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This is our butterfly effect moment. Here’s what I mean by that. I was an imaginative child, always singing into a hairbrush, acting out a scene in a mirror or frolicking about like a princess fairy. But when my playtime theatrics became too raucous, my great grandmother’s stern warning was like a sharp tack piercing a balloon. “Get somewhere and sit down!” Her words were clear, incisive, and matter of fact. That simple command meant I was to quiet myself— immediately. Find myself a comfortable seat and be still. Anyone who was raised under old school parenting knows exactly what I mean. There was no negotiating.Read More →

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In: The Blessing of Living, Uncategorized
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Someday history will tell it. They will say they were on a mission to save lives. On this day, a team of international divers faced perilous conditions, with limited life-giving oxygen and adequate space to swim to rescue a youth soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand. Regardless of the outcome, they recognized someone needed a rescue. Selfless Samaritans fought to preserve life at the risk of losing their own. Their brave mission is proof of their humanity and the value they’ve placed on life. In dark, troubled waters with the odds stacked against them, they could still see the blessing in living, theRead More →

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“Father, I need you.” Those four simple words have saved me more times than I can count. When ends didn’t meet, and bills were overdue, help arrived. When I needed a way out of a bad situation, a window suddenly opened. When I thought I’d reached the end, there was a staircase beyond what appeared to be the point of no return. That simple prayer, time and again, ushered in help at my greatest point of need. Desperation makes praying knees go deeper. Those four powerful words do battle with pride, plans, and ego-driven power. ASKING FOR HELP Those four words replace pride with humility.Read More →

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Let’s be honest. Sometimes we forget to pray. The pace of our lives can drown out that still small voice calling us to commune. For me, the call to prayer comes first thing in the morning. Sometimes before the first hint of light, my heart and my lips will utter: “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) We can become so convinced of our power and ability to navigate our world, juggle all the balls, win all the contests, that we forget to take a moment to rest in Him (Psalm 131), to takeRead More →

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In: The Harmony of Life
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Every season has a distinct sound if you stop for a moment and pay close attention. The summer buzzes with bees, water sprinklers spit and tick, the shrieks and screams of kids playing on the block add to the symphony. Then fall eases in like cool jazz with a subtle breeze that rustles leaves, making Samba shakers out of tree branches. There’s a rhythm, a harmony. That’s how life should be. When life is in order and we’ve courageously removed all that isn’t serving our growth and purpose, there’s flow; we’re in synch. Chaos and confusion give way to peace. Add a little fun andRead More →

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In: Cover Yourself
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Contact and cover is a tactic often used by officers or soldiers in potentially dangerous situations. The basic goal is to watch another person’s back, shielding them from harm to prevent misfortune. In life, we see this time and again: the grandmother who prayed for us, the father who kept watch as we slept at night, the friend who never abandoned their post. Some of us are experts at covering others, but not necessarily ourselves. Our prayer list may be long, filled with the names of church friends, sister friends, their marriages and children, the sick and shut-in, workplace drama, family drama, and even babyRead More →

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In: Pass the Test
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Have you ever hoped, wished or prayed for a thing only to receive the exact polar opposite outcome? It makes me feel like a frustrated kid at Christmas when that happens. In fact, I can remember a holiday when my mom tossed a toy in our shopping cart and informed me that it was for my cousin. I wanted that toy too! But I sucked up disappointment and my resentful pout because my mom didn’t play that. Then there was the year my pout (and a few crocodile tears) hijacked my youngest aunt’s 16th birthday. Somewhere in my grandmother’s archives is an incriminating film ofRead More →