Misc

Discipline: Turning Want-Tos into To-Dos

“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the…
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Draw Near to God

“Even the sparrow has found a home; and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” (Psalm 84:3 NIV) A mama robin has set up shop in our backyard. Her nest balances on a thin rail of our patio…
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Weddings, Willingness, and Wine

We’ll attend three weddings this summer. Three. Children of friends and friends of our children. I can’t wait. Jesus attended weddings too, and I found a lesson in one such scene. One in how to define obedience. At the wedding in Cana, Mom Mary nudges Jesus to take action when the wine runs out. You…
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Spilled

Mary and Judas. Very different these two, but you wouldn’t know how different until the crucifixion was at hand. That’s when it all spilled. “Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus…
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Targets: Sharpening Your Focus on God

At what target are you aiming? Being a better person? Controlling your temper? Reading your Bible more? Prayer? All worthy goals, but have you linked them to the most important goal of all? “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with…
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Rooted

Yard work. Spring has sprung, and so have the weeds. My husband does most of the yard work, but one thing falls to me. The flower beds. I love to garden, but I hate weeds. Hate them. When I finally make it outside for my semi-annual weed pulling, two kinds of weeds stand out. The…
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God and The Box: Taking Risks

I’ve always considered myself someone unafraid to take risks. Like Peter. Walk on water with Jesus? Bring it. But today a friend caught me in more of a Moses moment. She confronted me with the fact I was putting God in a box, placing limits on the Almighty. And I know better. I’ve seen Him…
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From Defiant Sin to Devoted Servant

Note: In the Law of Moses, there is no sacrifice for defiant sin. None. Lots devoted to unintentional sin. But for defiant sin? No recourse. This Easter I find myself deep in the Pentateuch—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. (Your favorites, I know.) I’m taking Old Testament History 1, Genesis–Judges this semester. The journey from…
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Under the Influence

“The true measure of leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.” John Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Are we under the influence? Truthfully, the question is not are we under the influence, but under whose influence? God’s? Our spouse’s? Children, peers, co-workers, Oprah? Who or what exerts the greatest influence on our lives? Three…
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KNots: Hanging On Through a Bad Day

Today’s been a bad day, and I’m discouraged. My husband is traveling. I’m single parenting again, and my child is warring against my respect and self-worth. I’m tired and am at the end of my rope. Here are the knots God gave me to grab. KNot 1: “Let us not become weary in doing good,…
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