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Do You Need Courage?
Who knew, when Jennifer Rothschild began writing her Bible study Take Courage, on the Old Testament book of Haggai, how desperately we would need the messages of encouragement for tough times that Haggai preached! No one knew we’d be in the middle of a global pandemic, or that we would have such turmoil in our nation! But God certainly did. Perhaps you have faced difficulty, opposition and discouragement that causes you to question your purpose, especially as you reflect the 12 months we have just lived through. Maybe situations have not turned out like you thought they would, or how you wanted them to. Maybe you are desperately needing encouragement…
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Hold Loosely
Hold what loosely? I’ll get to that! God has taught me SO much over the last year. Retirement 4 years ago gave me more time with the Lord each morning than I’ve ever had before…and I have LOVED it! Retirement also has taught me how to live with my husband of 50 years full time…and it’s not all been pretty since it’s the first time we’ve ever lived together 24/7! You can read about that here in this post, Retired Together…3 Issues and 7 Tips. During pandemic, it’s as though retirement has gone to whole other level. Although we have made so much progress in learning to live together well,…
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Are You Listening Now?
Right now, I feel like this is what God is asking me…in so many ways. “Are you listening to me NOW?” Perhaps it’s the end of a long year we just experienced, a year of changes, cancellations, concerns and SO much more! Maybe it’s the uncertainty of all that is happening in our nation today. We don’t have a clue what will happen tomorrow. I can’t help but wonder if it’s because God is telling us to open our ears, listen and watch Him do His work in our world. Over and over He has shown his sovereignty to me personally and I am hanging on that even as I…
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Blessed New Year!
I am sure most of us are praying for a different year in 2021 than we had in 2020. But what a perfect time to think about the things God has done THIS year! Yes, among COVID, hostility, politics, loss, cancelled trips and church services, and many other disappointments, there is SO much we can be thankful for. Even with the Christmas day bombing in downtown Nashville (and 3 days without cell or internet service at our home!). Praise that only the bomber was killed and only minor injuries for a couple of police. Shout out for our Nashville police for protecting so many from harm that day, especially as…
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For the Christmas Season
This week I am sharing some helpful blog posts for this time of year. Christmas 2020 may look different for most of us this year. Many are dealing with a variety of situations and concerns. May these posts encourage you as well as provide practical help for making this Christmas all about Christ! If you have some tough relationships that sometimes overwhelm you, Perhaps you or those around you are struggling with grief this year…for any kinds of reason or loss. Check out this post from Josh and Christi Straub Finding Hope Through Grief | An Advent Family Experience from LifeWay Voices. One last one for this week that I…
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SO Much to be Thankful For
2020 has brought many surprises and unexpected lifestyle transitions. At first it was not too bad. For most, extra time at home became a treasure to those whose lives were hectic. After a while though, virtual school and zoom meetings became a bit tiring. Not being able to eat out whenever you wanted and having to wear masks everywhere became tiresome. Watching church on line was a blessing for sure. Staying in bed longer and worshiping in pjs wasn’t too bad…at first. But after weeks of this, I LONGED to be back in corporate worship. And zoom life group was a life-saver to our women’s life group, but we SO…
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He’s In Our Boat!
The banner photo above looks lovely, inviting, serene, peaceful. I would love to be in that boat pictured here. But what about the boats that are in the middle of a storm, waves crashing over the sides? I would volunteer to jump in to the boat for that ride! I recently started the Angie Smith Bible study, Matchless: The Life and Love of Jesus. One of the miracles of Jesus that I studied was one I’m very familiar with. But reading it during the 2020 season we are experiencing, just days after this crazy election, it was a reminder of what I really do know…but needed to consider once more.…
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Even More Blogs!
I’ve took a bit of a vacation break and have been sharing some wonderful blogs from other writers. Then I took a break from that break to blog on our Hurricane Sally experience. Here is the third in this series, sharing some wonderful and helpful posts. Enjoy these today, as well as these and these that I shared earlier. Wait and See: What My Infertility Taught Me About Faith Having experienced infertility, I can say, yes and amen to this. Leading Better Discussion in a Group that is Meeting Online Articles like this have helped me lead an online life group…something I’d never prepared for! Savannah was in my D-Group…
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More Blogs to Enjoy
I’ve taken a bit of a vacation break so have been sharing some wonderful blogs of other writers. Enjoy these, as well as these from last week. Leading Well: Plan for a Successful Fall Ministry Season This fall may look different from any other this year. Are you ready? 12 Ice Breakers and Ideas to Shake Up Your Digital Meetings Admit it, Zoom can get old. Try these! Your Mental Health Matters It’s true, this year has been difficult for everyone. How are you doing? Top 10 Worst Zoom Habits. For many of us, Zoom has been a new way to communicate and build community. We could ALL use these…
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Blogs to Enjoy
During September I am taking a little writing vacation, but I want you to keep reading great blog content, so I am going to share some posts I think will be a blessing! Use Care Groups to Stay Connected During COVID-19 Here are some ways to use what you’ve learned during the quarantine that you may continue to use even after the pandemic. 5 Things Younger Leaders Can’t Stand About Older Leaders No matter your age, you are older than someone! It may hurt to hear these, but it never hurts to listen! The 21-Day Invitation: Steps to Reconnect to God We all struggle sometimes in our daily walk with…
