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Worry–Is There a Better Way to Do Life?
Worry is one thing I do well. I suspect you do, too. There’s plenty to worry about in this life! I’m learning to conquer worry by casting every care on the Lord. That’s the second key to dispensing the sweet fragrance of Christ as we walk through this life. Last week we looked at the…
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Dispensing the Sweet Fragrance of Christ
Hyacinth—the sweet fragrance of spring—triggers a favorite memory. Growing up, my brother Charlie and I joined other neighborhood kids to wait for the school bus at a friend’s house across the road from where we lived. On spring mornings, the delightful fragrance of Mrs. Roller’s hyacinths filled the air. The fragrance takes me back to…
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What Causes You to Flinch?
I’ve been murmuring and complaining…again. I thought I’d left this despicable behavior behind long ago. Unexpectedly an irritation tripped me, sending me back to toddler stage of my walk with the Lord. Maybe I’d been feeling a little smug about my progress, handling disappointments and setbacks with surprising maturity. I kept my focus on the…
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Watch Your Step…There’s a Pit Ahead!
I need a safe place to confess…I fell into the pit again. The pit of discouragement. It’s a trap, and I do my best to avoid it. Didn’t even see that dark hole till I tumbled in. Then I knew exactly where I’d landed. I’ve been there before. This plunge happened while I was carrying…
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Have You Ever Lost Hope?
Lord, I have lost all hope! My desperate prayer had barely formed in my thoughts when a quiet voice in my heart interrupted a gush of tears. You have not lost hope. I am your hope. You have not lost me. Our God hears! And he cares. His assurance brought change—not in the circumstances but…
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Living in Relationship—a Few Thoughts
Life is relationship. God designed it that way. Adam, the first man, is the only person who had the opportunity to live without human fellowship. The Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone.” So he created a helper for him (see Genesis 2:18). The heart longs for relationship. Warren Buffet,…
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Tug of War Depicts the Christian Life
Tug-of-war…remember that sport you played as a child? Two teams line up and grab opposite ends of a rope. Then each team tries to pull the other down. Do you sometimes feel that represents the Christian life? We grab the rope and take our stand confidently, knowing the Lord in all his strength is behind…
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When You Feel Like Giving up
If you’ve thought about giving up, I have a quote that will motivate you to keep going: “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” Olympic gold-medalist Simone Biles said this during an interview on CBS “60 Minutes” Sunday. The twenty-three-year-old gymnast discussed her disappointment over cancellation of the Olympic Games in 2020.…
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Treasures Wrapped in Brown Paper and Twine
Often I choose a Bible promise for the new year. For whatever reason, I didn’t this time. Maybe because of last year—so wild, chaotic, and unexpected, leaving me feeling a bit trampled. But the precious habit has always blessed me. Skimming journal notes, I found this, written four years ago: I’ve chosen my verse for…
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Have you ever been between a rock and a hard place? Apostle Paul spent time there, and his experience helps me see my circumstances in perspective. “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews…