Love… One Sip At A Time // A Valentine Tea Party
I started hosting tea parties in an older home propped as pretty as you please on the corner of a quiet street. A family of four in a two-bedroom, one-bath home made for a tight fit, and tea parties felt downright snug, but no one would change a thing. Some teas were scripture-based, and others celebrated holidays, but every time, the room filled with the scent of scones, floral tea, and...
Why Be Yourself When You Can Be So Much More? + Starbucks Valentine’s Day Giveaway!
Be yourself, but always your better self. Karl G. Maeser I received the call on a blazing hot afternoon⏤family was coming for an overnight stay. While I was thrilled with the idea of seeing them, I began stressing over details that multiplied quicker than the bunny next door. At one point, I was convinced that my innate Southern hospitality would override the anxiety. I mean, surely I could...
We Love Our Church So Why Are We Leaving?
“This is our time on the history line of God. This is it. What will we do with the one deep exhale of God on this earth? For we are but a vapor and we have to make it count. We’re on. Direct us, Lord, and get us on our feet.” –Beth Moore Our time with Summit seems too important, too intertwined with our lives, to settle for a simple goodbye. Summit Church Upstate in Greenville SC has...
Hibernate in Prayer to Awaken Your Soul
There once was a man who loved Jesus with his whole heart. He also loved his family, served the church faithfully, and gave sacrificially, often in secret. When an evangelist joined his family for dinner the night before a revival, this man confided in the evangelist that he felt uncomfortable praying aloud in church. So, what did the evangelist do? He called on this man to pray during the...
5 Ways to Settle the Soul Before December Begins + A Free E-book Reminder!
I want it to be different than the year before⏤you know, the way I go about celebrating the Christmas season. Every December begins the mad dash to buy gifts, decorate rooms, pick out a fresh Christmas tree, make never-ending grocery lists, mail invitations, start new traditions and bake favorite foods. And yet, one thing I've learned this year is that if I don't take a few minutes each day...
How to Pocket Your Prayers
I'm thankful the act of prayer isn't limited to bent knees, closed eyes, or hushed silence. Prayer is simply conversing with our heavenly Father. I use the word simply because, in the past, I've made it much more complicated than I believe God ever intended. Guilt whispered if my prayers weren't long enough⏤whatever that means⏤or if I failed to use what I call "pretty" words. Let's face it,...
4 Ways We Can Pray for Our Adult Children
I wish they could have started sooner⏤the prayers for my children. When I entered into a relationship with Christ at the age of twenty-seven, my boys were ages 6 and 2. I desperately wanted the cycle of divorce to end with me and for a new legacy to begin with them⏤one that would carry on to future generations I would never know. So I began praying specifically for: Their future spouses and...
What to Pray When You Release Your Work Into the World
It all begins with an idea. Maybe it's a story, a blog, a song, a ministry, or simply a more productive way to accomplish a task in the office or at home. The idea percolates and begins to take shape⏤this could take minutes, months, or even years. The idea is relentless, clinging to our thoughts like a wet swimsuit. We pray over it, say no to things we'd rather say yes to, and grab every...
Temperaments and Marriage: Guest Post by Andrea Merrell
I'm delighted to welcome Andrea Merrell to the blog today. We met in 2010 when I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christians Writers Conference for the first time. Her quick smile and warm demeanor made me feel right at home. Only recently, however, did I realize we live only twenty minutes away from one another. As you can see from her bio, Andrea is one talented lady. Today, she's sharing...
Cathy Baker
Join the Creative Pauses Facebook Community
I Recommend Fistbump Media!
