Lessons
- Favorite Quotes, Knowing God's Will, Lament, Lessons, Spiritual Growth, Struggle and Loss, Test, Trial, Waiting
Turning What Ifs Into Even Ifs
As I’ve continued my Titus Bible study, a question was posed that stopped me in my tracks: What if we turned our “what ifs” into “even ifs”? Almost immediately, my mind went to the MercyMe song “Even If.” If I’m honest, I found myself quietly singing some of the lyrics as I sat with that question. I’ve loved that song since the first time I heard it, but I needed the reminder it offers—a call back to standing firmly on its message: “I know You’re able and I know You can save through the fire with Your mighty hand, but even if You don’t, my hope is You alone.” If…
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Always in a Hurry
I recently wrote devotionals for encouraging.com. This week I am reposting, Always in a Hurry. Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 Scottish missionary Mary Slessor said, Christ was never in a hurry. There was no rushing forward, no anticipating, no fretting over what might be. Each day’s duties were done as each day brought them, and the rest was left with God. How…
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The Holiness in the Bending
Are you wrestling with something that seems to have no answer? Something that doesn’t sit right in your spirit? It may be that you’re trying to mold it into your own plan instead of allowing God to shape it into His. This post is by guest blogger Alycia Neighbours, my youngest daughter (by only 13 minutes behind her twin “older sister”). She’s a gifted artist and writer who shares from the heart. Blessings as you read: Have you ever started creating something; an idea, a plan, a prayer and halfway through realized God was quietly redrawing it? That what you thought you were building was only the outline, and His…
- Generations, Knowing God's Will, Leadership Lessons, Lessons, Spiritual Growth, Struggle and Loss, Test, Trial
What If We Don’t Tell It?
Can you imagine what would have happened if generations ago no one had passed down the stories of creation, the flood, or the parting of the Red Sea? How would we know all that God has done? Today, we’re blessed to have the Bible—God’s written record of His power, love, justice, and grace. But what if we fail to pass that story on to those coming behind us? Sure, they can read these truths in Scripture, but what if they could also see them lived out in us? What if we regularly shared stories of God’s faithfulness from our own lives? A heartbreaking thing happened after Joshua’s generation died. These…
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Some Things I’m Studying and Listening To
Some things I’m studying and listening to. These are from LifeWay Women Bible studies and MARKED podcasts: 1. Jennifer Rothschild on Heaven Podcast Jennifer’s study on Heaven is also amazing and I highly recommend it to those young in the faith as well as the mature. 2. Answer YOUR Questions About the Essentials of the Faith This podcast helps ground followers of Christ in foundational theological doctrines. 3. Added to that, I just finished Alive. Such a great reminder for any believer what it means to follow Christ as Savior. For those young in the faith, it’s a MUST! How I wish I’d known these things soon after I became…
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As I Wake
At daybreak, Lord, You hear my voice; at daybreak I plead my case to You and watch expectantly. Psalm 5:3 Last week I shared a link to a post I wrote for Encouraging.com. One was titled In the In the First Waking Moments. Check it out and then read another favorite quote that fits well with this thought. This is the quote that adds support my original post: The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If…
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I CAN’T!
I CAN’T! How many times have you woken up in the morning and just wanted to tell God, “I just can’t”? Some days, and seasons, truly feel impossible to manage from a human standpoint. But as believers in Christ, we have access to a supernatural power that enables us to face anything the Lord allows into our lives. This truth is beautifully captured by Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), who said: This resonates deeply with 1 Corinthians 15:57, which declares, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” It’s not our own strength, but Jesus’ power that allows…
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Leaping Ahead: When Impatience Leads Us Astray
Have you ever felt that urge to rush forward, to take control before the opportune moment arrives? It’s a familiar human experience, this desire to act rather than wait. Yet, Scripture offers a strong reminder of the pitfalls of impatience, as seen in the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 13. Faced with a looming battle and the delayed arrival of Samuel, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice, a duty reserved only for the priesthood. His intentions might have seemed noble – to rally his troops – but his impatience and disregard for God’s established order ultimately cost him his kingship. Early in our…
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When God Surprises Us
I love it when God shows up in unexpected ways. Those times when I pray and He answers along the lines I’ve prayed, only so much more! But, what if He answers completely differently? Calling all prayer warriors! That was my request recently for a loved one. She knows I have different groups of women who pray for our needs and has been the recipient of those prayers in the past. As I prayed, I expected it to go one way and couldn’t wait to see how God would take care of all the details. I worried it might not be pretty, but I trusted whatever He chose to do. …
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Obedience Pleases a Holy God
I hate times I feel like I failed at something. Or if I did something half-hearted, not putting my best into it. It’s never quite fulfilling, is it? We know we can do better. Contrast that with the feeling we get when we put all we can into an assignment. Isn’t it rewarding when we know we did something well? Especially when our obedience and best efforts are pleasing to the Lord. Obedience acknowledges a holy God’s direction over every aspect of our lives, from dedicated prayer and Bible study to our interactions with a restaurant server. All we do is to testify to our serving our holy Father. In…
