I took a deep breath and sunk my toes into the sand. Beside me my husband sat with long legs outstretched, one toe tapping to the tunes in his earphones. I closed my eyes and listened to the crashing waves. Knowing my children were happy back at the pool with their grandparents, I let the tension roll down my shoulders and onto the sand where it waited for the wind to carry it away.
Soon, the roar of the waves had to compete with the howl of the wind as the first drops of rain splashed on the tops of my feet.
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Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 NIV
“Can I have a canned drink?” my son appeared from nowhere, his face beet red, sweaty hair plastered to his head in the shape of his bicycle helmet. “How about some water,” I said and watched his mouth turn south. I reached down to grab more laundry to sort, and when I looked up he was gone. A few minutes later, I headed downstairs, laundry basket in tow.
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He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him… Psalm 103:10-11 NIV
At the counter we stood waiting, peering through the glass while selecting just the right treasure. Both of my children wore frowns. Faith had 12 tickets, and she needed 15 for the Laffy Taffy her heart desired. Colin had his eye set on an Atomic Fireball and was 2 tickets shy. My husband tried unsuccessfully to talk Faith into giving Colin 2 tickets and choosing something for 10 instead.
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“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.” 1 Samuel 14:7 NIV
o·bey [oh-bey]
–verb (used with object)
1.to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of
Obey. It’s a simple word. But doing it is anything but simple. It is a verb – an action word. This word should call us to action. But many times it doesn’t. The Lord is really speaking to me about obeying. I get it everywhere. I hear His words echoing to me from my own words to my children. “I need you to obey me the first time I ask.”
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Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men. Ephesians 6:7 NIV
“I don’t know why I have to wear this heavy jacket,” my son complained as we sat in the car waiting for an appearance of the school bus. I glanced at the digital readout of temperature outside – 42 degrees. “It’s cold today,” I told him.
“I’m not cold,” he countered, “and I don’t like this jacket. I don’t even want to go to school. All I do is work all day, and it’s not fun.” He yanked at the zipper and slouched in his seat. Thinking for a moment, I said, “Colin, do you know what the Bible says?
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Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Matthew 23:26 NIV
He came in late and sat down with no apologies. Stunned, my eyes were immediately drawn to the large skull and crossbones tattooed prominently on the back of his neck. Next I took in the black knit stocking cap on top of his head. It stood out on a spring day with temperatures in the seventies. I waited for him to remove it, but somewhere deep within, I knew he wouldn’t. I thought about the time it took me to pick out the skirt I was wearing and glanced at his slick basketball shorts and wondered if he took any time at all.
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And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV
Thud! My bags hit the floor, and I stepped over them to survey the room. My husband and I managed to get away for a Sunday School teacher retreat in the North Georgia mountains. Alone at last, we flopped on the bed and took in the most heavenly sound – quiet. With two kids at home, our house is constantly a bustle of activity.
I turned my head to see a crack of light spilling through the drawn curtains.
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I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Phillipians 4:13 NIV
My mother taught me how to swim. She taught my brother, all my cousins, and me. Where I grew up, my family all lived on the same road. Aunt Marilyn lived five houses down from us, and she had a pool. Many summer days were spent there. With swim suit clad bodies, we’d throw a towel around our shoulders and flip flop all the way to Marilyn’s.
When I was too young to swim, Mom put me in a galvanized tub of water beside the pool and let me watch.
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