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By His wounds...

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But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 ESV During His time on earth, Jesus suffered greatly for the sins of others. Though He was perfect, He took the weight and the punishment for our sins upon Himself. Pain is a result of sin, and while we all experience it in different ways in our lives, He is the only one whose pain was solely the fault of others. 1 Peter 2:21-24 tells us, For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. ...
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He "threw himself into the sea" John 21:7

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He threw himself into the sea. Talk about loving enthusiasm! I sometimes wonder if those of us who grow up going to church can really understand this. I'm not a morning person, takes me a while to get going and even longer to be smiling, so I can honestly say I've never "thrown" myself into my car in excitement to get to church.  How are your Sundays? Do you get excited to hear the preaching of the gospel? I think perhaps more of us spend our mornings either fighting the kids to get ready on time or scrambling to get out the door. There's no enthusiasm, only frustration, or even just going through the motions in habit. Have we lost our perspective? The church is where we hear the word of God, it's God's house, and we get to meet Him in worship! Should we not be like Peter and have such a strong desire to meet our Lord that we are eager and excited to go? I know I definitely fall short in this. I don't really do anything with enthusiasm, but should I no...
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The steadfast love of God

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  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV Looking out at a blustery winter morning and seeing all the beautiful snow I'm reminded once again of our amazing God. There's something about the fresh white snow, the crisp cold air and the early morning hours that make me smile. Maybe it's the glimpse of peace, or the way the white landscape looks fresh and clean but it's in these moments that I feel the steadfast love of God.  Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow". White as snow. Just as the fresh white snow covers the whole ground, so Christ's blood covers all our sins. Is that not amazing? Do you get that feeling of fullness in your chest as you think about it? That feeling that God is so much bigge...
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Psalm 103 - Dwelling in thankfulness

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  Bless the Lord, O My Soul Of David. Psalm 103  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3  who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4  who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5  who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6  The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7  He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10  He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11  For as hig...
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The heart of the writer

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I've been rather absent in my posting for the last few weeks, and while I feel a little bad about this, I'm trying to give myself the grace to get through the things I need to. December is not an easy month for me, and while I try to put on a smile and participate in all the family functions, my heart isn't usually in them. I find I need to distract myself from thinking about the children I have loved and lost, but there are constant reminders everywhere that they're not here. And while I have been productive in my writing (my book on the letter of James is now with the publisher!), it hasn't been in the form of blog entries... here's where my heart has been... When it comes to the loss of a child or loved one, the empty spot they leave behind in our hearts and lives is never completely filled up again. God created us as unique individuals, and no one can ever truly replace another person. We can make new friends, try to have more children, get married, and try ...
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Disappointment

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Have you ever felt disappointed in God? Something happens in life that you can’t understand, and it makes you feel let down that God allowed it to happen. Sounds pretty awful, but hear me out. I always wanted children, but when I received them, it was nothing like I had imagined. God blessed me with nine children; however, He chose to call every one of them home to Himself before I could even meet them. When I was pregnant with our last child, I ended up carrying her for the longest time. I got to a point where I thought perhaps I would be allowed to keep this one. But God had other plans, and my little girl was called to her heavenly home long before I was ready. My disappointment and hurt were harder to endure than anything else in my life. God gave me what I wanted, but I felt He took them away too soon. I was devastated and disappointed that God would let me go through the same loss and pain so many times and still not let me keep and raise a child. I was disappointed that He waite...
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Do not be overcome by evil

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This world is filled with evil. We don’t like to think about how evil the world and people truly are, but sometimes it feels like it slaps us in the face and knocks us to the ground. When people do hateful and hurtful things to us, it’s easy to want to strike back. However, Romans 12:21 reminds us, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Not an easy thing to do, and it goes against our own sinful nature; but if we turn back a few verses, we’re told “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD’.” (Romans 12:19). 1 Thessalonians 5:15 tells us, “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” Don’t strike back. When people slander you or do evil towards you, remember, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18). But...
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