hope
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If you live here in the South, I am sure you have heard the phrase “like a deer in headlights.” The phrase describes someone who freezes up, unable to move or think in unexpected situations. In my early twenties, one night after work, I was driving home when a deer suddenly crashed into my windshield.… Read more
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We adopted our youngest dog from a shelter, where she had come from an abusive background on the streets. Her distinctive long white hair and spotted face stood out to me. I asked her, “Do you want to come home with Nannie?” She placed both of her front paws on me and looked me square… Read more
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There is freedom in letting go of past mistakes and hurts. The Apostle Paul moved past the fact that he had been a torturer who tried to destroy the church by murdering and imprisoning Christians. After Paul’s conversion through his incredible encounter with Jesus, he later said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies… Read more
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Yes you! It doesn’t matter if your past is more sordid than the woman at the well who had five failed marriages and was living with a man who wasn’t her husband. Jesus knew all of this, and He still used her to make a difference. If you have been abused and used like David’s… Read more
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Even when we are doing what Jesus tells us to do, it is sometimes very difficult and hard work. There are times when I feel ‘agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread)’ (v.50, AMP). Today, while reading Mark chapter 6, I noticed the disciples were ‘straining at the oars, because the wind was against… Read more
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Sometimes life’s disappointing cuts have caused me unbearable pain. I have cried out in agony, begging for relief. But the hurt lingers on sometimes for days, months, even years. We have all felt the pain of betrayal, rejection or disappointment. The hurt is real, the pain intense. We wonder, why? How? But even if we… Read more
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Late evening thoughts: Taking apart your parents home is extremely painful. You travel back through their lives and the life you lived with them. Your heart is cracked wide open exposing every emotional feeling you have ever felt towards your immediate family. So thankful the Word of God comforts us through this time. His love,… Read more
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One of the most challenging aspects of being estranged from a child is not being able to see or talk to your grandchildren. The grandchildren you nurtured, cared for, and spent focused time with for years. Now, you are no longer allowed to attend their school activities. You are blocked on their phones. I imagine… Read more
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I was brought up in a Pentecostal Church where power through the baptism of the Holy Spirit was central to our religion. When I turned 30 I began to hunger and thirst for more of God, to know Him, to know His love. I began studying His word, digging deeper and deeper and praying more… Read more
For Real, Elaine?! 