Inspiration and Resources for Christian Families
Everyday Christianity is “living day by day in the covenant of perpetual grace.” Everyday Christians interact in the world–in their work, family life, parenting, schooling, and social life while maintaining a vital spiritual life–remembering who they are and WHOSE they are. Our main purpose is to minister to other “everyday” Christians through articles and videos, as well as other resources, for spiritual growth, inspiration, and encouragement for living the Christian life day by day.
As an everyday Christian you are ”in” the world but not “of ” it. For that reason, we also offer resources for living in the day-to-day world from a Christian perspective. That is why you find information on parenting, home business, home schooling, and family life, and other topics which are of interest to Christians. For you, there is no wall between your spiritual and secular lives. Each day is a continuing walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we invite Him and involve Him in all our interests and activities. For example, you will find here resources for vocal training and learning to play the guitar and piano. These subjects may be of interest to you as a hobby, as a business, or in developing the gifts God has given you for praise and worship ministry.
But what is this “living day by day in the covenant of perpetual grace?” Read more…
What’s the Latest?
How to Handle Difficult Teenagers
What can parents do to get through to their difficult children? How can they make their children behave differently? Most teenagers find it hard to progress from being a child to an adult. In this period of transition, parenting a child becomes a struggle because these are the years when they mature physically, emotionally and socially. The teenage years...
Tips For Making Your Own Gourmet Gift Basket
It’s fun and easy to create gift baskets that look professional. With a little creativity you can make baskets that look like they cost a lot more than they did. With a little ingenuity and guidance, your baskets will be on everyone’s wish list.
Family Fun With Flowers
Gardening can be a fun family activity all its own, but when the fruits of your family’s labor can be used for crafts, too, it’s twice as fun. Whether you grow your own flowers or receive some as a gift, keep in mind that their purpose may last longer than their bloom.
Summer Party Ideas For Children
If your child is lucky enough to have a birthday during the summer months, it is a good idea to take advantage of the warm weather when you plan the party. There are many ways you can make the most of the good weather and throw a birthday party that your child and friends will remember for years to come.
Tips On Teaching Children About Money And Finance
Children start encountering money in the real world very early on, and it is important that they understand how to manage it. Read on to learn how to adapt maths lessons to teach children how to budget, how debt works, and the rewards of successful saving.
Getting Men Knitting
As a keen knitter, it never ceases to amaze me how “female” my hobby has become. Most people think of knitting as being something little old ladies do, and in the past girls were taught knitting and crochet while the boys were off doing metalwork and woodwork. Gender stereotypes are being torn down in every other aspect of our daily lives, so why is it that we don’t have more men who knit?
New Website Trends In 2013
Designing a website in 2013 is much different than it has been in the past. There is so much more to take into consideration. Website designs have come a very long way as the technology field becomes more advanced everyday. Google and the other search engines make modifications to their search engine algorithms consistently throughout the year, and some of the newer changes directly affect the coding work of your website developer. With so many websites on the Internet it is important to create one that stands out from others. Following the web design trends of 2013 will ...
Coming Up With Jewelry Designs That Sell
One of my favorite activities is to hold small workshops for aspiring jewelers that want to learn the tricks of the trade. I see a lot of talented young people in the workshop and I hold a lot of discussions about how one can come up with jewelry designs that actually sell. I’m sad to report that most of the youngsters have no idea about what will sell and what won’t and I think this has a lot to do with some basic misconceptions that people have about design work in general and jewelry making in particular. This is why ...
Giveaways And How They Work For Your Brand
Giveaways are an important tool for any event and companies often spend money on amazing giveaways. For example, presenters of an award show are often given gift baskets as a sign of gratitude by the organizers. Big branded companies often bid to be part of this basket giveaway. So why are these giveaways so important? Simple, it’s all about marketing. Companies often spend a huge sum of money in order to get their logos on t-shirt, mugs, pens etc. These items become a powerful tool in terms of branding. So how do you get the ball rolling on your promotional ...
Christian Faith
Sing in Joy -- No Matter What!
No matter what, you can begin to sing in the joy of the Lord right now. How? The key is that the joy is not something you "work up" on your own. That's why I say it's the "joy of the Lord."
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
Yesterday I was reading one of my Christian fiction stories -- one of my all time favorite pastimes, when I came across the part of the story where the main character was in grave danger. She was desperate for help when the hymn “What a Friend” came to her mind. The author wrote out the first two verses of the hymn and as I was reading them, my heart was touched. I read and reread that passage, singing it to myself, and taking in the beautiful words of that song.
The Armor of God - A Poem
Oh the armor of God, Oh the armor of God That gives us victory wherever we trod No matter the stress, no matter the strife We can have victory in this life.
One GLORIOUS Day
Those who read my letters on a regular basis know that I often write about contemporary Christian music as well as old, traditional hymns. Today I look at the song Glorious Day. Although it's a contemporary hit, the surprise for me is that it’s both new and old!
Need a Hug? Get one from God Right Now!
Somebody needs a hug today. And you can get one anytime you want—even if you are alone. For you see, if you have confessed Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you really are never alone. The Holy Spirit of God is within you. And you can ask Him for anything, especially for a demonstration of His love for you. So, how do you ask for this expression of love?Homeschooling
Tips On Teaching Children About Money And Finance
Children start encountering money in the real world very early on, and it is important that they understand how to manage it. Read on to learn how to adapt maths lessons to teach children how to budget, how debt works, and the rewards of successful saving.
Homeschooling and Social Interaction – Are Homeschool Kids Socially Deprived?
My wife and I have homeschooled our three children since they were very young. In fact, they have never been to public school. Here in the UK, homeschooling is still not as popular as in some other countries. It is always interesting to see people’s reactions when they find out that you homeschool your children.
4 Tips for Making Time for Music in Your Family
Music has a powerful influence on our lives and our culture. There's a reason why children learn their alphabet with a song, and why we sing hymns in church: Music reaches us differently than other types of communication. Music can help people develop better critical thinking skills, help shape their relationships and bring happiness to your life. Sharing music with your family can bring you together and make you all closer. Here are a few tips from music educators that will help you bring music into your life, no matter how booked your schedule is.
Why Summer Camp is Important for Homeschooled Kids
Homeschooling offers parents an opportunity to spend more time with their kids during their school-age years and it also allows them to control what information is being taught. Many parents prefer to do the teaching themselves to ensure that their kids are being challenged and taught the kind of lessons that will truly benefit them in life and allow them to grow in Christ.
What Makes a Great Elementary Homeschool Curriculum?
When someone thinks about doing school at home, how often do they think about doing school at home online? A quality homeschool curriculum that is internet-based offers advantages for the student and the parent.
10 Tips for Encouraging Kids to Read
Is your child struggling with reading? If he is, he is certainly not alone. Reading comes easier for some than it does for others. The fact is, however, that the more kids read, the better they become at it. For this reason it is essential that parents encourage children to read daily. From books to magazines, there are many ways that you can encourage your child to develop a love for reading. Here are 10 tips to help you.
4 Tips for Using the Bible as an Educational Tool
What blows me away about the Bible every time that I pick up a copy and leaf through it, is how much it can help everyone in so many different facets in life. Having been raised reading the Bible at home, and now having kids of my own, I think using the Bible for educational purposes is one of the best ways to get your kids interested in the Lord as well as reading, writing, and comprehension. Here's how I've used the Bible to help my kids both educationally and spiritually:
Summer Home Schooling? Yes and No
"To homeschool in summer or not to homeschool in summer - that is the question." That awkward takeoff of a famous line from Hamlet nonetheless highlights a major question that homeschoolers face at the beginning of summer every year.Parenting
How to Handle Difficult Teenagers
What can parents do to get through to their difficult children? How can they make their children behave differently? Most teenagers find it hard to progress from being a child to an adult. In this period of transition, parenting a child becomes a struggle because these are the years when they mature physically, emotionally and socially. The teenage years...
Four Reasons To Enroll Your Toddler In Daycare
The need for daycare is something that many parents face out of sheer necessity. This is typical when both parents work outside of the home or a child lives primarily in a single parent household where the parent works. The need for good, quality care is something that is challenging for parents as you want to make sure that the right setting is the one that will help your toddler grow and thrive. It is essential to a child's development to be in the right daycare setting and when you take the time to better understand the ways that such ...
Teaching Teenagers How To Value Real Relationships in High-tech Times
We live in a world where social media plays a vital role in life. Most of us grew up in a time where most of our interactions were physical. When we wanted to talk to people, we had to meet up with them in person or use a phone to stay in touch. The lure of social media is inevitable in these times. Your teenager is growing up in a world where a person can be reached through the Internet or text messaging. With the help of a smart phone, he or she is instantly able to communicate with peers ...
Helping Your Child Overcome Social Anxiety
Children often suffer from social anxiety. The impact could be telling on children unable to cope with stress that other children deal normally. It could be speaking in public, reading aloud during class or even playing with other kids; social anxiety can strike anytime. Many children refuse to attend school because of this. An anxious child can be aggressive, has the tendency to be shy and totally disinterested to play. Here are some tips to help your child overcome social anxiety.
How To Teach Your Child About Credit
Credit is more important today than it's ever been, and it's essential that children learn how to use it responsibly before they step into the adult world. In fact, the learning process should start roughly when they're out of diapers. Habits formed early last for a lifetime, and parents who want their children to avoid the pitfalls of massive debt and bankruptcy should start guiding their children as soon as they're able to comprehend numbers.
How to Incorporate Positive Parenting in Your Home
There are different definitions of what positive parenting is but, in general, it is a style of parenting that focuses on raising happy and secure children through building a strong relationship and using non-physical forms of discipline (no spanking). Positive parenting is often linked to attachment parenting and natural parenting. There are many ways you start practicing positive parenting in your home. You can choose to use the methods that work for your family, or you can choose to adopt the philosophy wholeheartedly. Here are just a few ways you can incorporate positive parenting in your home.
Meryl Streep and Old-Fashioned Parenting
What did we do as kids before the internet, game consoles, cable and satellite TV, and text messaging? Actress Meryl Streep shares what she did and why she advocates a dose of it for kids today.
5 Tips for Blended Families
As the rates for divorce and remarriage increase there are more and more married couples who both have children from a previous relationship. When they live together they are considered to be a blended family. Combining two families in this way can be problematic, especially if the parents have drastically different parenting techniques. In order to maintain harmony in the home and help the children and parents to blend together effortlessly, use these five tips with your own family.
Four Ways To Make Sure Your Kids Are Safe When Playing Outside
One of the major concerns for parents is that their children are safe when playing outside. It can often be difficult to do this while having to manage daily chores as well. There is no easy way to ensure that the children are safe outside the house. However, here are four measures you can take to ensure their safety when outside the house.
Sending Your Kids to College – How to Smooth the Transition
As your big kid leaves for college, he or she faces the most difficult life transition since venturing out of the house and away from mommy to attend kindergarten. No matter how cool and calm your freshman appears, underneath that placid exterior beats a heart filled with sheer terror. As the big voice says at Disneyland, “Fasten your lap-belts securely, and remain seated until the ride comes to full and complete stop.”Family Fun
Family Fun With Flowers
Gardening can be a fun family activity all its own, but when the fruits of your family’s labor can be used for crafts, too, it’s twice as fun. Whether you grow your own flowers or receive some as a gift, keep in mind that their purpose may last longer than their bloom.Summer Party Ideas For Children
If your child is lucky enough to have a birthday during the summer months, it is a good idea to take advantage of the warm weather when you plan the party. There are many ways you can make the most of the good weather and throw a birthday party that your child and friends will remember for years to come.
Toronto: An Ideal City for a Family Outing
Every one enjoys spending quality time with his family. A vacation with your family can revitalize you and provide you necessary relief from the pressures of day to day life. Toronto is an ideal destination for a family outing. It offers plenty of tourist attractions. It is the 40th most visited city in the world. Toronto is known for its museums, theaters, festival events, literature, arts and sports activities. Here are some of the destinations that you can enjoy visiting along with your family in Toronto.
How to Make Your Piñata Party a Hit
Many of us have party memories of swinging blindly at a piñata, hearing the satisfying thunk and crack and, after raising the blindfold to see the candy raining down, scrambling with all the other kids to collect the loot. Piñatas can make for great memories,but there are a few things to consider when you’re planning to have a piñata at the next family birthday bash. Here are a few tips to make sure your piñata party is a hit--and to make sure no one takes a hit.
Date Ideas for the Whole Family
If your family is like most, even your kids are over-scheduled these days. The amount of time you enjoy as a family unit under the same roof has probably shrunk to a few hours in the evenings and maybe an afternoon on the weekends. To make the most of your limited time together, consider these family-friendly date ideas that will bring your family together without breaking the bank.
It’s the Small Traditions That Make a Family
Traditions. They come in many forms. From the whole family being together on Christmas or Fourth of July or any other important holiday to enjoying a family game night every Saturday night, traditions are different for each family. Some families have the kind of traditions that are passed on to family members through generations, but often there are small traditions within a small unit of family that may only be followed while the family is together. My family was a lot like the latter.
6 Affordable Activities for the Whole Family
Many family activities can be incredibly expensive. Even affordable activities like going out to eat or watching a movie at the theater can add up when you remember that the whole family wants to join in. It is important to involve the family in plenty of fun bonding activities that bring parents and siblings together without blowing the budget. Here are six affordable suggestions for hobbies that the entire family can enjoy. Each can be done with a limited budget and some are even free!
Have A Summer Full Of Family Fun
Summer is coming. The kids are overjoyed to be out of school but their major complaint is, "I'm bored!" So, here we are to the rescue with an abundance of resources no matter where you are or where you're going and whether you're staying home or hitting the road.
Outdoor Activities for Kids
Get your kids outdoors this summer -- and why don't you join them, too? Here are some great resources for getting active and getting exercise without it feeling like a workout. Some are old games you may have played as a child and forgotten and others may be new. Take a look and see what you think!
5 Activities to Help Your Child Learn About the Bible
Keep it simple and make it fun. Teaching basics that help a child learn almost any subject, including the Bible. All the ‘thous’ and ‘thees’ and other archaic words in the Bible can be intimidating to adults, let alone children. But these fun indoor activities can help your child learn more about the Bible while teaching (or reinforcing) other academic skills, incorporating exercise and providing quality parent/child time.House and Home
How to Choose a Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System
You may have heard about a residential reverse osmosis systems as being the "latest technology" in drinking water contaminant removal. But it isn't the "latest" anything. It has been around for decades. Is it the type of filter you need? Well, read on to find out.
Five Ways to Upcycle Your Kids' Outgrown Clothes
If you have toddlers, you know how quickly they can outgrow their clothes. Something that you bought just last month can be too short or too tight today. Instead of throwing out your kids’ outgrown clothes, you can upcycle them into useful items. Here are five ways to get more life out of those old or outgrown clothes.
How to Make Your Budget Work for You
Making a budget to better organize your finances is probably the second most common resolution people make each year, right after vowing to stick to a diet and go to the gym. The idea of a budget certainly isn't a new concept, especially in today's economy. However, it can be just as challenging to stick to a budget as it is to use your new gym membership for more than a month. The goal isn't to find a budget you can live with, but to find a budget that actually works for you. Here are some tips to get you ...
Top Security Tips to Burglar Proof Your Home
Targeted crime is a never ending problem and a battle we all face. Unlike many other crimes, home burglary is not exclusive to any particular social group or class. Thieves have no ‘standards’ or ‘values’ – they’ll steal from whomever they can. As the global economy has slowed down over the last few years, crime has steadily increased. There is evidence that shows a house is broken into every couple of minutes and this figure shows no sign of improving. If you are serious about protecting your home and family follow these simple steps and maximize your home security.
12 Things You Can Do To Organize Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of your home. It should be clean, clutter free and highly organized in order to get the most use out of the space. Regardless of how big or small your designated cooking area is your space can be practical and functional by following a few tips. Below are 12 things that you can do to organize your kitchen.
Tips for Decorating on a Budget
Looking to update your home decor but lacking the funds to do so? Did you know there are many ways to decorate your home without spending a fortune? Make your home look like a million while spending pennies. Just look at these resources to find out a number of ways to freshen up your home on a budget.
How to Shop Garage and Yard Sales
We covered some tips for putting on your own garage sale previously in How to Plan, Run and Organize a Garage Sale. This set of resources will give you tips and ideas as a shopper of garage sales.
Top 3 Ways Online House Descriptions Can Fool You
In some ways the Internet has been a godsend for renters and prospective homebuyers everywhere. No longer do you need to trawl through the classifieds or search the streets for ‘to lease’ or ‘for sale’ signs. A few Internet searches and you can have a shortlist of potential new homes right in your hand. However, realtors have a few tricks up their sleeves that they can use to present a house from hell as a perfect home. Don’t be fooled!
Drab Dorm Rooms: 5 Ways To Make Them Feel Like Home
A college dorm room can be a stark, bleak place, reminiscent of a jail cell with its drab, cinder block walls. That doesn’t paint a pretty picture, does it? Not to worry! If you are heading off to college for the first, second or even third time, there are great ways to make your college dorm room feel like home.Lawn and Garden
5 Inexpensive Ways to Remodel Your Garden
Many people who spend lots of their time in their gardens keep themselves busy in planning the quality and high standards. They may even want to start an inexpensive project to remodel their garden. Garden remodeling can be divided into many categories depending on the owner’s requirements, such as more privacy or enhancing the existing look with new modifications or modern landscaping. Choosing a particular garden project is merely determined by the exterior theme of your garden and compulsion for remodeling.
Tips on Creating a Backyard Retreat
If you are looking for a way to make life a little less stressful, you might want to consider turning your backyard into your own little sanctuary. With just a little effort, you can create your own backyard retreat. You can relax and enjoy beautiful scenery from your own patio or deck. A backyard retreat can be especially entertaining if you are lucky enough to live in a state like Maryland, which experiences all four seasons. Maryland is known for snowy winters and sunny summers. You can make the most out of your backyard and your patio all year round!
How to Get Started with Bonsai
Think you might like to look at bonsai as a hobby but don't know where to start? Learn what you need to know, including tools and techniques from these helpful websites.
Grow Tomatoes in Your Garden
If you are an experienced gardener you've probably discovered long ago how easy it is to add tomatoes to your garden. In fact, if you're like me, you may have started with them. In any case, whether you plan to grow them in a raised bed or in containers, if you're in need of help to add a tomato harvest to your garden this year here are some resources you should find helpful and informative.
How to Get Rid of Ticks and Fleas
Because of a mild winter, fleas and ticks are expected to be an even greater problem this summer than normal. What can you to do to prevent an infestation in you home and garden or, attack the problem if it strikes unexpectedly? Here's a sampling from the internet world of some great information and advice.
Vinyl Fences
If you're considering a new fence around your yard you need to take the time to look at all the options: wood, vinyl and chain link as well as other types. Here are some selected resources to help you decide if vinyl fencing is the choice for you and, if so, determine if this is a job you feel comfortable in doing yourself.
