Have you ever heard of the Shema? (pronounced sheh-mah) I knew it was a daily Hebrew prayer, but that’s about it. Recently, I read a devotional that discussed it briefly. The Shema is taken from 3 passages: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41. Reading these spurred me on to learn more! The Shema teaches us …
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The Christian Life
Meaningful Quiet Times, Consistent Bible Study, Praying with Purpose— these deepen our relationship with God. The Christian life is where we walk it all out. When God's Word changes us, we treat others differently. We love more sincerely. We forgive more readily. We move to meet needs more quickly. As a result, the world sees Jesus in action. How will others know that a relationship with God makes a difference, if they don’t see it?
In these posts you’ll find encouragement as you wrestle with brokenness, forgiveness, struggles, and suffering. You’ll be challenged as you grow in godly character and spiritual intimacy. And you'll find hope. Many posts show my spiritual growth in the Christian life as a mom of teenagers. (Can you relate?)
Are You Searching for that Christmas Feeling?
Not too long ago, I made a trip to Houston. I drove near The Galleria, a favorite shopping place for our family during the holidays. Each year we go window-shopping for a few hours. Sometimes we make a purchase or two and then go out to eat. Afterward, we look at Christmas lights. It’s been …
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9 Truths About the Enneagram and Personality Typing
Transformation. Change. We leave the old behind and embrace the new. The vast majority of social media posts with a #transformation hashtag are about lifestyle improvement. From weight loss to minimalism, people want to become a better version of themselves. Enter personality typing. It’s been around for a long time and quizzes abound. It appears …
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How Our Words Can Brighten Our World
Where would we be without words? We use them constantly. We speak and think them. And we write and text them. Combined with music, they become the language of the heart. Even our body language translates into unspoken words. Crossed arms and a scowl can say, I’m mad at you. A gentle touch or a …
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Are You A Rule Follower?
Are you a rule follower? There are rules for everything. Rules for games and sports. Rules for punctuation, and rules for completing math problems. Even rules for how we behave at work and at school. In some cases, the word guidelines might be more effective. Some of us simply aren’t rule followers. We want to do …
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Celebrating One Year Alcohol Free!
I debated whether to write this post. In fact, I’m a little nervous about how life will go once I post it! But a year has passed since I obeyed and said yes to God’s no regarding alcohol consumption. I wish I could say it’s been five years, or more! I resisted far too long. It hasn’t been easy, …
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From Empty to Filled with Joy
Often feeling empty and distant from the Lord is caused by our not spending quality time with Him every day. Our relationship can be restored simply by re-establishing our daily quiet times. Sometimes, however, our loss of fellowship is because we harbor unconfessed sin. When we make a mess of our lives—accidentally or even on purpose—God …
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5 Ways to Get an Infusion of Hope
We work our bodies hard to build strong muscles. We eat the right foods to keep our body systems healthy. And to stay spiritually fit, we feed our hearts and minds a healthy diet of God’s Word. But we are still human, not immune to one of the most common maladies: a sense of hopelessness. Sometimes …
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