Blog Archives

A Prayer for the Broken-Hearted

7/28/2023

The pain, the void, and the uncertainty -- as there are questions for those left behind that remain unanswered. I’ve cried countless tears, not only to have lost a friend but for his family, who are as dear to me as my own. When #tragedy strikes and the unimaginable happens, it feels impossible to think, to #pray. The words just cannot come, and if they do, they don’t do justice to what we're feeling and experiencing. Praise the Lord that He understands us even when don’t understand ourselves.

This past week my husband and I received some soul-crushing news. A dear friend of ours had ended his own life. While we knew that he had wrestled over the years with seasons of depression, most people would never have guessed that he had any such struggle.

He was one of the kindest, most effervescent, and most selfless people I’ve known. He loved the Lord and his family. He faithfully served the Church. But away from watchful eyes and in the private spaces of his heart and mind, he struggled. He fought until the very end to try to overcome the darkness and depression, clinging to His faith and Scriptures such as Psalm 143.

To say that his family and friends are gutted, not only to have lost him but in such a way as this, is an understatement. There are no words. For the past days, even now, it is all I can think about.

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Choosing Gratitude: Week 8

7/25/2023

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I sat down with a #pastor’s #wife not long ago who 2 months previously lost her #husband to #cancer. It had been #heartbreaking for her to watch him painfully deteriorate. As I #prayed before our meeting, I could sense that #God was asking me to read Ps. 91. I didn't want to #read it but I knew I had to. I couldn’t keep back the #tears. Why was it so hard to read Ps. 91 after cancer just took her husband? Then it dawned on me--cancer did not take this #godly man. God took him. #Psalm 91 is true!

Hello, friend! Are you ready to begin your journey toward greater joy? Join us for our Summer 2023 Book Club-Style Bible Study. We're reading "Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy" by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. This book challenges and equips us to live a life of gratitude.

What is gratitude? Gratitude is a choice. It is a decision to focus on the good things in our lives, even when things are difficult. When we choose gratitude, we are choosing to be happy and content. Why is gratitude important?

Gratitude has many benefits, including:

Increased happiness and well-being
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved physical health
Stronger relationships
Increased creativity and productivity

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What to Do When Plans Don’t Go My Way

7/21/2023

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Life is full of changes & things that don’t go the way we expect. That’s just part of it. I didn’t expect to move from one house to another in a foreign country with my family on the other side of the globe, but that's just how it goes sometimes. Just because life doesn’t go my way doesn’t mean it’s bad for me. If we look at Scripture, there are many times that life didn’t go the way people planned. How are your plans going? Remember, God will work out the plans for your best & for His glory!

Life is full of changes and things that don’t go the way we expect. That’s just part of it. I didn’t expect to move from one house to another in a foreign country with my family on the other side of the globe, but that is just how it goes sometimes.

Just because life doesn’t go my way doesn’t mean that it’s bad for me either. If we look at Scripture, there are many times that life didn’t go the way people planned.

Did Moses plan to live in Pharoah’s house and then cross the Red Sea and wander in the wilderness for 40 years?

Did Jeremiah plan to be known as the weeping prophet?

Did Mary plan to be the virgin mother of Jesus?

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Choosing Gratitude: Week 7

7/18/2023

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What are you #grateful for? We hear that question quite frequently. Especially during the #Thanksgiving season. This is “#Gratitude 101.” The basics. But though we may have a list a mile long containing things that we are grateful for, our list most likely would differ from that of our unsaved neighbor’s, not only in its content but also in its purpose. This has been a theme throughout this study. #Christian gratitude is different than the world’s gratitude... #goodreads #readinglist #amreading

Increased happiness and well-being
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved physical health
Stronger relationships
Increased creativity and productivity

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The Truth About Interracial Marriage

7/14/2023

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Christian views on interracial #marriage vary. Some believe it is a sin, while others believe it's perfectly acceptable. Those who believe it is a sin often cite passages from the #Bible that they believe prohibit it. While others argue these passages are being misinterpreted. We often find people emphasizing passages of the Bible promoting love and acceptance. Many consider these parts of #Scripture significant when it comes to #interracial marriage. But what does the Bible say as a whole?

Christian views on interracial marriage vary widely. Some believe it is a sin, while others believe it's perfectly acceptable.

Those who believe it is a sin often cite passages from the Bible that they believe prohibit it. While others argue these passages are being misinterpreted.

We often find people emphasizing passages of the Bible promoting love and acceptance. Many consider these parts of Scripture significant when it comes to interracial marriage.

But what does the Bible say as a whole?

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to support interracial marriage is personal. Each of us must decide what we believe based on our own interpretation of the Bible and personal values.

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Choosing Gratitude: Week 6

7/11/2023

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How Can I Say #Thanks? Amidst all the things on this earth and in the #spiritual realm that we can be #thankful for, surely there must be more than one way we can express our #gratitude…and there is. Here are three practical ways to cultivate a heart of gratitude. These practices help us to not just be #grateful out of duty, but to be a #Christian whose lifestyle is one of gratitude, so that when we come to the end of our lives this is what people remember about us. #goodreads #book #amreading

Increased happiness and well-being
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved physical health
Stronger relationships
Increased creativity and productivity

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4 Major Prophets

7/7/2023

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4 Major Prophets:
God Wants His People to Flourish

"You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and the hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants…” Isaiah 66:14

God Wants His People to Flourish. We know that. The four major prophets of the Bible—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel—all had one thing in common. They were called by God to speak to His people about His desire for them to flourish.

Let's take a look at that today.

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