We want the gospel to have the same effect on our kids as it does on us—to move from the mind into the heart and then overflow onto our hands in how we live....
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The key to a lasting relationship with Jesus is making Him a valued member of your family and connecting with Him every chance you get, by bringing more Jesus into every day — not just on Sunday....
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I’ve often marveled at how calm my life is when I’m alone. It’s perfectly in tune, but just add one more voice, and dissonance can occur through misunderstanding....
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As I re-read each Bible story, it becomes clear that these stories are the exceptions in life. It’s not an everyday occurrence to see the Red Sea parted, be hunted by a desperate king, to be sold into slavery by your brothers, or to become pregnant while remaining a virgin....
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Are we persevering out of stubbornness and pride, losing our motivation even as we grasp more tightly to the goal? Or are we keeping our eyes fixed on the Father, drawing on His strength as we take each step, heeding His instruction through every twist and turn of the road...
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It encourages me, that if Jesus could set aside being God and take on a form of a servant, trusting God with the outcome, then I too need to set aside my own desires and goals and let God have His sovereign work....
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God’s very definition of intimacy transcends the physical act and emphasizes emotional knowing and an exchange of respect. Respect of others, and even of ourselves, requires self-control. This is one, though not the only, reason that our lives must be characterized by self-control....
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You cannot build on a foundation of conflict; you can only build on a foundation of peace. God wants your marriage to flourish, but that will begin only when you each surrender your desire to lash out, argue, and fight....
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You don’t have to perform anymore. You can come out, come out, wherever you are. Just as you are. Grace is yours. You are forgiven. You are seen, known, and deeply loved by the Creator of the universe. You are free....
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One of the staples of a husband and wife investing in the marriage is the simple and consistent practice of a date night. I can’t point to a chapter and verse in the Bible that mandates it, but it is hard to imagine that a marriage in our busy world...
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In order to live out the identity of marriage, we have to realize that if marriage is just one of the many things we do, then it can come and go as our circumstances change. But, if it is who we are, then it must morph and grow just as...
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While the Bible is not meant to be a science textbook (it is much more important than that!), when it speaks about the natural world, it is the most reliable authority, since it was written by the One who authored nature....
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Life isn’t always easy. As Christians, we have hope that can only be found through our faith in God. As powerful as that is, we can lose sight of it because we’re focused on putting up a good front....
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At the end of the day, we rest in the realization that we have fulfilled our one responsibility: we have made decisions based on what we know right here and right now. ...
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I will not let myself become stressed. So what if the holiday is not perfect? Do other people even share my idea of perfection? As long as we are all getting along, sharing laughter, and making memories, it will be a merry Christmas....
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Somehow, we got our homeschooling done, our cookies baked, a little nesting handled in the house, and a new member welcomed into the family....
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I would be lying if I said that confident decision-making is easy. It’s not! It requires hard work and determined discipline....
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I sometimes hid in the stifling humidity of my room, homesick and sobbing into my sticky pillow. What kind of Christmas would this be? A simple Christmas, that’s what....
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Many parents these days aren’t quite sure how to celebrate this time of year. Do they get a Christmas tree or not? Do they do gifts? So many good questions, but I think that there is a great answer for these....
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What if the angels had celebrated by singing in heaven instead of in front of the shepherds? What if the shepherds had celebrated amongst themselves and their sheep instead of spreading the news throughout the countryside?...
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I can only imagine the example Elizabeth set for many of the younger wives whose husbands served in the temple, probably even rejoicing with them each time they were blessed with children - while she remained barren....
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Regardless of where you are, it’s never, never, never too late to start showing our children a way of life that leads to peace....
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Right now, this very moment, put your Norman Rockwell notions in a box. Put a pretty mental bow around them. (Personally, I’m fond of teal.) Now put the box under the bed, far to the back....
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Feeling as if we have precious little time, we start the day clinging to every moment. What if we were to instead entrust our time to Christ, offering him the first moments of our day and trusting him with the remainder?...
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When we celebrate Advent, we do more than simply set aside one day to wish Jesus, “Happy birthday!” We reset our focus over the course of the whole season. Nothing can make Christmas more precious than an increased awareness of what Jesus really accomplished by taking on our flesh....
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