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God so loves
“What is God’s primary desire for you, Amy Leigh?” he asked. As my inner fourth grader worked to fill in the blank without the help of a word bank, I stumbled through something about being loved in biblical community, to which he responded, “Sure, God desires that for you, of course.” Just as I started to mentally scribble an A+ over his pop quiz, my Spiritual Director added, “But, what God primarily desires for you is to give himself to you…to give his own love…in himself…to you.” I’ve continued pondering these words, especially mindful of a key aspect in which God’s primary desire directly opposes mine: For he so loved,…
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Confidence Rightly Placed
Recently, I came to the end of my backpacking skills. As I faced terrain that was new and difficult, I found myself desperately depending on the Lord for everything. My fear of slipping, tripping, falling, and even collapsing hurled me at the feet of Jesus. Praying to, singing about, and reflecting on Him enabled me to endure the physical, emotional, and mental challenges. “And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places” (Hab 3:19) pounded through my mind and heart multiple times. I wasn’t hiking Mount Everest, but this trail was my high place! Fear is common to humans. Fear can come…
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Knowing Your Father God
What is God like? How does anyone get to know the true God, not all the substitute gods out there, but the God of the Bible? The God of the Bible is the one who declared, I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. (Isaiah 45:5) Our God is the one true God. God Wants You to Know Him Jesus declared to his disciples and to us, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do…
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The Thanks Giving Key
A few years ago I was invited to go on an overseas mission trip. This journey was to a country on the other side of the world with a foreign culture and language, and would take almost 24 hours to get there. No doubt many of you readers have done the same, and know the planning, anticipation and excitement of such a trip. Still, it’s not unusual to have a little nagging insecurity regarding the unknowns, and that was how I was feeling. I would be traveling alone on a long leg of the trip, navigating an unfamiliar airport with a tight connection and felt a little uneasy about it.…
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Advent FAQ
What is Advent? The first day of Advent marks New Year’s Day in the church year for many Christians. (Happy New Year!) The word “advent” means coming. The term is derived from “ad” meaning “to” as well as from “vent,” a form of a Latin word meaning “coming” (think of the first word in: veni vidi vici—I came, I saw, I conquered). So in short, Advent is the name of a season of the liturgical year that most Christian denominations observe as a time of waiting expectantly and preparing for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming, which could happen at any time. When…
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Blessed: I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means
Ever since I studied the life of Mary of Nazareth, Jesus’s mother, and wrote a 31-day devotional study, I choose my words with care around the concept of blessing. I think twice now before using the phrase “I am blessed” or the hashtag “blessed.” In the western world, blessings typically refer to our good fortune or whatever makes our lives comfortable. We feel blessed when a new countertop graces our cabinetry, the trip goes without delay, our children make us look good, or the Wi-Fi is strong. However, problems arise when we equate material blessing with God’s favor. If we are blessed because we possess physical comforts and live in…
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Thankfulness As Our Purpose
As the calendar winds down on another unprecedented year, we gladly enter this joyful season of giving and thanksgiving. Many of us feel a gentle nudge toward understanding God’s call to purposeful daily life. Have you ever asked God about His will for your life?
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Who Told You That You Were Naked?
There is a most interesting interaction in Genesis 3 between Adam and God after the Fall, when Adam and Eve sinned by rebelling against God’s command not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God calls to Adam, who is hiding among the trees of the Garden of Eden, “Where are you?” Adam explains, “…I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked?” (3:11) Hmmmm. Interesting question, one that Adam doesn’t answer. The first thing the newly fallen man tells his Creator is that he was afraid, and he was naked. Up to this point, in a literally perfect world, there was no fear, and there were…
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Trust and Obey
The joy and challenges of parenthood lend themselves to many life lessons. At this stage in the parenting game, at least for our family, it provides a lens through which to see so much of myself and the average human experience. It is not uncommon for me to give directions to my eldest son. My directions are typically strategic, so they are given step by step so that I don’t overwhelm the poor lad with too many tasks. Time and again I have been disappointed with the results when he is given too many steps at once! I have learned that when directions are given in small pieces there is…
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The Problem with Grumbling
Grumbling! We hate it in our kids but do it ourselves. Moses’ leadership was met with grumbling throughout the forty years that the Israelites were in the wilderness. It if wasn’t about food, it was about water or Moses’ leadership. We all know how grumbling works. We’re angry or fearful and start complaining about the people in charge to our friends. Then there are groups upset and confirming each other’s complaints. Grumbling is contagious. What bothers one person soon becomes the issue of a mob. It was grumbling about entering the Promised Land that got Israel stuck in the wilderness for another thirty plus years. I’ve certainly been guilty and…
