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...
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...
When Self-Love is Wrapped in a Giving Shawl
My husband gave me a soft nubby-textured shawl for my birthday. But it wasn’t just any shawl. It was a Giving Shawl. I recently spotted it in a local gift shop but didn’t pay too much attention to its name. So when I released the soft ribbon surrounding the shawl to find a label with the words Giving Shawl sewn onto the pocket, I was torn. I loved everything about it but felt an...