Prescription for Life on Kindle

As a book lover and as a reviewer, it’s taken me some time to get my head and heart around changing technology. I appreciate the value of instant connections, email, internet, iPods, iPads, and the like as much as anyone…but a part of me is resisting seeing my work (and words) offered on an electronic device. Maybe it’s because some of my fondest parenting moments are of reading stacks of books to my children every day for years. Or maybe it’s the memories of relaxing with a good book at the beach. For me, books (the kind I can hold and mark up and dog-ear) mean something special to me and I doubt that will ever change. Still, I understand the value of keeping pace with the changing world of publishing and technology…and I suppose as long as readers are reading words (no matter by what mode), that’s the most important thing.

Novel, New and Necessary — Garden Pleasures by Bari Newcombe

I love flowers. I love their color, I love their smell, I love the variety. But I have a confession. I cannot grow them. Can. Not. I have tried reading gardening books of all sorts, I have followed the advice of friends who can grow those beautiful blooms…and still no success. I suppose it’s time to admit defeat once and for all and call in an expert. For anyone living in the NW Ohio/SE Michigan area, I am pleased to recommend Garden Pleasures owned and operated by Bari Newcombe. Take a few minutes to look over her advice for spring gardening tips…and then call her for an appointment today!

TOP STEPS FOR SPRING:

1. Remember if pruning spring flowering trees, shrubs, or perennials that you have up to two weeks after they bloom to prune (otherwise you will be affecting the next year’s blossoms).

2. Leave foilage on spring blooming bulbed flowers until they turn yellow/brown (leaves are the plant’s way to take in nutrients into the bulb for next year’s production).

3. Cut down any grasses/woody perennials before new spring growth begins.

What Garden Pleasures offers –

-annual spring & fall clean up
-garden design
-garden makeovers
-pruning, roses, perrenials, & trees (limited)

Garden Pleasures- 419-944-6813 (Bari Newcombe)

A little bit about Bari –

Bari is a MSU certified master gardener. She started being interested in gardening as a child helping her next door neighbor! After 25yrs of baking (and an excellent baker she is having taste-tested her creations many times over the years), Bari switched careers. At her husband’s urging, Bari decided to go into business for herself in 2005. She continues to keep current with everything gardening related by reading newsletters from various nurseries, horticulture & gardening magazines, & attending flower shows. Contact Bari today — she’s Novel, New and Necessary!

Burdens Do a Body Good Book Trailer Video by Michele Howe and Dr. Christopher A. Foetisch

Free copy of Burdens Do a Body Good!

1. Take 90 seconds and watch our video.

2. Contact me and you’re entered to win!

Burdens Do a Body Good Book Trailer Video by Michele Howe and Dr. Christopher A. Foetisch.

Single & Parenting –The Solution for Single Parent Ministry

Last spring I had a conversation with the executive producer at Church Initiative where we discussed a topic very close to my own heart…that of single parenting. While I am not a single parent, two of my closest friends are single moms and through the years much of my writing (books and articles) have been focused on their life journey. After that phone conversation, I received an invitation to travel to Oak Forest, NC, on a hot summer day and take part in their newest instructional series, Single & Parenting. I remember that day well. It was long. It was hot. It was tiring.

It was also one of those spectacular days that don’t come around often, one of those few spaces of time when you feel as those you’ve “come home” the moment you arrive. If you’ve ever visited a place for the first time and felt that overwhelming sense of being cared for, loved, and “wanted”…you know what I’m talking about. The entire day spent working with the wonderful folks at Single & Parenting remains a beautiful memory for me. I was taken by their kindnesses, their shared vision for helping people and families, and their respect for each other…powerful images remain in my mind. While we can’t all visit Church Initiative in person, the next best thing is to take part in their newest ministry…please do look over this exciting series and recommend it to your family, friends and churches who are wanting to encourage single moms and dads and their children but don’t know how…you’ll be blest and so glad you did.

Single & Parenting
Innovative, powerful single-parent ministry
for your church

Single & Parenting makes it easy for your church to help single parents of all types:

Divorced
Separated
Widowed
Never married

We provide your church with a complete set of resources so that you can quickly equip a lay ministry team to launch a comprehensive, Christ-centered single-parent ministry—even if your leaders have no prior ministry training!

Here is why Single & Parenting is an essential resource for your church:

Trusted

The Single & Parenting videos and workbooks feature the counsel of more than 30 leading Christian experts on topics essential to single parents.

This material is published by Church Initiative, the ministry that created DivorceCare, DivorceCare for Kids and GriefShare. These programs have been placed in more than 15,000 churches worldwide and are proven effective in helping people who are facing difficult life circumstances. Single & Parenting represents the same high quality and commitment to biblical, Christ-centered ministry as found in all Church Initiative programs.

Lay driven

Single & Parenting is a lay-driven ministry. If you are a pastor, you won’t invest much time getting this ministry going. If you are a lay leader, you can be assured that we provide all of the resources you need for successful ministry.

All you need

We provide a comprehensive array of Single & Parenting training and leader-equipping tools, DVDs, workbooks and promotional resources to ensure your church offers a successful, ongoing single-parent ministry.