Home Life

Wives: Are You a Gift or a Burden?

Patricia Hartman
30 Dec 2014
one comments

Marriage is not a word. It’s a life sentence. Is this how your husband feels about your marriage? Are you unknowingly destroying your husband and killing your marriage? According to an article by Katelyn Carmen on FamilyShare.com, there are five ways to do exactly that. As you take this inventory, consider how these relate to God’s command for wives to respect their husbands (Ephesians 5:33) and how they relate to God’s design for men as protectors and providers. Further, don’t get distracted with “what about me” feelings. It will be the husband’s turn next month. This month is about your […]

-Read More

Geocaching – A Family Hobby for the New Year

Bob Woods
no comments

Looking for an idea for a hobby for the New Year that will provide an activity for the family, promote physical exercise outdoors and be a fun way to get your kids away from their video games and new electronic devices? Then you are ready to discover Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor game using hand-held global positioning systems (GPS) devices. It’s an inexpensive, interactive high-tech treasure hunt that’s a great way to learn geography. Participants use location coordinates to find caches. Some caches are easy to find; others are more difficult. The biggest reward is the thrill of the search […]

-Read More

Is My Example Good Enough?

Lyette Reback
no comments

A new mother wrote to me last week worried about whether she will be a good enough example to her child as he grows up. I remember entering into parenthood terrified myself. I hadn’t always walked with Jesus, and I believed in “bad kid karma.” You know, when your mother says to you, “I hope when you grow up you get a daughter JUST LIKE YOU.” I had been a tough kid, so I thought my odds were pretty good that my daughter would turn out to be just like me — a challenge to say the least. I strived […]

-Read More

The Year of Lists: things to know and do for a successful 2015

Blackstone Grif
no comments

I think this was the year of lists. It seems like every other email or blog post was a list of how to do something or achieve success in a certain area of life or business. I am not talking about the long standing top 10 lists of best hotel, restaurant, places to visit or even David Letterman’s top 10; those are good to know. I am talking about lists to live by like “5 things to achieve financial success,” “7 keys to a better life,” “3 daily deeds to make your life amazing” or “5 things to be #1 […]

-Read More

year of lists

Cultivating Hope in the Midst of Depression

Julie Woodley
9 Dec 2014
no comments
Cultivating Hope

As Christians we are told at Christmas that this should be the happiest time of the year — a time of joy with grateful family, colleagues and friends. Yet, for some of us this is sadly not the case. In my work with Christians in a private practice and then in my ministry I began to see that the Holidays can be a significant increase in depression. One North American survey reported that 45% of respondents dreaded the festive season. One very blue Christmas I reflect back on one Christmas that was filled with depression, sadness and feeling very isolated […]

-Read More

Step Back in Time at Bethlehem Revisited

The Good News
one comments

First United Methodist Church of Coral Springs invites you to step back in time to Bethlehem Revisited, a living interactive recreation of the town of Bethlehem as it may have appeared 2,000 years ago. This five-day family-friendly event begins Friday, December 12th and will close on Tuesday, December 16. On week nights, you can enter the city between 7 and 9 p.m. with entrance an hour earlier on Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. The historic recreation includes a walled city utilizing more than 30,500 square feet of lumber. While awaiting entrance into the city gate, visitors may encounter Roman […]

-Read More

Bethlehem Revisited

Surviving the Holidays Financially

Jeff Masters
no comments
surviving the holidays

Christmas is the time of year to have fun while enjoying the holiday with family and friends. However, the magic can also be extinguished by the mad rush of stressful shopping, vacation planning and other obligations. It’s no wonder that the holiday season is actually one of the most stressful times, especially from a financial perspective. Smart spending and creating a Christmas budget can reduce the financial burden and alleviate some of that unwanted stress.  It’s way too easy to get caught up in the shopping mania of this season and find yourself in a freshly dug hole in January. […]

-Read More

When Choosing A Gift Has You Stumped

Tami Gomez
no comments

What to get, what to get…? So many options, but nothing seems right. Finding Christmas gifts is sometimes the hardest part of Christmas, especially when looking for someone important to you who seems to have everything he wants or needs. However difficult it may seem to be, it is not impossible. Before we continue, it’s important to realize that your gift does not have to fill a void in any person’s life; it’s just a Christmas present. The job of void-filling is the Holy Spirit’s, not yours. If this person already has everything he needs, then your gift ought to […]

-Read More

Will the Real St. Nicholas Please Stand Up?

Penni Bulten
no comments

In America, St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) is seen as a jolly, fat, bearded man, who drives a sleigh pulled by reindeer. But this is a caricature, coming from illustrations for Harper’s Illustrated Weekly in 1869, done by Thomas Nast. This art was a continuation of the chubby, plump “jolly old elf” image in the poem “The Night Before Christmas.” (This depiction is normally attributed to Clement C. Moore, professor of Biblical Languages at New York’s Episcopal General Theological Seminary. However, Don Foster’s book Author Unknown suggests that Henry Livingston, a patriot and author of humor and children’s verse, actually […]

-Read More

Christmas Near the Beach

Gabriella Morris
6 Dec 2014
no comments

Christmas Near The Beach, a South Florida-style celebration, returns to the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, December 13 from 4 to 9 p.m. With more than 5,000 people in attendance last year, the free event will feature bands, dancers, singers, vendors, a classic car show and a free photo with St. Nick at his Beach House.  Now in its 8th year, Christmas Near The Beach is a production of Expressions of Joy, a Christian dance academy serving Broward and Palm Beach counties. Their objective is to boldly share the good news of the gospel in a […]

-Read More