Blessings
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Lessons from a Goat…and Other Things
So last week I blogged on the current Bible study I am doing by Jennifer Rothschild, Psalm 23 . You can read it here. Today, something that happened on Valentine’s Day has prompted me to write again on what I learned this week through that study and through my daughter. My kids are often “fodder” for this blog and today is no different. So, we deliver Valentines to our grands late in the day on February 14. Just wanting to bless these grands with more sugar and lots of hugs, we were not expecting to be greeted with a crisis with Fred, the goat. (I know we are studying sheep…
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Joy Restored
Have you ever witnessed an old rusty, beat up car being restored to an earlier version of beauty? I love seeing the new ones on the road but if I saw it before it’s restoration I might turn away and not even notice. Or I might comment on how beat up it is! I’ve been doing the Bible study by LifeWay, The Faithful: Heroes of the Old Testament. Each week is authored by a different Bible teacher and this week I’ve been studying Jennifer Rothschild’s portion on Hosea. I’ve been challenged to take a look at Hosea’s wife Gomer at her worst and at her best. Kind of like the…
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SO Many Ways to Mentor!
The girls in our family are true animal lovers. In fact, I once planned to be a veterinarian when I grew up until I figured out I’d have to deal with blood and pain. I can’t stand to see animals hurt! Unlike my daughters though, my husband and I live in a one dog home where our daughters each have zoos living in theirs! Recently my daughter, Amanda Dugger posted the following “puppy” update on Facebook: “So I have heard my mom say for years (since I was little) that it is so important for the older women to guide the younger women. I agree but I have always been…
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When Holidays are Hard
I decided since the holidays begin in full swing this week, I’d link you to a post I wrote for LifeWay Women, Celebrating Holidays With a Prodigal Child. I pray this ministers to your heart if you are in a difficult season as you face the holidays. God knows your hurt and He knows you hurt. Trust Him as He walks with you through your story. Banner photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash
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Where is That Reef?
There is a man-made reef on the gulf where we love to vacation. I often see snorkelers swim out to see it. To find it, I have to kayak out from the shore, then line up a yellow triangle in front of a blue rectangle. Then I paddle out hoping to find it and the fish it attracts. Sometimes I find it right away, and other times I don’t find it at all. At times, I just know I’m right over it, but the water is murky or the waves make it impossible to see the reef. OK, if you know me well or have read past posts on this…
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I Remember
I LOVE this song by Lauren Daigle, Remember. Such a testimony of the faithfulness of who God is and what He has done for us. On this blog site, I have shared previously about how I’ve had quite a bit of history with the Lord (mainly due to my age!). I’ve known Him since I was a pre-teen, but didn’t really know how to GROW in Him as a disciple until I was in my early 20’s and facing my first major life challenge…infertility. It was then I learned to stop seeking MY purpose and to seek HIS purpose for my life. (You can read more in these posts: What’s Your…
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Talent or Spiritual Gift?
Exodus 31:1-5 shows a beautiful picture of God taking a talent and making it a spiritual gift to be used for His glory: “The Lord also spoke to Moses: “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft.” Today’s post by my daughter Alycia is her own personal journey in the area of God’s transforming power to take talent and make it a…
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Who Feeds You?
This year as my husband and I dropped by the office to check in to our condo for our beach vacation, we were greeted by this guy… We wondered if this heron was our welcoming committee! We inquired about him inside the office since he seemed rather tame, having never moved from his spot even as we walked right by him to enter the realty office. The receptionist said he’s there quite a bit and they’d been feeding him. Ahhhh, now I get it. Kind of like the seagulls on the beach if you throw food to them. They will be back! As always, I’m watching for God’s “beach lessons”…
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Restoration and Redemption
Today’s post is written by one of my daughters, Alycia Neighbours, who is blogging for me as we enjoy an extended vacation. You will be touched by her honesty and willingness to help others as a result of her own journey: The prodigal son had reached such a desperate place of despair, he humbled himself to return to his home hoping to be treated as a slave and therefore better than where he had found himself. The lost lamb finds itself separated from everything familiar due to its wandering and bleats out longing for rescue. I was at my rock bottom. Separated from my family, having no friends and…
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Contentment…No Matter What Part3: Crisis(Forever!)
The past 2 weeks we have been addressing issues in our lives that keep us from living a life of contentment. We addressed at comparison and circumstances. Read those first then come back to issue 3: crisis. Have you ever been in a hard season and said….THIS WILL GO ON FOREVER!! I have more than once. One season began when our twins were in middle school and lasted until they were in their early 30s. For 8 of those years, one daughter did life on her own, apart from our family. Most of that time we weren’t even sure if she was alive. She struggled through many life issues I’ve blogged on in…
