Good News for April 5 (posted by Mary Beth)

The key to spending less: Write it all down

"I now carry a stack of tiny, cream-yellow Post-It notes in my wallet. Every credit and debit card I own now has a Post-It affixed to the front; on the left side I enter a date, and the right side how much I spend and the reason. I even bought a mini clip pen to carry in my billfold so I'd never be without a writing tool (or an excuse) to track my purchases."

Click here for more on how one person copes with a recession.



Jewels of the road: It's not all unremitting asphalt from Boston to Virginia - there are bits of glitter to glean

"So the recession has clipped your wings, and you're planning on driving south for April vacation instead of flying. Good idea.

Unfortunately, to go south from here, you have to travel an awful stretch of featureless interstate, bland roadside service areas, and forgettable stopovers in perfunctory cookie-cutter hotels. It's bad enough if you are an adventurous couple with a thing for road trips. But with a carful of antsy kids, it can be excruciating."

Find out how to avoid the bland and find the gems. Click here.


Spring Holiday Recipes to Enjoy - whether you're cooking for Passover or for Easter

Special occasions call for special dishes. If you're planning a holiday meal, check out these delightful recipes for Spring favorites.

Click here to start cooking!


Texts work with rival Web: Medical bookstore keeps a hold on customers in a digital age

"In the age of Amazon.com, it’s hard being a family-owned bookstore. But Majors Books has managed to survive for a century by offering special services to its customers, opening the store to events and adapting to the online world.

It resembles a model that the American Booksellers Association believes other independent bookstores should follow if they want to survive in this digital age of Kindles and iPods, where books can be purchased and downloaded in seconds."

Read about how Majors Books is bucking the trend. Click here.


Obama’s promise to increase U.S. aid for agricultural development a victory for the poor, says World Vision

"International relief organization World Vision welcomes President Obama's announcement at the G-20 summit that he intends to double U.S. assistance for global agricultural productivity and rural development. President Obama also called for a comprehensive food security strategy to alleviate chronic hunger that affects one-sixth of the world’s population."

Click here for the rest of this hopeful announcement.


He Talked to Us on the Road: The surprising rewards of Christian travel

"Less than a decade ago, one could find several books combining travel and Eastern religions, along with scads of interfaith volumes on 'looking for God in America.' But only in the last few years have Christian publishers such as InterVarsity Press and Lion Hudson jumped in with titles on uniquely evangelical pilgrimages. Treks to historically Protestant pilgrimage sites like Iona, Scotland, and Taizé, France, are booming, while evangelicals throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, see their continent's growing interest in pilgrimage as a missional opportunity and a sign that their neighbors' hunger for God is gnawing away at them."

Find more reasons to take a pilgrimage by clicking here.


Make Good Friday and Easter Spiritually Meaningful and Memorable for Your Children

"For Christians, the upcoming Holy Week is an important time to pause and reflect on all that Christ has done on our behalf. It’s also filled with many teachable moments as you explain to your children the significance of Good Friday and Easter. How crucial it is for our kids to know that these holy days are about much more than chocolate, the Easter Bunny and jelly beans!"

Click here for ideas from Awana about teaching your children why we celebrate Easter.