Ministry-To-Children.com » Mimi Bullock

3 Ideas for a Summer Volunteer Drive

Mimi Bullock — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:23:39 +0000

What’s the one ingredient your VBS, Kids’ Crusade and summer events all require? Volunteers! Especially during those warm months when most everyone’s mind is focused on vacation and leisure activities. Children’s ministry does not shut down when the weather gets warm; it’s still an important function of the church that needs multiple hands to make it work. You might think finding summer help is impossible but we’ve got some ideas that might help you get the help you need.

Jot down a few “job” descriptions and determine how long you’d like volunteers to work. I have found over the years that giving volunteers a start and end date makes them more willing to sign up. (Remember these four steps when implementing new volunteers: #1 Tell them what to do. #2 Show them what to do. #3 Do it together. #4 Watch them do it.)

Summer Mentor Program: Plan for the future by offering teens a summer mentor program. Your volunteer program should offer the up fledgling teacher the opportunity to learn how to plan and teach a lesson. Plug this group into your summer camp or VBS too.

Backyard Barbecues: Potential volunteers will have many questions. Providing a small group setting allows this group to ask questions in a casual environment. Keep the invite list low so you have time to talk to each one. Let them know by agreeing to come, they aren’t promising anything. Surprise attendees with a summer fun pack. I put cool summer items like bubbles and sidewalk chalk in inexpensive sand pails. I present them as take home gifts and tell them I can show them how to win kids to Christ with those tools!

Summer Craft Night: I started volunteering in kids’ ministry after a friend asked me to help building a prop for a kids’ crusade. There, building a giant smoke-breathing paper mache dinosaur, I knew this is what I had dreamed of doing. I never forgot how God reached me — through arts and crafts! In my kids church, I like having craft examples to show kids during the craft sections. That means we volunteers get to do the crafts first. I’m always also in need of someone who can draw posters or paint pictures. I wrangle a group together every month, often outside of my current volunteer list. These kind friends often ask questions about children’s ministry and decide to put themselves on the list.

Summer is the perfect time to reboot your ministry. Use fun summer activities to draw new faces to your kids’ church.

Should You Write Your Own Kids’ Ministry Curriculum?

Mimi Bullock — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:21:49 +0000

An easy-to-follow, power-packed curriculum helps teachers reach the kids they teach but finding lessons that fulfills a specific criteria challenges many. Every children’s church is different and factors like church doctrine, time and volunteer constraints make selecting a curriculum even more of a task. According to some estimates, up to 18% of churches do write their own kids ministry curriculum. Is that a viable option for you? Before setting pen to paper, consider the pros and cons.

Pros of Writing Your Own Curriculum

You can create unique messages tailored to your group’s ages and interests. By writing your own lessons with your audience in mind, you can excite kids with specific references to their favorite hobbies and games. You could even use kids’ names in skits and puppet plays — with parents’ permission of course.
You can address specific issues in the group. When family or community tragedies strike, you can write lessons that kids will appreciate and understand. Target a sin that the group seems to struggle with like lying or disobedience to parents. By writing your own curriculum, you can teach in real-time about immediate issues.
Teach lessons from verses that “speak to your spirit” during your own Bible studies. Sometimes the best lessons we teach come from the oil that God presses out of us during our personal devotion time. (For example, recently, God spoke privately to me about forgiving a friend who had wronged me. I took that lesson to my kids and we experienced a powerful move of His Spirit. He knew what we all needed!)
You get to collaborate with others. By writing your own lessons, you could work with other teachers, pooling your best ideas to make one solid work.

Cons of Writing a Curriculum

Writing a curriculum takes lots of time – probably more than you think. Even if your proposed book only contains 12 lessons, enough for a quarter, you will need dozens maybe even a hundred hours of writing time.
You won’t have the advantages of a professional publishing house like editors and proofreaders. Typos can’t be avoided and everyone makes reference mistakes. When you write your own work, you might not end up with a clean copy that you could be proud of. It takes several drafts to catch all the mistakes.
Your writing may not match your teachers’ styles. When you write a curriculum from your teaching perspective not everyone will get it. Teaching styles vary and it’s hard to inspire everyone.
You could infringe on copyrights unknowingly. Referring to a beloved cartoon character or using a song title in your lesson could break copyright laws. You need to understand basic copyright infringement issues before setting pen to paper.

If you are considering writing your own curriculum, weigh the pros and cons. Test the creative waters by writing an outline first. If you find this difficult, you might feel that writing an entire curriculum is a waste of your time. However, if you have the fortitude and spare time, this project could be fulfilling and useful.

Read Mimi’s children’s parable, “The Young Boy and the Great Mountain,” or visit her blog at Encouragement for Christians.

How to Partner with Parents in Kids’ Ministry

Mimi Bullock — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:38:45 +0000

Great success in evangelism brings big challenges for kids’ ministries. One of those is working with parents, many of whom choose not to come to church – at least in the beginning. The church today is often the only moral voice in the life of a child; at this critical juncture, it’s easy to fall prey to a dangerous mindset. We give so much love and attention to our ministry kids, sometimes; we seem more like replacement parents.

It’s a logical pattern of thought but here’s where we can fall down. We can’t parent everyone and God never intended us to. Our job, as ministers, is to empower parents with the gospel, provide support and be an example to them, all while ministering to kids. I know from experience, partnering with parents is not our first instinct but it needs to be our focus. Here are some effective tips for partnering with parents through your kids ministry.

1. Welcome parents to your ministry.

It’s disconcerting when parents ask to sit on a class but you shouldn’t always object. A friendly, welcoming attitude demonstrates your willingness to serve the entire family, not replace an insecure parent. Also, carve out a small space in your kids’ church for parents. Have materials handy for Mom or Dad to take home like your statement of faith or an event calendar.

2. Provide leadership resources for parents.

Parents new to the church, or to church period, might not have a clue about buying a Bible or praying with their kids. Offer a recommended resource list to parents to help them in their growing faith. A free music CD or a list of handy websites can help too.

3. Keep continuing biblical education in mind during planning.

Offer parents suggestions on how to supplement the lessons. That can be in the form of take-home sheets, posting lesson titles and blurbs on social networks or mailing out newsletters. Give parents the opportunity to reinforce Bible verses – they may even learn from them!

4. Make regular contact – with the whole family. I offer a free Mom’s Day Out for parents who need to shop at Christmas and the occasional movie night at our facility. We also host picnics, visit homes and include new families in our events. Making regular contact is a good way to partner with parents.

5. Pray for the entire family. Parents may never know or appreciate that you pray for them but God does! Pray for family healing, stronger family ties and a deeper walk with God – for everyone.

Partnering with parents actively grows churches. Take a holistic approach and watch your numbers grow!

What Do Kids Really Think About Your Ministry?

Mimi Bullock — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:27:25 +0000

A few years ago, I was asked a question that radically changed the way I operated my children’s ministry. (Nothing like a change of perspective to adjust your viewpoint, just look at Ezekiel; I’m thankful that at least, God didn’t have to tug me by the hair to get my attention.)

A kids’ ministry conference speaker asked the gathered teachers a question: “What do kids think about your children’s ministry?” Some of us laughed nervously, others looked puzzled. The question seemed simple but I honestly didn’t know. I promised myself to find out.

I knew what I wanted kids to think about the ministry – and me. I wanted them to know I loved them, that God loved them and that living for Him was a wonderful lifetime experience. Seemed simple enough. I tested the waters by making a special collection box and placed it in the welcome area in the kids’ church. I asked children to tell me what they thought about their kids’ church by writing me anonymous notes.

Here’s what I heard:

“I like the snacks. I like the games too. Sometimes I want to play games but my teacher won’t let me.”
“I wish I knew how to pray better. I like children’s church. I like the music.”

I found those answers revealing. They seemed okay but then I read these:

“I don’t understand sometimes but my teacher is nice. I really like the pictures she shows us.”
“I wish we had more crafts and stuff. I like making things.”
“My friend won’t come back because he thinks church is stupid. He thinks I’m stupid too.”

WOW! Next as the speaker suggested, I took a walk around kids’ church. Instead of thinking like an adult, I tried to imagine having a kids’ perspective. My friendly kids’ church was not completely kid-friendly.

Posters and decorations were too high on the wall. No kid could comfortably see them. Over time, kids ignore rules posters unless you moved them around.
My room needed color – and a decorating upgrade! It was time to paint over Bugs Bunny and change a few things.
It wasn’t easy to navigate. First timers felt overwhelmed for a reason, there was no clear direction for them to follow. We had a welcome area, game area, teaching area and lots of extra spots but first time visitors might find all these confusing. I needed clear signs.

Next, I reviewed the kids’ written comments. I added instructions to our prayer time roster. I enlisted help gathering ideas for crafts. I dealt with the peer pressure some of my kids felt by bringing them the Word. (“Only a fool says in his heart that there is no God.”)

As a kids’ ministry leader, it is our responsibility to think like a kid. Working the daily or weekly ministry grind can make you forget who you are trying to reach. Thinking like a kid, learning what kids really think about my children’s church helped me become a better teacher. I suggest everyone give it a try. It could change everything!

When Children Leave Your Ministry

Mimi Bullock — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:35:26 +0000

Children love freely with complete abandon and without thought for tomorrow – so do many children’s ministers. How can you avoid caring for the ones God cares for? Watching children grow in God, seeing the light come on during a lesson; these things make us love our kids even more. I know how it feels; pouring your heart into a young life, helping him become the giant God intended him to be, just to see him leave.

When children leave your ministry, you’ll feel angry, sad and even discouraged, especially if the child leaves unexpectedly. Don’t be hard on yourself for these feelings. It’s quite natural to experience spiritual grief; however, you cannot allow these feelings to develop into deep-seeders like bitterness or unforgiveness. Shutting yourself off, refusing to connect with children or families is not a solution either. The true, healthy mending of a children’s minister’s broken heart begins by adapting a God’s-eye perspective.

Remember these two truths when struggling with heartbreak in kids’ ministry. Use them as steps, read and remember them. Healing a broken heart may not happen in a moment, but it will happen. God loves you and is grateful for your service. Study to get a deeper understanding of His trust — and yours.

God trusts you. He intervenes in the life of a child, directing him or her to your ministry. God completely trusts you to provide human hugs, teach His Word and demonstrate worship. Like you, your child is walking a unique path and it is directed by God. Despite parents, grandparents, schools or any other influence – through your prayers, the hand of God is on the life of your children. God trusts you to pray fervently on behalf of your kids.

God wants you to trust Him. When you have done all you can do, it is time to step back and let God do the rest. I think of it like this: I see a child’s life as a line, from point A to point B. I am merely a stop on the line, usually closer to A then B. I guide the child to the finish line or at least the next stop. God trusts me to let go, when it’s time, to blow the whistle and shout, “Run, with all your might!” His Word says, “Some plant, some water, some harvest.” It’s not up to us to choose which of these we are allowed to do. God is the Lord of the Harvest. We are His laborers. Letting go is hard but letting go in God is healing.

Practical Steps for Letting Go

Assure the child that all is well. Encourage him on his race. Put on a happy face, for his sake.
Release him to the Lord in prayer. Demonstrate your trust, exercise your faith. Tell the Lord, in private, that you release him. Ask God to bless him, protect him and promptly send another servant to minister to him.
Receive God’s peace. Don’t get bogged down with worry. Other children need you! Ask God for peace, His peace to comfort and assure you. He won’t mind, He loves you.
Support the family’s decision, even if you disagree with it. Don’t allow them to burn any bridges. Be kind and helpful. If they do desire to return, they won’t have any obstacles in their way.
Be an example to your other children. They look to you to define how they should feel.

From one children’s minister to another, I encourage you to continue loving children. Resist the temptation to withdraw emotionally – you are not your own!

6 Tips for Praying Along with Children

Mimi Bullock — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:45:00 +0000

God holds wonderful treasures, some of which may only be accessed through prayer. Kids want those treasures but they need a guide to help them find their way. One of the things I love the most about children’s ministry is having the opportunity to pray with children. Teaching kids to pray isn’t tough; however, I find many teachers and volunteers find leading prayer challenging, even intimidating. If you find yourself in this category, you can build your self-confidence by remembering these guidelines.

1. Touch and agree. Before praying with the child discuss talk about why the child wants prayer. Kids tend to wander in their conversation and thought processes. (Like some of us!) I usually say, “Okay, Ryan. You want to pray for Grandma because her foot hurts and your puppy ran away?” This helps children focus their requests and faith.

2. Invite the child to lead the prayer. Don’t feel like you have to lead every prayer. Give children the opportunity to pray. It may take some time, but eventually, your students will surprise you. Also, don’t correct kids if they do step up to lead prayer. Nothing dashes a child’s confidence more than correcting them in public, especially concerning spiritual matters.

3. Use repetition to train children. I always tell children not confident enough to pray independently, to repeat after me. Not because I’m a master at prayer but to build their spiritual knowledge. Training children to pray is simple when you use the repetition method. Don’t use long, flowery sentences but do heap lots of love on God. He enjoys praise and children see a loving relationship, not just hear about it.

4. Hold hands but ask permission first. Say to children, “May I hold your hand when we pray?” Asking permission calms the child and helps them know you are there with them. Holding someone’s hand should comfort them, not frighten them or make them uncomfortable. Sadly, sometimes this kind of contact does.

5. Demonstrate how to use scripture in prayer. I love this point. If it is possible and relevant, I use a scripture we just learned. For example, a child who is afraid needs to hear, “Dear Father, Your Word says that ‘No weapon formed against me will prosper.’ Because of Your Word, I know I am safe and protected.”

6. Affirm children afterwards. I affirm my students by telling them I will continue to pray for them daily. If appropriate, I give a hug or pat the child on the shoulder. Prayer should comfort but not infringe on a child’s space. Sometimes verbal affirmation is enough.

As a teacher, praying with children is one of my favorite activities. Pray with your student every chance you get, but don’t force prayer. Teaching kids that prayer is a normal function of spiritual life is important. Build strong prayer warriors by guiding your kids in this area.

For more help, you can print out our the Five Finger Model Prayer for children. You might also enjoy these coloring pages about prayer.

Visit Mimi’s website for daily encouragement, Encouragement for Christians.

Quick Guide for a New Sunday School Superintendent

Mimi Bullock — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:21:22 +0000

Sunday School changed my life! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that statement during my experience teaching children’s classes. A vibrant, exciting Sunday Sunday educates believers by familiarizing them with the Bible record while teaching them how to apply the principles to their lives. As a new superintendent, you have the responsibility of making that vision happen and inspiring teachers along the way. Sounds like a tall order but you can do it! Get good systems in place and let God do the rest.

Fire up the group: Begin with a group meeting, than meet with teachers and helpers individually. Show appreciation for what’s already been accomplished, then talk about how you’ll expand on the vision. This isn’t the time for dealing with known issues like tardiness or discipline problems. Let this initial meeting focus on raising and renewing the standard.

At the individual meetings, give teachers a chance to express their concerns and frustrations in a non-judgmental atmosphere. Help them solve problems or at least commit to looking for answers, together. Don’t allow these one-on-one meetings become a venue for airing grievances or complaining about other teachers. Always turn those conversations around to, “What can YOU do to…?”

We’ve written a whole article on ways to show appreciation to your Sunday School teachers. Remember, not training & motivating your volunteers sends a strong negative message.

Set some goals: Meeting goals brings people together. God loves unity! Set a goal like perfect attendance for a month or raising attendance by 10%. Don’t set goals that people can’t reach, or can’t believe they will reach. For example, if your goal is to have 100 more children in Sunday School by the end of the year, break that big goal down into monthly goals. You could say, “We want to enroll 10 more new students into our Sunday School this month. Who do we know that would enjoy what we have to offer?” Just saying “We need 100!” doesn’t give the teaching staff a manageable goal.

Establish communication: Here’s where it gets a bit tricky. After the initial excitement, the reality of teaching sets in. You need to stay in touch. The Sunday School superintendent should not be the last to know about a fight, an argument among teachers or missing materials. Call or email your teachers each week. Thank them for their hard work. Be there and they will continue to communicate with you.

Learn more about the importance of listening to ministry volunteers.

Know the material: Review the material the teachers are using. Does it suit your current needs? Do they complain about it? Do they need more object lessons? Crafts? Games? Assess where you are, educationally, so you can get where you need to be.

Promote Sunday School: That’s personally and corporately. Ask for a mention of Sunday School in the bulletin. Post about it on Facebook. Share the excitement and spread the Word. If you invite, they will come!

For more help, reader our favorite tactics for getting more kids in Sunday School.

Take advantage of growth: Once you enter a season of growth, take full advantage of the open window. Collect contact information. Send cards, make phone calls. Don’t assume teachers are doing it. Inspect what you expect! Give kids plenty of reasons to come back. Protect the small harvests and you’ll see big results!

Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog: Encouragement for Christians.

Need more ideas? Browse our suggested Sunday School games or read our tips for Sunday School teachers. You can also read a brief history of Sunday School.

Tips for a Kids’ Church Takeover Service

Mimi Bullock — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:15:24 +0000

If you’ve been asked to participate in a kids’ church takeover service — rejoice! How wonderful to participate in a church that welcomes children in the “big church” and allows kids to serve in ministry. For the children’s pastor faced with leading this service, it may seem like a daunting task.

During my tenure as a children’s pastor, I’ve been there. I had many concerns about meeting adult expectations, having the ability to minister to everyone, etc. Happily, I saw tears — happy tears, not from kids but adults. I had the opportunity to pray and lead many adults back to their childhood faith. It refreshed me!

Before you get there, you need to develop some good mechanics for ministry. It’s true that a kids’ church takeover service should highlight young leadership but it should also minister to adults. So how do you walk that fine line?

Build kids confidence by sticking to your normal schedule but be prepared to make the sections longer. For example, I love using the Minute Rule. The average age of my students is 10-years old, therefor, I keep sections shorter than 10 minutes. At the takeover service, you might need to extend the sections a bit but not too much. Here’s an example of the breakdown I use:

Greeting/5 minutes: Kids shake adults’ hands, hand out programs and help everyone find a seat. Music plays softly in the background.

Praise and Worship/15 minutes: Kids take the front rows so they can worship without worrying about anyone watching them. We keep the beachballs moving through the air during the upbeat praise song. I collect the balls for the second song and give kids and adults praise ribbons. For the last song, there are no ribbons, just music and worship.

Introduce the Scripture/5 minutes: Here, you establish the overall theme of your message. My kids like creating posters to display the verses, sometimes one poster per word. Let kids walk the posters out to spell out the verse.

Main Teaching Part One/10 to 15 minutes: Here’s where you bring the message! At least part one of the message. I use a storytelling type of teaching. I read the passage a few verses at a time and use descriptive language to help kids immerse themselves in the story. For example, when talking about David playing his music for the sheep before God called him to be king, I talk about the green grass, petting his favorite sheep, spending time alone. Have kids act out the scenes — it’s a good way to get them involved!

Object Lesson/ 5 to 10 minutes: I use wacky experiments or demonstrations to support the verse. I’ve been known to drop bubble wrapped eggs, (to demonstrate the power of faith) or pour bleach into water filled with food coloring (to demonstrate the cleansing power of Jesus.) The object lesson is like a commercial break. Kid helpers help me present the object lesson.

Main Teaching Part Two/10 to 15 minutes: I finish the story and get the audience to participate by repeating words after me or by asking them questions.

Review the scripture verse: Here’s another opportunity to bring the verse back to the memory of the audience.

Altar time/ ? minutes: Some churches don’t have an altar service per say, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a good conclusion. Here’s where you invite children and adults to receive Christ, to come for prayer, to worship the Lord in light of their new understanding. Play worship music, a song that is familiar to children and adults if possible so everyone can worship.

The most important thing to remember is you are a bringer of the Message, a carrier of the Good News! Enjoy the experience! Your demonstration will not only bless families but you could inspire others to do the same!

Read Mimi’s book, The Young Boy and the Great Mountain, a Christian parable for children’s teachers.

3 Mother’s Day Children’s Church Lessons

Mimi Bullock — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:50:22 +0000

Mothers hold a special place in our hearts and teaching kids to honor her is profitable for all. It’s hardly necessary to instruct children to love their mothers – that comes naturally! However, learning to respect and obey, as God expects, is a necessary part of a minister’s duties. Lean on the scriptures to bring kids a reliable, nurturing “word” from God’s written treasure chest.

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land, that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Tell kids: Many explorers have traveled the world looking for the “fountain of youth,” a place where they can live forever. As Christians, we don’t need a magic formula for a long life – we have the promises of God! Did you know that God promises you long life when you honor your mother? That’s right! How do you do it? Speak to your mother with a kind voice and respect. Don’t disobey her or lie to her. Be a person who brings her honor.

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”

Tell kids: You know, it is fun do whatever you want – isn’t it? Sleep when you want. Eat what you want. Do what you want. Right? That’s not what God says! He says if we refuse to accept wisdom and instruction from our mother, we will make her feel ashamed. Make Mom feel proud! Listen to her when she teaches you important lessons like how to keep your room tidy or how to be a good friend.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Tell kids: Gifts don’t always come in boxes, especially gifts from God. The gifts God gives are often in the shape of people. He gives us special people, like Moms, to love us and raise us with kindness. (Show kids a gift box with a lid. Place a picture of a Mom in the box.) Do you see this box? Inside it is a gift more valuable than gold and silver. More expensive than jewels or a fast car. No gift is better than this gift. (Open the box and show the picture.) This is my Mom! She’s a nice lady who loves God and taught me all about Him. She is more precious than any gift I have ever received.

Teaching kids a Mother’s Day lesson in your children’s church helps build happier homes and stronger children. Learning what God says about mothers helps children find a place of blessing with God.

Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog at Encouragement for Christians.

Optional Ideas: Browse our collection of free mother’s day coloring pages or Sunday School lesson for mother’s day and mother’s day craft ideas.

3 Egg Object Lessons for Easter

Mimi Bullock — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:13:16 +0000

The unassuming egg plays no role in the true, Easter story but kids don’t care. Thousands of little ones wake up expecting a basket and eggs to hunt every year. As teachers, I think it’s a smart move to capitalize on popular culture. In my children’s church, Spongebob Squarepants got saved and declared, “I’m ready! I’m ready! I’m ready for kids’ church!” (Followers of the animated series will understand.) Another time, we used the Cars craze to declare, “Life is a Highway — and God’s driving me!” The egg is no exception to my team’s creative ideas! We came up with 3 egg object lessons for Easter to use for our kids’ ministry.

The incredible egg drop: Boy with this fun! I loved it as much (or more) than the kids. Here’s what we did. We brought four eggs to church. (We only needed two but brought extra in case of cracking.) I set a clear, glass bowl on the floor to catch the dropped egg but I wanted kids to see the impact.

I told a story to give an example of God’s protection. We chose the story of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meschach and Abedneggo. My class heard about God’s protection and how prayer helps strengthen that protection. I held up the egg and I said, “This egg is like you and I without God living in our hearts, protecting us from the invisible world.” I dropped the egg into the bowl from a height of about 5 feet. Splatter city!

“But, what happens if we live a life of prayer and are covered in His protection?” My assistant and I added three layers of bubble wrap around the egg. We talked about each layer. These layers were prayer, worship and faith. We dropped the egg to the ground and it didn’t break. The kids were amazed! We cut away the bubble wrap to prove that there were no cracks.

God colors our lives: I ask parents to send kids to church in play clothes this day or I provide smocks to protect their clothes. Backwards button downs work great. My volunteers boil dozens of eggs and we prepare bowls of color. Before we have our egg coloring activity, I hold up a plain, white hardboiled egg. I demonstrate how all the eggs in the carton look the same. Boring! But God colors our lives. When we live for Him, every life is lovely, special and important.

What’s inside? I prefer to give this object lesson using a hardboiled egg but you can use it raw too. I say, “Like the apple, the egg has three parts: A yolk, a white and a shell. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are like this egg. They all work together perfectly.” We peel away the outside layer, (the Holy Spirit) to see the egg white (Jesus). We cut through the white to see the yolk at the center, (God.) My kids loved it!

I hope these egg object lessons for Easter help you bring the gospel to your kids this year!

Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog at Encouragement for Christians.