Yellowstone.

The Grand Canyon.

Yosemite.

The Great Smoky Mountains.

Majestic mountains, waterfalls, wildlife, and miles of hiking trails.

And we’d be right – but we’d also be wrong.

When most of us hear the words national park, we picture one of the country’s 63 national parks. But the National Park Service actually manages more than 430 sites, preserving everything from natural wonders to places where American history was made.

Some of America’s most fascinating National Park Service sites don’t have mountains, waterfalls, or even campgrounds.

Instead, they preserve everything from a bicycle shop and an aviation field to ancient earthworks, battlefields, presidential homes, and the places where people helped change history.

That’s one reason to pay attention to National Park Week (August 22-30). The theme this year is “Celebrate America’s Story.” It’s a good reminder that the American story isn’t just found in amazing scenery. Sometimes it’s found in places we’ve driven by dozens of times without ever stopping.

Five National Park Service Sites Worth Visiting near Southwest Ohio

The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park does not have mountains or waterfalls. But it does preserve the story of two bicycle mechanics whose curiosity and determination changed the world forever. The Wright brothers’ bicycle shop, Huffman Prairie Flying Field, and other sites tell the story of how powered flight began in the Miami Valley.

Just a short drive away is the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, the only national monument in the state. Young was the third African American to graduate from West Point, commanded Buffalo Soldier regiments, served as a diplomat, and became a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Army. Visitors can tour his home, view museum exhibits, and walk the surrounding trails.

The Hopewell Culture National Historical Park contains enormous geometric earthworks built nearly 2,000 years ago – one of North America’s greatest archaeological mysteries.

William Howard Taft National Historic Site is the beautifully restored Cincinnati birthplace and childhood home of America’s 27th president.

And if you are looking for the classic national park experience, Cuyahoga Valley National Park offers beautiful forests, waterfalls, scenic railroad rides, and more than 125 miles of hiking trails.

Maybe you don’t live in Ohio. That’s okay. No matter where you live, there’s a good chance a National Park Service site is closer than you think. Even better, admission is free at every National Park Service site on August 25th in celebration of the National Park Service’s 110th birthday. You might be surprised by what’s within a short drive from your home.

Did you know the National Park Service also manages:

• the Gateway Arch in St. Louis?
• Alcatraz Island?
• Mammoth Cave?
• Sleeping Bear Dunes?
• The Statue of Liberty?
• the home where Abraham Lincoln was born?

National Park Week might be a good excuse to cross Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon off your bucket list. But it might also be a good excuse to visit the National Park Service site that has been in your backyard all along.

The post The Ohio National Parks You Didn’t Know Existed appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

In your mind you picture a neat driveway with folding tables, some signs, and friendly people carrying away your unwanted items while handing you cash.

Then reality sets in. Your house looks worse rather than better because everything you own is sitting in piles on the floor waiting to be sorted, priced, and moved outside. You find things you forgot you had and can’t decide whether to sell them, keep them, or just deal with them “later.”

But garage sales are usually worth the hassle. You clear space, make a little money, and finally get rid of things that have been sitting around for years. And if you keep the process simple, it doesn’t have to take over your life for a month (or more).

If you only have a few days, you can still pull together a successful garage sale. The key is not doing everything – it’s just doing a few things well.

Here is a simple garage sale checklist to help you plan a garage sale in just one week.

Day 1: Choose the Date and Set a Goal

Start by checking the weather and picking your sale day – usually Friday or Saturday morning works best.

Then decide what your goal is. Are you trying to:

• Clear out space?
• Make some money?
• Get rid of things quickly?

This matters because it will help you decide what to focus on and where to put your effort. If your goal is simply to declutter, you don’t need perfection, you just need progress.

Day 2: Walk through Your House (Quickly)

Just walk through your house with a laundry basket or box. Do not start by opening every closet and reorganizing. That is how you will end up on the floor looking through kindergarten papers and old birthday cards.

Start with obvious things:

• Clothes no one wears
• Kitchen gadgets you forgot you had
• Decorations you no longer use
• Duplicate items
• Books you are realistically never going to read again
• Toys your kids don’t play with

Day 3: Sort and Group Items

Now take what you’ve gathered and sort it into simple categories: Kitchen items on one table, kids’ items together, home décor in another spot, and so on. Grouping items makes your sale easier to shop and easier to manage.

Day 4: Price Simply

Knowing how to price garage sale items is where many people get stuck, but you don’t need to. Use stickers if you want, but signs can save a lot of time. “Everything on this table $1” works fine.

And remember, the point is usually to get rid of things. Every year, people drag boxes back into their houses because they couldn’t bear to sell a basket for fifty cents less than they hoped.

Day 5: Get the Word Out (Briefly)

When organizing a garage sale, posting in local Facebook groups and on Facebook Marketplace is usually enough. And place a simple sign at your corner. Include clear dates and times, your general location, and maybe a few larger items you have.

Day 6: Set Up What You Can Ahead of Time

If possible, set out tables, boxes, or areas the night before. Even a little preparation will make the morning go more smoothly. Find a container for money. Gather grocery bags for people carrying smaller purchases. Make sure you have enough change and small bills to start the day with.

Day 7: Sale Day – Keep It Simple

Start early so you can relax a little. People may ask strange questions. Some may try to negotiate aggressively over a twenty-five-cent item. Early shoppers will come before your posted start time. That’s all part of it. Be willing to negotiate some – especially later in the day. It’s often better to take slightly less than you hoped than to bring the item back in your house.

At the end of the day, your house will feel lighter, cleaner, and less crowded. At least until next year when you find yourself standing in the garage wondering where all this stuff came from.

The post How to Plan a Garage Sale in One Week: A Simple, Realistic Guide appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

John Quincy Adams wrote often to his mother, Abigail Adams, even as an adult. And what stands out isn’t anything dramatic. It’s the tone.

Respect. Thoughtfulness. A kind of steady connection that didn’t seem to fade with time.

In one letter, he writes:

“My conduct through life has been much influenced by your instructions and example.”

That’s not something you write casually. It’s the kind of thing you say after time has passed – after you have made your own decisions and lived with the results. After you’ve had enough time and distance to see what actually shaped you.

What Stands Out

He doesn’t write like someone who has moved on from needing or loving his mother. He sounds like someone who still values her. You see it in the way he addresses her:

“My ever honored and revered Mamma . . .”

There is respect there. And affection. A steadiness that doesn’t fade, even as he gets older.

In the same letter as above, he reflects on the kind of life he wants to live:

“My conduct through life has been much influenced by your instructions and example and I hope I shall always act so as to do justice to your instructions. I feel more and more the importance of those principles which you early instilled into me.”

He isn’t writing this as a child trying to please his mother. He’s writing as a grown man who had already stepped into his own responsibilities, and he’s telling her that what she taught him still matters – and that he’s thinking about it, even as an adult.

That’s what stands out.

As adults, it’s easy for that relationship to shift into something more distant – less conversation, less asking, less sharing. Not necessarily on purpose. Just slowly.

But his letters don’t feel like that. They feel like someone who still sees his mother as someone worth listening to, worth honoring – not out of obligation but because he genuinely values her.

Bringing It Closer to Home

Most of us aren’t writing long letters anymore. Life is faster, and communication is usually shorter.

But the larger question remains.

Do we still talk to our mothers like that?

Do we still treat them as people worth listening to carefully?

Do we speak to them with patience?

Not out of duty – but real conversation.

Do we ask what they think?

Do we take the time to listen?

Do we tell them what’s actually going on?

As adults, our relationship with our mothers often changes in quiet ways. It’s easy to let meaningful conversations with your mother get replaced by quick updates. Staying connected to your mother as an adult doesn’t usually happen automatically as life gets busy.

As adults, learning how to communicate well with your parents – and especially your mother – takes more intention than it used to. Relationships naturally change over time, but they can also be strengthened in small, consistent ways.

A Small Shift

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

A phone call that isn’t rushed.

A question you actually wait for the answer to.

Taking a few minutes to listen instead of moving on.

Those small choices often shape the relationship with your mother over time more than we realize. And over time, they may matter more than we think. Because what you see in Adam’s letter isn’t just respect – it’s a relationship that didn’t fade as life moved on.

And that doesn’t happen by accident.

The post A Letter From a Son to His Mother – What It Shows About Our Mothers appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

I highly recommend you take a moment to pull out a map or pull one up on your phone and look at it. Look at both a map of the United States and a global map that identifies the Tradewinds and wind patterns. These winds switch from season to season and depending on where you live will impact your weather.

Definitions

Lion — unsettled, harsh, cold, windy wintery

Lamb — more stable, calmer, gentler, warmer

Polar Jet Stream — northern arctic colder air pushing south

Subtropical Jet Stream — southern tropic warmer moist air pushing north

Patterns

The fluctuation between the movement of the jet streams vying for dominance determines whether the month of March comes in like a Lion or a Lamb. During the winter months the Polar Jet Stream typically can push into the southern portions of the United States. As spring unfolds, the Subtropical Jet Stream begins to push north. The push and pull between both of these streams create unstable weather.

The Farmers’ Almanac (FA) was first published in the 1790s to inform people and assist in predicting weather for agricultural planning. The FA provided estimated frost dates and planting windows, along with historical weather records. Based upon repeated FA observations of “stormy early Marches and milder late Marches,” an easy memorable slogan emerged, “In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb.”

March and Tornado Season

March is only the beginning of the tornado season. Tornado peak activity is May and June. The tornado season is transient to various parts of the United States depending on the dip and rise of the Jet Streams mentioned earlier. March tornadoes often occur in late afternoon or evening, are fast moving, and frequently occur in lines of storms that span the conflicting fronts.

Tornado season often begins in the southern plains and deep south and expands northward as the Polar Jet Stream recedes north and the upward drift of the Subtropical Jet Stream. Tornado season is characterized by strong frontal systems, deep low-pressure systems, powerful wind events, and severe thunderstorms.

Average Tornado Activity in Ohio

Ohio averages 20 tornadoes a year. Prior to 2007 tornadoes were measured by an F-Scale (Fujita). Since 2007, there has been a modification and the scale is now known as the EF-Scale (Enhanced Fujita). Most Ohio tornadoes are weak to moderate (EF0-EF1). There are some strong tornadoes (EF2-EF3), while violent tornadoes (EF4-EF5) are rare, but devastatingly historic. Western and Central Ohio typically have a higher tornado frequency west of the I-71 corridor. The flatter terrain and proximity to advancing warm fronts creates this incubator for tornado development.

Top 5 Historical Tornadoes in Ohio

1. 1974 Xenia Tornado — Xenia & Surrounding Areas

April 3, 1974

F5

34 people died (including 2 Ohio Air National Guardsmen who died in a fire during disaster assistance), 1,150 were injured, and the tornado produced widespread destruction.

This tornado was part of the infamous 1974 Super Outbreak.

2. 1924 Lorain and Sandusky Tornado — Northern Ohio

June 28, 1924

F4

85 people died and this tornado is the deadliest single tornado in Ohio history.

3. 1985 Niles and Wheatland Tornado — Northeastern Ohio & Western Pennsylvania

May 31, 1985

F5

18 people died with 310 people injured.

4. 2019 Dayton Tornado — Dayton Area

May 27, 2019

EF4

Over 160 people were injured as well as massive home and infrastructure damage.

5. 2010 Millbury Tornado — Northwest Ohio

June 5, 2010

EF4

7 people died with heavy damage in Wood County.

5 Ways to Prepare

Ohio storms move fast and you may have only minutes to respond once a warning is issued. Many tornadoes in Ohio occur in late afternoon and evening, and therefore it is important to have alerts that can wake you if you are sleeping.

1. Know Your Safe Place Before the Warning

• Basement (best option)
• If no basement: small interior room on the lowest level
• Stay away from windows
• Avoid mobile homes during warning

2. Have Multiple Ways to Receive Warnings

• A NOAA weather radio
• Emergency alerts enabled on your smartphone
• Local TV or radio broadcasts
• Weather apps with push notifications

3. Prepare a Tornado Emergency Kit

• Flashlight (with extra batteries)
• Phone charger or battery pack
• First aid kit
• Bottled water
• Sturdy shoes (debris injuries are common)
• Medications and important documents

4. Be Aware of Ohio’s Seasonal Pattern

• Warm humid air masses
• Strong winds forecasted
• Enhanced or moderate risk warnings

5. Strengthen Home & Family Preparedness

• Secure loose outdoor items
• Review insurance coverage (home and auto)
• Practice a family tornado drill
• Make sure children understand where to go
• Plan for pets

We need to be aware of the weather threats, make preparations, but NOT be in FEAR! Place God’s word in your heart. God wants us to have knowledge and be aware of our surroundings because without that Hosea 4:6a states, ”My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” The Bible speaks against us having fear in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Let’s pray: “Dear God, help us be aware of the upcoming threats while simultaneously believing you have provided knowledge to increase our safety. But, most of all, we pray for your continued protection that covers us as we depend upon Psalm 91 and Psalm 23. You are our Great Shepherd and our Hiding Place. AMEN!”

The post Tornado Season Starts In March In Ohio: What To Know appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

Many of us tell ourselves we will open our homes again when things are calmer. When the house is cleaner. When the schedule feels lighter. When we have the energy to cook a proper meal. But real Christian community was never meant to depend on ideal conditions. In fact, the quieter and darker months after the holidays may be the most important time to practice it.

Hospitality does not require a spotless home or a three-course meal. It does not demand matching dishes, carefully planned menus, or “Christmas” energy. Scripture calls us to show hospitality without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9) – not without mess. Biblical hospitality is not about impressing others; it is about creating a space where someone else feels welcomed and loved.

Why Messy Hospitality Matters after the Holidays

If you wait until your house is immaculately clean and your energy is high, you will never open your door this winter. So I want to challenge you to embrace messy hospitality. This is inviting people into your real life – unfolded laundry, mismatched socks, and all. We don’t need a perfectly decorated house to provide spiritual warmth. Letting a friend see a messy living room lets her feel less alone in hers.

Winter hospitality looks different, and that’s okay. It might mean simple soup and bread. It might mean inviting someone over for coffee at the kitchen table with mismatched mugs and honest conversation. Messy hospitality says, You don’t need to be impressed – you just need to be here. The busyness of Christmas fades, but the need for connection does not.

Community after Christmas often happens in smaller, quieter ways. A simple invitation can remind someone that they are seen and remembered in a season that is often isolating.

If you are wondering what messy hospitality might look like in practice, start small. Invite someone over for soup on a weeknight. Open a package of crackers and slice cheese. Host dessert instead of dinner. An afternoon coffee and a couple cookies.

Invite someone to join you for leftovers after church or to join you for a walk. And keep your invitations simple: “Our house is a little chaotic, but we’d love to see you.”

Make it clear that they are free to come as they are – really. Sweatpants and slippers are welcome. Sitting on the couch under a blanket with a cup of tea provides more welcome and warmth than the finest dinnerware and most elaborate menu ever could.

And this needs to be easier on you too. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and clean what you can. Whatever isn’t clean when the timer goes off stays messy. You don’t need to apologize for what you didn’t do. Hospitality flourishes when hosts are at ease.

Don’t wait until your house is flawless or you feel “ready” for guests. Invite one person over this Tuesday precisely because you’re tired. Hospitality isn’t a one-way street. Your burdens and isolation will be lightened in community as well.

The post Community after Christmas: Messy Hospitality in 2026 appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

As children, time seems to drag on and on each year from birthday to birthday; holiday to holiday, and seems like eternity. Even as adults certain experiences seem to drag on unbearably, or quickly end in a feeling as of a blink of an eye.

I’ve often wondered, imagined about the events (usually deeply spiritual moments) that are hours long, but time seems to stand still. Is it because the presence of our timeless and eternal God and Father has broken into our linear time and time actually stood still?

Could the slogan “time sure flies when you’re having fun” be replaced with “time stands still in the Presence of God?” Does the standing still of time explain how in the wilderness the Israelites’ shoes didn’t wear out? Did their shoes not wear out because they were ever in God’s presence of the cloud by day and the fire by night?

Does time standing still explain the ability for Sarah to appear attractive and desirable twice in her later years and to also give birth LONG after it would seem normally possible? Sarah was desired by the king of Egypt at age 65 and later desired at age 90 by the king of Gerar, and this second attraction was just before she gave birth to her only child Isaac.

What are we missing in this life when we focus so much on time? While time is important, have we given it more rule over our lives than God would desire? Throughout history it has not always been as it is now. There was no “adolescence” or “retirement” until the mid to late 1900s. People and ages were not so heavily segmented. Often, children began work at an early age to assist the family in their livelihood or trade. When  older members could not do heavy work any longer, they took care of the cooking and childcare while the able bodied youth and adults worked from sun up to sun down.

I’m not advocating child labor or slavery. However, have we robbed children and ourselves the cross-generational aspect of life that God intended for us to share? Have we lost the ability to have fun and therefore slow down the clock? Have we quit desiring to create a family that lives and laughs together?

When I started reflecting on my own family celebrations, milestones, and anniversaries, I couldn’t believe that 10, 20, 30, even 50+ years have passed. Has the time passing been easy or without hardship? No, there are many struggles that have transpired over the years, but we must be having fun because it sure has seemed to fly.

Within my family circle we have ALWAYS depended on God’s presence to get us through. Has that then allowed our family to experience God’s timelessness? I’m not sure, but I sure do want to pass on to the next generation(s) that having fun is not just in the activities we do, but in the Presence of the God we keep.

Let us cultivate God’s Presence in every moment of our life, at every age of our life. God’s Word (Psalm 16:11) states, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Begin those pleasures forevermore right here, right now so that we can say, “Time sure flies when you’re having fun!”

The post Time Flies When You’re Having Fun appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

Leave it to Beaver Family of Perfection

Leave it to Beaver was a 1957 sitcom that aired for six seasons. The program overview states: “Theodore, a young and inquisitive boy, lives with his parents June and Ward Cleaver and brother Wally. His father gives him advice when he gets into trouble at school, home and in the neighborhood.”

Within this family model, June was a stay-at-home mom, Ward worked outside the home and often sat in his easy chair reading the newspaper until dinner still wearing a suit or a sweater over his button up shirt with a tie.

The biggest trauma that the Cleaver family faces are the children, Theodore and Wally making “childish” mistakes and being given the strong fatherly advice that propels the boys to ask for forgiveness from their parents, make reparations to community individuals, and to see the moral value that is being taught by their parents.

The Modern Family Reality

The sitcom family may never have been realistic, but it was the hope and dream of many families for decades. However, The Step Family Foundation (2023) states, “We are now a nation in which the majority of families are divorced. Most go on to remarry or form living together relationships.” The Step Family Foundation quotes a study by Judith Wallerstein (2004):

• Only 45 percent of children “do well” after divorce.
• 41% are doing poorly, worried, underachieving, deprecating, and often angry.
• Fifty percent of the women and 30 percent of the men were still intensely angry with their former spouses.
• “Most felt the lack of a template, a working model, for a loving relationship between a man and a woman.”
• Divorced parents provide less time, less discipline, and are less sensitive to the children as they are caught up in their own divorce and aftermath.
• Many parents are unable to separate their needs from the children’s needs and often share too much of their own personal life with their children, placing the children in a precarious emotional state, vulnerable to grandiosity or to depression within what is left of their families.
• The majority of parents of divorce are chronically disorganized and unable to parent effectively.
• As diminished parenting continues, it permanently disrupts the child’s once normal emotional growth and functioning.

God’s Biblical Original Intent

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 1:27-28 (NIV)

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” …Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

Genesis 2:15, 18, 22-24 (NIV)

God’s original intent was for one man, united with one woman, having children to assist as a family in the care of the earth. How simple God intended the family to be. A nuclear family that shares love for one another and a shared destiny and purpose.

Practical Application Begins Now

Humanity and our family structure has moved drastically far askew of the T.V. sitcoms of the 1950s and God’s original intent. What can we do to swing the pendulum in the opposite direction of where we are now?

Prayer is always our first line of defense. Pray that God’s original intent for the family begins to materialize. Pray that love begins to permeate families. Love manifesting in the families will reduce the divorce rate. Love in the family reduces the negative atmosphere causing high risk life factors (divorce, addictions, suicide, crime, school drop out or lower academic achievement, etc.)

Prayer without action is like faith without works. Do you know any families that are struggling? Call and encourage the parents. Offer your experience from raising your children. Help parents know that often we do the best we can, with what we know at the time. Surround parents with the fact that too often we set high expectations that are not realistic.

Invite families over to experience a different atmosphere. It doesn’t have to be dinner. It could be a game night, an outdoor yard party, or a trip to the park. Families need to know they are not alone and isolated. Families need to know they have support. Always ask the family if there is anything for which you can pray. When you start praying for them, give them hope and expectation that God will act on their behalf.

This allows God to intervene. God knows more of what each family needs to restore them to His original intent. God is able to move beyond the MESS created to date in each family. Yes, families are shattered, isolated, and in shambles. This leaves each adult and every child of a family as a victim that Satan would like to steal, kill, and destroy.

Can we BELIEVE that God’s Original Intent is Achievable?

We are now in a world that has lost confidence in God. We read the BIBLE, but we only picture God’s rescues and restorations as children’s stories that are like fairy tales. We have lost the WONDER WORKING POWER of God that sets our souls free. How can we believe that God sent Jesus to save us from our sin by dying on the cross, and then not believe every other promise given from Genesis to Revelation?

We often say, “Well, I haven’t seen that happen in my lifetime!” Is the reason we don’t see; because seeing is not FAITH? What do we believe?

• Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:30 NKJV).
• You are from God, little children and have overcome them (those opposed to God); because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4 NASB).
• Since God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31b NLV)?
• No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD (Isaiah 54:17 NIV).

God allowed each of us to be alive at this time in history. God is counting on us to be like the original family to love one another and have a shared destiny and purpose. Our purpose and destiny was given by God in Genesis to multiply His representation into the Earth. Jesus became even more specific as He shared the destiny and purpose for Christ followers in Matthew 28:18-20.

Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance and on every occasion], even to the end of the age” (AMP).

Let us take Jesus’ words and believe that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that He desires a healing of the families on Earth today that will reflect His reality to a hurting and dying world.

The post Family appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

Each one of these names are mothers mentioned in the Bible. And there are even more (lesser known) mothers that stood in the gap for the health and well-being of their children in both the Old and New Testaments.

Every one of us are here on Earth because we were born of a mother. Each person’s relationship with their mother is unique. I hope that your relationship
with your mother is a cause for joy. But for some, thinking about your relationship with your mom might evoke moments of sadness or even anger. When we step into the Family of God, we need to allow the Word of God to guide our hearts and minds to understand the importance of mothers in our lives.

A Call to Honor Mothers
We begin with God’s command to value our mothers with love and respect.
● Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the
Lord your God is giving you.”
● Ephesians 6:1–3
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and
mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—’so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'”

A Portrait of a Godly Mother
Scripture praises the strength, wisdom, and dignity of a mother who walks with God.
● Proverbs 31:25–28
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She
speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue… Her children arise
and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”
● Proverbs 1:8–9
“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s
teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.”

A Mother’s Comfort and Devotion
The tender love and sacrificial devotion of a mother reflects God’s own heart.
● Isaiah 66:13
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted
over Jerusalem.”
● John 16:21
“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when
her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born
into the world.”

A Legacy of Faith
Mothers pass on faith and wisdom, shaping future generations.
● 2 Timothy 1:5
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

Mary: The Blessed Mother
Mary’s example reminds us that a mother’s faith, humility, and sacrifice are deeply honored by God.
● Luke 1:46–48
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on
all generations will call me blessed.'”
● John 19:26–27
“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing
nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is
your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

Closing Reflection:
Mothers who interact within our lives can come in various forms. We may have mothers we acknowledge because they are a biological, spiritual, or adoptive mom. We are blessed, honored, and strengthened by the love, wisdom, and grace of God demonstrated by these mothers. May we be filled with an awe-inspiring mandate to reflect these same Godly qualities to those around us. Whether you are a mother with your own offspring or whether you stand in the gap as a spiritual or adoptive mom, you have a great opportunity to influence individuals who are needing the loving embrace of a Godly mother.

The post What Does The Bible Say About Mothers? appeared first on 93.7 The Light.

During the party, one of the conversations we had between cousins was the concern about our children and grandchildren. The family get-togethers aren’t on the same spontaneous level of just showing up at Grandma and Grandpa’s for a Sunday dinner, a cousin play date, or just to eat ice-cream or popcorn as a family. Families are missing these types of gatherings. With that, children are not observing or experiencing the unconditional love of a hug. Not a hug to get something, but a hug to give something.

I get teary as I’m writing when I think about that bond of hugs that are being missed, not only in our family, but our friends, and close community connections.

The next day was Sunday, so I headed to church with an eagerness to make sure I hugged everyone with a much more intentional hug. I held them longer and squeezed a little harder. No one resisted. They actually leaned into the hug and returned the embrace.

This reminded me of a study I read years ago. I couldn’t find the original study, but I did find medical documentation explaining why it is so important to “hug the ones you’re with!”

• Stanford University, Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA states: “Skin-to-skin time in the first hour after birth helps regulate the babies’ temperature, heart rate, and breathing, and helps them cry less.”

• National Library of Medicine states the two following facts: 1) Touch is a primary sense, and in early infancy, it may be the most important sense. 2) Physical contact with infants also affects caregivers…contact stimulates the release of oxytocin, which is associated with nurturing behaviors and positive mood states.

Remember, Jesus said we should come as little children. Often we get all grown up and busy in our days and we forget the simple embrace of love that can rejuvenate both parties within the hug. I wonder is this the cause of so much unrest in our society today? Is the anger, frustration, and lack of hope because we have lost the art of hugging or the loss of opportunities within families to demonstrate unconditional love?

I am still making an effort to deeply hug those with whom I have that pleasure. My hugs may not change society, but it can change me and the person to whom I’m giving the hug. I encourage each of us to take every opportunity to intentionally “hug the ones we’re with,” because we are God’s hands and feet and His chosen method to express Himself here on Earth. God is LOVE…so let us reflect His love one to another.

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Every year as I am putting away my Christmas decorations, I think about getting rid of some of them. I have limited storage space, so it just makes sense to clear out some of the ornaments that are no longer in great shape or the garland I don’t use much anymore. But I rarely do. I have all kinds of reasons why. Maybe a relative gave it to me, maybe I’ll use it next year, maybe . . .

It isn’t just Christmas decorations. I think many of us have a lot of “extra” around our homes. Whether it is books, craft supplies, some sort of knick-knack collection, or clothes that no longer fit, we have stuff in our homes, sometimes a lot of stuff, that is hard for us to part with.

That is why there is a concept called “Swedish Death Cleaning.” Apparently, it was trending last year (there is even a reality TV show about it), but I just recently heard of it. A few years before, the Marie Kondo method of decluttering sparked interest with her advice to choose to keep only what “sparks joy.” Swedish death cleaning is a little different.

What is Swedish Death Cleaning and How Can It Help You?

The term comes from the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnussen. While there are personal benefits to living without a lot of clutter (many people report feeling less stress and more focus and control when their surroundings are clear), Magnussen promotes getting rid of our possessions for the sake of our families. Maybe not when we are young and starting out, but when we are approaching middle age or beyond, when we are starting to wonder about our later years, is a good time to begin thinking about all we have accumulated.

Many of us believe that the stuff we value and hold dear will automatically be valued by others – but most likely the things we hold onto and fill our homes with will end up out front in a yard sale. Our collections, our letters, our stuff, is ours and means more to us than it could ever to someone else, and Magnussen asks us not to burden our family with possibly months of sorting and deciding. Leaving it all for our family to deal with also takes the power away from us to determine where our belongings will actually go.

The author encourages us. She says the process is not sad – it can be a good thing to remember why each item holds special memories for us, and she also gives concrete tips, such as starting with the largest objects, like furniture, and objects that hold little emotion

first. It is not meant to be a speedy process. Even Magnussen took almost a year to go through her belongings. It isn’t so much about throwing things away as it is about deciding what truly matters.

Living with Intention

I think you will find much of Magnussen’s advice to be helpful, but let me encourage you with one additional tip: while you sort through your belongings, with your death in mind, to determine what is most important, give some serious thought not only to what you do with your stuff but also what you do with your time. Whether we are around for one more year or fifty, what we do with our time, our lives, is what truly matters.

Preparing for our death can bring clarity to our lives. Death “living” helps us ask and answer if what we are doing right now specifically in this moment and with our lives in general is important. Is it worthwhile? Is it pleasing to God and helpful for others? Is this the best way to make our lives count for something?

Reading the Swedish death cleaning book helped me know how to deal with my clutter, but the whole idea made my wonder about my time. I hope it is helpful for you too.

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Of course, we will see them. They’ll be home for (most) breaks and for the summer. But it will be different – they will be different. They have lived on their own to some extent and have taken care of themselves. While they will still expect you to do their laundry, they have a new sense of self-sufficiency and an expectation of freedom, whether we think they are ready for it or not. And if you try to relate to them the way you did while they were younger, I think you will find it doesn’t go very well for you. You’ll be frustrated and hurt.

So at this back-to-school time, here are a few lessons we can practice to make this adjustment a little easier on our hearts. The first thing – and this isn’t just a platitude – is to pray. God knows this is hard, and He knows what both we and our children need. He will give us the wisdom we need to navigate this new stage of life, comfort to heal our hearts, grace to love well and to do and say the right things, and mercy for when we don’t. Put your child in God’s care.

A second help is to make use of your memories, when they come to mind naturally and intentionally. Look at pictures or old videos with your kids, and do a lot of, “Remember when. . .” The time we have with our children is so short. Recalling the good memories can stretch out that time in our hearts.

A third practice is to make memories now. It will probably be more difficult to get your kids to do things with you than it was when they were young, but now that you know how short the time really is and how valuable memories are, intentionally planning fun things to do or even making a spontaneous trip to a coffee shop will be easier to make a priority.

The last lesson I would suggest is to work on yourself. You knew when you became a parent that the job isn’t forever. Your whole purpose was to care for, nurture, teach, and love them so that they would leave well – your parenting job was only ever meant to be temporary. You haven’t lost your purpose. You are missing your kids, but you still have the rest of your life ahead of you, now with time to fill with new activities. Look for ways to make new friends, learn new skills or revive whatever you put aside to be a mom or dad. Volunteer, mentor a young person. Keep up your fellowship with the people at church. Renew your relationship with your spouse and with God. Your relationship with your kids is changing, but you are still a child of God. He will be your comfort and hope through all the changes of life.

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The Second of July.

The Continental Congress voted to declare independence from England on July 2, 1776, but the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted two days later, after all the edits and changes were made. John Adams, later the second President, believed that July 2 should be the day to celebrate “the great anniversary festival.” In fact, he believed it so strongly that he protested by turning down invitations to events on the 4^th.

Food and Fireworks.

That same John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the day “ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” I don’t know that we Americans have kept up with the devotion to God part, but we have with the festivals and “illuminations.”  The very first anniversary of Independence Day in Philadelphia in 1777 included a fireworks show, a dinner, and even a parade. Now, New York City hosts the biggest fireworks display, but many other cities and even small towns put on fireworks shows for their residents. This year, Americans are expected to spend $9.9 billion on food for Independence Day and over $2 billion on fireworks.

Not a Good Day for Presidents.

Three Presidents of the United States, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe, all died on the Fourth of July. Adams and Jefferson, who were both signers of the Declaration of Independence, died on the same day, the 50^th anniversary of Independence Day, and Monroe died five years later.

Liberty Bell Still Rings.

No one could ever know the real numbers, but there are tens to hundreds of thousands of descendants of the signers of the Declaration living now. Each year, a few children who are in those family lines are given the opportunity to ceremonially ring the Liberty Bell on the fourth of July. They tap the bell thirteen times at 2 p.m. every Independence Day to honor the original thirteen states.

If you’ve learned anything from reading this, share it with others. Celebrate this Fourth of July safely and gratefully.

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Added to the oversaturation is the fact that no one likes the two front running candidates. Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans do not want either of the leading contenders to win reelection. So debates and campaigns seem pointless and boring.

But kids don’t know that. My husband was one of the people watching the debate on television last night, and our 13-year-old son walked through the living room. He stopped briefly to ask who these people were. When my husband told him they were people running for President, my son said he thought Mr. Trump was the person running, so my husband briefly explained to him the purpose and point of political primaries.

I realized that my son was in 2nd or 3rd grade when the last big campaign season was taking place, and he really doesn’t know how it all works. To him, and probably to most children and teens, it isn’t the same old, same old. For many of them, it is their first experience with an election or at least the first one they remember.

Now you have heard the advice about not talking about religion or politics at family dinners, and to some extent that applies to public blogs as well, so you will get no advice from me about who to vote for. But I will advise you to think about the young people – whether they are your kids, your grandkids, or just the kids in your church or neighborhood. Try not to sound as jaded as you may feel about this election. Yes, our country seems to have made many mistakes in recent years to get us in the mess we are in, but without elections and the right to choose our leaders ourselves, we are left with someone who takes all our choices away.

So when the little (or even bigger) ears are listening, instead of putting down the election process, build it up. Stress our privilege and responsibility to pay attention so that perhaps when they start voting, they make wiser decisions than we have. Help them understand and care. And maybe watch a debate.

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1. Virtual cooking/dinner date
   Why just eat together on Zoom? Plan ahead for a specific recipe and cook it together for a really memorable experience! Bonus points if you use family recipes

Or a fun alternative could be having a pizza sent to your loved one’s house and surprising them with a video call movie and pizza date! That would be especially helpful if they’ve already told you they don’t know what to make for dinner!

2. Scavenger Hunt
   Send a nature scavenger hunt via email and instruct your loved ones to text you a photo of themselves with each item as they find it! You can find a list online or make one up using things that have special meaning. For example: ask for a leaf from a tree in the neighborhood where you’ve walked together, or a piece of grass from the side yard where you had a picnic together…you get the idea.

3. If you’re going to be away from children you love, send them a package with coloring books and crayons, and buy yourself the same things. Set up a video call and color the same pages together. Date and display them so when you are able to be together physically, you’ll see them and be reminded of the fun time you had! Another idea in the same vein is virtual cookie baking. Send a package with all the ingredients for your favorite cookie recipe and set up a time to bake them at the same time. 

4. Buy 2 Advent calendars, send one to your loved one, then spend a few minutes each day in December to open together. There are lots of different kinds of Advent calendars these days, so you can choose a theme that is meaningful to you both. 

I hope these ideas have sparked some ideas for you to still feel close to the people you love, even if you don’t get to be together this year. Have you thought of other creative ways to connect during these unusual times? Share them in the comments and you might just inspire someone else! Merry Christmas and may your New Year be bright!

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