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Do Not Be Afraid, I Am With You
Since my word for the year 2023 is “with,” I’m sharing a chapter entitled “With You” from my devotional Favored Blessed Pierced: A Fresh Look at Mary of Nazareth in preparation for the upcoming Advent season. So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid.” Luke 1:30a The angel’s preface to his commissioning, “Do not be afraid,” is the most commonly repeated command in the Bible—with good reason, for we are people of fear. Last year, I finally admitted that I feel anxious when I travel. While I have the privilege of traversing the globe in my ministry to cross-cultural workers, I rarely travel alone. Still I worry. Will we make…
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The One, Two Punch: Choosing Not to Fear
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. How is your heart today? Seared by that slow motion snuff-film video? Rattled by the riots? Don’t they feel like a one, two gut punch? On top of the virus threat that lurks out there as we begin to venture out? My heart is grieved and angry over that video. And I’ve been ambushed by fear several times in the last few days. Maybe you have too. If you read my April 7th post, you may remember that because of my failure to wholeheartedly trust God during the Great Recession crisis of 2008, I determined…
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Are You Scared of Tornado’s?
Ok call me a sicko but I’m fascinated by Tornado’s. I’m utterly afraid of them yet I will not pass up a Tornado show on the Weather Channel if it’s on. The funny thing is that I live in the heart of Tornado Alley and just this spring, we narrowly missed getting hit by one or two of them. What is it that attracts me and other sicko’s like me to Tornado’s? I don’t know for sure but when you think about it, Tornado’s are truly fascinating things. They are elusive, often spontaneous and merciless. They can wreck a whole neighborhood in seconds and they know no bias although…
