Cheryl Barker's Blog, page 30

Endurance Possible with God’s Unfailing Help

[image error]“But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.” Acts 26:22 NIV

Do you ever wonder how the Apostle Paul from Bible times endured the many trials and times of crisis that came his way? After his dramatic conversion to Christ and being called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, Paul faced not only trials and imprisonment, but his very life was threatened time and again.

At one point after one of his arrests (when the Jews had seized him an...

5 Inexpensive Ways to Pamper Your Bride-to-Be Daughter

[image error]Mother of the Bride, I know this won’t come as a big surprise, but there are times when wedding planning can be stressful—for both you and your darling bride-to-be daughter. Much of the planning is fun and exciting, but since the tasks involved in wedding planning are in addition to the regular demands of life, stressful moments become unavoidable.

 As moms, we hate to see our kids stressed out and that doesn’t change when your daughter becomes a bride-to-be. She is still your little girl and...

You Are Appreciated, Mother of the Bride!

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Mother of the Bride, do you have moments when you feel unappreciated for all your wedding-planning efforts? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Every mother of the bride feels that way at one time or another. After all, feeling unappreciated happens in most stages of mothering. Why should we expect anything different during the wedding-planning stage?

Take heart, though. The bride and groom will be forever thankful for everything you’re doing to give them a joyful wedding day. As their dream-come...

Time To Hole Up

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Arctic weather isn’t the only reason I hole up when I can in January. After December’s demands and any traveling I do, I often need some catch-up time and a bit of a slower pace. I need to be at home.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t lounge on the sofa eating bon-bons—though that sounds pretty good. No, I faithfully work on writing projects and take care of the stuff of life that has needed my attention. And I’ve got to admit it’s a welcome change after a season of increased demand.

Do any of you...

Wedding Cake Idea: Buttercream in Multicolor Balls

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Mother of the Bride, even though it’s January and you may have just started a diet, it’s one of your MOB duties to think about cake—wedding cake that is. It may be the yummiest duty you have, so enjoy it while you can, okay?

I bet your bride-to-be-daughter will be happy to join you in your confection contemplations if she hasn’t already got her heart set on a certain cake design. If she’s still undecided, be sure to share today’s idea with her.

This cake covered in multicolor balls of butter...

Theme Word 2019: Depend

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I love the practice of choosing a theme word for each new year. Having an over-arching word—a quality, an attitude, or an action—can give me direction throughout the year and also helps me refocus on the word—this thing God has directed me to do.

I usually start thinking and praying about what my word for the upcoming year should be sometime in November or December. This year three or four words came to mind, but as I prayed and asked God to direct me to his word for me for the upcoming year...

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—Into the Lives of Your Loved Ones

[image error]Happy 2019, everyone! As I bring you the next installment of my current blog series, join me, won’t you, in kicking off the new year with sentence prayers inviting God’s power into the lives of our loved ones.

Not only will praying these sentence prayers be a powerful way to impact the beginning of the year for the ones you love, but you can make them ongoing prayers that will help shape their lives for years to come.

So as you pray for your family members and dearest friends, may these peti...

Blessings in the New Year for the Mother of the Bride

[image error]As a new year begins, Mother of the Bride, may I pray these blessings from the Word of God (NIV) over you? I want the very best for you this year as you prepare for one of the best days in the life of your family. So from me to you —

“‘The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.’” Numbers 6:24-26

“May the LORD answer you when you are in distress . . . May he give you the desire of your heart...

Wedding Planning Help Plus Holiday Blogging Break

[image error]Mother of the Bride, it’s time for me to take a holiday blogging break but not before I leave you with some great wedding planning help. I’ll be back with my weekly posts starting Jan. 1st, but in the meantime, I hope you’ll find lots of helpful ideas and info as you take advantage of today’s post.

I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas—and I wish all the best to you and your daughter as you continue preparing for her big day. May the following help you in that endeavor!

Here are four re...

Christmas Poem 2018: The Marvelous Mix of Christmas

[image error]Yes, Virginia, I did write another Christmas poem.

Some of you may be wondering how long I can keep this tradition up—and sometimes I do too. I started writing original Christmas poems for my Christmas cards way back in 1982 and have not missed a year since. It hasn’t always been easy (in fact, writing poetry is pretty challenging), but God has always been faithful each year to give me a message to share with my friends and family. And I am ever so grateful.

I’ll be taking a blogging break a...