Archives for June 2019

Shutterfly’s Free Printable Engagement Photo Props

Mother of the Bride, as your sweet daughter and her intended’s engagement photo session approaches, why not offer them a dynamite tip to help make things more fun.

Of course, you’ll want to offer some standard tips for a good experience—choosing the right photographer, outfits that flatter and express their personalities, a great location, and ideas for poses that will be meaningful to them—but my tip today might be something they are unaware of and would love to include in their photos.

Shutterfly offers free downloadable engagement photo props that can help a couple add their own personal touch to their engagement photos. These props are fun and creative and a few can even be customized. You’ll even see some that can be used in photos or for décor on the wedding day itself.

Share this post pronto with your darling couple, MOB. And be sure to tell them to read Shutterfly’s post to the very end for lots of great tips on how to use the props and for photo session tips in general. Then sit back and wait for the moment they share their amazing photos with you!

Read more on Shutterfly.com.

*You might also like to read Use Engagement Photo for Bridal Shower Invitation.

*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 August. 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.)

*Photos by Shutterfly

Guest Blogger Debra Butterfield: Are You Fully Convinced?

What does it mean to be fully convinced—of anything?

It means to be absolutely certain, have no doubts, that something will be accomplished.

Are you fully convinced the sun will set tonight? I’d say so. You probably didn’t even give it a thought, otherwise, you’d be in a panic.

Stop and think about what being certain of something does for you.

You have no doubts. You have confidence in its occurrence. You have peace.

Are you fully convinced you’ll overcome any tough situation that might come your way?

Your certainty may have vanished before you finished reading that sentence.

When I landed in a hospital bed for six days back in December 2017, I came face to face with my anemic faith in God. I lacked any kind of certainty—beyond my salvation—in God’s Word. It was time for that to end!

I am a soldier. I had a soldier mindset before I joined the Marine Corps, and my time in the service fine-tuned that mindset. Now I am a soldier in the Lord’s army. Often when God teaches me something new, He does it through military analogies.

When Marines go into battle, they know they are not fighting alone. Every Marine in their unit is fighting alongside them. Additionally, they know they have the fire power of US tanks, warships, missiles, fighter jets, and bombers to back them up.

And when they fight, they fight intent on winning.

In Jesus’ day, Roman soldiers were told to come home a winner or don’t come home at all! They went into battle determined and convinced they would win.

We can enter any situation being fully convinced we’ll win!

“How?” you ask.

By knowing what the Bible has to say. But we can’t read a Scripture just once and be fully convinced. We must know that we know that we know. That’s what being convinced is.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 NKJV, emphasis added)

To be fully convinced we must know what God’s Word says and spend time renewing our mind in that truth.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2 NKJV). The New Living Translation puts it this way, “but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”

We are the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12:27)

God’s power dwells in us. (Eph. 3:19-20)

Is there any power greater than God?

No!

Can God lie?

No!

Has He made promises?

Yes! And in Him all His promises are yes and amen (1 Cor. 1:20). If He failed to keep His promises, He would be a liar and would be breaking His covenant with Jesus.

We are not alone in our battles. God is always with us. And we are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).

Meditate on God’s Word so you can become fully convinced.

“I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me” (Psalm 16:8 NLT).

*What do you need to be fully convinced of today?

Debra Butterfield’s newest book is Unshakable Faith: Living Strong in the Kingdom of God, a Bible study designed to help readers leave their doubts behind and live a bold, confident life for God. She writes a blog for writers at DebraLButterfield.com, and is the editorial director of CrossRiver Media Group, LLC, a publishing house. You may also find Debra on Facebook and Twitter.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. 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.

Perfect Spring or Summer Wedding Cake—Chocolate Drips and Berries!

Mother of the Bride, is your daughter looking for a spring or summer wedding cake idea? If she’s a fan of berries and chocolate, the cake idea I’m showing you today might be just strike her chocolate-berry-loving fancy!

Spring or summer is the perfect time to feature a cake garnished with fresh berries and accented with drips of chocolatey goodness. Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries against a dreamy white-frosting background look so fresh and pretty, so perfectly seasonal. Add the chocolate dripping down each layer of the cake and my, oh my, what could be more perfect? Well, just one thing—add the chocolate-covered berries you see scattered throughout as a yum, yum, yummy finishing touch.

Of course, what’s inside is anybody’s guess, but that will be just one more fun decision for your sweet girl and her guy to make. Their cake-baker will be able to give lots of good ideas about flavors that would pair well with the berries. Ask to go along for the cake-testing, MOB!

Share this idea with your little bride-to-be and her groom, Mother of the Bride, and see if this might be the answer to their cake needs. After all, it’s a healthy choice with all that fruit included, right?!

*You might also like to read Spring Wedding Cake: Cherry Blossoms, Wedding Cake Idea: A Crepe Cake!, and Wedding Cake Roundup.

*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 August. 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 Sonya Natasha, Creative Commons License

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For the Hurting

Does your heart yearn to help people who are hurting? Mine does and I’m sure yours does too. One way we can help hurting people is through our prayers. And we can do this for anyone. We often feel so helpless, especially when distance is involved, but prayer can cover that distance in the span of a whispered plea. 

So in today’s installment of my blog series featuring sentence prayers that invite God’s power, let’s focus on the hurting.

Is someone we know grieving the loss of a loved one? Do we know anyone going through divorce or some other soul-wrenching broken relationship?

Let’s not forget those who are physically hurting because of illness or chronic physical, mental, or emotional conditions. Maybe we know someone struggling with infertility or someone dealing with other heartbreaking or heavy situations.

Through the following sentence prayers, may we help hold up those we know and love who are hurting today. And may our hearts be eased as well in knowing that we are helping them through our prayers!

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For the Hurting

  1. Father, show hurting souls your love today in some special way, reassuring them that you see them and that you’re with them. (Genesis 16:13; Psalm 3:18; Lamentations 3:32; Luke 7:13)
  2. Lord, remind the hurting to turn to you—to run to you, not away from you—and allow you to be their refuge in the storm. (2 Chronicles 20:12b; Psalm 9:9, 18:2, 36:7, 62:8, 71:3; 141:8)
  3. Father, comfort and carry the hurting today. (Psalm 23;4; 28:9; Isaiah 46:4; 49:13; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
  4. Lord, bring people to minister to those who are hurting and then help the hurting accept their comfort and help. (Job 16:5; Isaiah 41:6; Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2; 2 Corinthians 7:6-7)
  5. Father, guide those who are hurting to fully feel their grief or pain and to give themselves grace as they make their way through it. (1 Samuel 30:4; Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 22:4)
  6. Lord, help the hurting forgive and give grace to those who thoughtlessly compound their pain by insensitive remarks or actions. (Luke 23:34; Matthew 7:12; Colossians 3:13)
  7. Lord, bind up and heal the hearts of the hurting and be their balm of Gilead. (Psalm 147:3; Jeremiah 8:22)

Let’s bless the hurting today with our prayers. Let’s help them make it through!

 “On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” 2 Corinthians 1:10-11 NIV

*What are some other ways we can pray for the hurting today?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. 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 ePi.Longo, Creative Commons License