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Just Be
I recently read a letter C.S. Lewis wrote to a woman answering her question of why God wants us. In the brief letter, he explained God didn’t want us “for anything,” but rather He just wanted us. As I read those few, brief words, excitement and conviction filled my soul. Excitement, because they reminded me of God’s love for us. Yes, God may have a purpose for our lives, but He didn’t redeem us for what we can do for Him. He redeemed us out of His pure mercy, grace, and love. He knew there was no way anyone could live a perfect life, so He sent His Son, Jesus…
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Letters to Me
What is my responsibility to the church as a member of the body of Christ? Am I fulfilling those responsibilities? These are just a couple of questions I asked myself while reading Francis Chan’s Letters to the Church. In it, he compares the church in the Bible to the church of today. He also compares modern day churches in America to other churches around the world. He is careful to point out his motivation for writing this book. It is not to condemn, but to rather encourage the members of the body of Christ to reflect upon their own role in the Church and to seek guidance in areas to…
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Sufficient Grace
In life, we will all experience times when we become burdened or overloaded by numerous or difficult circumstances. Sometimes, those circumstances are small and brief, like preparing for your campus Science Fair while launching a new side business and helping your kids plan school projects. Other times, it is one large event that knocks us to the ground and shakes us to the core, like the death of a loved one. Three and a half years ago, my Mom passed away. The months that followed were busy as I helped my Dad. I sort of became his personal assistant. I made phone calls for him, helped him clean out his…
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One of the Scariest Verses in the Bible
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New Year, New Goals
This is the time of year many people make resolutions, set goals, and choose their word for the year. I admit, I am one of those people, although I really don’t make resolutions anymore because I usually fail within the first week. Instead, I’ve learned to set goals for the year, not all to be accomplished at once, but rather throughout the year. Some goals require daily persistence, while others not so much. All of the goals require discipline, which is my “Word for the Year” (actually, it’s one of three, but I’ll cover the other two in another post). I’ve set goals before, but within a month or two,…
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Simplifying the Juggling Act
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Pruning the Heart
If you want a prayer answered quickly, then ask the LORD to show you your heart, that is, to reveal any hidden sins, false beliefs, unbelief, impurity, and so on. He is more than willing to answer that prayer quickly. I’ve prayed this prayer a few times in my life, and it’s always answered. In fact, I’m currently experiencing this now. To say this week has been a bit tough spiritually is an understatement. I’ve been shown through various ways how I could love others better, pray for loved ones more, trust in the LORD wholeheartedly, and give generously without fear. So, why do this? Why pray for God to…
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Grief for the Holidays
Three years ago I faced my first Christmas without my mom. She had passed away six months prior, so I was still in what I call my “year of firsts” – first celebration of my kids’ birthdays, first Thanksgiving, and now first Christmas. I will admit Thanksgiving wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be because we hadn’t spent it with her for the past two or three years. So this particular Thanksgiving, living happily in the land of denial, I was able to pretend all was okay. It wasn’t until a couple of days later, when we started decorating for Christmas, that reality and grief knocked me back…
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And Mightily, He Did Appear
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Love One Another
I posted the following on my personal Facebook page after our visit to the Holocaust Museum. When I wrote it, I knew it wasn’t thought out well enough for a blog post, but at the same time I needed to write what I was thinking and feeling as it was such an emotional experience. Here is the original post with additional thoughts added after it: Today, my kids and I visited the Holocaust Museum. To say it was emotional would be an understatement. As I listened to the timeline of events of the Holocaust and to the recorded stories of the survivors, one thought kept echoing in my head –…
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Renewal
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2, ESV) Thoughts are powerful. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” The term “heart” in this verse comes from the Hebrew word “Leb” and it means “inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.” (Strong’s Concordance). Basically, how we think will determine how we live this life. In Romans 12, Paul urges us to renew our minds in order to be transformed, no longer following the ways of the world. If you notice, the sentence is written more as a command (an imperative). Paul…
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Memorize, Memorize, Memorize
As a child, I memorized numerous Bible verses. Not necessarily because I wanted to, but because I had to, whether it was for homework or a Bible study. What I’ve noticed though, all these years later, is that when I’m dealing with one of life’s various trials, or when I’m praying, or when I’m speaking with a friend, one of these verses from childhood resurfaces back to my memory. Decades may have passed since I read the verse or even thought about it, but there it is, fresh in my mind as if I read the verse yesterday. This is why I’ve challenged myself to memorize even more Scriptures. His…
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What I’m Listening To: August Edition
Here is what has been on replay quite frequently this month. I hope you enjoy the selections! The Greatest Showman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack): I liked the movie, but I love the music more. It’s music is mostly upbeat and uplifting. My daughter and I put this on and turn it up loud when driving around town. My favorite tunes are The Greatest Show, Come Alive, and From Now On. The String Club by Seeker and Servant: This is my first album by Seeker and Servant and I’m so glad I downloaded it. The lyrics are thought-provoking and worshipful. I play this when I’m running errands, planning lesson plans, or during my down times when…
