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What is your name worth to you? The Bible says in Proverb 22:1, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” We don’t transact in silver and gold as they did in Biblical times, but we do transact in money and in what money can buy. What do you enjoy that money buys you?
Read MoreLooking back over 2023, I am amazed at how quickly the year flew by. Each year, it seems to go faster and faster (I know, I know—I am getting older, and it works that way), but on the positive side, I am also becoming more reflective. Who did I influence this past year for the good? In what area did I make a difference? Will my investment matter or even last past the moment? I think each of us desires that our lives would count in eternity, but the question is: How will I make it count and last?
Read MoreThroughout Scripture we are commanded to sing. Whenever we see commands like these, it is good to compare them to what Jesus calls the two greatest commandments – to love God and to love others – as we are to “hang” all commandments on these.
Read MoreOur giving to the Lord can be done with so many different motives. We can do it because not giving is robbing God. We can give out of a sense of duty, a willingness to do our part. Or, we can give out of a heart of cheerfulness and generosity.
Read MoreJust between you and me, I don't usually struggle to develop ideas for writing. I have a note app on my phone with resources for book ideas, articles, and pithy one-liners. When "motherhood" was suggested as a topic that I weigh in on, I assumed it would be easy and went to my trusted notes app to find ideas. The only problem was there were none.
Read MoreWe often view smiling as an extra quality that some people are born with or are more apt to do, but for the Christian, smiling is our testimony, our light to this dark world.
Read MoreIn the Book of Numbers (chapter 12), we read a story about three siblings who hit a rough patch in their relationship. Moses, the leader of Israel, married a woman whom his brother, Aaron, and sister, Miriam, greatly disapproved of.
Read MoreWe all play this game when it comes to having guests in our homes: We tidy up every visible spot in our house. We clear the dining room table. We sweep and mop the floors. We dust the shelves and the top of the piano. We wash the windows, clear away cobwebs in the corners, straighten the pillows, and turn on the essential oil diffuser. We check that everything that can be seen is in its place. Anything that gets in the way of the appearance of neatness and order is stuffed into the closets, under the bed, up in the attic, or down into the basement.
Read MoreIn Mark 12:41-43, Jesus uses the example of a widow who offers all that she has, just a few mites, to teach us several significant lessons. Lessons like, it’s not how much we give but how much we are willing to sacrifice. Lessons like, God looks at our heart not the dollars in our wallet. Think for a minute about the joy that can come through understanding and applying the truth of this story.
Read MoreIf I was a Canaanite around the year 1400 BC, I would have likely had one singular thought: “This does not look good. In fact, this really does not look good.”
Read MoreI was exhausted. It was a long day of work. I had accomplished much that day, and yet I was overwhelmed by the fact that I still had so much work to do. As I pulled into our driveway, I asked God to give me the strength, energy, and focus to engage my wife and children well.
Read MoreWhat an amazing time we had together last week at our annual Independence Day celebration! Our church is thankful to be able to meet each week to worship God and share His gospel message. We realize that we have this privilege and freedom because of the wonderful country we live in. Each year we celebrate our American freedoms and our nation’s founding with a fantastic fireworks show and fun-filled festivities!
Read More“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Not long ago I read this verse and came to the realization that I had been looking at the idea of fruits of the Spirit all wrong. I used to see this verse and feel discouraged, knowing how imperfect I am and how impossible it seemed that I could ever muster up all of these fabulous character traits. It seemed to just be a list of things at which I frequently failed. But this time, I noticed the importance of the word "fruit." The healthy tree that has been well planted, pruned, and cared for will, in time, mature into a fruit-producing tree. The longer the tree's needs are met, the more fruit it will produce. If a tree is healthy, we don't question if it will produce fruit, we simply know that it will.
Read MoreParenting is one of the most difficult and challenging responsibilities in the world. However, when parenting is well executed in love and by following biblical principles, there is no greater joy than to see your children walk in truth as they grow older. That same joy can also be enjoyed during the process while little ones are still at home, but many parents forfeit this ability to enjoy their children while young and endure far too much strife and anxiety in the home.
Read More“Would you like the world to be a better place for your having been here?” This is the question posed by Ken Blanchard in his forward to Bob Bickel’s book Finishing Well. The premise of the book and its entire focus is on individuals who had a plan that they followed in an effort to make their later life one of significance, not just one of success. Bickel speaks of “Life I” when we have to “prove ourselves” and “Life II” when we should “give back and make a difference.”
Read MoreHow can I rest? We as women work so hard on the outward—focusing on our appearance and responsibilities—that we totally neglect our rest. What peace and joy we could have if we would spend as much time on resting in the Lord.
Read MoreAt one time or another, we have all felt the need to just “get away”. Maybe we want to get away from a stressful job or from our husbands, or perhaps even our children make us want to get away. At times we can each feel overwhelmed with life’s pressures and responsibilities.
Read MoreI can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched as my daughter danced and played around our living room and thought, “What would I give 20 years from now to come back and relive this moment? What would I give to hold her? What would I give to tickle her? What would I give to dance with her?”
Read More“I am not going in there. You guys go ahead and I’ll stay on the porch,” our realtor Carla stated as she held her nose and unlocked the front door to a foreclosed property that we were considering buying. The house had had the water and electricity turned off for months, and the musty odor of neglect made my eyes water before we even crossed the threshold. The dilapidated outside and overgrown yard had deterred buyers for over a year - but not us.
Read MoreMany start their day with a long list of things to accomplish. It’s not uncommon for people to have 10, 20, or even 30 tasks they want to complete by the end of a particular day. It can be overwhelming, and it provokes a question: where do you even start? Even if you’re able to check off several tasks from your to-do list, you may still feel defeated at the conclusion of the day because of all the things that you didn’t get done. This is a recipe for exhaustion.
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