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Favorites of 2017
Fiercehearted by Holley Gerth None Like Him by Jen Wilkin The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Joni: An Unforgettable Story by Joni Eareckson Tada Anchored In By Micah Maddox I shared about 14 blog posts that have impacted and stuck with me this year in a separate post. They are listed as nominations for…
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The Gift That Satisfies
We have an unfortunate tendency of focusing on gaining satisfaction, especially during the Christmas season. From gift-giving to maintaining traditions “just so,” we seem to think we’ll feel full if we treat ourselves to “enough.” Yet the gifts Jesus gives focus on our fulfillment or completion in Him, not on a temporal feeling or fleeting…
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(Could It Be A) Silent Night
Christmas cheer tends to be a cacophony. Joy is often boisterous; excitement and anticipation tend to cause exuberance. It’s during this season that we often blast the carols and sing along. We like to sit down and recite our favorite lines, laugh without reservation during classic Christmas movies. Parties are consumed by chatter. And the…
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O Come All Ye Frustrated
In just a few weeks, someone or other will ask us: “how was your Christmas?” Chances are our answers won’t include words like “perfect” or “flawless.” It’s just a fact that Christmas celebrations tend to carry with them mistakes and messes. Something unexpected happens. Some gifts don’t arrive on time. Someone isn’t satisfied. The first…
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O Come Next Year Immanuel
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried…” –Luke 1:39 Now that’s a line in the Biblical Christmas account we can relate to! Get ready. Hurry. There was even an element of “hurry up and wait.” Mary was off to visit 6-months pregnant (once barren) Elizabeth. Mary remained there with her 3 months, presumably waiting…
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God’s Glory in the Little Things
It’s the season of small. Tiny lights twinkle. Cookies substitute entrees at parties. Our song selection shrinks as we delight in repeating the same tunes. Little things make us nostalgic and remind us to appreciate what we usually overlook. Miniature figures remind us of the quaint scene in history that changed eternity. We see this…
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O Little Town of Mayhem
It seems Bethlehem was busy the night Jesus was born. Many people were traveling for the census, so Joseph and Mary found no traditional lodging. We can identify with that element of the Christmas story. This season often feels overwhelming, busy, and too full. But in the midst of the mayhem on that starry night…
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It’s Almost The (Maybe) Wonderful Time of the Year
Soon the roasted turkey will be packed away for future meals. The pie dishes will be rinsed clean. It often seems that all those thanks are then simply swept away as we hurry to get ready for Jesus coming. We are a people of “next things.” In our present time, the end of Thanksgiving seems…
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Head-Turning Worship
Makeup reapplied after a day of missions service, she beamed as she stood at the front of the worship team, belting out the words in the mic. One arm was raised, the other thumped over her heart. Even her ponytail nodded along in agreement to the rhythm. I watched from the camp’s sound booth, mesmerized.…
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Her Utmost for His Highest
The greenish book seemed odd to me as I quickly paged through. “Thank you,” I murmured with confusion as the older woman patted my hand and said she’d be praying. I was off to the mission field, and she’d given me a copy of Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest. She didn’t know it,…