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Love Thy Neighbor
A sunny day with temperatures in the fifties greeted me—perfect for a morning jog around the neighborhood. As I (slowly) ran, I noticed a new sign dotting the landscape. Love Thy Neighbor. Amen and amen. Jesus preached love and lived it. He demonstrated it with the ultimate sacrifice of laying down His own life for mankind. He taught us that by loving others, we show our love for God. But sometimes in our attempt to love one of our neighbors, we judge another. We point fingers and accuse a person or group of not loving like we think they should. Our motives turn messy. In the end, we pick and…
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The Heart of Joy
Who is the most joyful person you know? What makes that person so joyful? Do they enjoy their job? Have a craft they love? Does their joy come from a relationship with God? What is the heart of joy for them? And what is the heart of joy for you? In the book of Matthew, tucked into the Christmas story, we find a beautiful description of the heart of joy. “And he (Herod) sent them (the magi) to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.’ After hearing the king,…
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A Saving Defense
I sank into the hotel room’s swivel chair and glanced at the paper calendar on the small desk. October 24, 2016. My husband had already left for work, and our two dogs had settled in for naps after their morning walk. I debated whether to join them. Strange how exhausted the mile walk had left me. Probably the stress of six weeks crowded into a hotel room waiting for repairs in our home to be completed. I slid my Bible toward me. I’d sleep later. Besides, the cat had joined the dogs and there was no room left on the bed. I turned to the day’s reading in Psalm 28,…
Faith for the Adventure
