September 2011
13 posts
The Valve
by Luann Prater
“Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” James 3:5 (NIV)
My husband needed some diesel fuel for the tractor so he asked me to pick up some on the way home. He had put the gas can in a box in the back of his truck. Now, I’m 5’2″, so things that taller-than-me folks can do become a...
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An Open Invitation...
Dear Friend,
Have you ever been given a gift, possibly even a second chance, and wanted to share it with everyone? Well, that is what has happened to me with Rodan + Fields!
Back in the spring, I was truly searching for something different in my professional career. I needed a second income to take care of some expenses. And, due to my wife having Multiple Sclerosis, I wanted to be able to...
Your Thoughts Have Wheels
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)
The day started off just fine, but ended with confusion and tears. As a timid middle-schooler, I climbed the steps of my school bus eager to get home after a long afternoon.
Sitting quietly in my seat, all of a sudden I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although my surroundings appeared to be the same, something was...
Character Really Does Matter
Let’s be honest. Ethics is not for wimps. It’s not easy being a good person. It’s not easy to be honest when it might be costly, to play fair when others cheat, or to keep inconvenient promises. It’s not easy to stand up for our beliefs and still respect differing viewpoints…
It’s not easy to control powerful impulses, to be accountable for our attitudes and...
When God Hurts Your Feelings
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV 1984)
Has God ever hurt your feelings? I’ll be honest, sometimes I’ll read those verses from Philippians listed...
August 2011
82 posts
Arise from the Wreckage
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28 (KJV)
I’d read the book of Acts before and honestly, it fell dull and familiar as I read again. But when I came to chapter nine, something new jumped out at me. I began to see the word “rejection,” although it was not in written form. Perhaps I saw what I was...
I Fully Intended To…
“However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:33
When I married my husband over twenty years ago, I fully intended to unconditionally love, respect and admire him. I had great intentions of being the perfect wife, offering kind words, a romantic kiss and dinner on the table every evening.
But then careers took off,...
My Triple-Braided Cord
“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
I’ve been embattled in a knock-down, drag-out fight for over a quarter-century now. Sometimes, I feel the little daily battles that are part of this clash completely defeat me, leaving me helpless and...
Is God Enough?
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV 1984)
Is God enough? It’s a question that my circumstances bring me back to quite often. Over a lifetime I’ve concluded not only is God enough, but He has to be enough.
It takes effort on my part to make sure my heart is staying in this truth.
As a young child, I didn’t realize my...
Why You Should Hang Up Your Robe
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” Acts 20:24
My first instinct was to leave the clean, folded clothes on top of the dresser. Granted, my arms were filled with freshly laundered items, so it would have been difficult to open the drawer while balancing the stack. I had an excuse for leaving them on top....
“When doubt comes against me, saying I’m weak and all alone, I will focus on the...”
It Takes Just One
“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” Romans 5:15 (NIV)
“I just wanted to tell you,” she said. “It just takes one.” She knew we had our house up for sale and wanted to offer me a word of encouragement. She had also recently...
