When Heaven and Earth Collided

“Unto us a Son is given…and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6 NKJV) The Bible is filled with prophecies of Christ’s advent. And many generations came and died without seeing Him. Until, the prophecies came to pass. When heaven’s Temple came down… “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5 NIV) …a Son was given to Mary and Joseph. “…the One to be Ruler …

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Merry Christmas from the MOMs at The MOM Initiative

  I LOVE watching the movie Elf!  It’s one of those movies that has given our family an arsenal of cute quotes to draw from at random.  Quotes like, “Smiling is my favorite!”     And, “There’s room for everyone on the Nice List.”   And I love when Buddy discovers that Santa is coming to the store and shouts, “Santa’s coming! I KNOW him!”   More importantly that a cheesy, cute fairly tell, is the stunning truth that JESUS IS COMING…and I REALLY KNOW HIM!  How about you? Because the truth is, there is no Santa. Not anymore. Yes…I know …

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How to Help Your Child Think About GIVING at Christmas more than GETTING - Lindsey Bell on The Mom Initiative

How to Help Your Kids Think More about GIVING at Christmas Than GETTING

I’d love to tell you that my children think more about GIVING at Christmas than they do about GETTING. I’d love to tell you that we spend just as much time serving others as we do shopping for ourselves.  Unfortunately, if you look at my checking account, credit card statement, or simply watch my family throughout the month, you’ll know that’s not the case.  My seven-year-old has a wish list that is literally two pages long (and growing)! When he added yet another item to his list yesterday, I realized we might need to change our focus.  My guess is, you might …

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Because Every Day Is CHRISTmas!

Every Christmas, we look forward to reading the account of the incarnate Christ as a reminder of who we are really celebrating…of all that became available to up because Jesus chose to come. “7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they …

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25 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas & Teach Your Children to Do the Same

Do you want your family to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas but need some ideas on how you can focus on Christ this Christmas? Family holiday traditions are an important part of our lives but during this most wonderful time of the year, it’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all that we forget to leave precious imprints of this special time together on their hearts. 25 creative and fun ways to keep Christ in Christmas for the whole family Click To Tweet Below are 25 creative and fun ways to keep Christ in …

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When Baby Jesus Goes Missing (And good news of great joy… for real)

I’ll never forget the year that baby Jesus disappeared.  One day he was sleeping peacefully in that cute plastic stable, and the next day he was gone. Mary and Joseph were still lingering in Bethlehem and the shepherds were still hanging out with the sheep. But the baby in the manger was nowhere to be found. We hunted all over the house for that pudgy plastic babe. And we wondered how the synthetic star of our Fisher Price nativity set could have gone AWOL before we’d even lit our first Advent candle. We looked in the kitchen and in the toy box, under the Christmas …

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When the Christmas Season Hurts

What happens when the Christmas season hurts? Usually just saying the word Christmas brings up a bounty of fun family memories – snow, family, the smell of a fresh cut tree and yet this year, for many people just the thought of the Christmas season brings tears to their eyes. What happens when the Christmas season hurts? Practical tips to make it through this Christmas. Click To Tweet It’s a powerful parallel, on one hand there are millions of people everywhere that are full of the Christmas spirit. You know who they are, they just can’t help themselves, they have …

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How to Hold on to Your Joy This Holiday Season

I felt it the moment my friend looked around my house and said with a playful smile, “You’re the only one I know who hasn’t put up a Christmas tree yet!” And again when a well-meaning neighbor pointed out that we were the only house on the block without strands of lights casting twinkles in the darkness. A quiet dread.  A heaviness smothering my soul.  It burned like quiet tears when I scrolled through Facebook and noted the steady stream of color-coordinated family pictures fit for a Christmas card. And it hovered like an unwelcome lump in the back of my throat when the well-meaning …

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Buy Fair Trade for Christmas and Make a Dent in Poverty

A young girl in the slums of Bangladesh will eat today because of Fair Trade. Twelve-year-old Kursha lives with her mother and two brothers in a shack in one of Chittagong’s slums. Kursha’s mother earns about $25 each month cleaning houses. Rent and other monthly bills eat up the vast majority of her earnings. Little is left for food. But there is hope. Kursha attends the Light of Hope Learning Center. Light of Hope provides education, life skills, health care, and the Gospel to at-risk girls in poverty. Light of Hope also teaches the older girls how to sew so …

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