Do you have a favorite aroma or fragrance? Maybe it’s chocolate chip cookies in the oven or spiced cider simmering on the stove. It may be a perfume or even the smell of burning wood in the fireplace. My favorite flower is the stargazer lily because of its fragrance. A fragrant aroma brings pleasure. Paul talked about a fragrant aroma in 2 Corinthians 2:14, but he wasn’t referring to food, flowers, or perfume. He was
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God designed us for community, not to live in isolation from one another. But do we experience community in the way God wants us to? Several years ago, Dr. Sue Edwards spoke on this topic at our women’s retreat and shared with us eight roadblocks to building healthy biblical community. Are any of these roadblocks holding you back from authentic community with others? Anger – I’m ticked off. I don’t want to be around people.
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Before you delete this, thinking it doesn’t apply to you if you’re married, keep reading. Even if you’re married, you most likely know someone who is single – a child, a friend, a grandchild, a coworker. Because I’m single, I often get asked questions about finding contentment in singleness. To be honest, when I was in my 20’s and 30’s, I was not excited to be single. I prayed fervently for God to bring a
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I love the Thank You Journal that some friends gave me several years ago. Each page is a specific date, divided into spaces that cover five years. This morning as I was looking back over today’s thank-you nuggets over the past three years, I was reminded of where I was a year ago today. I had thanked God for meetings with four agents and publishers at a writing conference, even though all four were closed
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From the first time I laid eyes on little Hannah, I knew she was the one I wanted to take home with me. I was planning to adopt two kittens and had gone to the vet’s office to meet four kittens up for adoption. Hannah drew my attention right away. Not because of her beauty or size, but because she seemed overwhelmed and frightened. I knew from the first moment I looked into her eyes
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I was convicted this week as a friend from a predominantly non-Christian country shared what was on his heart. He made the statement that many people are praying for the return of Christ, but there’s so much work still to be done with the Gospel. “Pray that every person will have a chance to hear the gospel before Jesus returns.” I haven’t been doing that. Instead, I’ve longed for the return of Christ as our
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None of us enjoy going through painful situations. Life is much more enjoyable when everything’s going smoothly and just the way we want it. But, I have realized that my deepest seasons of spiritual growth are not when everything’s going great, but when I’m desperately dependent on Him – for strength to get through a tough situation, for grace to respond in a godly way. Yes, I want to go deeper in my relationship with
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I’ve been watching the Hallmark Christmas movies over the past few weeks for the first time ever. A friend told me about one she thought I’d enjoy. And once I started, I was hooked. Yes, they’re predictable. We know how they’re going to end. We even know the twists that are coming. But, I still enjoy them. They make me smile, and there are a few that have made me cry. I’m a little sad
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Happy Thanksgiving! Many of you are enjoying a fun-filled day with family and friends in the kitchen and around the table, watching a good movie or football game, or playing your favorite board games. Some of you have chosen to make this a low-key day, not spending the day in the kitchen, but picking up food somewhere or even going out to eat. I purposely chose to take this week as a “Stay-cation.” I took
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What are you looking for in a discipleship relationship? What would that look like to you? I grew up in a Christian home and came to Christ at an early age. I knew I was a sinner and that I would never be good enough to pay the penalty for my sin or earn my way to heaven. I needed a Savior, and at nine years old, I placed my faith in Jesus Christ and
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