Audra Jennings

Part 2 of an interview with Melissa Spoelstra, Author of Total Christmas Makeover Read part 1 of Melissa's interview here. In the bustle of the Christmas season, it can be easy to get swept up in all of the things to do: decorating, cooking, socializing, and shopping. However, it is important to pause and remember the priority should be to spend time celebrating Christ’s birth and not forgetting to invite Jesus to His own party. In Total Christmas Makeover: 31 Devotions to Celebrate with Purpose (Abingdon Press), Melissa Spoelstra provides a practical approach to helping families learn what it means to truly celebrate the Savior. Q: What is a total Christmas makeover? A total Christmas makeover doesn’t mean scrapping all your holiday traditions or adding ten more to your list. Instead, it is a personal time of reflection to evaluate how your Christmas practices align with some biblical concepts of celebration. The Old Testament is filled with instructions ...

Part 1 of an interview with Melissa Spoelstra, Author of Total Christmas Makeover     As Melissa Spoelstra studied the Book of Numbers while writing her Bible study on the topic, she noticed three elements included in the festivities and began thinking about how she could apply them to her personal Christmas celebrations. She shares those revelations with readers in her latest book, Total Christmas Makeover (Abingdon Press). In fact, Spoelstra devotes a section of the book to each of the elements: • Ritual: Special activities out of the ordinary routine were planned to help remember what God has done. • Relationships: Time spent together preparing special foods, eating, gathering in holy assembly, and explaining traditions to children. • Rest: Regular work set aside for planned times of celebration and rest from activity to allow for reflection on God. “A total Christmas makeover doesn’t mean scrapping all your holiday traditions or adding ten more t...

Do you ever wish mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe to follow? Take a spiritual and creative breather from motherhood and invest ten minutes daily into the devotions found in Sarah Humphrey’s  40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood .  In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood. In addition to the devotions, the beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did! {MORE ABOUT  40 DAYS TO A JOYFUL MOTHERHOOD } (Abingdon Press, August 2016) Nourishment for a mother’s soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling! Wouldn’t it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges ...