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Satan, Back Off! I’m a Child of God!
“Stay alert! Watch out for the great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 That devil…oh, he is a sly one. Just as God knows our strengths and weaknesses, the devil does as well. He seeks us when we are at our most vulnerable,…
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The “Monster” in Our Home
“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5 It’s a little after four in the afternoon. The bus has arrived. The routine questions have been asked, and the usual answers have been given. Then it begins. We have lasted a good few weeks without an afternoon meltdown. We have an…
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Stop. Breathe. Come to Me.
“Come to me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 I am a weary, tired, and exhausted momma. For the last four nights I have stayed up into the wee hours of the morning trying to complete a number of homework assignments for graduate school. As…
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Words I Never Want to Hear from My Daughter’s Mouth
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 “What are you doing, Mommy?” This question comes from Hayley as she enters the bathroom where I am getting ready. “I…
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A Raging Battle in My Closet
I have a confession to make. My name is January, and I am a shopaholic. I confess that at times I crave a good sale, a new pair of shoes, and a designer dud at a thrift store price. I have even found myself justifying my purchases to God…because if I am shopping at Goodwill,…
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Let’s Be Honest
The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly. Proverbs 16:13 The boy above…the one with the laughing eyes, cool as a cucumber demeanor, and mile wide grin also happens to be the example of brutal honesty. Honest to a fault at times. Honest enough to even get himself…
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Forward, Not Back
I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13-14 You can’t move forward if you are constantly looking backward. These have been the…
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One of My Favorite Verses
I recently joined an on-line Bible study sponsored by Proverbs 31 ministries at the urging of a fellow Christian sister. During the study we will be reading and reflecting on the book Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. I had read the book at a church bible study previously, but cannot honestly say that I…
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But I Don’t Want to Build Anymore Tents!
Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. Acts 18:3-5 “Remember, Paul built tents for…
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Fearless in the Face of Doubt
“Truly, I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Mark 11:23 This week marks the beginning of another semester of homework deadlines, on-line discussions, and late Sunday…
Grace 'n Grounds
Encouragement Grounded in His Truth
Grace 'n Grounds 