It’s that time of the year when our schedules fill up quickly, and we usually can slip into one of two ditches if we are not careful. One ditch involves never slowing down long enough to consider and choose family rhythms and traditions due to the feeling of being overwhelmed by all the things. When …
Our 2021 Advent and Christmas Plans
Consider this blog post the "what the Gaineys are doing for Advent and Christmas" post. I simply wanted to get this shared sooner rather than later in case you're considering plans for your own family. However, I have a more important post that will be coming next regarding the principles behind family rhythms in Advent …
What do Christian faithfulness and Christian friendship have in common? Part 1 – Faithfulness in our work
One of our pastors preached on the parable of the talents recently, and the truths in this teaching seemed to coincide with several ideas that God has been teaching me lately regarding faithfulness in my work. Be sure to check out the sermon here. If you're not familiar with this parable that Jesus tells, it …
Two responses to fear
I found it interesting recently in my reading through the book of Mark 5 the reaction of fear that appears on two different occasions. The first occurs at the beginning of Mark 5, when Jesus crosses the sea into the country of the Gerasenes. He immediately encounters a demon-possessed man whose condition seems hopeless - …
To the married, Christian woman: Submitting to your own husband vs. all the other women
It sounds odd, right? Most Christian women wouldn't claim to be submitting their time and energy to other women rather than their husbands. However, about a year ago, a friend shared a podcast with me that convicted me to see how I was doing that very thing. Now, if you ask most Christian women who …
Intentional holiday plans…both for homeschooling and non-homeschooling families
I know the busy season of holidays can come upon us rather quickly, but I wanted to share a resource that my family will be using for the weeks leading up to Reformation Day (October 31), Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas, and sometimes Easter, tend to be holidays that Christ-followers try to celebrate in an intentional …
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The Race Set Before Us; Fighting the “if onlys”
I read a very familiar passage during my time in the Word recently. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the …
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Part 2: Sustenance in Christ alone yields a dutiful, glorifying life
In Part 1 of this post, I addressed the ditches we can slip into regarding the topic of self-care. While both ditches focus on ourselves rather than the Lord, they will yield nothing more than bitterness and temporary self-glorification. Since I'm talking a lot about the second ditch of elevating self-care, please let me caution …
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Part 1: To the women in the ditches of self-care, or those feeling lost in the pursuit of it
I believe an idol has crept into the church today that possibly started withwell-meaning purpose. Most idols usually do, after all. Self-care has become a popular topic in society lately. I thought about listing a few of the quotes that appeared when I googled self-care, but I'll just let you try it yourself. Many of …
Replacing horizontal expectations with a vertical hope, Part 2
As mentioned in Part 1 of this topic, despite the depravity of the human heart, we tend to go on heaping expectations on each other. And these expectations often go unmet, and we respond with shock, bitterness, anger, etc. about practically everything. Why do we do this? I think the answer can be seen in …
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