hopetown Kid's Ministry

Boo or Not To Boo … that is the question! The leaves are changing; the air is crisp; and all things pumpkin spice have flooded the stores around us. Fall is FINALLY here and for some of us, that means the first of a string of holidays to celebrate. For others, it poses a bit of a dilemma: To Boo or Not To Boo. As a children’s ministry leader/Mom/Gigi/mentor to young moms, I know the struggle is real! There comes a time in every young parent’s life when decisions have to be made about the holidays: “which ones will we take part in?”, “which ones will we stay away from?” and “exactly how will we celebrate certain holidays as a family?” For many, Halloween is one of those days. I mean, let’s be honest … navigating Target, Walmart, and the local pharmacies can be tricky for a family. They have aisle upon aisle dedicated to the festivities. There are family-friendly things about Halloween like fun costumes, candy, and carving pumpkins as well as things that don’t feel fam...

If you’ve watched the HGTV channel at all you’ll see couples looking for houses either stateside or overseas. I don’t know about you, but when they state their budget and their occupation, something just doesn’t add up. Like this: Stop. Is this for real? Anyone else curious as to how in the world they make that happen? What memo did I miss? Now don’t get me wrong, the Lord has allowed my family and I to live in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, but nothing even remotely close to $900,000. It made me stop and think: What’s my treasure in? What do I desire? The Bible tells us in Matthew, chapter 6 verse 21, that where our treasure is directly links to where our heart is. Gut check. Am I putting stock in shiplap, distressed furniture, quartz or granite countertops (because ALL the shows say they are the most durable and easy to clean), the 6 beds with 4.5 baths and a bonus room? OR am I completely sold out to raise these little hum...

Ahhh the joys of summer! Late nights of family fun, rhythms change, routines are more laid back, and all the great memories are made - your social media can prove it! Bedtime? Who needs it! Extra cookies? Of course! And then as quickly as summer started - it’s over! All of the sudden beach balls, beach towels, swimsuits and grills are replaced with #2 pencils, glue sticks, notebooks and the tall tower of school supply lists from every school in the district! Don’t panic! We’ve gathered a few tips and tricks to help you take a deep breath and swing into a successful start to school: The week before school - move bedtime back 15-30 minutes so bodies can get back into a rhythm of getting a good night’s rest INSTEAD of being up with the owls. The same can be said for waking up early. So you don’t have to LITERALLY pull your kid out of bed, slowly begin to get up 15 minutes earlier, then 20 minutes, etc. to the desired time. That way w...