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As we prepare to enter the Advent Season and move toward Christmas, I would like to share resources that have been helpful for my family during the holidays.  As always, they are available at your local Christian bookstore and if you are near Wichita, go to my favorite one, Faith and Life Bookstore in Newton.  You can order online here

As we prepare to enter the Advent Season and move toward Christmas, I would like to share resources that have been helpful for my family during the holidays.  I know it is not Thanksgiving yet, but I have to talk about these prior to Advent or people won't have time to get them.  As always, they are available at your local Christian bookstore and if you are near Wichita, go to my favorite one, Faith and Life Bookstore in Newton.  You can order online here

This weekend, Bethany and I are attending Weekend to Remember in Kansas City sponsored by Family Life. This is our second time to attend.  We are joined by the other pastors from Hesston MB and their spouses.  I look forward to time together with my wife and learning together.

Next weekend, Bethany and I are headed to Weekend To Remember in Kansas City.  The kids are going to grandparents in Yates Center and we are looking forward to a weekend away. The last two years, Hesston MB has hosted "The Art of Marriage."  I highly recommend this resource to local churches to encourage healthy marriages.  But as you may know, when you are hosting, you do not get to fully participate in all the activities.  So, I signed Bethany and I up to enjoy our first Weekend To Remember.  It is sponsored by FamilyLife, which is the same organization that produced "The Art of Marriage". Marriage is a commitment.  I am looking forward to a weekend away and tips on how to strengthen our marriage.  Check out Weekend To Remember here

Have you ever attended a Weekend to Remember? If not, I would recommend the weekend to all couples. We have done the Art of Marriage (also by Family Life) at Hesston MB the last two years and will probably host again in 2015, but have not made plans for Art of Marriage in 2014.  Check out details for Wichita here  or Kansas City here When registering, please use our group name HesstonMB because for every 5 couples registered, we receive one free registration. It also allows you to register at $100 off total registration. I will have a drawing for a free registration for the couple who contacts me via email or posts on the Hesston MB Facebook page telling me they want to attend by February 9th . Let Pastor J.L. know if you have questions.

I am so excited about The Art of Marriage that begins tonight.  This is our second year hosting this great event for couples by Family Life.  It uses humor, great teaching, and projects to strengthen marriages.  I would encourage all couples--seriously dating, engaged, newlyweds, married with or without kids, empty nesters, and retired to attend.  Find a local church hosting one and sign up today!  You can find a list of locations at  www.artofmarriage.com I won't be posting anything the rest of the weekend, but stop back on Monday and Tuesday for new posts about Creature of the Word  and Jesus Is  _________.

Are you looking for a good resource to use with your family this Advent Season?  Here are some resources to use at home to talk about Christmas: Adornaments by Family Life   The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel    What God Wants for Christmas by Family Life     http://truthinthetinsel.com/ http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/11/free-jesse-tree-advent-family-devotional/

This past weekend, our church hosted The Art of Marriage.  I would highly recommend all couples to attend the Art of Marriage.  The videos are inspiring and challenging and extremely well done.  Family Life has done a great job of incorporating couple projects, real life stories, humor, and teaching from marriage experts to create a worthwhile investment for your marriage.  It would be beneficial for engaged couples, newlyweds, empty nesters, and everything in between.  We can always be learning and strengthening our marriages. For Sterling alumni, you can even see our very own Ed Lowry, in one of the sketches. Here are a few quotes to pique your interest:   " Receiving your spouse is a DAILY choice ." " One reason couples drift apart is that they fail to make their marriage the priority it ought to be. " " Culture has created a "gender blender" when it comes to roles and responsibilities in a marital relationship." "All communic...

The Hesston Mennonite Brethren Church will be hosting a video-seminar on The Art of Marriage. Couples must register for the seminar by Tuesday, Jan. 31 and the seminar will take place Feb. 10 and 11 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 11. There is a fee of $25 for the seminar. Pastor JL Martin will be coordinating the weekend event. “I think this is something that is for any couple, dating, engaged or married.  There are things that newly-weds can do to develop good habits and things for couples married 30 to 50 years on how to keep their relationship strong," he said. Martin said the weekend will focus on communication and conflict. “It's video-based and uses humor, as well as some skits, to get the content across, as well as real-life stories of couples," he said. Martin said issues range from the death of a child to every-day communication needs. “One story is a couple that the wife was playing with the kids,...

Hesston MB is excited to be providing The Art of Marriage conference on Feb. 10-11 at the church. The times are Friday from 7-9:30 p.m. & Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.  The Art of Marriage is based on the popular Weekend to Remember sponsored by Family Life. It is DVD based and includes 6 sessions over the weekend. The topics are listed below. So, who should attend Art of Marriage? YOU. There is something for couples at all different stages. It would helpful for seriously dating couples and newlyweds as they anticipate or begin their lives together as a couple. Couples who have been married for several years can be encouraged to continue growing as a couple or make some necessary changes if certain bad habits have developed. Couples with teenagers might need a chance to renew or restore the intimacy that they once had that has seemed to fade. Empty nesters can benefit from learning new information as well and evaluate the legacy they are leaving. The Art of Marriage is very wel...

As parents, how can we keep Jesus at the center of Christmas?  One of the ways we have used in the past is using a devotional book or activity during Advent.  We gather usually right after supper or at the dinner table and spend some time talking about the reason of the season.  For several years, we used "Adornaments" by Family Life.  They take the "I Am" passages of Scripture and have an ornament that has the day's reading inside and then you hang it on the tree.  I love this resource! However, it is out of print. Another resource we have used is "The ADVENTure of Christmas" by Lisa Whelchel. "You take the good, you take the bad. . . The Facts of Life"  Yes, she was Blair on the Facts of Life.  She has written an excellent book that discusses the meaning behind the traditions of Christmas such as the tree, lights, etc.  We used this one last year.  It even has fun activities to go along with the stories. This year we are using "Wha...

Yesterday was a good day for marriage conversations.  I had two separate meetings where the topic was strengthening marriages & helping marriages in crisis.  I am excited about these new ministries within Hesston MB Church.  My first conversation was regarding a ministry called Marriage 911.  This curriculum is used by churches to help those in crisis in their marriage.  It allows the church to walk alongside couples and become a place people turn to rather than avoid.  For more information, check out the website at here . During this meeting, we also began planning a marriage seminar called "The Art of Marriage".  We will be hosting this seminar in February 2012.  We are looking at dates and locations as well as beginning to work on publicity.  This will be a Friday night and all day Saturday seminar that will help strengthen marriages.  My hope is that it will be well attended by the Hesston community.  My afternoon ...