I have been called stubborn a time or two. In my growing up years, I might have been labeled dramatic, overly emotional and argumentative at times. I could have been a great prosecuting attorney or debate team captain, some say. But as I enter into a more comfortable-in-my-own-skin phase of life, I look back and see something completely different than …
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Have you ever experienced a time in your life When no matter what you’ve tried, things just never seemed to get better … If you were Elijah, your brook dried up. If you were Jonah, the fish was gaining on you. If you were Paul, your horse bucked you off. You get picture – the lemons of life far outpace …
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Jeremiah 29:11 is a most beloved passage of Scripture. “For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (NLT). Ah, the promises of God. We love them, don’t we? We grab hold of them. We quote them to one another. They are encouragement …
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Hello, my name is Sam, and I have a problem. It’s a problem that has become like an epidemic in our culture. I’ve tried to deal with and get better over time, yet the temptation is always there, and I end up regretting it almost every time I do it. Yes, my friends — I am guilty of arguing on …
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“Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, and enthusiastically act upon will inevitably come to pass.” —Paul J. Meyer, motivational speaker Your mind is active all the time. You are constantly absorbing and filtering images and information as well as creating them. What you focus on becomes your reality. You attract the things your mind dwells on — thoughts, feelings, attention, …
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On a lazy, Saturday morning last summer, pre-coffee, I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram when I stumbled upon a little square image that would uncomfortably undress my perfectly put-together mirage. Aged, weathered hands … Young, innocent hands … Hands holding jars. Jars filled with picture memories. Jars filled with value. Commentary: Are the things filling your jar cultivating a life of …
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Some years are just hard. They may start off strong, but then take an unexpected turn toward tragedy or disaster and taint the remainder of the year. Through year-long trials, it is possible to allow the Lord to hasten His wisdom in our lives, but oftentimes it hurts in the process. Several years ago, my year was like a bad …
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In 2011, a tsunami devastated the Japanese town, Rikuzentakata. Over 1,700 people died that day. There was not one man, woman or child unaffected by the tragedy. Buildings were destroyed. Businesses lost. A landscape once lush with the vegetation of 70,000 trees almost completely desolate. Almost. The whipping wind and gigantic waves beat on one tree over and over, like …
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Do you ever feel like you might be too much of an emotional mess for anyone to handle? If we find ourselves overwhelmed by the depths of our needs, the unpredictability of our emotions, and the mess of our hearts, I’m sure those nearest to us may feel a bit daunted as well. Whether we happen to be married or …
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A few weeks ago, we had communion at church. Actually, that morning I had the opportunity to lead the communion portion of the service, which had caused me to amp up my prayer life that weekend. Communion is a very special reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. I wanted to share something encouraging with the church body. Not …
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Single Matters Magazine with Jill Monaco Ministries Christian singles discuss the matters of life, relationships, singleness and faith
