Living History Museums

The weather may still be a bit nippy outside, but don’t let that stop you from planning a visit to a virtual history museum. Many museums now offer virtual tours online at no cost. With over 2,000 living history museums in the U.S. alone, there are plenty of places to visit without leaving home. In fact, take a world tour! Just do an online search to find links. Living museums are an excellent way to find more information for book reports and assignments.

Comment to this post with your favorite links!

Jamestown Settlement

Museum of Natural History

Another way to visit the Louvre

Creation Museum

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Your Best You

Your Best You: Discovering and Developing the Strengths God Gave You

Have you ever wanted to break free from unhealthy habits or a negative lifestyle?  Then Your Best You by Bonnie Grove might be just what you are looking for.  Whether you want to quit smoking, overeating or storing up clutter, you will learn through this book how to use your strengths to overcome your weaknesses.

Grove clearly explains how to do an inventory of your strengths, likes, and goals (among other things) to enjoy living in freedom from the activities or choices that would entangle us.  She provides not only the forms to fill in right in the chapter itself, but she also includes her own personal form filled out so you can clearly see how it should be done.  Seeing her true-to-life form gives a glimpse into another woman’s journey to discovering her best self.

As you work through this 185-page book (which includes all your forms and hers) you will uncover your true goals and dreams.  A the same time you will recognize the goals and dreams you’ve been striving for that you thought should be yours or what others communicated you should own.

Throughout the book, Grove points the reader to Scripture, prayer and God’s active involvement in your life, your strengths and desires.  As you journey through the book, you will be engaging with God through Bible reading, prayer and journaling.  It is a valuable resource you will work through once and keep on hand to go through again and again.  It will help you see yourself, your friends and family with eyes that look for strengths instead of weakness as you break free from the things that entangle you.

Please enjoy the interview with Bonnie Grove about Your Best You in today’s TalkShoe podcast.

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Interview with Bonnie Groves

Your Best You
Carla Coroy interviews Your Best You author, Bonnie Groves.

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Words of Encouragement

Here are some phrases you can use to cheer, encourage and woo those around you.  Feel free to print a copy to hang on the fridge or keep in your purse.  If you are like me and criticism comes much more naturally than encouraging words, this is the most invaluable tool!  When you’ve used them all… think of your own and add to the list!

As a matter of fact… leave a comment with some ‘Wooing Words’ you’d like to share with all of us!

1. You brighten my day!
2. I love it when you smile!
3. You are part of what made today great.
4. I choose you.
5. You have the courage of a soldier and the heart of a lover.
6. Your advice is always rich with wisdom.
7. Kindness looks great on you!
8. Conversations with you are like a great cup of coffee, they perk me right up.
9. When you tell me stories I feel like I’m right in it.
10. You are on my ‘favorite people’ list.
11. It will be exciting to see how the miracle of your life (or this difficult situation) unfolds.
12. I love it when you listen so intently to what I say.
13. Time with you is wisely invested.
14. You are worth every minute!
15. Listening isn’t hard when you are talking to me.
16. You make our house seem like home.
17. Without you our family would be dull.
18. Your voice is music to my ears.
19. You certainly add spice to my life.
20. I’m glad you are my (husband, daughter, friend, son, teacher, etc.).
21. Getting to know you better is a real privilege.
22. I can see in you the makings of a true hero.
23. I wouldn’t ever wish that I’d done things differently in my life, because if I did you might not be part of it.
24. It’s quite an honor to be seen with you in public… thank you!
25. When I talk to God about the important things in my life, I often talk about you.

Frugal Living Links

Coupon Mom is a free site that matches grocery coupons with local store sales. Excellent.

Crown Financial Ministries, the premiere Christian organization for financial freedom.

$5 Dinners. Don’t think it can be done? Think again.

Strategic Thinking

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed [Luke 5:16]

Sometimes the noise and confusion of this 21st century is so great we don’t even know what questions to ask and, without the right questions, we never get the right answer. Just when you think you have the answer, the question changes. Maybe this will help.

In their excellent book on leadership, Hope is Not a Method, General G. Sullivan and Michael Harper tell a remarkable story about Lt. H. Moore in Vietnam. Lt. Moore’s battalion was surrounded by the Viet Cong and was outnumbered five to one. Moore’s troops fought with remarkable bravery for 4 or 5 straight days. Eventually, both sides claimed victory.

In the extensive debriefing after the battle, it was reported that from time to time Moore seemed to just withdraw—blocking everything and everyone out. When his concerned superiors questioned him about his behavior, Moore replied that he was in fact trying to block everything out so that he could ask himself the following three questions: 1) What is happening? 2) What is not happening? 3) What can I do to influence this action? These three questions went on to become a simple but effective grid for the U.S. Army’s strategic thinking. Obviously, Jesus had the same problem and solution at times–to withdraw. As a soldier in the army of God, this is good strategic thinking for us to follow whenever the battle rages.

Remember if the battle is on and you are struggling: 1) Draw aside with Jesus. 2) Block out everything and everyone. 3) Ask these three questions and you will be amazed at the wisdom and clarity of decisions you make.

Related Reading: James 1:5 Proverbs 22:17-19.

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Diane Hale
For the past 30 years, Diane has served as evangelist, trainer, teacher, mentor, and consultant for churches of many denominations.
http://dianehale.net/

Coming Out of the Pit

The Bible refers to our troubles as a pit. Unfortunately most of the pits we find ourselves in have been self induced.   The word pit simply means a hole, a cavity or a miserable and depressing situation.  And I am here to tell you some of us are dealing with some holes in our lives–some depressing and miserable moments in our lives.

Look how David described the pit situation in Psalm 40:2 “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.”

If you are in a pit today because of your own doing, then take responsibility for it.  Stop moaning and trying to blame everyone else for your problems.  Make every effort to remedy the situation as God instructs you.

You may be experiencing Christian growing pains. Sometimes when we are being tried, we can think it’s a pit because it’s painful.   Lamentations 3 makes it clear that life can be hard.  Life is not just a bowl of cherries, sometimes it’s a bowl of pits. Sometimes in the rose garden we don’t get the flowers, just the thorns.  Again I am not denying the blessings of life, not at all.  Because there are glorious times, times of blessings and joy, times of rich celebrations.   I thank God for those times.

But perhaps you are in the valley of despair today. Most of us can identify with this too.  An incurable disease.  A broken heart. A financial crisis that robs us of all status, style and security.  Whatever it is, how we react to it determines whether or not despair becomes the ruler of our lives.  Despair does nothing good to us.  It will take its toll on our families, our relationships, and even our health.

First, despair distorts the facts and truth by producing an outlook of utter hopelessness.

Then despair dominates our feelings by keeping our attention and focus on the distorted facts.

Also despair denies our faith.  Despair is not the exercise of faith. 

Praying in the pit is not really a sweet polite prayer, but it is an honest prayer.  There is no need to censor or hide or pretend to ignore our feelings.  Just give it over to the Lord, all of it.

Maybe it’s time to pray:  “Lord take vengeance and right all wrong.  Make all things right with our enemies and with us. Father, have mercy on us.  Lord, we believe, help our unbelief.”

Now you can say to yourself, I am coming from my pit of destruction.  I am coming from my pit of heartaches.  I am coming from my pit of defeat and doubt.

Praying from the pit can be a bold expression of faith. Because God can handle the pits.  Here is the truth, God came after us.  He came after us by climbing into the muck and mire of all our pride and walked with us in the pit.

Whatever the situation you  find yourself in, remember God has a plan for you, and you are not going to find it sitting in the pit, wringing your hands and holding your head down.  It’s time for action.

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What Happens When I Pray Wrong?

My friend recently left a comment on my blog that reminded me of a time when my children were just little. Our son was learning our family’s table rules. At that time, and all the way until today, our kids have not been allowed to leave the table until they have acknowledged their thanks for the food and asked to be excused.

We were visiting my friend’s house for lunch one day. We were busy chatting and visiting, and the kids were eating and talking almost as loudly as we were. It was a great lunch time. Then all of a sudden there was a lull in the conversation until a tiny, little voice was heard.

“Mama, may I please be a goose?” His sweet face and earnest expression nearly made my heart melt. I couldn’t for the life of me, though, figure out why he’d want to be a goose! Until I realized, after a few seconds of staring blankly at my son, that he’d been ‘mishearing’ us all along. He was really saying, “Mama, may I please be excused?” (If you say it fast and pretend you’re a toddler I think you’ll hear it, too.)

When my friend brought this to my mind not so long ago it stirred something deep in my heart. You see, there are times when you and I pray for things we believe we really want. We say the things we think we should be saying, and pray the things we assume our hearts really desire.

I’m so glad, though, that God knows us and His will better than we ever will. I knew that my son didn’t really want to be a goose, I answered his request (not his words) and excused him from the table. In that same way, God knows what our deepest longings are, the groaning and aching of our heart and when we don’t get it quite right the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. Romans 8:26-27, NLT

We can rest assured that the Father of Love hears our prayers, knows our hearts and gives us His best… even when we don’t know what we’re asking for.

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Blogging Links

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Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. I want to encourage you with a bit of history.

Valentine’s Day is not a celebration that started with a little naked boy with wings flying around with arrows shooting passion into the hearts of young people. No, the cupid you see on Valentine’s cards in stores everywhere has nothing to do with the real deal.

Although no one is absolutely certain how the celebration actually started many point to a certain priest living under the rule of Claudius in ancient Rome.
The ruler was having trouble with his army. Men were leaving their families behind to fight but would become homesick and lonely while away from their wives. In order to strengthen his armies, Claudius outlawed all engagements and marriages. This did not go over well with his people, especially the Christians who wanted to reserve their expressions of love for each other to the bonds of marriage.

St. Valentine, a priest, continued to secretly break the law and marry young couples in love. He made a stand for biblical marriage. Eventually he was caught and arrested. He was sentenced to beatings and death.

While he was in prison the jailer’s daughter befriended him. She was healed of her blindness when he prayed for her. They fell in love but knew that with the ban on marriages and Valentine’s impending death there would be no future for their relationship.

On the day of his execution, Valentine left her a note and signed it ‘From Your Valentine’.

From then until today Valentine’s Day has been a celebration of love. But it is more than that. It’s a celebration of marriage itself. St. Valentine risked his life so that men and women could be married and follow God’s prescribed plan for relationships.

Today many of us are turning our backs on marriage because it’s not making us happy, or because it’s too hard. Shame on us! When men and women have died to give us the freedom we have in our country to be married according to God’s beautiful plan, we should celebrate that in our homes. The rings we wear on our fingers are not just another piece of jewelry but a sign to the world that we are celebrating marriage.

This Valentine’s Day, plan to celebrate your marriage, not just the fleeting feeling of romance. Feelings of love and romance waver from day to day, month to month and year to year. But your commitment to marriage should be life-long. No matter what your feelings are this season, celebrate the truth in your marriage, God’s blessing of marriage as a whole and the privilege of being a part of such a magnificent institution.

God bless you as you prepare to celebrate your marriage this Valentine’s Day!

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