Words of Hope
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The young woman, a Christ-follower, talked with the reporter after having lost every earthly possession in the recent flooding. Despite the devastation...
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Struggling to Get A Grip?
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Do you ever feel like God made a mistake when he made you? Like maybe he created you at five o’clock on Friday?
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Confessions of a Speak Up Newbie
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Honestly, when I registered for the Speak Up Conference in June, my palms were a little sweaty. Having never attended before, I was quite uncertain of what to expect and admittedly a little anxious about the whole experience.
Read MoreDEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
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Earlier this week Yogi Berra, the iconic baseball player and manager passed away. Not an avid baseball fan myself, I know Yogi best for his famous “Yogi-isms”–those one-liners that make you go, “Huh?”
Read MoreLOOKING UP!
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Joe was a man who knew a thing or two about suffering. It all started with some jealous older brothers who hated him so much they couldn’t say one kind word to him.
Read MoreIN THE GARDEN
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When I was a little girl, I loved helping my grandmother plant her garden. I remember holding up my cupped hands, eager to receive whatever seeds she offered. She knew exactly what needed to be planted where, and she’d give me just enough for one little hole.
Read MoreIN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT
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Keeping in step with the Spirit is similar to traveling by sighted guide. Since losing much of my central and peripheral vision, I have become unable to walk in unfamiliar settings without assistance.
Read MoreHIS GRACE STILL AMAZES ME
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My grandpa has always been my hero. He was special. Though he couldn’t see, I never thought of him as blind. Instead, I remember him being filled with light and laughter.
Read MoreGETTING RID OF STINKIN’ THINKIN’
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Are you your own worst enemy? Do you constantly battle a negative, defeated, or critical thought life? If so, you are not alone. I am right there with you and so are a lot of other people.
Read MoreFOLLOWING GOD-SIZED FOOTPRINTS
/According to scripture, the two greatest commands are to love God and love others. Jesus not only spoke these words, but also lived them. Maybe that’s why He so often issued the invitation, “Come follow me.” He knew who He was and where He was going, and that following Him and His example would always lead others to love and love well, to love God most of all and to love people into the Kingdom.
When Jesus said, “Come follow me” people did. Many left homes, careers, and material possessions to walk along the same paths He walked. I believe the disciples watched Jesus’ every step as they moved with Him down dusty roads, up mountain trails, and out into the countryside. They knew full well the God-sized sandals Jesus wore. And when Peter attempted to walk on water, he probably realized that Jesus’ steps were a step above all others.
When we read the gospels, we often trace the steps of Jesus. As modern day disciples, we follow His steps when we enter the waters of baptism like He did or when we rise early in the morning and withdraw to a solitary place to pray as was His habit. Do you attend church regularly? Jesus did, too.
Answering the call to follow Jesus and inviting others to follow Him is what discipleship and evangelism are all about. Studying His steps is necessary if we are to imitate His walk. But let me ask you a question. Have you ever thought about the stops of Jesus, the interruptions in his busy schedule?
Jesus walked through life on this earth one step at a time taking time to stop to meet needs along the way. He saw, really saw, the people He locked eyes with each day and He made a difference in their lives. So can we.
Today as you spend time at the ball park, with co-workers, enjoying family time, or running errands will you answer Jesus’ invitation to follow? Would you decide now to help others, tell others, love others? And as you do, imagine your feet landing in the God-sized footprints of Jesus’ who has gone this route before us.
A Planting of the Lord
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When I began fourth grade, I was thrilled that my good friend Christie was in my same class again. I knew this was a good thing, but later realized it was a God thing.
Read MoreI Just Knew ...
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There was one moment in time when I knew, Just KNEW, that Don might have what it would take to stay married to me for the rest of our lives.
Read MoreFOLLOW ONLY HIM
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One night when my husband Don and I were out together, I asked him to guide me to the ladies’ room. As we walked, I was talking excitedly. I felt Don’s footsteps pause, but I kept right on talking and stepped beyond him. I couldn’t figure out why he kept trying to interrupt me
Read MoreFLYING FEATHERS
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I once heard a pastor relate a story about a woman in his congregation. She had a habit of spreading gossip about him and his family. One day she came under conviction, went to his home and asked for forgiveness.
Read MoreDRESSED TO KILL
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The first time I went back to church after the birth of my oldest son I wanted to impress someone—anyone. I’d been home for weeks and, quite frankly, I was tired of the baby getting all the attention. Feeling a little invisible, I kept hoping someone would notice me.
Read MoreCHANGING VISION CHANGES EVERYTHING
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Being diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease has caused a great deal of change in my life. Perhaps, none so great as the day I discovered I would have to stop driving.
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BETTER THAN MEDICINE
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A few funny things have happened on the way to vision loss. So, pull up a chair and prepare for a good laugh! It’s better than medicine.
Read MoreARE YOU A SHOE-BOOTY?
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While, on occasion, I’ve mistakenly worn one black shoe with one brown, I’ve never been forced by necessity to wear a mismatched pair. Not so with Archie Bunker of the famed and often irreverent comedy, All in the Family. While I never agree with Archie on any subject, I remember one episode when he shared a heart-wrenching story from his fictitious childhood.
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