The Christmas season is upon us, and it is time to get out the Christmas tree, the decorations, the lights, and the Nativity scene for the kids. The Nativity set is one of my favorite Christmas decorations, as it has such a rich meaning to me. When I was a…
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Christmastime in my childhood meant traveling to a far distant land called Clarksville, TN to be with our extended family. This town was anywhere between 6-12 hours away depending on where we lived at the time. As a child, I would stare out the window, look up at the stars,…
Last time we left off with Ruth and Naomi. Naomi left us with three gifts: lead by example, give others free will, and have proper expectations in our relationships. I want to talk more about our leading by example. Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NIV) states, “‘This is the covenant I will make…
“So you will be my people, and I will be your God.” Jeremiah 30:22 NIV This was not the first time I had seen this sentence. It was also found in Exodus 6:7 and in Leviticus 26:12. As I was reading this over and over again in Jeremiah (see also…
Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (NLT) The Israelites were losing everything they had ever known. The Babylonians came after Jerusalem and took exiles to…
Last time we took an adventure with Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abednego (Azariah). These three men stood strong with each other through an exile from Judah to Babylon. They refused to eat what they knew was to be wrong for them. They rose to power among the Babylonians and…
Ah, good ‘ol Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I was reading about them in Daniel 3:16-18 this week as they were getting ready to be thrown into the furnace if they did not bow down to the gold statue Nebuchadnezzar had built of himself. “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to…
Whether we like it or not, we all have a past. How do you see your past? More half-full or more half-empty? I’m having a bit of a nostalgic Saturday as I’m headed to my Great Aunt Mabel’s funeral. She lived to be 102 and was such a delightful woman…
Have you ever had a time in your life where it seemed so bright and shiny and then all of a sudden things got very dark? You know, where you were happy and joyful and then everything changed with one call, one conversation, or even one look. Think about that…
Is summer a schedule changer for you? Are you having to pencil in time to see your best friend because of vacations? Not seeing your regular peeps at church because of people going different places? I know as a mom of 3 teenagers, summer is filled with many different activities…