Joy in the Journey

A black dog running with a frisbee in its mouth.

Joy in the journey. Joy over the shining mountain passes and through the deep, dark valleys. Joy on the sunny days and through the stormy ones. Our Lord Jesus Christ came that we might have abundant life and that our joy may be full. (John 10:10, 15:14, 16:24, 17:13) But how? What do we do to have joy…

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For His Name’s Sake

A large firework explodes in the sky.

Rejoice! It is all about Him. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It is all about our mighty, holy, loving God. Aren’t you glad? God made you. You are His child. You are valuable to Him. As your Father, He has a commitment to you. He acts for His Name’s Sake God acts…

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How to Get Through It

A black dog is being sprayed by a hose.

Are you having a hard time? A bad time? Have you had a huge disappointment? An earth-shaking loss? I wish it were otherwise. If I were God, you and I would have easy, satisfying, fun lives, without hardship or scarcity. But I’m not God (duh), and my choices would not be good ones. Among other…

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Practical Exam

God doesn’t give multiple-choice tests. He doesn’t assign essays. God gives practical exams. God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice Isaac. (Genesis 22:1) He tested the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness to see what was in their hearts and whether or not they would walk in His instruction. (Exodus 16:5, Deuteronomy 8:2) He…

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Do You Believe God?

Three pelicans swimming in the water with long beaks.

Do you believe God? I’m not asking if you believe in God. I’m asking if you believe what He says. Who or what is your authority for how you interpret what is happening: To you? To your loved ones? To your country? To the world? Do you test what you believe? How do you test? What standard do you…

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Pain: Truth and Lies

A dirt path surrounded by trees in a wooded area.

Gram’s heart was broken. When another adult daughter died, she wailed: “What did I do so bad to deserve this?” It was a body-blow pain. Explaining your pain We’ve all  hurt. How we explain pain determines much about how well we handle it. We can speak truth to ourselves. Or we can tell ourselves lies.…

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Where ya going?

Yield at roundabout sign.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” Yogi Berra If you don’t care where you’re going, “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland On the other hand, if you want to be intentional about how you live, and you care where you’re going,…

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Spiritual Self-Appraisal

Long Beautiful view of the sunset

The end of the year is a good time to slow down and take stock. As the sun sets on 2014, how do you think you did? STOP! I can hear many of you, just like me, shift into critical mode. We can be our own worst enemies. But if you believe in Jesus Christ,…

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Gift Getting. Gift Giving.

Closeup shot of Christmas trees and gifts

When young children were asked what they wanted to get for Christmas, they gave many answers with great energy. Then, when they were given a choice of a big chocolate or a small chocolate, most took the big candy, leaving the small one for their companion. When, instead, they were asked what presents they wanted…

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You’re Invited

View of Christmas tree reflection on the window glass

Great Joy Jesus Christ is born! Hallelujah!! Good news of great joy for all the people. (Luke 2:10) The spiritual blessings are overwhelming. Immanuel, meaning “God with us” was born to save us from our sins. He was born for us a Savior. (Isaiah 7:14) This is God’s solution to our problem: our sins separate…

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