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In: Abuse, Family and Friends, Grace, Suffering

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12 Grief often causes a “circling the wagons” reaction, automatically drawing together what is left. Sometimes we’d been letting the busyness of this age rob us of time with a loved one we’d always had a good relationship with. When that loved one dies, and we realize our mistake, such regret wells up, we feel compelled to warn everyone around us to stop letting busyness rob us of relationships that are far more important than the trivial things we’d pursued instead–or at least they seem so in theRead More →

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In: Children, Family and Friends, Grace

Yesterday marked the first day of the Christmas season. If you’re confused by this, the Christmas season that ended yesterday is technically known as Advent. The traditional Christmas season only begins on December 25 and runs until January 6. Most protestants have gotten away from this due to anti-catholic sentiment. My point, though, is to deliver good news to anyone upset they didn’t get their gifts in the mail soon enough (or by the right delivery method) for their gifts to get there by December 25. Your presents can arrive at the recipients’ mailing addresses as late as January 6 and still get there inRead More →

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In: Bible and Theology, Faith, God's promises, Guest posts

By Adam Elijah Graham During Christmastime, the prophecy of Isaiah of the Virgin Birth from Isaiah 7:14 is often called to mind. However, this past week, I was struck by the context of the verse. It was delivered to King Ahaz of Judah. The Bible tells us that Ahaz was a wicked king, but in the first part of Isaiah 7, Ahaz was promised that Judah would be delivered from the hand of the invading Syrian Army. (Isaiah 7:1-9). God even offered Ahaz a rare opportunity which Ahaz declined: Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your[f] God; let itRead More →

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In: Lament, Prayer and Devotions, Suffering

What do you do when it’s your turn to share, your time to minister, and you’ve got nothing? What would you hear of? That during a power outage, I got the rest of the Christmas decorations up? That I’ve been struggling with nightmares and migraine symptoms lately but the dreams weren’t so bad light night and my head doesn’t hurt so much today? Should I complain for you, let you know how hard it has been to restrain the crankiness that sometimes accompanies this? Should I pour myself out when my strength is gone? Perhaps I could swing controversial, hide my state of “nada” byRead More →

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In: Faith, Family and Friends, God's promises, Lament, Prayer and Devotions, Suffering

November 27, 2014 is Thanksgiving in the US. It is a day when Americans gather around a big turkey feast, thus it is also known as Turkey Day to those who forget this day is about more than food and football. It is about remembering the first settlers’ difficult fight to survive a harsh winter, one many of them lost. The first settlers managed to bring in a successful harvest the following autumn and celebrated this by holding a traditional English harvest festival. It is that event which the Thanksgiving feast commemorates. The original community who gave thanks to God for their life-saving harvest had buried over half ofRead More →