College grads and newlyweds flocking to Bed Bath and Beyond and Target.

Farmer’s markets and art festivals stocked with visitors.

Sounds like summer to me.

Now that your family and friends are home for the extended holiday, make memories before your friends head to back to college or spend time soaking up the smiles of your nieces and nephews. Here are 5 innovative ways to fight the boredom blues:

1. Water Fight: Break out those water balloons and turn on the sprinklers. For a couple variations of the basic water fight, click here. For those more experienced who want to learn tactical maneuvers for a successful water fight, click here.

2. Create a New Type of Pizza: Head to the grocery store and buy a pizza crust, or if you’re feeling fancy make your own . Have each family member or friend pick out their own ingredients. Maybe try a BBQ pizza with feta and fresh spinach. Make extra so you can vote on the tastiest and most creative pizza! Need some pizza inspiration? Click here and here.

3. Build Your Own Jewelry: From a homemade bracelet, to a button necklace, to drop pearl earrings to an elegant wire and crystal bracelet, you can build any piece of jewelry to top off a cute outfit. For more jewelry making ideas check out here and here.

4. Write a Novel: Brainstorm possible characters and settings for your story to take place. Leaning toward a mystery? An adventure on the high seas? Is the main character a male? Or maybe your family is the star of the show? Take turns writing the next chapter of the book. Once the story is finished, pop some popcorn and read the book out loud together to discover what happens to your characters. Click here if you need prompts for setting and creating characters. Allow your imagination to roam and have fun!

5. Themed Movie Night: Pick a flick and match the theme. For example, if you’re watching We Bought a Zoo eat animal crackers and create animal faced cupcakes using colored frosting and jelly beans for eyes. Have your guests dress up in their favorite animal print scarves and shoes. If you can’t decide on a movie, check out these sites based on movie budget, storyline, profit, and Rotten Tomato ratings: here and here.

As you start making memories, don’t forget to ask your loved ones what they want to do this summer. Your teen may be dreaming of one last family picnic on the beach or be yearning to redecorate his or her bedroom. Maybe your spouse or significant other is hoping to spend an evening counting shooting stars. Have every one pitch in to help make their summer dreams come true.

Take pictures of your summer adventures and post them on my facebook page or tag Margaret Feinberg on pinterest. I can’t wait to see what creative things you come up with to entertain your family, friends, and yourself this summer.

What wacky pizza concoction would you like to try?

I’ve visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. many times, but this Memorial Day weekend, we visited a much lesser known memorial: The National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire, New Mexico. While walking through the unusual design and museum I was wonderstruck both by they sacrifice of those who gave their lives and the depths of love and commitment of one couple who wanted to ensure those sacrifices were honored.

On May 22, 1968, Victor and Jeanne Westphal lost their son, David, in Vietnam. At the time, building a memorial to honor the veterans wasn’t popular. Jeanne suggested that the money from David’s life insurance policies be used to create a memorial—not just for their son but the fifteen men that died with him near ConThien, South Vietnam as well all the others whose lives were given in Vietnam.

The cost of the memorial exceeded the money from the insurance policy. The Westphalls owned Val Verde Ranch and planned on developing it as resort. Instead, they used the land—and sold off more than 95 percent of it—in order to build this site. Financial difficulties, apathy toward the war and their efforts, as well as harsh winter weather created challenges on every front.

On the third anniversary of David’s death, the first major memorial to honor veterans of the Vietnam War was dedicated. The construction helped inspire the establishment of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC which was completed more than ten years later.

Unlike so many large national memorials, this one feels incredibly personal. As I walked the through the museum, I was taken back but the unique photographs, images, and displays. Fellow veterans and their families donated many of the items. Each one held a powerful story. But the most impact-filled moment was catching glimpses of just how hard Dr. Westphal fought for his son and all the other sons lost in Vietnam.

If you’re ever traveling through Angel Fire, New Mexico (less than 45 minutes from Taos), make sure you stop to visit and find yourself wonderstruck by the power of love and sacrifice.

-G. K. Chesterton

Robison states that not only does God care, but happiness is a big part of His plan for our lives. He encourages readers to embrace everything God wants for them, including deep, overflowing gladness that does not depend on pleasant circumstances or emotional highs.

Just reading the title creates a challenge for me (and I’m sure for you, too). What does it mean that God desires happiness for me? Full of biblical wisdom and insight, this engaging new look at happiness challenges readers’ unexamined assumptions and opens new possibilities for them to rejoice in the Lord like never before.

To win a copy, simply post a comment on this blog post at www.margaretfeinberg.com. The winners will be selected on Friday!

What is the difference between happiness and joy? Is there one?

Jeniffer, Heather, Kelly, Jeannette, Heather, Jennifer, Carina, and Kirsten loved spending time together while pursuing the organic attributes of God. Jeannette’s chocolate lab, Hershey, was never too far away. (Great name choice!)

Consider using The Organic God in your Bible study, small group, or Sunday school this Summer. Check it out, here.

Starting June 11th, I will be posting weekly insights every week for six weeks as we go through The Organic God. Want to join us? Pick up your copy of The Organic God, here.

Do you have a photo to share? Want to make others laugh? Send your more funny than wrong pictures to Jessica(at)margaretfeinberg(dot)com.

Check out our More Funny than Wrong board at Pinterest here. You may find your next repin!

You may not have heard of my friend, Jenni Catron, but this is a gal you’re gonna be hearing more from. She’s the executive director of Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and oversees the ministry of the church’s five campuses. She is the founder of Cultivate Her, a community she’s building to connect, engage, and inspire women leaders. She teaches, leads, writes, and passionately shares the love of God.

Throughout this year, I want to introduce you to some of my friends. People whose voices I know, respect, and appreciate. Their words often challenge me in my thinking and faith. I hope they’ll challenge you, too. Enjoy!

“What you are doing is not good.”

Has anyone ever said that to you?

For a performance-based, people-pleaser like myself those words are painful, especially when they are told in love and they just happen to be true.

One of my favorite leadership lessons in the Bible is when Jethro evaluates Moses’ leadership:

Exodus 18:13-18 (NIV)

¹³ The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. ¹⁴ When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”

¹⁵ Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. ¹⁶ Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.

I wonder how Moses really felt when his father-in-law Jethro basically busted his chops for how he was leading?  Moses wasn’t replicating himself.  He was trying to lead and manage everything and he was wearing himself out and frustrating everyone else in the process.

I recently was in a similar place.  Quick growth and multiplying campuses put me in a situation where I was directly managing 11 other staff members.  Our lead Pastor, Pete Wilson had to gently say those words to me, “what you are doing is not good”.  Not only was it not good, it wasn’t healthy for our team and for the health of the church.  We had to make changes.

As ministry leaders, I think it’s very easy to find ourselves in the same position as Moses.  Notice how Moses answers Jethro’s question about why he was leading this way… he says, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will”.  Isn’t that why we all do what we do?  We desperately want to lead others in God’s will.

In Moses case, he had the benefit of the wise counsel of his father-in-law to give him a wake-up call before it was too late.  Unfortunately I don’t think we all have this wisdom spoken into our leadership soon enough.

As leaders we have to resist the temptation to be the hero and handle it all ourselves.  It’s critical for leaders to reevaluate their leadership structure at least once a year.  Are you trying to manage too much? How can you develop more leaders?  Who can you entrust with more?

As you read further in this passage in Exodus, Jethro gives Moses some great counsel on how to train and develop leaders.

²¹ But select capable men from all the people-men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain-and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. ²² Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. ²³ If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Did you notice that little caveat at the end “If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain.” Ministry leadership is tough.  There is no guarantee that the stress and strain will go away, but this passage makes it pretty clear that there are some things that we should do to develop others and spread the leadership responsibility out to our team of “capable men/women.”

Let me encourage you to consider how this applies to your circumstance.  What about what you are doing is not good?  Don’t allow unhealthy structure to get so out of control that you’ve exhausted yourself and frustrated everyone around you. You’re a better leader than that!

Check out Jenni Catron’s blog, here. Follow Jenni on Twitter, @JenniCatron. And stay tuned for her new book to release in 2013.

As I’ve been proofing Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God (from Worthy Publishing and Lifeway) and working on the accompanying Bible study, I’ve been wrestling with the issue of life-giving rest.

Sometime ago, someone asked me what activities made me feel the most rested and rejuvenated. I responded with a blank stare. I didn’t know. I worked for so long and for so hard I forgot what activities brought me joy-those that made me feel most alive. I know I’m not the only who has struggled in this area.

While grabbing lunch with my dear friend Leslie two weeks ago, she admitted she also struggled, not only to carve out the time, but even to remember the activities that rejuvenated her. With two kids, a demanding job, and an aging home that needs constant work, she and her husband find themselves crawling in bed exhausted most nights. Yet Leslie knows that give her best self to her husband, kids, and job, she needs to rediscover these life-giving activities and make time for them.

We all do.

When we make time for life-giving activities, we’re more sensitive to the nudges of the Holy Spirit and the grace God wants to pour in us and through us.

What are THREE activities that allow you to experience rest and rejuvenation in your soul?

When was the last time you engaged in those activities?

**Photo courtesy of here

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice”

-Meister Eckhart

**This beautiful photo was found here

Belfast, Ireland-based modern worship band Bluetree, whose acclaimed album, God Of This City, became one the best selling Christian recordings of 2009, was also nominated for a Dove Award for New Artist of the Year and received Worship Leader’s Readers’ Choice Awards for “Breakout Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” (”God Of This City”). In addition to recording, Aaron Boyd also released a book in 2010, God of This City: Greater Things Have Yet to Come (Regal).

“With the songs on Kingdom, we wanted to build up the church. We can see people released—and set free—from what they’re walking through because of what Jesus did,” Boyd shares. “At the end of the day, church shouldn’t be about agendas or flashy programs. If people aren’t encountering God, we’re missing the whole point, and church becomes just another social club. That’s why I’ve wanted to pour everything I have into the Body and say ‘God, here’s all I’ve got. Whatever you want to do, I’m here.’”

To win, simply post a comment ON THIS BLOG POST at www.margaretfeinberg.com. The winners will be selected on Friday.

Congratulations to this week’s winners: Graeme Livingstone, Paul, and Michelle! Thank you all for participating

What is your favorite worship song?