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She Finished the Race

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Several years ago, I told her… You’re the friend I didn’t know I needed .  After moving to a new area once again and having to leave friends behind that meant so much, I had shielded myself from getting close to anyone else. Yet, here I was meeting someone who had faced struggles time after time and through it all, never let their faith waiver. This was someone I wanted to know. She was pretty much home bound at the time, still recovering from jaw reconstruction surgery but enjoyed visits and the occasional day of piddling, when she felt up to it. She eventually gained her strength and was back into the swing of playing the piano, taking vacations, and helping others any time she saw a need. Unfortunately, that burst of energy didn’t last too long before she was facing a repeat surgery. It was a difficult recovery and it brought along new challenges. After a while, she settled into her “new normal” and went right back to touching the lives of those around her. She loved to cook for...
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I Don’t Understand

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I, like most, find some things difficult to understand. Why do some people prosper while others struggle? Why do some have to suffer while others have no problems? In a world full of why’s, we must learn that we were not made to understand all things. We like to use Romans 8:28... All things work together for the good to them who love God and are called according to His purpose , as a way to think that as long as we live a Christian life that we will not have struggles. We sometimes wonder how they could ever lead to anything good. But we often forget that God's definition of good may not be the same as ours. In 1873, Dora Greenwell wrote a poem titled  Redemption . It was later adapted into the song we know now as My Savior My God.   The first line of both the poem and the song gives the best explanation this side of heaven that we may find… We are not skilled to understand . It's only when we come to the realization that we were not made to understand the things of this...
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Everlasting to Everlasting

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I went to the local bank and opened a new account the other day. As the teller showed me the list of different options I could choose from, I was somewhat surprised when she pointed out the free Fifty Plus Account. Was it true? I was now old enough to qualify for special benefits. Why didn't she question if I actually met the criteria? These questions still ran through my mind the next morning as I was adding some All Bran to my Cheerios, lol. I guess it was true after all.     Days and years sneak up on us. I have many memories that feel as if they were just yesterday but then realize they were actually decades ago. Moses knew that time slips away, as he references in his Psalm 90 prayer titled From Everlasting to Everlasting . He  focuses on the greatness of God, our weakness as humans, and our need for His grace to meet our daily needs. It reminds us to seek wisdom each day and use it to glorify God. My prayer this week is to remember that time is short and even ...
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The Extra Mile

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  Yesterday evening, I reached into the hope chest built by my Dad to grab a pair of shoes I hadn't worn in a while. I hurriedly slipped them on, hopped in the car, and took off to church. I wasn't there long before I realized I had something inside my shoe. My first thought was a pebble and the old saying about walking in someone else's moccasins with a pebble in them. A few steps later, I realized it was more than just a pebble and as soon as I was able to get my hands free, it would have to be tended to. As I slipped my shoe off, I was surprised to find not a pebble but a pair of surgical tweezers. You may wonder as I did, how in the world would they end up in my shoe. I later realized that we had stored a box of Rusty's medical supplies on top of the very hope chest that holds all of my shoes. That's the only thing that even halfway makes sense.  As I recalled the incident when I removed the tweezers from my pocket later that night, I was reminded of the old Cla...
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Are You Well?

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Horatio Spafford was a prominent lawyer in Chicago in the 1800s. He lost his only son to scarlet fever and lost many real estate holdings in the Great Chicago Fire shortly after. Needing to distance himself from the tragedies, he booked a trip to England for his family. As they were getting ready to leave, a business proposition called Spafford away. Not wanting to disappoint his wife and four daughters, he told them to go ahead without him and he would follow soon behind. A few days later, he received news that the ship they were on had sank and the only surviving member of his family was his wife. Spafford took the next ship out and had to cross the very place that his daughters had died. Upon doing so, he went to his cabin and wrote the lyrics to the song we all now know as… It Is Well with My Soul .  Spafford was a devout Christian man but still suffered times of deep grief and absolute despair. However, he chose to rely on the only One who could sustain him during his darkest ...
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Whiplash

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I had just pulled up to the drive-thru window at the pharmacy when I realized I couldn’t reach the drawer. I took my seat belt off and slightly opened the door so I could reach the bag of prescriptions. As I pulled away, I noticed that I hadn’t closed the door all the way. So, I decided to open and shut it again while slightly rolling. Since the car is apparently smarter than I am, an unknown safety feature brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop and put itself into park. The unexpected jerk almost left me with a case of whiplash. Wouldn’t it be nice if something stopped us each time we were about to make a big mistake?  As Christians, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us and convicts us when we are about to do something we shouldn’t like turning back to old sins of the past or diving straight into new ones. I'm thankful that God sent His helper to offer counsel, comfort, and conviction. My prayer this week is that I listen when the Holy Spirit checks me on thi...
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What Are You Waiting For?

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  Yesterday, I was waiting on a package. It had already been delayed once. I searched the tracking number and knew it was on the large box truck set to be delivered. However, as the end of my work day drew closer, I was afraid I was going to miss the delivery and it would be yet another day behind. I heard the familiar sound of the truck's brakes as it stopped next to the curb. Finally... the package had arrived. I got up from my desk and approached the glass door to open it for the driver. Just as I went to push it open, the truck sped away.  The driver never exited the vehicle and there were no packages outside. I know because I stepped out onto the sidewalk in disbelief and watched as the large white truck made its way in the other direction. Before long, I heard the brakes again and this time the driver met me at the door with the package. He apologized for his earlier abrupt departure and explained that he realized he needed to meet someone in a timely manner and figured ...
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