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SNEAK PEEK: Bending Toward the Sun by Mona Hodgson

March 12, 2013

Can the Divine Quilter stitch together the torn pieces of Emilie’s heart?

Click here to download chapter one of Bending Toward the Sun.

Divided between the love of her father and the desires of her heart, Emilie Heinrich must rely on the love and wisdom of the women in her quilting circle for support. Since Emilie is dedicated to her education and to helping her father in his general store, she is convinced she doesn’t have time for love. But when a childhood friend returns to St. Charles, Missouri, after serving in the Civil War, his smile and charm captures Emilie’s eye and her heart.

Click here to download chapter one of [ … ]

Confidence in God

March 12, 2013

So, in order to start living a more significant life, assess where you are right now, where you want to be, and the confidence you need to get there. Real change is possible in our lives if we’re willing to move beyond our past mistakes and work through any present disappointments. We must also let go of our own limited expectations about the way God works in our lives and allow ourselves to be surprised by him. After all, if we’re focused on his presence in our lives and intent on pursuing our relationships with him in the midst of community, then who we were meant to be will emerge more clearly every day.

It’s never too late to change and begin experiencing the fullness of a life filled with joy and peace, a life built on the bedrock [ … ]

Financial Woes

March 11, 2013

Money was one of Jesus’s most frequent subjects. He challenged people to focus on God rather than their pocketbook. How can we worry about money when the Creator of all good things has promised to care for us?

Stock markets go up and down. People get hired and fired. Nest eggs sometimes get stolen by swindlers. That’s why Jesus told us to deposit our treasure—and our hearts—in heaven. No matter how iffy the economy, God is a sure thing. We can always count on his promises .

Excerpted from 99 Bible Promises for Tough Times by Randy Petersen

Daily Reflection: How can you remind yourself of God’s stability during financial woes?

SNEAK PEEK: BAD GIRLS OF THE BIBLE by Liz Curtis Higgs

March 8, 2013

Read the first chapter of Bad Girls of the Bible.

Women everywhere marvel at those “good girls” in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther–but on most days, that’s not who they see when they look in the mirror.

Most women (if they’re honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel’s take-charge pride or Eve’s disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today’s modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires.

Guarantee of Provision

March 8, 2013

I WILL WITHHOLD NO GOOD THING

I assure you that I will always be your protector and your provider. I’ll shine My light in front of you so you’ll know which way to go, and I’ll shower you with grace so you can stay on the right path. Walk with Me, and I promise I’ll never keep good things from your life.
FROM PSALM 8 4:11

WARRANTY NOTES: If something is good for you, God wants to give it to you.

Excerpted from God’s Little Book of Guarantees by Heather Kopp

Daily Reflection: How has God’s light guided you during your walk with Him?

Seeing with His Eyes

March 7, 2013

“Because of one man’s gift of encouragement, two men who might have been left behind, Paul and John Mark, were given the gift of a second chance. We are called to do the same. To believe the best about people rather than the worst. Despite their reputations, despite their questionable past performances. To look at people through the eyes of God and see what He sees.

Assets, not liabilities.

Beloved children in need of grace.”

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver

Daily Reflection: Take a moment and reevaluate some recent assumptions. How can you treat other as God would, starting today?

The Virtue of Hospitality

March 5, 2013

“… a dear friend…went home to be with the Lord recently.   

Dottie Wicker’s  “glass door welcomed any visitor with time for a chat.  Toys lined the floor for the broods that accompanied young moms willing to stop by and receive a dash of sunshine in her living room.  Dottie had a lovely set of silver containers on the front table in her modest dining room.  What would an eighty- year-old woman hide in those treasured keepsakes?  Hershey’s Kisses—a promised treat for any little visitor (and sometimes their mothers).  She expected visiting children to follow just two rules at her house:  stay out of the formal living room and collect their Kisses on the way out.  She wanted them close to her on their visits, not rummaging through the candy jar. 

I hope to grow old as gracefully as [ … ]

Setting Fire to Your Old Life

March 4, 2013

“When we consider following God in a way that would disrupt our lives, we usually try to prequalify our obedience before taking the first step.  But the thing is, whether you’ll see God do greater things in your life doesn’t depend on having the equipment you’ll need for the journey ahead.  You can’t get too worried about whether you’ve read the right books or been to the right school or have the right connections.  Right now, the only equipment you need is a flamethrower (or if that sounds too dramatic, a box of matches). 

That’s because you can’t step into your new life until you first set fire to whatever is tethering you to your old life.  Before you can go forward into the life God has for you, you have to offer Him every part of the life [ … ]