Praise Becomes You

A pelican flying over the water.

When you (men and women) want to look your best, you are apt to wear a specific color. Probably you wear a color others have admired on you, and have said something like: “Blue becomes you,” that is, you look great in blue. You pay particular attention to that comment if it’s said by a special date,…

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Our Noise Problem

NFL Stadiums now compete to be the loudest, which handicaps the opposing team’s offense. The current record holder is Kansas City. “Kansas City Chiefs fans’ broke Seattle Seahawks’ fans’ record of having the loudest outdoor stadium by creating 142.2 decibels worth of noise at Arrowhead Stadium Monday night [September 29, 2014]. ‘The Chiefs tweeted a…

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Be Intentionally Grateful

Fruits and vegetables on shelves in a grocery store.

Many years ago, my mom told me about a visitor from Romania. When the visitor went to the grocery store and saw the huge array of fresh fruit and vegetables, she burst into tears. Fresh fruit and vegetables were in short supply in her country. Seeing such abundance was overwhelming. When was the last time?…

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DON’T Look Both Ways

Since we were very young, we were told: “Look both ways!” That’s a basic safety drill to assure we can safely cross streets. But it’s often fatal from a spiritual perspective. If we look to God and we look to ourselves, if then we act on our own, we can easily get run over. Don’t Look Both Ways Think…

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Sins as a Symptom of a Fatal Disease

When you’re sick, sometimes your physician treats the symptoms, and sometimes he or she diagnoses and treats the underlying condition. For most viral illnesses, for example, the appropriate action is to reduce the signs and symptoms of the illness, for example, addressing fever or muscle pain, since current medicine doesn’t treat the underlying problem. Sometimes,…

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Not Forever, Just Until

Three white birds standing on a concrete wall.

Are you going through a hard time? The more difficult your circumstances, the longer your situation seems to last. It’s Not Forever, Just Until But, for the child of God, whatever you are going through is not forever. It is just “until.” Your situation might be temporary until the Lord is finished working on you…

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She Did What She Could

A tunnel in the middle of a wooded area.

I’m a helper, most fulfilled when I can assist others in solving their problems, and reaching their goals. But I cannot always help, even when I want to. Ouch. When a Helper Cannot Help Sometimes I am not equipped to help, lacking wisdom, ability, or resources. Sometimes the person doesn’t want my help. Sometimes the…

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Year End Guarantee

Year End Guarantee I absolutely can guarantee something for Year End 2016. You—and I—WILL be more like Christ on December 31, 2016, than we are right now. Guar-an-TEED! Why am I so sure? God tells us so “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will…

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Where Is Your Mind?

A boy holding a book over his head.

Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most. Ha-ha. Seriously, where is your mind? We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Here’s how (Listen up, Kristin) #1 Make up your mind to think aright Make a firm commitment to bring your “thought-life” in…

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What Are the Right Questions?

A calendar with a snowman on it.

It’s 2016! Happy new year! What are the right questions? What questions should we ask ourselves as we bring one year to a close and begin the next? For many years, I’ve tried to take stock. How did I do in the year coming to a close? [And there is another, separate, work to actually…

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