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People pleasing; an invitation to faith over fear
For a while, I had a “people pleasing” dog. She really was quite the gem because she was terrified that we would be upset with her. For the first few years of her life, when she learned that her behavior caused a negative reaction, she simply would not repeat it. Seemingly we had trained her well, and we had definitely tried. Over time however, she grew comfortable with us and now in year 8 of her life, I’m quite certain she has completely recovered from her people pleasing ways. I am not too different from her, in my complacency and trust of others, I can grow so comfortable and sure…
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Cultivating a Culture of Life
Abortion is widely available in many countries around the globe. When I lived in Turkey in the 80’s and 90’s, it was readily available there. Many of you may live in countries where women have access to abortions; others live where laws protect unborn children. In the U.S., if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the highest court in the land this month, abortion will be immediately illegal in some states in the United States and remain unrestricted in others. Many Christians in the United States see this as the fulfillment of a long-held desire to protect the unborn. While that is far from true, the care and safety of…
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Making Summer Strategic
Making a successful transition is all about managing our emotions as well as our beliefs. How can we best use our summers to prepare them for transitions in the fall?
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Iron
The chemical element iron is the fourth most common element in the Earth’s crust and the second most abundant metal. (3) On the Earth iron occurs mainly in iron-oxide ores. One of these ores is lodestone, or magnetite, named for its property of magnetism. Hematite is the most plentiful ore, but it contains less iron than magnetite. Limonite and siderite are less abundant ores of iron. Iron, alloyed with nickel, is also found in meteorites. (11) Iron was used by early people. Its chemical symbol, Fe, is taken from the Latin ferrum. The name iron is from the Anglo-Saxon iren or isern. About 5 percent of the Earth’s crust is…
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The Blindness of Sight
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Rejoicing in the Results of the Fear of the Lord
Scriptures contain over 390 verses that have to do with some sort of fear of the Lord. Obviously, it is an important subject to God. When we fear (have an awe, respect, or reverence of) the Lord, we can expect certain results that cause us to rejoice! Our attitude toward evil is affected when we fear the Lord. We will develop a hatred of evil (morally objectionable behavior) (Prov 8:13) not only in others but in ourselves. It is easy to hate evil in others, but it takes humility to see our own evilness as just as bad. We will hate evil so we will turn away (leave a set…
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Sheep-sense
A 5th grade Sunday School class learns about Jesus and what we can learn from sheep.
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Memorial Day: Come with me to Arlington Cemetery
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2 Just weeks ago, as pinkish-white cherry blossoms graced the grayish-white marble headstones of the dead who served our country, we walked and rode through Arlington Cemetery. The delicacy of the blossoms’ beauty and the massive orchestration of rows upon rows of markers belie the horror and chaos of the wars that have sent so many men and women to these forested hills overlooking Washington D.C. Another ironic juxtaposition–the first soldiers buried here were Union soldiers…
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Stay Christ-Focused When Telling Your Story
How did you first hear about Jesus? Did someone tell you their story? People love to hear stories. Look at all the time we spend watching movies, reading books, and scrolling through Facebook. Yet, the tendency for all of us humans is to spend way too much time telling about ourselves, focusing on ourselves. This article will help you to stay Christ-focused when given the opportunity to tell your story. Storytelling focuses on self. Storytelling is popular these days, especially on social media. We are continually prompted to “Add to story” on Facebook. Yet, the focus is on “me, me, me, what I am doing, where I am going, who…
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How to Talk in Church about Roe vs. Wade
Did you feel the earth move? Politico published a leaked copy of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion relating to abortion laws in the USA, and the rhetoric about abortion ramped up. Way up. Thrive Women’s Clinic, a Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Dallas, Texas, provides pregnancy tests, medical consultations, and free sonograms to women in unplanned pregnancies, many of whom are considering abortion. And since my friend Sarah Rooker, BSN, RN, is a nurse at Thrive,* I asked her if she’d noticed any changes as a result of the leak. Her answer? Yes! She said women are seeking options with more urgency and secrecy. But one thing hasn’t changed: as disputes…
