Month: November 2020
Kids Experience November 29

Kids Experience November 29

Remember what Jesus has done for us.Today we see that Jesus took an old habit of gratitude—the Passover—and He turned it into a BRAND-NEW habit of gratitude: the Lord’s Supper or communion.  As we eat the bread and drink the juice, we remember what Jesus has done for...

A Temple Without Walls

A Temple Without Walls

In the second chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul says that believers in Jesus are being built together into a holy temple in which God’s Spirit dwells. It’s a beautiful picture of unity and of believers bound together in peace. However, that...

A Spirit of Thankfulness

A Spirit of Thankfulness

A Spirit of Thankfulness Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 fter some unexpected circumstances, I recently had a very long, solo road...

A Traditional Christmas

A Traditional Christmas

A Traditional Christmasvery year when I pull out our personalized Christmas ornament from 2009, I laugh.  Instead of reading “Staggers Family—First Year of Homeschooling,” it reads “Straggers Family—First Year of Homeshooling.”  Thankfully, I had...

The Final Victory

The Final Victory

Jesus is distinct from any other political leader. He is God in the flesh. He is a coming King. He will bring earthly powers into account. He will win the final victory. It’s not unusual these days to hear people ask, “Is this the end times.” Maybe. God tells us what...

Kids Experience November 22

Kids Experience November 22

Choose to be grateful for what you have.Today we hear a story from Jesus that show this: God gives freely to everyone. It can be tough for us to be grateful when we look around and see the things other people have. We start to wish we had more ourselves. That’s why we...

Living in the Moment

Living in the Moment

Living in the Moment This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24 hen was little, my neighbor lived with her Sicilian grandmother who would make us homemade pizza. She has since passed, and I often dream...

Family: A Holiday Balancing Act

Family: A Holiday Balancing Act

Family: A Holiday Balancing Act friend and I were recently discussing our plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I mentioned that in years past, we would typically spend it at home, with an open invite to my husband’s extended family (mother,...

Kids Experience November 15

Kids Experience November 15

Take the time to thank others.It is not hard to say “thank you, “ is it?  But how often do we forget?  In today’s story, we will hear about 10 people who had a lot to be thankful for but only one actually remembered to say “thank you.” Sometimes it can be hard for us...

A Model Citizen

A Model Citizen

More than almost anything else, Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God and that it was now available to everyone. He explained that those who trust Him become citizens of that Kingdom. Jesus also compared the Kingdom to a great treasure that someone would sell all they...

Just Like Our Father

Just Like Our Father

Just Like Our Father Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.Ephesians 5:1  y husband recently traveled for work, leaving me home alone with our three children. He very rarely travels, and my almost four-year-old daughter has been potty...

Parenting (Barely) Adult Children

Parenting (Barely) Adult Children

Parenting (Barely) Adult Childrenhen my kids were small, I dreaded the teenage years, much like one dreads going to the dentist. I viewed them as a painful but necessary season, one that I’d hopefully weather with as little bodily harm as possible....

Kids Experience November 8

Kids Experience November 8

Show Gratitude to God.Today we will hear a story about David and his wife, Michal, who cared more about the way things LOOKED.   We will hear about a time that David was dancing and thanking God.  Michal thought it made David look silly to dance and thank God in front...

The Kingdom of God Now

The Kingdom of God Now

The kingdoms and empires of this world are small compared to God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is active now. It sometimes operates in obscurity and ordinariness. It is unseen but real nonetheless. And God invites us to participate in this kingdom—to make seeking His...

Rowboat or Sailboat?

Rowboat or Sailboat?

Rowboat or Sailboat? For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:“In returning and rest you shall be saved;In quietness and trust shall be your strength.”But you would not. Isaiah 30:15 have been thinking a lot about God’s way of love and...

Living with a Full House

Living with a Full House

Living with a Full House owards the end of 2019, I started a new position that required that I work from home.  A difficult adjustment on its own, this was also during the public school’s holiday break, and all three of my small children were also...

Kids Experience November 1

Kids Experience November 1

Choose to be grateful.This month we are learning about Gratitude.  What if the next time we start feeling frustrated or angry, we stop and choose to be grateful instead? After all—even when everything seems to go wrong, we ALWAYS have something to be grateful for. We...

Vote for Jesus

Vote for Jesus

It seems clear that Jesus wants to shape culture. To ultimately transform the conscience and morality of a people. His disciples anticipated that Jesus was about to establish a political machine capable of toppling the Roman Empire. But that’s not what Jesus did. The...