Have you ever been in a storm? A bad storm? A storm that sends you running to the basement. A storm that you can feel the house shaking. There is no doubt those storms are terrifying. You have a healthy fear of those storms, as you ought.
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This was the foundation of their protection. Without girdling up the long garments they wore, they were not able to effectively fight. This thought brought out so much truth about making sure we are standing on the right foundation so that we can effectively fight this spiritual warfare we are in. We must make the Word of God our sure foundation if we are going to be strong and stand against the tactics of Satan.The Christians armor can not be their own sincerity and truthfulness but wholly governed by truth through the words of Jesus. The truth is a settled conviction that we know who we believe and what we believe. Jesus and His Word must be our sure foundation.Satan has created so much uncertainty and confusion, making it so hard to distinguish truths and untruths.
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Everyone is going through something. It may seem like the hardest thing you have ever faced. No matter the age it’s big for you! A different season a different time.To Every Thing there is a season - a time for every purpose under the Heaven. What will you do with your Season?
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We watched from the deck of the house until the storm got a little too close for comfort, then retreated inside. It was a night filled with thunder, lightning and lots of rain, but we were warm and safe inside the house. The next morning, I didn’t get up early to go out and get my sunrise shot, since I knew it wouldn’t be there. Instead, slept in a bit until my daughter came in, begging to go out to the water. She pulled back the curtain, and WOOSH, there it was! The SUNLIGHT I had been wishing for!
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When Mary said to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word,” do you think she really knew what she was getting herself into? I’m sure she grew up learning that a virgin would bring forth the Messiah, but do you really think she realized what was ahead for her? Afterall, she was facing ridicule, false accusation, and the possibility of being stoned to death. Not to mention the ultimate sacrifice…. the Son she would carry in her body would be crucified for sins He never committed. If you ask me, Mary was just being USED.
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Here is when the “thirst” really began. They gave me a “green lollipop”, (that is what I called it.) A green sponge on a stick that I could dip in a glass of water and then just wet my lips. The doctor wanted to wait a couple of days to see if I could hold anything down. On Monday they started giving me some soft foods, but I was throwing up again. My doctor said I needed to have surgery, so they scheduled it for Tuesday. After surgery I could have some ice chips with my “green lollipop”. By this time the ice chips were GREAT! But still barely quenching my “thirst”.
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J- Jesus
Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth as a baby to save us from our sins. It’s not about having perfectly decorated tree or having all your presents wrapped in the same trendy paper. It’s not about the parties or caroling. It’s about remembering and recognizing Jesus. He came to earth so we can go to Heaven. He’s the reason for the entire season.
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Upon crossing over they stopped to build an alter for reflection, and reembrace. Joshua 22:34 And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed: for it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God.
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Last year, our family went through one of the hardest trials that we’ve ever had to face together as a family. My dad had been in the hospital with some major complications from an everyday procedure he had gotten done weeks prior, and he had to have emergency surgery to have his colon reconstructed. That, in itself- was very scary and very serious, but little did we know in the days following, the storm we would be facing. His emergency surgery had been that Saturday, but by Wednesday, instead of him getting better, he was getting much worse. During this timeframe, our church had a huge outbreak of Covid, and my mom finally convinced the doctor to test my dad for Covid.
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As I looked at my broken self I began to see that I couldn’t be fixed. I will never be whole in the way I was before again. But what I did see is that God does not fix us he fills in the cracks and broken pieces of our heart with Himself. Kind of like when you crack or break something like a vase and you fix it with super glue. God fills in those cracks and broken pieces of our heart with Himself just like super glue. But its better its God Glue!
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Now, I know there are unforeseen, horrible, and despicable things that can happen to a precious teenage girl that are beyond her control, resulting in a teen pregnancy that is in NO WAY what I am referring to. My heart breaks for girls in situations like that. However, in my story, this was a "let's try it once to see what happens" kind of thing. I'm going to be completely honest with you: these ones always sting a little more than the others. To know that soon their arms will have a wonderful bundle of joy to love, while my arms remain empty, is gut-wrenching.
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I’ve mentioned Before Cancer and during cancer. Now I would say we are not done with cancer, but rather in recovery. Unfortunately, you are only one scan away from relapse. It’s a reality and truth that we don’t dwell on, but you can’t unknow that either! Some kids make it years and decades and some have to keep getting back in the battle against the beast of Osteosarcoma. That’s the stark reality.
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So, I stopped fighting. I knew I couldn't overcome it, and I was a failure at life. I didn't like going to church anymore. I would get there right when it started, and as soon as it ended I left. I didn't talk to my friends anymore because I didn't feel like I had any. The only person that knew somewhat of what was happening was my Mom. She tried to help me/keep me accountable. But I still failed, so much. There was a time when I would think about driving off the road, and crashing my car. Because I didn't care anymore.
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The anchor is viewed as a symbol that represents "safety"... The anchor holds the ship in place, representing strength and security. The anchor is a symbol of our hope in Jesus!
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I do not know about you but I struggle with complaining. I have been in church long enough that I do not openly go around voicing my complaints, and now that I’m a pastors wife I try even harder not to let any discontentment show; but, I constantly find myself muttering under my breath, thinking to myself about how unfair or terrible something is.
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Call on your Heavenly Defender and Deliverer. (v1) It’s ok to tell the Lord that you’re
tempted and weak and need his strength to overcome temptation or discouragement! He should
be our first resource and not a last resort. Often times when we are feeling overwhelmed, we
want a distraction. Most of us are drawn to our phones where our minds can aimlessly roam and
scroll through meaningless nonsense that takes our mind off of issues we want to forget about.
But there’s no lasting peace there. Real rest only comes from communion with the Peace
Speaker. No wonder the psalmist cried “when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that
is higher than I”! We need Somebody higher than us to pull us up and there’s nobody higher than
Him!
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t’s easy to be afraid when things aren’t going the way we want them to go, but God is wherever
we are. Don’t let circumstances get in your way of trusting the Lord, but rather allow your
circumstances to be a way for you to trust the Lord. I’m sure some of you are thinking, “But,
you don’t know what I am going through” and you are right...I don’t; but, God does!! We don’t
need to be afraid of what is going on in our life; we just need to trust in God.
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Perhaps you are reading this today with a broken heart, hurting heart, shattered heart, crushed heart, bitter heart. Let me encourage you to keep on going. God's word says He healeth the broken in heart.
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God is sovereign and I know He allowed my husband and me to have Covid. He had a plan and a purpose. I prayed and thanked God for giving us Covid and that I believed it was His will. I admit it was a stretch for me to thank Him for Covid, but I knew I was to thank Him for all things. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” and Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” There is a song by Lynda Randle “God on the Mountain”. One of the verses says “You talk of faith, when you’re up on the mountain; But talk comes so easy, when life’s at its best; Now it’s down in the valleys, of trials and temptations; That’s where your faith, is really put to the test.”
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The story I’m about to tell is a true story. I pray it will affect your heart and teach us about the WILL of God. In June 1977 a baby boy was born into our household and we named him Jeremy. He was a big buster of a baby dearly loved and wanted. 1978 another baby boy was born in Iowa who was also loved and wanted named Kyle. In the process of time these young men grew up and each decided to go to a Bible college in Pensacola, Florida and became roommates and the dearest of friends.
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