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Friday - March 29, 2024
 

One Thing Is Needful

January 15th, 2008

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. – Luke 10:42 It snowed this evening. An entirely unexpected snow, at least for me. I have a DVR now, so I rarely watch live television. This means I miss important announcements – like the fact that a storm is headed for my town. But in other ways, this little electronic box has been a great blessing. I no longer channel surf, looking for something worth watching. I have more time to be productive. Tonight before I let my dogs out, I looked out at my back deck, covered with a thick... Read More

The Greatest Gift

December 10th, 2007

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 nlt When my son, Aaron, was a small tyke, his favorite toys were plastic G I. Joe figures. Every day his little red head could be found poring over his collection. After much deliberation, he picked out two to carry- one in each chubby, little hand. For Christmas, Aaron asked for a specific G. I. Joe. The problem? Every other three-year old in our area wanted the same one. I despaired as Christmas grew closer, and none could be found. Finally, I found it. You would have... Read More

Extreme Makeover

October 9th, 2007

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! – 2 Corinthians 5:17 niv People today are pre-occupied with their bodies. It seems every magazine for women I see has at least one article promising a total makeover. “If you\’ll follow these ten steps, you can change your body!” I don\’t know about you, but I\’m about due for an extreme makeover. The changes in my body both fascinate and horrify me. Not long ago, my friends and I stopped at a new restaurant for dinner. When I got up to go to the restroom, I saw a... Read More

Heaven\’s Sounding Sweeter

September 12th, 2007

From that time on, Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17 niv The other night on the news, the reporter profiled a man well over one hundred years of age who competed in the Senior Olympics. I looked at my husband and said, “Just think – in fifty years you could be an athlete!” A look crossed his face that I can only describe as one of horror. Still be here in fifty years? No, thanks. You see, just a few days ago, my husband preached a sermon on Heaven. Where is it? What will it be like? Who gets to go? All this talk... Read More

The Beauty of Gentleness

August 7th, 2007

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23 niv Have you ever been around someone you\’d describe as gentle? Kindness and consideration ooze from her pores. Things that would cause you to snap or rebuke someone harshly only slightly ruffle her feathers. Gentleness is in her nature. When I attended the Girls Auxiliary program as a young girl, I had a teacher I could count on to be tenderhearted, never raising her voice. With about fifteen chatty and... Read More

A New Path

July 11th, 2007

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. – Jude 1:3 NIV A guest minister at our church told us how, when he chose his former profession, he knew he\’d made the right choice. Wrong. God had other plans. This man had a congenital birth defect. The Lord not only healed him, but also called him to preach. He said God set him on ‘a new path I didn\’t know was there.\’ When he made that statement, it reminded me of one of... Read More

Looking Back

June 11th, 2007

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:14 nkjv I don\’t drive on the interstate often. Recently I had a meeting to attend which necessitated a forty-minute drive on the highway. Before backing out of the garage, I strapped my seatbelt, adjusted my mirrors, checked my directions, and prayed. In fact, I prayed for the next forty minutes! As I whizzed down the road at sixty, okay seventy miles per hour, I checked my rear-view mirrors often. Many years ago in driver\’s education, my instructor told me to check my mirrors... Read More

Dancing with the Stars

May 9th, 2007

There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to have sorrow, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4 (New Life Version) We seem to have a lot of television shows dedicated to the ‘stars.\’ Gossip and entertainment shows abound. Everyday people vie for the opportunity to interview, dance with, or touch a famous person. Magazines employ large teams of writers to report on the latest makeup tips, clothing styles, and private lives of the celebrities. Even in Christian circles, we have a few people who some might be consider ‘stars\’ – pastors of mega-churches, televangelists,... Read More

Mission Possible

April 13th, 2007

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. – Psalm 139:16 esv I can finally see my lawn with bright green shoots of new grass sprouting all over the place. We\’ve had so much snow this past winter that for a while, I felt like God had us inside a giant snow globe, and every so often, He\’d give us a good shake. With every snowstorm, as enormous flakes floated to the ground, I thought about how each flake is unique. Just like people. Did you know there is no one else... Read More

Your Legacy

March 5th, 2007

“…verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” Psalm 39:5 This week a celebrity died. She was only 39 years old. I say ‘only\’ because, as a Boomer Baby, a thirty-something woman seems very young. This celebrity did a whole lotta livin\’ during her short time on earth, and sad to say, her legacy is already one marked by confusion and vanity. Vanity could refer to her obsession with her looks, but King David referred to vanity in a different light in the Psalms saying, “each of us is but a breath” (Psalm 39:5b nlt). We share something in... Read More