10 Simple Ways to Bless Your Neighbors
One of the things I love most about the holidays is getting to do something nice for my neighbors. Oh sure, I could do it year ’round, but I am sorry to say that I really don’t think enough about it. Then the weather cools down, the Christmas lights go up on the house and […]
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Making Your Home a Haven
Why do we love certain houses, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in our surroundings. — T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, quoted in Welcome Home We all desire to make our homes a haven. After all, no woman wants a cold, messy, or critical home. Whether you […]
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How to Give Good Gifts to Children at Christmas
… how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11) In the Bible we read how God loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:10-11). And isn’t that just how we feel toward our children, too? Where does this generous gift-giving impulse […]
http://faithgateway.com/how-to-give-good-gifts-to-children-christmas/
Humility
Have you ever celebrated a holiday named Memas? Some people observe it every December 25. For them, the Christ of Christmas has been replaced by a me-centered worldview. This is a celebrity generation in which everyone wants little flashes of fame and fortune. One of the reasons the average wedding costs almost thirty thousand dollars […]
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Thankful or Self-Entitled? Raising Kids Who Show Gratitude
Children adept at offering timely and authentic thanks demonstrate rich character and along the way exude an almost magnetic charm. It is not surprising that people prefer to engage with kids who freely recognize and appreciate efforts made on their behalf, especially when compared with children straitjacketed by self-entitlement. Picture your family: Which description applies […]
http://faithgateway.com/thankful-or-self-entitled-raising-kids-who-show-gratitude/
Heaven and Earth Rejoice
Imagine the scene in Bethlehem. It was the night of nights, and yet it had begun as every other night had before it. In Bethlehem’s houses mothers lay their children down to sleep. In the courtyards of the inn some camels lay down to rest. In the fields the sheep lay down while the shepherds sat near their fires. In the heavens […]
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3 More Bible Studies on Jesus
Earlier I wrote about three great Bible studies on Jesus, but since then I’ve discovered 3 more wonderful studies on Jesus that I just had to recommend to you. Why so many studies about Jesus? Jesus is the hero of the Story. He is the what the Bible is all about and what we should be […]
http://faithgateway.com/3-more-bible-studies-on-jesus/
Our Favorite Family Christmas Traditions
One of my favorite times of year is Christmas. There is so much joy and beauty to take in, not to mention all the fun things to do together. We have a lot of family traditions during the month of December. Traditions help us bond as a family and give the children something to look forward […]
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The North Pole or the Manger?
Some call him Sinterklaas. Others Pere Noel or Papa Noel. He’s been known as Hoteiosho, Sonnerklaas, Father Christmas, Jelly Belly, and to most English speakers, Santa Claus. His original name was Nicholas, which means victorious. He was born in AD 280 in what is now Turkey. He was orphaned at age nine when his parents died of a plague. Though many […]
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God Will Provide – Zechariah’s Prayer
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were […]
http://faithgateway.com/god-will-provide/