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Strategy for My Response to the Outcome of the Elections
There has been a lot of strategizing going on for the 2024 elections. I thought it would be beneficial if I had my own strategy for how I would respond to the outcome of the 2024 elections! So, God has graciously brought to my mind some truths I need to remind myself of in the days, weeks, and months to come. I put these truths in 3 categories: Look Up, Look In, Look Out. Look Up: Just as King Nebuchadnezzar needed to be reminded in Daniel 4:25 “that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will” I need to remind myself that God…
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Change Comes Through Prayer
Have you seen a need for change in your life? Would you love to see some changes in the world around you? Would you love to teach your children how to pray effectively? I have found that prayer and reading God’s Word are the two foundational disciplines that are essential for change. To be quite honest, prayer keeps me in the Word and the Word keeps me in prayer. Prayer, sadly, can be just a passive conversation, “God bless us everyone,” as we check off all the “to do’s” on our spiritual “to do” list. This is not what God intended. Prayer is hard work and takes time and focus…
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Welcoming the White Space
It’s quiet now. That time of the year when we finally catch our breath. The Christmas parties and family gatherings have mostly concluded. It isn’t quite time to ring in the new year. It’s the white space. I used to think the week between Christmas and New Year’s was one of the most boring of the year. All the excitement of one holiday wrapped up. The anticipation and planning for a new year not quite here yet. But over the past few years, this week has become one of my favorites. Our family lets out a collective exhale. We sleep in and make cinnamon toast. We clean out and deep…
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Creating Space When Your Season Feels Too Full
Life only gets busier. People told me that in seminary. Moms said that to me in the newborn stage. I knew it was coming in the pre-k years. Now it’s here. With three young and growing kids, I spend my days running from one thing to the next. I struggle to create space for my soul to rest and reconnect with the Lord. So I’m getting creative. It’s a work in progress to be sure. But I know I need space. Here are five ways I’m creating it in a hectic season. Get up early. I know this one isn’t for everyone. If your children wake up at 6am or…
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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?