...]
It is hard to believe that another summer is slipping away. July is gone and August is rapidly approaching. As August arrives, we begin to think about the end of summer and the beginning of the school year.
But before summer is truly gone, take some time to yourself to reflect and recharge for another busy [...]
Pay Your Blessings Forward
Our culture has a term—“Pay it forward! ” The idea is that we don’t expect people we help to pay us back. Instead, we hope they will remember our kindness and help someone else.
It’s not a new idea. In fact, our heavenly Father has always encouraged his people to “pay it forward.” We don’t pay [...]