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Precept Ministries in Valparaiso, Indiana

A new Ladies Precept upon Precept Bible Study will be starting in Valparaiso, Indiana! The class will be held on Wednesdays starting on June 9, 2010. There is even a choice of times to attend since there will be 2 classes over the same material each Wednesday at 9:15 AM and 6:30 PM. Pick the time that is most convenient with your schedule and join us.

Everyone is invited and bring a friend along with you if you'd like. The Precept Bible Study will be held at Evelyn Bay Coffee Company located at 3800 North Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso, Indiana. Come by, grab your cup of coffee and a bagel, and join us for an inductive Bible Study through the book of Matthew! I look forward to seeing you there.

For more information, please call Faith Evangelical Bible Church at 219-464-8418. You can also find us on Facebook: Precept Ministries in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The Old Jail Museum in Valparaiso, Indiana is one place to take your kids to visit as you plan fun adventures for the spring and summer.

The Old Jail and Sheriff's residence are named in the National Registry of Historic Places and all the period furniture and exhibits belong to the Historical Society of Porter County. The Old Jail Museum is open to the public on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 1 - 5 PM and its FREE! Donations are accepted and are used to support the museum.

Group and educational tours are available if scheduled in advance by calling 219-465-3595. Located next to the Memorial Opera House at 153 Franklin (across from the courthouse), the Old Jail Museum is just another fun and interesting place to visit in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana.

A nontraditional new tradition is what we seem to have started in my family. Holidays tend to be very different for us. Since we live in a different state than any other extended family, we are not always able to get together on those special holidays like Easter.

Another factor for us is that Mark, my husband, is often away for holidays because of his job. So we adjust each time. For some holidays, we just decide to celebrate on another day when we are all home together.

On other holidays such as today, we sometimes decide to go out to eat instead of cooking a huge meal just for 2 or 3 of us. So where do we to? This is what has become our nontraditional new tradition - and it is Japanese food. Yes, we went out for Japanese food today and enjoyed it immensely. We also realized that this seems to have become our new unplanned tradition.

Today it was Fuji Japanese Restaurant in Portage, Indiana. Good food, great service, quiet, and nothing to clean up afterward. Not a bad deal at all for me! If you are looking for some great Japanese food in Northwest Indiana, give Fuji Japanese Restaurant at 5942 US 6 in Portage, IN.

Easter Egg Hunt in downtown Chesterton, Indiana

Don't miss it!

Who doesn't enjoy an Easter Egg Hunt? That's one of the many fun things we used to look forward to when my daughter was young.

If you are anywhere near Chesterton, Indiana on Saturday, April 3, 2010 at 10:00 AM, then stop at Thomas Centennial Park. That's when the fun begins. Yes, an Easter Egg Hunt. It FREE for kids 0 - 12 years of age. So if you claim to be 29 (like me) you are out of luck. Actually for the really little kids, the Easter Egg Hunt will start at 9:50 AM, so get them there a bit early.

Don't forget to be at the Thomas Centennial Park in downtown Chesterton, Indiana on Saturday, April 3rd. Afterward, stay around and stroll through downtown for awhile.

Have a fantastic Easter weekend everyone!

Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana - Much More Than Just a Building!

The Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana has an interesting history! Built by the Grand Army of the Republic in 1893, the 363 seat building is still in use today as a stage for live theatre.

Over the years, Memorial Opera House has been used for weddings, concerts, public meetings, funerals, school plays, and graduations. There are even some famous names tied to the Memorial Opera House. In 1898, the "March King" himself, John Philip Sousa, led a concert at the Opera House. During vaudeville, the Marx Brothers also performed on the Memorial Opera House stage in 1919.

Do you remember Beulah Bondi, the actress who played Jimmy Stewart's mother in the movies "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" and "It's a Wonderful Life"? Well, she was a native of Valparaiso, Indiana and got her start in a performance of "Little Lord Fauntleroy" on the stage of the Memorial Opera House!

The best part of this entire story is that the Memorial Opera House is still alive and thriving today with performances throughout the year. During the month of April, you can catch Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". In you happen to be in the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area at anytime, stop by downtown Valparaiso, Indianafor a live theatre perfomance at the Memorial Opera House at 104 Indiana Ave.