I strongly dislike mornings. As you can guess from that statement, I’m not a morning person. When the alarm goes off, I don’t jump out of bed ready to embrace the day ahead. Instead, I moan and turn over, mumbling something like, it’s morning already? I’ve even been known to ask God, why did You create mornings? But once I’m up and get a few sips of coffee down, my body begins to wake up.
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It’s been an interesting day! Tropical Storm Harvey decided to visit Memphis and brought along heavy rain and winds. Shortly after noon, we heard an all-church page through the intercom instructing us to head to the children’s area and help get the kids in Mothers’ Day Out to the basement. The tornado sirens were going off, and we needed to take cover. (I never realized how many kids we have in MDO until today.)
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As you look back over your life, has it turned out as you had hoped it would? Did God follow the script you would have written for your life? He didn’t for me. If He had followed my script, I would be married. I would have children and grandchildren. We’d never have to worry about money. We’d be healthy. My husband and I would stay madly in love until Jesus takes us home together in
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When I came home from East Asia after living there for four years, this sign was on my bed. Mom had written these words on a poster board to welcome me home. It made me smile and cry at the same time, in a good way. I felt loved and valued. I took a picture of it so I could keep it with me as a sweet reminder. How do you feel when you hear
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As I pulled into my driveway yesterday, I was amazed at how large the tree in my front yard has grown since I moved here 12 years ago. At that time, the tree was tiny and seemed out of place in the middle of a big yard. At one point, I even asked my yard guy to cut it down. He convinced me to keep it and let it grow. He told me I’d be
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“God, why? What has she done to deserve this? She has loved you and served you all her life. I don’t understand why you’re letting her go through this. It doesn’t seem that You love her . . . or me.” These words spewed out of my mouth as I drove home from the nursing home one day. I was mad at God. Why? Why can’t you just take my mom home? Why are you
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Several years ago a godly woman reprimanded a friend of mine for ironing on a Sunday morning. She was told, “Today is the Lord’s day, and we don’t do any work on the Lord’s day. So you shouldn’t be ironing on Sunday.” I used to work in open-heart surgery and would often get called in for an emergency on a Sunday. One day a friend told me I should find another job because it was wrong to work
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Do you look at prayer as an obligation or as a necessity? Has it become a routine ritual that you feel obligated to do every day? Or is prayer a vital part of your life? Jesus saw prayer as a necessity. No matter how busy He was, He always took time to pray. He knew the importance of spending time alone with the Father in prayer. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book, Studies in the Sermon
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One thing is certain—we are going to face disappointment in life. It may be a rejection, a failed relationship, not getting that dream job or dream ________. Disappointment is inevitable in life. How do we deal with disappointment when it comes, and how can we minimize its impact? I just returned home from a writer’s conference where I met with agents, publishers, and authors for feedback on my writing and the possibilities of publishing
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Lately, life seems out of control! B-U-S-Y. And as I talk with others, they’re feeling the same way. You may be feeling stressed today – a health issue, finances, a difficult relationship, job, responsibilities, family, a loss, or just being pulled in multiple directions. When I feel this way, the best thing I can do is sit down and meditate on God’s Word. His words calm and soothe in every situation in life. So, today,
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