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Following Jesus
Jesus said 2,000 years ago and He says now: “Follow me.” To be a follower of Christ, you must develop “Holy Spirit sensitivity.” You must be able to absolutely discern His voice. So you can willfully obey; make the right choice. To follow means you must be willing to serve. Dying to self and from His way not swerve. You must give yourself away. Do His will every day. Following Jesus comes with great sacrifice. What is He asking you to lay down? What is the price? We must deny ourselves, our plans and desires. We must share in His sufferings; walk through the fire. We must suffer, grow and…
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Porch Swing
From the porch swing, I talk with God Pray and Sing. I sip a cup of tea And listen as He speaks to me. He shows me beauty all around Flowers, trees a variety of birds abound. He loves and cares for all Rich, poor, big or small. He has a plan. He wants me to share His love across all lands. He teaches me how to live And shows me how to forgive. He causes me to remember So I can trust him, be humble, patient and tender. He is never hurtful, forceful or loud. He convicts me when I am feeling proud. When I am lost, He shows…
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Fruit Inspectors
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Today I want to share a memory of my dear friend, Lisa. She was not only my friend, but my colleague, my prayer partner, mentor and so much more! Lisa was vibrant! Her personality was effervescent, contagious! She never knew a stranger and deeply cared/loved everyone. She was authentic, honest, real! She had a deep relationship with Jesus and was always introducing people to Him! Lisa would stop on the street; ask people their name and if she could pray for them. For a…
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Work for His Glory
Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. Last evening I had a “texting conversation” with a dear friend. After battling a serious illness, she will be returning to work in six weeks. She is not looking forward to going back. She is exhausted. Her journey has been long and hard. She is ready to retire, rest, and not have a structured work schedule. She is ready for a break; simply enjoy life. But, sadly, she is unable to retire for another year. As I have thought back over my…
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Gray Hair
Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. At the start of the pandemic, life came to a screeching halt! All non-essential business doors were closed. When my hair stylist had to close her shop, at first, I felt a bit of “panic”. Although my hair only requires a trim, I was more concerned about my hair color. For 30 plus years, I had my hair colored. In my twenties, I was one of the “fortunate” people to start turning gray. At first, I had it highlighted. As time went on, it became a trip to the salon every six weeks. …
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Grandma Thoughts
While reading my devotion for today, it led me to thinking about my 8 year old grandson. Lately, he has been asking questions about God. Now we’ve had conversations before, but he just blurts out a question and expects me to have the answer. One day while listening to the Christian radio station, he asked me if Jesus was God. My spur of the moment answer, was that God was Jesus’ father and his mother was Mary. So, I guess that makes him 50/50. Some things about Jesus are difficult for me to understand after all these years. So for an 8 year old, I tried to keep it simple. You know,…
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Who Do You Think You Are
I don’t know who you think you are? You try to come in and steal my joy. You know what buttons to push, to make me feel overwhelmed and to become afraid. You whisper lies to me that no one else can hear. You wake me up when I am supposed to be resting making mole hills into mountains. I know what your game is, keep me awake so tomorrow’s promises will become problems. You cause fear and anxiety to arise when really it’s nothing more than a walk in the park. So, I ask you again, who do you think you are? You keep me busy, so I have no…
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A Question To Ponder
In this past week’s sermon, Pastor Kevin, began with a thought provoking question: “When you die and stand before God and give an account of your life, when God asks ‘Why should I allow you into heaven?’ What will your response be?” He went on to say that over the years of his ministry that many have answered that “I’m a good person.” He proceeded to ask “Do people get to go to heaven if they are ‘good enough’?” Immediately, we sought truth from the Bible. In Romans 3:23 it says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. What about if they do lots…
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Eyes to See
When I pray and ask for “eyes to see”- Sometimes I don’t like what you show me. You open my eyes. Expose selfishness, harshness, deception and lies. What do I do when I see- Bitterness and selfishness inside of me? I have a choice-turn away in pride? Or repent of my sin, ask forgiveness and cleansing inside? Abba, You discipline those that you love. You care about the little details from far above. You listen to my pettiness; hear my whine. Oh, how You must get frustrated and laugh at times! You lovingly chide me and care. You listen; hear every prayer. Like a road grater working on a rock…
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Reckless Reliance/Relentless Love
We need to have reckless reliance on God. He is with us wherever we trod. We need to take Him to our homes- To our business, our churches, our streets; wherever we roam. He needs to be our all in all. We need to listen to His voice; obey when He calls. We have to continually pray- Rely on him every second of the day. God has a relentless love for you and me. His love is deeper and wider than we can see. His love never gives up. When we are empty, He fills our cup. When we have no answers to life problems and circumstances we do not…
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Morale Problems Lead to Moral Problems
When you feel depressed and down When hope seems lost and life causes a frown When love seems to have grown cold When all that you have worked for begins to unravel and unfold When a diagnosis comes and all seems dim When tragedy strikes and life is grim When life happens… …our morale may sink we may feel desperate; on the brink we may feel overwhelmed with sorrow we may lose hope for tomorrow we may cry out in pain we may feel life is over; there is nothing to gain Our morale problems lead to moral problems We need to stop dwelling on the negative thoughts and attitudes.…
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Sin Destroys BUT GOD Redeems
Romans 3:23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. “Sin will take you further than you ever expected to go; it will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay.”Kay Arthur Anointed Transformed Redeemed A Study of David The most recent Bible study that I am in with my prayer partners is Anointed Transformed Redeemed A Study of David. This Bible study was written by some of my favorite authors Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. It is a great study of David; a man after God’s own heart. We walk through his…
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Bitter or Better?
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. This morning as I walked around my yard, looking at my flowers, my heart was sad. I worked so hard last Fall to plant tulip bulbs! After the difficult year of 2020, I was hopeful to add cheer and beauty this Spring. I love Spring! I love flowers! The colors, fragrance and beauty brighten my day. Until a few days ago, my tulips were green and growing. I was looking forward to seeing the colors and smelling their fragrance. But now, they lie in their beds, wilted, brown and with little hope of life left in…
