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Have You Noticed God?
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2 BSB). I opened the front door and my eyes were drawn to the most delightful, little, yellow flower in our front yard. It was a totally unexpected sighting because our yard was a sea of green, so the yellow popped. And, it was directly in front of me at the foot of the steps beyond the sidewalk, strategically placed by God to show He was protecting and caring for us, as always. The realization that the flower was part of a weed did not ruin the celebration! Did the weed represent the trials we…
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A Bench and a Blessing
“And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:46 NKJV). I wasn’t even asking the right question. For the umpteenth time, I was asking God to show me how to organize our home so I could consistently have a daily quiet time with Him. I thought it all revolved around “our house”. If “our house” was perfectly organized, then I could have a “perfect” spot to meet with God. But, it wasn’t about the “house”. God showed me His plan and it wasn’t even on our property. Seems like an odd thing, but I had too many options of where to sit quietly…
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What’s Your Motive?
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV). Years of my life went into a little 6-foot flower circle. Why? Because sometimes it takes a while to learn what God is teaching. And, He makes it funny, painful, or both, until we get it. It started many years ago when we had a large oak removed from the backyard. My goal was to let that area sit for at least a year, so I could plant a beautiful, little flower garden…
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Boundaries, Habits, Routines- Oh, My!
“You have established all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter” (Psalm 74:17 NASB). When you hear the word, “boundaries”, do you think restrictive or freedom? I have to admit, I’ve always associated boundaries with something I can’t have or do. God has tucked me away for a while now, learning the “ins and outs” of setting boundaries and developing habits and routines in various areas of my life. My calendar has a few extra white spaces, compared to the overloaded schedule I’ve tried to maintain, in the past. I think God just opened the gate at some point to see how many activities I would…
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Joy of the Lord
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11 NKJV). Joy! The word “joy” brings a smile into our day. We can almost sense endorphins high-fiving each other! For the last several years, God has given me a “word of the year.” This year, the word is “Joy”! I’m very joyful about that! Immediately, I started thinking about how I could study this word and “nail it.” Who doesn’t want joy? After a few weeks of exploring “joy”, God has revealed a few things. I expect there’s a lot more to come. My favorite revelation, so…
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When You Don’t Know What to Pray
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26 ESV). A few weeks ago, we visited the Billy Graham Library. They offer prayer at the end of the tour. I wanted to ask someone in the prayer room to pray for me because I had a nagging feeling that something needed to change in my life, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Then God made it clear. As I stood at the checkout counter, I spotted a greeting card, by “DaySpring”, that…
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Using God-Given Talents
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17 NIV). It’s a beautiful thing to watch someone use their talents and spiritual gifts for the glory of God! What are your God-given talents? How are you using them to bless others and fulfill your purpose? Recently, some of our family members were able to gather together for my mom’s 80th birthday celebration. It was wonderful watching them jump in and do what came naturally. God opened my eyes to really appreciate how He gives everyone talents to serve. Talents and…
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We Are Better Together
“Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well” (1 Peter 4:10 CEV). God keeps bringing the phrase back: “We are better together.” When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and gives us one or more spiritual gifts. One of mine is “giving.” Romans 12:6-8 says, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in…
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Simply Talking to God
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12 NKJV). After the Louisville trip, God began showing me a “trail of clues” that was different from those He had strategically placed along the journey in Kentucky. It was an extensive list of what seemed to be unrelated items and I could not see the logic in how to put the “puzzle” together. I kept thinking, “Can I live long enough to do all of these things?” Finally, God, in His timing, revealed I was not to DO all of these things. Rather, I was to PRAY for all…
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Grandma’s Prayer Group
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26 NIV). Within 2 hours God had answered the prayer! It was October 6, 2015. I had no idea “today was the day” I was going to get the confirmation from God to start a prayer group for Grandmas. God had been impressing upon me, for years, that I would lead a Grandma’s prayer group. Ladies from our church small group had gathered for our Tuesday Bible study. Our leader was collecting prayer requests when I felt a rather firm nudge from God, prompting me…