I received a call from a close friend today that changed the entire direction of my day. Her words were the rudder in my schedule, veering me full throttle into a new and exciting project. She felt an irresistible urge to reach out to the homeless as the weather dives down, degree by degree into frigid temperatures at night. As she sprung the idea on me, I surged into brainstorming mode. My background in marketing reared its head and seeped into my every suggestion. I had it in mind to reach the most amounts of people possible, so we could have a huge impact on the lives of the homeless.
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And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Matthew 4:19-20
“Follow me!” Those words were spoken to our grandson by his other grandma last week, and that’s exactly what he did! He has been walking for several months while holding on for balance; on that day, she placed him on his feet and he followed her down the hall all by himself. We have shouted, “Glory Hallelujah!!” that our little 1 lb. 9oz. preemie has accomplished yet another milestone by God’s grace.
I love the above verse, especially the word “immediately.”
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The other day, I was jotting down some notes in a notebook, when I turned the page and saw a little drawing from my daughter– a happy face with an “I love you” next to it. It was a cute surprise, and it made me smile.
It also made me pause and be grateful for the other little surprises–the little gifts–in my life. Sometimes, I go about my day and take for granted those gifts—a hug from my daughter, hearing my son laugh, spending time watching a movie with my husband, getting a card from a friend, or even finding a good parking space at the store.
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1. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.
2. “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire ; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
3. “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Daniel 3
It’s one of my favorite Bible stories, one to inspire courage and trust.
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Aside for my adolescent affection for David Banner and his mean green alter ego, “The Hulk,” I’ve never been a fan of movies or T.V. shows based on comic books. Had I not married a man who stomps his feet with excitement whenever a trailer promoting the latest flick about an iconic hero with superpowers is shown for the first time, I most likely would have gone the rest of my life without watching such characters.
The first time my husband brought me to a theater to see a movie based on some legend from his childhood was to the premier of X-Men.
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My heart is breaking. Transition is taking place. Change is happening and I don’t like it at all. I told the Lord she was His long ago, even reminded Him on occasion about our deal when she annoyed and irritated me. This day seemed so far off. Tucking her into bed, reading her stories, watching her dimples flash with joy over the simplest of things. A giggle. A word. A memory. My precious, precious child.
My oldest is moving out on her own. At almost eighteen years old, she is too much like her mother. Now in college, she wants to experience everything, taste and see it all.
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But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut. 4:29 NIV
Have you ever wondered what God’s plan is for you? Have you asked him? For the past couple of days the Lord has been speaking to my heart about the thing I am passionate about – finding God’s plan for your life. Then I came across this verse in Deuteronomy this morning. It all came together.
So often we want to know what God has planned for us, and we pray and ask Him.
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Are you a numbers person? Do you favor odds over evens or evens over odds? I favor evens. I have no idea why. Numbers have never really been my thing, but words, however, have always been able to hold my attention. When it comes down to it though, numbers are mentioned several times in the following verses and I don’t think they are entirely the point. It’s not about numbers. It’s about one word: Forgiveness.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times…” Matthew 18:22
I’m a believer that we work out forgiveness with God, in the same way we work out our sanctification.
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