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A Short Fuse
Being Scotch-Irish through my dad’s side of the family, I grew up seeing a short fuse in action. And I inherited that short fuse! For a long time I just blamed it on my family background. But eventually, the Lord convicted me of my impatience and quick response of anger. I’m still learning about patience, but over the years I have seen God’s work in helping to lessen my quick, hot anger. One day I came across this quote from an unknown author: The wind of anger blows out the lamp of intelligence. Quite convicting. Proverbs 29:11 says… A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man holds it…
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A God Assignment: Eyes on Others
Where are you right now? What neighborhood do you live in? Where do you work? Who do you Iive with and are responsible for? Where do you shop? And what’s on your heart? What have you learned? Who do you often pass by and hardly notice? Questions worth considering from time to time. Chris Tiegreen said: God has not placed us where we are simply for the output we can produce, whether at a factory, at a desk, at school, or at home with children. He has put us there because that is a context in which He wants to display Himself. Really? At my nail salon? In my workplace? Within…
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Be Alert to Satan’s Tactics
My pastor is preaching through Revelation this year and as we got to chapter 12, we studied John’s vision of spiritual warfare in the heavens and the earth. Another quote from my favorites list (see past posts) is by one of my former presidents at LifeWay, Thom Rainer, who said, Satan has a simple agenda…to keep people lost. But another tactic of his is to keep saved people ineffective as disciples. Pastor Robby Gallaty recommended a book by C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, and since I hadn’t read it, I ordered a copy. It truly exposes how subtle the devil is and how naive we can be about how…
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Something Better
Unanswered prayer. A loss you can’t wrap your head around. A betrayal from someone you thought loved you. A life threatening health diagnosis. How do you handle this type of experience? My answer would have to be: different ways at different times and in different life phases. Even when I struggle to hold on to hope, my goal is to find a way to trust what I know is true about the Lord’s love and faithfulness. George Muller once said, Our heavenly Father never takes anything away from His children unless He means to give them something better. Priscilla Shirer prays it this way: God give me what I ask…
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Vessels of Christ
What is your favorite way to minister to others? What have you seen Jesus do through you as you obediently serve Him? Are you serving as God’s vessel daily? Because God is sovereign and omnipotent He does not need any help to get His work done. He chooses to use His followers so we can shine His light in the world and experience the blessing that serving Christ brings to us and to those we serve on earth. My ministry friend Kay led worship at many of our You Lead training events for LifeWay Women where I had the joy of serving for over 22 years. She also led in an…
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His Salvation…My Worship
When I first accepted Christ as my Savior, I really didn’t understand all it encompassed. But at that point, I took all I understood about Jesus and said, Yes! to Him. It wasn’t until I was personally discipled several years later I really learned how to grow as I read His Word myself and got to see who He really is. His attributes were more than I earlier imagined. The apostle Paul grew quickly after His salvation. If you want a full dive into the doctrine of salvation, just read through the book of Romans he wrote. Perhaps because Jesus had so radically turned Paul’s life around—from persecutor of Christians…
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Treasures
I started this train of thought last week in When It Makes No Sense. Today, I want to share 7 follow up treasures He has given me, and how I am getting those insights. I do not like waiting for answers…just ask my former co-workers! I’m just not good at waiting. And right now…waiting is where I am. But in the waiting, the Lord ALWAYS shows up. These things occurred (and this time I was listening!) in a weeks time. And even though resolution has not yet appeared, He has shown up, every single day! 1 I read the phrase “don’t hurry through the heartache” alongside Romans 8:28, “We know…
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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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The Waiting
I’m in the second week of an Advent study I am doing with my women’s life group, preparing my heart for Christmas. It never gets old to consider the arrival of Christ in the flesh. What if He hadn’t come? I can’t even imagine the feeling of loss and yet, waiting for the promise to be fulfilled in the arrival of the Savior. Imagine the Israelites hearing NOTHING from God for 400 years, Malachi to Matthew! Silence. The most deafening silence they’d probably ever heard. Then…the angels announce the arrival of the baby born miraculously to Mary and Joseph, the long awaited Messiah! Advent means “waiting for the coming of…
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3 Blogs Posts for Living in 2021
1 Social media today is all over the map: truth, fake news, encouraging, degrading, spiritual, business related, hopeful and concerning. How ever you use social media, Social Media: 7 Tips for Christians from SBC Voices is a great read as you consider your next update. 2 Whether Jesus comes back tomorrow or 50 years for now, we must be ready. Read 4 Ways to Live During End Times by LifeWay Research. This also relates well to the previous post! 3 This last post I will share today is written by a friend and colleague of mine, Christina Zimmerman. Read What Are Spiritual Disciplines to be reminded of how we continue…
