Wondering where to visit during Christmas Season?

August is here and the Christmas season will be here before you know it. You may already be planning a family Christmas trip or wondering where to visit during the holiday season. Natchitoches , Louisiana is my favorite place to visit during the holiday season. During this time, Natchitoches Louisiana is packed with Christmas lights, fake snowflakes, and plenty of holiday spirit. The Festival of the Lights is a fun filled tradition that takes place every year during the Christmas season. The festival takes place along the bank of the Cane River. There are over 300,000 lights set up in Natchitoches and over 100 riverbank pieces. On certain nights there are fireworks and musical entertainment.

The festival of lights is the perfect place to take your children during the holiday season. They are sure to enjoy the Christmas light, the fake snowflakes, the horse carriage rides, and the opportunity to take photos with Santa.

Of course, Natchitoches has a lot of fun to offer adults as well. One of my favorite things about Natchitoches is the local shops and the friendliness of the people. Visiting Kaffie Frederick General Merchantile store is a must when visiting Natchitoches. This store is the oldest general mercantile store and will make you feel as though you are stepping back in time for a moment. In this store you can find hardware, housewares, cookware and kitchen supplies, and classic toys just like in the good old days.  Aside from this store, there are many gift shops in Natchitoches and you are sure to find the perfect holiday gift at these stores.

Another must see is the Fort Saint Jean Batiste State Historic Site. Here you will be able to explore history as this is a replica of the Fort Saint Jean Batiste Fort. On certain days this museum has live reenactments and this proves to be a fun an educational experience for children.

Another fun thing to do in Natchitoches is to tour the Steel Magnolia House. This house is packed with history. This house has involvement in the Civil War, was the filming site for the movie Steel Magnolias, and has unique architecture.

If you and your family decide to visit Natchitoches I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does, as I cannot wait until the next time we visit. 

Making the Most of Life

“What is life? For you are a midst that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” James 4:14.

The word around us is a constant reminder of the brevity of life. The psalmist in Psalms 90:12 says “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Even if you have never heard this verse, you already know it’s implications: our time here on Earth is limited. A recent unexpected death in my family really got me thinking about this: No one really knows how many more days we will be alive. As we plan for each day ahead of us, we always assume that we will have many more days to come, but we can never really be certain of this.  “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go such and such a town and spend a year their and trade and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What Is life? For you are a midst that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills we will live to do this or that.’ James 4:13-15.

As I pondered on the brevity of life this week, some questions came to my mind. I will pose these questions to you, and I encourage you to ponder on the answers.

If you knew that you only had two weeks to live how would you live your life differently? Would you spend less time worrying about money or bills or this or that? Would you spend a little less time in the office and more time with your family? How about of those times you were too busy for those you love? Would you spend more time with your loved ones? Would you offer your forgiveness to someone that you have been holding a grudge against? Would you ask someone who you hurt to forgive you? Would you tell the people you care about how much they mean to you? Would you make amends for the things you have done wrong? Would you spend less time being stressed out about things that are trivial? Would you get right with the Lord and ask him to forgive your sins? Would you be certain that you would be going to heaven? If you knew that you only had two weeks to live what would you spend you last days on Earth doing?

The truth is we do not really know if we have more than two weeks here on Earth. We do not even know if we have one more day. I urge you to ponder on these questions. Do not wait until tomorrow to do those things that you feel you need to do. Forgive that person who hurt you today. Make amends today. Tell that person you love them today. Spend time with the people you care about today.

When you were reading my questions did you answer that you did were not certain if you would be going to heaven? Did you answer that you wanted to get right with the Lord and ask him to forgive your sins? If you did I urge you to pray the following prayer.

“For we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

The bible says that we are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. The penalty of sin was death, but Jesus came to take that penalty so that we would live eternal life and have a relationship with God.

“For if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,  will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Prayer of Salvation

Jesus, I understand that you are the son of God, and that you died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins.

Please come into my life, forgive my sins, and make me a member of your family. I now turn away from going my own way. I want you to be the center of my life. Thank you for the gift of eternal life and for the Holy Spirit that has now come to live in me.

If you prayed that prayer today in your heart, you are a child of God. You are forgiven, and will spend eternity with God in heaven. 

Dealing With Worry

For the majority of my life I have struggled with worry and anxiety. If there is nothing to worry about I think I sometimes find something to worry about. This is something I believe God has been helping me with lately;  in the past month I have not felt extremely overwhelmed or anxious about anything. This is not to say that I do not have anything to worry about. ( I have plenty to worry about). But I am beginning to worry less and put things in God’s hands. I have been struggling with chronic stomach pains, but once the worrying slowed down, my stomach problems slowed down as well.

Reducing your worry and anxiety can have many benefits to your health, mood, and your state of mind. What are some ways to reduce worry and anxiety? Here are some that have worked for me.

Bring everything to prayer.” Be not anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Jesus Christ.” Philippians 4:6-7. Feeling worried about something? Bring it to God in prayer. It is impossible to be worried and pray at the same time.

Meditate on scripture.  These are a few you can meditate on. “When I am afraid I will trust in you.” Psalm 56:3 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will not let the righteous fall.” Psalm 55:2. “Now may the Lord himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16.

Create a prayer Box: Decorate a box. The box can be anything from an old shoe box to a cigar box. You can decorate the box with sayings or images that will remind you not to worry. Every time you feel worried about something write down what you are worried about. Put it in the box as a symbol that you are giving this care or concern to God and you will not worry about it anymore.

Write in a prayer Journal: Write your prayers in a journal. Then you can go back and look through it and see that most of the things you worried about never came to pass.

Take care of yourself.  Exercise and get plenty of rest. If you take care of yourself you will be able to handle stress better.

Practice Relaxation Breathing Techniques. One way to do this is to breathe slowly in through your nose then out through your mouth. Repeat this for several minutes.

Fun Exercise Alternatives

If you are anything like me you exercise because it's a necessity not something you enjoy.  Everyone knows that exercise is an excellent way to improve your mood and keep your body in shapes but let's face it, exercise can be boring.

Here are some fun exercise alternatives:

1) Rock climbing. There are many indoor rock climbing places. This is a fun full body work-out.
2) Karate. There are many karate schools offered at decent prices. I take karate and love it. It is an excellent full body work out and a great way to learn self-defense
3) Take a walk in your neighborhood.  Go for a jog in the park. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, pray, and listen to music, while getting a cardio workout.
4) Swim. Swimming is a fun alternative to working out. So swim some laps, tone your muscles, all while getting soaking up some sun and having fun.
5) Sports. Whether you like baseball, basketball, or tennis these are all great workouts. Grab some friends, head out to a park, and enjoy a great work out.
6) Dancing. Dancing is always fun and a great workout. You have the option of finding a dance class or dancing alone. Personally, I like dancing with the just dance games for the Wii
7) The Wii. The Wii offers sports, yoga, fitness, and dance game that are fun and will leave you sweating.
8) Play outside with a kid. Whether you play tag, hide and seek duck duck goose or dodge ball you will be worn out when you are done.
8) Jump on a trampoline. This is a great workout. If you don’t have a trampoline, there are individual trampolines with exercise DVDs included
9) Hula hooping. As a kid, this was one of my favorite activities.  I still remember how sore it left my abs afterwards. There are even weighted hula hoops available to make it even more challenging.
10) Bike riding. This Is a great workout and a great way to enjoy nature. Be sure to pack plenty of water because you are sure to sweat with this work-out.
Here are some alternatives:
11) Skating. This is personally one of my favorites even though I haven't gone in a while. Ice skating and rollerblading are both great workouts.

Pizza Pasta

Trying to think of a dish your kids will actually eat? Or maybe you just trying to figure out something different to cook for yourself. Why not try this easy pizza pasta recipe?

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 jar of spaghetti

I small can of diced tomatoes

Italian seasoning

I small bag of pepperonis

1 Package of rigatoni noodles

1 bag of your choice of cheese

Onions and Bell Peppers

Directions:

Brown ground meat, bell peppers and onions. Cook spaghetti sauce, and diced tomatoes for half hour. Boil and drain Noodles. Mix noodles, meat, bell peppers, onions, and sauce together. Place these ingredients in a baking casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350.  Top with desired amount of cheese. (Keep in mind you will be adding more cheese later. Spread pepperonis on top of dish, much like you would a pizza. Add desired amount to cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes and Enjoy.

You can add variety to this dish by substituting ground meat for Italian Sausage or you can add other pizza toppings you like such as mushrooms, Canadian bacon, etc. 

Must Read List

With Summer around the corner, it’s the perfect time to sit outside with a good book and soak in some sun and good words as well.

Here is a few Must reads I love:

1)      “Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Women’s Soul”.by John and Stasi Eldredge. This is one of my favorites and I have read it at least three times. This book explores femininity and explains many of the desires girls carry on to adulthood. This book explains that many women desire to be swept up in romance and beautiful and how each woman can find their beauty in God.

2)      “Heaven in for Real” By Todd Burpo. This is a must-read. I am reading it now and have not been able to put it down. In this book the author describes his son’s visit to heaven after a near death experience. The boy was only three years old and describes things that he saw with a childlike honesty. Colton describes scenes in the bible that he could not possibly know and people who died before he was born. This is a great book for doubters or believers that just want a glimpse of heaven.

3)      “The Shack” By: William P. Young. In this fiction story, Mack the main character struggles with the death of his daughter who is killed by a serial killer known as the Little Lady Killer. Mack who is angry with God for taking his daughter away goes into a secluded shack where he has a face to face in counter with God.

4)      “The Wedding” By Nicholas Sparks. This is one of my favorites by Nicholas Sparks. It is the prequel to “The Notebook.” The main characters are the daughter and son-in-law of Allie from “The Notebook” In this inspiring love story. Jane and Wilson have been married for 30 years, but like many couples who have been married 30 years their love is fading. The book describes the love that once was, and the regret Wilson feels for letting it slip away. While Jane and Wilson are  planning their daughter’s wedding, he begins courting his wife again in an attempt to save their marriage.

5)      “Safe Haven” By Nicholas Sparks. While I’m throwing in Nicholas Sparks books I have to throw this one into mix. This recently turned movie is one of my favorites of Sparks as well. Katie moves to South Carolina in order to run from her dark past. Her only friends are a neighbor named Jo and a widow named Alex and his two children. While she tries to avoid falling for Alex, she soon discovers that love has the power to overcome fears.

6)      “The Guardian” By Nicholas Sparks. (I apologize to all non- Sparks fans, I am a Sparks fan. This is the last one my list. I promise.) Julie, a widow is left with a dog that her husband Jim always wanted to own. The dog is a Great Dane named Singer. Julie begins dating again, but is unimpressed with the men she dates. She develops a close friendship with Mike, who was Jim’s best friend. The title the guardian refers to Singer, and this book is a great example of the loyalty and protection of man’s best friend.

7)      “Alice” By Sara Flanigan. A powerful tale of a young girl’s journey in finding the true meaning of love and compassion. In this heart wrenching tale Ellie finds a deaf girl named Alice who is locked in a shed by her parents and treated like an animal. Ellie and her brother begin teaching the girl how to speak, play, and count transforming an entire town encompassed by ignorance and cruelty. While no one wants to help Alice, Ellie, fights for her right to be treated with loved until she is heard.

8)      “The Chronicles of Narnia “By C.S Lewis. I read this book series, as a kid, but would recommend it to fantasy lovers. This series chronicles the events of Narnia, a fantasy world filled with mythological creatures and talking animals. In this series many children play a vital role in the struggle between the good and evil of the land.

9)      “Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II. This is the true story of Darlene Deibler Rose and the courage and faith she displayed as a missionary in New Guinea. Her husband was killed in the mission field and she is forced to admit to a crime she did not commit. Then she is placed in a Japanese prison, where she gets a death sentence, only to be spared.

10)   “Love Letters from God” By Bonnie G Schluter. These are beautiful and intimate love letters written as if they were written from God himself. It is a reminder of how much he loves us. 

Grief

If you dealing with the grief of losing a loved one here are some bible verses you can meditate on and promises you can hold on to. 

“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

“And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes and there shall no longer  be any death there shall no longer be mourning or crying or pain.” Revelation 21:4


“The lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

“Cast your anxiety on him for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Where o death is your victory? Where o death is your sting? The sting of death Is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to god. He gives us the victory through our lord Jesus Christ. “1 Corinthians 15:55-57

" My comfort in my suffering is this: your promise preserves my life." Psalm 119:50

“When you pass through the waters I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze" Isaiah 43:2

“This is my comfort that thy word has revived thee.” Psalm 119:50

“The lord is my rock and My fortress and my deliverer, my god my rock in whom I take refuge my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  Psalm 18:1

“Come to you all that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. “Romans 8:18