When I think about hospitality, I often consider ways my husband and I can bless others in our home. Which friends can we invite over for fellowship? Are family or friends in need of a place to stay while vacationing in the area? Can we host a baby shower or birthday party for a friend? It recently occurred to me that I can encourage … [Read more...] about Encourage Others in Hospitality: Be a Good Dinner Guest
Being Salt & Light
Wise Charitable Giving
Do you make donations to nonprofit organizations? The Thanksgiving and Christmas season, during which there’s often an upswing in charitable giving, is a good time to consider how nonprofit organizations are using our donations. Last year the Tampa Bay Times, The Center for Investigative Reporting, and CNN did a special report on … [Read more...] about Wise Charitable Giving
Home Decorating Considerations for Christian Women
How is your home decorated? Do you use crisp lines and abstract patterns to create a modern look? Do you utilize antiques and fine fabrics to create a vintage look? My husband and I are still creating a unique look for the home we purchased one year ago. It’s been a bit of a challenge. Interior decorating isn’t really my strength. An … [Read more...] about Home Decorating Considerations for Christian Women
That It May Benefit Those Who Listen: The Harm of Doom and Gloom Advice
“Just you wait until…” I cringe when I hear those words. Why? The vast majority of the time they are followed by doom and gloom advice. Sometimes it’s the veteran wife to the newlywed: “Just you wait until you’ve been married for a few years. He’ll stop making romantic gestures and you’ll by annoyed by the quirks you think are cute now.” … [Read more...] about That It May Benefit Those Who Listen: The Harm of Doom and Gloom Advice
Christmas in July: ‘Tis the Season for Serving Others
Welcome to the second installment of Christmas in July 2013. If you missed the initial installment, which included an explanation of the purpose of Christmas in July, you can see it here. As Christmas approaches and we start contemplating Christ’s birth, our hearts often become increasingly sensitive to the needs of others. … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: ‘Tis the Season for Serving Others
Forming Positive Relationships with Difficult Neighbors
Last week I wrote a post about the declining sense of connectedness between neighbors in our nation and why we need to reverse this trend (read the post here). It is often easy to assert the benefits of connectedness and make recommendations for getting to know your neighbors when speaking of neighbors in a general sense. The subjective view … [Read more...] about Forming Positive Relationships with Difficult Neighbors
Do You Know Your Neighbors?
Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about neighbors a little more than I usually do. I began doing so after hearing a news story about 3 women who were kidnapped and then held captive for 10 years in a house in Cleveland. The general public and the media have asked how these women could be held in a house in a very populated neighborhood … [Read more...] about Do You Know Your Neighbors?
Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Embracing a Food Philosophy Without Judging Others
Our culture is rife with various food philosophies, which are the beliefs, attitudes, and values a person holds regarding food selection, cooking, and eating. The philosophies seem innumerable—real food, traditional food, organic, fair trade, free range, unpasteurized, locavore, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, etc. While the health and environmental … [Read more...] about Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Embracing a Food Philosophy Without Judging Others
