Cheryl Barker's Blog, page 25

Spirit and Soul Refreshment for Mothers of the Bride

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*In light of the current national emergency, some of you Mothers of the Bride will be facing some tough decisions along with your daughter and her soon-to-be groom. The stress youre facing must be unbelievable. I hope this post from Sept. 2014 will be an encouragement and help to you today!

Mothers of the Bride grow weary at times. Not only physically and mentally weary, but weary in spirit and soul as well. It goes with the territory.

As you add new wedding-planning duties and tasks to your...

Guest Blogger Jane M. Tucker: Better Days to Come

[image error]I went to bed feeling fine and woke up with a pain in my leg so acute I could barely walk. How did I injure myself while sleeping?

“It’s probably bursitis,” my doctor said.

Bursitis? Isn’t that an old people’s word?

On days like this, when my body lets me down, my thoughts sometimes turn gloomy. Will this pain last forever? I wonder. Is it a foretaste of misery to come? Getting old is not for the weak!

My earthly body is my home in this world. It’s the means by which I process all my...

15 Dreamy U.S. Venues to Inspire Your Winter Wedding

[image error] *Thanks to Siege Media for their help writing and creating this post.

Mother of the Bride, destination weddings are always beautiful and exciting for both the couple and their guests. Destination weddings give everyone the opportunity to take a mini vacation and explore the area where your wedding is being held.

When we think of destination weddings, a summer wedding at the beach or a vineyard event is what usually comes to mind. For something a bit more out-of-the-box, let’s consider some...

Wedding Day: Arrange for Corsage and Boutonniere Pinner

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Mother of the Bride, do you have someone lined up to pin the corsages and boutonnieres for everyone on wedding day? If this is one thing that hadn’t occurred to you yet, go ahead and add it to your list of things to do. And while you’re at it, you might want to arrange for a back-up.

Your florist may offer to pin the flowers for you, but if so, be sure to have a Plan B in place.When our daughter Kristin and our son-in-law-to-be Shawn got married, the florist told us he’d take care of it for...

Portal of Hope: Beauty and Blessing Await

[image error]It’s not too uncommon to see rays of light shining from behind a dark cloud on overcast days, reminding us that indeed the sun is still there and will eventually break through. Such a sight offers us the extra encouragement we need to hang on until the dreary weather—or current unhappy life circumstance—passes. Those rays of light impart hope, don’t they?

The more unusual sight happens when hope pierces the clouds and forms a window, a portal to the blue skies beyond. We see not just a...

A Message for Friends

[image error]How long has it been since we’ve told our friends how much they mean to us? Since we’ve told them how much they enrich our lives?

Why not tell them today? Below is a message from my heart to the hearts of those who have touched my life with friendship in a variety of ways.

If you feel the same way about your friends, why not forward this post to them and tell them this is how you feel about them too? I’m sure it will mean the world to them.

May the following bless you all!

Friend,

Spending...

Book for the Engaged Couple: From Me to We

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Hope you enjoy today’s guest post by Lucille Williams, author of From Me to We.

Mother of the Bride, have your daughter and future son-in-law gotten premarital guidance? This very delicate time of excitement and anticipation is the perfect time for the future bride and groom to obtain the necessary tools for their happily-ever-after. You, as the mother of the bride, no doubt would love nothing less than to see your daughter in a happy and thriving marriage.

We all know marriage can be...

Savings Tip for Wedding Expenses: Make It Yourselves!

[image error]Mother of the Bride, as you look for ways to save on the multitude of wedding expenses in front of you, be sure to ask yourself this question: Can we make it ourselves?Of course, expense is still involved when making things yourself, but the cost can many times be cut in half or more.

Start by making a list of all the items you or the bride or other family members and friends could possibly make.Your list might include: the bridal gown and veil, the garters, bridesmaids dresses, flower girl...

Where Is God When Times Are Bad?

[image error]“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

Nothing like a little gem from God’s Word to put things in perspective, huh?

Why is it, I wonder, we are so quick to thank God and acknowledge his presence and hand in the awesome blessings that come our way, but when something bad happens, we say, “Where were you, God? Why did you let that happen?”

When tough times come, has God really stepped away from...

Theme Word 2020: Love

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Wow, 2020 is here—and that can mean a lot of things, but one thing each new year means for me is deciding on a new theme word for the year.

I’ve never adopted New Year’s resolutions, but for the past several years, I’ve chosen a theme word to help guide me through the year. Focusing on an over-arching word—a quality, an attitude, or an action—can give me direction throughout the year and also helps me focus on more fully implementing whatever the new word is.

I usually start asking God to...