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He Will Not Be Denied

October 24, 2013

“Your heavenly Father will never desert you, never abuse you, never fail to forgive you, never hold back His grace, and never condition His love on your performance. He’s determined. He is in relentless pursuit of you, and He will not be denied… To be a son who is relentlessly pursued like that can turn a man around in his tracks.”

Excerpted from Man Alive by Patrick Morley

Daily Reflection: How will you live differently today, knowing God won’t leave you—no matter what?

God Wastes Nothing

October 23, 2013

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. –Psalm 34:11

I can imagine some might look at Psalm 34:11 and think, "Oh, yeah? Well, I’m the middle of affliction right now and I haven’t been delivered." Understandable reaction, especially when we’re hurting whether physically or emotionally. But you know what? Deliverance is coming. We don’t know how, we don’t know when–it might happen on earth, it might happen when we are welcomed into Heaven. But God keeps His promises, so you can rest assured…you WILL be delivered. In the meantime, lean into His strength. Use the current hardship as an opportunity to grow in patience or perseverance or grace. God wastes nothing–not even our hardships. And He WILL bring you through.

Original Devotional by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Author of What Once Was [ … ]

NEWS: My Hope Is Found reviewed by USA Today

October 22, 2013

My Hope Is Found, the final novel in the Cadence of Grace trilogy by Joanne Bischof, was reviewed on USA Today‘s “Happily Ever After” blog. Writes reviewer Serena Chase, “Just as in the previous books in the Cadence of Grace series, readers will be transported back in time to turn of the century Appalachia to experience a unique spin on love, marriage, and God’s redemptive plan.”

To read the entire review, visit usatoday.com.

Shaping Parents

October 22, 2013

I used to think raising children was more or less a task of shaping and guiding a future generation. I still do. But I also think God uses children to shape parents. And the trials that come into our family circle aren’t necessarily to make us “better.” They are to “empty us out” so that God can fill us up with more of Himself.

Excerpted from Espresso for Your Spirit by Pam Vredevelt

Daily Reflection: Do you feel that your children have helped shape you to be closer to God?

NEWS: Raising Boys by Design reviewed on Women’s Bible Cafe

October 21, 2013

 

 

Raising Boys by Design: What the Bible and Brain Science Reveal About What Your Son Needs to Thrive, by Dr. Gregory Jantz and Michael Gurian, was reviewed on womensbiblecafe.com. “Combining Biblical instruction wtih scientific studies,” writes reviewer Heather King, “Jantz and Gurian argue that boys are in jeopardy in our schools and society.”

To read the entire review, go to womensbiblecafe.com.

SNEAK PEEK: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World Study Guide

October 21, 2013

This Christmas, experience learning to trust alongside the Plain folk of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania in this heart-warming tale of second chances. – See more at: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=226490#sthash.t1pXmENy.dpuf
Gideon O’Riley has been given another chance at a life with Lonnie. But will the fight for her heart risk it all over again? – See more at: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=219085#sthash.2GHMxE02.dpuf
Turn your fleeting minutes into defining moments.
They were two of Jesus’s closest friends. Each had something to offer Him. But one offered “the better part.” – See more at: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=223010#sthash.s6voIUKK.dpuf

They were two of Jesus’s closest [ … ]

Perspective

October 21, 2013

Instead, remember two truths: our perspective is limited, but our God is unlimited. We can only see part of the picture—one frame of the movie—at a time, but God sees it all. And although our resources may be limited, our faith stretched, and our fears multiplied, our Father can provide for all our needs, and he delights in loving us more than we can know. He is the ultimate chief of the construction crew of our lives, and he builds and shapes, tears down whatever is unneeded or in the way, and constructs a masterpiece, a work of significance, out of our lives. Under his direction, we can have the confidence to grow into all that we were meant to be.

Excerpted from 99 Bible Promises for Tough Times by Randy Petersen

Daily Reflection: How can you trust [ … ]

Inner Health

October 18, 2013

Maybe you have a favorite old mug. Into it you pour your morning coffee, your afternoon tea, or your bedtime cocoa. It might be stained, dulled by many washings, chipped, or cracked—but it still warms your hand as you enjoy its contents day by day.

That mug is like you. Outwardly we show the chips and cracks of everyday wear and tear, but inwardly we are renewed daily with the outpouring of the Spirit. Just before this promise of renewal, the apostle Paul described us as “jars of clay” (see verse 7), perhaps thinking about Adam being fashioned from the dust of the earth. We are indeed earthen vessels, but don’t focus on the fading exterior. Feel the warmth of what God is pouring into you.

Excerpted from 99 Bible Promises for Tough Times by Randy Petersen

Daily [ … ]

The Steadfast

October 17, 2013

October is Depression Awareness Month

God is the ultimate recycler—nothing goes to waste. He is able to use every experience, even your depression, to help you to grow. Chuck Swindoll, in his book Hope Again, puts it this way: “This variety of trials is like different temperature settings on God’s furnace. The settings are adjusted to burn off our dross, to temper us or soften us according to what meets our highest need. It is in God’s refining fire that the authenticity of our faith is revealed. And the purpose of these fiery ordeals is that we may come forth as purified gold, a shining likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.” Even amidst the fiery trial of depression, God is able to bless you and help you to grow. You must decide to meet him in this challenge for [ … ]