What I'm Reading
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When It Makes No Sense
It was one of those days. I’d been dealing with something heavy on my heart. Something that just isn’t how things should be. This led me to look at others and wonder why my situation couldn’t be fixed like their situations seem to be. This day, as He does often, God spoke in various ways as I spent time with Him on my deck. I started with the song, Sovereign Over Us, one I listen to especially when I just need the reminder of His sovereignty over EVERYTHING. Take a listen. My Bible reading then took me to John 21 and the conversation Jesus had with Peter, after He told…
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Helpful Blogs for Current Times
The church, and people of faith, are seeking to share the hope of Christ in a world that seems to be falling apart. People leaving their faith, sometimes in later years of life, violence occurring every day, hopelessness on every corner. It’s tough to lead when we feel overwhelmed. I pray these blogs will encourage and challenge you to endure in the place the Lord has called you to serve. 1 You have heard much about what women in the church need today. Here are some key issues that must be in place to reach and disciple women effectively. Check out What the Church Must Provide Women in Today’s Culture…
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Workplace Mission Field
When you think of a mission field, what picture do you have in mind? For many, this means a country overseas somewhere. Maybe you think of traveling across the US to a location away from home. But what about where you spend most of your time now? Many of you would say your workplace, whether it’s an office, school, factory, retail store, restaurant, home, or zoom meetings (especially if you work from home). Is workplace what you think of when you hear “mission field?” Maybe you need to consider workplace first since it’s where you spend the majority of the time. I’d like to recommend an article by Courtney Moore,…
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Who Do You Imitate?
How would you answer the question in the title of this post? A celebrity? Best friend? Sports hero? What about the “cloud of witnesses” we see in the book of Hebrews in chapter 12? When I was in elementary school, I played “teacher” after my all time fav teacher. Mrs. Evans was so kind to the students. My fondest memory was when she gave me a peppermint candy in class because I was coughing. I felt loved and cared for, and quite special since I was the only one who got one that day! She was always smiling. In my teen years sometimes I would imitate friends I thought were…
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Two Book Recommendations
I recently finished reading two amazing books I want to recommend to my readers. The first is When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons. My D-group did a slow walk through this book. I wrote one post on it in Perfect? For Who? since I am a recovering perfectionist! Ruth takes us from a “self help” mentality to a grace mentality as she reminds us of who Christ is and what He has done for us. Because of His grace we can walk in confidence in His image and stop striving to work our way through self-help methods. Yes, there are things we do to become disciplined disciples, but even those things…
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The Blessed Limp
Ever had an injury that just wouldn’t heal? Or surgery on a part of your body that took forever to heal. Maybe, like me, you never were the same after an incident. I’ve had 3 foot surgeries. Each time I’ve had numbness from the procedure that I’ve never fully recovered from. The last surgery took the longest to heal. I limped in a boot for a while, then limped as I favored it when the boot was removed. Lasting issues, although minor, continue to bother me. But what happens when the “limp” is a spiritual one? Those sometimes last a lifetime, and yet, they can be some of the sweetest…
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Who Hates Disruptions?
Task oriented people like me! You know, gotta get the job done…today…now! No matter what. What about you? All of us have experienced them. Most of us do not like them. Over 2 years ago the entire world experienced disruption to life as we had known it. In addition to the pandemic, many others also experienced a disruption in their good health, close relationships, face-to-face community we relied on, satisfying jobs, and income that goes with that. And this is the short list. Some experienced continual losses, one after another, along with, and in the middle of, the pandemic. But, what if, for whatever reason, this was God’s plan for…
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Perfect? For Who?
Any other perfectionists out there? Oh, we use the cop out, “we just want to do a great job for the Lord.” But is that really the truth behind our perfectionistic tendencies? I was raised by a perfectionist dad who was a great father, but perhaps his expectations, even of me, pushed me this direction. Add to that I am an enthusiastic, optimistic, Type A, Enneagram 1 personalty, and that’s the makings for trouble if I’m not careful. I can truly say, I’m not as bad as I was in the past, I still struggle to some degree with perfectionism as I was made aware of in reading Ruth Chou…
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Easter & Romans 8:28
As you celebrate Easter, remembering what Jesus has done for you through His crucifixion and resurrection, I just want to challenge you to consider Jesus’ obedience and the truth of His Father’s plan in light of Romans 8:28. If it’s true that…. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. …then, we know Jesus truly understands what it is to do what God asks, no matter how hard it is. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for a different way to accomplish our salvation, but submitted to His Father’s “no” to this request so that…
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Leadership Challenge Blog Share
As I’ve served in various capacities over the years, mostly in the area of women’s ministry, I’ve wanted to continue to grow as a leader, spiritually, relationally, and practically. Often that has included different types of assessments. Today’s blog share is to help you assess where you are, and see were you need to grow as you lead. And ALL women lead! Check out these posts. 1 Be honest as you read 9 Everyday Situations That Say More About Your Character Than You Think by Carey Neiuwhof. 2 I don’t know about you, but listening is not one of my greater strengths! Check out How To Listen as a Leader…
