Archives for March 2018

Easter Acrostic: From Sorrow to Joy

March 27, 2018 by 2 Comments

Easter—the holiday that takes us from the depths of sorrow to the heights of joy in the span of only two and a half days.

We remember the Last Supper our Lord had with his disciples and feel the pain of his betrayal. We recall his prayerful agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and then relive the horror of his arrest and crucifixion. We feel the grief his loved ones and followers felt.

But then the joy comes. We remember and rejoice in the fact that death did not win. God raised Jesus from the dead—our Savior lives! And because of him, we who are believers will live eternally with him in heaven. What joy!

May the following Easter “From Sorrow to Joy” thoughts bless your celebration this year. Happy Easter, friends!

Easter: From Sorrow to Joy

Ever remember his body and blood shed for us.

Again read the scripture and tell the story of those history-altering, life-changing days.

Stand at the foot of the cross and weep over the price he paid for our sin.

Thank God for raising Jesus from the dead, for giving us a Savior who lives today.

End fearful and defeated thinking and be filled with the joy and hope of eternal life.

Rejoice in Christ’s victory over Satan and let our lives overflow with praise to God!

“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:5-6 NIV

*Do you know Jesus as your Savior? If not, ask him to forgive your sins and be your Lord. Give him your heart today!

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early May. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by Dale Simonson, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: celebrate, free, grief, holidays, hope, joy, life, miracle, passion, salvation, thanks, victory Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Summer or Fall Wedding Favor Idea: Jars of Honey!

March 27, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, are your darling daughter and her sweetheart planning a summer or fall wedding? If so, it’s time to start gathering ideas and making decisions about some of the more minor aspects of the big day. And one of those minor issues is what to provide as wedding favors.

One super sweet idea for summer or fall wedding favors is a gift of honey. Since honey harvest usually takes place in July, August, and September, you might even be able to acquire some newly harvested honey from a local or regional beekeeper. What a treat for your guests—honey fresh from the honeycombs!

You can buy already-packaged honey wedding favors or you and the bride can get creative and come up with your own unique packaging. To buy ready-to-go honey favors, just google “buying honey wedding favors” and explore your options. Some of those options will allow you to personalize your favor. But to make your own favors from the hive up so to speak, find a local beekeeper and go from there with your own creative packaging.

Your daughter’s summer or fall wedding will be here before you know it, MOB, so why not go ahead and suggest jars of honey for the favors. You never know. This sweet idea might “bee” just what she’ll love!

*You might also like to read Fall Wedding Favor Idea: Caramel Apples! and A Wedding Favor That Pampers: Beigetone Soaps.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early May. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by moralesmegan25, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: autumn, bride, favors, food, Gift, Mother of the Bride, nature, summer Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Getting Ready for a New Challenge or Adventure

March 13, 2018 by 2 Comments

*I’ll be taking a blogging break during Spring Break so will see you back here Tuesday Mar. 27. Blessings to all!

“‘Go through the camp and tell the people, “Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan River and take the land the Lord your God is giving you.”” Joshua 1:11 NCV

The Bible is filled with accounts of ordinary people faced with new challenges or adventures. Men, women, teens, children, senior citizens, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, married, single—you name it and we can find an example of such a person who had to move into unchartered territory, step out of their comfort zone, or simply take on a new task in one of their areas of expertise.

God tasked Joshua with leading an entire nation of people—the Israelites—into the land he had promised them. After God spoke with Joshua—instructing, encouraging, and preparing him for the task—Joshua set about preparing the people for the challenge and adventure ahead. He sent officers through the camp with instructions.

Joshua’s order rang out—“Get your supplies ready.” They had three days before they would take possession of the land God was giving them. They needed to get ready for the conquest, they needed to get ready to move. Among other things, they had to prepare and pack their food as well as gather and secure their belongings.

Is God leading any of us to a new land? A new physical location or a new circumstance? Is he calling us to some sort of unchartered territory, asking us to step out of our comfort zone, or perhaps giving us a new task in one our areas of expertise?

Like Joshua and the people of Israel, what do we need to do to get ready for the task before us? The answer will be different for all of us, depending on the specifics of the  challenge. Let’s spend a few minutes considering what we should do then let’s begin preparations. Let’s get our supplies ready.

“‘Get ready; be prepared . . .’” Ezekiel 38:7 NIV

*How have you prepared in the past for a new challenge?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early May. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by jev55, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: adventure, change, new thing, preparation, unplowed ground, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Budget Agreement with the Father of the Bride

March 13, 2018 by Leave a Comment

*I’ll be taking a blogging break during Spring Break so will see you back here Tuesday Mar. 27. Blessings to all!

Mother of the Bride, are you on the same financial wedding-planning page as the Father of the Bride? Budget talk is never fun—in daily life or in wedding planning—but you’ll save yourself and your husband (or ex-husband as the case may be) countless unpleasant exchanges if the two of you are in budget agreement from the earliest stages of your planning.

FOBs may joke that their job in wedding planning is to hand over the checkbook or credit card, but they really do want to have a say in what’s reasonable to spend for the whole affair. If you’re not careful, wedding expenses can turn into a runaway train in the blink of an eye. If you know how much the FOB is comfortable spending, MOB, you’ll know when to apply the brake and slow the wedding-planning locomotive down.

Most men—on their first time around the FOB block—have no idea what a wedding can cost so be sure to enlighten the FOB in your life early on. Better to give him a chance to absorb the shock and weigh in on the budget for your particular wedding than to hit him with repeated shockers throughout the course of the planning.

So MOB, honor the FOB by getting on the same financial page with him from the beginning. Remember, you’re on the same team. You’ll enjoy the big day—and each other—so much more if financial strain and unhappiness doesn’t become a wedge between you. And hey, your spirit of cooperation will bless your sweet daughter as well!

*You might also like to read Wedding Expenses: Get the Most Bang for Your MOB Buck, A Simple Wedding Expense Tip, and Wedding Savings Tip: Borrow!

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Have you subscribed to Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue? If not, sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, just scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Hope this revised encore post from Jan. 2014 was helpful to you today!

*Flickr photo by Tax Credits, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, family, money, Mother of the Bride, pair, peace, preparation, team, trust Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Photo: Bride and Groom Make Hands-Heart

March 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, have you started keeping your eyes peeled for wedding day photo ideas? As soon as you heard your little girl was going to become a bride, I bet you started noticing anything and everything wedding-related, photo ideas included. Might as well start a list to share with the bride, right?

The photo above—the bride and groom making a heart out of their hands—is a super sweet shot your darling daughter might want to suggest to their photographer.

This shot not only exudes romance and the couple’s unified love, it showcases a portion of their wedding attire as well. To top it off, it’s an appealing photo simply because of its centered and symmetrical composition and the contrasting colors featured. In other words, a perfect photo!

So MOB, why not show this idea to your daughter? I’m willing to bet she’ll love it. Plus, she’ll enjoy a few extra minutes of being wrapped in her groom’s arms!

*You might also like to read Wedding Photo Idea: A Veiled Kiss, Wedding Photo Idea: Black and White Bubble Shot, Wedding Photo Idea: The Corner Shot, and Wedding Photo Idea: Groom Admires His Bride. 

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Have you subscribed to Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue? If not, sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, just scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Free Pexels photo 

Filed Under: bride, groom, love, memories, Mother of the Bride, pair, photo fun, unity Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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