The oldest of my three daughters had her fifth birthday earlier this month! She loves sprinkles, so I decided to make Birthday Cake Pancakes for breakfast as part of our celebration. I’ve seen these made using boxed cake mixes, but they are easy to make from scratch. They make a birthday morning—or any other morning—extra … [Read more...] about Birthday Cake Pancakes
holidays
Using Fall Decor to Promote Gratitude
Some individuals really have a knack for home decorating, but I’m not one of them. I don’t have a lot of time, money, or talent to put into decorating, so I focus a lot more on function than form. However, I’m keenly aware that the appearance of my home impacts the atmosphere in my home. I want the atmosphere in my home to be warm and peaceful … [Read more...] about Using Fall Decor to Promote Gratitude
The Most Wonderful Things About Autumn
I enjoy watching the seasons change. I love the order the seasons give our lives, the biblical truths of which they remind us, and the way each transition from one to the next feels like a new beginning. Though I’m typically excited when we change seasons, I’m often extra enthusiastic when we transition to fall. Maybe this is because I … [Read more...] about The Most Wonderful Things About Autumn
40 Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents
A few years ago I wrote a post about the importance of grandparents. I noted in that post that grandparents have a wealth of knowledge that they can pass along to their grandkids and that they help connect grandkids to their history. Given kids can learn so many things from their grandparents, perhaps it is best not to take a laissez-faire … [Read more...] about 40 Questions for Kids to Ask Their Grandparents
Christmas in July: Deciding Whether or Not to Participate in the Santa Tradition
If you have little kids, then you are faced with the question of whether or not to take part in the Santa tradition (i.e., teaching kids that a jolly old man stops by to leave gifts for them to open on Christmas morning). This tradition can be fun and add excitement to the Christmas season, but it also has some drawbacks. You may be … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: Deciding Whether or Not to Participate in the Santa Tradition
How Introverts Can Successfully Practice Hospitality
Introversion and Extroversion are likely the oldest and most widely discussed constructs in personality theories. Introverts tend to be reserved, quiet, and more comfortable alone. They are more sensitive to external stimuli and need time away from this in order to function well. Extroverts, on the other hand, tend to be expressive, outgoing, … [Read more...] about How Introverts Can Successfully Practice Hospitality
Printable Easter Story Word Clouds
As I did at Christmas, for Easter I’m sharing words from the Bible in the form of word clouds. The word cloud pictured above contains the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Word clouds are images comprised of the words used in a particular text. In this case, the text is Mark 15:22-39 and 16:1-7. The size of each word in the cloud … [Read more...] about Printable Easter Story Word Clouds
14 Simple Ways to Get Started Observing Lent
Last week I shared about how all Christians, not just those from particular denominations, can benefit from observing Lent. As I noted last week, I didn’t grow up observing Lent. As I’ve learned about it in the last couple of years, I’ve discovered that it is both easy and difficult to observe. It is easy in that there are a lot of … [Read more...] about 14 Simple Ways to Get Started Observing Lent
