When Heaven and Earth Collided

“Unto us a Son is given…and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6 NKJV) The Bible is filled with prophecies of Christ’s advent. And many generations came and died without seeing Him. Until, the prophecies came to pass. When heaven’s Temple came down… “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5 NIV) …a Son was given to Mary and Joseph. “…the One to be Ruler …

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A Thanksgiving Proclamation

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:18 NKJV Do we fail God’s will of giving thanks, in every situation? Remember the Grumbly Bunch in the wilderness? “God, why did you bring us out here? To die? In this wilderness? Where are we going? There’s no food. No water. And we hate this manna!” Uh-oh! According to the original Hebrew, Numbers 11:1 (Masoretic Text) tells us the people were evil for complaining and made God’s anger glow. Therefore, He “sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed …

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The Cranky Bride

See her? Over there in the corner? Today, she’s a gloomy gus. Sometimes, she’s stubborn. And quite often, she’s cranky. Not the type you’d want to spend the rest of your life with. She thinks she is so righteous, when, in fact, she is sadly mistaken. Her behavior has others whispering about her. Sometimes, she’s rebellious and forgetful. Distracted and too busy. She has forgotten she is engaged, betrothed. She lives as she pleases, not caring that her actions reflect on her family and on her Beloved. She forgot this was a time of preparation. Preparation for her wedding. What …

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The Dancing Scarecrow

Autumn. I love it! It’s almost here. The warmth of the sun that energizes. The aroma of the crisp air and changing season. The cool breezes requiring a sweater or jacket. The beauty of God’s palette: crimson and cerise, yellow and honey, apricot and orange. Autumn also evokes the thought of harvests. Which made me think the other day about scarecrows. Definition of a scarecrow: an object, usually made to resemble a human figure, set up to scare away creatures from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed in fields, from growing crops, or from those crops about to be …

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The Smell of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

Ah, those never-ending summer days! When you’re young! The Bible says, “It’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it!” (Eccl. 11:9a TLB) And we did! Back in the old days…when I was young…there was no air conditioning for homes. No comfy indoor climate to entice us to be insiders. We were outsiders. We actually got exercise by running around playing tag, kick ball, or roller skating. We circled the neighborhood subdivision on our bikes until dark, and the bugs hit our teeth or our mothers rang a bell for us to come home. To cool ourselves, we played …

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Can Your Joy Be Stolen?

My joy disappeared! Have you seen it? I can’t seem to find it. Hmmm…can our joy be stolen? I was thinking about this the other day. Numerous posts have been written about joy stealers. But, you know, after mulling this over, I’m not so sure anything can steal our joy. Stealing implies it can be taken from us. What does Scripture say? See what you think. * What did Jesus tell the disciples at the Last Supper? All the words He spoke that night were filled with encouragement. What He spoke to them, He also says to us, “These things …

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Going Down to the Creek

Long before dry cleaners and delicate wash cycles, clothes had to be washed by hand. When the dirt and grim of labor disguised the fabric’s true colors, and made it, um, smelly, the clothes needed to be washed. The women who lived near a river or creek took their families’ laundry down to the water’s edge to pound out the dirt on the rocks. As they walked the worn path, and as they scrubbed their clothes, they would converse with one another, sharing the loads of their lives as they shared their loads of laundry. After a discussion with a …

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I Have a Secret: I Leak at Night!

  Bet that got your attention! No, this isn’t a bladder problem. It’s a spiritual problem. I think my bucket leaks while I’m asleep. Well, to be honest, I have another secret. I leak during the day even more! I leak through cracks in my foundation, chinks in my armor, rips in my soul, holes in my heart, and gaps in my attitude. And any other rift in my being. I just plain ol’ run out. So, I MUST refill my tank every morning. David said, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I …

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Quiet Time Dance

Whirring lawnmowers. Annoying blowers. This was how my morning started. How could I attain quiet for a conversation with the Lord? I walked to my family room window and looked out. Bazillions of beautiful blossoms hung from the trees, and at the same time, spewed out their allergy-packed pollen as thick as fog, prompting tissues to peek out of all my pockets. A brisk breeze released the grip of the helicopters from the maple trees, as the tiny descendants concealed the ground in a blanket of ancestry. These sights and sounds heralded the profusion of nature’s new, spring season. As …

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The Parable of a Different Christian

Do we, as Christians, standout as different from the world? Are we distinct, in any way? Or do we just blend in with everyone else? At a young age, Jesus declared, “I must be about My Father’s business,” (Luke 2:49 NKJV) in other words, the affairs of His Father, all those matters that pertain to the activities and establishment of the Kingdom. If Jesus’ mission involved all that pertained to the working of His Father’s Kingdom, then we need to learn to function in, take care of, and promote those same concerns. What kind of business partners or sales reps …

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