We Are Blessed

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In 1776 our country was founded by men who believed in God. Nearly two centuries later, “In God We Trust” was written on our currency, and The Pledge of Allegiance added the phrase “one nation under God.” Though these statements represent a variety of faiths, belief in God is the common denominator. As we all know, our nation is becoming more and more secular and many people are turning away from God. But there will always be a remnant who remain strong in their faith and in their commitment to God. We will always have a voice, although it may…

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Fresh Focus

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“I the Lord, do not change” (Malachi 3:6 NIV). Tumultuous circumstances jolted me out of my usual schedule. My routine changed drastically on a rainy Sunday morning. A call from our neighbors woke me from a deep sleep. “Your classrooms are flooding!” Torrential rains caused the river over the mountain to rush into the valley irrigation ditch that runs behind our property and overflow downward directly into our classroom building on our mission base––narrowly missing our house. Shocked at the sight of six inches of water in the classrooms, my husband and I splashed our way through and commenced the…

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Done…Now What?

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Done… Now What?  Done. That’s what I told the Lord, repeating it many times during a long drive, alone except for him. I’m a big dreamer, and I’ve spent my life pursuing dreams. That’s not a bad thing. Other people call this goal setting. I call it pursuing dreams because that’s the way I’ve lived it—chasing dreams the Lord put in my heart. I did a pretty good job of living in the moment—with plans always simmering. Then I seemed to reach the end of the path. No clear direction to move ahead. So I got honest with the Lord….

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First Christian Nation

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What country was the first Christian nation? I couldn’t have told you, either, until I read about St. Gregory the Illuminator. Gregory was born in Armenia, and following a Christian upbringing, he returned to Armenia, where the king appointed him secretary. After a major military victory, the king instructed Gregory to lay wreaths and laurels in a pagan temple as thanks to the gods. The young man refused. The king was ticked. “If you don’t worship the idols, I’ll have to kill you.” Gregory stood his ground. “I believe in Jesus and can’t worship anyone but the Lord God.” Furious,…

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Following the Leader

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  “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NIV). A baton strikes a music stand. Absolute silence falls on the auditorium. All eyes fix on the 500-voice choir—all of their eyes are fixed on the director. He lifts his baton and the orchestra plays. A few measures later, he brings in the sopranos followed by the alto section, then the men. They have learned to read his hand gestures, large and small. When to hush. When to soar. When to accent. When to cut short. When to start….

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Why This Waste?

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Have you ever asked, “Why this waste?” While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman brought an alabaster box containing expensive perfume and poured it on his head. “Why this waste?” said the disciples, indignant. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” The woman’s deed was to prepare him for burial, Jesus said. “Wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (see Matthew 26:6-13). In baffling times when I could see no…

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When Life’s too Much

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  “Your mother is dying.” My mind understood the doctor’s words, but my heart refused to believe them. Only a few days prior, my ninety-four-year-old mother had taken a day trip to Reno with my husband. How could she be dying? Why now, God? This was supposed to be the weekend I would put the final touches on my novel before sending it to my agent. Too many circumstances in the past six months had kept me from diligently writing. Moving in with my mom after her stroke. Readying our house for sale. Packing the things of my own I…

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Love Letters from Christ

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  One summer I visited sites of the seven churches of Revelation (Rev. 1–3). A congregation at each of these sites received a message from Jesus Christ. And while two thousand years separate us, their messages from Christ are still relevant. Ephesus: The Ephesians lost their first love. Think about this. Nobody has to tell a fiancée to avoid flirting. Her actions reveal her loyalty. Do your works give evidence of your love? Smyrna:  Many think “Smyrna” is a Greek translation of the Hebrew “myrrh.” To make myrrh, one must crush a fragrant plant. In suffering, are you giving off…

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A Writer’s Senses

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  Gracious God, thank you for the smell of pencil shavings, the elegance of a good fountain pen, and the click-clack of ancient typewriter keys… for the intoxication of creative juices, the sweetness of a well-turned phrase… for the creak of the office chair, and the surprise of a catch in the throat and the salty track of a tear on the cheek… for the hum of a computer, for the thrum of a printer, for the agony of the blank page, the ecstasy of the last line, the terror of hitting “send” and the fragrance of fresh ink on…

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Taking Obedience Seriously

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  The handmade collection of misshapen guitars, ukuleles, and banjos  made me wonder. Is the museum desperate for displays? About half of the instruments hanging on the walls were painted barn-red. Others had obviously been pieced together from two or three different types of wood. But the story of the man who crafted them changed my whole perspective. In the 1960s Arkansas farmer Ed Stilley had difficulty supporting his wife and five children. One day, while plowing his field behind a donkey, he thought he was having a heart attack. Lying on the ground with no one around to hear…

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