Cheryl Barker's Blog, page 22

Unchanging Blessing: A Cause for Thanksgiving

“Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Psalm 119:89 NIV

Our lives can change in a flash. Ask those who’ve contracted a serious case of COVID or lost a loved one to its fury. Or ask those who’ve lost their jobs in the multitude of lay-offs this year or who’ve been told they’re no longer loved or wanted in their marriages. Yes, this world is full of shifting sand.

So what can we count on today? The verse above from Psalm 119 holds the answer.

When we can’t bank on anything e...

Bridal Boots and More for the Rustic Wedding

Mother of the Bride, if your little gal is planning a rustic wedding, she may want a touch of country in her attire—and that may mean boots on her feet!

Even though boots may clash a bit with the best gown of your daughter’s lifetime, they can be super cute when you have a rustic theme going on throughout the wedding. If you add a touch of rustic to the bouquet as in the photo below, the boots will even provide that additional element that will tie her attire all together. And just think of all ...

Guest RJ Thesman: The Invisible Women of Genesis Excerpt

We have only her name, but we know she was a daughter of Ishmael. Esau married her to appease his mother, Rebekah. But what were some of Esau’s mental demons, and how did Mahalath steer her husband toward hope? This is a portion of her story.

I made it my goal to help Esau succeed — to leave his past in the dust of the desert and find joy in the treasures around us.

The children we bore together soon crowded the camp, so Esau and his men moved us to the heights of Mount Seir. From there we watc...

Gift for Bridesmaids: Personalized Canvas Carry Bag

Mother of the Bride, has your daughter given any thought yet to the gift she’d like to give her bridesmaids?

Most brides give their maids a little something special just to thank them for being a special part of her big day and for all their support along the way. Some give the gifts during the rehearsal festivities and while others give them on wedding day. Some might even opt to surprise their bride tribe ladies at a bridesmaids luncheon or some other special time like a spa day together. An...

The Glorious Sounds of Fall

I don’t know what fall sounds like in your corner of the world, but fall means music in the air to me. And I mean that literally.

Since we live just a few blocks from our local high school, the marching band has jazzed up my fall mornings for years with its lively, high-stepping melodies. They’re carried to me loud and clear by the autumn breezes.

The staccato beat of drumsticks readies the band for action. The syncopated rhythmic boom, boom, boom of the bass drum provides the cadence the whole ...

White or Cream Bridal Bouquet: Add Hint of Color

Mother of the Bride, does your daughter know what kind of bridal bouquet she’d like yet? She may be overwhelmed with all the possibilities out there. Should she go with vibrant color or a shade of white or cream to blend with her dress? Roses or a mix of blooms? A hand-held stem bouquet or a cascade design?

If she loves the white or cream-colored rose option (always beautiful!), suggest this tip our florist gave us for my daughter Kelli’s bouquet: add just a hint of another soft color. For examp...

Praying for Members of a Wedding Party

Mother of the Bride, it’s so easy to be consumed with all the details of planning a wedding you might overlook one of the most important ways you can provide support—prayer. Chances are you have felt the need for prayer yourself so it’s safe to assume most everyone else involved has felt the need as well.

My article “Praying for Members of a Wedding Party” will give you specific ways you can pray for each member of your daughter’s wedding party. The article is now appearing on the War Cry websi...

Prayer Can Transform Faces

As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ” Luke 9:29 NIV

We’ve all heard that familiar saying that prayer changes things, but can prayer actually change our faces? I think it can.

The Bible gives us examples of faces transformed by prayer. The scripture above refers to the day Jesus took three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—up onto a mountain to pray with him. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined w...

A Still Heart: Guest Post by Author Julie K. Gillies

Our minds can easily slip into overdrive when we evaluate all the what-ifs, attempting to figure out every detail and obsessively calculating our next step. It’s a temptation we face when we feel deeply concerned about a direction our life is going, or when we aren’t happy with a situation we’re facing. Some of us are wired this way; we’re natural over thinkers. Some of us indulge when we’re feeling unusually apprehensive. Either way, this excessive mental activity takes a toll, feeding our worr...

“Something Old” Attire Ideas for the Bride

The something old tradition lives on, Mother of the Bride. Since tradition is such a big part of weddings—even those that have some non-traditional elements— it’s not surprising that most brides still want to incorporate the something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue tradition into their bridal attire. Today let’s focus on the something old aspect.

The something old element of bridal attire provides not only a cool vintage factor, but it packs an emotional punch as well. Mo...