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Supporting My Spouse by Focusing on Me
“I’m feeling very anxious,” my husband told me. As a young bride this revelation shook me. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to take it away, to make it better so I wouldn’t have to watch him suffer. Since I didn’t experience anxiety in the same way, I could not understand what he described. I’m a student and teacher of the Bible. Studying a verse, explaining the principle, identifying the lies, and believing the truths help me. As such, I’m tempted to quote verses to him, to give information as a way to help. But over the course of our thirty-four year marriage, I learned that my methods…
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Believe Boldly
Scripture uses “courage” and “boldness” (including derivatives) over 110 times. To live boldly, we must believe boldly. How can we live and believe boldly?
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Pray Imprecatory Psalms Against Evil
When the twelve disciples faced the impossible task of feeding 5,000 people, they said to Jesus, “We only have five loaves and two fish” (Matthew 14:17). That’s how I feel as I watch yet another injustice destroy innocent lives in a far corner of the world. Once again, I only have my prayers to bring to Jesus. But because God is able to multiply them, I join my voice with the psalmist to plead that he would stop evil. This time, I turn to the imprecatory psalms. The imprecatory psalms are those that call down destruction, calamity, and God’s judgment on enemies. These psalms express our outrage about injustice unleashed on…
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Pray or Play? Agendas Can Be Changed
“Grandma is praying and not playing.” A few weeks ago, those words were shared by our granddaughter to her parents. Being a grandma is so much fun, but sometimes playing is not on the agenda when prayer is necessary. Our granddaughter and her mom and dad had come to our house the evening before my husband’s reverse shoulder replacement surgery. Our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter wanted to spend some time with us before his surgery. We were enjoying the evening and spending time as a family, until my husband’s phone rang. Our good friends whom we had not talked to in a while learned about my husband’s surgery and called…
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Praying for and Supporting Those Who Struggle
With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 One of my responsibilities is to pray, especially for some loved ones who are fighting personal battles and for global workers planting churches in unfriendly environments. After the last few difficult years, it is easy to give up. After all, prayer is hard work and doesn’t always garner visible results. I can’t do it alone. Thankfully, I have prayer partners who intercede with me and for me. Together, we follow the example of Moses, the leader of the Israelites. As Moses led the people out…
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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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Lies in Dark Chocolate
Research affirms that our happiness increases when we feel seen, heard, and loved. As women, we have an innate desire to belong. But finding community and cultivating new friendships with people who “get” you and welcome you without judgement––can feel near impossible.
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Why Do We Pray
Today, I am honored to share the words of my friend, Cari Johnson. Be encouraged. When I pray I want God to hear me and move, but mostly, I would love to have answers. I want rescue and provision and healing … clear resolution that fits my timeframe. If we’re being completely honest, I would love to have a color-coded spreadsheet of approved/denied requests delivered to my email, but that hasn’t happened. Our God is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), who holds tomorrow (Deuter 31:8, John 10:8), and yet He refers to Himself in the present tense (Exodus 3:14). The Great I AM invites us to join Him in…
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An Ordinary Woman’s Response to Global Crisis
Horror. Sadness. Anxiety. Anger. Guilt. With these emotions, I watched religious fanatics take over the ravaged land of Afghanistan leaving women, girls, Christians, and the marginalized desperately scrambling for their lives. This crisis is just the most recent example of pain, injustice, and all that is wrong in our world. The latest that eclipses many others: an earthquake in the already devastated nation of Haiti; Chinese Christians in re-education camps; Indonesian citizens dying outside hospitals for lack of beds, oxygen, and vaccines; flames destroying entire towns in California; Lebanon in economic, social, and political downfall. And all this exacerbated by a continuing global pandemic. What does an ordinary western woman…
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Our Power Source
Difficult days of uncertainty and depletion lead to the question: What’s your power source? Consider light bulbs. Without a power source, they’re merely glass and metal without purpose. Once connected to their power source, they shine…
