It’s Not My Idea!

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Have you felt bogged down…stuck…frozen in a place you’d rather not be? What led you here? Who’s idea was it to follow this path? Was it your plan or did the Lord send you? Was it your dream or his? When feeling stuck, those questions bring clarity. If the Lord sent me—if this is a dream he put in my heart—then he’s with me in this place…and I can trust him to show me what’s next. The life of Moses encourages me. Remember the burning-bush encounter? God initiated that whole bringing-my-people-out-of-slavery-in-Egypt thing. That was an overwhelming assignment, especially considering Moses…

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Lessons from Birdsong

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  “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26). This morning I awoke to the sweet sound of birdsong. The feathered creatures seemed to be singing their praise for a new day, for sunshine just breaking through the darkness, for an ample food supply. I wonder…am I as grateful for these and a multitude of other blessings? The cheery chorus reminded me these little ones diligently pursue their sole responsibility—being the best winged-creatures…

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Did You Hear about This?

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  I didn’t see it with my own eyes but I heard about it. The Israelites faced a desperate circumstance—the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian army behind them. No way out! Then the Lord sent a strong east wind causing the water to pile up like walls making a path, and turning mud into dry ground for that massive throng to cross. When the army pursued, the waters returned to normal flow and swallowed the Egyptians (Exodus 14). I didn’t see it with my own eyes but I heard about it. After the Israelites had wandered in 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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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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Authors in Action!

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This week our CAN authors are sharing heart warming stories of fulfilling the Great Commission and speaking around the country on matters close to their heart! Grace Fox just completed an 11-day trip through Nepal. This was a pilgrimage of sorts for her and her eldest daughter who was born with hydrocephalus in Nepal 33 years ago. Her daughter’s lifelong dream has been to visit her birthplace, and this trip fulfilled that dream. Read the beginning of this story—how Grace’s husband returned to North America with their three-day old daughter while Grace was left behind in Kathmandu not knowing whether…

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Walking by Faith

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  What does walking by faith mean? Romans 1:17 caused me some consternation. “The just shall live by faith.” Sounds simple enough. But when I was a young believer seeking to know Christ better, this idea seemed vague and confusing. I needed a how-to. You know…five simple steps. I heard this explanation: we’re saved by faith, trusting Christ alone; and we walk by faith, trusting Christ alone. Being an emotionally expressive person, I let feelings trip me time after time. When anger, worry, or discouragement robbed my joy or a bad decision knocked me off track, I’d come to the…

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Journalist Chases Story

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  I was an aggressive young journalist chasing the big story. A young woman had come from Nazareth to Bethlehem with the man she’d pledged to marry. Obviously pregnant, she hadn’t let rumors about her unusual circumstances keep her from making the journey to register for tax purposes. I always did extensive research before an interview, and I’d tracked every tip about these two individuals, Mary and Joseph, unexpectedly cast in the most significant drama in human history. A relative, Elizabeth, confirmed Mary had visited her following a strange occurrence. An angel had appeared to Mary, a virgin betrothed to…

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Finding God’s Purpose

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By Dianne Barker “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” (Psalm 127:1NIV). Got it. Unless the Lord does it, our best efforts will fail. Synonyms for “vain” are ineffective, hopeless, unsuccessful, unproductive, futile, useless, worthless. Why would anyone pursue such a life? Who gets up in the morning desiring your day’s work be ineffective, unsuccessful, unproductive, futile, useless, worthless? We’re off and running, determined to achieve something significant. But if we’re trusting in our own wisdom and strength, our best efforts will be…

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Your Words Matter

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Your Words Matter by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD   “I believed, and therefore I have spoken . . . .” (2 Corinthians 4: 13) If you want to know what you believe, listen to what you say. Your words reveal what is in your heart, for the Word of God says that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12: 34). God created the entire universe with words. Made in His image, we create our personal universe with our words. So, what words are you speaking? For the next 24 hours, listen closely to what you are…

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