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What Can Separate Us?
Words like those in Romans 8:35-39 tend to come to mind and comfort us in deep hardship, like when facing death, demons, uncertain futures, and the depths suffering. But it isn’t just the “negatives” of life we feel keep us from God. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?….. For I am convinced that…
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What’s in Your Closet?
For years, I walked around with holy socks. As in, socks with gaping holes in them. At first, it was because money was tight. Over time, it was just what I was used to (and I’m a creature of habit.) Even after someone gifted me new, thick, soft socks, I still wore the old ones….
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3 Ways to Get Truth from Your Head to Your Heart
You might have heard the famous quote: “The longest journey you will ever take is the 18 inches from your head to your heart.” 18 inches doesn’t seem that far. We can cover that distance in one swift step with our feet. Many of our pets are about that length, and we can run our…
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God’s Creative Answers to Prayer
A sweet friend of mine recently commented that God’s creativity is amazing- not just in nature but in the ways He does things, the ways He answers prayer. This is a picture of that. Over the years, I’ve prayed for a mentor. For deep friendships. For opportunities to encourage others in Christ. For my compulsion…
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The Promise of Presence
A promise. Several generations passed. 400 years of captivity. 40 years wandering the desert. The Promised Land in sight, then out of sight, then in it again. Amazing victories. Devastating losses. Seasons of sin. Periods of rejoicing and serving the Lord. Finally, the death of Moses. It wouldn’t be long. All they’d waited for was…
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When It Looks Like Jesus Gave Up…
People jeered as they looked at the man who’d performed miracles too good to be true and made lofty claims about his own power. For all His talk, Jesus sure didn’t seem strong enough to remove the nails holding Him to the cross. Some thought of one of the things Jesus said He would do:…
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Your No Is As Important As Your Yes
“All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37 Are you afraid of saying no? I am! What a gift that Scripture doesn’t condemn the word no. Rather, the Bible highlights the importance of keeping your word, whether it’s a yes or a no. Every no…
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The Best Kind of Heartbreak
I’ve got this big magenta duffel bag. It’s sewn up along the edges, almost as crisscrossed and haphazard as the trips it’s been on. The frayed lining is only slightly attached to the outer layer anymore. You can see all the places it’s worn thin and stretched permanently from being stuffed too full all the…
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Why Did You Bring Me Here, God?
I remember the excitement when the phone call came. “We just have to finalize it, but you can schedule that moving truck,” the Midwestern man’s voice exclaimed. Expectantly, we did. We waited. But the paperwork never arrived. Weeks later, the same voice apologized on the phone. Unforeseen circumstances arose. The position was canceled. We’re weren’t…
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What Are You Willing to Sacrifice?
Biographies are some of my favorite books. I love to read the stories, to learn about the faith of those who are now among the great cloud of witnesses. No matter how many I read, one thing strikes me every time… Faith requires sacrifice. Since Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for us, sacrificing today doesn’t…