Live In Peace With Everyone
“Do all you can to live in peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18, NLT) Easier said than done. Especially when nothing you do or say is acceptable. Especially when the other person wants nothing to do...
View ArticleI Don’t Know
Many Meanings The phrase can mean you’re not sure which choice is best or the one you want. “I don’t know if I want that one or the other one.” It can mean you have a preference but may want … Continue...
View ArticleWhat Drives Your Passion?
What is Passion? Passion for anything, including my work, my kids and my husband, is misplaced if they exist as the focus and driving force behind that passion. That seems odd to say, but I think...
View ArticleFaithfulness & Mercy
Bike Rides My favorite routes for long bike rides are on the country roads jutting north and east from where I live. Though I must contend with the occasional dog chasing me down the road and...
View ArticleSpiritual Restoration
Health Benefits of Nature Research shows that spending time in and near nature has a significant positive impact on a person’s quality of life. Business Insider actually lists eleven ways nature does...
View ArticleSuccessful Transitions
Essential Transitions In writing, transitions help establish logical connections between sentences, paragraphs and ideas. They go a long way in helping create a piece of writing that flows....
View ArticleMy True Identity
My Roles Wife. Mother. Daughter. Friend. Writer. Editor. Teacher. Runner. Cyclist. Reader. Homemaker. These are my roles. They fluctuate with the changing seasons of my life. Some rolls come and go....
View ArticleKnowing God, Part 1
6 Degrees of Separation Know anyone famous? Want to know anyone famous? According to the theory “6 degrees of separation”… “All living things and everything else in the world are six or fewer steps...
View ArticleKnowing God, Part 2
In “Knowing God, Part 1,” we discussed the need all people have to know and value themselves and to be important to others. We also looked at how only God can fulfill that need and how only He fully...
View ArticleSecret Service, Part 1
In His Majesty’s Secret Service Mention of the British Secret Service brings to mind images of James Bond. Age probably determines exactly who Bond looks like… Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel...
View ArticleSecret Service Christians
U.S. Secret Service Created in 1865 by Abraham Lincoln on the day of his death to suppress counterfeit currency, the United States Secret Service now has a two-fold mission. “Today the Secret Service...
View ArticleStudy to Stay Steady
How to Identify Counterfeits Do a quick internet search for “how to identify counterfeits” and one fact becomes abundantly clear… there a lot of counterfeits out there. Money Food Textbooks Bags...
View ArticleLife Themes, Part 1
Effective and Productive Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions. In fact, about half of Americans make them. Unfortunately, according to Norcross & Vangarelli as reported in Psychology Today,...
View ArticleIdentity in Christ
Our identity is important because it is the core of who we are. It creates our values, which shape our beliefs, which direct our actions. Our identity shapes the focus of our lives, and our focus...
View ArticleInstauration
God Speaks to Us God speaks to us in unique and varied ways. The Bible provides many examples of this. Elijah (1 Kings 19) Samuel (1 Samuel 16:6-7) Paul (Acts 23:11 & 2 Corinthians 12) Peter (Acts...
View ArticleSocial Connection… Not Easy But Best
Because introversion is a dominant part of my personality, I used to believe I did not need much social interaction. In fact, I once bragged I could go days without talking to anyone outside of my...
View ArticleWhat Does “God is Faithful” Actually Mean?
A God of Absolutes Humans are not 100% faithful. We let down people we love, and we struggle being consistent with what we know is healthy. This is one reason we have a hard time believing God is...
View ArticleThe Joy of Discovery
“There is no such thing as the unknown — only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.” (Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek) I love to know stuff. Not the stuff of gossip, the nitty-gritty,...
View ArticleRefocusing on Christ
Should & Could But Don’t There’s so much information available telling us what we should be doing and how we could be improving our lives. Just take a look at the self-help books currently on...
View Article5 Ways to Strengthen Your Prayer Life
A Common Concern A common spiritual concern I hear goes something like, “How do I get better at praying?” Sure, it’s worded slightly different from person to person. It also sometimes comes in the form...
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