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Sing to the Lord
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” – Psalm 95:2, NIV When it comes to praising the Lord, you can use the gift of music to do it. You don’t need any formal training like voice lessons and you don’t have to join a choir or orchestra. You don’t even have to know how to play instrument. Just put on music and sing along. You can find plenty of free music through apps like Spotify and iHeartRadio. As you sing along, don’t be afraid to get into the moment and play air guitar or air drums. God welcomes our enthusiasm in the middle…
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Approaching Your Father
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6, NIV Austin had never been close to his father. His dad provided for his family but rarely engaged with them. This emotional abandonment left Austin to question what the role of a loving father looked like. The confusion bled over into his spiritual life and while Austin loved God, he didn’t feel engaged with Him. He was afraid to ask God anything or bring his hard questions to Him for fear he’d be rejected. But that changed for Austin in college when his football coach took…
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What’s Your Story?
“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” – Psalm 9:1, NIV One powerful way to give thanks to God is to tell others about the wonderful things He’s done for you. You may be tempted to think you don’t have a story to tell because yours isn’t about being dramatically cured of an illness or surviving a horrible disaster. Your story may be an ordinary event. Perhaps you went through a difficult divorce and God gave you the strength to keep going. Maybe you were dealing with a co-worker that was hostile toward you and God helped you…
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When Everything Changes…
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1: 17, NIV Sharon has been going through a season of change in her life. There have been positive changes like the start of her online business and the news that she’s pregnant after years of infertility. Now, she and her husband are in the middle of buying their first home. But along with these changes, there have been some losses, too. Her mother passed away after a lengthy battle with an illness and her best friend moved to another country. With so much…
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Shift Your Focus with Gratitude
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV It’s easy to give thanks when your day is going well. You’re wearing your favorite t-shirt. You got a great parking spot. Your coffee is the perfect temperature with just the right mix of sugar and creamer. You get lots of likes on the selfie you posted to Instagram. But what about those moments when things aren’t going so well? You spill your coffee on your jeans. You have to wait in a long line of customers at the bank or grocery store. You realize the battery in your smartphone…
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The Triumph of Delight
“That which a man spits against heaven, shall fall back on his own face.” -Thomas Adams, 1614. There have always been people who mock God and all those who believe in him. Sometimes we act as if unbelief is a new thing. It isn’t. The psalmist uses the very first psalm in the Bible to warn us not to listen to mockers. For thousands of years, some people have chosen, not only to disbelieve, but also to mock believers. And it’s not like we can avoid the naysayers. They are on the internet, on the television, and in our classrooms every day. Disclaimer: Please note that I might earn commissions…
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The Light of the World
We have just passed Thanksgiving, a season of the year when we take the time to give thanks for all of our blessings. We thank God for an abundance of food, for the harvest time in the fall, and for the family and friends that we gather with to celebrate. If Christmas has a cultural theme for us here in North America, other than giving of course, I suppose it would be light. We light up our homes, we bring out the candles, and we even drag trees in from outdoors and light them up as a means of celebration. The Light of Christmas Culturally, the warmth and light of…
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Go to the Ant – Proverbs 6
I am not very good at planning ahead. While I am great at outlining and presenting information, I tend to be very seat-of-the-pants when it comes to getting things done. I admit it. I am easily distracted, poor at prioritizing, and terrible at follow through. It is a great mystery to me how I am even able to earn a living sometimes. So, I really need to take the proverbial advice here and learn from the ant. Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.…
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Do you love the sound of your own voice? – Proverbs 18
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions. – Proverbs 18:2 Two Ears, One Mouth Just a few days ago I was at a meeting where someone brought up the old saying about having two ears and one mouth for a reason. That is, so that we can listen way more than we speak. The same point is made here in Proverbs 18:22. We need to listen in order to have the wisdom to know how to speak. Those who are mostly interested in voicing their own opinions lose many valuable opportunities to learn from those around them. Consequently, their opinions might not be…
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The Power of Cheerfulness – Proverbs 17:22
The Power of a Cheerful Heart A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22 This encouraging proverb has been around for thousands of years. Taking it at face value, it states that our attitudes can affect our health and the power of cheerfulness affects us physically. Can having a cheerful heart really influence a person’s physical well-being? What is the medicinal value of a positive attitude and a cheery disposition? I’ve always thought of cheerfulness as a gift that you give to those around you. If your family, friends, and neighbours have to put up with you, the least you can…
