Praise and Coffee Summer Magazine 2012

Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012

Praise and Coffee Summer 2012

Simply Summer! Simply Summer! Simply Summer!

Good Christian Girls

Feeling Summer Guilt

Packing the Perfect Summer Getaway

Bag

A “Mary” SummerA “Mary” SummerA “Mary” Summer

Yummy Chicken Salad!

2 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012

www.PraiseAndCoffee.com

The Praise and Coffee Ministry



The Praise and Coffee Ministry


A short and sweet issue because it’s Simply Summer!

6| Praise and Coffee Nights

8| Editor’s Note ~ Summer Guilt!

10| Cultivating a Simple Life

16| Let’s Talk Marriage ~ Lori Byerly

20| Why Should We Wait?

26| Working Moms-Summer Fun ~ Ronel Sidney

28| Are Your Feet Sandal Ready? ~ Andy Paige

32| Get Simply Summer Crafty

42| A “Mary” Summer

44| Chicken Salad ~ Sarah Short

52| The Incident ~ Denise Dykstra

Praise and Coffee

Magazine A quarterly online publication.

Founder and Editor

Sue Cramer

Co-Editor

Denise Dykstra

Submission Guidelines:

1. Anyone is welcome to submit arti-

cles or testimonies.

2. Submissions by women who have

attended or hosted a Praise and Coffee

event will be considered first

3. Testimonies can be personal or

connected to your experience at a

Praise and Coffee event.

4. Articles that will be considered are

to be encouraging and inspiring.

5. Length of submission should be

400-800 words. This can be negotiat-

ed for feature articles.

6. Submissions will be read and con-

sidered among the Editor and co-

Editor.

7. We do not pay for articles, they are

on a volunteer basis.

8. Submissions should be in “Times

New Roman” #12 font.

9. Submissions need to be emailed as

an attachment and include:

Name

Email

Website (if applies)

Short (100 words or less) bio

11. Email submissions to our

Co-Editor:

[email protected]

For advertising info, contact Sue at:

[email protected]

Cover photo, and pages 20, and 25 courtesy of Karie Murray

Photography. Thank you.

Back cover photo courtesy of a good friend who prefers to be

nameless. Thank you.

http://issuu.com/praiseandcoffee/docs/summer_2012/6











mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Volume 2~Issue 4

Summer 2012


Praise and Coffee Nights meet in

coffee shops and at kitchen tables

across the country. To learn more about them, check out our

online ebook:

Praise and Coffee Nights!

http://praiseandcoffee.com/praise-and-coffee-nights/


Prescott, AZ

Reno, NV

Henderson, NV Conneticut

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Ephrata, PA Buffalo, Minnesota

Across the Nation and World! For where 2 or 3 gather together because they are mine, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20

Plainwell, MI (the original!)

We want pictures of your events!!

Email them to us or post them into the albums on the Praise and Coffee Nights page on Facebook!

Saginaw, MI

New Hampshire

Lynden, WA Anthem, AZ

San Diego, CA

https://www.facebook.com/praiseandcoffee?ref=ts


Hello Girlfriends!

I’m just going to come right out and say it;

summer can fill a good Christian girl with

guilt.

If you are able to jump into a summer Bible

study and get back from the lake on Sun-

days in time to work your shift in the nursery

then you might want to skip this whole arti-

cle. But that is just not the honest reality for

most of us, and our own hearts can beat us

up with guilt.

I used to struggle with feeling like

God was disappointed or angry

with me for not being a good

enough Christian, especially

through the busyness of summer.

But now I understand that my

relationship with Him is not

based on how many times a

month I step through the doors

of a church building, no matter

what the season.

I was a good church girl and that was re-

warding until I realized that much of my ef-

forts were centered on pride. I felt good

about myself and my Christianity because

everyone else thought I was a good Chris-

tian girl, and by definition I was.

Pastor’s wife, women’s ministry leader, wor-

ship leader, I appeared to have it all to-

gether. But it was a house of cards be-

cause many years ago my life took a hard

left turn and all the titles that I’d worn so

proudly collapsed around me.

For too long I focused on “what” hap-

pened to me instead of discovering “why”

it happened and letting God do the work

in me that would bring me to such a beau-

tiful place of peace now.

Like Cinderella at midnight I was left with

the torn tattered mess of my insecurities

screaming at me in the mirror. I grappled

with my identity and sense of

worth. I desperately wanted

to focus on my wounds and

blame others for my pain. But

it was always fruitless. Some-

times the process of forgiving

was messy and ugly, espe-

cially when I allowed anger

to pour back in and darken

my heart over and over

again. But finally I let myself

be still and know that He is

God and I began a journey

of discovering Him, and find-

ing me.

Living loved is far simpler than the world I

had created. It is honest and sincere. Not

without pain, but worth every tear as God

reveals Himself so beautifully as my Father

and friend. I no longer equate the things

that I DO for God with my relationship to

Him. I’ve also abandoned the need for ti-

tles, instead I rest in knowing that I am His

daughter, graciously loved and accepted

just the way I am.

I grappled

with my identity

and sense of worth.

I desperately

wanted to focus

on my wounds

and blame others

for my pain.

Summer: When Good Christian Girls Struggle With Guilt


My favorite spot this summer, sipping coffee on my deck.

Sue Cramer

Founder of Praise and Coffee

[email protected]

no longer let guilt or condemna-

tion drive my decisions, about church at-

tendance/activities or the way I live my life.

I’ve found a freedom in letting God mold

me and simply living my faith in the world

He’s placed me in. Life is no longer about

being a good Christian girl bearing fruit

through my own efforts; instead I hope that

my life and heart being changed is what

produces the evidence of Him in my life.

Is summer revealing this kind of guilt for you

too? If so, I encourage you be still and

know that He is God, and instead of allow-

ing all the “shoulds” to rule your life, let His

peace fill you and rest in the truth that He

loves you and He’s up to a something

beautiful in your heart.

Live loved, summertime and always.

I hope you enjoy this issue with a “Simply

Summer” theme and have a simple but

meaningful summer with those you love.

Connect with Sue online!

"We are called to be fruitful;

not successful,

not productive,

not accomplished.

Success comes from strength,

stress, and human effort.

Fruitfulness comes from

vulnerability and the admission

of our own weakness."

Henri J.M. Nouwen

https://www.facebook.com/susankcramer

https://twitter.com/#!/PraiseAndCoffee

http://pinterest.com/susankcramer/


You asked for it... Praise and Coffee Magazine is now available in print through MagCloud.

Magazines can be ordered individually

but not by print subscription.

Yet.

The print magazines cost about $13-$15 each.

To order a copy in print, go to www.magcloud.com/user/praiseandcoffee

http://www.magcloud.com/user/praiseandcoffee

http://www.magcloud.com/user/praiseandcoffee


Connect ~ Encourage ~ Inspire

One friend

Praise and Coffee


Simple Life Cultivating aCultivating aCultivating a

So much beauty can be found in simple things in life.

But as we all know, life is busy. Really, really busy.

There are always jobs and meetings, appointments

and activities to attend.

We have to make a conscious effort to slow down some-times.

Summertime is a great time to start.

By Beki Hastings

@ The Rusted Chain

http://www.blog.therustedchain.com/


Some ideas for you:

~ Rather than having fast food and dessert on a regular basis, make "ice cream dates" a special occasion with your family.

With small kids, discuss it while you're eating focusing on the color, texture, and temper-ature of the ice cream.

~ Go for a drive. No really! Go out and drive around, with no intention of going any-where. Open your eyes to see interesting or unusual buildings and landscapes. Discuss what the land would have looked like years ago. Talk about how different things would feel if you didn't have an air conditioned or heated car.

~ Find a flower, either purchased or picked, and study the details of it. Notice the colors, shapes, and seeds. If God put this much time and effort into creating little flowers, how much more care did He put into creating us?


~ Be mission minded. Even if you can't go on a missions trip, you can get a better view of the entire world by looking at the websites of trusted non-profit or-ganizations. Discuss how the price of one fast food kid's meal, could feed children for weeks in other countries. Recog-nize how blessed we are to have shoes, bug repel-lent, abundant food options, soft beds, video games and in-ternet.

~ Plant something. Even if you do it in a small space or a pa-tio garden, there is something magical about planting something and see-ing the results of it when it grows. Try tomatoes, flowers, green beans, even grass. Nothing great has ever been, or can ever be accom-plished without hard work.

~ Go on a "theme walk". This is especially fun when you have a camera with you. Decide on themes you want to find and then start the hunt! Start with circles. Point out or photograph all the cir-cles you find. Then about 15 minutes later, switch to a new theme. Lines, sym-metry, arcs/crescents, a spe-cific color, numbers, grids are all fun to find. You'll be amazed at how you view things differently when you're hunting for some-thing.

~ Unplug. This is the toughest one. Choose one day a week, or even one evening a week, and decide that there will be no connections to the out-side world. No internet. No tv. No cell phones. No handheld games. You will be surprised at what you can find to do! You may find yourself bored, but welcome that. Enjoy it. Embrace the stillness that we sometimes call boredom. Read. Study. Nap. Play. Craft. Do a hobby during that time. Carve out a block of time to unplug. All the emails and updates will be there when you get back.

* Simple Life *


Beauty is all around us. The more we look, the more abundant it becomes.

Gratitude is recognizing that what you have is enough.

We truly do have all we need.

Intentionally cultivate a simple life, one little step at a time.

I like photography, blogging, living simply, chipped paint, rust, my 3

kids, my 1 husband, designing jewelry, peonies, God, and coffee.

Not in that order.




Let’s Talk

MARRIAGE With Lori Byerly of “The Generous Wife”

http://www.the-generous-wife.com/


Making your

MarriageMarriageMarriage

BETTER!

Years ago my spiritual dad said,

"There are things you could do to make your

life worse, right?"

I thought for a minute. "Well, yeah. I could

try to rob a bank, kick my neighbor’s yippy

little dog or not do laundry for a week."

He replied, "Then, by default, there are

things you could do to make your life bet-

ter."

I really needed to hear that at the time. I was

feeling a bit beat up by life and helpless in

the face of a couple of difficult situations. It

gave me the motivation to pray and ask God

for direction for the things I could do. I was

encouraged and my attitude improved ... and

so did my life because I saw past the prob-

lems to my own choices.

Later I made the connection to marriage.

There are some real ups and downs to mar-

riage. There are times when it’s easy to feel

overwhelmed and even downright unhappy.

But just like any other situation, there are

things you can do to make your marriage sit-

uation worse and there are things you can do

to make your marriage better.

...there are things you can do to make your marriage situation worse and there are things you

can do to make your marriage better.


Attitude

My husband is an optimist (the sing (loudly)

in the morning kind of optimist), but when

he is down he is really, really down. It's hard

to reach him. It's hard to be happy around

him. It's hard to breathe around him. Thank-

fully he's only been down about 15 minutes

our whole marriage (did I mention he was an

optimist?).

However, I did learn something from him

because of this. Our attitudes significantly

impact us and those around us. I didn't want

to be guilty of making it hard for my hus-

band to breathe. I could improve my mar-

riage relationship and the atmosphere of our

home by letting God deal with my attitudes.

That is not a passive kind of thing for me. I

read the Word and let God talk to me about

it. I read blogs and books that challenge me

to grow. I talk to people who have good atti-

tudes and try to learn from them (and con-

versely I learn what not to do from folks

who are chronically grumpy). I’m actively

pursuing better attitudes.

MARRIAGE Words

Words are powerful. You can build up with

words or you can tear down.

From time to time I make a practice of con-

sidering what I say and how I say it. How is

my tone of voice? What do I really want to

communicate? It helps to talk to your reflec-

tion in a mirror. Yes, I know it’s more than

weird, but it’s a great learning tool (though

my son did worry about me for awhile ~ all

that talking to myself in the bathroom). I no-

ticed that I frown too often.

I decided I needed to smile more too (even

when I felt pleasant or happy they just were-

n’t showing up on my face often enough). I

often had to rethink what I wanted to com-

municate and I realized that a lot of things

just didn’t need to be said at all (love can

help you overlook an offense or a moment of

carelessness).

...I realized that a lot of things just didn’t need to be said at all (love can help you overlook an offense

or a moment of carelessness).


Sign up to receive daily email encouragement!

Actions

How I spend my time speaks about my pri-

orities. I make time for the people and things

that are important to me. If I want to make

my marriage better I need to invest time and

energy in that relationship.

The thing that has challenged me the most

when thinking about my actions, was not so

much what I actually did (though I can al-

ways improve there), but rather what I did

not do. Over the years, I’ve probably looked

pretty good. The dishes were washed, meal

on the table, and clean clothes hanging in the

closet, but hiding behind that were avoided

conversations (so that I didn’t have to deal

with tough issues) and busyness (that I used

to ignore his needs and wants).

That’s really hard to own, but facing it

helped me grow up and make choices that

built my marriage and made it better.

Are you your husband's best friend? Lover?

Confidant? Partner in life? #1 Supporter and

encourager? How can you show that with

your actions?

The Bottom Line

You have more impact on your marriage re-

lationship than you might suspect. Think it

through. Be intentional about building and

careful not to tear down. You can’t change

your husband (or the neighbor’s yippy little

dog or the onslaught of laundry to be done),

but you can, by your choices and influence,

make your marriage better.

Lori Byerly is married to The Generous Husband and

lives in the beautiful Northwest US. She is the mom of

two and has a lovely new granddaughter. She works for

two non-profit ministries, and ministers in the area of

marriage and small group church expressions.


[email protected]


http://www.the-generous-husband.com


?


hat little girl doesn't dream of growing up

to be a Princess? In the midst of the self im-

posed darkness that sexual sin put on our mar-

riage (which is a whole separate article) we had

the blessing to witness a Woman who realized

the dream of being the Princess and a Man who

became her Prince Charming.

At 36 years of age my Sister, Kelli, had exciting

news for us. She had found the man of her

dreams, David Hamilton. Dave was a 31 year old

F-15 Strike Eagle Pilot stationed in Idaho and

Kelli was a Missionary to Albania. Needless to

say technology played a huge role in their court-

ing\dating process. Of course the very next

thing Kelli said to us was, “Would you guys take

care of the music for our Wedding?”

At this point we have a beautiful story going on

here. God connected two like minded, like

hearted people via the Internet. But really

what's so unique about their story? Here's the

kicker: Both Dave and Kelli knew what God de-

sired for them on their Wedding Day and had

stayed pure. Yep, pick up your jaw, BOTH of

them! And God was not done.

The moment Kelli asked, “Would you guys take

care of the music for our Wedding?” God laid a

heavy burden on Jeremy's heart. He would write

a song for Dave and Kelli's Wedding Day that

would honor their commitment not only to God

but to one another as a gift.

There were many days of struggling over lyrics.

The stress of searching for chords and melodies

that could honor this beautiful occasion was

sometimes overbearing. Yet the song was fin-

ished, kept secret from the family, and unveiled

at their Wedding on a beautiful fall day in 2009.

And God was not done.

There were many days of struggling over lyrics.

The stress of searching for chords and melodies

that could honor this beautiful occasion was

sometimes overbearing. Yet the song was fin-

ished, kept secret from the family, and unveiled

at their Wedding on a beautiful fall day in 2009.


A few months later, playing a Concert some-

where in the Central Region of the United States,

we were running out of material. Most of our

acoustic concerts are “story telling” events as to

save our voices and to help an audience, who

often has no idea who we are, connect with our

music. So we threw “Complete”, then known as

the unnamed Wedding song, into our set list.

We told the story and shared the song. The re-

sponse blew us away!

You see in our oversexed culture our kids still

are fighting. They still have hope that they can

have that fairy tale ending. They are wading

through all this misinformation and peer pres-

sure waiting for some glimmer of hope to cling

onto with all they have. They want hope.

None of us want to admit that we were “that

guy” or “that girl”. So many of us still wear that

black dress we put on so long ago, emotionally

on the inside. The emotional pain of giving our-

selves away intimately to the wrong person suf-

focates us into submission. So we put on our

happy Christian face and ignore the subject alto-

gether or condemn those who enter into such

acts with a ferocity that we hope would deter

our young ones from making the same mistake.

the story of the wedding song by jeremy & kaci neely


ut they need to know. They deserve to

know. No one is telling them why God says,

“No”. No one is telling them why God says,

“Wait”. And every moment we are silent one

more glimmer of hope goes dark.

For years during our concerts we have weaved

our individual stories into our songs telling

thousands of people of the long term conse-

quences of premarital sex. And at this point

what you didn't know about us is that we don't

label ourselves as “Christian Artists” because

God has called us to be “Musicianaries”. Not

only are we singing our music (which is inspired

by our faith in Jesus Christ) and sharing our tes-

timony to people sitting in Churches, but to

people at State Fairs, in Bars, in Wineries,

and...well, any place that will let us sing actually!

However, In 2009 everything changed. Not only

do we share about those horrid consequences

but now we share the glimmer of hope that a 31

year old fighter pilot and a 36 year old Mission-

ary to Albania gave us.

Young people are sending us messages saying

they were about to give up hope then they

heard this song. People who are not Christians

are opening dialogue with us about Jesus. Peo-

ple who are living in sexual sin

are being convicted and ques-

tioning their life choices.


Jeremy and Kaci Neely are a Husband-

Wife Rock Duo based out of Nashville, TN

known as NEELY. They travel the United

States, along with their 4 Daughters,

playing events inside and

outside the Church.

For more information about

NEELY and their music

visit them online at:

ww.neelymusic.com


Some of our Summer

Pinterest picks.

Click here to

follow and find these!

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=43414448

http://www.houzz.com/photos/85692/interior-designs-traditional-porch-kansas-city

http://media-cache.pinterest.com/upload/259519997247013667_9QZzkkOv.jpgC:/Users/HP USER/Documents/2011 Praise and Coffee

http://www.livinglocurto.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Tonka-Truck-Baby-%C2%A9AtomicEgg.jpgC:/Users/HP USER/Documents/2011 Praise and Coffee

http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=25041C:/Users/HP%20USER/Documents/2011%20Praise%20and%20Coffee


http://praiseandcoffee.com/2011/07/pinterest/C:/Users/HP USER/Documents/2011 Praise and Coffee

http://www.thesisterscafe.com/





www.compassion.com

I said to myself, "Relax and rest.

God has showered you with blessings.

Soul, you've been rescued from death;

Eye, you've been rescued from tears;

And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling."

Psalm 116:7-8

http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm



http://praiseandcoffee.com/2012/01/my-one-word-for-2012/


Far too often as moms we are hard on our-

selves and hold ourselves to unattainable stand-

ards. For myself I have always dreamed of being

a stay at home mom yet it just was never the

“right” time.

Over the past few years I have gotten increas-

ingly more creative with summer time activities

in order to fully enjoy the time with my now

eight year old son. I usually plan in a few three or

four day weekends in order to take him to the

breach, Sea World or the Zoo. I also schedule

play dates with friends who have kids around the

same age.

I think my son’s favorite time has to be on the

weekend when we wake up early go for donuts

and travel to the beach or lake for a bike ride. I

know these moments will pass faster than I

would like but I have to make the best of the

time God has given me.

Ronel Sidney Encouragement for Today with

Working Moms have to be

INTENTIONALINTENTIONALINTENTIONAL about making time for summer fun!

As working mom guilt has increased NOT de-

creased so I take the guilt and remind myself the

house does NOT have to be spotless or vacu-

umed daily during summer break. Another trick

we have learned is instead of turning on the TV

in the morning if we are done getting ready early

we instead empty the dishwasher, start laundry

or do a quick pickup so we can relax and enjoy

our afternoons as a family.

Life is so busy and fast paced today that we

have to be intentional about how we spend our

time. Anytime we can get outside and run, bike

or walk as a family is a good time.

Investing in day trips at a theme park, fair or

community pool can make summer more fun.

Investing in relationships with other families

is another great summer activity.

Finding projects and activities that are inex-

pensive like a bird feeder or planting in the gar-

den.


Ronel Sidney is the

National Director for

Praise and Coffee Nights.

Check out her blog:

www.ChosenForMore.com

Contact her:

[email protected]

I’ve had the awesome opportunity to

share tips and encouragement for Real

Moms on STAR 105.7, a secular radio

station here in West Michigan.

We talk about everything from bullying

to tips for dealing with teenagers.

If you’re not in West Michigan you can

listen online at iHeart radio.

Check out my webpage for more info,

links to the segments we’ve recorded

and ways to connect with Tommy and

Brook! @TommyAndBrook


www.WestMichiganStar.com

I try making it a habit to say yes once a week

to my son’s requests. I enjoy surprising my son

by saying yes to an ice cream run especially

when he thinks I am going to say no.

Movie night or the drive in when the kids’

new releases hit… invite other families and bring

your own snacks.

Instead of spending your summer in a gym

by yourself get your family involved in hiking,

biking or running.

Make a jar of fun things your kids would like

to do and pick a random thing to do once or

twice a month.

Order your child new fun summer books at

the beginning of summer to keep them interest-

ed in learning during the break from school.

Find free activities at the local community

parks, libraries or recreation centers.

Whatever it is you do make it fun and adven-

turous. I use to pick an animal my son liked and

would go to the library and pick books about the

animal or theme and we would make a picnic out

of it… for example Dinosaur or Pirate Picnic.

Find an indoor playground for the super hot

days!

The list could go on and on yet I think the

most important thing is to make lasting memo-

ries with your children despite financial struggles,

work obligations or hard circumstances you may

be facing this summer. Get creative and have fun

with your little ones before they are off and run-

ning without you by their side.

http://chosenformore.com/

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Magazine%20contact

http://www.iheart.com/#/live/1169/?callletters=wsrw-fm&autoplay=true


How to Pack the Perfect Summer Bag

for a

Weekend

Away!

Summer is here and we are all ea-

ger to relax and enjoy some time

away. Effortless summer glamour can

be had with just a few strategic items

tossed into a roll-aboard, so don't

sweat the packing, just get going.

In a thrifty chic carry-on, throw in:

a wrinkle-proof sundress

- a skirt

- one pair of shorts

- one colorful tank top

- one sexy flow-y top

- crushable hat

- large cotton scarf

- swimsuit

- flip-flops

- heeled sandals

- evening earrings

- nighty/undies

- evening bag

- zip-out travel bag for the beach

and souvenir shopping

You should travel in:

- colored jeans

- feminine belt

- tank top

- cardigan

- modern fem flat

- colorful wrap (worn as a scarf and

used as a blankie)

- statement watch

- striking, colorful earrings

- sunglasses

- a great handbag

This simple collection will offer you

more than 20 looks and will see you

through any event or occasion while

you are away. You are all set for a

fabulous weekend of sun, fun and ef-

fortless style.

Have a fabulous time!!


With her international best sell-

ing book, STYLE ON A SHOE-

STRING and more than 100

"fabulously frugal" makeovers

on over 200 episodes of televi-

sion airing in 14 countries, Andy

Paige has earned the title "The

Budget Bombshell" honest-

ly. Andy’s extensive work on

NBC’s Starting Over, TLC’s Ten

Years Younger, STYLE Network’s

How Do I Look, SOAP NET’s

Soap Talk, and countless local

network style segments have all

made Andy the charming and

sassy go-to gal for "thrifty-chic"

fashion fixes and budget beau-

ty help. You can also see Andy exercise her

“Cents of Style” muscles every week on

NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, where she over-

sees hair, makeup and wardrobe for Donald

Trump’s cast of celebrity characters.

Andy inspires thousands of radio listeners all

over the country each week with playful and

entertaining bargain beauty and style tips on

KJOY 98.3 in New York, STAR 105.7 in Michi-

gan and the syndicated Kim Iverson

Show. You can also find Andy's advice on

economic beautification in the

pages of Soap Opera Digest, The

National Inquirer, Woman’s Day,

First for Women, Cutting Edge, on

countless websites, and on her

own wildly popular website,

centsofstyle.com.

A celebrated, funny, interactive

speaker, Andy recently complet-

ed a 50-city speaking tour reach-

ing over 30,000 women, helping

frugal girls "find their foxy" from

coast to coast. Her dynamic mes-

sage is clear and feeds the hun-

gry ears of fashionistas worldwide,

"You do NOT have to spend a for-

tune to look like a million!"

Appreciating that most gals live on a budget

and still want to turn heads and drop jaws,

Andy created her own line of affordable, all-

natural-hair ANDY PAIGE COSMETIC BRUSH-

ES™and launched CENTS OF STYLE® ACCESSO-

RY SUITES™ – thrifty-chic accessories bundled

together for an immediate style boost – to help

make looking spectacular fun and easy! Both

Andy’s cosmetic brushes and her Accessory

Suites™ have been incredibly successful, selling

out within hours of their launch and gathering

fans and happy customers across the globe.

Much of Andy’s gumption and know

-how comes from her years as a Ford

and Wilhelmina Model, a profession-

al fit model working with more than

40 designers, a trained makeup art-

ist, and her broad education, includ-

ing a master’s degree from the his-

toric New School University. Andy

simply knows what it takes for every

woman – no matter their size, shape,

shade or salary – to look and feel

gorgeous. Andy’s passion for her

work shines. She is undoubtedly a

sweet force of originality, leading

the way and waving her fashion flag

that reads, "Enjoy Being Thrifty!"

www.AndyPaige.com

Andy also has weekly style tips on Star 105.7 in West Michigan!

http://www.andypaige.com/



Lysa TerKeurst admits that she, like most women, has experiences where others bump into

her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. We stuff, we explode, or react somewhere

in between.

What do we do with these raw emotions? Is it really possible to make emotions work for us

instead of against us?

Yes, and in her usual inspiring and practical way, Lysa will show you how. Filled with gut-

honest personal examples and biblical teaching, Unglued will equip you to:

* Know with confidence how to resolve conflict in your important relationships.

* Find peace in your most difficult relationships as you learn to be honest but kind when of-

fended.

* Identify what type of reactor you are and how to significantly improve your communica-

tion.

* Respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff, explode, or react some-

where in between.

* Gain a deep sense of calm by responding to situations out of your control without acting

out of control.

Lysa TerKeurst is a New York

Times bestselling author and

national speaker who helps

everyday women live an

adventure of faith.

She is the president of

Proverbs 31 Ministries,

author of 15 books, and

encourages nearly 500,000

women worldwide through

a daily online devotional.

Her remarkable life

story has captured

audiences across America, including

appearances on Oprah and Good

Morning America.

She lives in North Carolina with her

husband and five children. www.LysaTerKeurst.com


Get

Summer

Crafty Simply

With Korene VandenBerg


Korene VandenBerg lives on a dirt road in western Michigan with her husband,

John and two sons, Canton and Maxwell. She and John discovered their oldest son

had neurological issues in the fall of 2006. He was struggling with school and social

interactions. Korene and John decided that one of them would have to stay home

to work with their son and take him to therapy. As a result, the household income

took a hit. The family made the most of the situation, though, by getting creative.

Korene turned to her craft background for many gift ideas. For instance, one very

financially lean Christmas Korene took a poem she wrote in the fifth grade, devel-

oped illustrations to go along with the poem and gave it to her sons for Christmas.

That children’s book entitled ‘If I Could Be’, became pub-

lished. You can check out the book at

‘www.RoseDogBookstore.com’, keyword “VandenBerg”.

Korene speaks at area schools and libraries to discuss the

“6 Traits of Writing” and drawing/illustrating to local chil-

dren.

Korene is also the coauthor/cocreator of the craft blog

‘www.craftredo.wordpress.com’. Korene and her grade

school friend, Katie Wettlaufer, started the blog in late winter of this year. Most of

the crafts on the site focus on recycling or repurposing. “The blog is still in its infan-

cy”, states Korene, “but hang on, we have a gazillion more craft ideas, recipes

and tips waiting to be posted!”

Crafts were a huge part of Korene’s childhood. If fact, crafts were the reason why

she and Katie met. Korene’s mom (Ardith) taught ceramic, pottery, macramé clas

ses and Katie’s dad (Bob) worked for the Adult

Ed at their local school. Bob hired Ardith to teach

Adult Ed craft classes. Korene and Katie met,

they were in kindergarten at the time, and have

been friends ever since.

“My path has certainly changed. I started off as

a stressed-out graphic designer in the city and

ended up a very happy, crafty momma in the

country. When you finally let go and let God take

over, a huge burden is lifted. In the past I didn’t

have a good relationship with God, I was too

busy just keeping up. Having a child with any

type of issue is heart wrenching. When we first

discovered our oldest was having problems I

started to talk with God, asking Him what to do.

This was the first time in my life, I had ever done

such a thing. Many of these talks were outside in

the parking lot of the speech therapist. I would

pace back and forth and physically speak to

Him OUT LOUD.

Many strangers heard our conversations.

He directed my life down this unfamiliar road and

it’s the best thing that has ever happened to

me!”

http://craftredo.wordpress.com/


You will need:

• Decorative picture frames

(Check local yard/garage sales,

resale shops, second hand stores,

etc - I found my frames at a

church rummage sale)

• Spray paint

• Fine Sand paper (On the back

of the sand paper there will be a

number, that is the grit of the

sand paper. The higher the num-

ber (grit) the finer the sand paper.

(You can feel the difference by

rubbing your fingers over the

sandpaper. You’ll want to pick a

paper that’s smooth, similar to fi-

ne beach sand. I used a 220 grit

sand paper)

• Brown paper bag, optional

(Sometimes I use brown paper

bags in place of fine grit sand pa-

per)

• Old, clean rag

• Drop cloth

• Pliers

• Screw driver

• Wooden blocks, optional (Or

something to prop up your frames

while you’re painting them)


Instructions:

1. First, remove all the backing

paper from the frames. Be sure

to remove any staples, nails or

other items used to hold in the

prints. Remove print (if any).

2. On the front side, lightly rub

the picture frame with fine grit

sand paper or use a section

from a brown paper bag. This

will give the spray paint some-

thing to adhere to. Don’t go

crazy, just quickly go over the

surface. I’ve used brown paper

bags in place of sand paper

many times. It’s great for a situa-

tion when you’re in need of fine

sand paper and don’t have any

on hand. It can be used as

something to simply buff off the

shiny surface.

3. With your rag (I used a sock)

rub the front surface of the

frame to get rid of the dust and

any other particles.


Instructions cont...

4. Spread out your drop cloth

and position your frames so

you’ll be able to easily maneu-

ver around them while spray

painting. I elevated the frames

with wood scraps, which al-

lowed me to paint everything in

one shot (front and sides).

5. Inspect your masterpiece, it

may need a second coat.

When project is fully dried, find

an excellent spot in your garden

to highlight - the perfect flower,

a special garden feature, a fan-

tastic rock, anything you fancy.

Prop up the frame in your cho-

sen area by moving the ground

cover around or borrow rocks

from other areas in your yard to

sandwich the frame so it won’t

fall down. Most important . . .

get creative, use your imagina-

tion.


Modern. Trendy. Beautiful.

Contemporary handcrafted sterling silver

jewelry for today's modern woman!

I use recycled silver, copper, gold and

gemstones to

create wearable

pieces of

art jewelry.

Featured in Grand Rapids

Women’s LifeStyle

www.StudioJewel.com

http://www.studiojewel.com/


POTSC Campaign

“Labels Lie: Don’t Accept Them. Don’t Use Them.”

The campaign’s focus is on being liberated from the prison of societies’ labels. We don’t have to live with the shame of what people have said about us. We don’t have to accept these statements as our true identity. When we judge, label, diminish and criticize each other, this becomes the fuel for shame and guilt to fester in our souls. A label says we are unworthy, flawed and unacceptable. Sadly we live in a society driven by stereotyping, gossiping, labeling and blame…and it is destroying us. Words like ugly, stupid, adulterer, addict, illegal, failure, ex-con, slut, fag and other dehumanizing labels are thrown around with no regard for how they damage. It is time to talk about shame and the toxic labels we believe about ourselves. It is time to be liberated from the lies of labels and experi-ence the powerful truth of who we really are…Loved…Worthy…Beautiful…Accepted.


To learn more about POTSC and this campaign: www.POTSC.com

Twitter: @POTSC Facebook: People of the Second Chance

http://www.potsc.com/index.php

http://twitter.com/#!/potsc

https://www.facebook.com/peopleofthesecondchance


Casie Dussia is a small business owner and a personal trainer that

ministers to women’s soul, mind and body and is the founder of

RWE~Run with Endurance. She lives in Southwest Michigan and

enjoys life with her husband John and son. Casie is a team partner

to the Praise and Coffee Night ministry in Plainwell, MI.

We’ve partnered with Run With Endurance to encourage women to connect with each other and start a RWE chapter in their community!

Praise and Coffee RUNS!

Check out Run With Endurance at: www.RunWithEndurance.net or

click here for a direct link: Run With Endurance

http://www.runwithendurance.net/


Connect with Praise and Coffee online!

http://internetcafedevotions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/praiseandcoffee

https://twitter.com/#!/PraiseAndCoffee



As I woke up this morning, I could hear my son

count down the days until pre-school graduation. My oldest daughter was helping him count correctly as her voice grew shaky with excitement. “No!” I groaned as I rolled over and buried myself within the confines of my comforter, before all three kids came bouncing in to tell me we have 28 days left.

Summer! Moms dread it, kids love it.

It’s coming—our spirits are picking up on the vibes, our kids are getting restless and dreaming of the last day of school.

I am not a fan of summer time, it means twelve hour days of being together with the kids. It means finding entertainment, more carpooling, no MOPs meetings, very little adult conversation and shorts. Shorts, have I mentioned that I’m pasty white and shorts are scary? Oh there’s swimsuits, let’s not even go there. Someone save me please! Simply summer? I think not. This woman needs to maintain her sanity (Coffee generally helps). What am I supposed to do with three highly energized kids? What about my office work, quiet time, keeping the house clean and keeping my kids entertained?

After I got the kids off to school and my youngest entertained with play dough, I nursed my hazelnut coffee and sulked while thumbing through my devo-tional, Having a Mary Heart In A Martha World. Sud-denly a thought hit me full force.

“Heather, you hate summer because you are too busy being Martha.”

“Martha? God—what’s that sup-posed to mean?”

Silence, followed by another fresh thought, “You’re too busy maintaining schedules, keeping boundaries, ensuring routines and bedtimes, you’ve forgotten what the joy of summer means.”

Ouch, that hurt. But you know God was right on tar-get as usual. Summer used to mean, relaxation, lazy days, enjoying the moment with a glass of iced tea…then I had kids. As a matter of fact I had three kids, one with Aspergers, another with A.D.H.D and the youngest came with an iron will. Because of my chil-dren’s special needs, summer turned into a game of chess, I was busy maneuvering the board to avoid more work and keep the peace.

As I shuffled over to my window seat, I smelled the fresh cut grass and lilacs floating on the breeze. Sum-mer was around the corner. After I pondered God’s words, I realized, it’s time to simplify. The season we are given is meant to enjoy the progress of our la-bors, watching our children grow, engaging in the freedom of long warm days. Instead, I was too busy thinking about duties, obligations, and chores. I for-got how this season gives me more time to sit in God’s presence, cherish my children’s hearts, and get a tan—well sunburn.

I created a new routine which included more down-town and was avoided signing my kids up for activi-ties. This summer is going to be different, fresh, sim-ple. This summer I will enjoy playing with my kids and ignore the laundry. This summer I will breathe deeper, move slower. This summer I will sit at Jesus’ feet and enjoy being in his presence while I drink my latte.

Heather Riggleman is the author of Mama Needs A Time-Out. When she isn’t putting herself in time-

outs, she can be found sipping Ha-zel Nut Lattes, speaking to mom groups across Nebraska, and writing on her blog. www.heatherriggleman.com

Mama Needs A Time-Out is availa-ble in major bookstores, including Christianbook, Barns & Noble and Amazon.

http://heatherriggleman.com/


http://heatherriggleman.com/


Praise and Coffee Cooks

arah is a freelance corporate pho-

tographer and recipe developer

who started her blog,

www.ShortStopblog.com,

in May 2007.

She chronicles her life as a frazzled

mother, shares her favorite recipe

creations, and marvels at God's

amazing work of grace in her life.

When not blogging, racing to basket-

ball practice, or sitting in the Star-

bucks drive-thru line, you'll find

her curled up with her family cheer-

ing on the Baltimore Ravens.

Sarah lives in Raleigh, N.C. with

her husband, Jason, and four boys -

Jack, Max, Lincoln, and Whitman.

love chicken salad. Especially dur-

ing the summer months.

But, I rarely order it out or purchase it

from a deli.

And, for one reason.

Most chicken salads you get out are

swimming in mayonnaise. A particular

chicken salad might have the most

delicious combination of unique fla-

vors, but if they're hidden in a sea of

mayonnaise, I have a hard time en-

joying it.

As I've made chicken salad time after

time over the years, I've come to

the conclusion that I actually prefer a

chicken salad with no mayonnaise at

all.

Instead, I now use whipping cream.

(Not Cool Whip. Heavy Whipping

Cream.)

http://www.shortstopblog.com/

http://shortstopblog.com/


y recipe for SG's Chicken Salad is made

with roasted chicken, chopped celery and

red onion, grapes, dried cranberries, and

toasted almonds. Each of these flavors gets

to take center stage because instead of

being masked by mayonnaise, they're

combined together with heavy cream

that's been whipped into heavenly deli-

ciousness.

Served on croissants, this

chicken salad makes the

most wonderful lunch or pic-

nic fare! It's fresh and

chunky, and so very simple

to pull together.


First take one small package (1/2 cup) of

sliced almonds.

And, toast them at 400 degrees for 5-6

minutes. (Toasting them really makes the

flavor so much better!)

Next, add 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping

cream to a mixing bowl, and beat on high

with an electric mixer until it sticks to the

whisk. (You can use a hand mixer, too.) Set

it aside.


Place 4 cups of roasted, chopped chicken

breast into a medium bowl. (I almost al-

ways use chicken I've roasted earlier in the

week. HUGE time saver.)

Add two stalks of chopped celery.

And, 1/2 of a chopped red onion. Stir to-

gether.

http://shortstopblog.com/2010/07/roasting-chicken-breast-huge-time-saver.htmlC:/Users/HP%20USER/Documents/2011%20Praise%20and%20Coffee

http://shortstopblog.com/2010/07/roasting-chicken-breast-huge-time-saver.htmlC:/Users/HP%20USER/Documents/2011%20Praise%20and%20Coffee


Next, add 1/2 of the whipped cream to

the bowl.

Stir to combine.

Then, take a large bunch of grapes.


And, cut them in halves.

One of my favorite things in this chicken

salad is the addition of dried cranberries.

They're tart and sweet and the texture

adds something unique and wonderful to

this salad. You could also use dried cher-

ries.

Add 1 cup to the bowl.


Add the toasted almonds.

Stir everything together. Add salt and pep-

per to taste. The mixture will seem a bit dry

at this point.

Then add the remainder of the whipped

cream. This will pull the salad all together

and combine everything into creamy,

dreamy deliciousness.


One word: YUM!

I almost always serve this chicken salad on

croissants. They're buttery and soft and the

perfect complement to this chicken salad.

As a side note, this chicken salad is great

for children who have egg allergies and

can't have mayonnaise.

For me, I just really love this recipe be-

cause it's fresh and chunky and sweet and

savory. I love this combination of flavors. It's

one of my favorite things to eat all by my-

self - or to share with friends when they

come over.

SG’s Chicken Salad

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, roasted and

chopped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 cup grapes, halved

1 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Toast almonds at 400 degrees on a baking

sheet for 5-6 minutes. Set aside.

Beat heavy cream with an electric mixer on

high until peaks form and it sticks to the beater.

Set aside.

Add chicken breast to a medium mixing bowl.

Add celery and onion. Stir to combine. Add one

half of the whipped cream and stir together.

Add grapes, dried cranberries, and almonds.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir together.

(Mixture will be a bit dry.) Add remainder of

whipped cream and stir to combine.

Serve on croissants, bread, or on lettuce.

*I’ll often place a small bowl of mayonnaise

next to this chicken salad when I serve it for

guests. It can then be spread on the croissant or

bread for those who might like to do so.


the Incident

Denise Dykstra, co-editor of Praise and Coffee the Magazine. Denise is heavily caffeinated and joy-

fully married to her truck driving, farming husband. They reside in Michigan raising their four boys

(ages 12 to 6) on a hobby farm that keeps them hopping busy. She updates friends on her sons’

latest escapades and caught snakes on her blog

“Life With Four Boys...Coffee Please!”

http://denisedykstra.blogspot.com/


Camping is a great way for us as a family to unwind

and relax. We have taken it up in the last few years

and have our favorite campground that we visit regu-

larly. It’s the best get away because everything is

slowed down and relaxed, I get to take the boys to the

beach every day and the boys get to be as dirty as can

be every day.

Occasionally the boys have to shower. At the

campground there is a row of “shower rooms”. They

consist of a dressing area and a shower in a tiny room

with a locked door. Across from the showers are the

men, women and family bathrooms.

Our second year camping, our youngest was just a

little tyke and the brother next up had decided he was

big enough to shower with his two older brothers.

My sister had caught our third son streaking – yes,

completely naked – out of the shower to the bath-

room. I sat the boys down and had a strict talking to

them. It was basically this…It was basically this,

when in the shower room, you do not leave the show-

er room unless you have clothes on. No naked boys

leave the shower room. Period.

Then next night we headed up to the showers again.

My youngest son was with me in the shower room

and some of my family was going to swing by and

pick him up so I could shower alone – a blissful thing

for a mother of four boys camping.

But when I was done washing him up and had him

dressed, I peeked out the door and noticed not

any of my family out the door but a long line of

strangers waiting for the showers. I instructed

my son to sit on the bench and wait for me to

be done.

This is when one of the most embarrassing

things of my life occurred.

I simply refer to it as “the incident”..

I was just rinsing the last of the shampoo from

my hair, step one in taking a shower, when I

opened my shut tight eyes to get more soap I

was shocked to see my son, standing at the door

with his head hanging out looking around.

So, just to give you an accurate picture in case you

aren't totally with me here......

I am completely naked.

When I opened my eyes I was looking directly to-

ward the hallway that held ten or so complete and

total strangers.

My son’s head was in the door way so there was no

way I could just slam the door shut. However, I don't

think he knew what happened the way I yanked him

back and slammed the door so quickly.

Somehow, I finished showering, quickly, and pulled

all my clothes on. I told S4 he could now open the

door. Guess what? The door was too slippery, he

couldn't get it open.

Now.

The t-shirt I was wearing read “Just Another Day in

Paradise” as I kept my eyes to the ground, my hand

tightly holding my happily chatting away son, and

beelined out of the public bathroom area.

I was so con-

centrated on

getting out of

there that I

don't know if

there was an-

yone in the

hallway or

not.

We have a

few more

shower rules

now........


www.mercyministries.org

Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...

http://www.mercyministries.org/splash.htm





Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to

provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies

in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 170 lan-

guages through interpreter services.

Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...

1.800.799.SAFE or 1.800.787.3224

Anonymous & Confidential Help

http://www.remudaranch.com/

http://www.thehotline.org/

http://www.thehotline.org/


Pic from Dreamstime

“The whole point of what we're urging is simply

love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and

counterfeit faith, a life open to God.”

1 Timothy 1:5 MSG