Have you seen an in-car GPS (Global Positioning System) that tells you how to get from one place to another? They give directions like:
“in 50 meters turn right”
“at the second exit turn right”
“turn right now”
A friend of mine was driving through western Australia and was quite amused when her GPS said “in 200km, turn right.” Wow, 200kms of straight road! I think it would get a bit boring after a while – and possibly a tad irritating when every 20kms the GPS interrupts with “in 180km, turn right” “in 160km, turn right”.
Wouldnt it be nice though if we had a GPS for life!?
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“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.†Colossians 4:2 NLT
Last week, I was reading a devotional and this verse really hit me. It made me stop and think… how DO I pray?
Am I alert and focused?
Or do I pray when I’m in bed at night falling asleep, or when I’m in the car and there are a million distractions?
Do I pray with a thankful heart, taking time to appreciate God’s love and blessings? Or do I dive right in, asking for help with whatever situation I’m facing at the moment?
Hmm.
I have to admit, when I asked myself these questions, I didn’t like the answer.
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“Take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Ephesians 6: 17 (NIV)
Shhh. Come close, I have a secret to share. Ready? Here it is. Not everyone likes me. Not a shocker? I didn’t think so. Reality. It’s harsh. And as a recovering people pleaser, my skin isn’t very thick. I know that it is trendy to be strong and blow away insults with a single confident puff followed by a quick hair toss, but that’s not me. And truth be told, I don’t think that is suppose to be me either.
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My husband and I recently celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary with a trip to Niagara Falls. We had a wonderful time. Friends who had previously visited the falls tried to describe how beautiful they were, but their description didn’t come close to seeing it with my own eyes. It truly was a sight to behold.
As we approached our hotel which overlooked the falls, our driver asked if it was our first visit. We told him it was, so he drove right by so we could get our first glimpse of this awe inspiring creation. It was breathtaking. We stood amazed as we watched 3,160 tons of water per second spill over the second largest waterfall on the globe.
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Life is tougher than usual for many people right now.
Finances may be tight and stress may be high.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Attitude is everything.†But, when things aren’t going our way, or our future seems uncertain, it can be pretty easy to become consumed with worry or complaining.
Yet if we can remember that, no matter what is going on in our lives, God’s in control, this truth alone can help us stay focused on what’s important. And it can get us through the tough times.
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise. Psalm 48:1
Knowing that God is great—that He knows the plan for our lives and that He will never leave us—can give us peace in the midst of any storm.
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In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:13
Nearly 20 years ago, Twila Paris released the lovely song, How Beautiful. Whenever I hear the words, “How beautiful the feet that bring the sound of good news and the love of the King…†one person comes to mind, my grandmother, MemMem.
Before MemMem walked along the golden streets of Heaven, she walked with the light of Christ guiding her every step. She walked with love and she walked in faith. Standing four feet and ten inches tall, MemMem didn’t appear formidable.
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My Dad believes in keeping things beyond their ‘use by’ date if he feels they still have some use or effectiveness. When staying with him last week I was looking for some mentholated chest rub and grabbed a small jar from the bathroom cupboard. It was quickly returned however, when I read that the contents had reached their ‘use by’ date in 1996 – that’s 12 years ago! Even if the menthol still had some use, I am one to opt for a newer batch, and I’m hoping most of you will agree with me :).
Companies decide how long their product will be useful for and they set the expiry date accordingly.
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This week we had a baby bird running around our backyard. Somehow it had fallen out of its nest under the eave and was unable to get back to it.
When I first saw the bird, I was heartbroken. It was walking around the yard trying to fly, but could never get more than a foot or two off the ground. How was it going to survive? I worried.
I sprinkled bread crumbs around the yard hoping it would eat some, and I even tried to hand feed it. But it would only run away, scared.
Then the most amazing thing happened.
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