Blog Growth

Hope for Our Well-being

Hope germinates in the rocky, hard, and dry times. Hope is for these times. There is nothing earth shattering in these thoughts. But what matters is this: do I really believe it to be true? Hope is for my difficulties, times of uncertainty and discouragement. Because God is good, He gives hope — something to …

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Blog Growth Perspective

Convinced

I was not an avid reader as a child like Dad. He had numerous books going simultaneously. I was always amazed by the wide variety of subjects he read. I, on the other hand, had a difficult time even finishing a book. And there were many times I peeked ahead to find out how things …

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Blog Growth Perspective

The Father is God

(There is) one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:6). A good part of my life I had a certain picture in mind of God and what He was like. He was sitting on His throne and really far away. This heavenly Father (with maybe …

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Blog Growth Perspective

The Spirit is God

What comes to mind when you think about the Holy Spirit? For some, they picture the Spirit of God as a type of force or power to tap into in order to see God do big things. Personally, for a long time, the Holy Spirit was the most mysterious of the Godhead, since I heard …

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Blog Growth

The Trinity: Unity and Diversity

There has been a lot of ground covered over the last four posts and I want to attempt to put it altogether. Just as I started — if someone asks me about the Trinity, instead of looking puzzled and sidestepping the question, I would like to answer with what I do understand. There is mystery, …

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Blog Growth Reading Scripture

Need Hope?

Hope. What do you need hope for right now? I imagine we can each easily call something to mind for which we need hope. Or, we can anticipate the times that will come when finding hope will be a challenge.   As I continue from Psalm 23 in Need Peace, this last part has given me …

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Blog Growth Reading Scripture

Need Peace?

One thing I wish was a constant in life is peace. On a superficial level, I just wish it wasn’t so busy during this season (and every season) of the year. I have to fight for moments of stillness and reflection. That sounds peaceful, right? Fight for peace! On a deeper level I think we …

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Blog Growth

Need Rest?

Life is crazy. I just expect this time of year to be this way. There is the shopping, the decorating, the bombardment of emails, the hosting, the baking… Unfortunately, often the Christmas season equals busy. To sidestep this I have been turning Psalm 23 over in my mind. Yes it is familiar, but timeless and …

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Blog Growth Perspective

Made Marvelous

I like the ring of this phrase- “made marvelous.” Maybe because “marvelous” is not a customary part of my vocabulary, or maybe because marvelous is just a good sounding word, I like it. This morning I read these two words and became curious. What about you?  I want to know, what was “made marvelous?”  It …

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Blog Growth Leadership

Questions for Pursuing Diversity

Updated note: This was written before many of the challenging issues that followed 2018. I realize how much I don’t know still. I am also reminded that the heart of this post is still true for all my relationships. Being a learner of others, hearing others, and listening is always a good place to start. …

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Blog Growth Perspective

The Beauty of Surrender: the Satisfied Life

Think about when you are most satisfied. Something important to you makes you feel good or happy. Yet this may not be the thing that actually satisfies our soul. We need “soul satisfying.” Soul Satisfying The satisfied life is a content life. Content does not equal happy, but rather it is a full life with …

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Blog Growth

What am I Depending on to be Satisfied?

What are you depending on? My conversations with others (and in my own head) of late have included this question. Or, I could say it this way, “What am I counting or relying on day-to-day to bring me satisfaction, fulfillment, rest, or reprieve?” As I reflect on this, I can see how much I anticipate …

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Blog Growth Perspective

Decisions, Decisions: How to decide?

Making a decision can often feel weighty, kind of like the scene towards the end of the movie, The Last Crusade, when Indian Jones must decide which cup is Christ’s cup.  The knight says, “Choose wisely.” For one choice leads to life and the other, to destruction. How do you choose? Decision-making can be agonizing! …

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Blog Growth Perspective

The Aroma of Lowliness

God seeks our lowliness. He desires it — earnestly wanting it for us. Not because He is a God who wishes to crush us or takes pleasure in our unhappiness, no it is for the exact opposite. Because of His great love for us, He desires our lowliness. Becoming Like a Child Another way of …

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