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Get Your Hands Dirty
Nick and Joe. Wealthy. Respected. Godly. Sitting together. Outside the city. Like a couple of unwelcome cowboys tossed out of the local saloon. Why? According to Mosaic Law, they were unclean from contact with a dead body. Purification required: Separation “outside the camp” (Numbers 5:2-4) Seven days of uncleanness with purification rites on Days 3…
Read More Come When He Calls
Workout of the Week: Come When He Calls Memory Verse: “And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:6 NIV Meditation Passage: Romans 1:1-7 Key Thought: Come when He calls. I’m waiting for my new puppy. Our nest is emptying, and I want something more protective than…
Read More Because He Says So
Buy-in. When you have it, you can influence. Without it, you get pushback. As our kids grew older, reason became our tool to gain buy-in. Reason, we hoped, would aid compliance. Sometimes it did. Other times, not so much. (Did I mention our kids are really strong-willed?) As I grow older, I find the same thing.…
Read More Christmas: Surviving and Thriving
Now that we’ve survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday, let’s turn our attention to Christmas holiday planning. For years Christmas was not my holiday of choice. Sandwiched between two of my children’s birthdays, Christmas formed the daunting middle miles of a December marathon. Take heart, we can survive December and even enjoy it, but it may…
Read More Triple D: Daniel and Defilement
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” (Daniel 1:8 NIV) Daniel. A teenager. Yanked from home, family, and country of origin. Dropped into the capital city of the enemy. New name. New language. New life.…
Read More Encouragement: Get Your Spurs On
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24 NIV) Samson was uncooperative. He trotted nicely, but when I called for a canter, he just wasn’t interested. Megan, my awesome riding instructor, handed me a short whip and told me to hold it on his shoulder.…
Read More 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…
Read More 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,…
Read More Ready and Willing: Does God Bless?
“When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed them. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean.” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.”…
Read More Trust Issues: When Satan Baits Our Kids
Trust issues. Satan’s favorite bait. We’ve talked about how Satan can use the same deceptions he did with Eve in regard to marriage. (Marriage Tips: Don’t Repeat Eve’s Mistake Feb. 2, 2015) This week, I want to show you how he can use it with our children. Last year, I took a class based on…
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