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Glad Hearts
I often feel gratitude that does not become expressed gratitude. And, as we approach the end-of-year festivities and the onset of a new year, I am aware of my need to develop a new and more consistent practice of giving voice to my thankfulness. It matters that the people in my life know how much I appreciate them and why. It matters that I tell God why I love Him. Why is it that human beings are sometimes prone to settle for feeling grateful and miss opportunities to give thanks? Possibly it is poor time management, and we just don’t get around to it. Or, maybe it’s a pride issue…
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Seriously
I once shook the hand of Ronald Reagan. When I was a Senior in high school, I applied for extra credit in my Civics and Government class by volunteering for campaign duty during the months leading up to the Presidential election. I logged dozens of hours in the telephone bank by calling registered voters to encourage them to make their voice heard on November 4th that year. As a perk for participating as a volunteer, just a few weeks prior to election day I was invited, along with others of my classmates, to be present at the local airport when the Reagans were expected to arrive for a visit to…
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Shaped
The path of the righteous. The highway of holiness. The narrow way. To the natural man, these descriptions of the journey of faith seem limiting. To the redeemed child of God, however, they represent the boundless freedom of life lived within the boundary lines of grace and truth. The world tells you that the path you take in life will either make you or break you. You will have heard it said that we are shaped by the events in our lives, for better or for worse. Or, what doesn’t kill you, will strengthen you. In my own journey, I have not found this to be entirely true. I’ve lived…
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Appreciation
A long time ago, when I was in college, I majored in Early Childhood Education, and in my first year one of the recommended classes was “Music Appreciation.” I remember thinking the name was strange, as I wasn’t sure how you could teach appreciation. By this time, I had already had many years of piano lessons, guitar lessons, and voice lessons, and I wouldn’t have said they increased my appreciation for music. I had loved music as long as I could remember, and as a child I had enjoyed countless hours of sitting by my father on the piano bench. And later, when my sister and I were both fairly…
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The Good King
As old as I am, I still love a good fairy tale. You know: a story with kings and queens, princes and princesses, valiant warriors, and dragons to be slain. To be allowed to explore worlds in my own imagination is a privilege my parents granted, and I am forever grateful. It is possible that this encouragement to “see” with my imagination actually opened me up to the possibility of believing in an invisible God. Imagine, if you will, a forever Kingdom. One with a good and wise King, whose people love each other fiercely and serve their King with loyal adoration. In this Kingdom there is always light and…
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A Radiant View
As the season begins to change and the days become cooler and shorter, our Humming birds have moved South. I will miss them but have sure and grateful confidence they will return in the Spring. This is the beauty and wisdom of the natural order of life on planet Earth that God has established: it is entirely dependable as long as time continues. I realize that all of the beauty and majesty of this world is evidence of the majesty and power of God. His handiwork is awesome, and it does me good to see Him in radiant splendor and remember that He not only made the world, and galaxies,…
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Wisdom From Above
I heard a word today that I haven’t heard often in the last number of years. We were sitting at breakfast this morning before going into the final session of a Christian ministries conference, and a member of our local congregation came and sat down with us. This young business owner and his wife have 3 school-aged children, and we were talking about the responsibility we feel as parents to provide opportunities for our children to learn, grow and discover the satisfaction of pursuing a passion. He said, “I want them to have a sage.’ “Sage” is an old-fashioned word, and I was utterly charmed to hear this young man…
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The Table
Dinner is served. Throughout history, this singular announcement has ushered friends, family, and sometimes foes to a place of shared sustenance, conversation, and debate. For me, the gathering at table has almost always been a time of discovery and joy. When I was a girl, we often had missionaries from far off and exotic places receiving my parents’ hospitality, and mealtimes offered a fascinating variety of stories and conversations. Being a child of vivid imagination, I would close my eyes and picture places where people walked worn paths alongside their animals, carried jugs of water on their heads, and spoke to one another in beautiful musical tones a language I…
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Give an Answer
I saw an old friend today. A man of God and a mentor. We were talking about trust and what it means to trust the Lord. He said people often ask him, “How do I know I’m trusting God?” His response: “You know you trust Him when you have peace. If you don’t have peace, you are not trusting Him.” Trusting God does powerful things for us. It enables us to be patient. It gives us hope. It steadies us in the storm. When we have a patient hope, we are energized and mobilized to press in and press on. Steadfastness, then, is becoming in us, and others will be…
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An Angel in Disguise
The Lord, in His infinite wisdom and lovingkindness, gave me to a prophet and his queen, and I learned to love His Word and to think of others more than myself. I knew the sweet mystery of reverent affection for my father, and it was my mother who showed me how to be a student. A life-long student herself, she doesn’t face a day that does not also hold the fascination of making a new discovery. She turned 80 today. My husband, my siblings, and their spouses took her to lunch to celebrate and give honor to her, as is appropriate. Her presence with us in these golden years of…