“Show me the number of my days.” Psalm 39:4-7
I think it’s safe to say that nobody likes to contemplate the number of days they might have left on this earth. Especially at this time of year, with a new year beginning, filled with hope and promise.
But if we can look at the year ahead with that prayer from Psalms in our hearts, how much more can God do with each day? Each hour, even?
Remembering how precious time is can truly help us to live our lives to the fullest. If we keep that in mind, and the fact that God put each of us here for a reason, how much more purposeful would our decisions, activities, and priorities be?
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“I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?†Isaiah 43:19
I’m one of those people who loves change. Which is maybe why I love that verse in Isaiah so much.
New and fresh beginnings energize me, even if they’re something as simple as leaves turning from green to gold in the fall or furniture being rearranged in the house to make a room look different.
And I especially love celebrating New Year’s.
As the calendar turns and another year passes, it causes me to not only reflect on the past, but to look toward the future and all the possibilities it holds.
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Does life seem especially challenging right now?
There’s no doubt about it, these are tough times for many.
And when hard times hit, it can be even harder to hope.
It can be difficult to have faith and remember the promise that God is in control.
But, if you’re in that position, if you’re feeling like you can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, be encouraged. As Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, all it takes is a little faith…
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.â€
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It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only a few weeks away. Are you relaxed and enjoying this time of year? Or are you rushing around, feeling stressed and pressured? In the midst of already busy lives, even seemingly little things like Christmas shopping, planning holiday get-togethers, or decorating the house for the holiday can seem daunting. After all, there are meals to plan, gives to make or buy, cards to send, trees to put up…
It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season and forget the true meaning of what we are celebrating: Jesus.
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“Give the story of it to your children, and let them give it to their children, and their children to another generation.†Joel 1:3
Do you tell stories?
I’m not talking about the “Once upon a time…†kind about princesses and dragons and faraway lands. I’m talking about the true stories from your life–the times that God has answered prayer, or changed your circumstances for the better, or healed sickness or pain.
The times His love has made a difference.
Because God never leaves the life of a person who turns to Him unchanged.
But how often do we tell these stories to others, especially our kids?
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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.†Psalm 23:1
It’s one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. But how often do we stop and think about the truth in it? How often do we look to other things in life to satisfy our wants?
Especially with holidays upon us, and the advertisements and store sales that are already going on, it can be easy to get caught up in the mode of wanting…
Wanting the new watch, the new shoes, the new furniture, the new TV…
It can be easy to get focused on all the things we wish we had, rather than being thankful for what we already have.
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Several years ago, when I was pregnant with our daughter, my husband and I started looking at new homes. We loved our house and neighbors, but with a baby on the way, we felt like we needed a home with a bigger backyard and a little more privacy. After looking for a while, we found a home we thought was perfect…it was on a court, with a swimming pool in the backyard, and plenty of room.
But there was one catch.
If we bought the house, and I quit my job to stay home with our daughter when she was born, things would be tight financially.
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One night, after I’d just gotten home from an all-day meeting and was putting my daughter to bed, she looked up at me with sad eyes. “I didn’t like you being gone today,†she said.
Usually, I’m the one who picks her and her brother up from school, but since I wasn’t home, my husband did it. He also did their homework with them and made them dinner. It wasn’t the “normal†routine, and my daughter was a little out-of-sorts.
I explained to her why I had to be gone, and I told her that her dad loves to be able to pick her up from school and help her with her homework, but that didn’t seem to make her feel any better.
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