I pray you are enjoying and reflecting on our Savior's birth!
The New Year is a week away, along with the beginning of new things. For many, this includes reading through the Bible. It can be a daunting task, especially with the first few books of the Bible. Beginning in Exodus, God tells Moses how ...
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Blog Posts
Are You Searching for that Christmas Feeling?
Not too long ago, I made a trip to Houston. I drove near The Galleria, a favorite shopping place for our family during the holidays. Each year we go window-shopping for a few hours. Sometimes we make a purchase or two and then go out to eat. Afterward, we look at Christmas lights. It’s been a fun, ...
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3 Reasons to Give Thanks for Specific Things
Recently I asked a group to give thanks for specific things. Each took a turn sharing. Except for one, who commented, “Shouldn’t we be thankful all year round? If I state that I’m thankful for one specific thing, it takes away the value of how thankful I am about other things.”
True, we should be ...
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9 Truths About the Enneagram and Personality Typing
Transformation. Change. We leave the old behind and embrace the new. The vast majority of social media posts with a #transformation hashtag are about lifestyle improvement. From weight loss to minimalism, people want to become a better version of themselves. Enter personality typing. It's been ...
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How Our Words Can Brighten Our World
Where would we be without words? We use them constantly. We speak and think them. And we write and text them. Combined with music, they become the language of the heart. Even our body language translates into unspoken words. Crossed arms and a scowl can say, I’m mad at you. A gentle touch or a hug ...
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Are You A Rule Follower?
Are you a rule follower? There are rules for everything. Rules for games and sports. Rules for punctuation, and rules for completing math problems. Even rules for how we behave at work and at school.
In some cases, the word guidelines might be more effective. Some of us simply aren’t rule ...
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More of God — REVIEW
God desires a growing relationship with us. He wants more of us. And I think most of us want more of God. The key to both is time together. And not just any time, but quality time. Quality time includes focused communication, free from distraction. Our culture, however, encourages the opposite. We ...
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Celebrating One Year Alcohol Free!
I debated whether to write this post. In fact, I’m a little nervous about how life will go once I post it! But a year has passed since I obeyed and said yes to God’s no regarding alcohol consumption. I wish I could say it's been five years, or more! I resisted far too long. It hasn't been easy, but ...
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![This week in our small group study, I felt the Lord’s gentle chastisement.
We looked at the promise in Luke 11:28, “He [Jesus] replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”
At first glance, the promise of blessing comes from obedience. But it’s much more.
In the preceding verses, Jesus had cast out a demon that caused a man to be mute. The crowd accused Him of casting out a demon with Satan’s power.
Jesus explained how ridiculous it would be for Satan to drive out his own demons. Then a woman cries out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you,” (v 27).
This is the sticking point. Jesus was in the middle of an important discourse when this woman interrupts Him. He corrects her with this:
✨ Blessed are those who HEAR the word of God and obey it.
That word HEAR means to LISTEN with FULL ATTENTION.
✨ We cannot truly obey God if we don’t know what He’s saying to us.
Basically, Jesus told this woman, and the others in the crowd, “Pay attention!! Don’t get distracted from my voice. I have important things to tell you. You won’t know what they are and what I want you to do, if all you’re thinking about is what you want to say or how you can gain attention. Put your attention on ME.”
It’s never fun to be Jesus’s object lesson.
The questions I’m asking myself …
✨ What keeps me from spending time alone with Jesus?
✨ When I finally get alone with Him, what distracts me?
✨ What keeps me from focusing on God’s Word?
✨ What causes my kind to wander when I’m praying?
➡️ Eliminating distractions …
➡️ Exercising discipline …
… to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
… brings true blessing.
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