Live Boldly
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Amelia
I needed to stop by the grocery store after work to pick up a few items before I was to be at an evening appointment. There was a store about 3 minutes from my office, but when I thought about what I needed and prayed for time to get my task accomplished, I ended up going to a store across town which was the opposite direction of where I needed to go. While in the store I quickly gathered all the items on my list and made my way to the checkout lines. I looked them over trying to find one with the shortest line of customers and ended up…
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Wonder and Amazement
There are many things in this world that catch my attention, a colorful sunset, birds chirping in the early morning and the many beautiful types of flowers, just to name a few. Spring is a season of new life and it’s amazing to take in all the splendor of the colors and scents that come with it. One of my favorite plants is the bleeding heart. Every year when they bloom I am in awe of the incredible detail of each little heart. They are perfect in shape and I always think, “Wow God, you’re amazing!” In our story of the healed beggar even bigger, more permanent changes took place.…
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Leaping and Praising
Think about the most amazing thing that has ever happened to you in your life. How did you respond? Was it a shout for joy, singing or dancing? When amazing things happen we cannot contain the excitement. What started off as a routine day in the life of a crippled beggar quickly changed into a day of leaping and praising God. “But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were…
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What I Have, I Give to You
I want to continue with the story of the man in Acts 3:1-10 that was in yesterday’s blog because it just keeps getting better and better. After Peter had the man’s attention he said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” I love that verse! The very thing that the man wanted or thought he wanted was the very thing that Peter did not have, silver or gold. But what Peter had was priceless. He gave the lame man power in the name of Jesus. But………… he could not give it unless he had…
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Where are You Looking?
In Acts 3: 1-10 there is a story that is titled, “The Lame Beggar Healed.” (ESV) It’s about a man who had been crippled since birth and who was begging for alms. “As Peter and John were about to enter the temple courts the man asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John, then Peter said, “Look at us!”” Try to picture the scene in your mind. “The man had been carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.” This was his daily routine so much so that he wasn’t even looking…
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Surrounded by Family
On Sunday’s the pastor has been teaching on the topic of church family and each person’s importance in that family. Today was an especially wonderful day as God gave me a reassurance that I had been praying for. When we moved not only did we physically move to a new home, but we also were searching for a new church home. In the past we have tried to attend churches outside of our home town and it makes is more difficult to get connected, not impossible, but more difficult. I had been attending a church down the street from our home for the past year. My husband chose not to…
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Tears of Sadness
Last week I received a call from a client who wanted to take a trip with her mother. She had suddenly lost her father and they were both devastated. They were hoping that some time away together would help since they both were having a difficult time with their emotions. While I was finalizing the arrangements I had the opportunity to talk with the mother, Linda on the phone. As soon as the call began she apologized for crying and said she has a hard time not crying, it’s all to big too take in. I prayed to know what to say that would help her. My heart went out…
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Message in a Shamrock
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! You might wonder what this holiday has to do with preparing for Easter since it is usually associated with beer drinking and green everything. The story is quite interesting about St. Patrick and I wanted to share the National Geographic article with you. “The real St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. What’s more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy, Freeman noted.” “At 16, Patrick’s world turned: He was kidnapped and sent overseas to tend sheep as a slave in the…
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Lessons from a Fig Tree
Today was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine and the temperature began to rise. It felt so good to feel the sun on my face and smell the clean air, hear the birds chirping and know that spring is in the air. People commented all day on how nice it was to see the signs of the new season and hope that winter was finally on its way out. I was looking over my backyard and noticed that my “Walther” tree is budding and that tulips are starting to emerge from the ground. The grass looks like it is waking up from a long winters nap and everything is…
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Rise & Fall
I tried something new while on vacation, floating in the ocean. The resort I stayed at had a roped in area where you could snorkel and swim and we had brought along float tubes to use in the pools and ocean. One day I was floating near the furthest barrier by myself and took some time to simply sit and watch the ocean. I anchored myself to the buoy and looked out as far as I could see. In the distance I could see different types of boats and occasionally I would catch a glimpse of the mainland. After I had floated for a while the waves started to pick…