Hope Springs Eternal…So They Say

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   “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:1-5). Who reading this today has been…

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Easter Inspiration: Praying like Jesus

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  Easter is a time to draw close to Christ and learn from his experience. We also can learn from his prayers from that last week of his life. It’s interesting that of his ten recorded prayers, six come from his last week. And they can inspire our prayer lives. “Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:28 NIV). Despite Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he said, “Now my heart is troubled.” When we are troubled, we also can ask God to be glorified in us. “May they be brought to complete unity” (John 17:23 NIV). Jesus’s chapter-long Upper Room prayer emphasizes…

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Praising God in Uncertain Times

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  We are living in uncertain times. A global pandemic is not something we are used to coping with. When life changes quickly it often causes anxiety and fear. But the one constant we have is that our Almighty God never changes. Knowing and believing that God is greater than our circumstance gives us hope and peace. In Psalm 150:2 the psalmist writes, Praise Him because He is greater than anything else. That means God is greater than our worries and fears. He is greater than our circumstances. And He is greater than a global pandemic. One of the best…

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Combat Contagion of Fear

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How are you spending this forced stay-cation? I’ve been baking, cleaning, and catching up on those “will-do-sometime” projects. Thumbing through a stack of magazines that I didn’t have time to read when they arrived over the past few months, I’m ready to discard a bunch and free up space. I appreciate having time to organize. Friends tell me they’re cleaning and organizing, too. In our normal, busy life, we handle the urgent and leave everything else until a day when our to-do list isn’t so jam-packed. That day has come. Meetings have been cancelled. Stadiums are empty. Churches are live-streaming…

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Do You Want to Be Known?

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  Have you ever felt really known? Every one of us longs to be fully known, loved, and appreciated. John 1:48 tells us about the interaction between Nathaniel and Jesus. “Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you’” (ESV). Jesus tells him he saw him hidden under the fig tree. Jesus knows Nathaniel’s nature, motives, and physical hidden location. There are differing ideas of what Nathaniel is doing within the confines of the overhanging branches of the fig tree. Two in particular would seem…

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A Strategic Act of an Apostle

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A Strategic Act of an Apostle by Dr. Craig von Buseck Luke, the writer of Acts, shows us an amazing transformation in the life of Saul of Tarsus. This metamorphosis takes place in one single chapter – Acts 13 – though the preparation for it happened over many years. Verse 2: While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Verse 9: But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him… Verse 43: And…

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Bolivian Cemeteries—Customs and Comforts

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  “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 NIV). Recently, I attended a gathering in our village to remember the life of a church member who died unexpectedly. Arriving late, I sat in the back. Everyone wore black and wiped tears that fell profusely. The lady was a friend of mine also––my husband and I bought land from her. Everyone in the crowd hailed from…

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God Responds to Arrow Prayers

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  Conversing with God looks different for everyone, but at some time or other we all shoot arrow prayers heavenward. I do it often. It happens when I’m traveling by plane and a spiritual conversation opens with a fellow passenger. On one occasion a woman beside me said, “I’m on a personal quest. I’m searching for peace. Have you found it?” I shot an arrow prayer before answering: “God, give me the right words.” I shoot arrow prayers when driving down the highway. “God, safety.” I shoot them when needing inspiration for my writing assignments: “God, creativity.” I shoot them…

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Relationship Glue

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  “What did she use this time?” The kind man who cleans my white carpets squats down to inspect the splashed rainbow. “Acrylic and oils.” I show him the finished masterpiece displayed on the easel above the carpet’s danger zone. He nods appreciatively, and from his arsenal of stain removers, sprays over the area what I assume to be an anti-acrylic and an oil neutralizing solution. “You must see this kind of cleanup project a lot in your business.” I think of the dropped plate of spaghetti he cleaned last time he was here. “Not like this.” He gives the…

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Blue Skies Above

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  Our winter season in Michigan has been mild. No subzero temps or newsworthy blizzards to report. I am grateful for that. But the heavy, gray clouds that linger for days and even weeks, make me feel like I am trapped in a colorless dome. Last week we flew to Texas to visit my daughter’s family. Shortly after takeoff, the plane penetrated the thick mass and ushered us into an atmosphere of endless blue sky and brilliant sunshine. It was a mood-altering moment that brought joy to my soul. Most of us face difficult circumstances now and then. The weight…

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