NEW BEGINNINGS - A HOME FOR MOTHERS
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  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Do You Need a New Beginning?
    • Baby Boutique Programs
    • Community Resources >
      • Medical
      • Education
      • Parenting
      • Financial
      • Housing
      • Legal & Mental Health
      • Food Pantry
    • Testimonials
  • Donate Now
    • One-Time Donation
    • Recurring Donation
    • Gift Catalog
    • Material Donations >
      • Target Registry
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Wish List
    • Merch
  • Getting Involved
    • Career Opportunities
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Time Log
    • Internships >
      • Resident Supervisor
      • Media Design Internship
      • Film Production Internship
      • Resident Support Internship
      • Marketing Internship
      • Social Media Internship
      • Customized Internship
    • Events >
      • Ministry Presentations
    • Change for Life Program
  • About Us
    • Virtual Tour
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • History
    • Newsletter >
      • Archive
      • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Heart Campaign

The Golden Rule

4/13/2018

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​When I was a child, I would watch Sesame Street with my sisters and I always remember a specific episode.  Oscar the Grouch was trying to learn to be nice to one of the other people on the show.  He heard the Golden Rule and decided that he was going to treat that other person the way he wanted to be treated.  Can you guess what happens?  He took a truckload of garbage and dumped it right onto the other person!  That’s not exactly what the Golden Rule means.  His heart was in the right place but he did not consider the other person’s likes and interests.  Silly Oscar!
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​In church, I learned that God wants us to love everybody.  We are to show that love by giving respect; just like how we would want to be treated.  That is the same rule that Oscar the Grouch was learning, but this concept was more than just a child’s television show.  It was backed up with lessons and examples in the Bible that show we are to love our neighbor as our self.  Peter writes in his letter to Christians, “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” – 1 Peter 2:17
As I child, I understood the concept of respect but didn’t know the actual word for word meaning.  I thought that everybody understood what respect meant but, since working at New Beginnings, I realize how wrong I was!  Some of the mothers who come into New Beginnings, view respect as, “You aren’t giving me what I want, and therefore, you are not respecting me!”  My favorite false idea of respect is “I will respect you as long as you respect me and do as I want.”  The two play hand in hand.  I then realized just how blessed I was to have the strong Christian upbringing that I had along with the guidance of my parents who taught me to respect others. 
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​So, what is respect?  In the dictionary it has a few different meanings but I found two that really seem to nail down the definition.  
​Respect: due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others
               : agree to recognize and abide by rules or laws
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​That is the letter of the law so to speak but that doesn’t cover it all.  In the Bible, God covers respect in a wider spectrum of Love, Honor, and Obedience.  God says in Leviticus 19:3 “Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths.  I am the Lord your God.”  He also tells us in Leviticus 19:32 “Sand up in the presence of the ages, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.  I am the Lord.”
​This is the love and respect we give the mothers who come to us looking for a new beginning.  We strive to help them accomplish their goals and grow closer to God through His Word.  We help teach them what God has to say about respect for not only others but for themselves.  I quickly found out that not everybody grew up being respected by others and therefore don’t know how to respect themselves as an adult.  Through daily instruction in God’s Word, we learn together the love that He has for us, and how He sent His Son to die for us.  What a blessed message to share with the mothers and their little ones!
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them.
​– Luke 1:6
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.
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New Beginnings Family

1/24/2018

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​“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  Have you heard this quote before?  Do you believe this?  I often forget the first impressions.  I don’t even remember how I meet people sometimes.  I’m not alone.  I asked coworkers and friends what their first impression of me was.  Some said that they don’t remember. I have gotten a variety of other answers ranging from quiet, to forward and fun. I asked a couple of the residents at New Beginnings what their first impression of the program here.  Letisha said that when she looked up our website, she was amazed at how great the program sounded.  As she got here from Florida, she thought that the fact that we do so much to help the mothers and that we allow them to stay so long was fantastic.  Nayari said that she felt that everybody was a little too nice and that the program was a little too much.
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​Do your impressions change as you get to know someone?  Most often, it is the second or third interaction that help us form an opinion of who some one is.  I had asked Letisha if her impression of the program at New Beginnings was any different once she started in the program.  She honestly said that nothing had changed and that if anything, it had just gotten better and Nayari said that she started to feel more comfortable with the residents and staff.  Nayari also said that the program got easier as she started getting into it and that New Beginnings isn't just a program, but a family that eats together and talks together also.

​So, when does a good relationship actually start?  It slowly develops over time through trust and commitment.  We all have friends, and even friends that we consider family.  These are the people who will take us through our good days, bad days, and accept and love us as if they were family.  That is our goal with the mothers who come into the New Beginnings' program.  There is a reason why we call it the New Beginnings Family.  Letisha has been here over a year and she has developed a great relationship with New Beginnings.  She has a good relationship with staff and has proved herself as a positive mentor with the other residents.  When I asked her what she thinks of New Beginnings now that she has been here that long and become a Phase 2 resident, she said that it is everything that she wanted and needed and that she "will have something to say if anybody talks bad about New Beginnings."  Nayari, who has been here over two months said that she now thinks "that the staff is very supportive and they push us (in a loving way) to do better in life and get goals completed so we can be set for life, our future, and our kids."
So what drives us?  How do we build that relationship and trust?  Is it our doing?  No!  It is to God's Glory that we help these mothers and their children.  It was He who commanded us in His Word.  "We love because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19  "Share with the Lord's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality." - Romans 12:13  God also tells us "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2  This is what drives us and through His Grace, we can help these young women grow closer to Him. First impressions sometimes are not always how they initially seem, but overtime can develop into something beyond what we can imagine!
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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The Value Of A Volunteer

12/21/2017

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​“You are looking for volunteers?  Who has the time for that?!”  “I wish I could.  I just can’t find the time.”  “You are too far away”  “I don’t have the right skills.”  “I like what you guys do, I just can’t help with it.”
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​Do these sound familiar?  Our busy lives keep us on the move.  We go here and there getting things done.  We are working, cooking, cleaning, watching the grandkids, or still running our own children to practices and games.  What if you were the key to just one mother’s success in the New Beginnings program?  Would you find time then?  How much would that be worth to you if you could help change that one life?   Just that one bit of knowledge that you could share or that one shift that you could cover once a month could make all the difference in the world.
​We have many different volunteers here at New Beginnings.  Some volunteers come in only one time for a school project.  Some come in to help with special projects.  Still others come in once a year to do a Group Night activity.  We do have a great group of volunteers who come in and three of them are very dedicated. I would like to take the time to give them a huge "Thank You" and share a little of who they are.
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​​First, we have Julie.  Julie has been with us a long time and comes in about twice a month to have dinner and devotion with our mothers and babies here.  The residents absolutely love having her here and she loves to come in and share God’s Word with them.



​​Another faithful volunteer is Quinna.  She is a nursing student at Wisconsin Lutheran College and has been such a blessing!  While attending school, she comes in to help as often as she can.  Originally, it was just once a week but she has come in more to help cover staff hours, have dinner and devotion with the residents, and even comes in to do special projects.
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​​Last but not least, we have another Julie!  Julie has such a beautiful skill set.  She comes in to help cover staff hours and she has been blessed with a wonderful gift to decorate.  Julie is in charge of our Boutique but has expanded her skills to holiday decorating and organizing.

We have plenty of other volunteers that I would like to mention but we also have plenty of volunteer opportunities if you would like to help make that difference for a mother and her baby.  For more information on volunteer opportunities, click here. 
If you would like to sign up to help out, please click the button below and make a difference in somebody's life.
Sign Up
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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Complaining vs. Rejoicing

10/4/2017

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​“Don’t you get tired of complaining?”  How many times has this run through your head when listening to a friend or coworker?  For those moms who work or go to school outside the home and then take care of the house and family, you might be listening to complaining all day.  How easy is it to follow suit when you are surrounded by it from morning until night?
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​Everybody seems to have some reason to complain today.  You might have a coworker who comes to you saying that the extra hours are unfair, the workload is too much, or their salary isn’t enough.  You go home and listen to the kids complaining about school or how they don’t like the dinner that you made.  You turn on the evening news and it is more bad reports and people complaining and protesting the latest issue.  Even at church, sometimes there is grumbling or complaining that the new color of paint is too distracting or the pastor isn’t just exactly to your liking.
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The mothers here at New Beginnings are no exception.  There have been many complaints about different aspects of our program and house rules.  It breaks your heart to hear them talk about how their family gave them up or didn’t want them around so they went from house to house or the abuse that happened at home.  Lack of personal transportation seems to be another common complaint.  It is difficult to haul a stroller with baby, diaper bag, purse, and groceries onto a city bus every time you need to run out. 

​What does God tell us about complaining though?  In James 5:9 we are told “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged.  The Judge is standing at the door!”  Paul tells the church in Ephesus “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”- Ephesians 4:29.  
​So what should we be doing? REJOICING!  We should rejoice in what God has given us.  The worker complaining should be rejoicing that they have a job and the ability to work.  The child that complains about the food or school should rejoice to have food on their plate and an education to help them. The parents should rejoice in the blessing of having children.  So many times, others do without.  Do you not like your church?  What is there to complain about?  Rejoice that you have a safe place to go and hear God’s true Word.  The other stuff is temporary.  God’s Word is eternal.
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The mothers here at New Beginnings have had rougher lives and have seen the hardships that many of us have not.  They, too, have reason to rejoice.  The complaints about the program should be rejoicing that there is a safe place to help them get on their feet and share God’s Word with them.  No matter what their complaints are about their families, they can rejoice in knowing that they are part of the New Beginnings family and are children of God.  Hauling a baby on a bus to get groceries can be a struggle but they can rejoice that they have been blessed with a child, have money to buy food, and a safe place to store and prepare the food they have been blessed with.
How do we know that we should be rejoicing?  Romans 5:3 says “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;”.  We are also told in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”  This last one is one to truly live by.  “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
As a final thought, I would like to share with you Romans 15:13 as my prayer for you as you continue to follow Him.
 
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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Helping Others

7/14/2017

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In my youth, a wise man told me that he found the secret to life.  He knew why we were here on earth and what our purpose is.  Of course, this was not just his imagination or crazy rambling.  He held up the Bible and calmly said that God tells us in His Word what our purpose is.  This man told me that our purpose is to Come to Faith, Grow in Faith, and Share the Faith. This is most certainly true of what we find God telling us to do in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).  There was one more item that many of us forget to do…Live the Faith (Matthew 5:7).
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​What??  We not only have to believe in God, grow in our knowledge of Him, share His Word with others, but now we have to live our lives according to His Will?  
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Think of it this way: Without telling others what your faith is, would they know that you are a Christian just by watching your actions?  How about your bank?  Would they know?  Would your records show just shopping sprees, bill payments, and groceries or would there also be donations to your church, food pantries, or other nonprofits?  Would your neighbors know that you are Christian even if you never speak?  Would they see your car pulling out of the driveway every Sunday morning with you in your Sunday best?  Would your friends see you acting like a follower of Christ or would they see just another person of the world?  If you are not sure if people can see that you are a Christian or not, perhaps you should re-evaluate if you are truly Living the Faith.

​How can you live the faith?  Well, besides some of the things that I mentioned above, God tells us another way to show that we are His children.  There are many times throughout His Word that he tells us to help others.  Here are some examples:
 
Deuteronomy 15:11 – There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
 
Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way your will fulfill the law of Christ.
 
Hebrews 6:10 – God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
 
John 15:12 – My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
 
Luke 6:38 – Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
 
Proverbs 19:17 – Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
 
James 2:14-17 – What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
​My question for you:  What have you done to help those in need?  Did you help your friend move or did you find a way out?  Did you stop by your neighbor’s house to help shovel their driveway when you knew they struggle in their old age?  Have you given of your time and talents?
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If you feel that the Holy Spirit is moving you to do more, step it up and help out.  Did you know that even a $10 donation can help a mother in need?  Why not just send in the $10?  You can do it by clicking the link below.  It can do a world of good to help another person and you can continue to LIVE THE FAITH!
Help a Mother and Baby Here
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​Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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Depression and New Beginnings

6/12/2017

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​Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go right?  First, you get a flat tire on the way to work.  Once you are late to work, your boss starts demanding that you get that project in today even though you were suppose to have another week to work on it.  You stop at the store after work because you remembered you were out of milk just to realize, after you got home, that you were out of butter too.  You make dinner for the family just to have them turn their nose up at it and all you want to do is cry.  
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​What do you do?  Some will take a walk while others will sit and have a glass of wine.  What about that small bit of ice cream in the freezer?  No matter what your coping mechanism might be, you were given the skills to take that break and pull yourself back up.  You might have family or friends who you can talk to and help you work through the pain and sadness.  You pray, hope, and look for a better tomorrow.

​What if you didn’t have the skills it takes to cope with your bad day?  What if you didn’t have a strong enough faith to go to God for help?  What if you didn’t have a fridge or freezer to keep that little bit of ice cream or you don’t have the family or friend support to help you work through your problems?  What happens then?  Many people fall into depression.  The hurt and abuse of their past along with the struggle of their today does not bring much hope for tomorrow.
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​Did you know that many of the young women who apply and are accepted into New Beginnings admit to be suffering from depression?  They have seen no hope for a brighter future for themselves or their babies.  A kindness from some one only brings a temporary relief from the sadness and struggle.  Did you notice that after a bad day, you are not as productive as you usually would be?  Maybe you don’t sleep as much or you hurt a bit.  For those who suffer from depression, this is an everyday bad day.  Every day it is a struggle to do the simplest of tasks.  When it is really bad, even getting showered and dressed is a task that proves to be too complicated so to ask them to go out and work, would be asking the impossible.  The feelings of worthlessness and sadness just increase after not being productive.  Its an endless cycle.
​New Beginnings hopes to change that cycle for those moms and create that new beginning that those young women so desperately need.  We help teach coping skills and give the resources that they need not only physically but also spiritually.  With every success comes new hope and the chance of a brighter future.  Of course, this is not an overnight success story.  Sometimes, it can take a few months and sometimes it can take years.  Just as every person is different, every background story and recovery is different.
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In this blog I talk mainly about depression due to circumstance and situation.  Of course, there are other reasons for depression and by no means am I trying to overlook or ignore them.  Sometimes it is really a chemical imbalance and your mind is wired different and therefore experience depression.  In this case, seeking out a professional who will be able to treat you effectively would be the way to go.  Another form of depression that we might see a lot at New Beginnings would be postpartum depression.  This is very common in new mothers as there are so many changes happening not only in a woman's environment but also in her body.  For more information, resources, and tips and tricks to help combat these baby blues, check out the website below by clicking on the button called "Baby Blues".  This article was written by Jackie Edwards who had gone through her own baby blues and found ways to help through research and learning.  Take a peek and learn some strategies to help yourself and others you love who may be going through it.
Baby Blues
Thank you to all who continue to support New Beginnings and give these women hope and a promising future.
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​Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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A Baby's Cry

5/10/2017

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​There is so much to be said about a baby’s cry.  It can mean so much!  To one person it is joy and to another person it could be like nails on a chalkboard.  Different cries mean different things too, depending on what the baby needs and how old the baby is.  A newborn cry is much sweeter than an 11 month old who still refuses to sleep through the night.
​To a couple who have been married and trying for years,  a baby’s cry is an answer to their prayers.  God waited until the perfect time to bless them and they had the opportunity to plan for the baby, decorate the nursery, and buy diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, bottles, and everything else they could need.  We all know that one couple.  You prayed for them and when that moment finally happened, it was time to celebrate.  God has answered their prayers and has blessed them richly.
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​Now, to a single mother who has been living on the streets or has come through a troubled past, a baby’s cry might mean something completely different.  That cry might mean stress, trouble, worry, and doubt.  That mother struggles every day just to survive with next to nothing and now she not only has to provide for herself but also for a hungry baby who requires extra care and items that she can’t afford to buy.  Same blessing; different perspective.
​Where does New Beginnings fit in to this?  Well, take that single, struggling mother and give her a safe place where she can lay down at night with her baby and know that those few possessions she has, won’t get robbed from her.  Give her love and support.  Guide her toward resources for food and education.  Give her diapers, wipes, towels and blankets for her baby.  Teach her about God’s love for her and her child.  All of a sudden that cry doesn’t mean the same thing.  It might mean hope and a future now.  It might mean that they can now pass that love onto their child.  With a warm place to live and baby’s needs taken care of, the focus of the mother goes from Survive to Thrive.
​What does a Baby’s Cry mean to you?  Leave a comment below and tell us about a baby’s cry and how you can help the mothers here at New Beginnings see the miracle in a baby’s cry.
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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A Year of Blessings

1/2/2017

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​It is the beginning of a new year!  It is a year to start over, start fresh, and have a new beginning.  Many people make New Year’s resolutions to achieve something that they want that they don’t already have.  Your new year’s promise to yourself could be to stop smoking, lose some weight, finally get those bills paid, take that trip that you have putting off, or many other things that you want to achieve in the coming year.
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​While setting goals for ourselves is good and healthy to do, we shouldn’t lose sight of the things that we already have.  God has blessed each and every one of us richly but sometimes we are so focused on what is to come, we fail to see what we already have.
​We’ll start with the most obvious blessing that we have here at New Beginnings and that many of you have at home: Children!  God tells us in Psalm 127:3 “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.”  We know that children are blessings given to us from the Lord, but most parents that I know (myself included) have fallen guilty of being ungrateful for these blessings, even if it is just temporary.  When we start to think of all the cost, running around, laundry, dirty dishes, messes, homework struggles, cooking, and all the other things that take up our time and energy, we lose sight of what God has given us.  Let’s remember what a blessing our Children are this year!
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​How about our parents?  What a pain!  Always calling us and asking us what’s going on in the middle of our busy schedule.  We have to go over to their house yet again to fix something or help with the yard work when we already have so much of our own stuff to do.  We are told in Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord God is giving you.”  Do you remember all the things in the last paragraph that you are doing for your children?  Your parents did that for you!  Even now, they still help guide us and help us whenever we may ask.  Let’s remember what a blessing our Parents are this year!
​Troubles and trials are the last thing that many of us think about as a blessing.  Who wants all that hardship and struggle after all?  The Bible clearly tells us that these too are blessings to be counted.  In Romans 5:3-5 it says “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  Let’s remember what a blessing our Trials are this year!
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​Do you have any blessings or thoughts that you would like to share with us?  Comment in the section below to tell us what God has blessed you with this year.
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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The Reason For The Hope That We Have

11/14/2016

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​What sets Christians apart from the world?  Why do we have the hope that we have?  We put so much of our faith and trust in God…but why?  In Peter’s letter to the church in Rome he writes:

​“But in your heats revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect,
” - 1 Peter 3:15
​So, what is hope?  According to dictionary.com it is: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best
This means that we trust God will take care of us and that everything (whether good or bad) will work out for what is best for us.  Note that it will work out for what is best for us, not necessarily how we want it to work out.  Once again, why do we have this hope in God?
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The answer is right at our fingertips.  We have access to Bibles at home, church, and scripture on the internet.  Most of the time we can access God’s Word right on our smart phones.  It is amazing how quickly we can read what God promises to us and yet how little we view God’s Word on a daily basis.  Could you imagine scrolling through God’s Word and reading what He is saying to us as often as we scroll through our Facebook feed?  I am blessed in my job here at New Beginnings because I get the chance to read and teach God’s Word on a daily basis.  Here is what I found and why I put my hope in Him:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:31

The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. – Psalm 121:7-8


Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. –Matthew 11:28

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. - Romans 8:25


​I could go on and on about what the Lord promises to us.  There are definitely more in the Holy Scriptures that I could share with you.  As you can see, we are promised that He will take care of us.
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​Why will God take care of us?  How do we know this is truth?  The answers are quite simple. God is love.  God loves us.  He always has.  We call Him “Father” and we are His children.  For those of you who are parents, you know the kind of love that you have for your own children and how fierce that love is.  Now imagine what kind of love our perfect Father has for us.  As parents, we pretty much think we know what is best for our children.  God always knows what is best for His children.  All of them.  All the time.
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​Here at New Beginnings, some of the mothers are just learning about God’s (Agape) love for them and what His plans are for them and their babies.  Daily devotions, weekly Bible Studies and weekly church services are all ways in which we help our young moms grow to know God’s love for them and they slowly, through the Holy Spirit, learn to put their trust and hope in Him.
​Please use the comment section to share your own stories about how you have seen God’s hand in your life and why you put your hope in Him.
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Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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God’s Plan

7/6/2016

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Do you know anybody who had their life turn out exactly as they had planned?  Did you know that this is where you were going to be in your life?  Do you make the salary that you had dreamed of?  How about the picture perfect family with the house with the picket fence?  Are you doing the job that you had always wanted to do?  Are you living where you had always planned?  After you stop to look at some of the things that has happened that you had not planned on, you realize more and more that you are not in control.  God is!
​Throughout the Bible, you will find examples of how plans didn’t work out for people but it worked out according to God’s Plan.  The story of Joseph comes to mind.  His brothers were jealous and decided to get rid of Joseph.  It was sin that drove them to do this but God made it work out for good.  Just look at all the people that Joseph was able to save from the famine!  Look at everything that happened to Joseph that was all according to God’s Plan.
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​How about Mary?  She was planning on getting married, having a family, and living her life.  What a change of plans!  God changed those plans for her to conceive through the Holy Spirit and give birth to God’s Son.  What amazing faith she showed by just accepting what God had planned for her!  She truly trusted in God’s wisdom and His Plan.
​Our moms here at New Beginnings had plans too.  They were perhaps planning on continuing the struggle to support themselves, to find yet another shelter who would take them in, or perhaps they had no plan at all and was just living day to day in an effort to survive.  What a wonderful thing that God’s Plan brought them to New Beginnings!  Each mother now has a safe and stable place to have her baby.  They learn new skills and hear God’s Word daily.  The mothers here are gaining an education to get a degree and will then be able to find a job to be able to support themselves.  I’m sure that being a young, single mom with no place to go was not in their plans but according to God’s Plan, it brought them here to make a New Beginning.
​How has God changed your plans?  In the comments section below, let me know how God has led you to where you are now?
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​Christina Pritzlaff is married with two children. She has completed Early Childhood 1 & 2 classes, Infant Toddler classes, and completed the coursework for her Associates degree in Child Development. Christina splits her time between spending time with her family and working at New Beginnings. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her children, camping, fishing, reading, and doing counted cross-stitch.

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