08
Dec '18
Unrequited Fear
08
Dec '18
As babies, we don’t realize what fear is. We have the comfort of parents and loved ones and fear is not something that enters our mind. As we start to get older and have experiences, that’s when fear starts to sink in. Life happens around us and we learn what we may be “afraid” of. As a child, I remember being afraid to go down into the basement after dark at my house – even though the basement was finished, if my parents would ask me to go down and get something, I remember as soon as I’d pick up whatever it was down there that they asked me to get, I’d run so fast up those stairs – hitting each stair with a big boom with my feet as I ran back up. There was never anything down there to scare me, but the perception of the darkness Read more…
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01
Dec '18
Love and Fellowship
01
Dec '18
“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and He knows everything.”
1 John 3:18-20
Recently, I felt like something was missing in my life, and found that I had not been connecting with my spiritual friends. So, I was able to unbury myself from my day to day work rituals, and make time to reconnect with one of them. We had lunch, and it was such a wonderful reminder of how God works in all of us. You see, I believe we are at our best when we are connected with others. Additionally, the bond between our friends are made stronger Read more…
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01
Dec '18
Fresh Start
01
Dec '18
Well, Christmas is right at our doorsteps. My favorite time of year. That says a lot, considering I work in retail, which can get a little hectic, especially around the holidays. I still love it. Some people can become a little stressed, but being helpful and considerate can go a long way. I have found that showing courtesy can ease the nerves of a stressed out customer. Not every experience produces the same reaction, but it has been my experience that people are more courteous towards you when they have been shown courtesy by you. Sharing God’s Word is the most important thing we can do. This time of year especially. Some people have never been exposed to Christ and everything He did for us. They only understand the (Santa Claus) Christmas. This is the perfect time of year for a fresh start. December 25th nears the Read more…
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01
Dec '18
Buzz Kill
01
Dec '18
Fun-sucker, buzz kill, killjoy – we’ve all used these words to describe someone in our life at some point. We define these words as someone who steals our fun, someone who just doesn’t want us to have joy, or someone who tries to steal anything good we have in life. Instead of jumping up and down with us as we celebrate, they look at us like we’re crazy and make us feel, for lack of a better word, stupid. You know who I’m talking about. We’ve all had this person (or persons!) in our life.
I think many people on the outside of Christianity (and maybe even some Christians, and I’ll elaborate more on this in a bit with myself as an example) think that once they allow God into their life, that their life is going to become stale and boring, and all the fun will just be Read more…
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24
Nov '18
Love and Prayers
24
Nov '18
Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what He did for me.
For I cried out to Him for help,
praising Him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen!
He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw His unfailing love from me. Psalms 66:16-20
and I will tell you what He did for me.
For I cried out to Him for help,
praising Him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen!
He paid attention to my prayer.
Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw His unfailing love from me. Psalms 66:16-20
Lately, I have been in an unusually thankful mood. It is not because the world has become a more certain place. It has not. It is not because I have no feelings of anxiety and concern in Read more…
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24
Nov '18
Never Give Up
24
Nov '18
There have been countless times where I have felt like throwing in the towel. Whether at work or in personal circumstances, things can happen that can take their toll and can get the best of us. Being expected to perform well and to do things in a quick, timely manner can put so much pressure on us. We can start to feel the anxiety build up and begin to think nothing will ever be good enough to please anyone. Satan works hard at wearing us down. Why should we keep trying? Is it all worth it? YES!!! Never give up trying, and never throw in the towel.
It’s very discouraging to keep trying and feel like nothing is being accomplished. God understands what we are going through. He knows our struggles better than we do. We are Read more…
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24
Nov '18
Eggs and a Basket
24
Nov '18
Early this morning I started thinking how in the past, I’ve occasionally put all of my eggs in a single basket (and I was reminded how horribly that has usually worked out). Having a Plan A without a Plan B for a Type A personality like me usually spells disaster, mentally. It’s not something that I enjoy doing, and not something I often do – usually if I have a Plan A, I also like have a Plan B. That’s just the way I work. God gave all of us temperaments, and one of my temperaments is that of a planner, therefore, it’s just natural for me to have that alternate option. But – occasionally I’ll do it. Trusting more than I should, I’ll do it. Only Plan A. “Let’s do this!”
Well, I’ve found myself in life, as I mentioned, with all of my eggs in one basket. When that failed miserably, I was a bit shocked, but was I also relieved? In my gut (God’s still small Read more…
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17
Nov '18
Running on Empty
17
Nov '18
After making it through a very long week, we can feel exhausted and like we’re running on empty. Sometimes it can feel like we just want to sleep for the next forty-eight hours. But regardless of our tiring work weeks, we still have things to do. We have family, church, different activities and obligations we have to meet. Whatever it is that we think we don’t have the strength for, God does have the strength for it. Every time we feel like we don’t have Read more…
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17
Nov '18
Starbucks is a Love Language
17
Nov '18
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants
generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t
give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God
will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left
over to share with others.
generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t
give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God
will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left
over to share with others.
So, a funny conversation occurred at my church over of all things … coffee. A young lady made a
Facebook post about how her wonderful fiancé had surprised her in the morning with a cup of Starbucks
before heading off on a business trip. I had to laugh at it because strangely the picture appeared to Read more…
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17
Nov '18
The Serenity Prayer
17
Nov '18
Do you ever get impatient? I know do – about all kinds of things. I try not to make it a habit, but I can sure conjure up ideas in my head of things that I think are going to happen, and then I get impatient while I wait for them to happen. Sometimes they happen, but sometimes they don’t, and most always they are out of my control.
There’s been times in my life that I’ve really prayed for patience – and I’ve since learned that patience is something God will provide every! single! time! I ask for it. (I believe He’s definitely given patience to me in various large doses over the years! ha!). I remember Pastor Frank mentioning this during a sermon Read more…
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