Archives for February 2020

Wedding Day: Arrange for Corsage and Boutonniere Pinner

February 18, 2020 by Cheryl Barker Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, do you have someone lined up to pin the corsages and boutonnieres for everyone on wedding day? If this is one thing that hadn’t occurred to you yet, go ahead and add it to your list of things to do. And while you’re at it, you might want to arrange for a back-up.

Your florist may offer to pin the flowers for you, but if so, be sure to have a Plan B in place. When our daughter Kristin and our son-in-law-to-be Shawn got married, the florist told us he’d take care of it for us, but when we arrived at the church, he’d already been there, dropped all the flowers off, and left. Thank goodness, one of Shawn’s groomsmen had experience with event planning. Hamilton stepped up and saved the day.

If you have a wedding coordinator, he or she will, of course, take care of this task. When our daughter Kelli and her groom Jake got married, their church had a wedding coordinator that worked with each couple getting married in their church. She did the pinning as a part of her services. It was so nice to have someone else do this for us.

Make sure you have this wedding day need filled, MOB. This is one job you don’t want to have to do when your nerves may already be jangled!

*You might also like to read Attention to Detail.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out in early February. It’s not too late to receive it. 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.)

*Photo by Chris Humphrey

Filed Under: advice, bride, flowers, groom, groomsmen, help, Mother of the Bride, preparation, serve Tagged With: boutonniere, Cheryl Barker, corsage, florist, Mother of the Bride Blog, wedding coordinator, Wedding Day: Arrange for Corsage and Boutonniere Pinner, wedding flowers, wedding planning, weddings

Portal of Hope: Beauty and Blessing Await

February 18, 2020 by Cheryl Barker Leave a Comment

It’s not too uncommon to see rays of light shining from behind a dark cloud on overcast days, reminding us that indeed the sun is still there and will eventually break through. Such a sight offers us the extra encouragement we need to hang on until the dreary weather—or current unhappy life circumstance—passes. Those rays of light impart hope, don’t they?

The more unusual sight happens when hope pierces the clouds and forms a window, a portal to the blue skies beyond. We see not just a whisper of light but instead a crystal clear view of the beauty awaiting us. We see the azure glory behind the clouds.

And even though the window view may be small, it’s still an invitation to come and see, to look through the portal and take hope in what lies ahead—to put our trust in God and wait for his perfect timing in giving the promised blessing.

So when the skies of our lives hang low with dark clouds or when overcast days color our existence, let’s remember to look for the portal of hope. All it takes is a small window view to revive our hope for a better tomorrow. For as blue skies eventually break through the clouds, so also blessing comes to those who put their hope in the Lord.

“. . . I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Isaiah 49:23 NIV

*For what situation do you need to look for the portal of hope and trust God?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out Feb. 4th. It’s not too late to receive it. 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 and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo

Filed Under: beauty, blessing, cheer, encouragement, faith, hope, life, light, sky, trial, trust, wait Tagged With: blessing, Cheryl Barker, clouds, encouragement, faith, God, hope, portal, Portal of Hope: Beauty and Blessing Await, trust, window

A Message for Friends

February 4, 2020 by Cheryl Barker 6 Comments

How long has it been since we’ve told our friends how much they mean to us? Since we’ve told them how much they enrich our lives?

Why not tell them today? Below is a message from my heart to the hearts of those who have touched my life with friendship in a variety of ways.

If you feel the same way about your friends, why not forward this post to them and tell them this is how you feel about them too? I’m sure it will mean the world to them.

May the following bless you all!

Friend,

Spending time with you
Refreshes and refuels me,
Joining you in laughter
Helps heal whatever’s hurting.
When facing challenges together
I’m inspired to hidden strength,
My life is better because of you
For you, my friend, make a difference.

“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement . . .” Philemon 1:7 NIV

*How can you be a friend who makes a difference?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out today. It’s not too late to receive it. 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 and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by ainavidal, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blessing, encouragement, Friend, joy, love, opportunity, refresh, thanks Tagged With: A Message for Friends, Cheryl Barker, encouragement, friend, friendship, inspiration, joy, love, message, refreshment

Book for the Engaged Couple: From Me to We

February 4, 2020 by Cheryl Barker Leave a Comment

Hope you enjoy today’s guest post by Lucille Williams, author of From Me to We.

Mother of the Bride, have your daughter and future son-in-law gotten premarital guidance? This very delicate time of excitement and anticipation is the perfect time for the future bride and groom to obtain the necessary tools for their happily-ever-after. You, as the mother of the bride, no doubt would love nothing less than to see your daughter in a happy and thriving marriage.

We all know marriage can be challenging at times and preparation is key to a marriage full of passion, fulfillment, and joy. We all take that stroll down the aisle with many hopes and big dreams, but how do we make those dreams a reality?

The book From Me to We is exactly that resource tool tackling necessary topics like communication, finances, conflict resolution, and keeping a good relationship with in-laws. Each chapter closes with critical discussion questions for the couple to review and talk about together as they begin their forever marriage love story.

Here’s what others are saying about From Me to We:

“Are you approaching the altar? If you’re an engaged couple looking for a how-to guide that is both very helpful and very funny, this is the book for you! Although Lu doesn’t shy away from the tough conversations, she handles them in a way that is engaging and personal – and wise. This is a great read for a great start to a great marriage.”

-Shaunti Feldhahn, best-selling author of For Women Only and For Men Only

“This book will unpack the nuts and bolts of matrimony and give you tools to last the life of your marriage.”

-Dr. Kevin Leman, New York Times Bestselling author of Sheet Music and Have a New Husband by Friday

“Lucille Williams writes about marriage with refreshing honesty and candor. You will find her direct approach in addressing the difficulties of marriage to be challenging, and you will find her positive tone to be encouraging. I may have a shelf full of marriage books, but Lucille’s vulnerable transparency, biblical clarity, and practical counsel makes “From Me to We” a book I will recommend not only to engaged couples but to couples who have been married for years.”

-Kyle Idleman, Senior Pastor at Southeast Christian Church, and bestselling author of Not a Fan and The End of Me

Mother of the Bride, give your daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law the gift of preparation as they go from “me” to “we” and help safeguard their forever love.

Lucille Williams is the author of From Me to We: A Premarital Guide for the Bride- and Groom-to-Be and The Intimacy You Crave: Straight Talk about Sex and Pancakes. As a speaker, pastor’s wife, mom, and grandma with over 25 years of ministry experience, she has dedicated her life to helping couples thrive in their marriages. Lucille has been featured on Focus on the Family, and speaks at conferences and women’s events, helping to empower women to soar. You can visit her blog at LuSays.com.