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When I was a teenager, my mom always had last minute instructions for me when she was leaving the house or when I was going out. She would remind me of tasks to complete, behaviors to maintain, and she would tell me she loved me. Standard operating procedure. Leaving the ones we love can be […]

When I think of my mom, I think of flowers. She spent so many hours trying to turn Florida sand into a garden, and she mostly succeeded. She gathered cuttings from neighbors and family, and she nurtured them into beautiful plants that we enjoyed. She talked about her flowers, and I am always amazed at […]

I worked outside this morning. In the warmth of a pre-summer Florida day, I moved plants and dug in the dirt. I checked on growing fruit and vegetables, and I relished the quiet interrupted only by the intermittent songs of the birds. It was a good morning. While my body may rise in protest over […]

What if we went to church on Sunday and the preacher did not preach? What if he stood and said, “I have no need to speak anything, because the word of the Lord has sounded throughout our community and world in the words and lives of believers? (I Thessalonians 1:8) What if we lived our […]

Live life unafraid of the trials to come, untroubled by the difficulties of the day, secure in the love of the Father. Live life undistracted by the noise of the world, without worry over God’s provision, confident in the Father’s care. Live life joyously, victoriously, faithfully, walking in the path of love, following the Savior’s […]

Be careful whom you follow.Some will stir emotionswith eloquent speechthat rattles with the lies of Hell.Some will flatter and flirt to build up confidence as they leaddown the road of death.Be careful whom you followfor the road of destruction is broad and easily travelled,but the road to Life is narrow and straight.Be careful whom you […]

Two weeks out from Resurrection Sunday, and life goes on. We celebrated Hope. We celebrated Life. We celebrated Forgiveness and Victory and Grace! Then we walked away from the tomb and into the darkness of this world. Is Hope still alive? Is the Light of Grace still shining? Or has Joy fizzled in the face […]

Father, I have been walking this way for a long time. I am so thankful that You called me, and I came to know You at a young age. Your presence in my life has made all the difference- the difference between light and dark, hope and despair, guilt and forgiveness, rejection and acceptance. I […]

The problem with our view of righteousness is that we focus on man’s version rather than God’s. II Corinthians 5:21 For He (God the Father) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seems right […]

Tonight, as I perused a ministry magazine and read story after story of the sacrifices of Christians around the globe, my heart stirred. Believers in other countries are sacrificing and suffering, just to have access to a Bible. While we in America struggle to get through a five-minute devotion, grumble if the church service goes […]

What if Paul, having been blinded by God’s bright light and healed, had gone quietly back into his life to live as a Pharisee? What if Peter, having vehemently declared his love for Jesus, had simply gone back to being a fisherman? What if Timothy, having been reared by a Christian mother, had declared his […]

Outside at dawn this morning, my heart rejoiced in the Hallelujah Chorus that surrounded me. The song was in bird speak, but the hallelujahs resounded none the less. My thoughts centered on Matthew 28:1 – In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary […]

If I base my decisions on my rights, I have not truly grasped the meaning of the Cross. When I avoid service because of inconvenience, hardship, or lack of recognition, I know nothing of the Cross. When my first thought is, “How will this affect me?”, I have missed the impact of the Cross. When […]