General
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What Are You Standing On?
Have you ever built a sand castle…for a day? Perhaps as a child you spent endless hours creating a beautiful castle only to find the next day the tide has demolished it completely. Such is the way of houses built on sand! As an adult, if you have undertaken the task of building a home, you certainly wouldn’t choose a foundation of sand, but one of something much stronger, so that your home would sustain torrential storms without collapsing. I am in the process of memorizing the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6 & 7 with my D-Group. It has been challenging, but so rewarding, for all 4 of…
- Blessings, General, Generations, Leadership Lessons, Lessons, Pandemic, Spiritual Growth, Test, Trial
Pandemic Panic
I recently wrote a post for Revive Our Hearts leadership blog. A Veteran’s Wisdom for Ministry in a Pandemic. I am so grateful for an opportunity to serve women’s leaders, especially as we face ministry challenges in this pandemic confinement. If you are challenged by having to learn new “ways” to connect and serve Christ, please head over to their blog to read! Today, I will link to that here. Leader Connection Blog is a great one to follow! Also, check out their leadership page and ask to join their private group. Here you can see all their women’s leadership resources. P.S. I previously wrote more detail on my technology…
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The Why and How of Finishing Well
Some of you know I am reading the Bible chronologically with my D-group, and that this isn’t the first time I’ve read this way. You may also know that I’ve said several times, I learn more each time I re-read these passages. It happened again when I was reading a favorite part of the New Testament, 2 Timothy in particular. I love how Paul never wavered in his passionate and obedient service to Christ after he met the Lord on that dusty Damascus road (Acts 9). Why did he do that despite the difficulties he faced? And how did he do it? I think the key to this mystery is…
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Why Read the Bible?
Why read the Bible? Primarily, because it’s TRUE! Fully and completely true because it’s God’s Word to the world and to us personally. It’s also how we know God and His redemptive purpose throughout history and forever. And it teaches us how to live. At times, it’s confusing. Other times it’s surprising. It’s convicting. At times, I want to put it down so I do not have to live up to what I read. But when I choose to read, allow it convict me and change me, I am always joy-filled (and so are those around me!), even when it’s hard and I blow it again in an hour! We…
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I Have Everything I Need!
Do you ever wonder if you have what you need to make it through the day ahead? Early in our marriage, I remember wondering if we would make it to payday without running out of money. Would we have enough for groceries and gas that month? And you know what? We always made it! One month we spent the last $5 dollars in our bank account on a steak dinner out (yes, it was a LOOOOONG time ago!) since we would get paid was the next day! In fact, the first month that God convicted us about our giving financially to our church, we tithed what was then a HUGE…
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Why Church?
I love my church and look forward to attending weekly. When we miss for some reason, we REALLY miss it. In fact, we normally join the live stream or watch later if we are out. But especially if we have been out for more than a week, I cannot wait to get back. Recently I read a blog post by Carey Nieuwhof, whom I read regularly, whose title, 10 Reasons Even Committed Church Attenders Are Attending Church Less Often. I understand the responsibility on both the church and the attender to this dilemma. But it also made me think, “why do I love attending so much?” So, I made a…
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Once We Are Born
I was born in Canada and to this day could file for dual citizenship is I chose to do so. My parents were from the United States but were living there, due to my dad’s job, when I came along. We moved back to Texas when I was about two. But being born there gives me an identity not only with my parents country of birth, but also with the actual country where I was born. I read Acts 22 this week in my NT260 Bible reading. In this chapter, we see Paul inform his captors about his Roman citizenship and the privileges that afforded him. In fact, when the…
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Do I See?
God is continuing to refine and add to my focus for 2020. One way is through a study by Christine Caine that I just happened to be doing this January. You can read more about my 2020 focus in my first two posts for this year: Focus 2020 and Settle In. It’s both exciting and frightening (in a good way) to see how God is refining and speaking to me in this overall topic of having a heart for Him. In the first day, Christine labels the first week’s study, “When We Feel Hidden in Plain Sight.” She asks if we have ever felt hidden and unseen by others and…
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Settle In
I’m not sure how you feel about our country, or our global world, right now. With elections in the future, crime and violence, anger and hatred all over the news and filtering into whatever we watch, read or hear, we could just decide to go live on a tropical island somewhere away from it all! Tempting isn’t it? Definitely for this beach girl. The thing is, God has not put us here to run away. He has placed us here to make a difference. He actually has a plan for us, for our lives and He wants us where He has placed us. I read a post by Noe Garcia…
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Focus 2020
This time of year I am always watching for direction from the Lord on a theme or passage of scripture He wants to develop in me for the year ahead. As I was reading and preparing for teaching at an event in 2020, the topic for the weekend grabbed my attention. It’s based on Kay Arthur‘s study, “Lord, Give Me a Heart for You.“ Our key passage for the event is Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause…
