Cheryl Barker's Blog, page 31

Fun Pre-Ceremony Idea for the Bride and Groom

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Mother of the Bride, one of the many fun parts of your job as MOB is to pass along good wedding-planning ideas to your daughter, but it carries an extra thrill when it’s a fun idea especially for her and her groom. And today’s idea—which I saw on the Martha Stewart Weddings website—is sure to be a hit with both of them.

If your happy couple has opted to not see each other on wedding day until the ceremony (or first look photos), suggest they have fun texting teaser photos to each other in th...

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For Living a Life of Joy

[image error]December is already a month of great joy as we celebrate Christmas, but I’d like to further focus on joy in this month’s installment of my blog series which features sentence prayers that invite God’s power into our lives.

I pray that these brief prayers will not only increase the joy you’ll already be experiencing this month, but that they will make a difference in your life every month as you make them your own. May these prayers be a special blessing to you, my friends!

7 Sentence-Prayers...

Guest List Help: Don’t Forget the Father of the Bride

[image error]Mother of the Bride, when you’re thinking of people to include on your portion of the guest list for your daughter’s upcoming wedding, don’t forget to ask for help—from the father of the bride. That’s right, here is one of the tasks where you need to get his input and find out his desires.

Don’t assume that you know who the FOB would like to invite to the wedding. You might be surprised by just exactly who he wants—or doesn’t want—to invite to join you for the festivities. He may want to invi...

Christmas Moments: Carol Your Way to Worship

[image error]Have you ever caroled your way to worship? I have. And one of the best ways I know to enter into sweet moments of personal worship is through singing the carols of Christmas.

As the season gets started, I urge you to find a hymnal or a songbook of classic Christmas carols and choose one to sing each day in your quiet moments with God. You probably know many of these long-time favorites by heart, but I encourage you to find the words written out somewhere so you can sing all the verses. I prom...

5 Things Every Bride-To-Be Needs to Hear from Her Mother

[image error]*I won’t be posting next week during Thanksgiving but will be back on Nov. 27. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Mother of the Bride, as your daughter prepares to marry, she’s navigating a season like no other—as are you.

Not only are you both planning the biggest events you’ve probably ever planned, but you are both experiencing the shifting sands of changing family dynamics. She is shifting her primary loyalty to her husband-to-be and also developing relationships with his family while you are pr...

A Thanksgiving Offering

[image error]*I won’t be posting next week during Thanksgiving but will be back on Nov. 27. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

We’ll find Thanksgiving on the calendar next week, but we can be active in thanksgiving all month long, can’t we? Yes, every day is a good day to give thanks. May my following Thanksgiving offering help us all give full voice to our thanks. Hope you’re blessed by it, friends!

A Thanksgiving Offering

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for manki...

Add Beauty to Wedding Venues with Candlelight

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Mother of the Bride, as you and your daughter discuss décor options for the ceremony and receptions sites, don’t overlook the beauty of candlelight. No two ways about it, candlelight works. Yes, other décor possibilities are beautiful, too, but candlelight has a magic all its own.

Candlelight adds beauty, serenity, and romance to every area it graces. This may be one reason candelabras have been such a traditional decoration for the front of the church. As the bride and groom exchange vows,...

7 Sentence-Prayers Inviting God’s Power—For Living a Life of Gratitude

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Do you desire to live a life ever-flowing with gratitude? This month’s installment of my blog series featuring sentence prayers that invite God’s power into important aspects of our lives will help you achieve that very desire.

Since we celebrate Thanksgiving in November and many of us focus on thanks all month long, I hope these sentence prayers for living a life of gratitude will help our hearts grow even deeper in the life-transforming practice of thankfulness. May you be blessed, friends...

Wedding Budget Tip: Prioritize and Trim

[image error]Mother of the Bride, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when thinking of all the expenses coming at you while planning a wedding. The whole process can start to feel like a runaway train you can’t seem to slow down. Soon you can find yourself engulfed in emotions like panic and dread instead of excitement and joy.

Here’s a wedding budget tip that can help: Prioritize and then trim. Talk with the bride and groom and have them decide which elements of the wedding are most important to them and  which...

One Way to Pray Against Enemy Forces

[image error]“The Lord threw [the enemy forces] into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely . . .” Joshua 10:10 NIV

We will all face enemies in our lives—and it’s not usually a one and done affair. The average person or group or nation will face multiple battles over the course of time. It’s just to be expected. We are not in heaven yet, and until Jesus comes again and gains the final victory over Satan, conflict and sin will continue to be part of our lives.

The en...