Many mornings, I awake still weary, as though I’d hardly slept. I go through my day wincing at the pain in my back. My kids sniffle, cough, and sneeze. And my husband worries he may need surgery again. Each day I battle the sins in my heart. I fight against the lies of the evil [...]
May 11, 2012
Redemption’s Freedom
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“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” Psalm 142:7 Have you ever had a day where everything just went wrong? And you along with it? Some mornings we all seem to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. My four-year-old tantrums about every little thing. My oldest tries [...]
May 4, 2012
Hope Redeemed
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O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7 We hope for many things. On game days, we hope it won’t rain. When we are making plans with friends, we hope they can join us. Even at Christmas time, we hope [...]
Apr 27, 2012
Blessed By Brokenness
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Have you ever met someone who has struggled with the same battle as you? Have you ever helped someone through a difficult journey that you yourself once walked? I have a friend in the faith who has experienced deep brokenness in her life. Her faith during these painful times has been a testimony to me. [...]
Apr 20, 2012
Strength Through Brokenness
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Believers will experience brokenness. It comes with the call of following Christ. Being broken is painful. It hurts. It’s wearisome. And with it often comes despair, fear, anger, and sorrow. I don’t like pain. When I am hurting, I try to find a way to fix my problem right away. When I’m suffering in a [...]
Apr 14, 2012
Brokenness: The Door to Joy
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Spring is here. Flowers are blooming everywhere I look. The trees that last month were dead and bare, now sprout brightly verdant leaves. The air is warm and windows are open wide to let in the fresh spring air. All this new life is a reflection of the resurrection we just celebrated. Spring reminds us [...]
Apr 6, 2012
To Be Broken
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Something is always breaking at my house: dvd players, remote control cars, flashlights, washing machines, etc. My son, before the age of two, had quickly learned that batteries make things work. Whenever anything broke, whether it took batteries or not, he brought it to me and asked for batteries. But what do we do when [...]
Mar 15, 2012
Deep Into Community
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I was sitting around the semicircle of chairs. It was Tuesday morning, the day when our ladies bible study meets at my church. We were going around the room, taking turns sharing prayer requests. I wrote down each person’s request: health concerns, legal issues, rest, healthy pregnancy, etc. Then it was my turn. Feeling the [...]
Feb 23, 2012
When Love is Hard
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Let’s be honest, love is hard. It’s been a week. The flowers are wilting and the candy is nearly gone. The sweet messages in the Valentine cards are mostly forgotten. All that’s not forged through hard love is short-lived. For most of us, the fragrant aroma of love’s soft side is brief and doesn’t last. [...]
Jan 20, 2012
Mercy for a New Day
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I put the words from Lamentations on the top of my secretary where I pass by it each morning. The desk is the one I bought at an antique shop while traveling in Tennessee. My heart loves old things. I love to imagine who used it and the letters they may have penned to love [...]
Dec 9, 2011
My Restless Heart…
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Sometimes I just want to be seen. So often my heart desires acceptance, acknowledgement, and popularity. Sometimes I just want to be successful. So often my heart desires to see big numbers rather than an individual connection. Sometimes I live in the future. So often my heart desires for tomorrow’s blessings RIGHT NOW! Click here [...]
Nov 16, 2011
Share with the Lord’s People…
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Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. – Romans 12:13 Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, As we enter into the time of year where we celebrate your grace over our life, Lord help us to be more giving. Help us to share what you have given us. Show us that it is [...]
Nov 11, 2011
It Is Already Done!
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Sometimes we can get discouraged by our circumstances or the mountains we need to overcome. But the fact is that God has already plotted out a way for us. ~ Healing has already come from whatever you may be dealing with in your health. Tell yourself “I’m already healed by the blood of Jesus!” ~ [...]
Nov 10, 2011
Reluctant Hospitality
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“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9 This month we are focusing on Biblical hospitality. What is it? What does it look like? Last week’s post focused on the calling we all have as Christians to practice hospitality and how it differs from how the world may view it. Today, I want [...]
Oct 27, 2011
Time for Mom
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Do you ever feel like you’re pushed to the edge of a cliff? Just one more step and you’re sure to fall. Are you one proverbial straw short of the one that broke the camel’s back? I’ve often had days where I’m afraid that if just one more thing happens, I’m sure to fall apart. [...]
Oct 26, 2011
All You Can Do is Plant the Seeds
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Lately I have been exercising a lot and often I find myself going back to two worries: 1.) I’m not doing enough. 2.) I’m doing too much. I have found that I worry about these two things a lot, and not just with exercising and losing weight, but also with homeschooling, taking care of the [...]
Oct 20, 2011
I’m Just Pretending
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I am a pretender. I recently purchases a few new clothing items to wear on an upcoming trip to Paris. When I wore the clothes in public, I received a lot of compliments. Yet, while wearing these clothes, I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like I was merely pretending to be something I wasn’t. [...]
Oct 19, 2011
New Life Dirty Clothes…
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As a mom most of my daily, or weekly, chores includes laundry. Laundry in a family of five is never ending, there is always laundry that needs to be washed, folded, and put away. I spend a lot of time washing clothes because I want to make sure my kid’s have nice clean clothes to [...]
Oct 13, 2011
Thank Him For Who You Are
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I always wanted curly hair. I’ve done the perm thing and probably won’t ever do it again. I’ve also wished I were taller, athletic, more outgoing and oh, if only I had done better in math! It’s not only the outward things I’ve wished were different. Sometimes I’ve wished I didn’t always think everything to [...]
Oct 12, 2011
When You Feel Like a Failure…
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A brain fuzzy from lack of sleep, I try to handle a sibling conflict. Impatient, I speak harshly. I enforce unnecessary consequences. Later, I realize I had made matters worse. I wasn’t Christ-like in my interactions with my children. Instead of pointing them toward Christ, my behavior turned them away. Some days, my failures as [...]
Oct 6, 2011
When You Need a New Perspective
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I love the way a camera freezes time. It can capture a moment that in real-time lasted merely a second. That moment becomes frozen for us to remember and enjoy forever. I also love how a camera can narrow in on an object such as a face, a flower, or a butterfly passing by. Often, [...]
Oct 1, 2011
God Knows Our Heart…
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I often hear the phrase “God knows my heart.” There is so much truth to this statement…God truly does know our heart, but I often wonder do we know our own heart. God knows what we desire more than Him, but do we? God knows what’s keeping us from fully delighting in Him, but do [...]
Sep 29, 2011
It’s All About Grace
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I had asked several times with no response. Finally, I raise my voice. He jumps, begins to cry and runs to his room, closing the door behind him–closing his heart in protection from me. Some days it seems like we all roll out of the “wrong side of the bed.” We go through the day [...]
Sep 22, 2011
Our Sanctuary
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The term sanctuary is used to describe a holy or sacred place. In the Old Testament it was the temple, the dwelling place of God. A sanctuary is also used to describe as a place for people to flee to for safety. Today, our sanctuary is found in Christ. I think of my time alone [...]
Sep 1, 2011
When You Feel Inadequate
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Do you ever feel inadequate? It’s that feeling of emotional paralysis where you just don’t know what to do. Like a deer caught in the head lights of a car; you don’t know if you should run or stay and fight. I have never felt the most inadequate as I have since becoming a parent. [...]
Aug 25, 2011
When Joy Seems Just Out Of Reach
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As Christians, we know we are called to be joyful. I know many joy-filled Christians. More often than not, I’m not one of them. For me, it often feels like joy is just out of my reach. Paul teaches that we are to rejoice in the Lord always. How do you have joy when it [...]
Aug 18, 2011
Cleaning closets and cleaning hearts
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I love organizing. I’m known for regularly going through closets, organizing and getting rid of things. My favorite renovation to our house is my closet. It was designed just for me and all my things. In recent months, I’ve been reading books that have challenged me to clean out my heart’s closet. There are places [...]
Aug 12, 2011
It’s Because He Loves Me
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A sign hangs on the door that says, “No one likes me.” He places it there whenever he gets into trouble and removes it when he has calmed down. Hiding the sign in a place only he knows about, only to be brought out again the next time. We’ve talked about a parent’s responsibility to [...]
Aug 11, 2011
Count it All Joy…
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Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. – James 1:2-4 Last week my husband had surgery and the whole event was a bit overwhelming [...]
Aug 10, 2011
Desires of My Heart – New eBook by Heather Bixler {Coupon Code}
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Desires of My Heart is a devotional eBook based on Psalm 37:4. So many of us believers walk our Christian walk without really knowing what it means to delight in the Lord. In this eBook we answer that question “What does it mean to delight in the Lord?” “Desires of My Heart” is a powerful [...]
Aug 5, 2011
A Sure Investment
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It had been a full day for him. A road trip with friends, full of activity and excitement. Upon our return home he asked to rest and watch his favorite television show. It was after dinner, as I was instructing him to get ready for cleaning up and then prepare for bed, when he realized [...]
Jul 29, 2011
When Your World is Spinning
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courtesy L. Tarplee Have you ever gotten on a ride and soon realized it wasn’t for you? Once the ride takes off, it’s too late to get off. Holding tightly to the bars in front of you, stomach clenched, eyes closed, you scream and hold on for dear life. My life often feels like a [...]
Jul 27, 2011
“Failure happens when we look outward…”
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“Failure happens when we look outward simply because we are focusing on the things we have no control over. You can’t control the time, your husband, even your children…we all have a free will that was given to us by God. You certainly can’t control or manipulate God, so what do you have control over? [...]
Jul 26, 2011
A Heart that Delights in the Lord Serves the Lord
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“Reading the Bible, tithing, going to church, and serving isn’t how we delight in the Lord. When we delight in the Lord, we desire to read our Bible, tithe, go to church, and serve others.” – Heather Bixler, Desires of My Heart eBook Desires of My Heart – Coming August 1, 2011! www.DesiresofMyHeart.com
Jul 15, 2011
Adopted Forever
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Born into poverty and raised in a broken family, he left school after eighth grade to help support his family. Deserted by his alcoholic father, his family carried deep wounds that never seemed to heal. Joining the army, he fought in WWII. Arriving one day into the Normandy invasion, he lived to recount his stories [...]
Jul 8, 2011
My Dog-Eared Life
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“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” G.K. Chesterton For me, books are like snapshots in the scrapbook of my life. The books lined on my shelves play a part in my story. There’s an emotional connection to each one of them because they remind me of places I’ve been in [...]
Jun 10, 2011
Friendship and Accountability
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This is a follow-up to an article I wrote titled “Friendship and Transparency.” If you missed that article, click here. She looks at me and says, “You doing okay?” This heavily weighted question means more than the customary “How are you?” greeting. She wants to know how I’m really doing. How is my struggle with [...]
May 27, 2011
Quieting My Heart
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Do you ever get overwhelmed by life? Do all the details of raising children, managing your home and other responsibilities seem to blur together to form one giant mass? That happens in my life. Each and every task becomes so much bigger and insurmountable. We live such hectic, hurried lives in our culture. We pack [...]
Apr 22, 2011
For the Joy Set Before Him
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Why does it take so long to move forward in this mending of the tears in my soul, and yet take no time at all to fall and end up right back where I started? It’s like the game of Chutes N Ladders, so many spaces to go through to get to the end and win, [...]
Apr 1, 2011
Anxious for Nothing, part 2
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“Anxiety is not only a pain which we must ask God to assuage but also a weakness we must ask Him to pardon; for He’s told us to take no care for the morrow.” C.S. Lewis Last week I wrote about the problem of anxiety with which many of us are plagued. I don’t think anyone [...]
Feb 4, 2011
Finding Beauty
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This is a guest post. Please scroll down to learn more about the author. What does beauty mean to me? I love the book “Captivating” by John and Staci Eldredge and to be honest I need to find my copy and re-read it. Especially in light of doing this project. But I love this quote [...]
Nov 19, 2010
“Balance, balance, BALANCE”
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This is a guest post. Please scroll down to learn more about the author. It was a great summer day, not overbearingly hot…a great day for a stroll in the park. There she was, this little girl, preparing for a new level. She was getting her training wheels removed. Though there was excitement for this [...]
Nov 5, 2010
Sowing Happy Seeds
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This is a guest post. Please scroll down to learn more about the author! Is there someone in your life who you do not know much about, but you always look forward to seeing them? More times than enough, this is a person you see on a somewhat regular basis – whether it be someone [...]
Sep 15, 2010
Amazing Grace
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It is a song we here often sung and yet few of us know the history behind the lyrics. One thing you learn in music ministry is the importance of knowing the history and meaning of what you sing. Why not the same for those who sing from the pews? Amazing Grace is a song [...]
Sep 7, 2010
Jesus Loves You
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Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. This is the one verse of a popular children’s Christian song. But have you [...]
Sep 1, 2010
Psalm 23
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Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved and well known passages of scriptures. It teaches us that God, above all else, is in control and has your best interest at heart. It reminds all believers that there is a God and He is the one who leads you and cares for you. In essence, [...]
Aug 18, 2010
Worshipping In Truth
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“Yet a time is coming and has not come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 What is truth? By definition truth is: in reality, [...]
Aug 11, 2010
Worshipping In Spirit
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When I think of worship I think of this example; you are going to see your favorite band perform. You are so excited about it that you talk about it for weeks before. You listen to every one of the band’s CDs so you that know all of the songs. You even listen to your [...]
Jul 21, 2010
No Need to Worry
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“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:30) Do you ever find yourself saying… How am I going to pay this bill? What will they say about me? I can’t do this without…and I really can’t afford that. Why did this [...]
Jul 1, 2010
God is Always With You
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There are times when you may feel as if you are alone. That happens to many people. It is not unlikely for a person to feel as if no one understands, no one gets it, or no one really cares. Feelings like this can lead one to feel very lonely and as if God really [...]
Dec 22, 2009
The Greatest Gift of All Is Jesus
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With all the busyness of the holiday season and its emphasis on gift giving and gift buying, it’s all too easy to forget that Jesus is the greatest gift from the Father. James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” Jesus is the [...]
Dec 8, 2009
Bible Study: No Room In the Inn
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“and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 Experiencing the pangs of childbirth gives many women a new identification with Mary. In our Western culture we have everything planned out, sometimes [...]
Nov 19, 2009
My Thanksgiving Theme: It’s About Giving What You Want to Receive
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About a week ago I purchased a new vacuum cleaner. I was so excited when I finally received it in the mail that I put it together that night. It was pretty simple to put together, and once it was together I started vacuuming my entire house. My hope, and prayer, was that this vacuum [...]
Jun 8, 2009
The Importance of Bible Study Time
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One of the great gifts given by God to us is the Bible. The Bible is the word of God. It is a roadmap for our lives, containing information on everything. The Bible tells us how to be a productive Christian, a successful family, a loving parent, and the list goes on. The Bible not [...]
Jun 1, 2009
Centering Your Life
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What do we center our lives around? There are so many things going on all of the time, that it is easy to get off track and put different things at the center of our lives. But what if we stop for a moment, and put God at the center of our lives. How much [...]
May 25, 2009
Let Your Light Shine
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As Christians we are supposed to let our light shine for Christ, and there are so many different ways to do this. God gives different talents to different people. Some have the talent to speak, sing, and teach. However, there are other talents out there that we may not recognize as easily as the above [...]
May 18, 2009
The Everlasting God
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In a time of great turmoil and uncertainty, God reminds us in his Word that “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) Distractions are abundant in the world today, but hope and assurance can be found in the Word of God. The most [...]
May 11, 2009
Importance of Family Time
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Karen, who is nine years old, comes home to find her dinner placed on the table alone. Everyone else is too busy to sit with her, so she eats alone. Karen grows to dread dinner time at home, because it is so lonely. Annie, who is also nine years old, comes home to find everyone [...]
May 4, 2009
The Praying Family
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What is prayer? Prayer is our way of communication with God. It is an important aspect of our relationship with him, because just like any other relationship there needs to be communication. It is a common misconception that prayer can or should only be preformed in church. The Bible teaches us that we can [...]
Apr 27, 2009
Family Worship
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The Bible teaches us that worship is our way to give thanks and praise to God. Worship is an important aspect of our relationship with Him. How do we learn to worship? Many Christians are not certain exactly what worship is, because they have never been taught. The perfect place to teach the art of [...]
Apr 20, 2009
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
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One of the commands God gives us is to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. How do we love others as we love ourselves? There are several ways that we can show love to others. We can practice the art of listening when we are speaking to others about events in their life. To do that [...]
Apr 13, 2009
Hopeful Christian
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The Bible brings us so many messages of hope. God sent his son, so that we may be saved and have eternal life. We have the promise of a place in heaven when our time on earth is through. These stories remind us that there is always hope. When we think of hope, we [...]
Apr 6, 2009
The Blessed Family
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“Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your [...]
Mar 27, 2009
“10 AND Under”
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Today my family and I headed over to Olive Garden to have a nice family lunch. It had been a long 4 weeks to say the least, I was very much looking forward to this time with my family. As we entered the sitting area, the hostess started handing out the menus, and she handed [...]
Jan 21, 2009
Laughter: Your Secret Weapon to Beating Stress
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A friend says something funny, and you laugh so hard you begin to cry. Perhaps this uncontrollable laughter goes on for several minutes. Did you feel the tension dissipate? What you are experiencing is a release of the stress you’ve been carrying for days. The old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine,” is true. Why [...]
Jan 20, 2009
Dear Daddy God,
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Thank you for this day. What a blessing it is to wake on this morning to be with my family and in your presence! Hallelujah! I am so grateful for the life you have given me and all the blessings as well. I also know that with these blessings come a great responsibility and I [...]
Dec 24, 2008
Emmanuel – God is With Us
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God is With Us – By Casting Crowns The skies don’t seem to be as dark as usual The stars seem brighter then they’ve been before Deep within I feel my soul a stirring As though my hope has been restored The shepherds say they’ve heard the voice of angels Confirming rumors spread across the [...]
Nov 6, 2008
Victory!
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So here I am, sitting on the computer because I can’t sleep again. Actually last night I did go to bed early, I was so exhausted and I slept very well. But all day today I have been in tears, thoughts, and prayers. Just trying to make sense of it all and even look into [...]
Nov 4, 2008
VOTE for What’s RIGHT!
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Warning: Political Post. If you read nothing else in this post before you go to the polls then please read the following: Guide to Biblical Voting Before you go into the polls this Tuesday I would like for you to consider a few things. Please know that this election could mean so much for you, [...]
Sep 27, 2008
How I Know God
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I knew God through the stories my mother read to me when I was a little girl: Jesus walking on water, helping the Samaritan woman, letting the children get close. I knew God when I prayed the Hail Mary before falling asleep, when I sang “Silent Night, Holy Night” while holding a sparkler in front [...]
Jul 19, 2008
H.U.G.S.!
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More than anything, keep loving each other actively; because love covers many sins. ~ 1 Peter 4:8 Have you figured out yet that this life is all about relationships? The Relationship Expert Himself wrote an entire Book about the matter. The First Four Words of The Ten He gave us had to do with relating [...]
Jun 1, 2008
It’s the Simple Things
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I must admit I haven’t written a devotional in quite some time, it really is one of the most overwhelming things for me to do. I feel as if I am still learning myself, so it is hard for me to share those things with an audience. However one thing that has been weighing on [...]
Feb 24, 2008
God Does Laundry Too
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The other day I was sitting on the couch with my 17 month old and she was just leaning on me watching TV, we were just having a very special moment, and then the dryer signal went off, plus it was almost time for me to make lunch anyway, so it was time for me [...]
