Tag Archives: faithwriters

Children, Christian Growth, Parents, Women

Stem the Tide

 

‘Hush… America sleeps.’

The unborn are aborted; in a stupor, we allow it to happen.

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The bright future that God planned for his children will go unfulfilled.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV).”

This is spiritual warfare. Evil forces are forcibly evicting the unborn from protective wombs.

What can we do to stem the tide?

Pray. Pray. Pray.

Stay informed.

Support national, state and local right to life groups.

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward (Psalm 127:3 KJV).”

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Children, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Family, Uncategorized

Family Business

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Family businesses were once the backbone of America.   

Whether family farms or Main Street Mom & Pop’s, the businesses were owned and operated by members of close-knit families. Often, children played a major role by lending a helping hand before and after school. My husband was raised in the Deep South and speaks of earlier years when schools closed during harvest season. Children were needed to assist in gathering cotton crops.

Jesus carried out His Father’s kingdom business. He had a strong family support system.

“While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.’ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:46-50 NKJ).”  

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Christian Growth, Devotionals, Salvation

Fill er’ up!

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“Fill er’ up!”

My best girlfriend’s dad owned and operated a Sunoco gas station in our rural Mycenae neighborhood. I’m sure ‘Fill er’ up’ was music to his ears. Back in those days, a dollar went a long way. The decision to fill the tank when stopping for gas was using common sense. Why put it off?

Why do people have a tendency to wait to make the most important decision of their lives?

“For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJ).”

He will fill you.

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19 NKJ).”

 
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Christian Growth, Devotionals, Salvation

I Confess

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‘I confess.’

Words of someone ready to admit their guilt.

He or she is ready to come clean.

‘I confess.’

Words of one who confesses Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Seeking Him, and His forgiveness; they are ready to receive His cleansing.

“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:15-16 NKJ).”

‘I confess. ‘

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:32 NKJ).”         12471528_10204979913689110_9211174592249462285_o

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Christian Growth, Devotionals, Relationships

Standard of Measurement

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How do I measure up?

If I compare my compassion and generosity to that of others it is skewed. In all likelihood, I would fare better than some and below the standard set by others. It is a waste of effort.

So how do I measure up, and how do I measure others?
“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. ‘Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:36-38 NKJ).”12471528_10204979913689110_9211174592249462285_o

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Bed & Breakfast

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Are you a frequent guest at Bed & Breakfast hotels?

I guess that might be on my bucket list… that is if I ever begin one.

I’m sure I’d like the comfortable surroundings and the tantalizing aroma of home cooked breakfast wafting towards my private room. I’d rank Victorian Bed & Breakfasts at the top of preferences.

Job offered Old Testament hospitality to the passersby.

“The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveler (Job 31:32 KJV).”

Good for Job; he opened wide his heart and his doors!

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Devotionals

Listen…

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Animals have a keen sense of hearing. To remove any doubt, shake a bag of your pet’s food. If they eat the canned variety, depress the start button on your electric can opener. Your feline or canine can hear the sounds from a great distance; rushing to your side, they eagerly await their next meal.

I wonder what it would be like to hear so well. I wonder what I would be like…

Have you heard a butterfly as it dashes across a flower garden?

Were you ever alerted to the impending arrival of a hummingbird by the sound of its wings?

God indeed works in mysterious ways. Listen; it could be angel’s winging their way…

“And the sound of the cherubims’ wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh (Ezekiel 10:5 KJV).”

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Bruised

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I tend to bruise easily. When bumping a leg or arm, I immediately surmise that there will be a bruise. Bruises are painful and unsightly as well as bad for my ego. A bruised spirit is invisible to the naked eye and discerned only by the wise; in his compassion the LORD administers healing balm.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18-19 KJV).”

God the Father sent the Son; Jesus fulfilled the Father’s desire. Appointed and anointed, Christ carried out his Father’s restoration plan. Through his love, I am liberated from a bruised spirit and emotional wounds.

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Forward, March!

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Forward, march…

No, I am not a high school band director, not a drill sergeant. I am simply a Christ follower, sharing the godly advice of the Apostle Paul.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14 NKJ).”

As we each begin a new year, his testimony serves as a timeless challenge.

‘Forward, march!’

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

String of Lights

 

A NEW BLOG COVER

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What happens when one of the lights on your Christmas tree stops working?SEPTEMBER 2014 002

In some instances, all lights on the string of lights may also go dark. I speak from experience; that is very annoying. One of our past artificial Christmas trees had permanent miniature lights, set in three separate sections.

At the end of a Christmas season, the bottom section lighting quit. I ignored the outage, deciding I could wait to correct the problem. I got a wake-up call when I set up the tree the following year. I asked my husband to solve the problem and he said that it would be easiest to buy new lights.

A simple task it was not. After purchasing a new set of lights, he dropped them on the floor and shorted them out. So, he made a return trip to the store, bought set # 2 of lights. He is a patient man; I applaud the final results. The tree never looked prettier.

Each light on a string of tree lights is important…

They brighten their branch, working with the others to illuminate the tree and our homes.

Jesus left us with specific instructions.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16 NKJ).”

The body of Christ is much like a Christmas tree. When we each let our light shine, we form a line of lights to illuminate a darkened world.

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