Blogging Break Until the New Year

November 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Friends, I usually take blogging breaks around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this year I’ve decided to take a longer break that encompasses the entire holiday season.

Not only will this help take the pressure off during an already busy time of year, but it will also allow me to give myself grace in the continued time I need to recover from some health problems I’ve had the past couple of months. Don’t worry, nothing too serious, but I’ve had to cut way back on the amount of time and mental energy I can give to writing projects.

I’m sure you’ll understand—after all, we’ve all had life situations that require us to take breaks, haven’t we? So thank you so much for understanding, and I pray that God blesses your entire Thanksgiving and Christmas season with blessings beyond measure. I’ll see you again here in the new year! (In the meantime, please feel free to check out the November and December archives for refreshment and encouragement. Hope they bless you!)

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you . . .” 3 John 1:2 NIV

*How will you take the pressure off in your life during the upcoming holidays?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out Nov. 1st. 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 bjimmy934, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blogs, change, grace, heal, holidays, life, new thing, rest, simplify Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Planning Help During My Blogging Break

November 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, I usually take blogging breaks around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this year I’ve decided to take a longer break that encompasses the entire holiday season.

Not only will this help take the pressure off during an already busy time of year, but it will also allow me to give myself grace in the continued time I need to recover from some health problems I’ve had the past couple of months. Don’t worry, nothing too serious, but I’ve had to cut way back on the amount of time and mental energy I can give to writing projects.

I’m sure you’ll understand—after all, you’re in the midst of a life season (wedding planning!) that has probably required you to take breaks from some of your responsibilities, right? So thank you so much for understanding.

In the meantime, though, I hope you find the wedding planning helps below helpful as you snatch moments during the holiday season to take care of some of your more pressing wedding tasks. Until I see you again here in the new year, I pray God blesses your entire Thanksgiving and Christmas season with blessings beyond measure!

Four Resources Especially For You

  1. Look through the list of Favorite Posts on the sidebar and click the links to the ones that spark your interest. (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find the sidebar items.)
  2. Use the drop-down feature in the Archives to spot some posts that might be especially helpful to you at this stage in your Mother of the Bride journey. You’ll find the Archives on the sidebar too so use the directions above to find it if you’re on a mobile device.
  3. Check out my Pinterest page. Among other things, it features eighteen wedding-related boards!
  4. Read my book Mother of the Bride: Refreshment and Wisdom for the Mother of the Bride. Allow me to be your friend for the journey!

Most-Clicked-On Mother of the Bride Blog Posts:

Introducing the Mother of the Bride Blog! 

Where to Find Your Mother of the Bride Dress

A Prayer for the Bridesmaids’ Luncheon 

Wisdom and Encouragement for the Mother of the Bride 

Savings Tip for Bridal and Bridemaids Bouquets

Wedding Thoughts from Anne Lamott’s Plan B

Mothers of the Bride Need Prayer 

Groom’s Cake Idea: Law Books (or any other books!) 

Wedding Resource: Prayers for the Mother of the Bride

Gift Idea: Prayers for the Mother of the Groom

A Prayer for the Newlyweds

*You might also like to read Bridal Bouquet Roundup, Wedding Cake Roundup, Wedding Registry Roundup, and Wedding Photo Ideas Roundup That Star the Groom.

*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 Nov. 1st. 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 Will Flowers

Filed Under: advice, blogs, bride, heal, help, holidays, Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Bride book, preparation, rest, simplify, variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—In the Lives of Unbelievers

March 5, 2019 by 2 Comments

A new month means a new installment in my monthly blog series featuring sentence prayers inviting God’s power and this month we’ll focus on unbelievers.

Most of us have family and friends who have never come to a personal faith in Jesus Christ. Our hearts ache with the knowledge that they don’t have the same sure hope we do of eternal life in heaven with the Lord when our lives on this earth are finished. We are concerned as well for casual acquaintances and entire people groups around the world.

Through our prayers we can help prepare the way for unbelieving hearts to be open to the good news of a Savior for all. Here are some prayers that can have an eternal impact in the lives of those you’re concerned for. Let’s be faithful to pray—and ready to share!

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—In the Lives of Unbelievers

  1. Lord, soften the hearts of unbelievers in my world and beyond and help them become seekers with a hunger and a thirst to know the truth—to know you. (Ezekiel 36:26; Matthew 5:6; Acts 16:30)
  2. Father, send out workers into the harvest field—people who will share the good news of salvation in Christ—and please bring about your divine appointments with those who need to hear. (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 10:2; Acts 8:26-39; Romans 10:15)
  3. Lord, remove the blinders and lift the veil of darkness and spiritual blindness so they can see and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. (2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; John 3:16; 20:31)
  4. Holy Spirit, convict unbelievers of their sin and their need for a Savior. (John 6:44; 16:7-8; Romans 6:23)
  5. Father, open doors for spiritual conversation with those who don’t know you and give me the words to say, helping me to speak the truth in love. (Matthew 10:18-20; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 4:5-6)
  6. Lord, place a hedge of protection around your planted Word so that the devil won’t steal the truth and hope of eternal life that it can bring. (Mark 4:15; John 5:24; 17;17; Colossians 1:25-27)
  7. Lord, open their hearts to respond to the message you’ve sent to them, giving  them ears to hear. (Acts 16:14; Mark 4:9)

As you make these prayers your own, may God work in hearts in a mighty way, bringing all to salvation!

“For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 NLV

*What other sentence prayers can you add?

*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 and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by dtcchc, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blogs, burden, faith, help, missions, prayer, preparation, salvation, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For Living a Life of Love

February 5, 2019 by 2 Comments

*To free some of my time for other things, I’ll now be posting only on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Hope you are blessed each time you stop by!

As we continue the monthly blog series featuring sentence prayers inviting God’s power, February is the perfect time to focus on love.

Do you long to live a life of love? I do. I want my life to be marked by a deep and abiding love for God and a genuine love for others. But that kind of life doesn’t happen automatically. I need God’s power to live love and I bet you do too.

May the following sentence prayers help each one of us grow the life of love we desire to live. Let’s invite God’s power into our lives!

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For Living a Life of Love

  1. Father, empower me so that my life—my actions, my thoughts, my motives for everything—will be an overflow of my love for you and my love for others. (Matthew 22:37-39; 1 John 4:7, 11-12, 16, 19; 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:12)
  2. Lord, give me a heart to love you more. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Philippians 1:9
  3. Lord, help me see interruptions that sidetrack and delay me as opportunities to show love to someone. (Psalm 31:14-15; Ephesians 4:2)
  4. Since love is a choice and an act of obedience, Lord, please empower me to forgive those who hurt me or those I love. (John 13:34-35; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 4:8)
  5. Father, help me to live and love unselfishly, putting the needs and desires of others before my own. (Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:4)
  6. Lord, help me to reflect your love through generous giving. (John 3:16; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 9:11; 1 Timothy 6:18)
  7. Lord, help me to show my love through prayer—through praise and thanks to you and through intercession for others. (Psalm 18:1; Hebrews 13:15; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:1)

Friends, may God’s love shine through us in ever increasing measure!

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 NIV 

*Which of the above prayers (actions) do you find most challenging?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. 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 garryknight, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: blogs, faith, growth, help, life, love, prayer, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—Into the Lives of Your Loved Ones

January 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Happy 2019, everyone! As I bring you the next installment of my current blog series, join me, won’t you, in kicking off the new year with sentence prayers inviting God’s power into the lives of our loved ones.

Not only will praying these sentence prayers be a powerful way to impact the beginning of the year for the ones you love, but you can make them ongoing prayers that will help shape their lives for years to come.

So as you pray for your family members and dearest friends, may these petitions to the Lord make an eternal difference in their lives!

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—Into the Lives of Your Loved Ones

  1. Father, please bring the little ones I love to faith at an early age and give each of my loved ones a heart to live for you, to be hungry and thirsty for you and your house, your Word and your people. (Luke 18:16; Acts 20:24; Psalm 42:1-2; John 2:17; Jeremiah 15:16; Romans 1:11)
  2. Father, help them to live out your greatest commandment and love you with all their hearts, with all their souls, and with all their minds. (Matthew 22:37-38)
  3. Lord, empower them to obey your second greatest commandment and love others as they love themselves. (Matthew 22:39)
  4. Lord, be their strong support through each new day and through every stage of their lives. (Psalm 18:2; Deuteronomy 31:6)
  5. Father, please bless my loved ones with Christian mates, ones who will love you above all and love them the way you intend. (2 Corinthians 6:14; Matthew 22:37-38; Ruth 1:15; Ephesians 5:21-33)
  6. Lord, for those who are married, help them keep their eyes on you and their arms around one another. (1 Chronicles 16:11; 1 Peter 4:8)
  7. Lord, be their light, teaching them from your Word and guiding them in all their decisions. (Psalm 119:105; John 8:12)

Let’s be a life-changing force in the lives of our loved ones as we invite God’s power into their lives. Lord, be glorified in them!

“. . . we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling,” 2 Thessalonians 1:11

*Which of these prayers for your loved ones resonates most with you right now?

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

Filed Under: blogs, faith, family, Friend, Gift, life, prayer Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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