sunday roast is in the oven

Acts 16: 22 – 26
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell [...]

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jesus saves, over and over again

I can’t really tell you the scripture this comes from, but I am convinced that Jesus doesn’t just save sinners.
He saves me, every day, every moment.  Each time I turn to Him when I feel small, or petty, or discouraged, or angry.  He saves me from that and sends me in another direction.
Right now I’m [...]

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renewing the gratitude list

months ago I was posting a list of ten things to be grateful for every week.
Sometimes it was simple stuff, like oatmeal cookies.
Sometimes I tried to be profound.
I got lazy after a while and stopped posting those lists.
Well today, in the face of my husband losing his job to the concept of  “reductions in force”  [...]

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the 24/7 bible study

My friend Missy just posted a series about Bible studies.  About how she has been trained to lead them properly and how frustrating is it to sit in a study that someone else is leading and have thoughts flitting through her head like “I would be keeping this discussion on track”  But the point of [...]

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looking up

I’ve been thinking a lot about photography lately.  I’m working on developing a relationship with a photographer that I am hoping will be taking photos of Ginny and of us for years to come.  Probably at least four sessions a year.  And with all that focus in my head I’ve been looking more closely at [...]

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how to be universally lovely

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the
purity and reverence of your lives
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and [...]

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run the race, or hobble, whatever

Perseverance.
Just keep running. Or walking, limping or even crawling along.
Even when you can’t see progress.
Even when you don’t know if you are doing any good.
Even when no one is thanking you.
Even when it all seems hopeless.
Just. Keep. Going.
Long after you have stopped asking “why?”
When your shoes wear out.
When the strength seems to just be gone.
You [...]

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humility of purpose

This past week a preacher I heard prayed this at the beginning of his sermon
“Lord may anything I say be forgotten as quickly as possible.  May anything YOU say through me be remembered and may it grow in the hearts of the hearers“
wow.
I want that kind of humilty of purpose.  Too often I want to [...]

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i am not worthy

not long ago I was at a concert and raised my hand
“yes, I will sponsor a compassion child“
I clutched the packet with a child’s photograph in it and briefly regretted that I was letting God pick the child for me instead of searching the Compassion website and picking one for myself.  But I reminded myself [...]

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if you could have one wish

If you could have one wish.  Just one.
What would it be?
none of this wishing for infinite wishes stuff either.  Just one wish.

that’s okay.  I’ll wait.  did you think of one?
What was it?  Now be honest.
World peace?
fabulous wealth?
Athletic, strong,  healthy body that would allow me to eat anything I wanted and never get fat or have [...]

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