Sunday Reflection: A Heart after God

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It is all about the heart: “the LORD looks at the heart.“ (1 Sam. 16:7) David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14) And we pray with the Psalmist,  “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11) A few of the Psalms in my Discovering Hope in the Psalms Bible study captures the kind of heart God is looking for: God is looking for thirsty hearts. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O…

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Sunday Reflection : Green Pastures

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I am a Bo Peep. Yes, I grew up on a Suffolk sheep farm– so Psalm 23 is very personal to this Shepherdess’ heart. Let’s just glimpse at the first few verses: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he refreshes my soul. One of the common heart cries of the human race is for greener pastures- a life better, brighter, quieter or calmer. God knows this is dream is on our hearts. When I read, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside…

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Sunday Reflection : Light in the Darkness

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As storm clouds gather, they often cover the sun and a harsh greyness vails the light. This was the place B ill and I found outselves for three long years, as Bill commuted back and forth almost weekly through gridlock Los Angeles traffic to care for his againg parents, all while we worked to keep up with our acre of land, and our Love-Wise ministry of writing, speaking, and travel. While our marriage was weathering the storm, we both we tired of the treadmill that seemed to have now end. A darkness of depression was trying to cover over our…

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God Talk

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God Talk By Susan G Mathis Talking about God is not just for Sundays; it’s for every hour of the day. Deuteronomy 6: 5-7 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” I don’t think this Scripture is only for parents. It’s for all of us—with…

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Sunday Reflection: Keep Hope Alive

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In today’s world with frightening headlines blasting the worst possible scenarios into our homes, and the stress of the daily responsibility of providing for ourselves and our families weighing heavy on our hearts, coupled with the unpredictable, unwelcome, unwanted, unbelievably hard or harsh circumstances like floods, fires, relationship strife, death and disease it is very easy to get depressed, discouraged and down-trodden. But God has a solution for our despairing hearts! While writing my newest book (co-authored with Bible teacher Jean E Jones and artist Karla Dornacher), Discovering Hope in the Psalms: A Creative Biblical Experience, Jean, in passing said,…

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Sunday Reflection: Early Easter Morning

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Easter for a child can often only mean candy, ducks, bunnies and an Easter egg hunt. And for the first six years of my life, I am sure waking up to find out how many jelly beans and chocolate bunnies were in my Easter basket must have been my priority– that is until one Easter, when my mom’s best friend recognized how much we needed the Easter message: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…

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St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks

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St. Patrick’s Day Shamrocks by Susan G Mathis In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, because I’m Irish, and because my novel, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, is about the Irish immigration, I want to share with you how St. Patrick used a simple weed to share the Gospel. St. Patrick lived in the fifth century Ireland where the shamrock clover was abundant, even a staple food for livestock. The shamrock is a weed that grows quickly and is hard to get rid of. In Ireland it was everywhere, so as Patrick traveled the country, he had a…

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Let Him Reign

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Don’t you love a spring shower? Refreshing. Relaxing. Rejuvenating. But what happens when it doesn’t stop raining? Flooding. Only one kind of flooding refreshes, relaxes, and rejuvenates––the reign of God flooding our heart. How do we know He reigns in our heart? When He reigns in our heart, His praise flows from our lips. “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad” (Psalm 97:1 NIV). Our great God overflows from his creation. We can see His greatness through his creation. We are His creation. If He reigns in us, He flows through us. We not only experience refreshment but also…

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A Valentine’s Gift That Lasts

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A Valentine’s Gift That Lasts By Susan G Mathis On this Valentine’s Day week, I’d like to remind you of the importance of keeping your marriage strong. It’s the best gift you can give your spouse. “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails,” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Remember…

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Resting on the Sabbath

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Resting on the Sabbath By Susan G Mathis There was a good reason that God invented the Sabbath, and I think that’s doubly important for families. Our kids never stop. We often feel pushed to do, go, do. We’re always on the move. But we need to stop and take some time to honor the Sabbath as well as our body, mind, and spirit.   Rest your body. Get your sleep. Take time to do—dare I say it?—nothing. Just sit. Just relax. Our culture is frantically pushing us to the point of craziness and so do the kids Busy is…

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