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Making Christmas the Best Time of the Year
The Christmas season is magical. Who doesn’t like a good Hallmark movie? It can take us to Magic Land, where everything turns out peachy and keen. It always has a happy ending. People always work out their differences. Everyone is happy in the end. I think that’s why I like those feel-good movies so much. I like being ushered into a fantasy world where all turns out dreamlike. Perhaps this season brings hurt and pain for you. If you’ve lost a loved one around this reminders that you’re not as close to people you love as you’d like to be. This pain can cause loneliness and sadness. We all experience different feelings around…
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Are you a quitter?
One of the most often traits seen in children is quitting before they finish their final product. Many things happen in a child’s life to cause this to happen. Other children deride their work, an adult causes them to question their work, and on and on and on. When this happens, this is a good time to take out God’s Word to teach them the consequences of quitting. The book of Haggai is a good starting point as he asks the Jews the same question: Are you a quitter? Let’s look at the evidence and then see what God would have us to do. Way back in the times of…
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Too Young to Get Married: A Wedding Anniversary Tribute
On the day I write this, it’s my wedding anniversary. You’re too young, they said. You’re making a mistake, they said. You don’t know what love is, they said. It’s harder than you think, they said. You’ll destroy your life, they said. He’ll never change, they said. And here we are 40 plus years later and we are still happily married. I was 17 when I met my husband. He rode in on a while horse, actually, no, it was a tan sports-edition Mazda. But it was cool—so cool. At 17 to have a boyfriend with a car, an apartment, and a “high paying” job, whoa, I hit the big…
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A Storm is Raging
A tornado watch was issued for the day. The sun was shining as it heated up a new morning, just like any other summer day in June, or so we thought. The weather that day seemed to be a bit more humid and somewhat unstable. Living in Kansas, however, the humidity was always a factor with winds and warm temperatures, so nothing really was expected. As the day progressed, the air became very different and unsettling. As a child growing up in Kansas, storms were always expected, especially in the month of June. When the clouds started forming and moving into our area, changing to a very dark and a…
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The Naughty Child King
2 Chron 36 When read this chapter, immediately I was transported back to my 3rd grader, Keith or also known as Keebo. He was much like Jehoiachin in our reading; rebellious and evil to the core. I can remember Keith starting a fight, and I was the target of his punches. One black eye later, he was removed but only for a day. Children like these two 8 yr. olds are out of control. Keith, the child of the projects, had as his role model a father who was a pimp. Who was the role model for Jehoiachin but his evil father, much like my boy Keith. The author of…
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We love because…
When Your Ugly Side Comes Out in Your Marriage It could have gone really, really sour. It could have completely ruined my birthday. It could have put a wedge in my marriage. But I did it anyway. I’m at that age where I tell myself, “This is what old looks like.” Old, it’s such a relative term, don’t you think? But as each birthday passes, old is inevitable. Well, this one felt old. I’m going to tell the following story at the risk of you thinking that I’m a horrible person—I think it myself already, based on the story I’m about to tell you. Actually, I could produce a list,…
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Legacy & Family
Author: Lucille Williams My father-in-law passed away this past year. Having served in World War II and following the times of his generation, “Dad,” Wally Williams wasn’t one for emotions or feelings. Men were taught to be men: one must never cry, don’t show weakness, suck it up, man up, and never put your guard down, were the theme of his generation. Some perpetuated that theme to the next generation. Growing up, my husband never heard, “I love you” or “I’m proud of you.” Even as an adult, hearing “I’m proud of you” from his dad didn’t happen. Until… Just before Wally passed, we traveled to see him knowing our…
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Smart, Not Smart
I had to take Geometry twice in high school just to pass with a C. Not only that, but I also had to give up my lunches to be in Mr. Yamaguchi’s room throughout most of the semester for detention for being late and to get extra help. And somehow, I passed Geometry. I didn’t think it was possible. I felt so defeated and a bit stupid. Why didn’t my brain work like other kids? And then there was Biology. Let’s not even talk about it. And Chemistry, never even took that one—I knew better, and luckily I didn’t need it to graduate. What did I excel in? Fantasy. Creating.…
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Parenting is 24/7
Prov 22-24 Children & Training The Proverbs author continues to instruct his children in wisdom and discernment. In the middle of this dialog, he focuses on parents by saying: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when old, he will not depart from it.[Prov 22:6] By that, the Proverbs author reminds parents that they must study their children as to how they learn best and their interests. Through all twenty-one chapters, He has reminded us of the importance of knowing who we are and our destiny, all with the “fear of the Lord” as the primary objective. How does your child learn best? Is he/she one…
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Parenting is 24/7
Prov 22-24 The Proverbs author continues to instruct his children in wisdom and discernment. In the middle of this dialog, he focuses on parents by saying: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when old, he will not depart from it.[Prov 22:6] By that, the Proverbs author reminds parents that they must study their children as to how they learn best and their interests. Through all twenty-one chapters, He has reminded us of the importance of knowing who we are and our destiny, all with the “fear of the Lord” as the primary objective. How does your child learn best? Is he/she one who learns best…