Encouragement for life and faith

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“Thy Kingdom come” means shaking the bad to bring in the good…

by · In: Live God’s Blessings Blog

I often pray the Lord’s prayer. This morning as I prayed, “thy Kingdom come,” it came to my  mind that when a new kingdom comes in and takes over there will be shaking and upheaval – as the old is overthrown and removed. May I see that even in the shaking of this world – God is good. God is in the process of overthrowing the kingdom that brought in pain & suffering, fear & doubt, selfishness & sin, death & destruction. My kingdom-job is to place my trust and allegiance in the One who saves & redeems, rewards & …

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No Matter What, It’s a Good Day When…

by · In: Special Encouragement for Tough Times

No Matter What, It’s a Good Day When – (Finding God’s Goodness in Difficult Days) is a gift book of encouragement that we have in the works.  I’m the author and Patricia Hunter is the photographer.    This book was written because life’s crises can hit hard and fast, stay for a long time, and wear down your resolve and faith. Crises can come in many forms – cancer, heart attack or cystic fibrosis.  Or you lose your job and then your house; or someone tries to ruin your reputation and everything you’ve worked for.   You want to hang on to …

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It’s a Good Day When…

by · In: Special Encouragement for Tough Times

Patricia,  (my good friend), and I are still working on our “No Matter What, It’s a Good Day When“ book. This morning I wrote-   It’s a Good Day When… It’s a good day when we see and acknowledge God’s goodness and power. It’s a good day when we love God more. It’s a good day when we acknowledge His goodness–especially in the midst of suffering, evil, and the darkness of this life. It’s a good day when we know God’s-life – even when death tries to stare us down. It’s a good day when we know His promises and …

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Working Away

by · In: Live God’s Blessings Blog

Hey friends! Tomorrow morning I leave for Blue Ridge Christian Writer’s Conference with my friend, Patricia! We are pitching our “No Matter What, It’s a Good Day When” gift book and some of our other projects. I look forward to sharing with you a lot of good news, about all of it, when I get back. May God bless your endeavors for Him this week.  

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Make Sure You Give Them Hope

by · In: Special Encouragement for Tough Times

There is a lot of fear in the world today, as is appropriate. America, (and other countries), are in difficult times. There are lots of opinions about both what the answer is and what the problem is. All of the politicians and news pundits have their opinions about what needs to be done. The average Joe and Jane have their opinions and belief systems about our hard times. Some of these people even have TV shows talking about how they are  “preparing for doomsday.”  Christians too, have answers. Many Christians are speaking up about God’s  continued judgement in difficult times …

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Am I Still So Slow? A Pitiful Fallen Nature and His Resurrection Life

by · In: Proof, Evidence, Promises, and Joy!

Am I really so slow to understand the truth about my fallen nature?  I’m getting ready to change publishers and titles for Building Faith with Bible Pathway. I’ve been re-reading much of the material. The words about our “fallen nature” hit me. This is the nature we receive when we come into this world. This phrase is in my mind for several days. Most of the time I think I have this vague assumption that – I’m fine –  I just  need to try harder, then surely, I can overcome my problematic ways. Just try a little harder and pray …

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Life is… by Mother Teresa

by · In: Live God’s Blessings Blog

Pastor Betzer (1st Assembly of God, Fort Myers) recently shared this gem of a poem from Mother Teresa. Life is… Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is costly, care for it. Life is wealth, keep it. Life is love, enjoy it. Life is mystery, know it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life …

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How Good Are You at Receiving?

by · In: Live God’s Blessings Blog

Sure. We like to think of ourselves as wonderful, generous givers! But the question is – how good are we at receiving? Giving is only half of the story. Are we able to receive gifts and help from others? Do we receive with enjoyment and thanks? Do we receive graciously? I have a loved one who through the years has given much to me and been a great help. She has babysat our boys, brought meals, and cleaned my kitchen. She would not just feed and love our dog while we were on vacation, she would nap at our house …

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Somedays I Get His Truth!

by · In: Proof, Evidence, Promises, and Joy!

I try to understand God’s love for me, amidst circumstances that trouble and perplex me and make me stretch to find His goodness and grace in the difficulty of it all. I try to live like I fully get His love – with it’s forgiveness and grace, but at times it shows that I’m not fully comfortable living in His grace just yet. This is because I have God’s truth all muddled. More often than not, I’m still striving to live a life of righteousness and perfection, (not grace). This wearies my soul and steals my joy. And it looks …

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