Tag: family

Winter Is Coming Giveaway Blog Hop

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Congratulations to Laura Jacobson from Minnesota, the winner of the $15 Amazon gift card in the Winter Is Coming blog hop!

Christmas is my favorite holiday by far. Like many of you, I have cherished memories of family gatherings. I’ve spent many hours throughout the years cross stitching gifts for others and baking sweet treats with my mom. As adults, we can feel overwhelmed and stressed by the season for many reasons: financial difficulties, too many activities, family members who don’t get along…the list goes on and on. Joy seems elusive, but we can experience the joy of the season when we remember why we celebrate this season: Jesus.

This Christmas season, I’m joining The Kids Did It blog and The Mommy Island blog to participate in the Third Annual Winter Is Coming Giveaway Event, which runs from December 4, 2018, to December 21, 2018. The winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card. Continue reading “Winter Is Coming Giveaway Blog Hop” →

Celebrating My Grandma Velma’s Legacy

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” (Ps 46:5)

I come from a line of strong women. From my mom to her mom to my dad’s mom, the most influential women in my life have provided strong examples of who a Christian woman should be. My dad’s mom, my Grandma Velma, would have been 97 on her birthday earlier this month if she were still with us. She had a hard life in which she married young, had two children, divorced, remarried, had four more children, lost one child, divorced again, and remarried for the final time. She worked for the railroad and moved her way up to supervisor, where she was in authority over men including my step-grandpa. For a woman of her era, she lived a life that was different than most other women. Through it all, she kept her faith in God and shared her love of the Lord with her children and grandchildren. Continue reading “Celebrating My Grandma Velma’s Legacy” →

Honoring My Grandma’s Legacy on Her 100th Birthday

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Prov 31:31

If my grandma Rena were still with us, she would have turned 100 on September 1. I could tell you story after story about her and her love for life and her fun personality. But what I remember most is her love for people and for Jesus. She is the person who taught me the most about the value of relationships. Continue reading “Honoring My Grandma’s Legacy on Her 100th Birthday” →

Growing Through Fear and Rejection

Posted on by Staci Mauney

This post was originally published on June 25, 2017.

“…may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God…” (Ephesians 3:18-19)

When I was a sophomore in college, I changed my major from accounting to English for two reasons: 1). I hated accounting and at 19 just couldn’t imagine working with numbers for the rest of my life; and 2) I loved words and wanted to be a writer. After graduation, I pursued several jobs as a writer, but most of those jobs were far from home. So instead of becoming a full-time writer, I began working in government and nonprofit positions where I used my writing and presentation skills. I then pursued writing part time. Continue reading “Growing Through Fear and Rejection” →

Game Night

Posted on by Staci Mauney
Clockwise from bottom left: Lola, Virginia, Clara, Mickie, and Judy
Ken, Stan, Ron, Ruth, and Alan

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor…” (Ecc 4:9)

Folks from the community arrived in pairs – married couples, friends, mother and daughter. People placed their wares on the counter: sandwiches, pizza, fruit, cakes, cookies. The array of food seemed endless. Groups naturally formed, with some talking about the day’s events and others already getting down to the serious business that had brought them together on this night: card games. Continue reading “Game Night” →