4 Verses and Prayer that Thank God for the Blessing of Beautiful Friends
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4 Verses and Prayer that Thank God for the Blessing of Beautiful Friends

It’s Thanksgiving week in the U.S. and I want to take this opportunity to say that you, my beautiful friends, are near the top of my list of things for which I’m thankful.  You faithfully bless me with your friendship and your encouragement. But most of all you bless me by the many ways you…

10 Important Things to Pray for Your Family Before You Get Together
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10 Important Things to Pray for Your Family Before You Get Together

Rev has often said, “Jesus taught about the things we should do to get along with one another and God gave us families to practice!” Jesus told His followers… And although we want to trust and follow Jesus’ words and example . . . it’s hard to serve consistently and faithfully exhibit humility and mercy…

6 Helpful Ways to Stop Complaining So You Can Live with Gratitude and Joy
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6 Helpful Ways to Stop Complaining So You Can Live with Gratitude and Joy

It seems like people are finding plenty of things to complain about lately. What do you think? How often do you catch yourself complaining? But wait, it’s supposed to be that time of year when we encourage each other to talk more about those things for which we are thankful. And… Aren’t we told that…

3 Questions – Why Does God Allow Evil If He Really Loves Us?
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3 Questions – Why Does God Allow Evil If He Really Loves Us?

Years ago, a reader asked the following: “If God loves us so much, then why are we slowly being dehumanized?Why would God let something like that happen to us? I believe we need to take a closer look and break those questions into 3… 1. Does God love us?2  Are people becoming dehumanized?3.  Why does…

5 Helpful Things to Remember to Maintain Hope When Life Is Hard
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5 Helpful Things to Remember to Maintain Hope When Life Is Hard

Are you hopeful? Martin Luther wrote, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” If everything is “done by hope”, maybe we need to take a closer look at what that means. Hope is defined as… Believing that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best….

10 Ways to Have True Patience & Show Compassion Even When It’s Hard
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10 Ways to Have True Patience & Show Compassion Even When It’s Hard

True patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, or annoyance without getting angry or upset. True patience treats yourself and others with kindness and compassion. Would you say you have true patience? What would your friends say? It’s easy for me to be patient when nothing is annoying me but harder when someone…

4 Ways to Stop Generalizing and Start Loving Like Jesus
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4 Ways to Stop Generalizing and Start Loving Like Jesus

Generalizing is the belief that all members of a group are alike. It assumes that a few individuals in the group represent the whole group. Therefore every individual believes, thinks, and acts exactly like all the others. Generalizing believe that… Women are _________. Men are _________. White people are _________. Black people are _________. Democrats…

How You Can Have a Perfectly Strong & Reliable Foundation for Life
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How You Can Have a Perfectly Strong & Reliable Foundation for Life

There’s a new house being built in our neighborhood. They started by digging down through the pliable earth, set forms, and poured a concrete foundation. Every building needs a strong foundation if we want it to stand through the storms of life. So, let me ask you… What is your foundation for life? Your family…

4 Powerful Things We will Never Forget About Being Hit by Lightning
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4 Powerful Things We will Never Forget About Being Hit by Lightning

The Lord made the earth by His power,    and He preserves it by His wisdom.With His own understanding    He stretched out the heavens.When He speaks in the thunder,    the heavens roar with rain.He causes the clouds to rise over the earth.    He sends the lightning with the rain    and releases the wind from His storehouses. Jeremiah 10:12–13 Have you ever stood outside…

5 Simple Ways to Celebrate God & His Love Today
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5 Simple Ways to Celebrate God & His Love Today

How often do you pause to simply celebrate God and His love? We know what it feels like to celebrate but what does it actually mean to celebrate God? The Dictionary gives the word “celebrate” four simple meanings: to rejoice to observe to perform/participate (a solemn or religious ceremony) to praise publicly; proclaim So, let me ask again… How often do you celebrate God and His…

3 Questions to Help You Share Your Story through Joy, Junk, & Jesus
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3 Questions to Help You Share Your Story through Joy, Junk, & Jesus

Let’s talk about our Joy, Junk, & Jesus. I picked up my old Bible the other day. The one I used when our children were growing up. I’ve always kept it in a cute fabric case so the cover still looks clean and undamaged. But the pages are a different story. They’re covered with notes…