Tag - Bible

Daniel Fast Recipes: Two That We Loved & One I Won’t Make Again

February 16, 2016

Life in Lape Haven: Tried It Tuesday - Daniel Fast Recipes, Two Recipes We Love & One I Won't Make Again. Since hubby and I are participating in a 21-day Daniel fast with our church, I'm finding lots of new recipes to try as we follow the guidelines of this partial fast, which includes only vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and water. These two recipes are our favorites so far.

For the majority of this month, Brad and I will be participating in a 21-day Daniel fast with our church. This partial fast is inspired by two different passages in Daniel, including the story in Daniel 1 where Daniel and his friends refuse the king’s food and request a diet of water and vegetables.

And that’s predominantly what the fast allows: water, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. We eat fairly healthy as it is, but creating meals without meat, dairy, bread, and sugar has been interesting. Thankfully it hasn’t been as difficult as I anticipated. (Note: There are many different takes on a Daniel fast, so my hubby and I decided that we would follow the guidelines that our church set out. Some interpretations are stricter; some are more lenient.)

Over the last week, I’ve been finding all kinds of new recipes to try out, and while some were just okay, others have been very successful.

The first big win so far was this One Pan Mexican Quinoa recipe that was super easy to make and really tasty. All it takes is a handful of ingredients: black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, spices, lime juice, avocado, and quinoa. I don’t always keep quinoa on hand, but I had picked up some at Aldi (who else LOVES Aldi?) so we could try it out. Now that I know what to do with it, it may become a staple around here. In fact, this recipe is going on my meal-planning list because we all liked it so well.

Another yummy meal came about more out of necessity than planning. When we first shopped for this fast, we had two sick little boys, so hubby made the grocery store run. Awesome husband that he is, Brad did his best to cross off every item on the list I’d given him, and then some. When I saw that he’d brought home six different containers of mushrooms, I was a bit surprised, and I knew we’d have to use those up quickly. Thankfully, I found this recipe for Garlic and Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms. I actually didn’t expect them to be as delicious as they were. I had to keep from eating the whole pan before Brad made it home for dinner.

One recipe that I tried that didn’t work at all for us was a homemade applesauce fruit roll-up. Having seen the easy how-to video on Facebook, I thought my boys would enjoy a fun little treat one day. It seemed simple enough – pour some unsweetened applesauce onto a silicone baking mat, smooth it out, then let it dry slowly in the oven all day. After waiting several hours for the applesauce to dry out, I was ready to surprise my kids with a homemade roll-up. Unfortunately, I must have done something wrong because it stuck to my silicone baking mat, and parts of it were really difficult to get off. I figured I would just try again some other time, but then when I gave the boys the pieces that I managed to get off the mat, they wouldn’t eat them. They just didn’t like it. So, that recipe was kind of a flop for us. 🙁 (By the way, our boys aren’t on the fast, but this recipe would have worked for all of us had they liked it.)

So that’s what I’ve discovered so far during our first week or so of the Daniel fast, at least about the food part. Thankfully, these 21 days aren’t just about a special diet or a list of what we can eat or can’t. It’s a time to focus on drawing closer to God, seeking His face, and spending time in His Word. No matter what recipes we enjoy or fail with during this time, we can depend upon Him to always satisfy our soul.

“You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.” ~ Psalm 63:5

Our “Vision Verse” for Our Children

February 8, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: Our Vision Verse for Our Children. This Bible scripture pretty well sums up everything we want to teach our boys about following God and His will for their lives.

Several years ago, I began leading the children’s ministry at the church where my hubby and I attended at the time. We were in a small church, so I usually only had a handful of students. However, no matter the size of my class, it was important to me to give them all a solid foundation in the Word and a realization that God not only wanted a real and personal relationship with them right now, but He could also use them no matter their age and had great plans for their futures as well.

Part of instilling that message was the “Vision Verse” that God gave me for the children’s ministry, which was Daniel 11:32b: “The people who know their God will be strong and take action.”

For the first month or so after I started teaching them, we learned this verse, complete with motions (kids always learn stuff better with movement), and we talked about what it meant.

Lately I’ve been thinking about that verse again, and how it’s the same vision my husband and I have for our own children now. Over the next few weeks, I plan to introduce this vision verse to our boys and share with them the same things that I taught my students about how it applies to them.

The People who KNOW THEIR GOD

Since we are “the people” who should know our God, Brad and I want our children to understand how we can know God, how we spend time with Him, and how having a relationship with Him and truly knowing Him is different than just knowing ABOUT Him. It’s easy for children who are always in church and surrounded by Christian family members, Christian music, and Bible stories to know a lot ABOUT God.

The crucial point, though, is KNOWING HIM personally. And they can start that NOW, even at very young ages.

We want our boys to love God with all their hearts, to be able to pray and talk to Him on their own (and WANT to), to know His voice and recognize His leading, and to understand the importance of reading their Bibles. We want them to know what the Bible says about God and His character – His love, His goodness, His mercy, His holiness, and His justice.

Will BE STRONG

As children of God who know Him well, we should be strong. We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, the same Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). Because of this, we can be bold and courageous in our faith, and we are empowered to face temptation and choose obedience to God.

Both of our boys are strong-willed, like their mommy, and they are all about being strong, like super heroes, so this part shouldn’t be too hard for them to grasp. We want our boys to know that since God is with us, we can be powerful, tenacious, determined, and tough warriors who can live a life of no compromise, one that is holy and different from the world.

And TAKE ACTION

Once we truly know Him Whom we have believed, we are bold and courageous to take action, whatever that might be. It could be as simple (and difficult) as being kind to someone who isn’t nice to us or going wherever God asks us to go to reach the world with His love.

We don’t want our children to be content sitting back and doing nothing for God. We want to encourage them to use their gifts and talents in whatever ways He leads them. Our desire is for them to be active in their church, active in sharing their faith with others, and active in pursuing God and His purpose for their lives.

As parents we have the honor and responsibility of laying the spiritual foundation for our children. And while I have always aimed to give my all in teaching my students in the past and my preschool Sunday school class now, my biggest, most important ministry is to our little boys. Brad and I want to make certain that they truly KNOW their GOD, so they can BE STRONG in Him and TAKE ACTION whenever He calls them to.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL VERSE FOR YOUR FAMILY?

I also have a verse that has become my “Mommy Motto.”

*Note: I chose an easier translation of the verse for the children to learn. In the King James, the entire verse is this: “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Exploits is a cool word, but a little harder for young children to understand and remember compared to “take action.”

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Pausing to Be Grateful

January 28, 2016

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Life in Lape Haven: Pausing to Be Grateful. My recent participation in an Instagram photo challenge reminded me of the importance of daily counting my blessings and being thankful.

This post contains an affiliate link for the book. At no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission if you use the link.

Over the last couple weeks, as part of the Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World launch team, I have been participating in an Instagram Daily Photo Challenge with the theme of “What are you grateful for?”

The challenge was inspired by the Gratitude Bracelet we received from the book’s author, Kristen Welch (We are THAT Family). The bracelet is made by women at the Mercy House, the maternity home in Kenya that Kristen founded. (For more on Mercy House, check out this short video.)

It’s a white-bead bracelet with three copper beads. Each copper bead is for a different question that will remind you to be grateful every day.

Who do I appreciate today?
Today, what made me smile?
How was God good today?

WHO DO I APPRECIATE TODAY?

So, for the first five days, the challenge was to share “a different person each day who you appreciate.” I’m pretty sure this was the easiest one for all of us. There were pictures of everyone’s husbands, children, best friends, parents, pastors, and so on. However, even though we generally KNOW that we’re thankful for our families and friends, it’s something else entirely to pause in our day and really think about why we are so thankful for them and to truly take time to appreciate them. I could probably have filled all two weeks of the photo challenge on this question alone.

TODAY, WHAT MADE YOU SMILE?

The next five days, though, were devoted to “something that made you smile.”

To quote Buddy the Elf, “I like smiling. Smiling’s my favorite.”

I’m usually a “pretty positive, find the silver-lining, there’s always something to be thankful for, let’s play the Glad game with Pollyanna” kind of girl. Even when I have those tough days in motherhood, I don’t stay in the yucky too long. I’ll soon be looking for the good, the giggles, and the grins.

Therefore, Question Two was, again, another easy way to count my blessings.

This made me smile today…a lot! Elijah has his 2nd loose tooth, and he was trying to pull it before bed. It's not quite as ready as he is, though, so no #toothfairy tonight. #raisinggratefulkids #PhotoChallenge #mademesmiletoday #wigglytooth

A photo posted by Kishona Lape (@lifeinlapehaven) on Jan 16, 2016 at 7:20pm PST

HOW WAS GOD GOOD TODAY?

Then we got to the five days of God’s goodness, and I was stumped.

It was not because God hasn’t been good, but rather because He is SO good that it was hard to narrow it down.

After some pondering, my first photo of “How God was good today,” I took a picture of the Bible I’ve had since 10th grade, opened to a scripture that I’d circled at some point during my youth group years: Psalm 71:17 & 18: “O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is come.”

Having followed God since early childhood, my life has been full of God proving His goodness and faithfulness to me over and over again.

Loving me, saving me, knowing me, keeping me. That kind of goodness is hard to capture in one little Instagram picture. It would be hard to capture with a million.

The rest of my photos for the challenge were maybe less serious, but they still celebrated God’s goodness with joy:

A side-by-side of a cherry pie bar dessert I made and one of Josiah’s recent selfies. Elijah’s to-do list for Sunday. A glimpse into my preschool Sunday school class. Homemade chicken and dumplings. My Mercy House gratitude bracelet.

: I just couldn’t pick between the two very different ways God was good.

: Elijah’s list says, “Go to church, get my Bible, go and learn.”

While the challenge was for fun and to help promote gratefulness and Kristen’s new book, it also served its most meaningful purpose when it reminded me of how important it is to stop in the busyness of every day and appreciate each little detail and blessing that God has placed in our lives and His wonderful lovingkindness, mercy, and goodness in doing so.

Let me challenge you today to pause, take a minute, and think about what you would share: five people you appreciate, five things that make you smile, and five ways that God has been good to you.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” ~ James 1:17

How has God been good to you this week?

If you’d like, you can purchase your own gratitude bracelet from Mercy House, and you’ll be supporting young mothers and their children. That’s one more thing to be thankful for. 🙂

—

If you haven’t yet entered the giveaway to win a copy of Kristen Welch’s newest book,

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World,

ENTER TODAY!

Giveaway is open until Friday, January 29, at 11:59p.m. US residents only.

See giveaway terms for more details.

How to Start a Brand New Year Any Day

January 4, 2016

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It’s a pretty exciting time – the beginning of a new year. People always seem to start a brand new year out with such hope and enthusiasm, making resolutions to improve themselves and their lives, focusing on their goals and direction, and anticipating all the good things in store for them in the next 365 days.

I’m not sure why so many wait until January 1 to become optimistic or to be so motivated to change or to pause and evaluate the important things in their lives a little more closely. Maybe it’s coming off of the holiday season, having been surrounded by loved ones, experiencing a season of giving, and, probably most motivating, having a renewed awareness of God’s presence with us that gets a person’s focus to shift a bit inward and long-term…at least for a week or so. 🙂

(Okay, some people actually do really well with following through on their resolutions, so it works for them.)

For me, I’ve never really done resolutions or goals for the New Year, not because I’m not focused or feel I have no need to change, but because I’ve always been more “why wait until January if I know what I need to be doing in October?” 🙂

The way I look at it – every day is a new start, not just every new year.

The Bible tells us that God’s mercies and compassions “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23), that “now/today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2), and that “this is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 118:24), so whether it’s January 1, February 23, August 19, or November 30, I can decide to start fresh and make whatever changes He is leading me to.

I can have hope for my future in the middle of a bad day or a bad year if I’m trusting in God because His thoughts toward us are “of peace and not of evil, to give (us) a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I don’t have to wait until a certain clock chime on a certain day because all the verses in the Bible, including the ones that people tend to like around this time of year, are true any and every day of the year. (Recently, I’ve seen a lot of 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Good verse all year round.)

So, whether you’ve made a few resolutions or goals and that always works for you, or you’ve already failed at the one you set for this year, or if you’ve not made any for fear of failing at them, you can always start a brand new day and a brand new year TODAY.

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15 of My Favorite New Things from 2015

December 31, 2015

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Life in Lape Haven: 15 of My Favorite New Things from 2015. A list of my favorite fun and random things from this past year, including apps, books, movies, and more.

Somehow it’s the last day of 2015, and while we are looking forward to many good things in the coming year, there were quite a lot of things I loved about this past one.

Just for fun (and to share with you), I jotted down a quick list of some very random, new fun things that were my favorites of 2015. (Since they are rather random, they aren’t in any particular “most favorite” order.)

By the way, this post contains affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small commission when you use the links to make a purchase.

Here you go:

#1. Blogging. I mean, that was kind of the biggest new adventure for me this year, and although I don’t love the sometimes late nights (writing with little guys running around does not work well, so I have to work during naptime or bedtime), I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing my heart, meeting new people, and doing something new that challenges me every day. Hopefully you’re enjoying my blog, too.

#2. Our Family Membership to COSI. Last New Year’s Eve we used a discount that Brad’s work offers and purchased a one-year family membership to COSI (Center of Science and Industry), one of the best children’s science centers in the country. Brad and I had both been there often as children, and now that our boys are big enough to enjoy the hands-on exploration and learning, we knew that it would be something we would use often. I actually think we’ve used it even more than we expected. It’s been especially good for Elijah and his growing interest in all things scientific (he recently brought home a dead fly because he wanted to “do an experiment” on it and “cut it open to see its blood.” We’re sure to have some fun years ahead of us.). It’s become our go-to for family field trips, and we knew that renewing for next year was a definite “yes.”

#3. Periscope. My favorite new app this year is definitely Periscope. An extension of Twitter, Periscope is a live video app that allows anyone to broadcast themselves to the world. Followers of the person get a notice whenever a broadcast begins (a little whistle sound bite), and with a few swipes, you can see and hear the video and interact with comments and by “giving hearts,” the Periscope version of a “like.” Broadcasters see the comments and hearts live, and so they can reply or respond to their viewers. The “scope” (video) is available for 24 hours on the broadcaster’s profile for replaying, in case you miss part of it or can’t watch live.

I have to say that when I first heard of Periscope, I’m pretty sure it was in one of those articles about “apps you should be aware of if you’re a parent” because in the wrong, unwise, or unsupervised hands, I can see it being stupidly dangerous. However, there are so many people using it for good, to teach and help people, and in that way, it’s a pretty cool app. For example, broadcasters can offer a DIY, where you can follow along, step by step, and you can ask questions as they are sharing.

I started following a few people on Periscope around the start of the Write 31 Days challenge, and the organizer of the challenge used it to give us instructions, encouragement, and, again, to answer questions we had. Since then, I have found a community of Christian women and different bloggers who use the app to connect and encourage each other with everything from tips on parenting, daily Bible devotionals, book clubs, sharing funny moments, and even prayer times. How cool is that?

#4. The Humbled Homemaker. I’ve been reading posts by Erin Odom, The Humbled Homemaker, for at least a year or more since many of them have made the rounds on Facebook, but it wasn’t until I started researching to blog myself that I really began following her blog consistently. She writes mostly about motherhood, natural living, and saving money, so I always find something of value on her site. I also follow her on Pinterest and Periscope, and she is just awesome.

A Christian wife and mom of 3, she won a place in my favorites with one of her earlier Periscope broadcasts, where she jumped on for a quick video to tell us about an experience she’d just had in her local coffee shop. She was real and honest, sharing a story of how she had overheard some teenagers talking about some not-so-great stuff and how God had nudged her to reach out to them. It was inspiring to see her heart for the teenagers, her obedience to God, and her excitement and nervousness about stepping outside of her comfort zone in that small way.

#5. The Lost Heiress by Roseanna White. Since Roseanna White is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors, I expected to really like her latest book, The Lost Heiress, which came out in September (that was one of the reasons I signed up to be a part of her launch team). However, I not only liked it – I loved it! Plus, I got to interview Roseanna, which was even more fun. I’m excitedly awaiting the release of the second book in her Ladies of the Manor series, The Reluctant Duchess, which debuts in April!

#6. Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch. I haven’t even completed this book yet, but I can tell you that it’s easily my favorite nonfiction book of the year. I talked a little bit about it earlier this month, and I will be sharing more about it in January because it is just so good. Every chapter has been both reaffirming and challenging to how Brad and I are trying to raise our boys with a Godly worldview and grateful hearts in a culture where they could easily become self-centered, demanding, and entitled. (The book officially releases January 26, but if you’d like to read the first chapter, you can find it here on the Tyndale House site. Also, you can preorder the book, through January 25, at RaisingGratefulKids.com for $16. When you pre-order, you will receive a free Global Family Kit and free shipping on both the book and the kit, which will be delivered in January.)

#7. Amazon Prime. Brad and I finally signed up for Prime when Amazon had a special a few months back, and since that time, we’ve been asking ourselves why we waited so long. Not only do we LOVE the free 2-day shipping (soooo wonderful to have at Christmas time!), but we enjoy the streaming, ad-free music stations and the movies and television shows as well. (Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial)

#8. Serving on our Preschool Team at Church. While I have been working with the preschool team since late last year, this was my first full year of serving as a preschool Sunday school teacher at our church, and I just love it. I look forward to my month of teaching and seeing those sweet, and sometimes ornery, little faces every Sunday morning. Children’s ministry is just part of who God designed me to be, and I find that I am ministered to just as much as, or more than, my students are each time I get to be with them.

#9. Kings Island Blue Ice Cream Recipe. This is one of my favorite recipes that I’ve made this year because it represents two things. First of all, it reminds me of our family trip to Kings Island this summer and all the wonderful memories we made with our boys, including our first tasting of the famous Kings Island Blue Ice Cream.

Secondly, this recipe is the result of my persistence to replicate that tasty Kings Island treat. When I couldn’t find a copycat recipe online, I began experimenting and concocting in my kitchen until I came up with one that worked well enough for my family. It has since become one of my most pinned items on Pinterest. Apparently others like the yummy blue ice cream, too.

#10. Great-Grandma Edith’s Never Fail Pie Crust. Similar to my quest for a recipe that captured the awesomeness that is Kings Island Blue Ice Cream, I’ve always been on the lookout for a homemade pie crust that I could make successfully that was delicious and easy to work with. All it took was a conversation with my grandma this year and her sharing my great-grandmother’s pie crust recipe with me. Suddenly, my pies are “as easy as pie” and scrumptious, too.

#11. Old Fashioned. If you have not seen this movie yet, put it on your list of “Must See.” Hubby and I saw it for our Valentine’s Day date (one of very few date nights this year), and we both enjoyed it, so, so much. This Christian indie film is funny, romantic, and pure in heart, and it doesn’t skimp on production quality. For more about the film, you can check out the Plugged In review.

#12. Inside Out. This is one our whole family loves, and we were all excited when we got it as a Christmas gift from family. It tells the story of 11-year-old Riley as she adjusts to her family’s move to a new town, but it does it from the inside out – with her emotions being the main characters. Another good movie from Pixar, it’s one we’ll be watching for years to come I’m sure.

#13. Sweet Cinnamon Spice Tea. In Lape Haven, we aren’t coffee people, at all. I’m 100-percent a hot tea or hot chocolate person. I love trying new teas, so when I found this one on sale at Kroger one day, I had to get it. The warm cinnamon-ness is perfect on a cooler day, especially with a good drizzle of honey to sweeten it up. Yum.

#14. Romans 12:12. This year, this verse has been my “Mommy motto.” Even though it’s been written on my kitchen chalkboard since last summer, I’ve really needed the reminder in that verse throughout this year: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

: My nephew’s newborn session

: Love this picture from my cousin’s senior pictures

: My boys are my favorite subjects!

#15. My camera & new lenses. Okay, so my camera isn’t new to 2015, but I did get a couple of new lenses this year, a 50mm for last Christmas and a replacement 18-200mm zoom lens. This year I’ve continued to learn more about shooting in manual and got lots of practice by doing several photo shoots for family and a couple of friends, including my nephew’s newborn shoot, another nephew’s senior pictures, and my cousin’s senior pictures, too. Of course, my favorite pictures of the year are always going to be the ones of my boys. They are my favorite subjects of all. (Earlier this year I shared my tips and what I’ve learned about taking great pictures of your kids.)

So, those are some of my favorite things from 2015. I can’t wait to see all the new, wonderful things that come our way in 2016.

Happy New Year!!!

What about you? What is one of your favorite new things from this past year?

The Reality of Christmas

December 22, 2015

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She was a simple, small-town girl, a virgin whose obedience meant she was about to give birth to the long-awaited Messiah.

He was a carpenter, visited by an angel and called to a holy mission that would change not only his life, but the entire course of mankind.

It was a town with a royal history, a name that meant “House of Bread,” and with fields feeding the lambs destined for the Temple sacrifices. It would shelter the One Who would one day be called the Prince of Peace, the Bread of Life, and the Lamb of God.

They were rugged, filthy shepherds, yet an angelic army would herald them into the presence of the King of Kings.

They were wise, educated, and affluent men, and still they would humbly follow a sign in the heavens toward something greater than even they could fully comprehend.

He was a tiny newborn, sweet and sleepy, helpless and vulnerable, even though His hands had hung the very stars that glimmered overhead. He would be the fulfillment of a plan set in motion thousands of years before, a plan to bring us back to God, a plan that brought God down to us.

Sometimes we know the story so well that we fail to pause and grasp the reality and the significance of each person, each moment, and each detail that God so carefully crafted and designed from the beginning of time.

Each person is important, each moment memorable, and each detail rich with purpose and meaning because this isn’t just a story, a narrative we recite on Christmas Eve along with A Christmas Carol or A Visit from St. Nicholas.

This happened. It is real history. And it changed history.

Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi – they were real people who lived and died.

Mary experienced the joys and struggles of pregnancy, then labored and delivered her child far from home, among livestock. She and Joseph had faced the suspicions of friends and family, and Joseph would bear the responsibility of providing for and protecting his wife and the Child from the tremendous evil around them.

The shepherds, who were often considered ritually unclean because of their contact with animal waste and dead things, were suddenly face-to-face with an army of angels, and then face-to-face with Emmanuel, “God With Us.”

The wise men studied years, journeyed months, and brought costly offerings for the Baby. To safeguard His identity, they risked angering a wicked king, returning home a different way than they had come.

They all layered their faith in God and their obedience to His leading, intertwining their lives with each other’s at one of the most crucial points in all of time.

Generations later we celebrate the Baby that they held and worshipped.

And yet, while they celebrated the hope that the Child meant for Israel, we can celebrate with a clearer understanding of what His coming meant for the entire world: forgiveness, freedom, joy, peace, healing, and life.

They celebrated at the beginning. We get to celebrate the complete story – His birth, life, death, resurrection, and the hope of His return.

We were simple, common, filthy, and helpless, yet God sent His Son to us, to die for us, to save us, and to be with us.

This is the reality of Christmas.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Looking in the Tomb

The Parable of the Dough

Why We Started Celebrating St. Nicholas Day

Why We Don’t Need MORE This Christmas

Feature photo courtesy of Picture Bliss Photography.

Tag - Bible

Daniel Fast Recipes: Two That We Loved & One I Won’t Make Again

Our “Vision Verse” for Our Children

The People who KNOW THEIR GOD

Will BE STRONG

And TAKE ACTION

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL VERSE FOR YOUR FAMILY?

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Pausing to Be Grateful

Over the last couple weeks, as part of the Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World launch team, I have been participating in an Instagram Daily Photo Challenge with the theme of “What are you grateful for?”

WHO DO I APPRECIATE TODAY?

TODAY, WHAT MADE YOU SMILE?

HOW WAS GOD GOOD TODAY?

How has God been good to you this week?

If you haven’t yet entered the giveaway to win a copy of Kristen Welch’s newest book,

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World,

ENTER TODAY!

How to Start a Brand New Year Any Day

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

15 of My Favorite New Things from 2015

Somehow it’s the last day of 2015, and while we are looking forward to many good things in the coming year, there were quite a lot of things I loved about this past one.

Here you go:

The Reality of Christmas

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: