Living as a Victorious Christian Woman

One of the best parts of my job is helping families find fun things to do in our community while they're visiting. As a smaller town and even smaller surrounding towns, people are surprised - and fascinated - to see what we really have to offer. And now that summer is here, we're sharing even more tips and ideas. Here's my secret: whether you're passing through small towns, staying overnight in a new place, or exploring the big city as a family, there are always kid-friendly things to do. Here's where to start. Steer clear of big-name websites and head straight for the city's tourism website. Check out Meet Ottumwa for a great example. You'll find listings with much more detail, the stories behind attractions, and often itineraries premade for your interests. Talk about taking the hard work out of planning a trip! From there, check out your destination's events calendar. Especially at this time of year, there are lots of festivals, fairs, and concerts e...

If you've been crafting for any length of time, you probably have a stash of something cool. For paper crafters, it can be any number of things - eyelets, ribbon, die cuts, stamps, even paper itself. But for many of us, it's stickers! Stickers come in all shapes and sizes, plus all price ranges, so they're super addictive. Even if you have them organized in bags or folders, it may seem impossible to get them all used in creative ways. Never fear! Here are 10 uses that you may not have thought of, a little something to put your own personal take on. 1. Create a seek-and-find game. For our Youth Group lesson last night, using the hidden treasure parable in Matthew 13:44, I made this sticker game. I found a floor-sized paper pad and covered the first page with stickers. We gave them lists of things to find among the hundreds of images on the page, and the first one to finish their list won a prize. This used up LOADS of stickers in a fun and useful way. 2. Use stickers to deco...

I am a self-proclaimed black-thumb gardener. Plants and I don't get along well. I killed a cactus in college - enough said.  But when my leadership academy sent me this peace lily after my mom died, I was determined to keep it alive. I don't know much about dirt, water, and sunshine, but I was willing to do whatever it took to keep it green and thriving. First I noticed that if I didn't water it every other day, the leaves wilted. One morning they were all pointed straight down to the floor. A few hours after I had watered it, though, it looked so much better! The leaves were bright green again and they were pointing up and out instead of down. My heart feels the same way some days, as I imagine yours does, too. It's like we're missing one thing that will not only give us life, but help us thrive. And that one thing is so simple. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon ...

Repetition has its place, like when you have a great morning routine, but not when you know you're stuck in a rut. My Bible study time needed some freshening up, so when I started my new study guide, I did something completely different. Usually I only highlight in my books, but this time I added some washi tape around the highlighted areas. Then I wrote out the Scripture references on sticky notes in KJV and added them to each page. It made me concentrate on the Scriptures more, which was exactly what I needed. Are you ready for some new ways to do your Bible study? I pray one of these will inspire you to reach out and allow God to speak to you through His word in powerful ways. Verse Mapping : Instead of simply reading through a passage, break it down by dissecting individual verses. Analyze the context, meanings of words in their original languages, and cross-reference related verses to gain a deeper understanding. Journaling : Write down your thoughts, reflections, questions, a...

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me  when I was   in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.   O ye sons of men, how long  will ye turn  my glory into shame?  how long  will ye love vanity,  and  seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.  Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.  There be  many that say, Who will shew us  any  good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time  that  their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:1-8

Every day is an adventure around our pack. Each of our four dogs has their own personality, and they shine brightly, believe me. While I was cleaning out the sunroom, Diesel decided to explore some new places. Once he got out on this little ledge, where there is usually a bookcase, he was perfectly happy to stand there and watch me work. Our girls are cuddle monkeys. If they're not curled up with us downstairs, they nap together, making sure they touch each other. Molly's back end is starting to hurt her with age, so we have to be careful that the babies don't use her for a pillow. It's been raining like ... wait for it ... cats and dogs for the past couple of weeks, though it's not been as dramatically stormy as many other places have. But it has meant that the pack hasn't been outside as much as normal. And when they are out, they go very quickly. These four are the biggest babies ever about getting their feet and heads wet.  But they are their own sweet selve...

Do you have a collection? Silly question, right? We all collect something. For some of us, it's books and baking pans. For others, it's figurines and cookbooks. Or maybe it's a certain pattern of dinnerware and a certain color of jewelry. But just as we all love a good collection, we also have to keep that collection under control. Otherwise, we'll run out of storage, out of space, and out of patience. And there's nothing uglier than a woman with overflowing collections. To use a word no one really likes, there comes a time when we all need to downsize. It doesn't have to happen because of a huge, life-altering change like a move or a death. Sometimes we just need the space for something else or that collection just isn't our cup of tea anymore. Unless your collection is tea cups ... then it's perfectly acceptable. As a disclaimer, I will never advise anyone to get rid of books. This is one of my emotional exceptions to any rule. When a book comes into o...

There is very little more satisfying than a large, warm plate full of nachos. It's a great weekend meal or gameday snack, and you don't have to wait until you're eating out to have this special comfort food. Taking just 20 minutes from start to finish, these quick and easy nachos can be personalized with all the toppings you'd find on a taco bar. And maybe some that aren't, depending on what you're in the mood for! Ingredients: 1lb ground beef 1 packet taco seasoning 1/2 cup water Tortilla chips 1 8oz bag shredded Mexican cheese blend Avocado Tomato Guacamole Sour cream Your other favorite toppings 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear off four 18-inch pieces of aluminum foil. 2. In a cast iron skillet, brown the ground beef. Stir in taco seasoning and water. 3. In the center of each sheet of foil, pile tortilla chips and top with a handful of cheese. Spoon 1/4 of the meat mixture on top and add more cheese. 4. Create a bag with the foil by bringing the long ends...