Here is a list of the most requested items by American soldiers around the world:

• Beef Jerky / Slim Jim’s
• Ground Coffee
• Instant Drink Mixes  (Crystal Light, Gatorade, Kool Aide)
• Protein Powders / Bars / Cliff Bars
• Baby Wipes
• Pumpkin Seeds / Sunflower Seeds
• AA & AAA Batteries
• Liquid Hand Sanitizer (travel size)

You can find out more on what to donate, AND WHERE, from the folks at Soldier’s Angels.

How does a Dad go about “validating” his children and helping them grow in maturity?

Read more from our friends at Homeword.

1. In a small bowl, combine equal parts warm water and sweetened cocoa powder.

2. Stir until it forms a smooth syrup.

3. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the syrup into an 8 oz. cup.

4. Add a shot (1 oz.) of espresso or double-strength, dark-roasted coffee. (To brew double-strength coffee, use 4 Tbsp. of ground coffee for every 6 oz. of water.)

5. Fill the rest of your cup with steamed milk. (If you don’t have a milk steamer, heat milk on the stove to between 140 and 160 degrees.)

6. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

Read more: Make a Starbucks Drink at Home – How to Make a Cafe Mocha – Marie Claire

A few of the top barriers to the faith?

• Religion and spirituality are seen as two separate entities, with spirituality much more common and widely accepted than religion, which was seen as structured and traditional.

• A majority of Australians are not active in practicing religion (e.g. weekly worship). Of those who identified as Christian, a majority rarely or never practise their religion on a regular basis.

• Family and parental upbringing is pivotal to shaping an individual’s religious view, with a significant number of Australians either choosing to continue with their familial beliefs, or completely move on and abandon the beliefs of their upbringing, now identifying as non-religious.

You can read the entire article by clicking on the link below. 

New Australian survey reveals top ten barriers to Christian faith

Leslie is heard regularly on our sister station, Faith 90.5 FM, in the Northland.  And online, around the world, at FaithRadioNet.

I’m happy to say that my daughter was recently married. As a mom, it was one of the best days of my life (another was the day we adopted her from Korea). I prayed that I would enjoy not only the actual wedding day, but also the weeks leading up to it. As a counselor, I’ve heard too many horror stories of family meltdowns while planning for the perfect wedding. So, my daughter and I made a pact that we weren’t going to let that happen. And, fortunately, the process turned out to be wonderful.

My daughter’s wedding reminded me how you and I have incredible power to make a problem situation better just by the way we handle it. Don’t get me wrong, we can’t make a bad relationship good by ourselves. But, we can make it better by the way we respond when things go wrong.

In light of this truth, consider two things you can do to improve any relationship difficulty, whether husband and wife, parent and child, pastor and parishioner, or neighbor-to-neighbor.

Be Teachable
Most of us don’t respond well to criticism, correction, or confrontation. Usually, we get defensive and argumentative. But, what would it be like if you listened respectfully when talking with someone about a problem, instead of reacting defensively? How might the outcome change if you showed interest in the other person’s perspective? 

When we’re teachable, we realize that we do not know it all or that we’re always right. We know that God has put certain people in our lives for a purpose, even if what they have to say to us is difficult to hear. For example, the Bible says, “Let a righteous man strike me – it is a kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it.” (Psalm 141:5)

Make Honest Confession
Relationships deteriorate because problems are often avoided, blamed, or denied. We all know we mess up. So, when you blow it, be honest, and admit it.

Recently, I doubled-booked myself for an appointment, and two people arrived at the same time. I decided to admit my mistake, ask for forgiveness, and reschedule one of them. Initially, I was tempted to shift blame to my office manager, but I believe honestly admitting mistakes actually builds trust.

Sadly, many of us refuse to admit our mistakes or confess wrongdoing. Instead, we wait for the other person to do it first. We further damage our relationships by erecting walls of stubborn silence, pride, and shame. So, rather than honest confession, we make excuses. But, the result of our stubbornness is more brokenness and more separation.

Ask yourself if you need to tell someone, “I’m sorry…I was wrong.” What relationship might be healed if those words were said in a genuine way? Consider the freedom and trust that you could enjoy by taking that step today.

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Recently we had an opportunity to work with our friends at Northland Minnesota Teen Challenge to provide a resource library of Biblical teaching materials.  The library included items from misnitries like Focus on the Family, Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll, New Life Live, Pastor John McArthur and more.  You may remember this was a project we brought to you, our supporting friends, during our Fall Pledge Drive last October.  We were able to get everything together and made our donation, on your behalf, during our Year-End Pledge Drive!

Pictured below is the gift basket, along with Life 97.3 Station Manager Scott Michaels, and Northland Minnesota Teen Challenge Center Director Paul Harkness.