Party plans, menus, ideas, and more to celebrate all the special holidays & occasions in our life.
Have you ever gone up to a stranger and taken hold of part of his clothing? Mark 5:25–34 recounts the story of a woman who did. She had bled continuously for twelve years. In the South, we’d say she had “female problems.” If she lived …
The exact moment of one’s perceived independence is subjective, isn’t it? The date or event fluctuates with age. As a young teenager I sang, “Born Free” with the sorrow of a caged animal. My spoiled, middle-class American teenage girl angst shrouded the recognition of the …
I was coming to the end of my creative rope, facing yet another Mother’s Day without any hints for a gift for the woman who nurtured and loved me into adulthood. My Mom has everything and surely nothing I could purchase at a department store …
[Editor’s Note: Mentoring Moments first ran this piece by Cole Huffman several years ago. His daughter is 13 now and still plays with the girl next door. The staff of Mentoring Moments wishes each of you a Happy Easter!] The house behind us long sat …
*Affiliate links included. I give unceasing thanks to my God, who kept me faithful in the day of my testing. Today I can offer him sacrifice with confidence, giving myself as a living victim to Christ, my Lord, who kept me safe through all my …
Years ago I had a friend who, if I asked too many personal questions, would ask, “What? Are you writing a book?” I learned not to become offended and just to respond, “Yes, and this is the chapter about you.” It can seem intrusive if …
Somewhere between the darkness and the light. That is where we are as Christians. And not just at Advent time, but at all times. Somewhere between the fact of darkness and the hope of light. That is who we are. Frederick Buechner, The Clown in …
Recently my friend wrote me, “After much prayer, I finally finished decorating our home. It’s much different than it has ever been.” She continued, “We are no longer celebrating the birth of a baby, we are celebrating the soon coming of the King. The One …
*Affiliate links included. In the church Christmas pageant I wrote, “The Nativity Alive,” the children carol at the home of a reclusive man who has a Nativity set displayed in his front yard. A few of the rowdy kids actually steal the baby Jesus from …
Some families enjoy reading the whole Christmas story on Christmas Day or in parts throughout Advent. Others appreciate acting it out in a family play. Here is the Christmas story from the four Gospels, in chronological order, minus the genealogies, divided into five days and followed …
