Meet Our Authors

At a church banquet recently, we were able to get a snapshot of most of our authors. Getting all of our authors together is pretty well impossible, seeing that we live spread out over several continents. But we’ll take advantage of having this many together!

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Welcome!

As you can see, we’ve done some rearranging on our site. Scroll down through this home page to see the latest articles that have been added, or use the navigation tools on the right to chose a column or author. You will notice that the home page contains a small picture and a short excerpt from each article. In order to keep reading, click the “Continue reading” link, then be sure to leave a comment before coming back to read the next article!

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Michelle’s October Update

Greetings from the USA! As many of you know our family was able to come home at the beginning of September for a Memorial Service for my father-in-law

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A Right Perspective

Several times in the Psalms David cries out to God, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” I have often puzzled over that statement. Why did David pray such a prayer? Then one day I was thinking about a high rock, and I realized that when you are wandering around in the wilderness or the woods, a high rock is useful for climbing up on to get a good perspective. From the top of the rock, you can see not only where you have been, but where you are, where you are going and how to best get there. It helps you to get your bearings.

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Kristin’s October Update

Summer is here in Africa! For us, that means the start of a new school year, and that Grandma & Grandpa Hammett will soon be here in Africa! Joel started his 1st grade year, and Anna her Kindergarten year. They are both having a blast. Luke, however, isn’t too happy to be ‘left out’ of what big brother and sister are doing. 🙂

Alertness

Do you find yourself daydreaming as you skip down the road? Sometimes, do you think it’s hard to concentrate on your schoolwork, chores, or what someone else is talking to you about? Then this might be a character trait that you need to sit up and pay attention to!

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It’s Hard Being Dysfunctional

Unless you’re just way mature and ahead of the game, you, too, are dysfunctional. Now don’t get upset with me for calling you dysfunctional. I know you think that you’re different or the exception to the rule (or that I was just uniquely strange as a teenager). The word dysfunction simply means “unable to function normally as a result of disease or impairment.” The disease is sin and the impairment is immaturity; two things teens (and we all) suffer from.

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Who Am I?

Think about the days you spend as a single person. You work hard, have big dreams and desires, and often imagine your future life. It’s a time of “finding out who you are.” Many a single struggles in this area of not knowing who they are, or being OK with who they are. Perhaps it’s due to failures, complacency, unthankfulness, or discontentment. You can discover who you are and God’s perfect plan for your life.

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Thoughts on Thankfulness

I know it’s only October 1st, but believe it or not, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. In less than eight weeks from now, we’ll be gathering with family and friends around a carved turkey, and partaking of a yummy meal, and if you’re anything like me, scrambling at the last minute to use this wonderful holiday as a teaching opportunity! Why not take the whole autumn season to highlight thankfulness, rather than just reserve it for the last week of November?

He Seeks Me

In every turn of the day, I can sense Him there, waiting. Waiting for me. I busy myself, doing those things I know I should do. He stands off in the shadows, patient. I hurry to the next thing, anxious to move in and accomplish. He must sometimes sigh when I push Him off once again, deeming those other things more important.

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Be Prepared

In the early morning hours, I have a very special meeting planned. As the house is sleeping still, in the quiet of the morning, I meet with my God. He is a most Gracious Resident: always prepared to meet, and waiting for me to join Him.

When You Know

When you know that the path of life before you

Is secure – that you cannot lose your way.

That you hold in your hands the Holy Bible,

That with time or circumstance will never sway.

Crock Pot Beef Roast

Amy Hegedus would like to share this crock pot recipe with us. With little prep time, a simple beef roast with gravy, is ready to eat, after a long day of work. She was given this recipe by a friend many years ago and it has become a favorite. Amy and her husband Jim work together, and after a long drive home, they appreciate a meal that is ready to eat when they return. With a little creativity on your part, leftovers can easily be turned into soup, or frozen for later meals.

What’s In Your Medicine Cabinet?

With the onset of school and cooler weather, my mind turned to stocking our medicines for the winter. Unfortunately, we were blessed with our first bout of colds before I could replenish our stock! I’ve never liked using over-the-counter medications. They usually contain fake sugars, food coloring, and often only mask the symptoms instead of dealing with the illness. Aside from that, most medications have little to no effect on me, so I usually consider it a waste of time to take them. Others are overly sensitive to medications and experience adverse side effects. When you’re sick, it doesn’t help to give yourself extra problems!

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The 80/20 Principle

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the Andersons, and the month of October is shaping up to be even more eventful with two out-of-state trips, two wedding cakes to decorate, and a multitude of birthdays and other special occasions. Being so busy has forced me to evaluate and prioritize and go over my to-do lists a few times, weeding out the unimportant and trying to stay focused on what tasks are most important. I’ve had to plan my grocery and shopping trips carefully around our busy schedule, which made me remember one of my man’s favorite principles…the 80/20. Read on for the details…