On Saturday nights, our family gathers at my parents’ house to eat and laugh and drink to grace. My sisters and their husbands come with their tribes and I with mine. My grandmother, mother to my father, went into the ground on top of a hill two years ago. James Irwin Wilson comes to these…
True Riches: Becoming More Like Jesus
True confession? I am not a very compassionate person. I once asked a college friend if I should pray for God to help me care more about other people, or if I should just accept that I don’t. My focus on myself was keeping me from having concern for the well-being of others. This kind…
What You Have, Not What You Lack
Editor’s note: Jody Jean Dreyer worked for the Walt Disney Company for 30 years and in Beyond the Castle she shares one-of-a-kind stories and insights into what sets the Disney experience apart, as well as secrets to help readers discover their own “happily ever after.” Jody’s personal experiences and her underpinning faith help her to offer practical and sometimes…
Say Yes to No Debt: Blueprint for Freedom
Successful strategies do not just happen by coincidence or accident. Certain dynamics must exist to enhance the likelihood for success. The dfree ® strategy includes three key areas as part of an effective blueprint for success. Foremost, you must clearly identify your central goal. Do you want to pay off all credit card debt? Save…
14 Small Acts of Kindness for Kids
One of my favorite Christmas stories (after the one in the book of Luke) is the The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs. It’s about a Christmas tree farmer who nurtures and treasures her favorite tree. She won’t sell it to anyone year after year. And then a little girl from a very poor family…
Our 10 Favorite Christmas Books This Year
Get into the spirit of the season with some of our all-time favorite Christmas gift books, including three new books from popular authors that are making their debut this year! Here are 10 of our favorite, most touching and inspirational Christmas books that will prepare your heart for Christmas! Books always make a great gift and you can celebrate Christmas…
God Is Unbelievably Stubborn
In Hebrew, Midrash means to search out. Midrash asks the reader to find those quirky, oddball Scriptures and inconsistencies and try to make sense of them before God. It challenges us to explore that which we do not know in order to better understand the One we want to know. Midrash invites us to have…
Where Is Your Hope?
I am rich, yet frequently oblivious to my wealth. What would my Lord whisper into my opulent life? Let’s turn the corner and ask a penetrating question. How do the things you possess, the symbols of your success, affect your attitude toward yourself? Do your possessions lead to humble gratitude toward the Giver, or do you detect ego inflation…
The Value of Handmade Gifts at Christmas
And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ – Acts 20:35 (NKJV) A couple of years ago, during a time of dreaming with God about my life, I wrote down, “I will hand make every gift I give for Christmas.” It is a lofty goal that…
More than Gifts: The Christmas I’ll Never Forget
Ah, holiday memories. My mind tends to go on a “This is Your Life” Ferris wheel during this time of year as I recall memories of Christmases past. I know everyone can’t look back at their childhood Christmases and reminiscence with fondness, but I have nothing but great memories surrounding the holidays. And I didn’t…
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