Don’t lose your grip on love and loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people. Proverbs 3: 3, 4 Circumstances may well appear, well, “circumstantial” and still we wrongly decide to become judge and jury in one fell swoop. But, we all can remember those painful moments when we were “so sure” we understood a situation and called... Read more
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34: 17, 18 Experts consult; then move on. Friends and family keep at it. Edward T. Welch in Depression: A Stubborn Darkness Much has been written on the topic of depression, some worthy of the press received, others not. Sadly, many of the... Read more
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. James 4:17 “In many ways, sin is the punishment for sin. The more I choose against God’s design and give in to my sinful desires, the more I suffer even if I never get caught, even if no one else knows.” Philip Yancey How much would you pay for a clean conscience? To sleep sound at night? To enjoy a guilt-free existence? What about the... Read more
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3: 25 Remember that old saying, I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream? Well, in today’s world ice cream isn’t what’s causing most folk to run around screaming in silent frustration. It’s waiting. We’re a sorry bunch of “waiters” aren’t we? Our entire nation wants, no, demands that needs be met immediately. Whether the coveted object(ive)... Read more
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 Some persons do first, think afterward, and then repent forever. Thomas Secker Are You Careful Or Careless How would you describe yourself? Are you a careful person, one given to thoughtfully weighing decisions and their repercussions before acting? Or would you consider yourself the free-flying... Read more
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 18:21 We’ve all heard someone curtly reply, “I won’t even dignify that comment with an answer.” Haven’t we? After all, when we feel we’ve been misjudged, maligned, or insulted, it’s only natural to offer this type of retort. But is it effective? Does it promote understanding, reconciliation? Does taking a verbal jab at someone ever make sense? Take... Read more
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Timothy 6: 6-8 “…One of the greatest life lessons you can ever learn is to enjoy life through the process of attaining your goals.” David D. Ireland, PH.D. in Secrets of a Satisfying Life On any given day,... Read more
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Philippians 3:13-15 If we’re honest, everyone longs for... Read more
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 There is a connection between what we really want and what we say we want. On some occasions, our deepest desires may be considered socially unacceptable (at least in our eyes) so we squelch them. Or we deny they exist.... Read more
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 Good, better, best; never let it rest till your good is better and your better is best. Anonymous What difference does that little bit of “extra” make? Does it count? Can you quantify it? Measure it? Bottle it? Afraid you won’t be able to keep pace with it once you’ve demonstrated your finest stuff? Asked another way, can anyone... Read more
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