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Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Praise and Coffee Summer 2012
Simply Summer! Simply Summer! Simply Summer!
Good Christian Girls
Feeling Summer Guilt
Packing the Perfect Summer Getaway
Bag
A “Mary” SummerA “Mary” SummerA “Mary” Summer
Yummy Chicken Salad!
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www.PraiseAndCoffee.com
The Praise and Coffee Ministry
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www.PraiseAndCoffee.com
The Praise and Coffee Ministry
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A short and sweet issue because it’s Simply Summer!
6| Praise and Coffee Nights
8| Editor’s Note ~ Summer Guilt!
10| Cultivating a Simple Life
16| Let’s Talk Marriage ~ Lori Byerly
20| Why Should We Wait?
26| Working Moms-Summer Fun ~ Ronel Sidney
28| Are Your Feet Sandal Ready? ~ Andy Paige
32| Get Simply Summer Crafty
42| A “Mary” Summer
44| Chicken Salad ~ Sarah Short
52| The Incident ~ Denise Dykstra
Praise and Coffee
Magazine A quarterly online publication.
Founder and Editor
Sue Cramer
Co-Editor
Denise Dykstra
Submission Guidelines:
1. Anyone is welcome to submit arti-
cles or testimonies.
2. Submissions by women who have
attended or hosted a Praise and Coffee
event will be considered first
3. Testimonies can be personal or
connected to your experience at a
Praise and Coffee event.
4. Articles that will be considered are
to be encouraging and inspiring.
5. Length of submission should be
400-800 words. This can be negotiat-
ed for feature articles.
6. Submissions will be read and con-
sidered among the Editor and co-
Editor.
7. We do not pay for articles, they are
on a volunteer basis.
8. Submissions should be in “Times
New Roman” #12 font.
9. Submissions need to be emailed as
an attachment and include:
Name
Email
Website (if applies)
Short (100 words or less) bio
11. Email submissions to our
Co-Editor:
[email protected]
For advertising info, contact Sue at:
[email protected]
Cover photo, and pages 20, and 25 courtesy of Karie Murray
Photography. Thank you.
Back cover photo courtesy of a good friend who prefers to be
nameless. Thank you.
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Volume 2~Issue 4
Summer 2012
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Praise and Coffee Nights meet in
coffee shops and at kitchen tables
across the country. To learn more about them, check out our
online ebook:
Praise and Coffee Nights!
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Prescott, AZ
Reno, NV
Henderson, NV Conneticut
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ephrata, PA Buffalo, Minnesota
Across the Nation and World! For where 2 or 3 gather together because they are mine, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20
Plainwell, MI (the original!)
We want pictures of your events!!
Email them to us or post them into the albums on the Praise and Coffee Nights page on Facebook!
Saginaw, MI
New Hampshire
Lynden, WA Anthem, AZ
San Diego, CA
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Hello Girlfriends!
I’m just going to come right out and say it;
summer can fill a good Christian girl with
guilt.
If you are able to jump into a summer Bible
study and get back from the lake on Sun-
days in time to work your shift in the nursery
then you might want to skip this whole arti-
cle. But that is just not the honest reality for
most of us, and our own hearts can beat us
up with guilt.
I used to struggle with feeling like
God was disappointed or angry
with me for not being a good
enough Christian, especially
through the busyness of summer.
But now I understand that my
relationship with Him is not
based on how many times a
month I step through the doors
of a church building, no matter
what the season.
I was a good church girl and that was re-
warding until I realized that much of my ef-
forts were centered on pride. I felt good
about myself and my Christianity because
everyone else thought I was a good Chris-
tian girl, and by definition I was.
Pastor’s wife, women’s ministry leader, wor-
ship leader, I appeared to have it all to-
gether. But it was a house of cards be-
cause many years ago my life took a hard
left turn and all the titles that I’d worn so
proudly collapsed around me.
For too long I focused on “what” hap-
pened to me instead of discovering “why”
it happened and letting God do the work
in me that would bring me to such a beau-
tiful place of peace now.
Like Cinderella at midnight I was left with
the torn tattered mess of my insecurities
screaming at me in the mirror. I grappled
with my identity and sense of
worth. I desperately wanted
to focus on my wounds and
blame others for my pain. But
it was always fruitless. Some-
times the process of forgiving
was messy and ugly, espe-
cially when I allowed anger
to pour back in and darken
my heart over and over
again. But finally I let myself
be still and know that He is
God and I began a journey
of discovering Him, and find-
ing me.
Living loved is far simpler than the world I
had created. It is honest and sincere. Not
without pain, but worth every tear as God
reveals Himself so beautifully as my Father
and friend. I no longer equate the things
that I DO for God with my relationship to
Him. I’ve also abandoned the need for ti-
tles, instead I rest in knowing that I am His
daughter, graciously loved and accepted
just the way I am.
I grappled
with my identity
and sense of worth.
I desperately
wanted to focus
on my wounds
and blame others
for my pain.
Summer: When Good Christian Girls Struggle With Guilt
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My favorite spot this summer, sipping coffee on my deck.
Sue Cramer
Founder of Praise and Coffee
[email protected]
no longer let guilt or condemna-
tion drive my decisions, about church at-
tendance/activities or the way I live my life.
I’ve found a freedom in letting God mold
me and simply living my faith in the world
He’s placed me in. Life is no longer about
being a good Christian girl bearing fruit
through my own efforts; instead I hope that
my life and heart being changed is what
produces the evidence of Him in my life.
Is summer revealing this kind of guilt for you
too? If so, I encourage you be still and
know that He is God, and instead of allow-
ing all the “shoulds” to rule your life, let His
peace fill you and rest in the truth that He
loves you and He’s up to a something
beautiful in your heart.
Live loved, summertime and always.
I hope you enjoy this issue with a “Simply
Summer” theme and have a simple but
meaningful summer with those you love.
Connect with Sue online!
"We are called to be fruitful;
not successful,
not productive,
not accomplished.
Success comes from strength,
stress, and human effort.
Fruitfulness comes from
vulnerability and the admission
of our own weakness."
Henri J.M. Nouwen
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You asked for it... Praise and Coffee Magazine is now available in print through MagCloud.
Magazines can be ordered individually
but not by print subscription.
Yet.
The print magazines cost about $13-$15 each.
To order a copy in print, go to www.magcloud.com/user/praiseandcoffee
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Connect ~ Encourage ~ Inspire
One friend
Praise and Coffee
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Simple Life Cultivating aCultivating aCultivating a
So much beauty can be found in simple things in life.
But as we all know, life is busy. Really, really busy.
There are always jobs and meetings, appointments
and activities to attend.
We have to make a conscious effort to slow down some-times.
Summertime is a great time to start.
By Beki Hastings
@ The Rusted Chain
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Some ideas for you:
~ Rather than having fast food and dessert on a regular basis, make "ice cream dates" a special occasion with your family.
With small kids, discuss it while you're eating focusing on the color, texture, and temper-ature of the ice cream.
~ Go for a drive. No really! Go out and drive around, with no intention of going any-where. Open your eyes to see interesting or unusual buildings and landscapes. Discuss what the land would have looked like years ago. Talk about how different things would feel if you didn't have an air conditioned or heated car.
~ Find a flower, either purchased or picked, and study the details of it. Notice the colors, shapes, and seeds. If God put this much time and effort into creating little flowers, how much more care did He put into creating us?
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~ Be mission minded. Even if you can't go on a missions trip, you can get a better view of the entire world by looking at the websites of trusted non-profit or-ganizations. Discuss how the price of one fast food kid's meal, could feed children for weeks in other countries. Recog-nize how blessed we are to have shoes, bug repel-lent, abundant food options, soft beds, video games and in-ternet.
~ Plant something. Even if you do it in a small space or a pa-tio garden, there is something magical about planting something and see-ing the results of it when it grows. Try tomatoes, flowers, green beans, even grass. Nothing great has ever been, or can ever be accom-plished without hard work.
~ Go on a "theme walk". This is especially fun when you have a camera with you. Decide on themes you want to find and then start the hunt! Start with circles. Point out or photograph all the cir-cles you find. Then about 15 minutes later, switch to a new theme. Lines, sym-metry, arcs/crescents, a spe-cific color, numbers, grids are all fun to find. You'll be amazed at how you view things differently when you're hunting for some-thing.
~ Unplug. This is the toughest one. Choose one day a week, or even one evening a week, and decide that there will be no connections to the out-side world. No internet. No tv. No cell phones. No handheld games. You will be surprised at what you can find to do! You may find yourself bored, but welcome that. Enjoy it. Embrace the stillness that we sometimes call boredom. Read. Study. Nap. Play. Craft. Do a hobby during that time. Carve out a block of time to unplug. All the emails and updates will be there when you get back.
* Simple Life *
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Beauty is all around us. The more we look, the more abundant it becomes.
Gratitude is recognizing that what you have is enough.
We truly do have all we need.
Intentionally cultivate a simple life, one little step at a time.
I like photography, blogging, living simply, chipped paint, rust, my 3
kids, my 1 husband, designing jewelry, peonies, God, and coffee.
Not in that order.
http://www.blog.therustedchain.com/
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Let’s Talk
MARRIAGE With Lori Byerly of “The Generous Wife”
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Making your
MarriageMarriageMarriage
BETTER!
Years ago my spiritual dad said,
"There are things you could do to make your
life worse, right?"
I thought for a minute. "Well, yeah. I could
try to rob a bank, kick my neighbor’s yippy
little dog or not do laundry for a week."
He replied, "Then, by default, there are
things you could do to make your life bet-
ter."
I really needed to hear that at the time. I was
feeling a bit beat up by life and helpless in
the face of a couple of difficult situations. It
gave me the motivation to pray and ask God
for direction for the things I could do. I was
encouraged and my attitude improved ... and
so did my life because I saw past the prob-
lems to my own choices.
Later I made the connection to marriage.
There are some real ups and downs to mar-
riage. There are times when it’s easy to feel
overwhelmed and even downright unhappy.
But just like any other situation, there are
things you can do to make your marriage sit-
uation worse and there are things you can do
to make your marriage better.
...there are things you can do to make your marriage situation worse and there are things you
can do to make your marriage better.
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Attitude
My husband is an optimist (the sing (loudly)
in the morning kind of optimist), but when
he is down he is really, really down. It's hard
to reach him. It's hard to be happy around
him. It's hard to breathe around him. Thank-
fully he's only been down about 15 minutes
our whole marriage (did I mention he was an
optimist?).
However, I did learn something from him
because of this. Our attitudes significantly
impact us and those around us. I didn't want
to be guilty of making it hard for my hus-
band to breathe. I could improve my mar-
riage relationship and the atmosphere of our
home by letting God deal with my attitudes.
That is not a passive kind of thing for me. I
read the Word and let God talk to me about
it. I read blogs and books that challenge me
to grow. I talk to people who have good atti-
tudes and try to learn from them (and con-
versely I learn what not to do from folks
who are chronically grumpy). I’m actively
pursuing better attitudes.
MARRIAGE Words
Words are powerful. You can build up with
words or you can tear down.
From time to time I make a practice of con-
sidering what I say and how I say it. How is
my tone of voice? What do I really want to
communicate? It helps to talk to your reflec-
tion in a mirror. Yes, I know it’s more than
weird, but it’s a great learning tool (though
my son did worry about me for awhile ~ all
that talking to myself in the bathroom). I no-
ticed that I frown too often.
I decided I needed to smile more too (even
when I felt pleasant or happy they just were-
n’t showing up on my face often enough). I
often had to rethink what I wanted to com-
municate and I realized that a lot of things
just didn’t need to be said at all (love can
help you overlook an offense or a moment of
carelessness).
...I realized that a lot of things just didn’t need to be said at all (love can help you overlook an offense
or a moment of carelessness).
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How I spend my time speaks about my pri-
orities. I make time for the people and things
that are important to me. If I want to make
my marriage better I need to invest time and
energy in that relationship.
The thing that has challenged me the most
when thinking about my actions, was not so
much what I actually did (though I can al-
ways improve there), but rather what I did
not do. Over the years, I’ve probably looked
pretty good. The dishes were washed, meal
on the table, and clean clothes hanging in the
closet, but hiding behind that were avoided
conversations (so that I didn’t have to deal
with tough issues) and busyness (that I used
to ignore his needs and wants).
That’s really hard to own, but facing it
helped me grow up and make choices that
built my marriage and made it better.
Are you your husband's best friend? Lover?
Confidant? Partner in life? #1 Supporter and
encourager? How can you show that with
your actions?
The Bottom Line
You have more impact on your marriage re-
lationship than you might suspect. Think it
through. Be intentional about building and
careful not to tear down. You can’t change
your husband (or the neighbor’s yippy little
dog or the onslaught of laundry to be done),
but you can, by your choices and influence,
make your marriage better.
Lori Byerly is married to The Generous Husband and
lives in the beautiful Northwest US. She is the mom of
two and has a lovely new granddaughter. She works for
two non-profit ministries, and ministers in the area of
marriage and small group church expressions.
http://www.the-generous-wife.com/
[email protected]
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?
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hat little girl doesn't dream of growing up
to be a Princess? In the midst of the self im-
posed darkness that sexual sin put on our mar-
riage (which is a whole separate article) we had
the blessing to witness a Woman who realized
the dream of being the Princess and a Man who
became her Prince Charming.
At 36 years of age my Sister, Kelli, had exciting
news for us. She had found the man of her
dreams, David Hamilton. Dave was a 31 year old
F-15 Strike Eagle Pilot stationed in Idaho and
Kelli was a Missionary to Albania. Needless to
say technology played a huge role in their court-
ing\dating process. Of course the very next
thing Kelli said to us was, “Would you guys take
care of the music for our Wedding?”
At this point we have a beautiful story going on
here. God connected two like minded, like
hearted people via the Internet. But really
what's so unique about their story? Here's the
kicker: Both Dave and Kelli knew what God de-
sired for them on their Wedding Day and had
stayed pure. Yep, pick up your jaw, BOTH of
them! And God was not done.
The moment Kelli asked, “Would you guys take
care of the music for our Wedding?” God laid a
heavy burden on Jeremy's heart. He would write
a song for Dave and Kelli's Wedding Day that
would honor their commitment not only to God
but to one another as a gift.
There were many days of struggling over lyrics.
The stress of searching for chords and melodies
that could honor this beautiful occasion was
sometimes overbearing. Yet the song was fin-
ished, kept secret from the family, and unveiled
at their Wedding on a beautiful fall day in 2009.
And God was not done.
There were many days of struggling over lyrics.
The stress of searching for chords and melodies
that could honor this beautiful occasion was
sometimes overbearing. Yet the song was fin-
ished, kept secret from the family, and unveiled
at their Wedding on a beautiful fall day in 2009.
And God was not done.
A few months later, playing a Concert some-
where in the Central Region of the United States,
we were running out of material. Most of our
acoustic concerts are “story telling” events as to
save our voices and to help an audience, who
often has no idea who we are, connect with our
music. So we threw “Complete”, then known as
the unnamed Wedding song, into our set list.
We told the story and shared the song. The re-
sponse blew us away!
You see in our oversexed culture our kids still
are fighting. They still have hope that they can
have that fairy tale ending. They are wading
through all this misinformation and peer pres-
sure waiting for some glimmer of hope to cling
onto with all they have. They want hope.
None of us want to admit that we were “that
guy” or “that girl”. So many of us still wear that
black dress we put on so long ago, emotionally
on the inside. The emotional pain of giving our-
selves away intimately to the wrong person suf-
focates us into submission. So we put on our
happy Christian face and ignore the subject alto-
gether or condemn those who enter into such
acts with a ferocity that we hope would deter
our young ones from making the same mistake.
the story of the wedding song by jeremy & kaci neely
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ut they need to know. They deserve to
know. No one is telling them why God says,
“No”. No one is telling them why God says,
“Wait”. And every moment we are silent one
more glimmer of hope goes dark.
For years during our concerts we have weaved
our individual stories into our songs telling
thousands of people of the long term conse-
quences of premarital sex. And at this point
what you didn't know about us is that we don't
label ourselves as “Christian Artists” because
God has called us to be “Musicianaries”. Not
only are we singing our music (which is inspired
by our faith in Jesus Christ) and sharing our tes-
timony to people sitting in Churches, but to
people at State Fairs, in Bars, in Wineries,
and...well, any place that will let us sing actually!
However, In 2009 everything changed. Not only
do we share about those horrid consequences
but now we share the glimmer of hope that a 31
year old fighter pilot and a 36 year old Mission-
ary to Albania gave us.
Young people are sending us messages saying
they were about to give up hope then they
heard this song. People who are not Christians
are opening dialogue with us about Jesus. Peo-
ple who are living in sexual sin
are being convicted and ques-
tioning their life choices.
And God was not done.
Jeremy and Kaci Neely are a Husband-
Wife Rock Duo based out of Nashville, TN
known as NEELY. They travel the United
States, along with their 4 Daughters,
playing events inside and
outside the Church.
For more information about
NEELY and their music
visit them online at:
ww.neelymusic.com
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Some of our Summer
Pinterest picks.
Click here to
follow and find these!
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www.compassion.com
I said to myself, "Relax and rest.
God has showered you with blessings.
Soul, you've been rescued from death;
Eye, you've been rescued from tears;
And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling."
Psalm 116:7-8
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Far too often as moms we are hard on our-
selves and hold ourselves to unattainable stand-
ards. For myself I have always dreamed of being
a stay at home mom yet it just was never the
“right” time.
Over the past few years I have gotten increas-
ingly more creative with summer time activities
in order to fully enjoy the time with my now
eight year old son. I usually plan in a few three or
four day weekends in order to take him to the
breach, Sea World or the Zoo. I also schedule
play dates with friends who have kids around the
same age.
I think my son’s favorite time has to be on the
weekend when we wake up early go for donuts
and travel to the beach or lake for a bike ride. I
know these moments will pass faster than I
would like but I have to make the best of the
time God has given me.
Ronel Sidney Encouragement for Today with
Working Moms have to be
INTENTIONALINTENTIONALINTENTIONAL about making time for summer fun!
As working mom guilt has increased NOT de-
creased so I take the guilt and remind myself the
house does NOT have to be spotless or vacu-
umed daily during summer break. Another trick
we have learned is instead of turning on the TV
in the morning if we are done getting ready early
we instead empty the dishwasher, start laundry
or do a quick pickup so we can relax and enjoy
our afternoons as a family.
Life is so busy and fast paced today that we
have to be intentional about how we spend our
time. Anytime we can get outside and run, bike
or walk as a family is a good time.
Investing in day trips at a theme park, fair or
community pool can make summer more fun.
Investing in relationships with other families
is another great summer activity.
Finding projects and activities that are inex-
pensive like a bird feeder or planting in the gar-
den.
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Ronel Sidney is the
National Director for
Praise and Coffee Nights.
Check out her blog:
www.ChosenForMore.com
Contact her:
[email protected]
I’ve had the awesome opportunity to
share tips and encouragement for Real
Moms on STAR 105.7, a secular radio
station here in West Michigan.
We talk about everything from bullying
to tips for dealing with teenagers.
If you’re not in West Michigan you can
listen online at iHeart radio.
Check out my webpage for more info,
links to the segments we’ve recorded
and ways to connect with Tommy and
Brook! @TommyAndBrook
www.PraiseAndCoffee.com
www.WestMichiganStar.com
I try making it a habit to say yes once a week
to my son’s requests. I enjoy surprising my son
by saying yes to an ice cream run especially
when he thinks I am going to say no.
Movie night or the drive in when the kids’
new releases hit… invite other families and bring
your own snacks.
Instead of spending your summer in a gym
by yourself get your family involved in hiking,
biking or running.
Make a jar of fun things your kids would like
to do and pick a random thing to do once or
twice a month.
Order your child new fun summer books at
the beginning of summer to keep them interest-
ed in learning during the break from school.
Find free activities at the local community
parks, libraries or recreation centers.
Whatever it is you do make it fun and adven-
turous. I use to pick an animal my son liked and
would go to the library and pick books about the
animal or theme and we would make a picnic out
of it… for example Dinosaur or Pirate Picnic.
Find an indoor playground for the super hot
days!
The list could go on and on yet I think the
most important thing is to make lasting memo-
ries with your children despite financial struggles,
work obligations or hard circumstances you may
be facing this summer. Get creative and have fun
with your little ones before they are off and run-
ning without you by their side.
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How to Pack the Perfect Summer Bag
for a
Weekend
Away!
Summer is here and we are all ea-
ger to relax and enjoy some time
away. Effortless summer glamour can
be had with just a few strategic items
tossed into a roll-aboard, so don't
sweat the packing, just get going.
In a thrifty chic carry-on, throw in:
a wrinkle-proof sundress
- a skirt
- one pair of shorts
- one colorful tank top
- one sexy flow-y top
- crushable hat
- large cotton scarf
- swimsuit
- flip-flops
- heeled sandals
- evening earrings
- nighty/undies
- evening bag
- zip-out travel bag for the beach
and souvenir shopping
You should travel in:
- colored jeans
- feminine belt
- tank top
- cardigan
- modern fem flat
- colorful wrap (worn as a scarf and
used as a blankie)
- statement watch
- striking, colorful earrings
- sunglasses
- a great handbag
This simple collection will offer you
more than 20 looks and will see you
through any event or occasion while
you are away. You are all set for a
fabulous weekend of sun, fun and ef-
fortless style.
Have a fabulous time!!
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With her international best sell-
ing book, STYLE ON A SHOE-
STRING and more than 100
"fabulously frugal" makeovers
on over 200 episodes of televi-
sion airing in 14 countries, Andy
Paige has earned the title "The
Budget Bombshell" honest-
ly. Andy’s extensive work on
NBC’s Starting Over, TLC’s Ten
Years Younger, STYLE Network’s
How Do I Look, SOAP NET’s
Soap Talk, and countless local
network style segments have all
made Andy the charming and
sassy go-to gal for "thrifty-chic"
fashion fixes and budget beau-
ty help. You can also see Andy exercise her
“Cents of Style” muscles every week on
NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, where she over-
sees hair, makeup and wardrobe for Donald
Trump’s cast of celebrity characters.
Andy inspires thousands of radio listeners all
over the country each week with playful and
entertaining bargain beauty and style tips on
KJOY 98.3 in New York, STAR 105.7 in Michi-
gan and the syndicated Kim Iverson
Show. You can also find Andy's advice on
economic beautification in the
pages of Soap Opera Digest, The
National Inquirer, Woman’s Day,
First for Women, Cutting Edge, on
countless websites, and on her
own wildly popular website,
centsofstyle.com.
A celebrated, funny, interactive
speaker, Andy recently complet-
ed a 50-city speaking tour reach-
ing over 30,000 women, helping
frugal girls "find their foxy" from
coast to coast. Her dynamic mes-
sage is clear and feeds the hun-
gry ears of fashionistas worldwide,
"You do NOT have to spend a for-
tune to look like a million!"
Appreciating that most gals live on a budget
and still want to turn heads and drop jaws,
Andy created her own line of affordable, all-
natural-hair ANDY PAIGE COSMETIC BRUSH-
ES™and launched CENTS OF STYLE® ACCESSO-
RY SUITES™ – thrifty-chic accessories bundled
together for an immediate style boost – to help
make looking spectacular fun and easy! Both
Andy’s cosmetic brushes and her Accessory
Suites™ have been incredibly successful, selling
out within hours of their launch and gathering
fans and happy customers across the globe.
Much of Andy’s gumption and know
-how comes from her years as a Ford
and Wilhelmina Model, a profession-
al fit model working with more than
40 designers, a trained makeup art-
ist, and her broad education, includ-
ing a master’s degree from the his-
toric New School University. Andy
simply knows what it takes for every
woman – no matter their size, shape,
shade or salary – to look and feel
gorgeous. Andy’s passion for her
work shines. She is undoubtedly a
sweet force of originality, leading
the way and waving her fashion flag
that reads, "Enjoy Being Thrifty!"
www.AndyPaige.com
Andy also has weekly style tips on Star 105.7 in West Michigan!
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30 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
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31 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Lysa TerKeurst admits that she, like most women, has experiences where others bump into
her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. We stuff, we explode, or react somewhere
in between.
What do we do with these raw emotions? Is it really possible to make emotions work for us
instead of against us?
Yes, and in her usual inspiring and practical way, Lysa will show you how. Filled with gut-
honest personal examples and biblical teaching, Unglued will equip you to:
* Know with confidence how to resolve conflict in your important relationships.
* Find peace in your most difficult relationships as you learn to be honest but kind when of-
fended.
* Identify what type of reactor you are and how to significantly improve your communica-
tion.
* Respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff, explode, or react some-
where in between.
* Gain a deep sense of calm by responding to situations out of your control without acting
out of control.
Lysa TerKeurst is a New York
Times bestselling author and
national speaker who helps
everyday women live an
adventure of faith.
She is the president of
Proverbs 31 Ministries,
author of 15 books, and
encourages nearly 500,000
women worldwide through
a daily online devotional.
Her remarkable life
story has captured
audiences across America, including
appearances on Oprah and Good
Morning America.
She lives in North Carolina with her
husband and five children. www.LysaTerKeurst.com
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32 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Get
Summer
Crafty Simply
With Korene VandenBerg
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33 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Korene VandenBerg lives on a dirt road in western Michigan with her husband,
John and two sons, Canton and Maxwell. She and John discovered their oldest son
had neurological issues in the fall of 2006. He was struggling with school and social
interactions. Korene and John decided that one of them would have to stay home
to work with their son and take him to therapy. As a result, the household income
took a hit. The family made the most of the situation, though, by getting creative.
Korene turned to her craft background for many gift ideas. For instance, one very
financially lean Christmas Korene took a poem she wrote in the fifth grade, devel-
oped illustrations to go along with the poem and gave it to her sons for Christmas.
That children’s book entitled ‘If I Could Be’, became pub-
lished. You can check out the book at
‘www.RoseDogBookstore.com’, keyword “VandenBerg”.
Korene speaks at area schools and libraries to discuss the
“6 Traits of Writing” and drawing/illustrating to local chil-
dren.
Korene is also the coauthor/cocreator of the craft blog
‘www.craftredo.wordpress.com’. Korene and her grade
school friend, Katie Wettlaufer, started the blog in late winter of this year. Most of
the crafts on the site focus on recycling or repurposing. “The blog is still in its infan-
cy”, states Korene, “but hang on, we have a gazillion more craft ideas, recipes
and tips waiting to be posted!”
Crafts were a huge part of Korene’s childhood. If fact, crafts were the reason why
she and Katie met. Korene’s mom (Ardith) taught ceramic, pottery, macramé clas
ses and Katie’s dad (Bob) worked for the Adult
Ed at their local school. Bob hired Ardith to teach
Adult Ed craft classes. Korene and Katie met,
they were in kindergarten at the time, and have
been friends ever since.
“My path has certainly changed. I started off as
a stressed-out graphic designer in the city and
ended up a very happy, crafty momma in the
country. When you finally let go and let God take
over, a huge burden is lifted. In the past I didn’t
have a good relationship with God, I was too
busy just keeping up. Having a child with any
type of issue is heart wrenching. When we first
discovered our oldest was having problems I
started to talk with God, asking Him what to do.
This was the first time in my life, I had ever done
such a thing. Many of these talks were outside in
the parking lot of the speech therapist. I would
pace back and forth and physically speak to
Him OUT LOUD.
Many strangers heard our conversations.
He directed my life down this unfamiliar road and
it’s the best thing that has ever happened to
me!”
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34 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
You will need:
• Decorative picture frames
(Check local yard/garage sales,
resale shops, second hand stores,
etc - I found my frames at a
church rummage sale)
• Spray paint
• Fine Sand paper (On the back
of the sand paper there will be a
number, that is the grit of the
sand paper. The higher the num-
ber (grit) the finer the sand paper.
(You can feel the difference by
rubbing your fingers over the
sandpaper. You’ll want to pick a
paper that’s smooth, similar to fi-
ne beach sand. I used a 220 grit
sand paper)
• Brown paper bag, optional
(Sometimes I use brown paper
bags in place of fine grit sand pa-
per)
• Old, clean rag
• Drop cloth
• Pliers
• Screw driver
• Wooden blocks, optional (Or
something to prop up your frames
while you’re painting them)
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35 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Instructions:
1. First, remove all the backing
paper from the frames. Be sure
to remove any staples, nails or
other items used to hold in the
prints. Remove print (if any).
2. On the front side, lightly rub
the picture frame with fine grit
sand paper or use a section
from a brown paper bag. This
will give the spray paint some-
thing to adhere to. Don’t go
crazy, just quickly go over the
surface. I’ve used brown paper
bags in place of sand paper
many times. It’s great for a situa-
tion when you’re in need of fine
sand paper and don’t have any
on hand. It can be used as
something to simply buff off the
shiny surface.
3. With your rag (I used a sock)
rub the front surface of the
frame to get rid of the dust and
any other particles.
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36 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Instructions cont...
4. Spread out your drop cloth
and position your frames so
you’ll be able to easily maneu-
ver around them while spray
painting. I elevated the frames
with wood scraps, which al-
lowed me to paint everything in
one shot (front and sides).
5. Inspect your masterpiece, it
may need a second coat.
When project is fully dried, find
an excellent spot in your garden
to highlight - the perfect flower,
a special garden feature, a fan-
tastic rock, anything you fancy.
Prop up the frame in your cho-
sen area by moving the ground
cover around or borrow rocks
from other areas in your yard to
sandwich the frame so it won’t
fall down. Most important . . .
get creative, use your imagina-
tion.
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37 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Modern. Trendy. Beautiful.
Contemporary handcrafted sterling silver
jewelry for today's modern woman!
I use recycled silver, copper, gold and
gemstones to
create wearable
pieces of
art jewelry.
Featured in Grand Rapids
Women’s LifeStyle
www.StudioJewel.com
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38 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
POTSC Campaign
“Labels Lie: Don’t Accept Them. Don’t Use Them.”
The campaign’s focus is on being liberated from the prison of societies’ labels. We don’t have to live with the shame of what people have said about us. We don’t have to accept these statements as our true identity. When we judge, label, diminish and criticize each other, this becomes the fuel for shame and guilt to fester in our souls. A label says we are unworthy, flawed and unacceptable. Sadly we live in a society driven by stereotyping, gossiping, labeling and blame…and it is destroying us. Words like ugly, stupid, adulterer, addict, illegal, failure, ex-con, slut, fag and other dehumanizing labels are thrown around with no regard for how they damage. It is time to talk about shame and the toxic labels we believe about ourselves. It is time to be liberated from the lies of labels and experi-ence the powerful truth of who we really are…Loved…Worthy…Beautiful…Accepted.
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39 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
To learn more about POTSC and this campaign: www.POTSC.com
Twitter: @POTSC Facebook: People of the Second Chance
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40 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Casie Dussia is a small business owner and a personal trainer that
ministers to women’s soul, mind and body and is the founder of
RWE~Run with Endurance. She lives in Southwest Michigan and
enjoys life with her husband John and son. Casie is a team partner
to the Praise and Coffee Night ministry in Plainwell, MI.
We’ve partnered with Run With Endurance to encourage women to connect with each other and start a RWE chapter in their community!
Praise and Coffee RUNS!
Check out Run With Endurance at: www.RunWithEndurance.net or
click here for a direct link: Run With Endurance
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41 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Connect with Praise and Coffee online!
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42 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
As I woke up this morning, I could hear my son
count down the days until pre-school graduation. My oldest daughter was helping him count correctly as her voice grew shaky with excitement. “No!” I groaned as I rolled over and buried myself within the confines of my comforter, before all three kids came bouncing in to tell me we have 28 days left.
Summer! Moms dread it, kids love it.
It’s coming—our spirits are picking up on the vibes, our kids are getting restless and dreaming of the last day of school.
I am not a fan of summer time, it means twelve hour days of being together with the kids. It means finding entertainment, more carpooling, no MOPs meetings, very little adult conversation and shorts. Shorts, have I mentioned that I’m pasty white and shorts are scary? Oh there’s swimsuits, let’s not even go there. Someone save me please! Simply summer? I think not. This woman needs to maintain her sanity (Coffee generally helps). What am I supposed to do with three highly energized kids? What about my office work, quiet time, keeping the house clean and keeping my kids entertained?
After I got the kids off to school and my youngest entertained with play dough, I nursed my hazelnut coffee and sulked while thumbing through my devo-tional, Having a Mary Heart In A Martha World. Sud-denly a thought hit me full force.
“Heather, you hate summer because you are too busy being Martha.”
“Martha? God—what’s that sup-posed to mean?”
Silence, followed by another fresh thought, “You’re too busy maintaining schedules, keeping boundaries, ensuring routines and bedtimes, you’ve forgotten what the joy of summer means.”
Ouch, that hurt. But you know God was right on tar-get as usual. Summer used to mean, relaxation, lazy days, enjoying the moment with a glass of iced tea…then I had kids. As a matter of fact I had three kids, one with Aspergers, another with A.D.H.D and the youngest came with an iron will. Because of my chil-dren’s special needs, summer turned into a game of chess, I was busy maneuvering the board to avoid more work and keep the peace.
As I shuffled over to my window seat, I smelled the fresh cut grass and lilacs floating on the breeze. Sum-mer was around the corner. After I pondered God’s words, I realized, it’s time to simplify. The season we are given is meant to enjoy the progress of our la-bors, watching our children grow, engaging in the freedom of long warm days. Instead, I was too busy thinking about duties, obligations, and chores. I for-got how this season gives me more time to sit in God’s presence, cherish my children’s hearts, and get a tan—well sunburn.
I created a new routine which included more down-town and was avoided signing my kids up for activi-ties. This summer is going to be different, fresh, sim-ple. This summer I will enjoy playing with my kids and ignore the laundry. This summer I will breathe deeper, move slower. This summer I will sit at Jesus’ feet and enjoy being in his presence while I drink my latte.
Heather Riggleman is the author of Mama Needs A Time-Out. When she isn’t putting herself in time-
outs, she can be found sipping Ha-zel Nut Lattes, speaking to mom groups across Nebraska, and writing on her blog. www.heatherriggleman.com
Mama Needs A Time-Out is availa-ble in major bookstores, including Christianbook, Barns & Noble and Amazon.
Page 43
43 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
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44 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Praise and Coffee Cooks
arah is a freelance corporate pho-
tographer and recipe developer
who started her blog,
www.ShortStopblog.com,
in May 2007.
She chronicles her life as a frazzled
mother, shares her favorite recipe
creations, and marvels at God's
amazing work of grace in her life.
When not blogging, racing to basket-
ball practice, or sitting in the Star-
bucks drive-thru line, you'll find
her curled up with her family cheer-
ing on the Baltimore Ravens.
Sarah lives in Raleigh, N.C. with
her husband, Jason, and four boys -
Jack, Max, Lincoln, and Whitman.
love chicken salad. Especially dur-
ing the summer months.
But, I rarely order it out or purchase it
from a deli.
And, for one reason.
Most chicken salads you get out are
swimming in mayonnaise. A particular
chicken salad might have the most
delicious combination of unique fla-
vors, but if they're hidden in a sea of
mayonnaise, I have a hard time en-
joying it.
As I've made chicken salad time after
time over the years, I've come to
the conclusion that I actually prefer a
chicken salad with no mayonnaise at
all.
Instead, I now use whipping cream.
(Not Cool Whip. Heavy Whipping
Cream.)
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45 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
y recipe for SG's Chicken Salad is made
with roasted chicken, chopped celery and
red onion, grapes, dried cranberries, and
toasted almonds. Each of these flavors gets
to take center stage because instead of
being masked by mayonnaise, they're
combined together with heavy cream
that's been whipped into heavenly deli-
ciousness.
Served on croissants, this
chicken salad makes the
most wonderful lunch or pic-
nic fare! It's fresh and
chunky, and so very simple
to pull together.
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46 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
First take one small package (1/2 cup) of
sliced almonds.
And, toast them at 400 degrees for 5-6
minutes. (Toasting them really makes the
flavor so much better!)
Next, add 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping
cream to a mixing bowl, and beat on high
with an electric mixer until it sticks to the
whisk. (You can use a hand mixer, too.) Set
it aside.
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47 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Place 4 cups of roasted, chopped chicken
breast into a medium bowl. (I almost al-
ways use chicken I've roasted earlier in the
week. HUGE time saver.)
Add two stalks of chopped celery.
And, 1/2 of a chopped red onion. Stir to-
gether.
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48 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Next, add 1/2 of the whipped cream to
the bowl.
Stir to combine.
Then, take a large bunch of grapes.
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49 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
And, cut them in halves.
One of my favorite things in this chicken
salad is the addition of dried cranberries.
They're tart and sweet and the texture
adds something unique and wonderful to
this salad. You could also use dried cher-
ries.
Add 1 cup to the bowl.
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50 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Add the toasted almonds.
Stir everything together. Add salt and pep-
per to taste. The mixture will seem a bit dry
at this point.
Then add the remainder of the whipped
cream. This will pull the salad all together
and combine everything into creamy,
dreamy deliciousness.
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51 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
One word: YUM!
I almost always serve this chicken salad on
croissants. They're buttery and soft and the
perfect complement to this chicken salad.
As a side note, this chicken salad is great
for children who have egg allergies and
can't have mayonnaise.
For me, I just really love this recipe be-
cause it's fresh and chunky and sweet and
savory. I love this combination of flavors. It's
one of my favorite things to eat all by my-
self - or to share with friends when they
come over.
SG’s Chicken Salad
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, roasted and
chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup grapes, halved
1 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Toast almonds at 400 degrees on a baking
sheet for 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
Beat heavy cream with an electric mixer on
high until peaks form and it sticks to the beater.
Set aside.
Add chicken breast to a medium mixing bowl.
Add celery and onion. Stir to combine. Add one
half of the whipped cream and stir together.
Add grapes, dried cranberries, and almonds.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir together.
(Mixture will be a bit dry.) Add remainder of
whipped cream and stir to combine.
Serve on croissants, bread, or on lettuce.
*I’ll often place a small bowl of mayonnaise
next to this chicken salad when I serve it for
guests. It can then be spread on the croissant or
bread for those who might like to do so.
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52 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
the Incident
Denise Dykstra, co-editor of Praise and Coffee the Magazine. Denise is heavily caffeinated and joy-
fully married to her truck driving, farming husband. They reside in Michigan raising their four boys
(ages 12 to 6) on a hobby farm that keeps them hopping busy. She updates friends on her sons’
latest escapades and caught snakes on her blog
“Life With Four Boys...Coffee Please!”
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53 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Camping is a great way for us as a family to unwind
and relax. We have taken it up in the last few years
and have our favorite campground that we visit regu-
larly. It’s the best get away because everything is
slowed down and relaxed, I get to take the boys to the
beach every day and the boys get to be as dirty as can
be every day.
Occasionally the boys have to shower. At the
campground there is a row of “shower rooms”. They
consist of a dressing area and a shower in a tiny room
with a locked door. Across from the showers are the
men, women and family bathrooms.
Our second year camping, our youngest was just a
little tyke and the brother next up had decided he was
big enough to shower with his two older brothers.
My sister had caught our third son streaking – yes,
completely naked – out of the shower to the bath-
room. I sat the boys down and had a strict talking to
them. It was basically this…It was basically this,
when in the shower room, you do not leave the show-
er room unless you have clothes on. No naked boys
leave the shower room. Period.
Then next night we headed up to the showers again.
My youngest son was with me in the shower room
and some of my family was going to swing by and
pick him up so I could shower alone – a blissful thing
for a mother of four boys camping.
But when I was done washing him up and had him
dressed, I peeked out the door and noticed not
any of my family out the door but a long line of
strangers waiting for the showers. I instructed
my son to sit on the bench and wait for me to
be done.
This is when one of the most embarrassing
things of my life occurred.
I simply refer to it as “the incident”..
I was just rinsing the last of the shampoo from
my hair, step one in taking a shower, when I
opened my shut tight eyes to get more soap I
was shocked to see my son, standing at the door
with his head hanging out looking around.
So, just to give you an accurate picture in case you
aren't totally with me here......
I am completely naked.
When I opened my eyes I was looking directly to-
ward the hallway that held ten or so complete and
total strangers.
My son’s head was in the door way so there was no
way I could just slam the door shut. However, I don't
think he knew what happened the way I yanked him
back and slammed the door so quickly.
Somehow, I finished showering, quickly, and pulled
all my clothes on. I told S4 he could now open the
door. Guess what? The door was too slippery, he
couldn't get it open.
Now.
The t-shirt I was wearing read “Just Another Day in
Paradise” as I kept my eyes to the ground, my hand
tightly holding my happily chatting away son, and
beelined out of the public bathroom area.
I was so con-
centrated on
getting out of
there that I
don't know if
there was an-
yone in the
hallway or
not.
We have a
few more
shower rules
now........
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54 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
www.mercyministries.org
Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...
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55 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Hotline advocates are available for victims and anyone calling on their behalf to
provide crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies
in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Assistance is available in English and Spanish with access to more than 170 lan-
guages through interpreter services.
Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...Help for women in crisis...
1.800.799.SAFE or 1.800.787.3224
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Page 56
56 Praise and Coffee | Summer 2012
Pic from Dreamstime
“The whole point of what we're urging is simply
love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and
counterfeit faith, a life open to God.”
1 Timothy 1:5 MSG